Episodes You Definitely Haven't Changed Your Mind About

[JayInChicago]

This is not a super necessary topic, but, eh, why not...

 

Raincoats and Recipes. It has all the makings of something great. It is the culmination of many years of professional work for Lor and Sookie and possibly Michel. It draws the ensemble cast into a beautiful setting but tempers the Stars Hollow zany with romantic intrigue. It wraps up the Jason problem with a bow to make room for Mr Lucas. It even has an A, B, and C (if you count Kirk's night terrors) plot and reasonably zippy pacing. It has a sweet moment between Lane and Rory.

 

But I just HATE IT. I HATE IT. I am slowly netflixing season 4 and I found Afterboom is much better than I remembered, but this is...I don't like it. Even without the extremely flimsy "go get CDs cuz guests might want CDs" and the non-explanation for why Dean shows up there (he apparently asks Lorelai where Rory is...and she sends him to their house, alone, even though she knows Dean and Lindsay are on the outs and she reasonably knows Dean still carries a torch for Rory) and the resulting, there's the "Luke becomes unreasonably mad and then kisses Lorelai" bit. Because you know what makes the ladies hot? Angry hotheads who even seem somewhat physically menacing. Anyway, this should be such a triumphant episode--they have opened their Inn! but it isn't. wtf ASP.

[amensisterfriend]

Jay in Chicago, did you ever know that you're my hero? ;) I love knowing that I'm not the only fan who's utterly meh on this episode, which often ranks among  most people's all-time favorites. 

 

I agree that it could have been so wonderful, and I love watching Lorelai's series-long dream of opening an inn coming true. But I hate everything about the Rory/Dean stuff (you guys know how I feel about Dean and his lack of connection with Rory!) and...

 

 

 

there's the "Luke becomes unreasonably mad and then kisses Lorelai" bit. Because you know what makes the ladies hot? Angry hotheads who even seem somewhat physically menacing.

 

YES. Yes, yes and yes :) In retrospect, this scene captures so much of what I end up hating about them as a couple: the constant misunderstandings, annoyance, never getting each other, assuming the worst without just communicating like adults, and AS-P's misguided idea that Luke being such a jealous, chronically bitter rage-a-holic is somehow romantic and appealing. Oh, and that the actors have less than no physical/romantic chemistry :) 

 

An episode I haven't changed my mind about, though in the opposite direction: Like Mother Like Daughter. I fell in love with it when I first saw it, and it's among those episodes I've never wavered on. I love the message about it being okay for Rory to be an independent introvert, I love the mother-daughter fashion show, I love the funny but oddly poignant Paris scenes. It's still probably one of my top hours of any TV show ever :) 

Edited February 13, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[JayInChicago]

The fashion show with Emily and Lorelai in the mother daughter suits is one of my favorite moments in the series. I love how happy Emily looks. It's got a great message, too.

[JennDear77]

We've Got Magic To Do-even though it has one scene that I detest ("Davey, turn the tv down!" "Turn it down son!" "Turn it down!") I love this one. I love the theme party, I love Paris & Rory's conversation in the kitchen when Shira Huntzberger shows up, I REALLY love Emily cutting Shira to shreds with a smile on her face. There is an odd bit that I've never understood...at the dance recital Miss Patty shakes her boobs during the opening number. She's just so busty, it's kind of inappropriate but it IS Miss Patty so what am I saying.

Ted Koppel's Night Out-Emily wearing a button that says "Harvard go to Hell". Richard singing with whiffenpoofs. The RV setup for "tailgating". I don't particularly like Jason but the Yale game is so much fun to me. Worst thing about the episode: Asher & Paris kissing awkwardly at the end-what the fuck is THAT about???

Also the mother daughter runway walk is my absolute favorite scene of the whole series. Emily grinning and dancing will never not be adorable to me.

[amensisterfriend]

JennDear, I always liked We've Got Magic to Do as well---especially by my lowered S6 standards :) In addition to the other stuff you brought up (especially my beloved Paris!), I really appreciate how this episode addressed that Luke/Lorelai have so little in common and don't share any of the same interests. I feel like that's an issue that would have come up really frequently for them.

 

Another one: Lorelai's Graduation Day. It was one of my very favorites when I first saw it, and---despite being a little less gung ho overall about Jess/Rory than I used to be---it still is!  Same goes for Lazy Hazy Crazy and They Shoot Gilmores. 

[junienmomo]

4.04, Chicken or Beef

Just rewatched this last night and I'm still impressed by how balanced it is across all characters. The characters all seem to be thinking and aren't playing out a stereotype too much. 

