[8.6/10] I really enjoyed this one. The characters never feel as fully-realized as when Amy Sherman-Palladino is behind the script. The complexity with which the show tackles its characters in episodes like these is understated but no less remarkable.
The A-story with Lorelai and Sookie is a standout. A friend pointed out that one of the thing's Gilmore Girls is particularly adept at is taking a stock sitcom setup and then swerving it toward some place more real. This is a great example. Lorelai and Sookie starting up a catering business while they wait to earn enough money to open their own inn is a natural move, but Sookie being too hoity toity to be able to appropriately cater a kids' party is the sort of thing Full House would do. What makes this more than that is two-fold.
One, the interactions between Lorelai and Sookie feel realer. Even though Sookie has clearly screwed up, she's right to push back a little on Lorelai just jumping in and taking over, and Lorelai is patient and yielding. And yet, then it turns into a very relatable concern from Sookie that this is the sort of thing that means she won't be a good mom. It turns into a recitation of all her insecurities and every time she felt less than up to this challenge. It turns a standard bit of sitcom wackiness into a heart-to-heart and reassurance between two great friends about what worries them and what makes them believe in one another.
The other major story, about Rory's misadventures with some college partying, is well done too. Again, it's understated, but Rory's hermit-y qualities are well-established, and so the notion of everyone from Emily to Lorelai to Paris using their influence (some more subtly than others) to try to get her to have neat experiences and be friendly is interesting. I particularly like the phone calls between Lorelai and Rory, where Lorelai (a.) is understanding as always, but also encouraging of her daughter branching out, and (b.) knows exactly how the conversation about Emily buying Rory all that furniture is going to go. Hell, I even like Paris trying to reinvent herself, another stock plot, but one that works because she does in a definitively Paris-like way.
Last but not least, I like the C-plot here, about Richard becoming business partners with his former boss's son. What makes it work is the emotional switch between Richard and Emily, which is nicely underplayed in both the script and performances. Emily is initially on board with the idea because she thinks it'll help Richard to work less, and Richard's resistant because he sees it as a capitulation to the job that forced him out. But when "Digger" frames it as revenge on his father, Richard's demeanor changes to glee at the prospect of thumbing his nose at his professional rival through his son, and Emily's naturally turns sour at this revelation, with the unstated rationale that she more than anyone is sensitive to a child hurting their parent.
Overall, it's a supremely well-written, meat and potatoes sort of Gilmore Girls episode, where nothing so dramatic or momentous happens, but the interactions and the characters feel just right that the hour is still outstanding.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-10-24T04:19:34Z
[8.6/10] I really enjoyed this one. The characters never feel as fully-realized as when Amy Sherman-Palladino is behind the script. The complexity with which the show tackles its characters in episodes like these is understated but no less remarkable.
The A-story with Lorelai and Sookie is a standout. A friend pointed out that one of the thing's Gilmore Girls is particularly adept at is taking a stock sitcom setup and then swerving it toward some place more real. This is a great example. Lorelai and Sookie starting up a catering business while they wait to earn enough money to open their own inn is a natural move, but Sookie being too hoity toity to be able to appropriately cater a kids' party is the sort of thing Full House would do. What makes this more than that is two-fold.
One, the interactions between Lorelai and Sookie feel realer. Even though Sookie has clearly screwed up, she's right to push back a little on Lorelai just jumping in and taking over, and Lorelai is patient and yielding. And yet, then it turns into a very relatable concern from Sookie that this is the sort of thing that means she won't be a good mom. It turns into a recitation of all her insecurities and every time she felt less than up to this challenge. It turns a standard bit of sitcom wackiness into a heart-to-heart and reassurance between two great friends about what worries them and what makes them believe in one another.
The other major story, about Rory's misadventures with some college partying, is well done too. Again, it's understated, but Rory's hermit-y qualities are well-established, and so the notion of everyone from Emily to Lorelai to Paris using their influence (some more subtly than others) to try to get her to have neat experiences and be friendly is interesting. I particularly like the phone calls between Lorelai and Rory, where Lorelai (a.) is understanding as always, but also encouraging of her daughter branching out, and (b.) knows exactly how the conversation about Emily buying Rory all that furniture is going to go. Hell, I even like Paris trying to reinvent herself, another stock plot, but one that works because she does in a definitively Paris-like way.
Last but not least, I like the C-plot here, about Richard becoming business partners with his former boss's son. What makes it work is the emotional switch between Richard and Emily, which is nicely underplayed in both the script and performances. Emily is initially on board with the idea because she thinks it'll help Richard to work less, and Richard's resistant because he sees it as a capitulation to the job that forced him out. But when "Digger" frames it as revenge on his father, Richard's demeanor changes to glee at the prospect of thumbing his nose at his professional rival through his son, and Emily's naturally turns sour at this revelation, with the unstated rationale that she more than anyone is sensitive to a child hurting their parent.
Overall, it's a supremely well-written, meat and potatoes sort of Gilmore Girls episode, where nothing so dramatic or momentous happens, but the interactions and the characters feel just right that the hour is still outstanding.