Season 4

[Ms Blue Jay]

Hi Everyone!  In the great 2016 Gilmore Girls Rewatch, leading up to the Netflix Revival, I started the rewatch a tiny bit earlier than this board did, and I've been watching way too much of the show lately, so I'm already on Season 4 now.

 

My first taste of the show was actually Fall 2014.  I whipped through all 7 Seasons of Gilmore Girls and came to post on these boards, and everyone was so welcoming to me.  Before ever watching the show, I knew little about the actual show and plots, I just knew the names of some of the primary actors.  I knew Lauren minimally from 3rd Rock from the Sun and I knew Alexis from the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants movies.

 

I ended up becoming an ENORMOUS fan of Jess/Milo through his 2nd/3rd season arc.  I also knew that Matt Czuchry played Logan Huntzberger and would be appearing in Season 5.  (I am a pretty big fan of The Good Wife, though I was never was an enormous Matt/Cary Agos fan.)  So I was getting pretty restless.  

 

Anyways that all led to the culmination of me getting to Season 4 in my INITIAL watch and finding it sooooooooooo incredibly dull.  I don't remember hating the notoriously polarizing seasons like Season 6 or 7, but I do remember 4 being a chore to get through.  I guess Rory going to Yale does very little for me.  There is so little 'drama' in that Rory is not angsty over any relationship and neither is Lorelai really.  (I've just come to the part where she's flirting with seeing Digger.)  I mentioned finding Season 4 being as boring as all get out here and the posters were very kind about it!  They understood that as a Jess fan I might find it quite dull!  (By the way, I don't mind Digger at all.  However, the plot with Digger and Lorelai's father makes my head spin.  I think I understand all of it, I just found it so needlessly over-complicated and strange.  I'm really going to try and pay attention this time.)

 

I guess the main thing is that I find The Town Itself and Rory's 'misadventures' at Yale (and Paris) NOT the most interesting parts of the series, so it will be interesting to see how I get through this.  This time around, Season 4 is not so bad.  I am really forcing myself to get through everything, because I don't want to miss any plot points before the revival.

 

Just coming to a small annoyance that is not a big deal at all but I thought I should come and vent.  I am normally the kind of GG fan who hates Rory but thinks Lorelai is totally fine (are there are a lot of us out there?).  In this particular instance, however, Lorelai really bugs.  I'm on "Ted Koppel's Big Night Out".  I wonder if she's going to grind my gears more as the series goes on. What is WITH Lorelai and the football game?  What happens is that Lorelai's parents and Rory are going to a big Yale football game with a bunch of Lorelai's parents' friends.  Lorelai insists on going to the game, and so then her parents include her.  Then Lorelai knowingly sits through her parents trying to figure out who they will DIS-invite in favour of her.  Then guess what?  She goes home pouts and whines all night about having to go to a football game to Rory!  I totally get maybe not liking not being invited in the first place, and feeling excluded, but what the hell?   (By the way, I didn't finish the episode yet, LOL!  Going back later.)

Edited April 5, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[readster]

I find season 4 full of plots that really were just bad, Luke and Nicole's marriage that was dragged on forever for the divorce. The entire Emily is mad at Lorelai for noting "knowing" enough and Rory loosing more of her spine. Don't even get me started on Jess and Dean's returns due to the fact their shows never got off the ground. Jess's reappearance due to Liz calling him and telling him where his POS car is still a headache, but so is Liz and TJ to begin with. Dean's bachelor party is just bad and Luke letting everything happen when he was in the middle of a relationship that was not what he believed it to be and did it for the wrong reasons is also painful. Now, add in Kirk and Lulu's relationship starting, Jason and Lorelai's relationship and the entire Jason story line and it made up for a lot of bad and just plain "huh" in season 4. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Thanks readster; I added a bit more about Digger in my post after you reminded me.

[junienmomo]

just plain "huh" in season 4.

What a great description for season four. Loved your points.

A couple more...

-the window in the diner

- Liz went from incompetent, possibly criminally neglectful parent to quirky, making Jess into just a stereotype bad boy.