Lorelai is manic about breaking ground, but still thinks it through and comes to a wacky but logical conclusion. Rory has one of my favorite episodes ever, I love how she interacts with Dean and Luke with sensitivity. The Lorelai-Sookie-Michel scene is delightful, and Luke has one of his best not-everything-has-to-be-cranky episodes ever. I love how he acts like an adult with both Rory and Dean. 

Apropros the Dean/Luke scene, it was amazing how small SP looked compared to JP inside Luke's apartment. It was also amazing just how badly JP acted drunk, but somehow I can't remember a well-acted drunk scene at any point in the series.

 

Does anyone else share my feeling that Lorelai had a clinically diagnosable problem with alcohol by about season 6?

 

This episode resonated with me because of the writing. Jane Espenson did a wonderful job. Sadly the only other episode she wrote was The Reigning Lorelai. I think I'll watch that one next. 

[amensisterfriend]

Does anyone else share my feeling that Lorelai had a clinically diagnosable problem with alcohol by about season 6?

 

Taking this to the UO thread! See you there :) 

[amensisterfriend]

Just rewatched this last night and I'm still impressed by how balanced it is across all characters. The characters all seem to be thinking and aren't playing out a stereotype too much.

Lorelai is manic about breaking ground, but still thinks it through and comes to a wacky but logical conclusion. Rory has one of my favorite episodes ever, I love how she interacts with Dean and Luke with sensitivity. The Lorelai-Sookie-Michel scene is delightful, and Luke has one of his best not-everything-has-to-be-cranky episodes ever. I love how he acts like an adult with both Rory and Dean

 

Great observations! Chicken or Beef has always been in the 'really like but don't quite love' category for me, so I guess it's fair to say that I haven't changed my mind about it either :) Taylor drives me all sorts of crazy in this episode---I find him insufferable here, even by Taylor's standards, and for me it's to a point where I find those scenes annoying to watch. And Lorelai is a little over the top. But you're so right about this being a very good episode for both Rory and Luke! I also love that final scene, where Rory is thoughtfully gazing at the wedding from a distance. I like to pretend that's the very last Rory---or we---ever saw of Dean :)  

[GreenScreenFX]

I never noticed Lorelei drinking too excessively.... Remind me

[readster]

Great observations! Chicken or Beef has always been in the 'really like but don't quite love' category for me, so I guess it's fair to say that I haven't changed my mind about it either :) Taylor drives me all sorts of crazy in this episode---I find him insufferable here, even by Taylor's standards, and for me it's to a point where I find those scenes annoying to watch. And Lorelai is a little over the top. But you're so right about this being a very good episode for both Rory and Luke! I also love that final scene, where Rory is thoughtfully gazing at the wedding from a distance. I like to pretend that's the very last Rory---or we---ever saw of Dean :)  

 

 I agree on all parts, Taylor should have been ran over by a delivery truck but this has to be the best use of Luke and Rory in a long time on the series. As I said and while others have either agreed or not, this was suppose to be Dean's exit from the series until Jared was free again due to his own series not getting off the ground. The Rory scene is very telling and if you look at Dean and Lindsey as they walk away after the "I dos" it shows a very happy couple. Not just caught up in the moment but moving on to the next level of their lives even at 19. Who knew how much of a pain, sit on her ass Lindsey would become and how terrible Dean would then go from there. Say what you will, Dean wanted a certain way with everything in his life and then got the reality shock that life doesn't work out that way. But instead of learning and growing from it. He became a bitter, divorced, college dropout and Lindsey did her: "I wet my pants" look from there on. Only people who had an honest and realistic reaction from everything was Luke. How he said Dean gave up before the wedding or how both Dean and Rory fell into the trap of not moving on with their lives. Yet, April comes into the picture and that Luke just disappeared.

[sara416]

A Vineyard Valentine. 

 

I just hate it. I find Rory so out of character, especially in the kitchen when she is cooking. There is maybe one tolerable scene in the whole episode, but the rest is just insufferable. 

[Aloeonatable]

I've always, always loved Like Mother, Like Daughter, but watching it on ABC Family today, I think it has become one of my very favorite episodes of the whole series. From the teaser at the beginning, Lorelai's and Rory's bad band face-off, to the end with the fashion show, it is funny and brings out the best in every character. I just love it!

[lulu1960]

I have always disliked Kropogs. The way Emily treats Lorelai, acting like she doesn't know what she drinks. Just being condesending the whole time. Plus don't get me started on Logan's behavior and the way Rory just goes along with it.

