2.06 - Presenting Lorelai Gilmore

[andrea]

I think that this episode was pretty good but i did not like how richard and emily were fighting through it.

[Cimme]

I bought the complete 2nd season on DVD in Germany because I missed some episodes when it was shown on tv.

I had to smily after Rory's dad came with the volvo. But as I heard what kind of music he listened to I was very surprised. They played Rammstein with 'du hast', a german Hard-Rock/Metal Band. The titel means 'you have'.

I did not know, that Rammstein is known in the USA, because they sing only songs in German.

This episode was/is very good

[talkingfriend]

i like this reference to Austria in this episode:

LORELAI: Did you know you still knew how to do that?

CHRISTOPHER: I wish I didn't. Imagine what we could do if we freed up the brain space that holds onto the Viennese Waltz.

Vienna is the capital of Austria..and the viennese waltz is quite famous.....

[xAlisonx]

I love the bit near the end where Lorelai comes into Lukes and Rory is eating a burger and she goes

LORELAI: After all we've been through tonight, I come in here and see you eating like that?

And then Rory sticks out her pinky/little finger as she's holding the burger, and says somthing like

RORY: Being a lady is hard.

'tis sooo funny =]

[0gracefulgirl0]

I <3 that episod cause it seems so unlike Rory to do that, but she is straying away from her mom, which is good cause a duagter shouldnt be exactly like her mom, it would be weird

[Imy]

Is the girl that plays 'Libby' the girl that says that Chris is a hot dad, is that the same actor as the girl that plays 'walker' one of the bridesmaids in season6 that sleeps with Logan??

Such a good episode!! The uniform scene is the best!!

[coffee_cake_7]

This is one of my fave episodes from the whole series. I like all the sides it brought out in people: Richard's anti-society side, Rory's proper side, Chris' fatherly side.

I also liked the end scene, where they're sitting in Luke's and Rory puts up her pinkie while eating a cheesburger. "I thought this was a uniform." I love Jess.

Imy: yes, it is the same girl

[LoveMe011]

this wasn't one of my favorite episodes, but i feel it did bring to light many of the issues that place so much strain on lorelai's relationship with richard and emily, as well as some never before seen strain on richard and emily's relationship. i loved that christopher finally stepped up to the plate to fulfill his fatherly duty, i just wish he'd been doing it all along. i'm a huge fan of the luke-lorelai relationship, but i think that if christopher had gotten it right from the beginning, he and lorelai may very well have ended up together and done very well. however, given the way things ACTUALLY turned out, i would rather see lorelai with luke than anyone else. i think rory was agreeing to do the coming out party just because she knew it would pacify emily and i think she saw it as a potential adventure. it was, as we can all agree, quite an interesting experience, and it allowed the entire family, as well as dean, to spent more time together than usual. i loved the scene where they were practicing their dancing at miss patty's. i thought that was a great addition to the episode. richard's flipping out about the insignificance of these social events was much needed, in my opinion. i would side with him, except for the fact that emily literally has nothing better to do. she has no job, and as far as we know she didn't go to college and earn a degree that would help her get one. she probably married richard at a young age and never HAD to work. so the social events that she plans and attends, as well as her DAR participation and functions, are basically all she has.
i thought it was very sweet of dean to be rory's escort to the event. this is the second time dean has done something he wouldn't normally be comfortable with to make rory happy, the first time being the dance at chilton. i'm not a huge fan of their relationship ultimately, but i did think it was a good thing for this point in the relationship.

[bingbong]

Dressing up in a monkey suit with gloves... Dean went way beyond the call of duty in this episode. I suppose it was made easier for him by the fact that no one he knew in S.H. was witness to the spectacle. Nothwithstanding a few groans, the guy was willing to go through with it for Rory's sake.

One thing that gets me about Richard's job problem is the fact that he is suddenly depicted as just another cog in the corporate machine. He is, after all, the paternal head of the supposedly mighty Gilmore family. But now we see we he can be cast aside at the whim of a corporate superior. The esteemed Richard Gilmore is not even master of his own fate. His idea to start a business and become his own boss is in the future, but Lorelai is already going down that road with the inn. That to me puts her one step ahead of her father. But at least he has weighty things on his mind. The seriousness with which Emily regards the cotillion, including every nauseating detail, depicts her at her most obsessive over social status. But it also fits in with her craving for Rory to fill the role that Lorelai rejected.

As for Rory, she is back to her role of conciliator in the family. If it makes Emily happy and keeps a kind of peace, she will go along with it. But she is very sweet in the way she understands how important the nonsense is to her grandmother.

Speaking of sweet, that final scene where Lorelai shows up to hang out with Emily was very classy. As usual, when the chips appear to be down for the Gilmores, Lorelai is there.

[wmushell]

Speaking of sweet, that final scene where Lorelai shows up to hang out with Emily was very classy. As usual, when the chips appear to be down for the Gilmores, Lorelai is there.

