Category: S3Ep12: Lorelai Out of Water

Loons

LANE: Everybody’s still married. It’s like a factory system here. They all come to the weddings, find a spouse, get married and stay that way ’til they die.
RORY: They mate for life, like the loons.

A loon is the American name for the water bird which is otherwise known as a “diver”. Contrary to popular belief, they rarely mate for life.

The Korean Bride

Throughout this scene, Rory and Lane do the hair up and make-up for cousin James’ bride from Korea – a woman who remains nameless, and is played by Jessica Shim in her first role. She would go on to a smattering of small TV roles.

The bride is unable to speak English, but Lane speaks Korean, and exchanges a few words with her, asking if she likes her hair (not really, is the answer), and getting her water when she asks for it. Neither Lane nor Rory make any attempt to include her in their conversation, give her any comfort, or even try to teach her just one or two words of English.

She has come from another country, doesn’t speak any English, and is marrying a stranger described as “quiet and skulky”, which sounds like code for lacking the social skills to attract a wife among his peers. Cousin James is played by stand-up comedian and actor E.K., and whatever James’ possible faults, he is at least attractive.

Lane and Rory discuss an unhappy marriage which began with a wedding at the Kim house, between Min Cha, and the “mean man” she married, Wan Nam. There were seven years of Min Cha being told she was stupid and ordered around like a slave before she snapped and attacked her husband. They now live separate lives in the same house, still married.

The chances of the Korean bride having a happy marriage and happy life in America seem quite slim, yet Rory and Lane express no pity over her situation (and not really any for Min Cha either). She is marrying into Lane’s family, yet receives little welcome or signs of kindness from anyone. Mrs Kim doesn’t even bother speaking Korean to her, or in front of her, while talking about her.

It’s rather chilling that Rory and Lane get to have a heartwarming bonding scene together all while virtually ignoring this young woman, doing her up like a doll, and treating her as if she barely exists. She is a prop in the scene, rather than another actor.

Smashing Pumpkins

RORY: Look, we’re not always going to like the same things. Like, you like Smashing Pumpkins and I don’t.
LANE: But that’s only ’cause you’re close-minded and blind.

The Smashing Pumpkins, often just called Smashing Pumpkins, alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, who has been the sole constant member since its inception.

Their debut album Gish was released in 1991, and was a minor success. Siamese Dream came out in 1993, and despite the band being torn apart by personal problems, including drug addiction and severe depression, it debuted at #10 on the album charts. Their biggest success was the 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which went to #1, and was the best-selling double album of the decade. It had several hit singles, including “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, “1979”, and “Zero”.

The band broke up in 2000, but reformed in 2005, and are still recording and performing.

“It’s okay not to like Jess”

RORY: It’s okay not to like Jess.
LANE: I said I was happy for you.

Rory has that awkward conversation with her best friend where she gently lets Lane know that she knows she doesn’t approve of Jess, and that’s okay. She doesn’t need to pretend. Lane immediately feels bad about not liking Jess, but says that she’s protective of Rory, and doesn’t want her to be hurt.

Rory asks her to give Jess a second chance (even though she just said it was okay for Lane not to like him), and Lane gamely says that maybe they can double date with she and Dave some time. Double dating seems to be the default position on Gilmore Girls!

We never see if the two couples ever did go out together, but I imagine Jess would have refused – even though he would have a lot in common with Lane and Dave. It seems like a missed opportunity.

Peggy Lee

[Lane retrieves some makeup from under her floorboard]
LANE: Well, I’ve got the good stuff right here, right next to the Peggy Lee.

Norma Egstrom, known professionally as Peggy Lee (1920-2002), jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman’s big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music. Called the “Queen of American pop music,” Lee recorded over 1,100 records and composed over 270 songs.

Peggy Lee has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has been cited as an inspiration for the cocktail called the Margarita, the Spanish version of Margaret, which Peggy is short for. She was also the inspiration for Miss Piggy from The Muppet Show – the muppet was originally called Miss Piggy Lee.

Runner

MRS. KIM: This is Ho Kyung, she’ll sing with you … Watch the high notes, she’s a runner.

In singing, a run is when a singer starts off at a very high note and drops quickly down the scale on a single syllable. It’s quite a showy move, designed to feature the vocalist’s performance over the music.

You might remember Ho Kyung from the episode, “A Deep-fried Korean Thanksgiving”.

Shahaela Lodge and Spa

ALEX: Uh huh. I made lunch reservations at the Shahaela Lodge and Spa afterward. Think she’ll like that?
RORY: She’ll love that.

A fictional inn and spa near one of the lakes around Stars Hollow. In real life, there are a couple of spas on lake shores in Connecticut, although not very close to the general location of where Stars Hollow is meant to be. It feels like another fictional version of the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington Depot.

Rooked

LUKE: Why didn’t you tell me?
LORELAI: I don’t know. I just felt stupid getting rooked into the thing in the first place, and then . . . plus, you don’t wanna hear about my personal life.

Rook, informal language meaning to cheat or swindle, especially in a game of cards. The word in this sense dates to the 16th century, and is assumed to be after the bird, a member of the crow family, regarded as very cunning.

I can’t see how Lorelai was actually tricked into going fishing – Alex asked if she liked fishing, and she said yes! Maybe she means she tricked herself. After all, she was the only one who was in any way deceptive.