- the Liz thing was before the 'huh' that was the Ren Faire in season 5, where Luke spent seven weeks busting his butt so they wouldn't lose their preferred booth location?

- not getting the divorce

- if Lorelai had really wanted to tick off her parents by dating an inappropriate person, she would have done the Christopher's mistress thing. Then Emily would have spent her energy breaking up Christopher and Sherry instead of Luke and Lorelai.

- the visiting official from the next town and the puzzling interest in Rory

Edited April 5, 2016 by junienmomo

[txhorns79]

-the window in the diner

 

I never understood why if Luke couldn't remove it (for whatever crazy Stars Hollow reason), he didn't just put up a curtain or cabinet to block it. 

[cantbeflapped]

Ah, season four....a favorite topic of mine because it is my very favorite season!

Funny, the first time I watched it I also thought booooring, like Ms Blue Jay. Maybe it's knowing where things are headed, but every single viewing since the first improved my opinion of season four until it became my absolute favorite. The buildup to Lorelai opening the inn, Jason (I think it was an entertaining fling), Rory's roommates (I find them amusing), Rory's uneventful and awkward dating life (I find it so realistic, if unpleasant, that she ends up where she does at the end of the season), Luke and Lorelai's friendship growing, etc...all delightful, IMO. There are several episodes that are in my top ten favorite list (It's been a few years so don't ask me why until I get to S4 in the rewatch)....Chicken or Beef, Ballrooms and Biscotti, possibly The Fundamental Things Apply, and the "trilogy" at the end of the season....great humor in this season too. I love the return of Jess and even tolerate Liz and TJ more than most....cuz it gives us more Luke. I'm sure I'll be reminded of other reasons I love it during this rewatch....stay tuned (to quote Luke).

Of course, I enjoy reading other takes on it too!

Edited April 5, 2016 by cantbeflapped

[elang4]

I really enjoyed season 4. Luke and Lorelai's friendship was growing. The one when Lorelai invites Luke round for a movie night was one of my faves and when Rory rang from the bad date, it was like she was ringing her parents for advice! :D Also enjoyed the spring break episode. It was great seeing Paris and Rory have some fun. :) And then obviously the last two eps! Sorry I'm a massive Luke/Lorelai fan! :p

[chessiegal]

I love season 4. The Lorelei's 1st day at Yale is one of my favorites (maybe because I was a Moma's girl and found my 1st days freshman year 1,200 miles from home to be awful). My all time favorite episodes are Scene at a Mall and The Reigning Lorelei, mostly because of Kelly Bishop. She knocks it out of the park in both episodes, and everyone else was great too.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I am a Lorelai/Luke fan also, which is why I don't actually want to skip through Season 4.  We'll see how it goes.... Basically, when Alexis has short hair, I don't much enjoy the show as I (really genuinely!) enjoy the rest!

 

I guess superficially, I had a very similar introduction to college. Went to a Canadian university, was put in a very nice 5 bedroom suite with four other girls.  But But But!!!!!!  It was easily one of the most dramatic, adventurous, craziest years of my life.  In comparison, watching Rory at Yale is very dry.  Hard for me to relate!  Also, I'm the opposite of Rory -- couldn't get away from my mom fast enough (LOL), and partied CONSTANTLY.  So yeah, that could explain it... 

[cuddlingcrowley]

It was easily one of the most dramatic, adventurous, craziest years of my life.  In comparison, watching Rory at Yale is very dry.  Hard for me to relate!

 

 

Same here! And I'm an introvert too, just not in the level of Rory. I guess I at least made an effort to try and be social at school which paid off most often than not.

 

Freshman year of college was easily the most fun one; you meet so many new people, there are so many opportunities to have fun, you get to reinvent yourself, a fresh start from the boring routine of highschool, etc. I feel Rory kinda had that only after meeting Logan. Her first year kind reminded me of mid-college when I was exhausted with keeping up with school and an internship, when the most social I got was movienight with my two best friends.

 

BTW, I'm no stranger to dry spells but it kind of amazes me that Rory managed to be completely single for a whole year for the first time since she was 15, of all years, in her freshman year of college.

