Nitpicking

[Ms Blue Jay]

Sorry guys you won't be able to get rid of me for awhile, since I'm in Rewatch Mode.  Seasons 3 and 4, Lorelai answers the phone "Helleh" instead of Hello.  Pet peeve of mine.

 

Also, they did so many things with Lauren Graham's beautiful curly hair after Season 1.  Straightened it in Season 2, and then a whole bunch of other crap to it after that.  (Whiny voice) why couldn't it just be her natural hair?!

Edited April 6, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[timimouse]

@ Ms Blue Jay, I completely get what you mean. At times, the pop culture berating used to get on my nerves. I thought they took it a little too far and did come off as snobby and pretentious. And it too translated to when they talked about different cuisines which is also a pet peeve of mine. This is because I'm from the Caribbean and it annoys me to no end when people add pineapple to a recipe and call it "Caribbean". I want to scream at them WE DON'T COOK WITH PINEAPPLES!!!!

Edited April 7, 2016 by timimouse

[dustylil]

Given that Lorelai lived in a small town, wasn't particularly well educated or well travelled, and had limited life experience, I would have been quite taken aback if she had had a sophisticated palate or knew much about different cuisines. So her asinine comments didn't surprise me.

 

Emily Gilmore was another matter entirely. She - we were led to believe - was quite the food and dining maven yet she made elementary mistakes. One that comes to mind is from Season 7 when Emily is instructing her  mini-me in the correct serving of dishes and courses. She tells the little girl that Service  A La Russe (presenting dishes in order of serving as opposed to all at once) has nothing to do with the Russians. In fact, it has everything to do with Russia. It is where the practice began and from there the custom spread to Western Europe and beyond. Emily certainly made other gaffes particularly in etiquette. But the dining one I found amusing - particularly since she was in teaching mode.

 

I am not sure whether Luke's unfamiliarity with lobster was simply an odd character quirk for a foodie or worthy of nitpicking.

Edited April 7, 2016 by dustylil

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Lorelai had an extremely rarefied education, just one that was cut short by pregnancy. She attended very upper crust schools and was exposed to the cuisine of Gilmore family dinners and formal affairs. Her love of junk food is, IMO, another form of rebellion.

Ms Blue Jay Philly isn't really disparaged outside the GG universe other than the sports world. ASP must've gotten screwed over either in Philly or by a Philadelphian and decided to hate the whole city forevermore. Still, seeing the place you love ridiculed on the show you love is unpleasant.

[GreenScreenFX]

Philly is wonderful, ASP had a bad layover, or she's a sports nut. The city itself is great.

Pittsburg however.....

[junienmomo]

Lorelai had an extremely rarefied education, just one that was cut short by pregnancy. She attended very upper crust schools and was exposed to the cuisine of Gilmore family dinners and formal affairs. Her love of junk food is, IMO, another form of rebellion.

Lorelai knew how to eat properly at FND, danced beautifully, could tell the difference between several shades of white napkins, and otherwise retained evidence of her early society training. This training was clearly an asset as inn manager.

These skills, coupled with her early departure from said society, and Rory's entry into society at the same age Lorelai left made for occasionally confusing TV. 

 

Why, for example, would she go to the football game, then throw a childish fit, leave, and carry it over into her date with Jason? 

 

I think it's a combination of all her conflicts:

- she has society skills, and while she frequently puts them down, clearly enjoys them sometimes

- she feels a need to frequently reassert her independence from her parents' life, yet remains open to a better reconciliation

- she truly wants to support Rory

- she also can't resist being present and half waiting for/expecting the train wreck when and if Rory eventually finds out that society isn't for her either

- she really does like to be in the center of exciting things

 

The game struck me more as waiting for the train wreck, for example, while running off to Hartford to illogically meet Logan looked more like supporting Rory and being in the middle of the exciting first serious relationship for her daughter.

[txhorns79]

Lorelai knew how to eat properly at FND, danced beautifully, could tell the difference between several shades of white napkins, and otherwise retained evidence of her early society training. This training was clearly an asset as inn manager.

These skills, coupled with her early departure from said society, and Rory's entry into society at the same age Lorelai left made for occasionally confusing TV.

