Nitpicking

[truebluesmoky]

Madeline and Louise are a total puzzle. They are depicted as not particularly smart and not willing to put in any effort. If Rory had trouble academically when she was first settling in at Chilton and was in danger of not making it at such an intense, challenging school, how did M & L make it through and graduate?

[txhorns79]

Rory had trouble academically when she was first settling in at Chilton and was in danger of not making it at such an intense, challenging school, how did M & L make it through and graduate?

 

I think Rory's main troubles appeared to be she simply wasn't prepared for the workload and had general trouble transitioning.  If Madeline and Louise had been at Chilton since they were very young, they probably long ago figured out how they could get by at that school, even if they weren't portrayed as intellectual giants.  

Edited November 28, 2014 by txhorns79

[BC Mama]

In the early episodes of the show, Louise is shown to be a good student, while Madeleine is average.

[panthergirl13]

Just completed my binge watch (first time... I know, I know) and have read through this whole thread.

 

First of all, I'm so glad I'm not the only one completely thrown off by the lack of hello-kisses, hugs, etc. (nevermind the lack of romantic touching). This is the Northeast. Everyone kisses everyone hello AND goodbye, or at least hugs. Yes, even in Connecticut. This practice of holding up a hand in some Native American "how" gesture is just bizarre and no one does it. 

 

And speaking of Connecticut...how hard is it not to have characters going "up" to NYC? Or to have them say "I-84" instead of "Highway 84", which no one here would ever say in a million years? I mean if you're going to set a show in a real place, wouldn't you make some attempts to get the little things right?

 

Finally, did I sleep through something or did Jackson become Selectman and then..... never serve? I know he wasn't happy about it but I don't remember anything other than Taylor Doose being in charge again. 

 

Overall the show was enjoyable, but I could have done without a lot of the town nonsense which was just boring to me. And while Luke the character did grown on me, Scott Patterson is just a horrible actor. S1 was really rough with him.

[Betweenyouandme]

I think Paris is friends with M and Louise because they aren't competition academically. Francine was. Rory was.

[junienmomo]

Jackson did serve. While I don't recall it happening on a show, it is generally agreed that he served for a while, then quit, allowing the second-place vote-getter Taylor to resume his job.

Jackson recognized that he didn't want the job already on election night. 

 

The single wave never came across as the stereotyped made for TV Indian How sign to me. The How sign was always presented as formal, straight up-and-down near the head.

Luke's wave was more below the shoulders, starting-to-wave-but-thinking-better-of-it. There were variations with other characters like Lorelai and Rory, but they also started to actually wave back and forth, the wave just died before it started.  

 

Amen to your lack of PDA comment. It got worse as the seasons progressed. It's my understanding that it was a conscious decision by the showrunners, namely ASP and DP. Stupid stupid decision. Looked more like they were playing Barbies than they were human beings in relationships.

[readster]

 

 

Jackson did serve. While I don't recall it happening on a show, it is generally agreed that he served for a while, then quit, allowing the second-place vote-getter Taylor to resume his job.

Jackson recognized that he didn't want the job already on election night.

 

 

  It actually was handled pretty badly. Jackson was chased down by Kirk and the rest of the town to do it. Jackson realized that the town did the meetings like a drug. They just "had" to have these meetings. Next episode, Jackson was gone and Taylor was back in and it was brushed off with Taylor saying: "Glad to be back, on to business." Last we ever heard about it again.

[panthergirl13]

  It actually was handled pretty badly. Jackson was chased down by Kirk and the rest of the town to do it. Jackson realized that the town did the meetings like a drug. They just "had" to have these meetings. Next episode, Jackson was gone and Taylor was back in and it was brushed off with Taylor saying: "Glad to be back, on to business." Last we ever heard about it again.

That's what I thought. I kept thinking I had missed an episode or something.

[readster]

That's what I thought. I kept thinking I had missed an episode or something.

 

Nope, I thought I did too and I was watching with my parents that night and they told me what was said and called it pretty bad writing. If you are going to make that big of a deal on a staple on a show you don't just sweep it under the rug like that unless you thought it was an idea that didn't go write. Of course, Gilmore Girls wasn't the first show or set of writers who just introduced an idea without having a game plan to see what would happen with their writing and then go: "Opps, this is bad." or "We have no idea what to do with this." then just sweep it under the rug or ignore it and hope no one would remember. As a writer myself my advice to others is if you have a great idea or a thought you need to play out. Just write it down, build something on it separate from what you are writing and if you see it keeps building, then go with it. If not, then file it away or toss it in the recycling because its not an idea its an after thought.