Edited April 6, 2016 by cuddlingcrowley

[junienmomo]

I am really looking forward to rewatching S4, because I was stuck in the javajunkie loop of "WTH?" They are the OTP and who is this Luke guy who got married and doesn't get divorced? Why is Lorelai using him for money, seems a little selfish to me. What happened to the chuppah-inspiring unrequited love meme?

Digger would have been a great three episode bit, with Christopher showing up and forcing Lorelai to face her own teenage years. How old were they at camp when the Digger stuff happened? Would it have been plausible that Digger might have been Rory's daddy instead of Christopher? How would Christopher have convinced Lorelai that Digger wasn't good enough for her? He couldn't use the lower class metaphor.

I did really like Rory's first year at college, specifically because she struggled with relationships as well as with school, and mom wasn't very able to help. Very good for her, but I figured she'd sleep with pretty much anyone but Dean. I was still wearing my rose-colored Rory glasses.

Edited April 6, 2016 by junienmomo

[junienmomo]

I never understood why if Luke couldn't remove it (for whatever crazy Stars Hollow reason), he didn't just put up a curtain or cabinet to block it.

Totally, yeah.

Ten minutes with plywood and Bert and the window would have been history. Or Luke could have actually used his lawyer connection to sue the pants off Taylor, owned the ice cream shop and Doose's, and had a few brief moments of peace.

[moonb]

The tone of season 4 feels so different because of Rory being at Yale, no Independence Inn, and some other plots mentioned above that seem strange.  There are definitely episodes that are hard to rewatch. After the famous finale, I think I remember there being discussion at TWOP about the season as a whole laying the groundwork for Luke/Lorelai and Rory/Dean, and how it came off as dull when you only watched each episode weekly.  But now season 4 seems so symbolic as the series midpoint.  

 

There's Rory, reaching her goal of the Ivy League and adulthood and finding it's not all it's cracked up to be. Not only does she struggle with the workload, she's only one of TONS of students who have struggled, so there's that feeling of being just a number in all kinds of ways. Her high school friend Paris finds her college footing a lot sooner than Rory does, which is something I identified with pretty closely, having found my freshman year both hugely fun and hugely lonely.  Her sleeping with Dean seemed so dramatic and such a huge character turning point at the time, but it now seems like small potatoes considering Rory's further bumps along the road, lol.  

 

Lorelai's in transition to becoming the business owner she's dreamed of, and struggling to be a good friend and simultaneously a good business partner with Sookie - and vice versa, big time. Those two have their worst fights over opening the Dragonfly. Seasons 5, 6, and 7 give us a more mature and serious Lorelai for all kinds of reasons.  And Lorelai finished up season 3 by causing another rift with her parents, so in season 4 she's getting to a place of understanding with Richard and Emily - An Affair to Remember, The Reigning Lorelai, Scenes in a Mall, Afterboom by breaking up with Digger - and being as adolescent as ever in other ways - dating Digger out of rebelliousness/yet hiding it from her parents and the Yale football game for examples. But we know there's much, much heavier conflict to come between Lorelai and her parents in seasons 5 and 6, and Lorelai eventually comes out of it with a little more empathy for both of them. And of course Richard and Emily's separation starts in season 4; turns out Trix was only an occasional symptom of their marriage conflicts, and once she was dead the real problems started. And Emily took over Trix's cartoonish villain tendencies in season 5. :)  Even Jess is on his way to becoming season 6 Jess. 

 

It is harder to explain the romance storylines, though. Unless, if you think of Luke/Lorelai as endgame, season 4 was their last gasp at less-than-serious relationships. Lorelai dated Jason for fun, sex, and to thumb her nose at her parents, but she clearly didn't have strong feelings for him. And Luke tried to make his marriage to Nicole work because it's a commitment, but he misled both himself and her in the process. 

Edited April 7, 2016 by moonb

[elang4]

I forgot to mention The Incredible Sinking Lorelais. Lorelai breaking down on Luke was a stand out moment for me and him just letting her vent and comforting her at the same time! It nearly made me cry the first time I watched it.

