[8.7/10] One of my favorite bits from King of the Hill (which is, suffice it to say, a fairly different show from Gilmore GIrls) is when Hank Hill considers the prospect of his irascible dad babysitting his boisterous son, and declares, “My dad hates most things, but he loves Bobby.”
It’s one of those quiet, unassuming observations the show did so well. Grandparents, more often than not, have an irrepressible soft spot for their grandchildren, and anyone who dares sully the honor of their grandbabies will face the wrath of a proud grandma and grandpa who will brook no dissent or dishonor to the young ones they love so much.
That’s what’s so heartening about “We’ve Got Magic To Do.” It features a night that should be a triumph for Rory. She rescues a failing event and turns it into an unprecedented success for the DAR. The USO theme is perfect for some trademark Gilmore Girls whimsy, and you can see the way that Rory’s ability to manage in multiple directions -- finding things to please her grandmother’s semi-stuffy associates, finding new ideas and new ways to make the most of their dwindling budget, and even putting Paris to work -- would pay real dividends for a complicated event like this one.
But even as things seem to be going swimmingly, a dual set of monkey wrenches are thrown in in the form of Mr. and Mrs. Huntzberger. While Rory is still something of a glass cannon, she’s generally unflappable when she’s in her element. And this sort of event, with tons of moving parts that all need to go off without a hitch, is very much her element. Still, here are the two people who represent her dishonor: one personal, in the form of Mrs. Huntzberger declaring that she’s not good enough for Logan, and one professional, in the form of Mr. Huntzberger declaring that she’s not good enough for journalism. It’s enough to, in turn, deeply frustrate Rory, and then practically give her a panic attack.
That’s when it’s time for Grandpa and Grandma to step in, and there are few things as heartening, as fistpump worthy, as endearing for the two elder Gilmores, as them stepping in to defender their beloved granddaughter. That’s especially true for Richard, who has always thought his granddaughter hung the moon. Between his acquaintance with the Huntzbergers and his impression of Lorelai as overreacting to things, his assumption is that whatever unpleasantness may have occurred between Rory and the Huntzberger family was a simple misunderstanding.
Then, in a moment of frankness, followed by prodding from Richard, Mitchum admits what happened with Rory. He tries to justify his pronouncement as a business decision like any other, but Richard is affronted by the temerity of his social acquaintance to doubt Rory’s potential. The fact that Mitchum lets slip the truth of what happened at that fateful Huntzberger dinner only adds insult to injury. It’s some incredible acting from Edward Hermann, both in Richard’s believable anger at how the Huntzbergers treated Rory, and in his utter sullen, “what have I done?” when he looks at his granddaughter on the stage and thinks of the path that led her there, a path he was complicit in facilitating and could have done more to help her avoid.
But Richard, even in all his fury and regret, is no match for the unsinkable Emily Gilmore. I’ve beat the drum enough already about how she’s my favorite character on this show, but what more I’ll say is this -- for however cutting Emily can be, for however Machiavellian her plans may seem at times, it’s rare that she truly bares her claws and shows the pure, ceaseless destruction that she is capable of. The sly look on her face before she walks over the Mrs. Huntzberger’s table was a warning, and I’ll cop to the fact that I chanted “Emily’s gonna kiiilllll you” at that moment, like the lapsed professional wrestling fan that I am.
Her ensuing takedown of Mrs. Huntzberger is a top ten Emily Gilmore moment, which puts it in esteemed company. The way that she expertly rebuts every pointed but gentle point that Mrs. Huntzberger makes, the way that she cheerily but devastatingly brings up Logan’s own sordid reputation, Mrs. Huntzberger’s less-than-reputable past, Mitchum’s philandering, and throws in a crack about Mrs. Huntzberger’s weight to put the cherry on top is that iron fist in the velvet glove that makes Emily Gilmore as scary as she is effective when she stops pulling her punches and starts unloading the force and fury on deserving targets.