[Tooch]

Almost done bingeing and the PDA thing is getting to me too! I never thought Jackson and Sookie had much chemistry, and maybe the reason is because I think they show them hug or kiss maybe twice over the years, if that? Just saw the crazy episode where Sookie doesn't know she's pregnant and all I could think about was how we are supposed to believe these characters have enough sex to make three babies relatively close together!!

One other S7 gripe. Logan says he lost $3 million of his own trust fund money in the bad business deal he made--and after that, he's "broke". The Huntzbergers were made out to be extremely, extremely rich, looking down on the millionaire Gilmores and living in a palace. Would his trust fund really have only $3 million? Not that its a small amount to someone middle class like me--but among the mega rich, $3 million is not a very impressive trust.

[lulu1960]

Next episode, Jackson was gone and Taylor was back in and it was brushed off with Taylor saying: "Glad to be back, on to business." Last we ever heard about it again.

 

For as many times as I've watched this show. I don't remember Taylor saying: "Glad to be back, on to business." Shows you how much I pay attention to Taylor. LOL.

 

And while Luke the character did grown on me, Scott Patterson is just a horrible actor. S1 was really rough with him.

 

Funny, I never thought SP was a horrible actor. I actually thought he did well opposite LG. Alexis, I felt actually got worse as the series progressed. And Lauren was far more believable in the earlier seasons as well. Even her inflection changed in seasons six and seven (especially 7) She became inflicted with the 'Bambi' voice. Listen to her when she's riding the bike in It's Just Like Riding a Bike.

[dustylil]

Taylor Doose appeared in Tippecanoe and Taylor Too, the fourth episode of the fifth season and then in Women of Questionable Morals, episode eleven. With respect, I am not sure when he said, "Glad to back. On to business".

[JayInChicago]

I have the nittiest nitpick I've yet made, I think.

I don't even remember what episode, somewhere in season 2 I think we have:

Lorelai: you make the best coffee Luke

Luke: *indiscriminately pours preground coffee out of Hills Bros cannister*

[junienmomo]

Re: coffee - I think there's a little more than just a freshly opened can of coffee. When you're making coffee enough for a diner AND Lorelai GIlmore every day, you can probably eyeball the right amounts. 

 

My nittiest nitpick:

Emily's and Lorelai's eyes.

Emily has this way of keeping her upper eyelid open so white shows above her iris. Creeps me out whenever I see it.

At about S5, Lorelai's face got puffy. It got worse when she looked permanently depressed in S6 and S7. I kept thinking she was always pictured as someone who had recently cried.

[lulu1960]

It's not a canister but here Lorelai is pouring (too much, according to Luke) coffee from a bag.

 

[Kohola3]

I'm not a coffee drinker but doesn't diner coffee spewing out of a Bunn coffeemaker pretty much taste the same other than some cups being stronger than others?  

 

Never quite figured out what the big deal was - it's not like some specialty "half-caff nutmeg cinnamon orange pumpkin spice with 1% goats milk latte" or anything.  

[junienmomo]

There are plenty of ways to screw up a pot of coffee, even with a Bunn. The warmers have temperature controls, it's not a crazy idea to refill a container from a bulk bag of coffee, which could be a special grind. One might also have a grinder in the back, or the cleanliness of the equipment can impact the flavor. "Best coffee in town" might also just mean the competition serves swill.

 

Honestly, though, I think we're supposed to believe it's the love. Damn fine burgers, best coffee in town, sounds like we've got a diner owner who loves what he does enough to do it with excellence.

 

Wait.

Luke performs the simple task of coffee and burgers with excellence. That reminds me of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

There was a philosopher in that book who made burgers with excellence. I wonder if he is similar to Luke.

Alright, I'm back from my dusty copy of Atlas Shrugged. Hugh Akston is the philosopher who advocated reason, influencing the main characters. 