[Guest]

Season 4 is always in fierce competition with Season 2 for my favorite season.  It usually loses the competition, but it's right up there for me. 

[txhorns79]

I remember Season 4 as a season where the wardrobe department went kind of wonky with Lorelai.  It's hard to put my finger on it, but I just remember thinking she spent a good portion of a few episodes in poorly fitted outfits that were not flattering.   

[Ms Blue Jay]

 What is WITH Lorelai and the football game?  What happens is that Lorelai's parents and Rory are going to a big Yale football game with a bunch of Lorelai's parents' friends.  Lorelai insists on going to the game, and so then her parents include her.  Then Lorelai knowingly sits through her parents trying to figure out who they will DIS-invite in favour of her.  Then guess what?  She goes home pouts and whines all night about having to go to a football game to Rory!  I totally get maybe not liking not being invited in the first place, and feeling excluded, but what the hell?   (By the way, I didn't finish the episode yet, LOL!  Going back later.)

 

So finishing the episode (and still not yet  finished -- I am enjoying baseball and American Crime Story).  Lorelai kind of wins me back at the football game, in that she is very hilarious.  Like yes, she goes to the game, and is pretty polite, but she's her usual wisecracking self making little comments here and there.  And she's making me laugh.

 

BUT THEN!!!!!   She leaves the game (after Emily makes her feel unwelcome) and asks Digger if he still wants to catch that date.  And then Digger takes her to the Chinese restaurant and has a private room reserved.  Lorelai hates the situation so much that they have to leave, and then Lorelai gets Mexican takeout, and Digger doesn't like Mexican food so he has to starve.  Man, she is really controlling.  I mean, for a first date, I would just personally be polite.  I've gone through some bad first dates that way, but Digger DID go through a lot of trouble to get her something that he THOUGHT she would like.  And he didn't know her THAT well, so what would she expect?  

 

I guess it's just the writers setting the table for Luke being her soulmate, the guy who owns the diner that she likes, who will just serve her endless amounts of coffee and stew quietly behind the counter - the perfect relationship for EVERYBODY CATER TO ME Lorelai.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

The guy who plays Digger has an incredibly distinctive voice.  Wonder if he does a lot of voiceovers.   Doesn't really seem like it.  But he should.  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001177/

[solotrek]

I know he plays Malcolm's angry teacher in Malcom in the Middle.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Still watching Season 4.  I am KIND OF enjoying it.  I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would be!  And now we're coming up to Liz's wedding, and god help me, I know I'm going to love that, because Lorelai and Luke cuteness.  Was Jess simply brought back in these episodes because his spin-off failed?  Because he's brought back in just the worst ways, sulking everywhere and given very bad writing.  It's so sad.  And of course, Rory never wants to interact with him, so it's like he's half-invisible.

 

I don't understand this part at all.  "Incredible Sinking Lorelais" - Episode description from Wikipedia:

 

 

Lane runs into her mother and receives a frosty reception;

 

CUT TO STARS HOLLOW SIDEWALK

[Lane is walking down the street with a full grocery bag when she sees her mother approaching. They both hesitate before continuing to walk toward each other.]

MRS. KIM: Hello, Lane.

LANE: Hello, Mrs. Kim. [Mrs Kim stars to walk away] I'm staying at Lorelai's.

MRS. KIM: Wear socks. [walks on]

LANE: Okay.

 

Why did Lane greet her by calling her "Mrs. Kim"?  Is this an error?  Can someone enlighten me if this was intentional?  

Edited April 11, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Llywela]

Why did Lane greet her by calling her "Mrs. Kim"?  Is this an error?  Can someone enlighten me if this was intentional?  

I think it's all about the awkwardness - having run away from home, Lane doesn't know how to talk to her mother, perhaps isn't sure she deserves to use the name 'mama' any more, or possibly is just trying too hard to be respectful and failing miserably.

[cantbeflapped]

Yay, you're coming around on season 4, Ms Blue Jay! The Mrs. Kim thing....I just always assumed it was La e being overly formal, polite, uncomfortable with her mom. I love the wear socks advice...lol.

