“He came back a changed man”

SHERRY: Yeah, I’ve been wanting to tell you, actually. Chris and I had a rocky stretch. I thought for sure he was out the door. I mean, he was so distant and hardly ever talked. I wasn’t even sure if I was gonna tell him about the baby. I thought I was gonna either go it alone, or not go through with it at all. I mean, I was kind of in the same position that you were in when you were pregnant, do you know what I mean? … I decided that I would tell him before I made any decisions, and that was the weekend he was with you and Rory, remember? There was a wedding or something . . . Well, I don’t know what happened or what you said, but whatever it was, it worked. He came back a changed man. All of a sudden, he was so attentive and devoted, and so willing to make it work. He said that he’d missed out before, and he didn’t want to miss it again. And I just credit a good portion of that to you.

Christopher said that he and Sherry had problems in their relationship, but from Sherry’s perspective, it was that Christopher was withdrawing from her and “quiet quitting” their relationship.

It doesn’t really make sense that Sherry credits Lorelai for changing Christopher’s attitude. Sherry decided to tell him about the baby, and Christopher returned to Boston, saying he was there for her and the baby, and didn’t want to miss out on fatherhood for a second time. Why would she think that Lorelai made the difference, rather than the knowledge he was going to be a father?

My hunch is that Sherry intuitively knew or suspected that Christopher and Lorelai shared something on their weekend together (if your boyfriend you’ve been having problems with spends a weekend with his ex, there’s a good chance you’re going to get suspicious about it).

I think she tells Lorelai that it’s because of her that Christopher returned to her as a way of warning Lorelai away from Christopher, or to let her know that she knows she and Christopher slept together, and that they don’t need to discuss it any further.

Aryan Breeding

GAIL: She’s going to be beautiful.

SUSAN: Yeah, you and Christopher are like a poster for Aryan breeding.

Susan refers to Lebensborn e.V. (meaning “Fount of Life” in German), an SS-initiated, state-supported, registered association in Nazi German with the stated goal of increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of “racially pure” and “healthy” Aryans, based on Nazi eugenics.

The Aryan race is an obsolete historical race concept that emerged in the late-19th century to describe people of Proto-Indo-European heritage as a racial grouping. There is no evidence to support this. By the 1930s, this false concept was used to promote white supremacist ideology, portraying so-called “Aryans” as the “master race” – ideas which formed part of the ideology which led to the Holocaust.

Appallingly, Susan implies white “Aryan” babies are naturally beautiful (even before they are born!). To add to the discomfort, she says this in front of Gail, who is black. I think this is meant to tell us just how awful Sherry’s friends are, and by extension, Sherry herself.

“When I finally went to the doctor”

SHERRY: Well, Christopher and I didn’t exactly plan for this to happen. I thought I had the flu or something. When I finally went to the doctor and he told me, he had to pick me up off the floor.

Christopher told Lorelai that Sherry announced her pregnancy to him over the phone at Sookie’s wedding. That was on a Sunday, so she can’t have been to the doctor that day. Sherry later says she waited some time before telling Christopher she was pregnant. Christopher’s story that Sherry had only just discovered she was pregnant when she phoned him turns out not to be true after all.

Music at the Baby Shower

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

A 1986 song by Wang Chung, previously discussed, from their album Mosaic. It reached #2 in the US, #76 in the UK, and was most popular in Canada, at #1. The song has been included on numerous compilation records, and still gets radio airplay in the US.

Who’s That Girl?

One of the “generic jazz” songs. It’s performed by Chris White and Danny Schogger. Chris White is an English saxophonist who has performed with Dire Straits, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones, Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, and Mick Jagger. Danny Schogger was the producer on his only solo album.

Baby Face

Previously discussed. Rory sings karaoke to the song. Every time she gets to the word “baby,” the women gesture for her to leave it out so she doesn’t lose her diaper pin. Rory manages to sing every note wrong.

Finger Snap

One of the “generic jazz” songs. It’s by Chucho Merchán, the professional name of Colombian jazz and rock bassist and guitarist Jesús Merchán, from his album Jazz. He has performed with artists such as The Eurhythmics, The Pretenders, Thomas Dolby, George Harrison, Peter Townsend, Dave Gilmour, and Everything But the Girl.

“It was so bachelor pad before”

SHERRY: Well, it’s a work-in-progress. It was so bachelor pad before: rock posters, modular furniture, magazines everywhere.

When Sherry leads Lorelai and Rory into the apartment she shares with Christopher, we can see it is the same one they lived in at Christmas 2001, even though Christopher told Emily and Richard he and Sherry were looking to buy a new place of their own. The buying a new place story was another of Christopher’s untruths, because Sherry says nothing about them hoping to buy another home, and talks of this one as a work-in-progress, as if she hopes they will continue improving the one they already have.

The odd thing is that Sherry talks about the apartment as if it was one Christopher lived in alone before he got with Sherry, calling it his “bachelor pad”. That doesn’t fit in with the story we heard from Christopher, which is that he lived in Berkeley until he met Sherry, after which he relocated to Boston to be with her – and would have presumably moved in with her, or they would have moved into a place together.