 

Very true.  I don't really buy the idea that Lorelai was some stereotypical local yokel simply because she lives in a small town and took longer to get her degree than the average student.  That doesn't really make much sense given her background and what we saw on the show.  I would think Emily probably spent a lot of time during Lorelai's youth teaching her the proper way to do various things.  Further, when we would see Lorelai plan various events at the Inn, she certainly seemed to know the "proper" way to do things.     

Edited April 7, 2016 by txhorns79

[readster]

Very true.  I don't really buy the idea that Lorelai was some stereotypical local yokel simply because she lives in a small town and took longer to get her degree than the average student.  That doesn't really make much sense given her background and what we saw on the show.  I would think Emily probably spent a lot of time during Lorelai's youth teaching her the proper way to do various things.  Further, when we would see Lorelai plan various events at the Inn, she certainly seemed to know the "proper" way to do things.     

Yeah, I really never got that either, but it was AS-P trying to have her cake and eat it too. That Lorelai hated her background and how she was raised by her "puppet controlling parents". Yet, never had a problem using that said background in her life where it counted, much like many people in life. Like someone who tried to be an actor, took the classes, but didn't do it, but then became a teacher and used that skill set to be a stronger presenter. Or someone who went into nursing, but couldn't work the hours, but then does home care and uses those same skills in a more stable manner. Yet, with Lorelai, she had to make it about herself and much like Emily, just didn't know how to let things go. It got very exhausting.

[dustylil]

Why, for example, would she go to the football game, then throw a childish fit, leave, and carry it over into her date with Jason?

 

I believe the "childish fit" was in response to being publicly blamed by her mother for a matter over which she had no control, namely the revelation of Richard's continued friendship with Pennilynn Lott. Of course, she should have been far better mannered when she and Jason were out for the evening.

 

I am trying to imagine when Emily might have tutored Lorelai on the finer points of different cuisines as opposed to the presenting and serving of dishes. We saw no signs  of foods of various nations in the meals we observed at the senior Gilmore home. I guess it is possible that the two could have gone out to lunch in Hartford on a weekly or monthly basis to become acquainted with different food cultures. Or perhaps attended a mother and daughter course on exotic grub for the adventurous WASP ;) But from what  we saw and heard on the show, the two did not appear to spend  much time together. And whatever time  that was spent collegially bonding, seems likely to have ended when Lorelai was sixteen and other events overtook.

 

As to event and wedding planning  and the skills and knowledge to do that, I would ascribe that to a decade and half of working in one of the highly regarded inns of the state, than what she might have learned in her parents' home. And of course, that area of expertise had little if anything to do with the original point of my post about her lack of knowledge of diverse cuisines.

[junienmomo]

I believe the "childish fit" was in response to being publicly blamed by her mother for a matter over which she had no control, namely the revelation of Richard's continued friendship with Pennilynn Lott. Of course, she should have been far better mannered when she and Jason were out for the evening.

 

I am trying to imagine when Emily might have tutored Lorelai on the finer points of different cuisines as opposed to the presenting and serving of dishes. We saw no signs  of foods of various nations in the meals we observed at the senior Gilmore home. I guess it is possible that the two could have gone out to lunch in Hartford on a weekly or monthly basis to become acquainted with different food cultures. Or perhaps attended a mother and daughter course on exotic grub for the adventurous WASP ;) But from what  we saw and heard on the show, the two did not appear to spend  much time together. And whatever time  that was spent collegially bonding, seems likely to have ended when Lorelai was sixteen and other events overtook.

 

As to event and wedding planning  and the skills and knowledge to do that, I would ascribe that to a decade and half of working in one of the highly regarded inns of the state, than what she might have learned in her parents' home. And of course, that area of expertise had little if anything to do with the original point of my post about her lack of knowledge of diverse cuisines.

 

Very good points, dustylil, and several things I hadn't considered.

Childish fit certainly doesn't apply when Lorelai had nothing to do with the root cause of the problem. 

 

Looks like an unconscious food bias showed through my words, because I presumed multi-continental when Emily was really about Europe, probably mostly France even. There were some weird tiny birds at one point, and who could forget the Swiss marzipan? LOL.

I do remember relatives of mine in the 90's from Midwest and southern states having never eaten Chinese food, americanized or not. 

 

Finally, Lorelai's self-developed event management skills were hers alone. I do feel she benefited from her upraising when Emily had very high decorating and hosting standards, like candlestick positioning and correct table manners, etc. An event manager can smoothly handle a request for a lobster fork if she knows they exist. 