Jess in S4... Like I mentioned before, it's been a while since I saw S4. My impression from a distance is that Jess was there for Jess/Luke scenes. And I remember really liking those....especially getting ready for Liz' wedding and other little parts in that episode.

[elang4]

Yay, you're coming around on season 4, Ms Blue Jay! The Mrs. Kim thing....I just always assumed it was La e being overly formal, polite, uncomfortable with her mom. I love the wear socks advice...lol.

Jess in S4... Like I mentioned before, it's been a while since I saw S4. My impression from a distance is that Jess was there for Jess/Luke scenes. And I remember really liking those....especially getting ready for Liz' wedding and other little parts in that episode.

Omg yes!!! I loved him admitting he came to the wedding because of Luke! And I absolutely loved the scene between the two of them at the end when Jess finally thanks Luke for everything he did! And that hug!! :D

[Melancholy]

Omg yes!!! I loved him admitting he came to the wedding because of Luke! And I absolutely loved the scene between the two of them at the end when Jess finally thanks Luke for everything he did! And that hug!! :D

 

Aw, that's one of the most heart-warming scenes of the series. I love Luke spotting the vulnerability in Jess's snark quoting the book's passage about reciprocation, and choosing to productively soothe it by offering Jess security that his door is always open for him. 

[elang4]

Aw, that's one of the most heart-warming scenes of the series. I love Luke spotting the vulnerability in Jess's snark quoting the book's passage about reciprocation, and choosing to productively soothe it by offering Jess security that his door is always open for him.

Yeah I loved that too! He made it out that he was making fun of the book but Luke could tell he was serious. :)

[cantbeflapped]

Omg yes!!! I loved him admitting he came to the wedding because of Luke! And I absolutely loved the scene between the two of them at the end when Jess finally thanks Luke for everything he did! And that hug!! :D

Oh yeah, the hug...doesn't he grab the back of his head a bit during the hug? ***swoon***

[elang4]

Oh yeah, the hug...doesn't he grab the back of his head a bit during the hug? ***swoon***

Yeah so sweet!! :)

[lulu1960]

Oh yeah, the hug...doesn't he grab the back of his head a bit during the hug? ***swoon***

 

That was one of the best Luke hugs.  He indeed grabbed the back of Jess' head. 

[FictionLover]

That was one of the best Luke hugs.  He indeed grabbed the back of Jess' head. 

It's heartwarming when he does that with his kid sister too.

[elang4]

It's heartwarming when he does that with his kid sister too.

He did it with April as well. :)

[Taryn74]

Oh yes, the Luke hugs.   They are the BEST EVER.  I've always wanted a Luke hug.  *sigh* 

 

Except for the time he put Rory in a headlock.  LOL.

[Guest]

My take on the Mrs. Kim thing was that first of all, Lane was uncomfortable and didn't know how to address her mom given their separation. Secondly, a couple other times in the series when she was trying to express how rigid her mom was, her argument consisted of "She's Mrs. Kim!"  So I think it was like a default in how she thought of her mother.  I don't think we ever learned her first name in the series - even her peers called her "Mrs. Kim."

[takalotti]

Except for the time he put Rory in a headlock.  LOL.

Lol, was this supposed to say Dean, or is this referring to the super awkwardness when he found out Rory ... got accepted by HYP, or chose Yale?

[Taryn74]

Lol, was this supposed to say Dean, or is this referring to the super awkwardness when he found out Rory ... got accepted by HYP, or chose Yale?

 

No, I meant Rory.  LOL.

 

[cuddlingcrowley]

"Chicken or Beef" -- Season 4 starts really strong with "Ballrooms and Biscotti" and "The Lorelais' First Day at Yale". I like "Chicken or Beef" as well but it's there to set the groundwork for the Rory/Dean storyline this season and frankly I don't buy it.

 

I even get why ASP chose to go there: she needed Rory to have one foot still firmly set in Stars Hollow and as she was about to embark in the most boring freshman year ever, her story needed some oonf. Rekindling a romance with Dean, who's now newly married, is a logical although extremelly cliche choice. But that's not my grievance. I don't mind soapy storylines; I don't even mind that particular soapy storyline. What I do mind is that it doesn't feel in character for either Rory or Dean to be hung up on each other. Let alone that Rory would lose her virginity to an ex-boyfriend she previously shared an extremelly chaste relationship with. It just doesn't add up.

