1.11 - Paris is Burning

[Gilmore_Girl21]

This eppy is defenitly one of my personal favs.. I felt bad for Rory in it though. She didnt do anythng to Paris!!! This is when Paris was mean to Rory. I like the "Paris and Rory Relationship" as bffs not worst enemys. But still one of the best!  <3

Peace, Love, and Gilmore
~ Kayla

[HollowStar]

I never really liked Max, so the storyline in that aspect didn't thrill me.  However we all know how that turned out so I can deal. 

Paris was a total snob to spread what she saw, but I can't say I wouldn't at least tell some people if I saw my mortal enemy's mom kissing our teacher.  I wouldn't tell the whole school, mainly because I wasn't friends with the whole school and really didn't care what they thought, but I definitely couldn't keep something that juicy to myself. 

Perhaps it's because this hasn't actually happened to me, but I think it would be kind of cool to have my mom date my teacher.  I say that now, and watch... hahah.

I'll give it to Max, he was stubborn.  He wouldn't take that damn book back!

Good episode overall.  Not a favorite, but good nonetheless.

[gilmore2972]

Yeah i didnt like max either
Max and Lorelai didnt go together

[LoveMe011]

i think rory hit the nail on the head when she confronted paris about spreading the story of lorelai and max kissing in the classroom. paris's parents are going through a very publicized divorce and she's having her family's business spread through every headline in hartford, so the idea of getting all her classmates to start gossipping about ANYTHING besides her was apparently very appealing.
   lorelai using rory as an excuse to break up with max was very easy for me to see through, perhaps because i use the same strategies at times, myself. sometimes we become nervous in relationships that things are going a little TOO well, and we find reasons to break things off ourselves rather than sitting around waiting to get "dumped." lorelai has been through a great deal of heartache in her lifetime, especially with her high school sweetheart/father of her only child having left and all, and she doesn't want to get hurt again. who can blame her for that? i think it's great that they kissed in the classroom, though, because it proves that not only can they not keep their hands off each other but also that, for this time period in their lives, they just needed to be together.
   

[lessa]

Heh. Zucchini tush.

It was funny, Rory saw through her, Sookie saw through her, Max saw through her, I was half expecting Luke to take a crack at explaining the breakup, and I've seen the episode before! Only Emily treated the whole thing as some fling done with no care for Rory's well being, and, ironically, that was what finally forced her to confront her feelings. I mean she had the choice, either she didn't really care about Max or she did. Only Emily made the former seem like an option too horrible to comprehend, and only Emily spoke of the latter as something which could redeem the situation.

Or maybe I'm just on an Emily kick. Kelly Bishop rules! Anyway, whatever else, she confronted the gossip with her family. Unlike Paris's mom, who was so self-centered, she thought she was the only one facing the gossip.

[bingbong]

I credit Lorelai for harnessing Emily‘s snippy attitude over the kiss into enlightenment about her Max feelings. But i can‘t give Emily much credit.  Sookie was making a sincere effort to get to the crux of the issue, while Emily had no idea what she was stumbling into. Emily was being Emily and nothing more, even if her attitude was justified for a change, not that she really gave Lorelai a chance to explain anything, not that Lorelai wanted to explain anything. It is amazing how much it takes for Lorelai to understand her feelings when it comes to men! It took nemesis Emily to accidentally make Lorelai understand, just as it took nemesis Rory to make Paris understand.

Luke & Lorelai had great chemistry as friends, but as a romantic couple Lorelai & Max had them beat, that’s what i think.

Emily/Kelly is amazing and so is Paris/Liza. Despite Paris‘ petty actions towards Rory, this was an episode where i felt sympathy for her. First seeing that awful mother of hers and knowing the agony of what she is going through. Then to hear Rory describe Madeline and Louise as Paris’ “best friends”. How sad is that?

The real heroines of this episode were Sookie and Rory. Sookie taking Lorelai’s snippy remark and turning it into a positive by asking out Jackson. Rory not only telling off Paris in classy fashion and making her see her shame, but then rising further above and making a gesture of friendship towards Paris. 

[SIDNEY]

Although it's true that Lorelai treats men badly and here is another example but i have sympathy for her here. She was in love , such unusual feeling for her, and scared her how deeply she felt. I don't think she needed Emily to point out the obvious to her, talking to Emily just made her realize it wasn't just love but perhaps the love of her life.

I love how Max didn't just let her go at the school ( even though he was hurt)  but he could see through her and unlike Lorelai he wasn't afraid but followed his heart. Things could have worked out just fine if only Paris had kept her mouth shut. He could have lost everything he worked for because of that kiss but he didn't seem to regret the "good kiss" as he pointed out at the end but it made everything more complicated for both of them ( Lorelai running away because she loved him and Max acting unprofessional because he loved her) . It was such a strong and unusual feeling for both of them and taking time to figure everything out was only the right thing to do, that's what i think.