LOL, it makes me wonder how often Lorelai wanted to laugh in a customer's face for a weird request. Must have been an entertaining job.

 

Great insights, thanks!

[Ms Blue Jay]

Saying you've never HAD Chinese food is one thing.  Saying you blanket statement HATE or DO NOT LIKE all Thai and Indian food is quite another, IMO, and that's what gets my goat.  I get being ignorant of something - we are all ignorant of things.  I've never had Ethiopian food.  But if someone wanted to take me out for Ethiopian food my response would not be "No, I don't like it."  

 

I don't see Rory and Lorelai as snobs, in this manner.  I see Lorelai as straight up ignorant.  I.e. I don't care to learn about popular things; putting it down instead is funny to me.  To ignore actually good music because it's popular is not snobby, it's just dumb.  Isn't it?  A snobby person would talk about the great things she likes instead and what does Lorelai even like that's so superior to the stuff she puts down?  A snob wouldn't ignore huge cultures of food, instead, a snob would say there's a great Indian place around the corner that is so "authentic" and only I know about it.  I guess I'm an idealist, or I've been living in the 2010s too long.  Lorelai is a rube to me, LOL, unsophisticated in a cultural sense and proud of it.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Sara2009]

I don't think Lorelai is an enigma in that regard. Plenty of people make white blanket statements such as " I dislike Chinese/Indian/Italian/Mexican food."As another poster said,if they've tried a few dishes and didn't care for them, they're likely to conclude that the cuisine just isn't for them. It might not be 100% fair, but it's human nature IMO.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Sara2009

[junienmomo]

I often think that Lorelai is rude because she's trying to be funny without realizing that it's insulting someone or something. She must really have a lot saved up after being polite to customers at the inn all day. 

It's very important to her to be thought of as witty or outrageous.

 

I found the weird bird coincidentally just now!

It's in Paris is Burning, and Emily serves squab. That falls into the pretentious European food line for me. 

[txhorns79]

I often think that Lorelai is rude because she's trying to be funny without realizing that it's insulting someone or something. She must really have a lot saved up after being polite to customers at the inn all day.

It's very important to her to be thought of as witty or outrageous.

 

I think Lorelai would be a nightmare in real life.  Can you imagine how difficult it would be to just pin her down for a normal conversation? 

 

 

Finally, Lorelai's self-developed event management skills were hers alone. I do feel she benefited from her upraising when Emily had very high decorating and hosting standards, like candlestick positioning and correct table manners, etc. An event manager can smoothly handle a request for a lobster fork if she knows they exist.

 

I think Lorelai got a lot of that from Emily, but I agree with your point that Lorelai's skills are now her own.  

 

And of course, that area of expertise had little if anything to do with the original point of my post about her lack of knowledge of diverse cuisines.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've had other commenters take what I say, and go to a different place with it.  That's the whole fun of commenting, as you get to see many different perspectives.  Otherwise, if you are only here to state your opinion and not allow anyone to stray from it, what's the point?   

Edited April 7, 2016 by txhorns79

[Ms Blue Jay]

I don't think Lorelai is an enigma in that regard. Plenty of people make white blanket statements such as " I dislike Chinese/Indian/Italian/Mexican food."As another poster said,if they've tried a few dishes and didn't care for them, they're likely to conclude that the cuisine just isn't for them. It might not be 100% fair, but it's human nature IMO.

 

That is giving a lot of benefit of the doubt.

 

Lorelai and Emily called Thai and Indian food "ethnic" and in the same breath referred to Italian food as NOT being ethnic which is plain ignorance.

Also Lorelai likes Chinese and Italian food and NOT Thai and Indian.

This is not a coincidence. Chinese and Italian food have been so popular in America for DECADES before Gilmore Girls even started, so of course ASP will acquiesce with those cuisines.  But Thai and Indian is a bridge too far.  My opinion.

 

I personally wouldn't try a few dishes and make a generalization about a culture, either.  Having a few Americanized Indian dishes in Stars Hollow does not an expert on Indian food make.  Lorelai's attitude towards music and food bugs me hence my "nitpicks".

Edited April 7, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[junienmomo]

Quote txhorns79:

I think Lorelai would be a nightmare in real life.  Can you imagine how difficult it would be to just pin her down for a normal conversation? 

