Atlantic Ocean

EMILY: I never really truly appreciated the Atlantic Ocean before. Three thousand lovely miles of water.

The Atlantic Ocean, the second-largest of the world’s five oceans, with an area of about 106,460,000 square km (41,100,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 20% of Earth’s surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known for separating the “Old World” of Africa, Europe, and Asia from the “New World” of the Americas in the European perception of the World. The name Atlantic refers to the ocean being beyond the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Africa, opposite the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

There are 3360 miles between Hartford and London, or 2929 nautical miles – very close to Emily’s estimate of 3000.

Note that Emily thinking of the lovely miles of water that used to separate her and Trix is very similar to Lorelai once saying that the best thing about Stars Hollow is the “miles and miles and miles” it is from Hartford – underlining that Lorelai’s relationship with Emily is very much like Emily’s relationship with Trix.

Holiday Inn

RICHARD: Well, she’s going to be staying with us, Emily. She just wants to know she’ll be comfortable.
EMILY: Yes, because we usually give our guests the towels we’ve stolen from the Holiday Inn.

Holiday Inn, previously discussed. Lorelai and Rory actually stole their wine glasses from a Holiday Inn they stayed in.

Emily is very uppity about stealing from hotels, considering that she and Lorelai stole their bathrobes when they stayed at a spa. (Although Lorelai had to stop Emily from returning hers).

Egyptian Cotton

EMILY: That was your mother, Richard. She just wanted to make sure that all our towels are Egyptian cotton.

Egyptian cotton has long been considered superior to “normal” cotton. The ideal growing conditions in Egypt lead to a very fine yarn, and the plants are harvested by hand, so that the cotton is supposedly stronger, more flexible, softer, longer-lasting, and doesn’t “pill”. Egyptian cotton is said to be more moisture absorbent, making it a good option for towels.

Hoosiers, Litchfield

RORY: But didn’t we only make it this far because the Litchfield team got food poisoning?
TAYLOR: Well, I admit it’s not exactly the plot of Hoosiers, but still it’s very, very exciting.

Hoosiers, 1986 sports drama film directed by David Anspaugh in his feature directorial debut, and starring Gene Hackman. It tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that enters the state championship. It is inspired in part by the Milan High School team who won the 1954 state championship. The film was critically acclaimed, and is regarded as one of the best sports film ever made.

Litchfield, previously discussed.

Forty-Three Years

TAYLOR: My dear, do you realize that this is the first time we’ve been in the regional semifinals in forty-three years?

The Stars Hollow High School hockey team were last in the semifinals in 1960, when Taylor was the goalkeeper for the team. Supposing that Taylor was about seventeen when he was on the high school team, he is now aged around sixty years old, and born in 1943. Michael Winters, who portrays Taylor, was born in 1945.

Stove Top Stuffing

RORY: [reads button] “Stars Hollow Hockey, 2003 semifinalists. Go Minutemen. The future is yours. Bring this button to Doose’s for fifty percent off your next purchase of Stove Top Stuffing.”

Stove Top is a brand of stuffing introduced by General Foods in 1972. It is a quick cooking (“instant”) stuffing that is available in supermarkets. Unlike traditional stuffing, Stove Top can be prepared on the stove, in a pot, and can also be prepared in a microwave oven. It is used as a side dish for meals as well as a medium in which some meats (pork, chicken) can be baked. It is sold in boxes and canisters.

There is a slight retcon or continuity error here, because in “Secrets and Loans”, the Minutemen were the school’s basketball team, not their hockey team. Unless all the sports teams have the same name???

Face-Off

In hockey (ice hockey), a face-off occurs at the start of each period, or to restart play. An official drops the puck between the sticks of two opposing players, who are then said to “face off” from each other in order to gain control of the puck.

This episode has a hockey game as its focal point, at which several people will “face off” from each other in opposition, or in an effort to gain control of the situation.

Rory Talks to Lorelai

Earlier in the episode, Rory told her mother that despite all the hot and heavy make out sessions with her boyfriend, she is far too busy to be thinking about sex. It didn’t seem very believable at the time, and now she admits the truth – she is thinking about sex with Jess, or at least she is considering it as something that is likely to happen if they stay together. She promises to talk to Lorelai before anything happens.