Sad Episodes - which are yours?

[junienmomo]

I'm just at the end of 6.10, He's slipping 'em bread... Dig?

You'd think it would be a happy episode with Rory getting herself centered and back on track again, but everything seems so sad.

Lorelai doesn't look happy about Chris giving money for Rory's schooling, she acts like a 12 year old playing with Rory, she hasn't exchanged a single adult word with her fiance, just all annoying.

Lane's band has their disaster showcase, Luke can't tell Lorelai about April, even after making a commitment with Lorelai that they won't have secrets, and Liz is at her most leechy and annoying with the "Martha" Thanksgiving dinner. Nobody can do anything right.

My gut tells me it's the writing and the direction, but even the actors look stressed and unhappy.

Have I missed the boat here?

[Kohola3]

I totally agree, it was a very painful hour of viewing. I wonder if they'd gotten a peak at the S7 scripts and were all totally dismayed about their futures.

[CheersEnthusiast]

The high school graduation episode what a tearjerker.  Most of the tears are good, but the silent phone call with Jess at the end where you know their relationship is as dead as the conversation itself.  :shakes head:  I don't know there's just something incredibly realistic and painful about that entire exchange.  It hurts him too much to even say anything that is my impression.

[amensisterfriend]

The high school graduation episode what a tearjerker.  Most of the tears are good, but the silent phone call with Jess at the end where you know their relationship is as dead as the conversation itself.  :shakes head:  I don't know there's just something incredibly realistic and painful about that entire exchange.  It hurts him too much to even say anything that is my impression.

 

YES! I so often feel that this show depicts breakups far more poignantly and effectively than relationships, and Rory telling a wordless Jess that she had loved him but had to move on now was just so brilliantly done for me. 

 

Similarly, I get choked up during that bus scene in Goodnight Gracie. Rory kind of knows it's over and that his feelings for her hadn't changed the fact that he had too many issues to be in a healthy relationship, and he knows that she knows, but yet they can't acknowledge it out loud. 

 

I get a little teary during that final scene of The Lorelais' First Day at Yale, when Lorelai looks around her empty, eerily silent house and knows that life will never be quite the same. Granted, the blow is softened considerably by the fact that we now know Rory and her endless piles of laundry are back home ALL the time, but still! 

 

It makes me sad---or, more accurately, depressed and irked---to see a drunken, tiara-wearing Rory tumble out of the limo at the end of The Party's Over. It's not that she was drunk (lord knows college kids do that all the time, including yours truly!), but just that Rory was suddenly into the very type of guys and social scene that she had always disliked (as recently as in the second to last episode of S4, in fact!) For me, that scene---even more than the affair with Dean--- marks the end of the Rory 1.0 I so loved and related to. Rory 1.0 makes a couple of welcome reappearances,  like in my beloved But Not as Cute as Pushkin, but those are the sadly rare exceptions. 

 

Say Something saddens me primarily because I've so been the Lorelai there---crying, staying in bed, leaving rambling, pathetic messages and desperately not wanting to be "that girl" while being one anyway! 

[junienmomo]

Just watched 7.01 and transitioned immediately into 7.02. I always cry at Luke's reaction at the end of 7.01.

In 7.02 when TJ is helping Luke, I realize that I really really (add about 10 to those two) hate TJ.

But the moment when Rory breaks with Lorelai to tell her that she finds Lorelai's going to Christopher is a huge important turning point for them.

At that point, Rory really becomes the reprimanding parent, and calls Lorelai out on the truth of her despicable action:

 

"RORY: You know what, mom? If you're heartbroken, rent "An Affair to Remember," have a good cry, and drown your
sorrows in a pint of ice cream. You get a hideously unflattering breakup haircut. You don't sleep with dad."

 

So sad, but it's completely necessary for Lorelai to hear Rory's perspective.

[Guest]

Vineyard Valentine is sad to me.  Lorelai's inability to speak up for herself in a relationship at all, Luke's pretending to get her a gift when really he didn't at all, even Mitchum's turn as super-villain in barging into his home and ordering Logan to London.  It's just a sad, depressing episode.  Like what are we supposed to be amused by?  Lorelai's gay fairy jokes?  The massages at the gym? The thought that Rory somehow learned how to cook?

 

Yeah, none of it is any but depressing.

[amensisterfriend]

Deaja, yes, AVV is a tragic debacle of an episode! Actually, I'm OK, You're OK---while a slightly better episode than AVV (what isn't?!)---depresses me for similar reasons, with both Rory and Lorelai, the sharp and independent females I loved, reduced to passive-aggressive, weak-willed, 'well, I suppose being miserable in a dysfunctional relationship is better than being single, or, *gasp*, directly voicing my concerns...' nonsense.  

 

It's funny how there's this clear difference in my head between the deliberately 'sad' scenes and episodes which show how effectively poignant the show can be and the merely depressing, "ugh, seriously?!" stuff that made me question my diehard  fandom :) 

Edited October 6, 2014 by amensisterfriend

[junienmomo]

My FF button gets a lot of use in AVV, but I will repeat the morning in bed scene, because it really shows why they are still together at this point.