[lgold]

I forgot to mention The Incredible Sinking Lorelais. Lorelai breaking down on Luke was a stand out moment for me and him just letting her vent and comforting her at the same time! It nearly made me cry the first time I watched it.

i really like The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais,too, and Chicken or Beef. Also, in the Clamor and the Clangor.  For me, the end of Jason is telling in the Incredible Shrinking Lorelais b/c why didn't she say anything to her boyfriend about her financial situation (not to borrow money but to at least tell him about her situation), and he seemed more interested in Trix having said Richard made a bad investment than that Lorelai was hemorrhaging money.  It was telling to me where Luke and Lorelai's friendship had gotten to b/c she wouldn't borrow money from him for the termite damage on her house in s2 but in s4, she 's breaking down and in desperate need of his help.  I never noticed this before until I had rewatched s4 but why is there no mention of Christopher except twice, once of them at the dinner where Digger gets himself invited, and then he conveniently shows up in s5.  There's not even a "dad called" or "how's gigi?" conversation, but supposedly he would call once a week and on holidays according to previous seasons. I know they mention he couldn't make it to the high school graduation but it was weird that out of 22 episodes he was only mentioned 2 times. Atleast this is my recollection. (Sorry, graduation was end of s3.  so maybe he is only mentioned once)

Edited April 18, 2016 by lgold

[Smad]

I have mixed feelings about S4. On the one hand I love that they finally expand the lives of the secondary characters, namely Luke and Lane. Lane finally gets a damn storyline (actually more than one this Season) and Luke's gets expanded with his own family entering the picture. Rory+college however bores me to tears. Unless Paris happens to be there it's fast forward material to me. They set up the Emily and Richard estrangement beautifully from early in the Season onwards but sadly it amounts to nothing when we get to the next Season. The set up worked though.

 

Lorelai and Jason would have been fine with me if they had kept it as a fling. Lorelai basically only went out with him because her mother pissed her off and she wanted to get back at her. However since Lorelai insisted on keeping it a secret it actually never paid off. I mean how are you going to piss off your mother with this if you won't tell her. Also Jason was way more serious about the relationship than Lorelai was. And was completely blindsided by how serious Jason was about them as a couple when he handed her a key. It also didn't help when Lorelai got her emotional support from anyone but her boyfriend. He was completely useless in that area and she didn't even bother looking for that from him. That's why this should have stayed a fling.

 

I can't even make any sense of the continued Luke/Nicole thing because we were offered nothing in terms of Luke's POV. And it's only going to be more annoying from here on out. If ASP won't play fair then don't bother at all.

 

The early part of S4 was mega boring for me and I only watch a scene here or there in some episodes. IMO it picks up in the second half. Lane's story, Luke's story, the DFI construction, Richard and Emily. Finally something is happening.

 

And as much as I love 4.01 and 4.02 as the only first half episodes I really enjoy watching all the way through, Rory and Lorelai just annoy me. 4.01 seems to be the beginning of Rory losing her spine completely when it comes to the elder Gilmores. The same girl who back in 3.21 called her grandmother's behavior 'stupid' to her face now turns into a girl that always wants to be viewed as perfect by them. It was her fault she wrote the date down wrong and Lorelai was running around getting all the stuff together yet Rory can't admit that to Emily so Lorelai has to take her mother's wrath. It's just so freaking annoying. Grow a set, Rory.

 

In 4.02 Lorelai's harrassing of Luke with the matress was just painful. Bad enough that she basically wants him to get rid of the old matress instead of taking care of that herself. But that she constantly needs his truck despite the fact that she has a car of her own is just way over the top. Once they had unloaded everything (second delivery round) all Luke had to do was drive a little further than the diner and Lorelai could have taken her jeep to spend the night at Yale. But no her car can't drive that long a distance. What?