[bingbong]

One unusual thing here is that Lorelai figured out her feelings over a guy in the space of one episode! Not only that, but she spoke to the guy directly about it! Although this episode ended sadly for Lorelai, at least she explained herself well to Max in the end and got it out in the open. That right there might have been the high-point of her communication skills with men and look where it got her: tears on her pillow.

[lessa]

Well, she didn't make the "mistake" alone. Max was thoroughly nuts about her, trying to separate his career and his love life, trying to get "in" with Rory, and having a "talk" about their relationship at school while Lorelai was trying to break up without making a scene. He realized how crazy he was acting at the same time she realized how crazy she was acting. Maybe he assumed that  she was freaking out because they were moving too fast and he hadn't realized it until he was threatened with probation for losing control.

I don't exactly give credit to Emily for Lorelai's change of heart. But the difference between what Sookie said and what Emily said was an important one. Sookie said she was having a freak-out and not being true to her feelings. Emily said Lorelai was behaving monstrously and risking Rory's future. If Sookie is right, it's just a regular Lorelai independence thing, but if Emily is right, there's no way to justify her actions unless she's really in love with Max. Sookie didn't care about the risks L&M were taking because she's indelibly romantic. Emily did care, and she went way too far spelling out the consequences, but it forced Lorelai to realize that she was either as reckless and selfish as Emily said or she was butt-crazy in love with an inappropriate man.

[Heidi]

Watching Rory/Paris in this episode and comparing them to Rory/Paris in season seven is like night and day.  Can anyone honestly say they predicted such an about face?  That's what seven years can do. 

~Heidi

[bingbong]

Watching Rory/Paris in this episode and comparing them to Rory/Paris in season seven is like night and day.  Can anyone honestly say they predicted such an about face?  That's what seven years can do. 

~Heidi

I never imagined their relationship would last for 7 seasons. I didn't think Paris' character would continue beyond Chilton, but i'm glad it did. She was one of the highlights of the later seasons. But even in this episode there is a tiny hint that they might be capable of friendship, or at least common ground. Friendship is a two way street but much of the credit goes to Rory for putting up with Paris. In this episode she graciously says to Paris "if you ever want to talk..." after what Paris did to her! That takes a remarkable person. Paris had no true friends and it would take someone with unusual patience and understanding to maintain a friendship with her.

[wmushell]

How I love this episode.   

It has everything:  romance, fights, friendships, enemies, gossip, conflict, a break-up, and heartbreak.

I definitely think Lorelai and Max had amazing chemistry.  He was so into her and she was very responsive to that -- the scene in his apartment sizzled.  I like how Lorelai plays up the qulality of Rory's paper to him.     As Lorelai begins to pull away and become distant, he goes into panic mode.  However, I love that he is willing to fight for their relationship and not let her off the hook for blowing him off.  The process she goes through to realize she really cares about him ends up being heartbreaking for her by the end of the episode.  The scene where she is describing to Emily why she risked dating a Chilton teacher was beautiful.

Sookie is an amazing friend.  Gutsy enough to clarify Lorelai's behavior to her and loving enough to forgive Lorelai when she snaps at her.  I agree that she made the best of Lorelai's criticisms by taking a chance on asking out Jackson.

I think this episode is a defining moment in the relationship between Rory and Paris.  I do believe that Paris was astounded that Rory - after being hurtfully gossiped about by Paris - still could empathize with all that Paris had been going through.  Most likely no one had offered an olive branch to Paris in that way and probably very few had ever spoken up to her and pointed out a few hard truths.  Rory earned Paris' respect in that moment.

Oooops!  I almost forgot my favorite part!  Luke fixing up Lorelai's ice skates.    He is so there for her in every way and Sookie very much notices that! 

[gg crazy]

Paris is so freak'n mean! Why Did she do that? Poor Rory!

[thevoid99]

What Paris is going through is the fact that her own life is now being talked about by her own classmates and for the whole world to know.  She is being extremely hurt by the fact that her parents are airing out their dirty laundry like that.  Yet, when she saw Lorelai and Max kiss, she wanted the class and everyone to have something else to talk about.

What she did was bad but I don't think she intended to hurt anyone.  She at least, apologized to Rory and has no grudges on Lorelai or Max.  It's just that there's still things that are tense between her and Rory.  She just didn't want to hear about what's going on in her life again.

Lorelai did let her emotions get in the way of things as did Max so they had to take a break from the relationship.  I can understand Lorelai's reasons for breaking up because Rory's getting attached and Max's realization that it could've cost his job.  Yet, it was sad that they broke up for a brief moment. 

[t.j.s babe]

I think it tipical lg she planto do somthin stupid and somthin always changes or interferes. and the kiss-in- the-classroom that paris saw was kinda funny i love how news spead so fast almost like stars hollow