3.08 - Let the Games Begin

[Steph-x3]

Ahaa that was on today on E4.
it was soo funny.
like near the end, when Luke tells Lorelai he had a talk with Jess, and said that Jess & rory would always be supervised,
and Lorelai said, "you know their together just now, right?"
aw man, his face was an actual picture, it was so funny.
But i'm glad Jess & Rory had got together

[LoveMe011]

Lorelai's smart...she knew they had gone to meet each other. This is one of my favorite Rory and Jess scenes, where they have their first REAL kiss (the first technical kiss was at Sookie's wedding). Poor Luke...he's got a lot of learning to do!

[Steph-x3]

yeah, a LOT of learning,
but thats what makes him such a good character.
cause he hasnt got a clue, and thinks having a "talk" will make it all better,
when it just doesn't.

[lessa]

This episode is one of my favorites. Every time I watch it I see something new, and this viewing is no exception. This time, what i noticed was that Mr. Hermann was credited with a "special guest appearance" in the opening credits, so I paid a little extra attention to his character. Richard delivers some of his most honest and powerful dialog of the whole series here, including my very favorite description of his past relationship with Lorelai.

He's amazing, you just feel and feel for him as he describes Lorelai slipping away from him. And then you feel for him some more later when he's betraying his true self for Rory's future, his shoulders bristling and his eyes nearly bugging out as he desperately defends his proactive position against Lorelai's inevitable rebellion. Excellent use of the word 'missy.'

There's a lot of good stuff in this one, like the way Jess's moves are so much like Emily's, and Luke's big protective speech, plus the full version of the XTC song and the kid code. The cigarette scene is one of my favorite Gilmore moments (like Rory sitting in on futility class at Harvard) where this show handles things like that just a little differently than other shows. But for my first post, I'm all about Edward Hermann. Heh, too bad Dani's not here, it seems like a perfect time to compare him to Gregg Henry. XD

[thevoid99]

Richard is one of my favorite characters.  Flaws and all.  Whenever he's on screen.  You could tell that there's a lot of back story in him and he brings a long a sense of history.  Especially in Yale. 

I loved the scene where he and Emily talked about how they met and the proposal. 

[lessa]

Heh, yeah, I love the part where he's gruffly shrugging off the Yale diploma story, yanking at Rory's heartstrings, then Lorelai just walks out of the bathroom pouting about how gross it will be if they visit the vending machine where she was conceived. Could there have been any more sympathy for Richard in that moment?

[thevoid99]

Oh... does anyone think Emily and Richard still....?

[honkifuluvGG]

Oh... does anyone think Emily and Richard still....?

Ewwwww!  I'd rather not put too much thought into it.  And yet I'm secretly hoping yes so that my own future doesn't look too bleak lol

I agree lessa that this episode is all about Richard.  I was saying something similar, but much less to the point to Jim the other day when he submitted his graphic.  I find this episode really gives insight into how Richards relationship with Lorelai ended up where it did and also humanises him a great deal.


A motto I'm going to live by for a while I think  ...

Lorelai: All I’m saying is sometimes eating a walnut is preferable to getting hacked to death or set on fire during dinner.

or maybe these should be my words of widom ...

Lorelai: Drink a lot. It’s easier to explain not wearing a skirt if you’re falling down drunk.

 

[bingbong]

Oh... does anyone think Emily and Richard still....?

Ewwwww!  I'd rather not put too much thought into it.  And yet I'm secretly hoping yes so that my own future doesn't look too bleak lol

... I find this episode really gives insight into how Richards relationship with Lorelai ended up where it did and also humanises him a great deal.

I second your Ewwwww, but i agree they are still active in that area. They are compatible in other ways after all these years, and i would include that way.

When Richard describes the 10 year old Lorelai taking his Yale diploma, the image of her as daddy's little girl comes as a jolt. I wish Rory had asked her about it later. When has Lorelai ever admitted to any such thing from her childhood? She always says she knew from a very young age that she didn't belong in their life. It's good to know all the later problems did not wipe out a happy memory for Richard. He doesn't have much else to cling to in their relationship.

The one thing that bugs me about Emily & Richard with their giddy courtship memories is the mention of Pennilyn (or Linnie) Lott. Knowing that Richard's secret "innocent" lunches with her will later be revealed takes the shine off their reminiscence.

[honkifuluvGG]

When Richard describes the 10 year old Lorelai taking his Yale diploma, the image of her as daddy's little girl comes as a jolt. I wish Rory had asked her about it later. When has Lorelai ever admitted to any such thing from her childhood? She always says she knew from a very young age that she didn't belong in their life. It's good to know all the later problems did not wipe out a happy memory for Richard. He doesn't have much else to cling to in their relationship.

