Category: S1Ep4: The Deer Hunters

Sookie’s Reviewed Food

The restaurant at the Independence receives a rave review from food critic Lucent Mills – his name suggesting that he both shines a light on a situation, and relentlessly grinds out the facts. I’m not sure why he is shown naked in the magazine, but for some reason he apparently is (to indicate that he hands out the naked truth?)

Bisque is a smooth, creamy soup of French origin, traditionally using crustaceans. Sookie made hers with lobster.

Entree is the American word for the main course, differentiated from the starter which is the appetiser. It’s slightly confusing, as in other countries entree is the word for the light first course, or appetiser.

Risotto is a rice dish from northern Italy, where the rice is cooked to a creamy consistency. It is traditionally coloured and flavoured with saffron, and often includes butter, wine, onion, and Parmesan cheese.

Handkerchief pasta is also known as silk handkerchief pasta, and in Italian called fazzoletti (“little handkerchiefs”). They are pasta noodles made into paper-thin square or rectangular shapes, often served with a very simple sauce, such as Sookie’s sage and butter one.

“The thing that reads a lot”

[Rory enters with lots of bags]
LORELAI: Oh, behold in theatres now, the thing that reads a lot.

A possible allusion to the 1951 sci-fi film The Thing from Another World, often referred to as just The Thing. Directed by Christian Nyby and produced by Howard Hawks, it is about an alien from a flying saucer crash found frozen in the ice and accidentally revived. It was a commercial success and is considered one of the great science fiction films of the decade.

High tea

MICHEL: Can I kill her [Drella]?
LORELAI: Not before high tea.

In Britain, high tea was a heavy meal served at the end of the working day, consisting of meat or fish dishes with vegetables, including roasts, pies, stews and casseroles. It was what most people would call “dinner” today, although in British English “tea” can still be used to denote the main evening meal.

In international usage, “high tea” is often used as a synonym for afternoon tea, and at an inn, has connotations of a fairly elaborate, formal spread.

“Wonder if Versace makes a pacifier”

MICHEL: These are $300 Italian loafers.
DRELLA: Wonder if Versace makes a pacifier.

Versace is an Italian luxury fashion company, founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. It is a favourite brand of numerous celebrities.

A pacifier is what Americans call the rubber teat with a plastic shield given to babies to suck on; in other countries it might be known as a dummy, teether, or soother.

Chevalier

DRELLA (to Michel): Back off, Chevalier.

Drella is referring to French actor and singer Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972). He is best known for his signature songs, including Thank Heavens for Little Girls, from the 1958 musical film Gigi. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.

When performing in English, Chevalier adopted a heavy “stage French” accent, although in everyday life he spoke fluent English with a slight American tone. Drella may be indicating that Michel is also “faking” his French accent.

McDonald’s

PARIS: A D however, that would be cause for concern.
LOUISE: A cry for help.
PARIS: A job application at McDonald’s.
LOUISE: Would you like fries with that?

McDonald’s is a global-dominating chain of hamburger and fast food restaurants first founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940. It was franchised by Ray Kroc in 1955, and he later bought the business from the McDonald brothers, bringing in the aggressive business tactics the company is know for today.

“Would you like fries with that?” is a question commonly asked by McDonald’s employees, in an attempt to further boost sales. The phrase is often used to mock McDonald’s and their workers. At Chilton, working in the fast food industry is clearly a fate worse than death.

“To err is human”

MAX: Look at the large red circles around various parts of your paper as friendly reminders that to err is human. And that here at Chilton we try to beat that humanity right outta ya!

Max is referring to the quote “to err is human; to forgive, divine”. It comes from the 1711 poem An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope (1688-1744).

Max indicates humorously that there will be no forgiveness for errors at Chilton.

Mr. Medina

When the scene changes to Rory’s English Literature class, the teacher is now Mr. Max Medina (Scott Cohen). However, when Rory first started at Chilton two episodes ago, her English Literature teacher was Mr. Remmy (John Billingsley).

There is no attempt made to explain this away, such as Mr. Remmy suddenly leaving and Mr. Medina taking his place, or Mr. Remmy having filled in temporarily while Mr. Medina is sick (Mr. Medina says they’ve been studying Shakespeare for the past three weeks). It is just retconned as Mr. Medina having always been the English Literature teacher and Mr. Remmy never existing.

You can try to explain it as Mr. Remmy being the English teacher and Mr. Medina taking the English Literature class, except that if you add up all Rory’s subjects that she takes in her first semester, that would give her too many classes to attend. It also doesn’t quite gel with Rory being behind in her reading for Mr. Remmy’s class, and then getting a D in Mr. Medina’s class because she was behind in her reading.

The decision seems to have been made to match Lorelai up with Rory’s teacher, and Mr. Remmy wasn’t going to cut it as a love interest, thus entering Mr. Max Medina. The best-selling novel The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot had just been released in October 2000, which featured a teenage girl living with her single mother, and the mother began a relationship with the heroine’s Algebra teacher. Either this was an influence on Gilmore Girls, or it’s an example of zeitgeist.

Actor Scott Cohen does have some experience at the front of a school classroom: in his twenties he spent some time as a substitute teacher, teaching music to kindergarten children at an elementary school in Queens, New York. He was offered a permanent position, but had to turn them down so he could concentrate on his acting career. He and Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai, were already friends before they starred in Gilmore Girls as a couple.