Starts at 28 to 30 minutes in.

 

[lulu1960]

I wonder if people would have forgiven Vineyard's crappiness if they, (the writers), had let the talking in bed scene be the precusor for positive changes in L/L's relationship? But  instead they insisted on doing the 2 steps back thing when they got back to the diner with  Lorelai still looking sad and Luke still shutting her out.

[JayInChicago]

I think Scene in a Mall is a rather sad episode. I mean, I tend to like episodes where the characters are out of their comfort zones, and Rory getting Emily to eat mall food court food is funny, And I get that we are supposed to have some sort of sympathy for Emily when she realizes her way of life as the Corporate Wife/party hostess is old fashioned and growing more unnecessary by the day--but, I dunno, "you have more money than you know what to do with? boo hoo." is my internal response.

which doesn't really answer the OP question. oops.

[junienmomo]

Every episode in Season 7 seems to have something quite sad in it.

Just started watching Knit, People, Knit! when I saw Luke watching Lorelai and Christopher walk through Stars Hollow. Such a sad face.

Then I discovered the extra scene on S7 Disc 2, the bonfire. Another moment of Sad Luke, but he ate a S'more!!! Can't decide whether to be shocked or not. He did eat ice cream with Lorelai.

 

A link to the extra scene on Youtube is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJSENqd3y5U

[blueray]

I always get emotional during her graduation speech from Chilton. It is well written.

 

Also the end (ish) of "Dear Emily and Richard". I always cry when Lorieli just leaves a note saying that she moved out with Rory. It is hard to see how hurt her parents are.

[eledgy]

Then I discovered the extra scene on S7 Disc 2, the bonfire.

 

 

Speaking of sad, and the outtake above--If you read fan fic, the first part of a very dark but very well written fic was posted a few weeks back at  ff.net, building off of the bonfire scene:

 

From the Frying Pan into the Fire, by Fishbag.

 

(The second half is equally good but not quite done yet--leave a review and encourage her to finish it, if the first part hooks you as much as it did me...)

[BC Mama]

The final scene in "Richard in Stars Hollow" always destroys me! Richard feels useless, a burden to his wife (and Emily's overly-excited demeanour when he returns home only confirms this), and an embarrassment to his daughter. Richard shutting himself in his office, looking eternally tired, after lying to Emily about his day is just heartbreaking.

[purplemouth]

The scene when Luke found Jess in Teach Me Tonight. "I made sure she was okay." "I know you did." and they both know Jess will have to leave. So sad, and unfair to both of them. 

[CheersEnthusiast]

Richard's final shot in the Hollywood Canteen episode.  At the end where Rori's on stage---just to watch his acting and the variety of emotions at play in his face and reactions.  Heartbreaking.  All his usual love and pride for Rori turns into a mix of depression, loss and compassion in just a few moments as he watches her. 

[TeeVee329]

The scene in "Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out" when Luke discovers an exhausted and emotionally raw Lorelai watching over the sick Paul Anka (the "awww!" factor of Paul Anka wearing a Luke's Diner jersey could only lighten things so much) and she breaks down about what's been going on with her and Rory.

[Eeksquire]

On rematch (thanks Netflix!), the scene where Emily confronts Mia is terrible to watch (following relatively closely on Rory showing her the potting shed where the girls used to live).  Mia is trying so hard to be gentle and kind to Emily and her hurt is too great to receive ANY of it, even as she's asking for photos.

[BC Mama]

Not an episode, but a sad dose of reality; Edward Herrman passed away today at the age of 71. He had been fighting brain cancer. Rest in peace.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/richard-gilmores-best-quotes-from-gilmore-girls#.qfrQXZoL2q

[cheezwhiz346]

It makes me sad---or, more accurately, depressed and irked---to see a drunken, tiara-wearing Rory tumble out of the limo at the end of The Party's Over. It's not that she was drunk (lord knows college kids do that all the time, including yours truly!), but just that Rory was suddenly into the very type of guys and social scene that she had always disliked (as recently as in the second to last episode of S4, in fact!) For me, that scene---even more than the affair with Dean--- marks the end of the Rory 1.0 I so loved and related to. Rory 1.0 makes a couple of welcome reappearances,  like in my beloved But Not as Cute as Pushkin, but those are the sadly rare exceptions. 