Having given up on an insane society, Akston retires from philosophy and cooks hamburgers in a diner. The insane part is not unlike Taylor's dreams for Stars Hollow. The burgers part of Atlas Shrugged is definitely similar to Luke's.

Luke refuses to participate in the parts of SH that he considers nonsensical. Additionally, most of Luke's rants are actually philosophical in nature. 

Mind-blowingly cool. Luke the philosopher.

 

OK, back to nitpicking. How can writers go from motifs like the Randian perfect burger to refusing to let L&L kiss or hug when they get engaged.  Arrgh, tearing my hair out. ;)

Edited November 29, 2014 by junienmomo

[dustylil]

Well, the showrunners did allow Luke and Lorelai to kiss when they got engaged but nothing much happened after that. I've idly wondered if the lack of displays of affection was a reflection of the Palladinos themselves.

 

junienmomo, cool Ayn Rand reference! I know Rory referred to The Fountainhead 's Howard Roark at least once in the show. It would have been even more impressive had she mentioned that hamburger making philosopher to Luke.

[readster]

Well, the showrunners did allow Luke and Lorelai to kiss when they got engaged but nothing much happened after that. I've idly wondered if the lack of displays of affection was a reflection of the Palladinos themselves.

 

junienmomo, cool Ayn Rand reference! I know Rory referred to The Fountainhead 's Howard Roark at least once in the show. It would have been even more impressive had she mentioned that hamburger making philosopher to Luke.

 

  The Pallandinos were known to do the show how they felt was better instead of what would make sense. Reason why they put in Luke's long lost daughter was to throw a wrench in Luke and Lorelai's relationship because they didn't know what else to do until Rick Suttcliff's show was cancelled and they all of a sudden had Christopher back. Reason why Dean showed up at times out of nowhere because Jared was free because until Supernatural happened, his shows weren't picked up on. They saw he was free and Jared wanted a paycheck so they just threw in Dean because the actor was around even if him in the episode made no sense. His last appearance when he told Luke that the Gilmores would never accept Luke and to move on with his life was beyond painful that Jared said years later during Supernatural's height that his last appearances on GG were for a paycheck. He hated the scripts at times but it was paying the bills until Supernatural was a hit.

[scarynikki12]

I think Dean's last appearance is why Jared has expressed a willingness to be in any reunion movie. Dean ended on such a bad note that no doubt left a bad taste in Jared's mouth and he probably would like to see him in a good place should a reunion ever happen (which I will doubt until it actually airs). That doesn't mean Dean would make sense in a reunion but if the Veronica Mars movie could find a way to include Celeste Kane and have it make sense then surely any GG reunion could do the same for Dean.

[JennDear77]

I've been binge watching on Netflix. Not sure why because like you all have stated, watching this show back to back only illustrates how rude and selfish and annoying a lot of the characters are.

My nitpick tonight is how Max only spent the night for the first time at Lorelei's house 2 weeks before the wedding. He's about to join this woman and her daughter's life forever and he wasn't even trying to spend the night that night, Lorelei convinced him at the last minute. Then, he's making them dinner and the "girls" don't know they have a broiler in the oven. THEN, it's apparently the first time Max has ever watched a movie with the girls because he's not used to them talking over the movie. He's never done movie night with them, when it's been established that movie night is a regular occurrence? At the double date Dean has to "fill in" Max on the eating habits of the girls. He doesn't know this stuff already after dating L for months? Finally, Max and Lorelei have the argument about Max not having a real role in Rory's life....two weeks before the wedding. Lorelei even admits she hasn't even thought about it at all! I just find it all sorts of sloppy.

Another engagement/wedding nitpick I have is how Lorelei didn't want any hubbub about her marrying Christopher. The town was suddenly cold to Christopher because he was an "outsider"....so was Max but they threw a giant wedding shower with little brides tap dancing and enough cookies and cake to feed the state of CT.

Max didn't eat at Luke's until 2 weeks before the wedding which was 2 months after the wedding shower...but the entire town threw them a party. Christopher was known to the town as Rory's dad, they all knew about his credit card being denied at the book store. I'm assuming they knew he had become Mr Moneybags once he and L started dating again. So it's just really dumb to me that the town wasn't all "let's throw a town festival!!!" once he and Lorelei were married. Really legally married, not just engaged like Lorelei and Max.