[lgold]

It also didn't help when Lorelai got her emotional support from anyone but her boyfriend. He was completely useless in that area and she didn't even bother looking for that from him. That's why this should have stayed a fling.

I can't even make any sense of the continued Luke/Nicole thing because we were offered nothing in terms of Luke's POV. And it's only going to be more annoying from here on out. If ASP won't play fair then don't bother at all.

I totally agree.  In Incredibly Shrinking Lorelais she could have easily broken down to Jason at the house. He was there for the whole conversation.  I know why it was written the way it was, but it was still weird, especially with them continuing to date afterwards and as you said him giving her a key.  And the Luke/Nicole thing, so pointless.

[readster]

I totally agree.  In Incredibly Shrinking Lorelais she could have easily broken down to Jason at the house. He was there for the whole conversation.  I know why it was written the way it was, but it was still weird, especially with them continuing to date afterwards and as you said him giving her a key.  And the Luke/Nicole thing, so pointless.

What was even more pointless with Luke/Nicole was why was Luke even trying? Nicole and her OCD lawfirm partners basically wanted the marriage to continue and Luke's reason was: "Well, better than single life." Yet, he was not in the relationship at all and even by the end when he told Nicole he would see them at "their place". She looked at him like: "What the hell are you talking about?" "You are never there." I was waiting for Kirk during the notarizing scene to tell Luke: "What took you so long?"

[cantbeflapped]

Yep, like Jess said....that whole thing was just weird.

[FictionLover]

I totally agree.  In Incredibly Shrinking Lorelais she could have easily broken down to Jason at the house. He was there for the whole conversation.  I know why it was written the way it was, but it was still weird, especially with them continuing to date afterwards and as you said him giving her a key.  And the Luke/Nicole thing, so pointless.

Not to mention that Jason, her boyfriend, was loaded.  Why wouldn't he be an option to ask for a loan rather than Luke, a friend and a modest business owner.

[txhorns79]

Not to mention that Jason, her boyfriend, was loaded.  Why wouldn't he be an option to ask for a loan rather than Luke, a friend and a modest business owner.

 

I can see why she would ask Luke over Jason.  Jason might have had the money, but that's a pretty big ask for what was a relatively new relationship that Lorelai hadn't even revealed to her parents. 

[lgold]

^I don't know if Jason would have even given it to her.  I can imagine him squirming uncomfortably to tell her no. :)   But I know you're right why she didn't.  It just would have been nice to see a convo between Lorelai and Jason about what was happening, it would have justified or validated for me, in a way, their being in a relationship for as long as they were. I guess I feel like their relationship was just as pointless as Luke and Nicole, to drag out season 4. 

[andromeda331]

It was her fault she wrote the date down wrong and Lorelai was running around getting all the stuff together yet Rory can't admit that to Emily so Lorelai has to take her mother's wrath. It's just so freaking annoying. Grow a set, Rory.

It drove me crazy that Rory never told Emily she wrote the date down wrong and that's why Lorelai

wasn't there.  

[readster]

Even worst, how Lorelai didn't respond: "We had the wrong date written down." That way it doesn't put it all on her shoulders or Rory and then responded: "What the hell was I suppose to do, Mom?" "Leave my kid to fend for herself or miss dinner and haul ass and get her what she needs like a good parent?" 

[Melancholy]

I don't have a big problem with Rory not saying that Lorelai missed dinner because Rory wrote the date down wrong. Lorelai acted like she'd only come to the occasional FND, now that she was out of her contract. IMO, Rory thought that she doesn't need to embarrass herself to excuse Lorelai's absence when it doesn't even need to be excused and when there's no point in splitting hairs on why Lorelai couldn't attend this particular FND when she's not going to be attending very much of them in the future. And that was Lorelai's problem too. Lorelai couldn't admit that she generally wanted to come to FND and she wanted to attend this one- but she needed to run around getting Rory's things because Lorelai wanted to maintain her "independence." However, the miscommunication really started with Lorelai and not Rory. 

 

And Lorelai kept up the miscommunication through Ep. 5 of S4:

 

EMILY: Do you know what one of life's great mysteries is?

LORELAI: Uh, Mom. . .

