Author: A.O.

The Adventures of Gumby and Pokey, Pee-Wee Herman

PARIS: I was flipping through Harvard class schedules when you were still delighting to the adventures of Gumby and Pokey.
RORY: I was more of a Pee-Wee Herman kind of gal.

Paris refers to Gumby Adventures, a clay animation children’s show centred on a green clay humanoid figure named Gumby, with a sidekick named Pokey. Gumby was created by Art Clokey in the 1950s, and after becoming a hit on Howdy Doody, had his own show which ran from 1957 to 1969. It was revived in 1988 and lasted until 2002, when Rory and Paris were aged four to nine, as Gumby Adventures.

Pee-Wee Herman, previously discussed as Rory’s favourite childhood show.

Mira Sorvino

RORY: Well, you not moving out might be a tip-off [that you didn’t get into Harvard].
PARIS: I’ll get an apartment in Cambridge, buy a Harvard sweatshirt, talk about Mira Sorvino a lot.

Mira Sorvino (born 1967), actress who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 1995 film Mighty Aphrodite, and is also known for the 1997 cult classic comedy, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. She graduated from Harvard in 1989 with a degree in East Asian Studies. Apparently this alumna from more than 14 years ago is considered to still be a hot topic among Harvard students.

Howard Hughes

PARIS: I’ve had Nanny hold all my calls, and the mail. My parents are away, so I’ve been totally Howard Hughes-ing it.

Howard Hughes (1905-1976), business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in the world. He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an important figure in the aviation industry.

Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle—oddities that were caused in part by his worsening obsessive-compulsive disorder, chronic pain from a near-fatal plane crash, and increasing deafness.

“She’s been gone for five days”

RORY: Have you guys heard from Paris? … She’s been gone for five days.

Paris had her very public meltdown on a Friday, so if she’s been missing for five days, it would be Wednesday. Or Friday, if Rory isn’t counting the weekend. However, it actually appears to be Thursday, which isn’t five days from Friday, no matter how you count it. Yes, Daniel Palladino is not so hot on timelines.

On Acid, Oy Vey

BABETTE: Hey Michel, I just hit F4 and the num lock key and the one with the little apple on it and it’s freaking out like it’s on acid or something.

MICHEL: Oy vey.

On acid, slang for taking the hallucinogenic drug LSD. (Babette seems to have hit the dashboard, the number lock, and the command key all at once, so the screen starts scrolling).

Oy vey, interjection used to express dismay, frustration, or grief. It is borrowed from Yiddish, loosely meaning “Oh woe is me”.

“Stay another night”

LORELAI: Now, at least half the Poe group needs to stay another night, so we’re gonna need to find places to put them up.

I would have thought that if a hotel burns down a day before the end of your visit, that’s the end of your holiday, and you go home. However, perhaps half the Poes need to wait for flights at the airport the next day. With typical warmhearted community spirit, the people of Stars Hollow are prepared to take the fire-doomed Poes into their own homes for a night. Although if you were matched with Taylor or Mrs Kim, you might seriously consider just camping at the airport overnight.

Cyanide Capsule

MISS PATTY: I’m the receptionist.
BABETTE: And I’m learning the computer.
MICHEL: And I’m looking for my cyanide capsule – have you seen it?

Cyanide, a highly toxic poison. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and vomiting. This phase may then be followed by seizures, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest. Onset of symptoms usually occurs within a few minutes. Some survivors have long-term neurological problems.

Cyanide capsules have been used as fast-acting suicide pills. It was the favoured suicide method in Nazi Germany, and spy agencies have issued cyanide pills to agents in case of capture.