7.09 - Knit, People, Knit!

[culsdesac]

Several of the themes played out in this episode (as well as the previous one) support my general belief that the writers are developing storylines that will eventually lead Luke and Lorelai together:   

Lorelai is uncomfortable with her marriage to Chris. I think this is evident in her overzealous efforts to make the townspeople accept him (setting up the 'date' with Jackson, making him change his entire outfit to blend in...I still can't believe he put up with it, by the way).  In fact, I think SH's lack of acceptance of the marriage is a metaphor for Lorelai's own lack of acceptance.  While I understand that it's only natural for her to want her community to be supportive of her decision to marry Chris, if she truly believed in it, she would not have worked so hard to try to convince the community.  In contrast, look at how she dealt with her parents' disapproval of Luke - rather than let their disapproval affect her relationship and have him conform to their expectations, she accepted him for who he was because she knew he was right for her. 

Luke still has very strong feelings for Lorelai (and they're not purely platonic ones).  His emotional reaction in seeing Lorelai and Christopher together shows that he still has unresolved feelings for her, despite his cavalier assertion at the grocery store that they're "just not meant for each other". 

Luke realises (if not now, then soon) that he was wrong to have kept Lorelai separate from his relationship with April.  In his confrontation with Anna at the end, I couldn't help but feel that every single word he said could so easily have come from Lorelai (if she had ever decided to voice her concerns about April, prior to the ultimatum, that is).  I think it's only inevitable that asserting his right to have a relationship with April to Anna, will lead to the realisation that Lorelai also had a right to expect the same.

[iTsNowOrNever]

you are so right.. poor luke, loses his fiance and she was even his best friend, and now his daughter..
if he woulda just opened his eyes a little sooner and realized it before they mighta been together already! haha

[lessa]

Yeah, but if he'd known it from the beginning, it could have messed him up, too. If he'd never pushed people away, he'd have never become so independent and capable. If he hadn't loved her secretly, he'd have had no chance to be reliable. If he loved everyone, Lorelai wouldn't have felt special for getting him to open up. It's a finely tuned balance between self-destructive stoniness and self-defeating mushiness.

Given a choice, I'd much prefer a shy, competent man opening up to me than an open, sensitive guy learning responsibility for me.
Unless I'm in love with one of them, then it wouldn't matter. But since both of these "types" are primaries on the show, there's no telling which ASP prefers!

[Tipla]

Eh, I don't find it charming.  I also don't think she necessarily likes those things about Stars Hollow.  I'm sure there are plenty of other things she likes, but not that.

I mean, think of a marriage.  There are always going to be some things you don't like about a person but that doesn't mean you leave.  And, staying doesn't mean you like everything.

The charm of Stars Hollow might be the festivals for every occasion (but I'm still not joining any knitting circles any time soon) and being able to walk down the street at night without getting mugged, and having everyone know you can be charming, but that doesn't mean that every aspect of that is also charming.  Like Paris, the great truth teller says, every small town has a seedy underbelly.

*2000 posts and I'm still in the diner?!  I'm not hungry anymore!!*

While there are certainly lines that everyone wants to join in their lives, Lorelai has participated in sharing the lives of people of SH.  She has laughed, comforted, smiled, etc with the sharing of other's people's going ons and private lives.  Some of the events are quirkier.  Some are more heartfelt.  All to be expected.  And i am certain there are times where it can be too much.  Ribbons when your heart is broken for one.  But I don't think the town people not giving Chris the general SH's basket is one of them.  And I don't think it is weird for them to feel involved in her life.  They are all involved in each other's lives.  THat's the reason these first few episodes, IMO, have been so lacking because everyone was like ships (not even) passing in the night.  Now that isn't SH.  And I welcome this one back. 

[cameo]

   My cable was cut by the tree removal crew, and my friend's TIVO of the 11/28 episode was deleted.   Is there anyway to see the 11/28 episode before the DVD for the 7th season comes out?    I had never watched the Gilmore Girls until this summer, and just finished all six seasons on DVD and have been watching the new season.    Can't believe that I missed this one.   Any help?

[iTsNowOrNever]

youtube!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EH59cCDuVNg
there's part 1/5, you'll see the rest there!

[Devilina07]

This is from a few pages back, but I just wanted to add a comment...

Does no one else think that the towns folk were ok with Christopher paying for the rest of the bridge?  No one seemed upset. As a matter of fact, everyone seemed relieved to be able to do something else other than knit.  I doubt the town is not going to accept him for a kind gesture.  If anything, it annoyed Lorelai more than anyone else.

I totally agree with you.  I think the town was totally ok with Chris paying.  It was only Lorelai who wanted to keep on knitting, but she's one of the more enthusiastic Starrs Hollow resident about these things.  I think everyone else was thrilled to go to the movies and to get out of the cold.  I mean they got to have the fun of knitting for several hours and got their bridge, so I think they were good.  I guess if Chris understood Starrs Hollow better, he might have waited until the end of the knit-a-thon and then bridged the gap (pardon my terrible pun) for the remaining funding.  The gesture would have worked better that way.  But he's a newcomer and doesn't understand the zaniness that is Starrs Hollow.  Keep in mind that we viewers have been watching the town for 7 years, and have a much better understanding of it than he does.  He certainly did what he did out of good intentions, when he heard how upset the people were that they wouldn't meet their fundraising goal.

But even if he had waited until the very end of the knit-a-thon, I'm sure people on this board might also be upset with his donation because he made everyone sit through the cold when he could have made the donation earlier.  The poor man/character is in a tight place.  I'm not even that big a fan but you have to feel for him sometimes.

Yeah the town def was upset probably yet they didn't seem to mind bc they were complaining they were cold etc. but the town seems to be drifting and theyre not as close as they used to be, i hope the new writers fix that and add more of the characters in soon!