 

It would be a nightmare if the person couldn't shut it off when the other person needed 'normal' conversation.

It's one of the things I admire about Luke. He can banter or bicker with Lorelai as needed, can give her a look which says he's not buying into it, he even occasionally gives her a sharp remark in return. Compare that to most of the townies, particularly Taylor, who are typically dumbfounded. 

I couldn't really tell how often Rory had patience with her mother and how often she didn't follow. I guess mostly she just tolerated it. I really liked how she and Paris had a process so Rory could call a stop to Paris' ranting (not quite the same thing as Lorelai's joking babble).

 

My own Momo interprets my loosely-connected chain of exceedingly logical thoughts as babbling on occasion. He'll come back bantering or with a sarcastic remark, but we fortunately have plenty of affectionate ways to say stop before it goes too far. One of the benefits of being human instead of a TV character. 

[Kohola3]

As another poster said,if they've tried a few dishes and didn't care for them, they're likely to conclude that the cuisine just isn't for them.

 

I'm "guilty" of this but I don't see eating my way through every item on a menu when I don't care for the ones I have already tried and don't like. I don't like Mexican.  There, I said it. I have tried a few things and didn't care for them.  So why waste money trying more and more just to see if I like one specific dish? I don't think that makes me a snob or ignorant.  I think it makes me practical.  Just my opinion, of course.

 

And since we really don't know what Lorelai may have been introduced to over the years she was out on her own maybe she's in the same boat.

[txhorns79]

My own Momo interprets my loosely-connected chain of exceedingly logical thoughts as babbling on occasion. He'll come back bantering or with a sarcastic remark, but we fortunately have plenty of affectionate ways to say stop before it goes too far.

 

I did appreciate that Trix was instantly able to shut Lorelai down with a quick: "That's enough jokes for this evening, Lorelai." 

[dustylil]

I do remember relatives of mine in the 90's from Midwest and southern states having never eaten Chinese food, americanized or not

 

junienmomo, for a number of years in my part of Canada, it was common for  restaurants to advertise "Chinese smorgasbord" as a means of luring customers to their buffet offerings. I wonder what your relatives would make of that ;)

[lgold]

These nitpicks are so small.

 

There is a piano in the living room behind the couch that is clearly visible in Kiss and Tell when they're all sitting on the floor watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  It's there until Breakup, Part II.  All the episodes afterwards,  it looks like they tore the wall down where the piano was, or maybe moved sets, I don't know.  It was just funny to me that they would have a piano.  I don't remember there being any references to someone being musically inclined or taking lessons.  Please correct me if I'm wrong on that. 

 

Also, when Lorelai meets Max at the coffee shop when they're discussing whether to date, Lorelai says something about wanting to join the Bangles and Max says but they broke up, there's no band anymore.  Then they go to the Bangles concert in Concert Interruptus.   I had to look it up, but the Bangles broke up in '89 and they got back together the year before GG came out, in '99.  It was just funny to me. (Loved Eternal Flame as a kid by the way) 

 

I watch this show too much.  :)

[andromeda331]

 I did appreciate that Trix was instantly able to shut Lorelai down with a quick: "That's enough jokes for this evening, Lorelai."

I loved how Trix did it. She wasn't mean or anything but a quick comment and I think Lorelai even apologized.

I kind of wish we had gotten to see more of Lorelai and Trix together. They seemed to get along well and Trix

really seemed to like Lorelai. She didn't put down Lorelai's job instead seemed happy with it, she liked the inn,

although she remarked it was small but agreed when Lorelai suggested it was quaint, and she had nothing

to say against Lorelai's house. I think she only mentioned Lorelai having a kid out of wedlock once and that

was when she was summoning up all that happened since the last time they saw each other in the Third

Lorelai.

[junienmomo]

txhorns79

I did appreciate that Trix was instantly able to shut Lorelai down with a quick: "That's enough jokes for this evening, Lorelai." 

I can do that with Momo, sadly with no trace of Trix's wit, presence of mind or sheer elegance derived from dressing like she's a century older than she actually was. 

I can, however, make my daughter feel guilty across a crowded room with just a split-second glance at her.