[scarynikki12]

I tell myself that, by this point in the series, the town was both over Lorelai's relationship drama and upset that she and Luke had broken up and freezing out Christopher was them being passive aggressive about it.

[dustylil]

As well, Christopher dead-beatness was pretty well known in Stars Hollow. He didn't come to the town for the first time until Rory was sixteen. And  people were aware that Rory and Lorelai spent quite a few years living in a potting shed.

Had I been a townie,  I wouldn't have been rushing out to make him feel welcome. (Of course, I'm  quite judgey on matters like that).

[junienmomo]

Max was the symbol of Lorelai's values clashing:

• committed to not bringing Rory into her relationships with men, but Max was a teacher
• wanting to be married, but not wanting to disturb her close relationship with Rory
• her immaturity in relationships and her inability to decide for herself what she wanted (another reason why it was good that Lorelai proposed to Luke, it proved her maturity)

The party was all Sookie. Once there was a driving organizer, it looks like the town was happy to help out at a party, but it wasn't a group of people insisting on having it.

 

Lorelai/Chris was a whole other ball of wax. She really was just marking time, but married Chris only because of the romance of France and her belief that she had killed the relationship with Luke. Remember she didn't even want to celebrate the wedding with her family.

L/C did get the welcome wagon (literal) from the town, but the town expressed its opinion by the mediocre gifts. I think the town was not so passive aggressive as in they didn't like Chris period.

 

A missed nitpick in this situation is, why did L&L not have a big engagement party? My guess is L&L put the kibosh on it because Rory was AWOL, although they could have done it later when she came home.

 

Note to self:

<do not rant about lack of engagement PDA, do not rant about lack of engagement PDA, do not rant about lack of engagement PDA, do not rant about lack of engagement PDA, do not rant about lack of engagement PDA,>

[dustylil]

junienmomo, I think one of the reasons there was no Luke and Lorelai engagement party after Rory returned was that by that point he was keeping a rather big secret from his fiancée. He was preoccupied which Lorelai had noticed but had no idea as to why. An engagement blast seemed to be an unlikely event to improve his mindset.

Actually, I think they should have had a party. Liz could have brought along April and Anna as surprise guests:)

[txhorns79]

As well, Christopher dead-beatness was pretty well known in Stars Hollow. He didn't come to the town for the first time until Rory was sixteen. And  people were aware that Rory and Lorelai spent quite a few years living in a potting shed.

 

Given the townies were fine with Chris at the time of his initial visit way back in Season 1 (heck, Miss Patty acted seductive with him), and I don't recall anyone in town caring during Chris' other visits, I'd suppose they would take their cues from Lorelai as to how to treat him.  I mean, otherwise, you'd have a bunch of people taking more offense over Chris than the actual persons he had treated poorly, and that raises the question of who that kind of treatment is actually supposed to benefit. 

[readster]

junienmomo, I think one of the reasons there was no Luke and Lorelai engagement party after Rory returned was that by that point he was keeping a rather big secret from his fiancée. He was preoccupied which Lorelai had noticed but had no idea as to why. An engagement blast seemed to be an unlikely event to improve his mindset.

Actually, I think they should have had a party. Liz could have brought along April and Anna as surprise guests:)

 

 April and Anna were the worse ideas the Ps could have come up with all in an attempt to throw a wrench in Luke and Lorelai's relationship. How April just appeared out of nowhere and found out through an science fair entry. The fact that Anna ever said that she believed Luke would have been a deadbeat dad and he admitted it. At what point did Luke ever come off that would be a thought or in the past of being that way? He did everything for Liz growing up. Bent over backwards for Jess. Did almost everything for Rory and Lorelai. Was the victim of both Taylor and Kirk's stupidity and still treated them well. How was Luke going to run out on Anna if she told him she was pregnant with his child? How? How? How?

Edited December 1, 2014 by readster

[panthergirl13]

...Lauren was far more believable in the earlier seasons as well. Even her inflection changed in seasons six and seven (especially 7) She became inflicted with the 'Bambi' voice. Listen to her when she's riding the bike in It's Just Like Riding a Bike.

THAT I agree with. She became a real caricature of herself in the last two seasons to the point where I'd think "If a real person were that 'on' all the time, they'd have NO friends let alone a whole town full."