 

Ugh, yes. I'm mostly over my anger at the end of Rory 1.0, but there are still a couple of scenes that can really get my ire up about the character, and that's one of them. Another is the scene in s6 where she has suddenly taken charge of all the people she was doing community service with (including those who were ostensibly the leaders), but that's for different reasons. :)

[amensisterfriend]

Another is the scene in s6 where she has suddenly taken charge of all the people she was doing community service with (including those who were ostensibly the leaders), but that's for different reasons. :)

 

Heh---in order to preserve what's left of my sanity, I tell myself that the tough criminals all immediately obeying Rory Gilmore was supposed to be delibetaely humorous. Don't shatter my delusion! ;) 

 

I guess this is because I've been more pro-Rory/Logan lately, but I actually think their parting in the aptly named Partings was really, effectively well done---sad in a delicious sort of way rather than just "ugh, do I even like these people anymore?" depressing like a lot of other GG moments that would qualify for this thread :) On one hand, I can see people thinking it was an overreaction---after all, Logan was going to an exciting new job in London and popped home with a fair amount of frequency, not off to fight in a war or serve a decade long prison sentence :) But it really just worked for me---I thought their scenes were really well acted, this may be the only time in the series where I find AB's crying believable, and I love Logan's quiet line about how if she comes with him to the airport, he won't be able to get on the plane. And then there's her sad little wave... *sniff* 

[blackCatCollins]

there are 3 episodes that make me sob, without fail

 

1) Those Are Strings, Pinocchio- the speech, obviously.

2) Lorelei, Lorelei- the little shrug at the end of I Will Always Love You.

3) Bon Voyage- for obvious reasons.

[Plaid]

I always get emotional during her graduation speech from Chilton. It is well written.

Also the end (ish) of "Dear Emily and Richard". I always cry when Lorieli just leaves a note saying that she moved out with Rory. It is hard to see how hurt her parents are.

These are a couple of mine as well.

Also when Trix dies and Richard is just beside himself begging for Mock Turtle Soup. It's almost too much!

Plus s04e21 This Week Fights, Last Week Tights:

When Luke and Lorelai are dancing and Reflecting Light is playing; something about that whole thing makes me bawl like a baby.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Plaid

[Taryn74]

Plaid, mine from TRL is when Richard says he needs a spoon.  He just looks like a little lost boy.  *cry*

[XtremeOne1]

I think Christopher Returns is kind of sad, only in that one scene with Lorelei/Richard.

 

It just shows that 16 years ago this family was wounded in a way it could never recover from. Richard saw his daughter lose her bright future(or so he thought at the time), we learn Emily was so devastated she couldn't get out of bed for a month, and Lorelei could just tell she treated them poorly(but her pride would never let her admit it). It's all very sad.

 

Of course it's surrounded by two bright moments: 

1. Richard defending Lorelei - If you notice, even before he does that, when Lorelei talks about running the Independence Inn, Richard lifts his head and gets this look of pride and gives Chris' dad this look like, "Yeah, isn't that impressive!"

2. Emily's speech to Rory. She was devastated, she is hurt and she thinks Lorelei messed up her life but Rory is her bright spot and something she's grateful for.

 

One thing. I never got why Emily didn't speak up. Sure, Emily is all about sweeping things under a rug but I thought once Rory's name was thrown in the dirty the gloves would come off.

[FictionLover]

I see this is an old tread but I wanted to ask the Java Junkies if the second half of season 6 is too sad for you to re-watch too? I was re-watching the series and got too sad and mad to continue. Stupid huh?

[JayInChicago]

I skip most of that season myself.

[BananaRama]

Vineyard Valentine is sad to me.  Lorelai's inability to speak up for herself in a relationship at all, Luke's pretending to get her a gift when really he didn't at all, even Mitchum's turn as super-villain in barging into his home and ordering Logan to London.  It's just a sad, depressing episode.  Like what are we supposed to be amused by?  Lorelai's gay fairy jokes?  The massages at the gym? The thought that Rory somehow learned how to cook?

 

Yeah, none of it is any but depressing.

This is the saddest (depressing) episode for me too. Logan comes off as being smug and entitled. It made me not like Rory as much because of the fact that she would be with someone like Logan.

Luke looks like an oaf. I think this episode soured my feelings for Luke and Lorelai's relationship. After this episode, I never trusted their feelings for one another again. That's really sad.

[BananaRama]

Season 1, Episode 15 "Christopher Returns" is heartbreaking. The awful things that Christopher's father says about Lorelai and indirectly about Rory are sad. I get misty when Richards yells, "How dare you insult my daughter!" And then when Lorelai talks to her father in the study afterwards and him telling her that it did make him and her mother sad that his daughter - who had so much potential and was the smartest in the class - became pregnant at 16 and dropped out of school. It is also sad that Lorelai stands Luke up for a quick roll in the hay with Christopher.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I just rewatched it.  I think that Lauren Graham's acting is so brilliant in the final scene where Lorelai and Rory say goodbye to Christopher and Lorelai has to very firmly explain to Rory she's not marrying him.

 

That guilt that Lorelai feels over making the "wrong" decision -- screwing over Luke by literally screwing Chris (LOL).  Oh god, I've made so many bad decisions like that.  Not literally like that, but I've felt that damn regret so many times.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[elang4]

It's a very small scene but I think it says a lot. In the first episode of season 7, when Rory walks over to the crowd waiting for Kirk to drive the car. That little look over at Luke's and how Luke looks up at her and Rory waves to him and he waves back. I could just see the sadness in both of them. I sort of wished that they kept up Rory/Luke's relationship. She went in like a couple of times after that but it was like their relationship was just forgotten. Luke so should have gone to Rory's Yale graduation. He deserved to be.