 

And dustylil, I have no words to comment on "chinese smorgasbord." That's surreal. :)

Edited April 8, 2016 by junienmomo

[Taryn74]

This isn't really a nitpick so much as a question, but is it ever actually established on the show that Chris and Lorelai are the same age?  I seem to remember there being the possibility that he was actually a year older, but I'm not sure if it's ever confirmed one way or another.

 

GG wiki says that he was born in 1968 (as was Lorelai) and that they had known each other since they were both six years old, but doesn't give the reference to back that up, and I can't remember where that would be referenced, so I can't check the actual transcript.

[AllyB]

On the food thing. I do find it very hard to believe Lorelai liked Chinese food but hated Thai. I'm not saying that both types of food are the same because they aren't. But there are enough similarities between the two that if you like a variety of Chinese food, which Lorelai has been shown to, you will easily find a few Thai dishes that suit your tastes. I can understand someone saying they like neither Chinese nor Thai but not really, really liking one and hating the other.

It helped that I was an intense reader growing up (still am) and nothing of what Rory read ever sounded remotely appealing to me so that made it easy to not take in account their tastes in anything ever.

I know! There are so many great novels out there that would appeal to a voracious teenage readers. Intelligent, moving, mind expanding and yet very enjoyable to a modern teen. But Rory never talks about those kinds of books, instead seeming to favour 'difficult' classics and impressive biographies. And it's not that I don't believe that Rory wouldn't read Tolstoy, just that it seems like ASP didn't bother to research the kinds of novels that intelligent, literary teenagers actually read and just picked some titles she thought would be impressive.

[chessiegal]

While I don't deny there was some lazy writing during the series, I have a different take on why Rory is reading such advanced stuff. I think we are to believe the intelligent Rory blew through teenage reading by the time she was 12.

[AllyB]

While I don't deny there was some lazy writing during the series, I have a different take on why Rory is reading such advanced stuff. I think we are to believe the intelligent Rory blew through teenage reading by the time she was 12.

And that's specifically the type of teen I'm talking about. Someone who isn't reading typical teen fare but is reading really great literature on a wide variety of themes and subjects. That may well include classics and obscure biographies but it wouldn't be (nearly) exclusively those.

[lgold]

This isn't really a nitpick so much as a question, but is it ever actually established on the show that Chris and Lorelai are the same age?  I seem to remember there being the possibility that he was actually a year older, but I'm not sure if it's ever confirmed one way or another.

 

GG wiki says that he was born in 1968 (as was Lorelai) and that they had known each other since they were both six years old, but doesn't give the reference to back that up, and I can't remember where that would be referenced, so I can't check the actual transcript.

I think they're referring to Season 1 episode: Christopher Returns.  Its in the opening scenes, and they're sitting on the couch.  Lorelai says she's known Christopher "since she was six" but she doesn't say since we were six.  So, I guess we're just supposed to assume they're the same age.  

[snarktini]

And that's specifically the type of teen I'm talking about. Someone who isn't reading typical teen fare but is reading really great literature on a wide variety of themes and subjects. That may well include classics and obscure biographies but it wouldn't be (nearly) exclusively those.

 

Well, I was that kid. By 10-12 I was plowing through the Classics shelves at my local library, and that's all I read in addition to the kids stuff. Lots of Hardy, lots of Russians. That's where Mom steered me, and it was enough to keep me busy. ;)

[Taryn74]

I think they're referring to Season 1 episode: Christopher Returns.  Its in the opening scenes, and they're sitting on the couch.  Lorelai says she's known Christopher "since she was six" but she doesn't say since we were six.  So, I guess we're just supposed to assume they're the same age.  

 

Thank you!  I figured there was probably something in that episode but I didn't feel like looking it up to check, ha.  But you're right!  Here's the conversation -

 

 

LORELAI: I’ve known you since I was six Chris. You’re the guy that crashed his Porsche two hours after his parents gave it to him for his 16th birthday.

CHRISTOPHER: And you were the girl in the Pinky Tuscadero t-shirt sitting right next to me.

LORELAI: Horrified.

CHRISTOPHER: Think again.

LORELAI: Alright, having a blast then horrified.

 

Okay, we know from both RBP and DEaR that Lorelai was already pregnant when she turned 16, and according to the timeline of both her and Rory's birthdays she would have been about three months along on her birthday in April, putting her having gotten pregnant some time in January or early February.  She already knew she was pregnant on her birthday but hadn't told anyone (the paté smelled like clorox).  I suppose it's possible that Chris' birthday could be some time from January - April, but I just feel like if she had been pregnant already when he wrecked his Porsche that's the kind of thing she would bring up in the above conversation.