[blueray]

Madeline and Louise are a total puzzle. They are depicted as not particularly smart and not willing to put in any effort. If Rory had trouble academically when she was first settling in at Chilton and was in danger of not making it at such an intense, challenging school, how did M & L make it through and graduate?

I got the impression that they were smarter then they pretended to be and did the minimum to graduate. Of course once they graduated one of them dropped out of school and the other missed like a month by being on "spring break".

[solotrek]

My nitpick tonight is how Max only spent the night for the first time at Lorelei's house 2 weeks before the wedding. He's about to join this woman and her daughter's life forever and he wasn't even trying to spend the night that night, Lorelei convinced him at the last minute. Then, he's making them dinner and the "girls" don't know they have a broiler in the oven. THEN, it's apparently the first time Max has ever watched a movie with the girls because he's not used to them talking over the movie. He's never done movie night with them, when it's been established that movie night is a regular occurrence? At the double date Dean has to "fill in" Max on the eating habits of the girls. He doesn't know this stuff already after dating L for months? Finally, Max and Lorelei have the argument about Max not having a real role in Rory's life....two weeks before the wedding. Lorelei even admits she hasn't even thought about it at all! I just find it all sorts of sloppy.

After all the planning I did for my own wedding and rewatching the show since, the Max/Lorelei wedding timeline makes no sense. Even if Lorelei was pushing things back, I'm surprised Max didn't bring up the important questions earlier.

[readster]

Completely agree with Max and Lorelai's wedding. After planning my own, nothing made sense how they were doing things. Really, not one bit. Sookie and Jackson's wedding planning made more sense.

[txhorns79]

Even if Lorelei was pushing things back, I'm surprised Max didn't bring up the important questions earlier.

 

The whole thing was really bizarre.  Heck, Lorelai has a kid, and she apparently never thought to ponder whether Max would have any kind of parental role with said kid.  It was like they were so swept up in the romance of all those daisies (Lorelai surrounded by the daisies was a beautiful scene) that common sense took a backseat. 

[junienmomo]

Lorelai was "infatuated" with Max at best, but in love with the idea of being married. Thank goodness she had the courage to bail, even if it hurt Max at the time. Look at how much Chris was hurt when he discovered that Lorelai didn't love him enough. 

Such a sad way to live, trying to keep a marriage alive without a solid foundation.

[solotrek]

Taylor was going to have the grand opening of this candy/soda shop during Fran's funeral at the end of season 3. He had the marching band he forgot to cancel who played during the funeral. But the season premiere of season 4 had the whole soda shoppe grand opening with Rory supposed to being the soda shop queen. There is a several month gap between the end of season 3 and season 4 with Lorelei and Rory going on their Europe trip. Is there an explanation of sorts for it?

[dustylil]

I didn't think there was a need for any detailed explanation. Taylor himself did say the opening was going to be postponed in Say Goodnight, Gracie. And if he wanted Rory to be the ice queen or whatever her title was to be - however overly presumptuous  of him it was - he needed her in Stars Hollow for it. Which meant waiting for Rory to get back from Europe.

And perhaps it is a question of personal interpretation, but were Lorelai and Rory gone all that long? I assumed the Chilton graduation took place in around early June and they were back before the end of August. So the trip to Europe lasted less than three months.

 

For myself, I was far more bothered by something else that happened in Say Goodnight, Gracie and the following episode. When Luke learned that Jess was not going to graduate with his class, Luke told him he had to return to school or leave. Jess then said he wasn't going back. At which point Luke told him he had to leave Stars Hollow. In the next episode, Luke goes to Lorelai's house to tell her of Jess' departure and appears  puzzled when Lorelai queried him as to why the boy left. I recall commenting to my television screen when I first saw this scene, Wait. Didn't you just tell he had to go?

 

Now I am not defending Jess' blowing off school. A deal was a deal. His smart-assedness had finally bit him in the backside.  But Luke could have waited a few days until Jess had some time to get over his father's visit before dealing with the school issue. After all, classes were not going to start up again for at least a couple of months. And it was not like there were no other educational options open for Jess. It troubled me that  Luke was  pretending to Lorelai he had no idea what brought  about Jess' departure from Stars Hollow.

