Jane

EMILY: This isn’t funny. I hardly get to see the girl and we only get to talk at dinner once a week and then it’s all about school and Jane.
LORELAI: Lane, Mom.

The fact that Emily mixes up Lane’s name and calls her Jane is a probable allusion to the MTV cartoon Daria (1997-2002), in which protagonist Daria Morgendorffer’s best friend is Jane Lane (I believe this to be source of Lane Kim’s rather unlikely first name).

Jane Lane is not Asian-American like Lane Kim, but her voice actress is Malaysian-born, and the character is drawn with some slight Asian characteristics, so that casual viewers sometimes assume she has Asian heritage. Besides both having black hair and being the less academic sidekick to an intellectual bestie, Jane Lane was a gifted artist, as a parallel to Lane Kim’s musical talent.

(By the way, if Emily only hears about Rory’s doings at Friday Night Dinner, whatever happened to that weekly phone call where she could catch up on Lorelai and Rory’s lives?)

Worship pudding

EMILY: Yes, but you like pudding.
LORELAI: Oh, I love pudding. I worship it. I have a bowl up on the mantel at home with the Virgin Mary, a glass of wine, and a dollar bill next to it.

Another reference to the Virgin Mary – interesting as the saint is the inspiration for the Gilmore surname. Lorelai’s statement brings to mind those primitive shrines where worshippers place votive offerings in front of saint’s statues, such as flowers or coins. Note the implication from Lorelai that she worships alcohol and money.

Morey’s concussions

LORELAI: How does Morey get around in here? [in Babette’s tiny house]
BABETTE: Oh, just fine. He had a couple of concussions his first year here but he never complains.

From this we learn that Babette lived in the Dells’ house (alone?) before marrying Morey, and that he moved in with her.

“They grow up so fast”

While talking with Lorelai, Babette mourns the death of her elderly cat Cinnamon, remembering the time when she was a tiny kitten. As she and Morey are a childless couple, Babette speaks of Cinnamon’s passing as if she and Morey have lost a child, even mentioning an Oprah episode about bereaved parents whose marriages didn’t survive.

Babette’s feelings for Cinnamon serve as a parallel to Lorelai’s for Rory’s (the cat and the girl are probably even of similar ages). I believe Cinnamon was changed from a male cat to a female one to make this parallel more obvious.

Lorelai must also face “losing Rory” one day – not to death, but to adulthood. She knows that Rory is growing up, and that she has to learn to let her go, and to find a way to make a life for herself that isn’t based around caring for Rory.

This helps to inform her decision about dating Max: Rory is growing up, and Lorelai can’t put her own life on hold forever.

Plotz

SOOKIE (to one of Luke’s customers): OK, I added a little fresh lemon and a little cayenne pepper. You’re gonna plotz!

Plotz is Yiddish slang meaning to be overcome with emotion: the word literally means “to burst”. Sookie’s use of the slang doesn’t seem to mean she is Jewish, any more than Lorelai’s use of Catholic slang makes her Catholic.

The Bangles

MAX: I think we should date.
LORELAI: Why?
MAX: Because I think we both want to.
LORELAI: Well I want to be in the Bangles but that doesn’t mean I quit my job and get a guitar and ruin my life to be a Bangle, does it?

The Bangles are an all-female American pop-rock band formed in 1981. Their classic line-up is Michael Steele, Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson. They are best known for their 1980s hits such as Manic Monday and Walk Like an Egyptian.

Max talks about The Bangles being broken up, and while they did break up around 1990, they re-formed in 1998 and are still together. Lorelai and Max don’t seem to be aware of this yet. The Bangles breaking up and getting back together mirrors Lorelai and Max’s future relationship.

This is the first time we learn of Lorelai’s love for The Bangles, and her desire to be in the band.

Assistant Store Manager

Kirk (Sean Gunn) finally makes an appearance – after being Mick and a swan guy, he is now the new assistant manager at Doose’s Market, and named Kirk. However, this is a Kirk who doesn’t know who Miss Patty is: he’s Kirk, but not as we know him.

Note that Kirk is the middle name of Edward Hermann, who plays Richard Gilmore! Another possible inspiration is Captain Kirk from Star Trek.

Philadelphia

As Rory and Lane walk down the street in Stars Hollow, we learn from their conversation that if Lane could live in any city in the world, she would pick Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While Rory longs for European capitals and Fez, Lane is content to remain in the United States, and only about 3-4 hours drive from Stars Hollow.

Claudia

EMILY: She was your father’s grandmother’s sister’s girl. So to you, that would make her …
LORELAI: Nothing?

The Gilmore clan had many members, the majority of whom were discussed but never appeared on screen. The deceased Claudia was Lorelai’s first cousin twice removed.

“Was it my dream?”

LORELAI: I’m talking about – did it start with me? Or did it start with you? Was it my dream that you go to Harvard? … Because I never got to do the big fancy college thing? Maybe all this time I’m thinking it’s all for Rory, when really it wasn’t.

Lorelai is being disingenuous – she knew perfectly well that Harvard was her dream for Rory when she discussed this with Mr. Medina. However, she does tell Rory that she doesn’t want her to go to Chilton and Harvard if it makes her unhappy. Rory says that however it started, Harvard is her dream now, and she won’t give up on it.