And that’s only the last third or so of the episode! “We’ve Got Magic To Do” is easily the unrivaled highlight of Season 6. The fireworks between the Gilmores and the Huntzbergers is almost entirely separate from the comic relief in the episode. Bolshevik Paris is an unexpected treat, and the way she finds common cause with the proletariat after a mere few hours as a working stiff is comically delightful. Similarly, Kirk’s intepretive dance of the journey of man, and Lorelai and Sookie’s snarky comments about Miss Patty’s recital bring the chuckles as well.
There’s also plenty of great Lorelai material. For one thing, while it’s mostly relegated to subtext, there’s the important revelation that despite their awkward interaction after the Dragonfly needs to make good on its insurance policy, Richard realizes that Lorelai wasn’t exaggerating about the situation with the Huntzbergers. Lorelai is still miffed that her parents are essentially taking the Huntzbergers’ word, or at least their reputation, over her own, and that gives power to the moment when Richard realizes he’s been wrong the whole time.
And if that weren’t enough, there’s also an outstanding, if succinct, Luke and Lorelai story, where Lorelai sees how good Luke is about going shopping, tolerating the I Love Lucy-style madness of Sookie and Jackson’s home life, and putting up with a finicky dog’s eating habits, and encourages him to go enjoy some me-time rather than constantly having to do what Lorelai wants. Luke interprets that as him being banished, and the ensuing scene where they hash that feeling out, where Lorelai explains that she never wanted to get rid of Luke and Luke explains that even if the activities themselves aren’t his forte, he wants to be wherever Lorelai is, feel like a real conversation between a couple that’s still figuring out how to be. It’s the sort of conflict that’s natural and relatable, and adds another small but significant layer to the Luke-Lorelai relationship.
What more can you say? Season 6 has been rocky to this point, with characters feeling off, storylines seeming questionable, and much of the humor coming off forced. But if only for one episode, “We’ve Got Magic To Do” feels like Gilmore Girls firing on all cylinders -- showing a well-intentioned young woman getting in over her head, another young woman ironing out the kinks in what is still a fairly new relationship, and two not-quite-as-young people rising to defend that granddaughter they love with all their hearts. Even if it’s all downhill from here, this episode is worth it.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2018-01-06T06:03:05Z
[8.7/10] One of my favorite bits from King of the Hill (which is, suffice it to say, a fairly different show from Gilmore GIrls) is when Hank Hill considers the prospect of his irascible dad babysitting his boisterous son, and declares, “My dad hates most things, but he loves Bobby.”
It’s one of those quiet, unassuming observations the show did so well. Grandparents, more often than not, have an irrepressible soft spot for their grandchildren, and anyone who dares sully the honor of their grandbabies will face the wrath of a proud grandma and grandpa who will brook no dissent or dishonor to the young ones they love so much.
That’s what’s so heartening about “We’ve Got Magic To Do.” It features a night that should be a triumph for Rory. She rescues a failing event and turns it into an unprecedented success for the DAR. The USO theme is perfect for some trademark Gilmore Girls whimsy, and you can see the way that Rory’s ability to manage in multiple directions -- finding things to please her grandmother’s semi-stuffy associates, finding new ideas and new ways to make the most of their dwindling budget, and even putting Paris to work -- would pay real dividends for a complicated event like this one.
But even as things seem to be going swimmingly, a dual set of monkey wrenches are thrown in in the form of Mr. and Mrs. Huntzberger. While Rory is still something of a glass cannon, she’s generally unflappable when she’s in her element. And this sort of event, with tons of moving parts that all need to go off without a hitch, is very much her element. Still, here are the two people who represent her dishonor: one personal, in the form of Mrs. Huntzberger declaring that she’s not good enough for Logan, and one professional, in the form of Mr. Huntzberger declaring that she’s not good enough for journalism. It’s enough to, in turn, deeply frustrate Rory, and then practically give her a panic attack.
That’s when it’s time for Grandpa and Grandma to step in, and there are few things as heartening, as fistpump worthy, as endearing for the two elder Gilmores, as them stepping in to defender their beloved granddaughter. That’s especially true for Richard, who has always thought his granddaughter hung the moon. Between his acquaintance with the Huntzbergers and his impression of Lorelai as overreacting to things, his assumption is that whatever unpleasantness may have occurred between Rory and the Huntzberger family was a simple misunderstanding.
