About:
Gilmore Girls S5.E16 “So…Good Talk”
Drinks Taken: 25
Cups of Coffee: 10
Well, I’ll say this for Amy Sherman-Palladino: she didn’t make us wait too long to see Lorelai and Luke reunited. So let’s hurry up and get to the good stuff!
But first! A reminder of our drinking game rules:
The Gilmore Girls Drinking Game Rules
Drink once every time:
Lorelai or Rory drinks coffee.
Emily gets flustered by Lorelai’s bizarre sense of humor.
Sookie is controlling about food.
Paris is controlling about anything.
Michel snubs a customer.
Luke is crotchety.
Taylor has an absurd scheme for Stars Hollow.
The girls acquire massive amounts of food and then fail to take even one bite.
Drink twice every time:
Kirk has a new job.
You see a town troubadour.
Emily gets a new maid.
Onto the episodes!
5.15 “Jews and Chinese Food”
I really like this episode, because it gives us a brief glimpse back into the yearning days of Luke and Lorelai, and those days are fun to revisit – temporarily. And I also like it because I love episodes of television that are based around theatrical productions!
Lorelai is doing…okay…since the breakup, or at least she’s giving it an admirable go. As she tells Rory, “It’s easier to pretend it’s getting easier,” and that is progress, at least. But her progress takes a nosedive when she drives past Luke’s diner and sees that he moved his boat out of her garage. (That would earn a Dirty! if it weren’t so sad.) She’s crushed – and Sookie is pissed on her behalf, while Lorelai is still maintaining her share of the blame like a grownup – but she endeavors to move on and keep busy. She’s redecorating her newly empty garage as a “special all-me alone place,” with the help of Sookie and Michel and Michel’s antique heirloom stencils, and she’s also making the costumes for the Stars Hollow Elementary production of Fiddler on the Roof.
And wouldn’t you know it, but Luke’s working on the set design for the play! Lulu (yay! This is a great episode for her) drops by the diner to remind him that Lorelai signed him up during happier times, and Luke, at first showing no indication that he intends to help, perks up when he hears Lorelai’s name. After confirming in a roundabout way that she’ll also be at the school helping out, he agrees. He wants to see her, you guys! But of course Lorelai is working on the costumes at home, and after several rehearsals with no sign of Lorelai, Luke gets fed up and storms over to her house to see where she is. Lorelai is confused by his anger, and the conversation goes badly as she accuses him of trying to hurt her with the boat while he thought he was doing her a favor. But later, during opening night, as Tevya and Golde sing “Do You Love Me” to one another, Lorelai tears up and Luke looks as if he might, and they share a longing look that is broken up by dozens of stampeding schoolchildren. Get out of the way, shorties! Can’t you see a killer romance is happening here?!
Meanwhile, Rory’s hoping to make up with Marty, who has avoided her since realizing that his crush is of the hopeless variety. She wheedles him into spending the evening watching a Marx Brothers marathon with her, and no, she’s not trying too hard at all, why do you ask?
In a way, I sympathize with Rory. She misses her friend, she hates when people are mad at her – but I do feel she’s being insensitive to Marty’s obvious crush, planning date-type fun, wearing cute outfits (okay, minus the wig) and sitting with her legs draped over him as they watch the movie. She’s just trying to recreate the good old days when nothing was awkward between them, but the thing is, it was always awkward between them, because Marty ALWAYS liked her. Rory just never noticed before. Logan drops by and invites them both to dinner (in a very friendly, non-challenging way to Marty), and Rory tells Marty that they totally don’t have to go, but he sees that she wants to, so he agrees. They go to a super expensive Chinese food restaurant with all of Logan’s awful friends (except Riki Lindhome, who later plays Conrade in Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing and I love her there and here and everywhere), and Marty is uncomfortable the whole time. Then it’s time for the sky-high bill to be paid, and of course Marty can’t afford it, but Rory saves face by sneaking him the money. He is MORTIFIED, and I feel awful for him, but I think they both handle the whole messy thing very well. And while all of Logan’s friends are being jerks to Marty, Logan never is. Later, Marty finally grows up and tells Rory that he likes her, and she tells him that she likes Logan – which of course he knows. They agree to remain friends, which may not be super wise, but I like Marty better than ever this episode. The situation sucks for him, but he’s mature about it, and he never blames Rory or Logan for something he knows isn’t actually their fault.