 

I just remembered another scene -- in WBB when Chris was telling Rory about the first time he and Lorelai kissed, he said "when we were fourteen" so there's at least a few months that they are the same age, even if he was born in the calendar year before.  

 

I have a reason for puzzling all of this out, I promise.

[themoon411]

So my nitpick is also a question. Where did Rory meet up with chris before she was 16. They saw each other a few times a year, but it was specifically mentioned he didn't come to stars hollow. We also know she never stayed over night, it wasn't at his parents house, and he didn't live nearby. I guess it could have been at E & R's house, but I think if that was the case there would be a throw away line about that. It seems strange for him to come to Hartford and force the gilmore girls to meet at a resturuant, when stars hollow was so close. And on the holidays, when they probably saw him, stuff tends to be closed.

[dustylil]

The senior Gilmores were on good terms with Christopher so I  wouldn't find it surprising that they met at their home at some of those holiday get-togethers.

Also, given Lorelai's gourmet tastes, they may have met up at fast food restaurants in and around Hartford. Those  places are usually open at least to some extent on Christmas, Easter, etc. if that is when they were meeting.

But I do wonder if it was on the holidays that they were seeing Christopher. In those episodes - Santa's Secret Stuff and A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving - were there were discussions on the part of Rory and Lorelai about their traditions and what they had done in previous years as part of the celebrations, I don't believe Christopher's name came up.

[dirtypop90]

If Chris only saw them at E & R's, he wouldn't be apart of the traditions they had at their house in stars hollow. They likely didn't spend the entire holiday at E & R's. They probably went there for part of the day and did their own thing at their house (or elsewhere in stars hollow) afterwards or before heading over there.

Edited April 10, 2016 by dirtypop90

[ALenore]

I just started watching the GG on Netflix and am really enjoying it, I just finished season 4.   I'm not binge watching, just watching a couple of episodes a week.   I live in New Milford, CT, a town just a few miles away from the one the show is supposedly inspired by.  Our town green actually looks similar to Stars Hollow.  One minor nitpick I have is that Rory ordered Indian food to be delivered to their house.  The only Indian restaurants anywhere near here are in the city of Danbury.  Actually the first Indian restaurant in Litchfield County just opened up a couple of months ago in the city of Torrington.   I'd really like it if there were any Indian restaurants nearby, I'd love if if they delivered.  The only places that deliver in any of the towns around here are pizza and Chinese.  There's one Thai restaurant, but it doesn't deliver, neither do the Mexican restaurants.  

 

The other nitpick I have is that Rory is able to take a bus to Hartford.  The only buses that go to Hartford are from its immediate suburbs, nothing that would be what  I guess is supposed to be 30 miles out.   There's not much in the way of public transportation out here.  There used to be a private bus service that passed through town, but it stopped coming up here many years ago.   

 

I realize Stars Hollow is a fictional town, but it's a little disconcerting to see a town that looks so much like mine and ones near me that has so much more in the way of restaurants and public transportation than mine does.   

[dustylil]

If Chris only saw them at E & R's, he wouldn't be apart of the traditions they had at their house in stars hollow. They likely didn't spend the entire holiday at E & R's. They probably went there for part of the day and did their own thing at their house (or elsewhere in stars hollow) afterwards or before heading over there

 

Of course. But there would be nothing preventing them from having other Christmas traditions in addition to those in their home in Stars Hollow and the more formal holiday get-together at the senior Gilmores (which may or may not have been on the 25th itself).  For instance, Christopher, Lorelai and Rory could have gotten together in Hartford for a holiday buffet meal and visit with Santa in mid December over the years.

Lots of people have complicated  relationships and commitments that require a fair bit of planning and finessing around the holidays. It is just that to the best of my recollection Christopher did not appear to play a role in any their celebrations when Rory was growing up.

[elang4]

Rory didn't seem to recognise Chris though when he returned. It took her a minute to realise. So maybe that meant she hadn't seen him for years. They mentioned phone calls so maybe they just kept in touch by phone.

