Convent in Siberia

RORY: Your mom’s really mad huh?
LANE: The words “convent” and “Siberia” were both used several times and at least once as a combo.

It’s not clear why Mrs. Kim, a practicing and devout Seventh Day Adventist, would send her daughter to a convent, which are generally Catholic, Anglican, or Orthodox. I’m guessing either Lane is exaggerating, or Mrs. Kim was babbling threatening nonsense in a terrified (and terrifying) rage.

However, if Mrs. Kim was determined to send Lane to a convent in Siberia, there is a small one in the city of Omsk, Siberia – the Beatas Olimpia y Laurencia. It is highly unlikely that they would accept Lane though.

Rapunzel

[Rory climbed a tree to get to Lane’s bedroom window. Knocks.]
LANE: Hey.
RORY: What’s up, Rapunzel?

Rapunzel is the title character in a German fairy tale, a girl with remarkable long hair who is kept locked in a tower by a witch she knows only as her adoptive mother. First published in the Brothers Grimm’s Children’s and Household Tales (1812), the story is based on a 17th century Italian fairy tale, and may be inspired by tales of Saint Barbara, whose father locked her in a tower, or even by pre-Christian sun goddess myths.

Rory is likening Lane’s situation to the well known fairy tale character, and saying that Lane is being unfairly imprisoned by her mother, just like Rapunzel.

“I’m a babe”

LORELAI: Hey, you know the one good thing we all learned from this?
RORY: What?
LORELAI: [smiling] That I’m a babe.

After the constant flow of insults on her appearance from Rune that night, Lorelai is pleased to receive a hearty endorsement from Todd, a sixteen year old idiot. It’s a tiny bit sad, but shows how badly her vanity was wounded (and how fragile her ego must be).

Although Rory is clearly unimpressed with Todd anyway, his attraction to her mother and to her best friend Lane provides a convenient excuse as to why Dean’s best friend Todd is never shown hanging around with Dean and Rory again.

The Great Santini

LORELAI: Look, I know that Mrs. Kim and Robert Duvall in The Great Santini share a striking resemblance, but she is Lane’s mom.

The Great Santini is a 1979 drama film written and directed by Lewis John Carlino, based on the novel of the same name by Pat Conroy. The movie is about Lt. Col. Wilbur “Bull” Meechum (Robert Duvall), a pilot known as “The Great Santini” by his fellow Marines. Meechum has a terrifying temper, and is a stern disciplinarian to his teenaged children. The Great Santini failed at the box office, but was well received by critics.

It is notable that Meechum’s children are accustomed to their father’s strict rules, and his sensitive son does everything he can to win his father’s respect and affection. In the same way, Lane never openly rebels against her mother, and submits to Mrs. Kim’s rules. You can tell that Lane really does love her mother very much, even while she chafes against her restrictions.

Red Vines

MRS. KIM: They [the girls] could be anywhere, they could be doing anything. Smoking, or drinking, or buying drugs!
LORELAI: They’re at the movies. There’s no drugs there. They don’t even have the real Red Vines.

Red Vines is a brand of red licorice candy made by the American Licorice Company. The current flavour has been used since 1952.

Lorelai and Rory seem to be very fond of them as Lorelai said Dean had saved their movie night when he gave Lorelai the Red Vines she had forgotten at the supermarket. Red Vines are also one of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s favourite candies. The Black-White-Read Bookstore apparently only sells generic red licorice.

 

Five-card draw

Luke and Lorelai play five-card draw in the diner together. This is the simplest form of poker, and the kind most often played between friends for fun. It’s also the basis for video poker. The rules are simple, but Lorelai breaks them immediately by asking for another four cards to replace the first four she was dealt.

Elijah

LORELAI: I’m not eating alone. You’re here.
LUKE: I’m working.
LORELAI: Yeah but after three cheeseburgers you’re done, unless you’re expecting Elijah to stop by.

A reference to the biblical prophet Elijah, who God ordered to flee into a safe hiding place near a brook where he was miraculously fed bread and meat by ravens. After the brook dried up, God sent a widow to feed him: even though she had only a little flour and oil, by a miracle this small supply of ingredients never ran out.

Lorelai’s reference suggests she must have received some religious education as a child – unlike her earlier reference to Noah’s Ark, this isn’t a story familiar to nearly everyone.

Richard Simmons

LORELAI: That’s very Richard Simmons of you [that Luke put nutmeg in the coffee].
LUKE: Well, what can I say. Chicks dig a man with a feminine side.

Richard Simmons (born Milton Simmons in 1948) is an American fitness instructor, actor, and comedian. He ran his own gym for many years, and promoted weight-loss through exercise programs, often appearing as a guest on television chat shows.

Simmons is well known for his flamboyant, energetic personality, and his signature outfit of candy-striped short-shorts and singlet top decorated with crystals. His sexuality has long been a subject for speculation, but has never been confirmed either way.

Apparently Lorelai is just saying that putting nutmeg is coffee is “gay” (or at least sexually ambiguous). Not one of her finest moments. Luke’s comment about being a man with a feminine side may be an in-joke, as his character was originally a woman named Daisy.

Anvil

LORELAI: Hey, four menus, a coffee and an anvil please.
LUKE: What’s the anvil for?
LORELAI: For Rune.

Lorelai is referring to a common trope in cartoons where an anvil is dropped on a character’s head with hilarious results. It seems to have first been used in Disney animated films, and was perfected by Warner Bros. in their Looney Toons cartoons. (Possibly not a coincidence that Lorelai sees Rune off with a “Bye, Loon”.

The comedy anvil drop may have its origins in real life. A traditional celebration on the Fourth of July in America was launching an anvil into the air with gunpowder from atop another anvil, then watching it fall onto the other anvil with a thud. Presumably everyone stood well back during this exciting spectacle and hopefully nobody got an anvil on the head.