EMILY: Whether or not you're going to be joining us for Friday night dinner.

LORELAI: Uh huh.

EMILY: And since you pretend to be ignorant of the concept of the RSVP even though I know it was taught to you as a child, I am reduced to calling and asking you, are you coming?

LORELAI: Uh huh.

EMILY: Is that "uh huh, yes, I'm coming" or "uh huh, I was reading while you were talking"?

LORELAI: Um, tell you what, Mom - plan on me coming, and if I don't, then it'll just be a little more for everyone else.

EMILY: Lorelai, you know very well our dinners do not work like that. There is careful planning and shopping and preparation that goes into every meal no matter how boring and simple it may seem to you.

 

Lorelai is incredibly rude sometimes. How does she think that's typical or acceptable to make a weekly thing of just unexpectedly skipping or dropping into a fancy weekend dinner? Of course, you need to RSVP or be counted on to come. The Gilmores have to shop and cook for Lorelai's enormous appetite on a weekly basis without even knowing if she's going to show? 

Edited April 18, 2016 by Melancholy

[cuddlingcrowley]

An affair to Remember - so here is when Season 4 starts to officially suck doesn't it? What a terrible episode. Rory's plot is so, so, soooooooo stupid. I got her annoyance at her roomates but if she was really desperate (as she appeared to be) or simply really wanted to study in her room, getting some headphones and some rain sounds or classical music could have easily have handled the noise issue. The episode lost me when Lorelai brought up the libraries at Yale. I'd kill to have a library, let a alone multiple libraries, at walking distance to study. Oh my god, but they're too quiet. Shut up, Palladinos. You clearly never had to study loads of amounts of material a day in your life. But as it is Rory just looks like a brat to me in this episode.

 

(I'm sorry, that was a huge fucking tree. Couldn't she had sat on the other side of it? The guy was quietly reading from a magazine, she wouldn't even know he was there!)

 

I kinda of hate Lorelai's storyline as well. I skipped S3 this time around of my rewatch, so I'm having a really hard time understanding why she's so hateful to Emily this season. She was willing to fire a decorator she clearly liked at the possibility of sharing her with Emily and now failed to mention she started a catering company with Sookie when they're dangerously short on cash and Emily could get them LOADS of jobs? Which would be mutually beneficial for all because Emily is clearly a genuine fan of Sookie's food and has made that clear, so it wouldn't be a "favor" (God forbid!) that would have been thrown back at her face later.

Edited April 21, 2016 by cuddlingcrowley

[cuddlingcrowley]

Raincoats and Recipes - this will sound crazy since I loathe Rory/Dean and am generally indifferent to Luke/Lorelai, but I think this is the best episode of season 4, hands down. Definitely one of the most rewatchables of the entire series, imo! The Dragonfly Inn is just so damn beautiful and it's so fun to watch the Town's people try it out. Truly an inspired idea from Lorelai. As far as the "couples" go, Lorelai/Luke are at their best at the early days of their relationship, so I have no complaints here. But Rory and Dean are completely out of character, I won't buy this storyline in a million of years, AND YET it's such a riveting trainwreck! I hate it and I kinda love it

The one thing I could have done without was Jason in this episode. I just think his character deserved way better.

[ally862]

So I was a casual watcher of this show when it was on but am binge watching it now.  I realized that season 4 is when I started to not like Rory.  To me, she used to be a somewhat sweeter, more earnest version of her mother.  Season 4 though it just felt like she suddenly got cocky and was trying to hard.  I can't stand her from season 4 on.

[cuddlingcrowley]

Quote

I realized that season 4 is when I started to not like Rory.

I think season 4 was also when I started to like Rory less but because it became painfully obvious how extremelly dependent on Lorelai she was socially and that, without Lorela to bounce of off, she's very boring and uninteresting. People talk a lot about how Lorelai would probably grate on real life, but Rory would be the Gilmore Girl I'd probably have the most trouble getting along with on a long term basis because she often comes off moody and spoiled and painfully unable to have fun, imo. It's probably no coincidence that season 4 was when I first start to dig Lorelai's character back when I was a 13 year old watching this show for the first time.