Notes on two more Season 5 episodes...
5-5 We got us a Pippi Virgin
The main plotline of the episode centers around a double date that
Lorelai and Luke and Rory and Dean go on. Rory and Dean have been
back together since the end of 5-3. Lorelai is still a little
uncomfortable with the situation and suggests the double date to
try to show that she isn't uncomfortable. Luke likes the renewed
Dean/Rory romance even less that Lorelai and is openly antagonistic
toward Dean, to the point where Rory gets upset with Luke saying he
"made no effort." After Rory and Dean leave, Luke rants for a
while, almost getting into an argument with Lorelai, then manages
to calm down.
We close on Rory telling Dean that the date "was fun for a while".
They agree that the movie was fun "just like the old days."
(The last line sums up the Rory/Dean relationship at this point.
Whether it ever had a chance to become something more, it's largely
an exercise in nostalgia by now. Luke meanwhile was being a bit of
a jerk, although basically out of protectiveness. Lorelai,
meanwhile, still isn't thrilled by the Rory/Dean relationship but
accepts that it's Rory's choice. Of course, the double date wasn't
the best idea. Exercises in overcompensation rarely are.)
In other developments, Emily and Richard continue their semi-
separation. Emily seems very interested in Richard's activities,
especially after she snoops around the poolhouse and finds a
"loud" and "glittery" outfit in Richard's closet. Meanwhile,
Richard drops by for lunch with Rory at Yale and Rory thinks that
the talk revealed that Richard misses Emily (Rory seeing what she
wants to see, but she's probably partly right). Lorelai has her
own talk with Richard and suggests he mention joining a barbershop
quartet (Richard does work the quartet into a later conversation).
(The Richard/Emily plotline for the first half of Season 5 is, in a
way, the reverse of their Season 4 plotline. While in Season 4 we
saw a gradual drifting apart and weaknesses becoming more prominent
in what had appeared to be a solid marrige, in Season 5 we see
Richard and Emily apart but with increasing signs that they really
want to be together.)
Also, Lane loses patience with Zach's inaction following her avowal
of feelings, prompting Zach to remind her that it "takes me time to
process things" and at least hint that he feels the same way about
her.
And have to mention Rory's explanation (to Lorelai's glee) for not
mentioning to Emily about her lunch with Richard: "The less you
tell grandma the better".
5-7 You Jump, I Jump, Jack
Unless I've missed something, this is the ONLY episode with actual
episode commentary on any of the DVDs. Commentary was partly about
the episode, partly about the casting. Apparently the process of
casting Richard was something along the lines of: Ed Herrman would
be perfect for the part but he'd never be interested ... Great!
He's interested.
Luke has his official "reintroductions" to both Richard and Emily.
First, Emily insists on "meeting" Luke and invites Luke and Lorelai
to dinner for that purpose (Lorelai suggests to Luke that she could
try to get him out of it). During the drinks portion of the
dinner, Lorelai detects subtle insults from Emily directed at Luke.
Luke asks Lorelai to stop "jumping in." Lorelai does stop, and the
insults become less subtle. Then Richard insists on inviting Luke
to golf at the Club (Lorelai tells Luke he should cancel) and
proceeds to try to reshape Luke's entire life. Including
franchising the diner. Luke decides that he doesn't want to hang
out with Lorelai's parents for "a very long time". Afterwards,
Emily and Richard bicker over the best approach to Luke. Emily
says that Luke "isn't good enough" while Richard thinks they can
rework Luke enough for him to be somewhat satisfactory.
(Setting up some developments later in the season. Emily later
will use Christopher to break up Luke and Lorelai, while Richard
suggests she cut her losses after this leads to an estrangement
from Rory.)
In the other main plotline, we have Rory's introduction to the Life
and Death Brigade. Dean cancels a date as Rory gets a notice about
a L&D Brigade meeting. Rory is driven to the L&D encampment and
wanders around. The next morning, Logan arranges for a event
appropriate dress to be left in Rory's tent and they proceed to the
opening of the "grand assembly". Rory watches the various
activities and then Logan tells her "you look like you need a
little adventure" and talks her into participating in the "big
stunt" which is jumping off of a tower in harness (Note that the
episode title is one of Rory's lines just before the jump).
After returning to her dorm, Rory asks Lorelai if she "takes enough
chances". There is a knock at the door. And left at the door is a
bottle of champagne, a gorilla mask (which is a L&D symbol), and
Rory's camera with photos of the jump. We close on Rory looking
through the pictures.
(Rory and Logan starting to edge toward a relationship, although
it's not clear that either of them is aware that's what they're
doing. And the Rory/Dean relationship continues to wind down.)
(This is also the episode where Zach and Lane have their first
date.)
--
Michael Ikeda mmikeda@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Telling a statistician not to use sampling is like telling an
astronomer they can't say there is a moon and stars"
Lynne Billard, past president American Statistical Association
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