Yeah I was thinking about this earlier and wondering if Lorelai is one of those 'can never remember the good times through all the bad' kind of people or if it was really bad story continuation with the whole Richard/Lorelai back story.  I'm still yet to think of any positive thing Lorelai has had to say of her childhood, yet here is Richard reminiscing and scheming in honour of a past his daughter doesn't remember.  Trying his hardest to get a little of that back through Rory.

[bingbong]

I tend to think, with the seemingly endless conflicts in the present, she is not allowing herself to remember any of the good times from her childhood, even if they were very few. I can imagine when she is much older she might be able to look back with a more balanced eye. But even then, memories of the many bad times will far out-weigh the few good times.

[honkifuluvGG]

Yeah we may have even seen a glimpse of that in FF land I guess when she decides to continue with the FND's after Rory leaves.  Perhaps her own realisation of what its like to see your offspring go off into the world gave her the chance to take stock and empathise a little with the elder Gilmores?

[bingbong]

That's a great point. And, who knows, maybe they would be able to create a few new happy memories during their Rory-less FNDs (in between the usual headaches). Richard was complimentary to Lorelai in "Bon Voyage" and "Unto The Breach," possibly a prelude to happier times. Took a near-death experience but sometimes that's what it takes!

[lessa]

Stupid Fast Forwardy Town. In context, though, it would be like Rory remaining friends with Dean after she started dating Jess. Richard and Lynnie had years to get over him dumping her, why shouldn't they be friends unless she's still into him?

But I thought the point of Richard's second big Emmy moment was that his tearful reminisce did not include the times he tried to manipulate Lorelai without telling her, or yelled at her for ignorantly trying to do something her own way. He didn't have to lie to Rory to give her his advice, he just assumed that it would be better to make sure she took it. After all, teenage girls are likely to argue about what's best for them unless you bribe them with chocolates.

I mean, come on, if you're not going to ask permission, the least you can do is beg forgiveness.

edit* Wow, I just got a weird triangulation on Dean and Jess, Trix and Pennylin Lott, and the Mysterious Letter from "Just Like Gwen and Gavin" in which Lorelai convinces Rory to give Logan another shot. I wonder if she humorously compared Logan to the other winners Rory picked?

[laurla205]

I agree that the focus here is Richard but first…

I love that someone steals Kirk’s trophy every year, I’d forgotten about that. 

Luke’s lecture to Jess was fantastic.  It's fun to watch Luke go from being a cheerleader of the Rory/Jess coupling to the paranoid guardian in a matter of minutes.  I imagine that having skipped the formative years of raising a kid it’s harder to just let it be as Lorelai was doing at the end of the episode.  Of course, imo, he’s justified to be suspicious but nonetheless it’s endearing. 

A little happy dance for Dean’s continued spinage

I swear Lorelai is the MacGyver of seamstresses.  Okay, what she did with that paper clip isn’t all that outstanding but who has a paper clip (among the several other items she had in there to use in a clothing pinch) in her purse?


Richard was on point with every defense he gave Lorelai for doing what he did.  Lorelai (as is confirmed later) is being short sided about Harvard.  And of course the “crazy” reason Richard spouted about Lorelai not wanting Rory to go to Yale because Richard went there is true (at this point anyway).  Rory had the correct response this time despite Lorelai being right about Richard having motives.  I’m a little surprised that Richard overlooked the fact that Rory would be wiling to take an appointment.  Once she agreed to take the trip to Yale without much reluctance he should have gone for the gold and asked about setting the appointment as well.  I don’t think Richard was betraying himself (the upbeat self) when defending his decision, unless I read that wrong lessa.  The two selves aren’t mutually exclusive. 

We did have one instance so far which lead to the idea that in another time and place Lorelai was Richard’s little girl (unless I’m getting episodes mixed up which does happen) when she called him “Daddy”.  I always interpret that to mean something.  I still find it hard to think of Lorelai’s early years as a hard life.  They weren’t perfect or even close to perfect.  I do think that she blocks out the good moments though, however sparse they were. 

I don’t mind Richard’s mention of Lynnie Lott.  He made his point, she was not the gal for him and didn’t hold a candle to Emily, especially in that dress   They could almost (almost, not quite) refer back to this moment later to calm at least one of Emily’s fears. 

I now have to find a way to burn the image of Emily and Richard in compromising positions out of my memory