After Rory returns to her room, Logan climbs in her window and they have sex for the first time, and the lead-up to the doing is pretty damn cute, I must say. Poor Marty.
How many times do I have to drink?
12.
How many cups of coffee do the Gilmore girls drink?
4.
Flirtation quota
Does searing, ceaseless yearning count as flirting? No? Then I guess we’ll have to leave this one to Rory, who accidentally flirts with Marty and very intentionally flirts with Logan. When he tells her he came by her room to give her a proper goodnight and then kisses her, Rory replies, “I thought you said a proper goodnight” as she starts undressing him. RORY! I am so proud of you!
Best/most dated pop culture reference
Lorelai in Rory’s dining room at Yale: “Point out the cliques. The geeks. The stoners. The Plastics. Give me the scoop.”
Sookie’s best dish of the episode
All I know is that it won’t be pork, because “Mugsy” raised the price again, “that pig-hoarding bastard.”
Lorelai’s craziest outfit
She looks awfully cute this week.
Outfit MVP
And I can’t help but notice that she wore a shirt that bares a little midriff when she knew she’d be seeing Luke at opening night. Extra-nice hair, too. Smart lady.
Kirk insanity
Oh, didn’t I mention? KIRK IS TEVYA. In an elementary school production. The actress who plays his wife (who has an INCREDIBLE singing voice, by the way) is a third grader. Oh, Kirk.
Michel madness
Well, the stencils, and also this.
Aww, he just wants to participate in the garage project! But the best part is Sookie, explaining the call to Lorelai: “Apparently Batman’s attacking the inn.”
Best Gilmore Gal witticism
Lorelai, enjoying her Friday night freedom while Richard and Emily are on their second honeymoon: “Friday night dinner without Ava and Adolf! Lovely.” Rory, indignant: “It’s really not fair calling Grandpa Adolf!” Lorelai: “No, no, that was Grandma.”
Random observation
Oh man, Luke is SO CUTE with the kids helping him build the sets for Fiddler. My favorite is Damon, who is so proud of the fact that his mother’s a lesbian. BEST.
5.16 “So…Good Talk”
Hooray, that picture! Okay, but first…
Emily and Richard have returned from their second honeymoon, and Emily’s trying to weasel her way back into Rory and Lorelai’s good graces, with no luck whatsoever. They’re still mad at her, and I don’t blame them. Rory still has to attend Friday night dinner but is very chilly to Emily (while sweet as pie to Richard), and when Emily finally demands to know what’s wrong, Rory stands up for her mother and makes it clear that she does not feel obligated to make nice with Emily, who is aghast at her outburst. Lorelai doesn’t even attend Friday night dinner. Hell, she won’t even speak to Emily. It’s pretty awesome.
Like Rory, Lorelai has no beef with Richard, however, and in fact they get along very well when he comes to the Inn to help her out with some insurance business. It’s a nice visit for the two, as he tells her how proud he is of what she’s accomplished with the Dragonfly, but Emily is not enjoying the fact that Richard is everybody’s favorite right now. Richard gives her some straight talk: “You acted and it backfired. It was a noble effort, but it failed. And now we have to deal with the reality in front of us.” Emily stews on that for a bit.
Meanwhile, the reason that everyone’s mad at her – Lorelai and Luke’s breakup – is starting to concern Sookie, as Lorelai’s turning into a bona fide hermit. Sookie insists on a girls’ night out, but Lorelai’s depression and Sookie’s extreme pregnantness result in their staying at home and watching all three versions of A Star is Born over pizza. I want to go through a devastating breakup just so I can do that!