[moonb]

But season 1 Rory is a little shy and socially awkward, and when Christopher does show up, she seems almost as comfortable around him as she is around Lorelai. In contrast, she's justifiably reserved around her paternal grandparents, who she really hasn't seen in years. She doesn't show any discomfort or signs of Chris being like a stranger to her. It's a puzzle to me as to how Chris was supposed to have been in Rory's life pre-season 1.  

Edited April 10, 2016 by moonb

[cuddlingcrowley]

I agree, moonb. And I know the Wednesdays phonecalls were established in the Sherry Era but I'm thinking the reason for Rory's level of comfort with Chris might have been semi-regular to irregular phonecalls through her childhood. Yes, he probably went radio silent for a couple of months at times sometimes but I also think there might have been periods he called a lot which allowed him to bond with Rory. That's pure conjecture, of course, but that's the only way I can seen both Rory and Lorelai being so at ease with him. 

Edited April 10, 2016 by cuddlingcrowley

[txhorns79]

Rory didn't seem to recognize Chris though when he returned. It took her a minute to realize. So maybe that meant she hadn't seen him for years. They mentioned phone calls so maybe they just kept in touch by phone.

 

I just thought it meant that she wasn't expecting to see him, so it took her a moment to realize it was really him. 

[elang4]

I just thought it meant that she wasn't expecting to see him, so it took her a moment to realize it was really him.

Yeah maybe!

[dirtypop90]

I just thought it meant that she wasn't expecting to see him, so it took her a moment to realize it was really him. 

 

Right. She also mentioned at the beginning of Christopher returns to lorelai that chris looked good with his hair shorter, which means she had been seeing him, and not just speaking to him on the phone. She also asked chris about his gf (then ex) that he said was the one at easter. So I do think they were seeing each other at least on holidays.

[junienmomo]

I live in New Milford, CT, a town just a few miles away from the one the show is supposedly inspired by.  Our town green actually looks similar to Stars Hollow.  One minor nitpick I have is that Rory ordered Indian food to be delivered to their house.  The only Indian restaurants anywhere near here are in the city of Danbury.  Actually the first Indian restaurant in Litchfield County just opened up a couple of months ago in the city of Torrington.   I'd really like it if there were any Indian restaurants nearby, I'd love if if they delivered.  The only places that deliver in any of the towns around here are pizza and Chinese.  There's one Thai restaurant, but it doesn't deliver, neither do the Mexican restaurants.  

 

The other nitpick I have is that Rory is able to take a bus to Hartford.  The only buses that go to Hartford are from its immediate suburbs, nothing that would be what  I guess is supposed to be 30 miles out.   There's not much in the way of public transportation out here.  There used to be a private bus service that passed through town, but it stopped coming up here many years ago.   

ALenore, thanks for giving us actual insight to Connecticut life. It's great to read.

When logic seems to fail in GG, remember it's probably a plot device.

If there were no bus, then Emily would be justified in giving Rory a car, and Lorelai would lose some of her mothering power.

Thanks to you we now know that Lorelai might hate Indian or other ethnic food because she has so little exposure to it. Remember Al's has a multi-cultural menu, so even Stars Hollow wasn't all that well served.

So, you live near SH. Have you met Luke? Is he really that hot?

Oh wait, damn, I'm getting that fiction and reality thing mixed up again. :(

[chessiegal]

Does anyone remember if the Pallindinos have ever been to CT? There may have been an interview where they said they had? At any rate, they and the other writers wrote the scripts from a very LA perspective. Example: They referred to the local Interstate (can't remember the number) as "the number", whereas in the East we just refer to, for example, as Interstate 95, no "the" before it.

 

And that reminds me of the Valentine's Day episode on Martha's Vineyard, a fairly flat island where there are mountains in the background that looked like they were about to show the "Hollywood" sign.

 

I love this show, but sometimes the things you love can still bug. :)

[dustylil]

Does anyone remember if the Pallindinos have ever been to CT? There may have been an interview where they said they had?

 

Yes, they have been to Connecticut. Stars Hollow was apparently inspired by a charming  Connecticut town called Washington Depot. It is considerably smaller than Stars Hollow and serves as the weekend home for many New Yorkers.

