The Gilmore Girls Watch Along Week 3

Yes, I am very, very behind, but I finally finished season 3 of Gilmore Girls!  See Melody's recap.

In this set of episodes, Rory and Dean break up (because she couldn't tell him she loved him, even after he gifted her with a junkyard car) and then ultimately get back together in the season finale. I'm really liking Rory's relationship with Dean because it brings out so much of her character.  After the break-up, Rory doesn't want to "wallow" as Lorelei advises, but instead throws herself into completing items on a list -- until she goes to a party, her icky classmate Tristan kisses her, and she realizes how good she had it with Dean. THEN and only then does she break out the ole Ben & Jerry's tub and settle in for a good cry. (aside: why have I never seen these five gallon tubs of Ben & Jerry's?! Get me some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough STAT!).

Meanwhile, Lorelei gets back together (sorta) with Max when she realizes she's not over him, and then *shocker* he proposes in the season finale. But hey, we ALL KNOW she needs to end up with Luke, so this can so not happen, right?

Looking forward to season 2!

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The Gilmore Girls Watch Along Part 2

Realizing we needed to catch up on some popular TV series of days past, Melody of Hollywood The Write Way and I decided to do a Watch Along. We took a vote and Gilmore Girls won. Melody has the guidelines for Week Two on her blog.

On to this week's episodes! (Season 1, episodes 8-12)

Love and War and Snow

Snow is coming town, and Lorelei loves snow. She has a date with Max (who just "happens" to be stranded there) and she invites him into her house, breaking a rule she's always had to protect Rory. Rory has dinner with her grandparents as usual, as has to spend the night due to the bad roads. Lane feels like Rory doesn't have time for her anymore.Several great reaction shots in this ep. Luke looked really disappointed when he saw Lorelei cavorting in the snow with Max. Lane was grossed out/envious of Rory and Dean kissing. After all the talk about running hands through hair (Lane did it to her crush and was mortified), Lorelei ran hers through Max's hair, which was hilar.

I also loved that Rory teaches her grandparents the joys of frozen pizza ("something you'd eat at a carnival" says a scandalized Emily).

Rory promises Lane that they'll spend more time together, so I hope this happens!

Reminds me of my own teen life: I can understand Lane's feelings of being left out because her best friend is dating someone. Very well.

Rory's Dance

There's a big dance at Chilton, and Emily insists that Rory go. Rory asks Dean, and he agrees. Emily comes over to witness the pre-dance festivities and get photos, but is alarmed that Dean honks instead of coming to the door. Also, Rory and Dean end up falling asleep and staying out all night.


Paris' date admits he's Paris' cousin, but Rory doesn't seem to care. Paris confronts Rory about it, and ends up revealing this pathetic fact to her whole class herself. Paris seems to be her own worst enemy!


Rory and Dean clarify their relationship -- awww! And they fall asleep reading together - double awww!

The fight that ensues early the next morning when Rory comes in at 5:30 am is very illuminating. Lorelei seems more upset by the fact that Emily witnesses Rory's mistake more than she's upset by the mistake itself - which Rory calls her on. Emily tells Lorelei point blank that she's disappointed in her and afraid that her way of bringing Rory up is going to result in Rory making the same bad choices. But really - Lorelei's style implies way more trust than Emily's ever did, and Rory is very concerned about keeping this trust.

Reminds me of my own teen life: I went to three high school dances. Only one of them was with an actual date.

Forgiveness and Stuff

Lorelei is disinvited to Emily's annual Christmas bash, and Richard has a health scare.

I loved Lane's speech about the importance of choosing a gift, and that if you choose the wrong one, you might end up at a Korean Bible Camp for the summer. Ha!

And great Luke-Lorelei interaction: he makes her a special Santa burger! He closes down shop to drive her to the hospital.

Reminds me of my own teen life: Visiting the hospital. Unfortch.

Paris is Burning

Lorelei gets scared and decides she should break up with Max for Rory's sake. Then she's caught kissing Max on teacher's day by Paris.

No Dean? Sacrilege!

An interesting look at Lorelei's thought process and how she's tried to shape her dating life so it doesn't affect Rory. It was pretty cold how she scoffed at Sookie for her lack of dating though - good for Sookie that she asked someone out!

Looks like Paris and Rory have the first kindlings of non-hate!

Reminds me of my own teen life: We didn't have parents' day, but I did go to a friend's school and pretend to be an exchange student from Spain. And people believed me.

Double Date

Lane asks Rory to set her up with Dean's friend and Sookie has her first date with Jackson but begs Lorelei to go with her as a date for Jackson's cousin Rune.

Rune is horrified by Lorelei's height, and doesn't want to go on their double date. Lane discovers that Todd is boring, and probably not worth lying to her mother to go out with.

Hilarious line from Lorelei to Rory after Rory lies about her plans. "I have to know where you are at all times, especially when you're wearing my shoes."

Reminds me of my own teen life: Strict mother like Lane's FTW!

Concert Interruptus

Sookie gets 4 tickets to The Bangles in concert.  They end up giving their good seats to Rory and her Chilton classmates and buying some nosebleed seats.