From what Sherry says, Christopher was already living in Boston by himself, and Sherry moved into his apartment (where did she live before that he didn’t move in with her, when she apparently makes more money than he does? With her parents?). Did Christopher meet Sherry in California, and then move across the country and get an apartment in hopes of being with her? Which is weird and stalkerish, and seems like way more effort than Christopher would put in? Or did he move to Boston independently, and meet Sherry there?

It seems as if Christopher cannot tell people one simple thing which is verified by someone else. It’s as if everything about him is a lie. Christopher as a character barely exists.

Lorelai Gets Roped into Sherry’s Baby Shower

SHERRY: Oh, go shopping some other time and come play with us. Please? There’s just a bunch of people in there that Rory doesn’t know, and having you here would make her so much more comfortable … I meant to extend the invitation to both of you. I just wasn’t sure if you’d . . . Well, you know, there’s lots of food, and booze for the lucky non-pregnant ones, and cake . . . it’ll be fun … I’ll block your car with my stomach.

When Lorelai goes to drop Rory off at Sherry’s baby shower, Sherry is waiting out the front for them, and immediately pressures Lorelai into attending as well, despite how uncomfortable the idea is for her. There’s some guilt tripping on how Rory would like her to be there, some bribery in the form of food and alcohol, and finally just threatening to block her car so Lorelai would have to run Sherry over in order to leave. The baby shower is more or less torture for Lorelai, and this is the beginning of it.

It’s a bit weird that before, Sherry didn’t want to have any relationship with Lorelai, and now she’s insisting that Lorelai come to her baby shower. I guess pregnancy has changed her. Lorelai, of course, doesn’t care for the idea of Sherry either shutting her out or inviting her in!

Sherry has dyed her hair blonde since we last saw her, suggesting she has now turned “bad” in Gilmore Girls logic. It’s a flattering look for her, making her more threatening to Lorelai.

The Reverend and the Rabbi

RABBI BARANS: Reverend Skinner and I share the church for services, Taylor, so if there’s gonna be a protest, it’ll be a joint decision.

Reverend Skinner and Rabbi David Barans are introduced in this episode, and we also learn that the church is shared between the (vaguely unnamed) Protestant and Jewish congregations, while the reverend and the rabbi are firm friends.

The town has apparently gone through Reverend Nicholls, and the reverend who buried Louie Danes, and Reverend Melmin (who is Seventh Day Adventist), and now here’s Reverend Archie Skinner. I’m not sure if Stars Hollow has a lot of reverends, or a high turnover of them.

Reverend Skinner is played by Jim Jansen, who had roles on numerous TV shows. He has played a reverend several times, including on Nikki, Melrose Place, and Step by Step. He previously played someone named Skinner in Just the Ten of Us.

Rabbit Barans is played by Alan Blumenfeld, who has a similarly extensive CV. He played a rabbi again in the 2017 film Pinsky. Like Jim Jansen, he has appeared in Matlock, Hangin’ With Mr Cooper, Murphy Brown, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Diagnosis Murder, and Felicity.

Rory in Contact with Christopher

When Rory and Lorelai discuss the invitation to attend Sherry’s baby shower, Rory reveals she has been in contact with her dad for about a month, possibly around the time she got her application for Harvard. They’ve emailed each other and occasionally spoken on the phone.

Lorelai is surprised to learn this, and more surprised that Rory felt that she needed to hide that information from her mother. She is quick to reassure Rory that she has every right to talk to her father, and doesn’t have to hide that from her.

However, when Rory tries to pass on well wishes from Christopher, Lorelai is quick to shut it down. Just because Rory is in contact with Christopher, doesn’t mean she has to be. A healthy boundary! Enjoy, they’re rare.

“Jess, where did you get the money?”

LUKE: Jess, where did you get the money?

JESS: … Remember I work for you?

LUKE: … I don’t pay you enough to buy the car.

JESS: I saved up my pennies and I bought the car from Gypsy. She gave me a good deal. That’s how I got the car.

Luke has trouble understanding how Jess was able to buy a car. Lorelai helpfully suggested that Jess probably stole it, and with the uncanny ability Jess has to mind-meld with Lorelai, he also teases Luke by saying he mugged someone.

I’m not sure why this is all such a mystery. Jess’ car may be roadworthy, but it’s in poor condition otherwise, and Jess says Gypsy sold it to him at a bargain price. That could have been as low as $500, and is unlikely to be more than $1000.

Jess has been working at the diner every day for about a year, which was probably a full-time job over summer vacation, probably getting around $4 an hour. As little as 125 hours work could have paid for the car, and Jess, like Luke, has frugal habits, and is probably a good saver. (He also cleaned Lorelai’s gutters, and may have taken on other chores around town).

Even though there’s nothing at all unbelievable about Jess having an old car, it does get explained later in the episode.

Jess Gets a Car

In this episode, Jess gets an old car, which has been kindly identified for me by blog reader John Donaldson as a 1970s AMC Rebel or AMC Ambassador. I like the idea of Jess owning a Rebel, but having examined a few photos, I think it may look more like an Ambassador, as they seemed to more often have a two-toned colour??? Perhaps a 1973 model? More opinions welcomed.

Lorelai is not happy to discover Jess has a car, and refers to him needing to be stopped “before he kills again”. Apparently Rory getting even the tiniest injury needing medical attention is the equivalent of her being killed. However, Lorelai has learned her lesson, because she immediately offers to butt out, leaving Luke to handle the issue for himself.