I love that part too, Jim!  I find it poignant Lorelai goes to the Gilmores that day to just "hang". 

It is hilarious when - at the beginning - Lorelai says she and Rory are Brigita and Gretel when the Gilmore's maid is named Liesl!     You gotta love a good Sound of Music reference.

This is by far one of my favorite season 2 episodes - it has so many wondeful moments.  And before I continue, I want to go on record as being an official Java Junkie.  I adore Luke with all of my heart and think he's the guy for Lorelai.  This is my official dislclaimer before I say . . .

I think the chemistry between Lorelai and Christopher in this episode is amazing.  I always think of it when people say they don't understand how she fell into being with Christopher in "Partings" and season 7 - their history and connection is undeniable.  Of course, it doesn't end up being enough when all is said and done, but I think it was completely in character of Lorelai to need to experience that relationship.  Like I said, Luke is the one she should end up with . . . just so everyone knows where I officially stand.   

I love how both Lorelai and Christopher have the exact same reaction to Rory deciding to do the ball.  "Coming out?  Coming out of what?"     Lorelai's incessant mocking of Christopher's Volvo is fantastic.  Hee - I love how he is redeemed when she says, "George Lucas wishes he had this sound system."

Since Kelly Bishop was also in Dirty Dancing, I love how GG has at least one "Nobody puts baby in the corner!" reference.  The dancing scene at Miss Patty's is one of my faves:


Two more lines I love -
Lorelai:  "You saved me, I love you, I want to have your baby.  Oops!  Too late!."


Christopher:  "Okay, I think this is a really good time for a martini. Hello. Thirsty people here. [Lorelai goes behind the bar] Ah, what are you doing?"

Lorelai: Steve won't mind.

Christopher: Little tip. Never a good idea to let people know you're on a first name basis with the bartender.



I agree that Dean also stepped up this epi . . . Rory mentions later in "Let the Games Begin" what a good boyfriend he had been to her and how this was one of the things she appreciated him doing.

The Emily and Richard scenes are so painful.  Clearly Richard is in an awful place if he doesn't care about seeing Rory in her "moment".

[bingbong]

It is hilarious when - at the beginning - Lorelai says she and Rory are Brigita and Gretel when the Gilmore's maid is named Liesl!     You gotta love a good Sound of Music reference.

Yep, and Liesl was too traumatized to appreciate the reference (the maids often look puzzled when Lorelai speaks). I think she gratefully left the room and went straight back to Austria for a job with the Von Trapp family. All those kids would be easier to handle than Emily. Poor Liesl.

I think the chemistry between Lorelai and Christopher in this episode is amazing...  The dancing scene at Miss Patty's is one of my faves...

I agree, their chemistry in this episode can match anything in the entire series. Last week's episode we had Luke being a stand-up guy about Jess. This week it's Christopher at his best. Lorelai's guys are on the job! But here is Christopher probably as Lorelai has dreamt he would be, and of course he has a serious girlfriend. The writers wouldn't have it any other way. When Lorelai and Rory chat about Christopher and Sherry, Rory seems genuinely happy for her dad, but for Lorelai it's an effort. This is the Christopher she has been waiting for and he's taken. Timing is always an issue for them.

I also love their dancing scene at Miss Patty's. Whenever i watch this classic ep i play that scene a couple of extra times. The cutie pie expression on Lorelai's face while she is dancing kills me everytime. But in a way it's Miss Patty who steals the scene for me. When she is instructing Rory and Dean, i cannot hear her say "I usually like to find a lonely seaman" and "hello sailor hello sailor hello sailor" without howling in laughter. Then it's her flirting with Christopher! "Listen to your father, Rory. Your adorable, adorable father" and "Oh, the way you toy with me." It's all in her sly delivery. She should forget dance and give a class called Flirting 101.

[honkifuluvGG]

It is hilarious when - at the beginning - Lorelai says she and Rory are Brigita and Gretel when the Gilmore's maid is named Liesl!     You gotta love a good Sound of Music reference.

Yep, and Liesl was too traumatized to appreciate the reference (the maids often look puzzled when Lorelai speaks). I think she gratefully left the room and went straight back to Austria for a job with the Von Trapp family. All those kids would be easier to handle than Emily. Poor Liesl.

I too just adored this opening Sound of Music reference.  I think it was so perfectly played by both Lauren and the maid.  I particularly like the end part though where the maid is verbally relieved when Lorelai dismisses her.  It's one thing to think to yourself... phew, I'm outta here, but another entirely to respond with

LORELAI: You know what, that's okay. I can get it. Why don't you go hide in the kitchen?

LIESL: Really? Thank you.

