Tag: Character Insight

Glory of Easter

RORY: I got the flags and . . . he changed his mind again.
LANE: He’s worse than my mother at the Glory of Easter T-shirt stand.

Glory of Easter, an annual evangelical drama which begun in 1984 and went on until 2012. It took place at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California [pictured, now a Catholic church], suggesting that the Kim family went to it at least once, where Mrs Kim could not decide between all the tee-shirts available for sale.

I think this is the first time we’ve seen Lane working at the Independence Inn to help prepare for a function. Perhaps Mrs Kim is allowing her more freedom, or perhaps now she’s eighteen she can be employed at the inn without any worry about labour laws. In either case, this is another possible income stream for Lane.

“Talk into the clown”

[Dean walks up to the counter]
DEAN: I gotta place an order.
JESS: Talk into the clown.
DEAN: I am.

A reference to the clown head at Jack-in-the-Box fast food restaurants that customers spoke into to place their order at the drive-through service. This option existed from the early 1950s to the early 1980s. It seems slightly odd this is a handy reference for someone born in 1984. Dean gets in a lot of insults to Jess in this scene.

“You’re a good kid”

DEAN: Tom, I brought over the nails you asked for.
TOM: Good. Get the guys’ lunch orders, will ya?
DEAN: Already done.
TOM: You’re a good kid, Dean. You hardly bug me at all.

As Taylor’s employee, Dean is now helping Tom the Contractor, who is doing the renovations for Taylor at his new business. Tom seems quite impressed with Dean’s attitude, and in a later season, he ends up actually employing Dean.

Mamma Mia

RORY: Looks like Italy for us!
LORELAI: Mamma mia!

Mamma mia, an Italian interjection of surprise, literally meaning “my mom/mum”, possibly in reference to the Virgin Mary.

Lorelai may be thinking of the 1975 ABBA song, “Mamma Mia”, from their self-titled third album. It went to #32 in the US, but was #1 in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, and West Germany. It is widely considered one of their best songs, although in a deleted scene of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai refers to it as an earworm.

It is possibly a little insensitive to say this is front of Emily, given that Lorelai ran away from home to work for Mia, who she regards as a beloved mother figure.

Richard and Emily are Horrified

Upon learning that Lorelai and Rory are planning to backpack around Europe and stay in hostels after graduation, Richard and Emily first of all think they are joking, then throw a fit about it as unsafe and reckless.

The only trouble is, Rory already told her grandfather that’s what they were planning in “Kill Me Now”, and he said it was a great idea. And in “Rory’s Dance”, they talked about staying in hostels while having dinner with Emily, and she didn’t say anything. Suddenly it’s a major problem.

I guess you could justify this by saying that they were simply humouring Lorelai and Rory before, and now they are giving their real opinions, or that they didn’t understand before, but they behave as if this is entirely new information, not information they previously ignored or misinterpreted. It feels like a retcon.

Cahoots

LORELAI: Two dates with this guy and you’re already in cahoots with each other.

In cahoots, informal language meaning “colluding or conspiring secretly”. The word came into English from French, via the Scots. It’s found in Scots English in the 16th century as cahute, French for “cabin, small hut”. It may be a corruption of the French word cohorte, which meant a companion or partner.

Upon getting back from her fishing date with Alex, Lorelai says her next date with him will be camping. In winter! She has become frog girl. The relationship already feels doomed.

Note the rare chance to see the Gilmore girls’ bathroom in this scene.

“You’re not Korean”

MRS. KIM: He’s not Korean.
[cut to front hallway]
DAVE: Lane? Hey, Lane? Is everything all right?
LANE: You’re not Korean.

Just as Mrs Kim has blindsided Lane, so she too receives a shock when Lane says she wants to go to the prom with Dave. It’s clear that Mrs Kim quite likes Dave, but has never considered him as someone her daughter might date – Lane and Dave have been so very careful not to let anyone know they are seeing each other. Mrs Kim has always imagined Lane dating a Korean boy, and can’t yet get past that.

Lane is naturally devastated. The red roses in the scene seem to offer hope for the future.

Young Chui

MRS. KIM: This is Young Chui … He will take you to the prom.

Mrs Kim agreed that Lane could go to prom if she could approve the date. Lane thought that meant she had plenty of time to convince her mother that Dave would make a suitable escort for the prom. Instead, Mrs Kim blindsides her by suddenly producing a nice suitable Korean Seventh Day Adventist boy to take her.

Young Chui is a Korean boy’s name meaning “eternally firm”. The role of Young Chui is played by Samson Yi, who has had a few TV roles, and made his own comedy film.