And Luke? Well, this breakup has turned him into the Grumpiest Luke Ever, and god knows that is saying something. He’s literally THROWING people out of the diner for complaining about the inedible food he’s been serving. Even though poor Lane’s stuck dealing with the fallout, it’s hard to dampen her mood because everything’s been so wonderful with Zack lately. “It’s like having the perfect haircut every single day,” she tells Rory. Zack makes her a fancy dinner with candles and spaghetti, and Lane eventually, after FAR too long, realizes that he’s hoping for sex, and without thinking she blurts, “I have to wait till I get married!” Zack is shocked, and so is Lane, but it seems like that’s just the way it’s going to be. Mrs. Kim wins! Rory’s home for spring break and temping at the bookstore, and she and Lane share one of my favorite exchanges of the entire series there:
Of course Rory’s now a sexpert, and like a mature, grown-up sexpert, she immediately confides in Lorelai about her night with Logan. Lorelai is a little awkward at first, but warms when Rory gushes about Logan. “He’s so great. I mean, you’ve seen him. He’s beautiful, and really smart. Smarter than me, I swear. And we have a lot in common, which is good. The paper, and Yale of course, and he’s extremely well-read.” I like it when Rory gushes about Logan, and Lorelai seems to feel the same – although she’d like to meet him with all of his clothes on now.
Finally, Emily has had enough of the radio silence, so she goes to Luke’s. She tells him the following, in that cold, composed manner she has – in fact, in many ways this scene mirrors the one that got her into this mess, at Christopher’s house:
Emily: “My daughter and I aren’t speaking. She won’t take my calls, she won’t come to dinner. She apparently wants nothing to do with me. I’m sure you know that Lorelai and I have had many battles. Most of them have been because I feel that I know what’s best for her. But Lorelai has her own ideas about what she thinks will make her happy.
She wants you, Luke. She’s made her choice, god help her, but there it is. It doesn’t matter if I agree with it, I can’t fight it. You’ve won. Go back to her. I promise I will stay out of it.”
Fortunately, Luke doesn’t need to be told twice. Just as Lorelai’s settling in for another viewing of A Star is Born, she hears a knock on her door. It’s Luke, and he sweeps her into a giant, marquee-worthy kiss as the credits roll!
How many times do I have to drink?
13.
How many cups of coffee do the Gilmore girls drink?
6.
Flirtation quota
Lane and Zack are ADORABLE. They are so totally into each other! As are Logan and Rory, who are flirting their butts off, making out on campus and giggling and challenging each other with literary trivia like a couple of hot nerds. Logan even comes back early from his spring break trip with the boys just to see her!
And Luke and Lorelai, well. Remember?
Best/most dated pop culture reference
Lorelai to Rory about their postman’s spring uniform: “Skip’s back in shorts. It’s the Reno 911 short shorts! Disturbing.”
Sookie’s best dish of the episode
Braised lamb risotto, my goodness.
Lorelai’s craziest outfit
I’m not crazy about this nightie camisole she wears for her girly evening with Sookie. It’s almost like she planned to stay in the whole time.
Outfit MVP
Rory wears one of Lorelai’s sassiest dresses to Friday night dinner, ostensibly because all of her clothes are in the laundry but I suspect really to show solidarity with Lorelai and annoy Emily. Dang, girl!
Kirk insanity
He’s rather enjoying the grossest, non-food food Luke has to serve him.
Kirk: “I’m loving this blackened Cajun bread Luke made for me. I didn’t even ask for it.”
Lane: “That’s burnt toast, Kirk. You don’t have to eat it.”
Kirk: But I’m loving it! And look: I’ve been mixing blackened ash with the runny eggs. Goes great with the fishy-tasting bacon.”
Michel madness
Nope.
Best Gilmore Gal witticism
Lorelai on the post card Emily sent her from Europe: “As if nothing even remotely unpleasant happened between us. How does she do that? Compartmentalize like that? It’s weird. She’s the serial killer who goes to work and talks about a funny Seinfeld he saw and then goes home and cooks himself a man-flesh sandwich.”
Random observation
I really, really love how much Luke missed Lorelai. But while I’m eager for all three generations of the Gilmore girls to get along again, I don’t think Emily’s actions here acquit her. She’s just trying to cover her ass now that everyone’s mad at her. Still, I want this fight to be over now, k?
That’s it for this week! Meet us back here next Wednesday morning for “Pulp Friction” and “To Live and Let Diorama.”
And I leave you with a question, dear FYA readers: what do you think of this whole Marty/Rory/Logan mess? Ugh, it’s so awkward, it kills me, but I’m of the mind that no one is to blame. Or that Rory sort of is, but through naivete on her part instead of maliciousness. With me?