LOL - New to the Gilmore household or not, she wasn't too shy to let Lorelai know how she felt


I wonder if it's just the strain of Richard being 'phased out' of his job that lowers his opinion of Emily's commitments, or if that is really how he feels.  That whilst he is employed and clearly the head of the household in all his providing glory, he can see Emily's many committee positions as something befitting a woman/family of their stature, but when the chips are down and his self worth is being questioned, they are brushed aside and nothing more than trivial social engagements.  I feel for Emily in this episode.  She really had her self worth knocked about a bit.

I think the chemistry between Lorelai and Christopher in this episode is amazing.... 

I also feel that the chemistry between Lorelai and Christopher is a force to be reckoned with.  As a major JJ I could never see her ending up with anybody but Luke, but in this episode you can see the bond that these two share and how they could end up where they do in season 7.  For people that share not only the bond of a child, but also that of a really honest and close friendship you know that they need their chance to give it a go.  But I honestly believe that Lorelai was more in love with the idea of being in love with the father of her child than she was with the actual man himself.  Plus I couldn't help but be a little annoyed at the fact that Christopher waited until the end of the evening to fess up about the girlfriend ( I can't even say her name....ugghhh).  I mean he was reciprocating some major flirting in this ep, and I think this is kind of one of the reasons that they could never be... he's just the boy who wanted it all and couldn't grow up enough to be honest up front.  Or maybe that's just the way the JJ in me sees it .

I also like the Luke and Jess interaction in this episode, particularly this...

LUKE: Go upstairs and change your shirt.

JESS: I like this shirt.

LUKE: How can you like that shirt?

JESS: It brings out my eyes.

Love the sass (manly sass of course) of Jess.  Never fails to make me laugh.

[bingbong]

I wonder if it's just the strain of Richard being 'phased out' of his job that lowers his opinion of Emily's commitments, or if that is really how he feels.   That whilst he is employed and clearly the head of the household in all his providing glory, he can see Emily's many committee positions as something befitting a woman/family of their stature, but when the chips are down and his self worth is being questioned, they are brushed aside and nothing more than trivial social engagements.  I feel for Emily in this episode.  She really had her self worth knocked about a bit.

This reminds me of the ep where Lorelai has the bad date with the guy who turns out to be the son of one of Emily's DAR friends/rivals. When Lorelai decides not to go on a second date to the Bowie concert, Emily freaks and Richard explains to Lorelai about the importance of Emily's social status. Lorelai suggests how silly it is and Richard agrees. He says i know it and you know it, but this is important to Emily and that's all that matters; if his wife must have the first cup of tea at the DAR meeting, then she will have the first cup of tea, etc. While he in a sense demeans it, he is also sensitive to the importance she places on it and will support her all the way. Besides, he can be just as status-conscious as her in his own way. He is a product of their upper-crust culture as much as Emily.

But the additional factor in this ep was his accusation that Emily has not been listening to him when he has talked about his problems. I think that plays into his demeaning attitude towards her; he felt neglected and wronged. Whether that was true or not, it showed they were not connecting. They normally seem to be of one mind, understanding their roles and balancing each other, but cracks were revealed that we don't usually see (although nothing compared to their separation in season 4).

I enjoy watching the way Lorelai's reactions evolve towards her parents during the episode. In the initial "Liesl" scene, she treats their argument as a joke for her entertainment pleasure. At the cotillion, realizing how serious it's becoming, she puts herself in the unfamiliar position of peacemaker as Emily and Richard go at it. Then in the final scene she shows up to hang with Emily in a show of support. I like these episodes where Lorelai reacts and shifts her attitude during the course of the story; reminds me of  "Kill Me Now", where Lorelai has various reactions to Rory's happy outing with Richard on the golf course. Lorelai has multiple feelings about her parents and they sometimes get crammed into one episode.

[SIDNEY]

I love this episode for the Lorelai/Chris scenes. They get a long so well. Amazing couple! I think Chris only moved on with his life after he'd known about Lorelai's engagement, he got himself together probably because of regrets over his lost relationship with her. In this episode we see Chris enjoy being the man of Lorelai's dreams, the one she always wanted to see. he wanted that moment and feeling last so much that he didn't tell her about Sherry till the end.
I like how innocent Rory seems in this episode, Almost like a little girl when she runs out of the house to welcome her father. Really sweet! It was also thoughtful of Chris to remember the dictionary Rory wanted. (I've never heard of anyone dying to have a dictionary!)

It's sad how rocky Emily's and Richard's relationship is here but Emily is too proud to admit there is something wrong. I like when Richard is ranting about Emily and asks Lorelai if Emily ever listened to her and Lorelai answers: "people listen in different ways".  Funny how Richard pointed out that Emily has never listened to Lorelai and didn't notice that he hasn't either. Ironic how people always point out other people's faults but not their own.

[bingbong]

^ Yeah, in that moment Richard of all people was trying to gang up with Lorelai against Emily. He's always been the aloof parent and is clueless about it. It had to strike a nerve in Lorelai. She could have replied with a snark but she showed great composure in maintaining her neutral stance. Not the moment to take sides.