[solotrek]

And perhaps it is a question of personal interpretation, but were Lorelai and Rory gone all that long? I assumed the Chilton graduation took place in around early June and they were back before the end of August. So the trip to Europe lasted less than three months.

 

Let's say 2 months or so. Even if it's 2 months, that's 2 months where Taylor had a store ready and didn't do anything with it. I assume candy and everything else had to be ordered beforehand (seeing all that went into the inn) so even if the grand opening itself was pushed back, all his merchandise is just sitting around gathering dust until Rory gets back? I mean, he was training people and setting things up in Ballrooms and Biscotti, it seems like all this could have been done already, given that he already had a grand opening planned weeks before. Seemed like they just needed an artificial conflict between Rory and the town.

[junienmomo]

It troubled me that  Luke was  pretending to Lorelai he had no idea what brought  about Jess' departure from Stars Hollow.

 

Luke told Jess he had to go in the midst of a classic father-son independence battle. "You don't do what you're supposed to, you don't do what we agreed on, you gotta go."

There was no explicit requirement to leave that night, and with Luke's personality, he would have calmed down and been willing to discuss the next day. Jess, however, also reacted in the classic battle manner by taking off immediately.

The next day Luke told Lorelai that he was surprised Jess took off overnight, fair enough to be surprised that Jess would go without saying anything. He also said that he was through with Jess, and that being 18, Jess was independent and could do what he wanted. 

I suspect Luke wasn't explicit because he probably didn't tell Lorelai or anyone about the agreement that Jess could stay only if he stayed in school.

[txhorns79]

I suspect Luke wasn't explicit because he probably didn't tell Lorelai or anyone about the agreement that Jess could stay only if he stayed in school.

 

I think Luke was generally embarrassed about the situation.  He clearly wanted to be able to help Jess, and he failed.  That was very difficult for him, and he wasn't under any duty to give Lorelai the details of what had gone on.   

 

I also agree that Luke didn't tell Jess he had to leave right at that moment.  Jess chose to go then.  I'd also think Luke's attitude wasn't really about Jess blowing off school.  Jess came back to Luke at the end of the second season to ask for another chance, which Luke gave him.  Instead of respecting what Luke had done for him, Jess had repeatedly lied to Luke about where he was going and what he was doing.  He lied to the point where he was not going to graduate high school.  That's a big betrayal right there.  Then, even in light of that, Luke offered Jess the chance to stay, with Jess repeating his last year of high school.  Jess refused.  If Jess had wanted to present some kind of educational alternative to his uncle, that was on Jess to figure out.  As it was, I think Luke had the right to be done trying to help someone who made very clear he did not want the help.          

[readster]

 

I think Luke was generally embarrassed about the situation.  He clearly wanted to be able to help Jess, and he failed.  That was very difficult for him, and he wasn't under any duty to give Lorelai the details of what had gone on.

 

 

 Exactly, Luke never told Jess to go that night he told him the new plan and if it wasn't enough he was 18 now and could go. Jess of course deciding not to admit he was at fault for everything decided to run to his father who he basically saw was a big screw up like him and go from there. Even though the spin off was never green lighted. The basis of the series was that Jess and his dad were going to rebuild together, Jess was going to get his GED, start working on his own book shop by the pier, ect. It was in the show's bible that of course never came to fruition. Why Jess then showed up a year later, wanting his car, finally apologizing to Luke and then opening the said book store another year after that. 

  

  The problem was, it was just a big mess, also how Jess came back because his mother called him and told him Luke had his car in the shed. He just magically showed up to get it. He could have taken it right there and then. That never made sense to me or how much Jess wanted it back when it was a POS to begin with. 

[moonb]

After all the planning I did for my own wedding and rewatching the show since, the Max/Lorelei wedding timeline makes no sense. Even if Lorelei was pushing things back, I'm surprised Max didn't bring up the important questions earlier.

 

I always took Lorelai's part in the engagement as the way a teenager thinks about love. At least, that's what I thought of during her detailed proposal instructions to Max; that it was more about the fantasy than the real guy standing in front of her, much the way young girls are said to fantasize about their weddings. By the end of season 6 with Luke, she doesn't care about things being done the "right" way, but she does want the relationship itself to be real. With Max, it's playacting, which makes sense for season 1 Lorelai.