I took this comment to be along the lines of "wow, you don't have better things to spend your money on?"  Not really sarcasm based on disappointment that the Knit-A-Thon was prematurely ended.

[Fantasy]

Poor Luke. Losing his daughter, best friend/fiance? I saw someone post that (sorry I can't find it now)and I felt really bad for him, what does he have now then what he started out with? A diner. Thats it.
Poor Chris he is stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter what he does it seems to be wrong, and Lorelai shows how she doesn't even really feel bad for him. I feel for the man, but I do want a L/L relationship...then again..this is better suited for another board.

I just wanted to say thanks for all the youtube links, it is going to make my day when I FINALLY get to see this episode.   



500th Post!!!

[iTsNowOrNever]

no problem! whenever you miss an episode just go on there! they're always up usually the thursday after =)

[willowsprite]

Chris is clumsy and ackward in some ways, especially socially (Rory and her friends, Star's Hollow) but this makes him human and more endearing in a way.  You see him trying and failing, and think, don't do that!  I'm liking him more, and am torn whether I still want L/L together.  I agree with a recent post that Chris could have waited to the end and would still have been criticized, but I think what made it such a faux pax was when he did it.  He didn't have the intuitive  or experiential understanding of how to relate to these people, and in trying to do a good thing, he created more distance between himself and the town.  Poor Chris! 

[lessa]

The millionaires that Taylor reports to don't involve themselves in town affairs (that anyone knows of.) Stars Hollow will have to get to know Christopher before they can overcome their wariness of his power in their small-time economy.

A wealthy contributor more familiar with the town's perverse attitude towards fund raisers might have simply offered to pledge a huge wad per skein, not enough to make it instant, but enough to make it possible. Christopher is still getting used to his new "superpower" and he is bound to make a few tactless errors from time to time.

[Nov78]

A wealthy contributor more familiar with the town's perverse attitude towards fund raisers might have simply offered to pledge a huge wad per skein, not enough to make it instant, but enough to make it possible. Christopher is still getting used to his new "superpower" and he is bound to make a few tactless errors from time to time.

Chris is clumsy and ackward in some ways, especially socially (Rory and her friends, Star's Hollow) but this makes him human and more endearing in a way. You see him trying and failing, and think, don't do that! I'm liking him more, and am torn whether I still want L/L together. I agree with a recent post that Chris could have waited to the end and would still have been criticized, but I think what made it such a faux pax was when he did it. He didn't have the intuitive or experiential understanding of how to relate to these people, and in trying to do a good thing, he created more distance between himself and the town. Poor Chris!

I'm glad to see Chris has some other defenders out there!  I agree that Chris's awkwardness in his relationship with Rory, Lorelai, and Starrs Hollow does make him more endearing.  He tries really hard, even if his good intentions sometimes miss the mark.  I always want to scream "no" when I see him about to make a faux pas.  But seriously, cut the guy some slack.  The world of Starrs Hollow and relationships with the Gilmore girls are very hard to navigate.  He needs time to figure it out.

I also agree with what Lessa is saying about Chris being unused to having so much money, and sometimes making errors in judgment.  Personally I find his attitude towards his newfound wealth refreshing.  He doesn't use his money to lord it over people or be really snobby towards others, like Richard and Emily.  Instead he mainly uses his money for the people and things that are important to him -- like paying for Yale, treating Lorelai to the fancy dinner in Paris, saving for Gigi's education, or paying for the SH bridge (since it was important to Lorelai).  Remember in last season's episode when he told Lorelai about his money, and he said he had bought himself a few things and that was all he needed.  He didn't go out and buy a big, fancy house or a ridiculously expensive sports car.  And I think it also says a lot about his character that he "forgot" he was rich in the Paris episode.  This is truly not someone who is defined by his material possessions.  Even though monetarily he has returned to the social class of his and Lorelai's youth, he really doesn't want to be part of that world.  Now granted a lot of people are uncomfortable with rich people, as apparently the SH people are, but he really isn't trying to be a show-off or anything.  I agree with Dani that being rich isn't a crime.  What matters is for what purposes someone uses their money and their attitudes towards others without money.  I think Chris does well on both counts.

[rainbow]

To those of you who want the t-shirt: a lot of times they find one-of-a-kind things for the GGs.  You can go to this site and make a shirt of your own... it looks like someone else already made the same shirt, but has already taken it down... http://www.cafepress.com/buy/knitting

[HaYThErE]

I was really annoyed at the fact that Chris donated all the money up front, as I'm sure that numerous people have already said. I think that if he truly knew what was going on, he would have known that the knit-a-thon was not just for the money, but also as a town thing which he ended prematurely by donating all the money up front. And that's just my reasoning.

[Dani257]

How much power does Taylor have?  Because it seemed to me like they didn't stop knitting because Christopher donated the money, they stopped because Taylor said so.  Some people were asking, "do we stop?" They didn't immediately put away the knitting until Taylor said so. But, shouldn't there have been a vote or something?  Call me crazy (I know, I'm leaving myself wide open), but if I loved knitting and the whole festival atmosphere that much, I wouldn't let reaching the goal stop me from just doing it for the fun of it. 

And, for the sake of argument, what if they had managed to earn enough money early just through the knitting?  What if everyone in Stars Hollow said they were getting sick of that bridge conking out on them and they upped their pledges and the goal was reached quicker than they expected?  Would they still feel upset that their event was cut short?  You know, since they just love to gather together as a town and share in activity, and it's so much fun, but if there's not an outside reason to gather as a town (like a bridge to repair) all that warm fuzzy we love that get together motivation just disappears like a rocket.