[7.7/10] I missed the dinner scenes in this show. They were always the funniest bits, and the best showcase for the show’s crackerjack writing. Watching the Gilmores sit ‘round the table in the cold open, trying to be nice and move past all their unpleasantness, while bristling at one another and still smarting from their big blow out in the last episode, led to some of the show’s classic comic banter.
The same’s true for the scene where Luke comes together. The bit where Lorelai and Luke are making every effort to set up an early exit, while Richard and Emily are getting engrossed in war stories about insurance mishaps is comedy gold. And I love the grace note for that scene too, where Lorelai and Luke commiserate about they’ve been “Gilmored” but that in their own weird way, Richard and Emily trying to micromanage their lives together is the truest and most sincere sign that the elder Gilmores have accepted the two of them as a couple and a part of their family.
Speaking of small but heartwarming parts of the episode, I really enjoyed Michelle’s little subplot in this one. I initially assumed that Michelle giving Luke a rough time was just his usual, perturbed wisecracker personality at play. But the reveal that he doesn’t have any particular beef with Luke as a handyman, and instead just misses the breakfasts he and Lorelai used to share where they’d plan out the fixit jobs is really sweet. It’s always a little touching to know that Michelle cares, about both the inn and Lorelai, and it makes me wish he got stories like this more often.
The business with Chris, Logan, and Paris, was also a winner. Things go as predicted, with Paris being deposed as editor of the Yale Daily News, Rory being installed in her place, and the ensuing fallout being fierce. Paris’s mania and resignation were enjoyable, and the episode does a nice enough job laying the groundwork for Rory to be the replacement, even if it veers into the “wish fulfillment” territory that this show likes to tread upon (see also: Lorelai magically getting the money to realize her dream of owning/running an inn right when her old inn burns down).
It’s a little convenient that she ends up moving in with Logan (it, uh, seems like she could totally just live at home for a semester, but whatever). But it creates a new wrinkle to the situation which at least serves a purpose. And hey, Chris is actually tolerable, even likable here. I enjoy him much more as Rory’s dad than as Lorelai’s ex. Him going on a tour of Yale with Rory and trying to do the dad thing is endearing.
Plus, of course he gets along with Logan, because they’re cut from the same cloth and Chris is basically just an overgrown college student from a privileged background. Chris and Logan have always seemed like reflections of one another, but seeing them face-to-face really drives it home and, if anything, sends up a red flag about Logan.
Still, the way things play out with Rory not wanting Chris to tell her mom, Chris telling Lorelai anyway, and Rory figuring it out is some good intra-family material. The reactions feel real and we’re back to the warm mother and daughter relationship that can withstand any divergence of viewpoints.
In short, this felt like the best “regular” episode the show’s had in a while. I don’t want to say that nothing major happens, since Rory gets a promotion and moves in with Logan, biut there’s nothing as shocking or momentous as the things that happen in the prior stretch of episodes. It’s more just things progressing as normal, but the show winning us over with the great dialogue, well-constructed scenes, and just enough heart to keep us invested. A nice outing to be sure.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-01-08T06:13:22Z
[7.7/10] I missed the dinner scenes in this show. They were always the funniest bits, and the best showcase for the show’s crackerjack writing. Watching the Gilmores sit ‘round the table in the cold open, trying to be nice and move past all their unpleasantness, while bristling at one another and still smarting from their big blow out in the last episode, led to some of the show’s classic comic banter.
The same’s true for the scene where Luke comes together. The bit where Lorelai and Luke are making every effort to set up an early exit, while Richard and Emily are getting engrossed in war stories about insurance mishaps is comedy gold. And I love the grace note for that scene too, where Lorelai and Luke commiserate about they’ve been “Gilmored” but that in their own weird way, Richard and Emily trying to micromanage their lives together is the truest and most sincere sign that the elder Gilmores have accepted the two of them as a couple and a part of their family.
Speaking of small but heartwarming parts of the episode, I really enjoyed Michelle’s little subplot in this one. I initially assumed that Michelle giving Luke a rough time was just his usual, perturbed wisecracker personality at play. But the reveal that he doesn’t have any particular beef with Luke as a handyman, and instead just misses the breakfasts he and Lorelai used to share where they’d plan out the fixit jobs is really sweet. It’s always a little touching to know that Michelle cares, about both the inn and Lorelai, and it makes me wish he got stories like this more often.
The business with Chris, Logan, and Paris, was also a winner. Things go as predicted, with Paris being deposed as editor of the Yale Daily News, Rory being installed in her place, and the ensuing fallout being fierce. Paris’s mania and resignation were enjoyable, and the episode does a nice enough job laying the groundwork for Rory to be the replacement, even if it veers into the “wish fulfillment” territory that this show likes to tread upon (see also: Lorelai magically getting the money to realize her dream of owning/running an inn right when her old inn burns down).
It’s a little convenient that she ends up moving in with Logan (it, uh, seems like she could totally just live at home for a semester, but whatever). But it creates a new wrinkle to the situation which at least serves a purpose. And hey, Chris is actually tolerable, even likable here. I enjoy him much more as Rory’s dad than as Lorelai’s ex. Him going on a tour of Yale with Rory and trying to do the dad thing is endearing.
Plus, of course he gets along with Logan, because they’re cut from the same cloth and Chris is basically just an overgrown college student from a privileged background. Chris and Logan have always seemed like reflections of one another, but seeing them face-to-face really drives it home and, if anything, sends up a red flag about Logan.
Still, the way things play out with Rory not wanting Chris to tell her mom, Chris telling Lorelai anyway, and Rory figuring it out is some good intra-family material. The reactions feel real and we’re back to the warm mother and daughter relationship that can withstand any divergence of viewpoints.
In short, this felt like the best “regular” episode the show’s had in a while. I don’t want to say that nothing major happens, since Rory gets a promotion and moves in with Logan, biut there’s nothing as shocking or momentous as the things that happen in the prior stretch of episodes. It’s more just things progressing as normal, but the show winning us over with the great dialogue, well-constructed scenes, and just enough heart to keep us invested. A nice outing to be sure.