I have no idea how to explain Max's actions, though. We learn in season 1 he almost made it to marriage once before - maybe he has some thing about thinking he loves beautiful siren-like women without really being realistic about them. Who knows?

 

Another tiny nitpick about Trix: In "The Third Lorelai," Lorelai doesn't know much about Trix because she didn't like to travel, thus Emily and Richard went to visit her. Later in the episode and up to "The Reigning Lorelai," she had traveled all over the world, just not to Hartford, Connecticut. So perhaps she despised her daughter-in-law so much she made them come to her, and the "travel" line was a polite fiction families tell each other (the same thing happened in my family with a set of grandparents).

Edited December 8, 2014 by moonb

[txhorns79]

Later in the episode and up to "The Reigning Lorelai," she had traveled all over the world, just not to Hartford, Connecticut. So perhaps she despised her daughter-in-law so much she made them come to her, and the "travel" line was a polite fiction families tell each other (the same thing happened in my family with a set of grandparents).

 

Well, if Emily and Richard were visiting her, there was really no reason for her to come to visit them, right?  I mean, it isn't like Hartford is a main stop for the jet set. 

[readster]

 I saw it more that they had to visit Trix and then later on. She decided to start coming to see Richard more due to her health. Trust me, the same is going on with me with my own father. Now, its gotten to the point we don't do anything, he has to come visit us or we don't see each other at all.

[JayInChicago]

Again, this is probably the nittiest nit that was ever picked, but is it just me or is the whole Darrin Springsteen the Harvard Alum visit contrived and hard to watch? 

 

Though did it remind me of one of my favorite Simpsons' episodes, Lisa's Rival with the anagram game vs the Springsteen Family trivia game. 

[Kohola3]

Again, this is probably the nittiest nit that was ever picked, but is it just me or is the whole Darrin Springsteen the Harvard Alum visit contrived and hard to watch?

 

It was so way over the top - nothing like a sledgehammer approach to showing how Rory The Brain fits in with rich, brainiacs and Lorelai Marches to the Different Drummer Gilmore is the Bunny Kid, off to do her own thing.  The whole episode was totally pointless in every way.  It's not like we hadn't gotten figured this out in the first few seasons.

[blackCatCollins]

i don't remember seeing this one in the thread, but forgive me if this is a repeat.

 

 

Rory, at different times, had a French book, a Spanish test, and German club. no way in hell is that kid taking 3 languages or changing between them. a school like Chilton would insist you pick a language your first semester and stick with it through the end of senior year. i think Amy just wanted Rory to sound smart, and obviously has NO continuity fairy. 

[Kohola3]

i think Amy just wanted Rory to sound smart, and obviously has NO continuity fairy.

 

The more I watch again the more I think it's a "screw you, you're too stupid to notice" to the viewers. After all, she waited until the LAST FREAKING FIVE MINUTES of the series to give the L and L lovers what they wanted.

[blackCatCollins]

The more I watch again the more I think it's a "screw you, you're too stupid to notice" to the viewers. After all, she waited until the LAST FREAKING FIVE MINUTES of the series to give the L and L lovers what they wanted.

i've been thinking this for a while. Gilmore Girls is my favorite show of all time, but i do think that maybe Amy thinks too highly of herself. i think half the pop culture references were included not because she thought people would get them, but because she hoped they wouldn't. i think the Sherman-Palladinos want to be the smartest kids at the table. 

[JayInChicago]

And a lot of Lane's references are like just...mentioning a band name. 

[dustylil]

I am not sure I understand your nitpick about foreign languages, blackCatCollins. Would Rory only be allowed to take one language throughout high school? Could she not take three if she wanted to (and met whatever standards were required, of course)? I know back in the fifteenth century  I  took two foreign languages all the way through and knew several students who took three.

 

Given Rory's aspiration to follow Christiane Amanpour's footsteps, knowing a number of foreign tongues would seem quite logical  for her. Although I do question those particular language choices in this day and age.

[scarynikki12]

I wank it to Rory being in the German club but approaching that language as an extracurricular (since that was the only time we heard about it) while taking either French or Spanish as her required language and the other as an independent study.  Though, thinking about it, didn't she also say something in season 1 about taking a Latin test?  Maybe Chilton exists in a parallel universe where school is in session for 24 hours instead of 8?