Love this sign at the town rummage sale: "Drop off here - Nothing alive or gross."

I did a little squee when The Bangles sang Eternal Flame.

Rory and Paris have a heart to heart.  Paris defends Tristan, but Rory says she thinks Paris could do better.

Lorelei goes looking for the two classmates who ditch the concert to party with boys. She knocks on all the apartment doors. Love the lady who says "I don't talk to anybody. People annoy me."

Reminds me of my own teen life:  I didn't go to my first concert until I was 18. It was in Ecuador, a band from Argentina called Vilma Palma y Vampiros.



More to come next week!


Forever Young Adult Gilmore Girls Recap

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Gilmore Girls Watch Along Part 1

Realizing we needed to catch up on some popular TV series of days past, Melody of Hollywood The Write Way and I decided to do a Watch Along.  We took a vote and Gilmore Girls won.  Melody has the guidelines for Week One on her blog.

This was my first ever time watching this show - I hadn't even caught a snippet of it before. Not so surprising considering it ran from 2000-07 and as far as I know, never aired in Germany.  In any case, it took me until ep 4 to get into the Lorelei/Rory groove.  At first I found them both annoying and the show boring.  But I'm finally seeing its charms.  So yay!

Here are my thoughts per episode:

Pilot

Lorelei has to ask her parents to pay for tuition for Rory’s new private school. They agree but demand to be more involved in Lorelei and Rory’s lives.

Lorelei is not as funny as she seems to think she is, and Rory is a bit too mopey for my taste. But I liked Sookie (especially the scene where the kitchen staff had to put out her fires).

Reminds me of my own teen life: My Korean friend always lamented the fact that her parents set her up with Koreans/future doctors (Like Lane).

First Day at Chilton

Rory finds Chilton more challenging than she expected and gains a rival in Paris.

Still not really seeing the charm in this show. Lorelei’s lateness and lack of clean clothes was cringeworthy, and not that believable (Cutoff jean shorts are really all she has?)

Lorelei and her mother Emily’s power struggle has a dynamic that could become interesting. Let’s see.

Reminds me of my own teen life: I had a school uniform with a really long skirt when I was an exchange student in Ecuador.

Kill Me Now

Rory has to choose a sport at Chilton and Emily suggests that Rory golf with her grandfather.

Love this line from Emily: “Her golf clubs are upstairs gathering dust. Like her potential.”

Lorelei seems threatened by Rory’s desire to spend time with her grandparents, so they have a fight about who has bigger boobs. Appropriately awkward.

Reminds me of my own teen life: My grandfather played golf, though I never played with him.

The Deer Hunters

Rory oversleeps, is late to her class and is not allowed to take a test that is 20% of her grade.

I liked Lorelei’s joking about the school supply shopping. Because Rory needs serious paper.

Paris recites my favorite Shakespeare sonnet! 116!

The double meltdowns (for good reasons) made me sympathetic to both Rory and Lorelei for the first time. I also loved Sookie's freak out about her risotto only being "fine" and the lengths she went to in order to defend its honor.

Reminds me of my own teen life: A deer once hit my car. Right after the Emporia exit on the Kansas Turnpike.

Cinnamon's Wake

Lorelei and Rory's eccentric neighbors hold a wake for their cat. Also, Rory catches Lorelei postponing a date with her English teacher.

Very cute moment between Rory and Dean. General wackiness. Nice friendship moments between Lorelei & Sookie and Rory and Lane.

Reminds me of my own teen life: We had a large orange cat. Her name was Lion-o. She died.

Rory's Birthday Parties

Emily throws Rory a b-day bash and invites her Chilton classmates. Lorelei makes it up to her with a hometown affair.

Emily and Lorelei actually get along while shopping for Rory. Luke asks Lorelei to marry him ;) (foreshadowing? I have seen spoilers...)  Emily observes Luke bringing ice to Rory's party and asks Lorelei how long they've been dating. She also accuses Lorelei of enjoying how Luke looked at her like a porterhouse steak.

Aww - Dean makes Rory blush when he mouths "happy birthday".  And they hold hands at the end of the episode -- the look on both their faces!

Reminds me of my own teen life: My grandmother constantly asked me what stuff in her house I wanted to inherit.  I ended up with only two things: a steamer trunk and an antique iron (the kind you put hot coals inside!)

Kiss and Tell

Rory gets her first kiss!  Lorelei goes commando! Lorelei invites Dean to movie night with her and Rory!

Rory's freakout after Dean kisses her in his free soda fake-out is so adorable.  How hilarious is it that she shoplifted corn starch?  

Lane's mother spills the beans about Rory's kiss to Lorelei. And then Lorelei spies on Rory and Lane and Rory's rosy glow and is sad that Rory won't confide in her.

Loved movie night. Great interactions all around. Especially liked that Dean thanked Rory for their second kiss.

Reminds me of my own teen life: Ummm.... I used to eat pizza a lot? (I wish this episode were an accurate portrayal of my teen life. ALAS!)

So that's it for this week.  What are your thoughts on these eps of Gilmore Girls?

More recaps:

Episode 1-3 recapped at Forever Young Adult

Episode 4-6 recapped at Forever Young Adult

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