Then, in a moment of frankness, followed by prodding from Richard, Mitchum admits what happened with Rory. He tries to justify his pronouncement as a business decision like any other, but Richard is affronted by the temerity of his social acquaintance to doubt Rory’s potential. The fact that Mitchum lets slip the truth of what happened at that fateful Huntzberger dinner only adds insult to injury. It’s some incredible acting from Edward Hermann, both in Richard’s believable anger at how the Huntzbergers treated Rory, and in his utter sullen, “what have I done?” when he looks at his granddaughter on the stage and thinks of the path that led her there, a path he was complicit in facilitating and could have done more to help her avoid.
But Richard, even in all his fury and regret, is no match for the unsinkable Emily Gilmore. I’ve beat the drum enough already about how she’s my favorite character on this show, but what more I’ll say is this -- for however cutting Emily can be, for however Machiavellian her plans may seem at times, it’s rare that she truly bares her claws and shows the pure, ceaseless destruction that she is capable of. The sly look on her face before she walks over the Mrs. Huntzberger’s table was a warning, and I’ll cop to the fact that I chanted “Emily’s gonna kiiilllll you” at that moment, like the lapsed professional wrestling fan that I am.
Her ensuing takedown of Mrs. Huntzberger is a top ten Emily Gilmore moment, which puts it in esteemed company. The way that she expertly rebuts every pointed but gentle point that Mrs. Huntzberger makes, the way that she cheerily but devastatingly brings up Logan’s own sordid reputation, Mrs. Huntzberger’s less-than-reputable past, Mitchum’s philandering, and throws in a crack about Mrs. Huntzberger’s weight to put the cherry on top is that iron fist in the velvet glove that makes Emily Gilmore as scary as she is effective when she stops pulling her punches and starts unloading the force and fury on deserving targets.
And that’s only the last third or so of the episode! “We’ve Got Magic To Do” is easily the unrivaled highlight of Season 6. The fireworks between the Gilmores and the Huntzbergers is almost entirely separate from the comic relief in the episode. Bolshevik Paris is an unexpected treat, and the way she finds common cause with the proletariat after a mere few hours as a working stiff is comically delightful. Similarly, Kirk’s intepretive dance of the journey of man, and Lorelai and Sookie’s snarky comments about Miss Patty’s recital bring the chuckles as well.
There’s also plenty of great Lorelai material. For one thing, while it’s mostly relegated to subtext, there’s the important revelation that despite their awkward interaction after the Dragonfly needs to make good on its insurance policy, Richard realizes that Lorelai wasn’t exaggerating about the situation with the Huntzbergers. Lorelai is still miffed that her parents are essentially taking the Huntzbergers’ word, or at least their reputation, over her own, and that gives power to the moment when Richard realizes he’s been wrong the whole time.
And if that weren’t enough, there’s also an outstanding, if succinct, Luke and Lorelai story, where Lorelai sees how good Luke is about going shopping, tolerating the I Love Lucy-style madness of Sookie and Jackson’s home life, and putting up with a finicky dog’s eating habits, and encourages him to go enjoy some me-time rather than constantly having to do what Lorelai wants. Luke interprets that as him being banished, and the ensuing scene where they hash that feeling out, where Lorelai explains that she never wanted to get rid of Luke and Luke explains that even if the activities themselves aren’t his forte, he wants to be wherever Lorelai is, feel like a real conversation between a couple that’s still figuring out how to be. It’s the sort of conflict that’s natural and relatable, and adds another small but significant layer to the Luke-Lorelai relationship.
What more can you say? Season 6 has been rocky to this point, with characters feeling off, storylines seeming questionable, and much of the humor coming off forced. But if only for one episode, “We’ve Got Magic To Do” feels like Gilmore Girls firing on all cylinders -- showing a well-intentioned young woman getting in over her head, another young woman ironing out the kinks in what is still a fairly new relationship, and two not-quite-as-young people rising to defend that granddaughter they love with all their hearts. Even if it’s all downhill from here, this episode is worth it.