[Kohola3]

I have always disliked Kropogs.

 

Ditto.  There is not one redeeming moment in that mess. I refuse to watch it under any circumstances.

[KatWay]

I'll say that nothing ever proved that the Gilmores were snobs to me (and not always the lovable kind) more than their behaviour regarding Dean and Jess, or Luke, while they practically rolled out the red carpet for Logan. Nevermind that Logan even had a reputation for lewd behaviour and probably had had tons of girlfriends while they never knew much about Dean or Jess in the first place. I'm fairly sure if Rory's first boyfriend had been Tristan they would have been markedly more welcoming with him.

[amensisterfriend]

Double Date! No matter how many times I've seen it or how I'm feeling about certain characters and the overall show at the time, I always love this one. It's among the episodes in which I think Luke and Lorelai have the strongest romantic chemistry (most of those episodes seem to be in S1, by the way!), it features great friendship moments between Lorelai/Sookie and Rory/Lane, even more fantastic dialogue than the average GG episode, incredibly sweet and amusing Jackson/Sookie stuff, a nice subversion of the expected by having Rune the one who's repulsed by Lorelai, a great look at Lorelai and Mrs. Kim's parenting styles and an awesome scene between the two very different but equally loving moms at the end, etc. I don't even outright hate Dean in this one! (He's just boring and totally devoid of personality, but that's an improvement over how he is in many other episodes, so I'll take it!) 

 

Like Mother Like Daughter is in this category too. I loved it the first time I saw it and have loved it all 50 million or so times I've watched it since :) 

 

Same goes with They Shoot Gilmores. When I first saw it, I think I declared it my very favorite episode of the entire series. And while I'm not sure I'd say it's my sole favorite (there are at least a handful of other episodes vying for that honor!), it's always remained at or near the very top of my list. 

[DisneyBoy]

Trip to Harvard is still one of my faves. The whole conceit of Lorelei skipping out on her wedding is very TV to me, but the relationship between mother and daughter as it plays out over the course of the trip is quite fun. Rory is actually permitted to be upset with her mother's bizarre behavior for once, and the genuine thrill Rory experiences at visiting Harvard really warms the cockles of my heart. I don't particularly like the way the other B&B guests are ridiculed, because Lord knows they seem like pleasant enough people, but overall I think this show did adventure and getaway episodes pretty well.

[nolieblue]

I love A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving - always have and always will. All the story lines move well together and there were so many small but great moments - Lorelai fake-changing their schedule to eat at Luke's; Lorelai and Rory knowing all the Kim relatives; Dave and Lane; and the final scene with the rolls. I love it all and it never gets boring on repeated viewing. 

[lulu1960]

I will forever love Forgiveness and Stuff, and Dead Uncles. Both just showed me how much Luke and Lorelai cared for each other. Plus I enjoyed Emily in Forgiveness. The "You both are idiots" is a favorite line of mine. She actually was nice to Luke. Too bad that didn't last. 

Dead Uncles has everything. Townies, Lorelai helping Luke, Rory giving Jess a hard time. Cart Kiosk. Cart Kiosk. LOL

I can watch Tights every  time too.

[JAYJAY1979]

Concert interruptis...where lorlei and spoke take rory, paris, louise, and Madeline to the Banglessence concert. Favailable scene was when Lorlei finally acted like a grown up, yet still maintained her humor while busting up the party louise and Madeleine snuck out to.

[amensisterfriend]

I really love CI, too. The subplot re. Rachel's clothes could have been written and acted a little more subtly IMO, but the rest of it is terrific. I love how we think it's Louise and Madeline who Rory is bonding with only to end up realizing that Paris just may be the frenemy she can depend on :) Sookie and Lane are at their sweetly adorable best in this episode, I love when the town pulls together for charity in amusing ways (and some of Lorelai's clothes really are/were hideous!), and I especially love how we get to see CoolFunFriendMom Lorelai AND MatureKickassStern Lorelai so naturally in one episode. I'm not a big fan of Lorelai's S1 characterization overall, but this episode is definitely one of her best IMO.  And Paris's vulnerability in this episode---admitting it's the best night of her life, explaining why she likes Tristan, hinting about how uncaring her mother is---still touches my Paris-loving heart :) 

[BellyLaughter]

Vineyard Valentine was a crime against good TV and remains so to this day.....I could barely bring myself to get through it the first time and haven't ever gone there again.

For me that episode and its cringeworthy pod characters was the beginning of the end --- it was just embarrassing.