[AllyB]

Well, I was that kid. By 10-12 I was plowing through the Classics shelves at my local library, and that's all I read in addition to the kids stuff. Lots of Hardy, lots of Russians. That's where Mom steered me, and it was enough to keep me busy. ;)

Fair enough. I guess it's possible for a teenager to stick to the classics. It's just that when I was a teenager I read an awful lot of novels set in other countries during major historical events. Books set in Chile during Pinochet's coup, in Israel during the 6 day war, detailing life in the Weimar Republic, etc. Books that give a personal view of historical events while also educating the reader on the background of the event and sometimes the wider fallout. It just always seemed to me that a teenager who wanted to be a foreign correspondent would have eaten up books like that.

[snarktini]

Fair enough. I guess it's possible for a teenager to stick to the classics. It's just that when I was a teenager I read an awful lot of novels set in other countries during major historical events. Books set in Chile during Pinochet's coup, in Israel during the 6 day war, detailing life in the Weimar Republic, etc. Books that give a personal view of historical events while also educating the reader on the background of the event and sometimes the wider fallout. It just always seemed to me that a teenager who wanted to be a foreign correspondent would have eaten up books like that.

 

Ah, my favorite book series as a teen were historical romances set during pivotal periods/events. God, I loved those. :) 

 

Even though I could make a case that Rory may have read only classics, your nitpick is legit. Someone with Rory's alleged aspirations probably should have read more widely. (Assuming her library was good.) The problem is, they didn't write her as someone with those interests. Hence the popular opinion that she really wasn't cut out for the career she supposedly wanted. So many of the baffling characterizations on the show boil down to poor writing. 

[Kiki777]

Caught a rerun on ABCFamily (or whatever they call it now). It was the episode in which Jess first arrives, but before he does Luke tells Lorelai some backstory which includes the fact that Jess' father had split 2 years ago....

Am I not remembering correctly or did Jess not recognize his dad a year later when he shows up at the diner? I would think a 17-year old would still know their parent even if they'd been out of the picture for 3 years :-S

[chessiegal]

Caught a rerun on ABCFamily (or whatever they call it now). It was the episode in which Jess first arrives, but before he does Luke tells Lorelai some backstory which includes the fact that Jess' father had split 2 years ago....

Am I not remembering correctly or did Jess not recognize his dad a year later when he shows up at the diner? I would think a 17-year old would still know their parent even if they'd been out of the picture for 3 years :-S

 

They had 2 stories about when Jess's father split. The other says he left pretty much when he was born.

[dustylil]

Luke tells Lorelai some backstory which includes the fact that Jess' father had split 2 years ago....

 

Personally, I am impressed with Liz.  Well, at least with her time management skills. Since Jess' father's departure  two years earlier, she has married and dispensed with two additional husbands. And if I recall correctly, there were also some boyfriends along the way.

[moonb]

Rewatched Face/Off from season 3, and while I enjoy Trix's appearances, her meeting of fellow art connoisseurs at Richard and Emily's is a nitpicking feast. One of her "biddy friends" (tm Emily) is wearing a black outfit with an Elizabethan-style collar....what on earth for?  Why are they looking at slides of artwork in 2003? My family has tons of slides, but not many taken after the mid-1980s, and slide film stopped being readily available long before 2003 (another nitpick I have with Road Trip to Harvard -where would Lorelai, presumably not a professional photographer or designer, gotten slide film?). Why are wealthy donors on the board of an arts organization calling Picasso obscene? Yes, it's a personal opinion, and Picasso's work was considered obscene in the art world - but in the early 20th century, not the 21st. Donors in their position barely 15 years ago might have considered a 21st century artist's work obscene, but not Picasso, long established as a hugely important 20th century artist. Sorry, I used to work for nonprofits arts organizations, and this scene makes me crazy. :) It's as though the whole thing is lifted out of 1915 New York or something. 

[dustylil]

One of her "biddy friends" (tm Emily) is wearing a black outfit with an Elizabethan-style collar....what on earth for?

 

Maybe eccentric attire was required to be part of Trix's circle of friends. Trix herself - who was born in the nineteen teens - dressed like a woman born fifty years earlier. She reminded me of Queen Mary, the present Queen Elizabeth's grandmother, in her fashion choices.

 

In fairness to Trix and her posse, if I recall correctly, they never said these were new slides of potential acquisitions they were planning to view. The slides might have been in storage for years. But yes, Picasso did seem an odd choice in the early years of this century for these art aficionados to consider obscene.