Tag: Did You Notice?

Flashback 4

Lorelai is eating a sandwich and watching TV when her labour pains begin. We know it’s a pepper sandwich (I think this means a bell pepper or capsicum sandwich, which sounds weird?), because it was mentioned in an earlier episode. There is a cut, and then we see her at the hospital registry, filling out forms on her own.

She has come to the hospital by herself (presumably in a taxi) and there’s nobody to help her with the paperwork or offer support, not even Christopher. To add poignancy to this, there is a young man standing behind Lorelai with a bunch of flowers for someone, but there is nothing for Lorelai.

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.

Luke Asks Nicole on a Date

LUKE: No, no, no, uh, what I meant was – ah, what the hell? Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?
NICOLE: Yeah.

It’s pretty obvious that, besides being flattered by Nicole’s attention, Luke asks her on a date primarily because he knows Lorelai is dating Alex. Jess has already criticised Luke for waiting around for Lorelai like a faithful dog, and has nagged him to ask Nicole out. Finding out that Lorelai is out on a date with a coffee shop owner who’s outdoorsy and likes fishing (sounding suspiciously similar to Luke) is the final straw that pushes him towards Nicole.

In this scene we learn that a cup of coffee at Luke’s cost seventy-five cents. That sounds like a bargain for what every character seems to believe is the best coffee in the world.

Notice that in the background to this scene, someone walks behind Luke and Nicole wearing what appears to be a maroon and gold Gryffindor scarf from Harry Potter.

Nicole Leahy

NICOLE: Well, hello Luke Danes, I’m Nicole Leahy, I’m Taylor Doose’s attorney.

Nicole Leahy is portrayed by Tricia O’Kelley. She began her acting career in Chcago, starting out in television commercials, and running a service centre for actors. After moving to Los Angeles, she had minor roles in several TV shows, including Frasier, Suddenly Susan, The Young and the Restless, and Everybody Loves Raymond, before joining the cast of Gilmore Girls. She continues to find roles on TV.

Note that Nicole has the same surname as the writer of this episode, Janet Leahy, who was also a consulting producer on the show.

Rory Eats Lunch Alone

[Rory sits alone in the cafeteria. A paper airplane that says “Leper” lands on her table. She tosses it aside and puts on her headphones.]

Once again, Rory is left to have lunch by herself, listening to music, because of her fight with Paris. Although she tells Lorelai that she doesn’t mind eating by herself, she goes to bed extremely early, because she says that having nobody to talk to all day is “tiring”. I think that Rory really means is that it is “depressing”, and she ends this episode feeling lonely and unhappy.

Notice that the Blood Drive is taking place in the cafeteria behind her – the one which Rory tried to have held elsewhere to get back at Francie. Just another little slap in the face for her, as she has truly given “’til it hurts”.

Joe Mastoni and Alex Lesman

Just as Lorelai and Sookie are leaving their night class and at the cookie table, they run into Joe, an old friend of Sookie’s, and his business partner Alex, who are there to learn about starting their own chain of coffee shops.

Joe is played by Joe Fria. He may be recalled by some viewers as the actor who played the waiter at the French restaurant on the double date Sookie and Lorelai had with Jackson and Rune. Joe Fria has more recently done voice work, including for the Goosebumps series, and for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Alex is played by Billy Burke. He had several small roles in film and television before this, and has become best known for playing Charlie Swan, the father of Bella Swan, in the Twilight film series.

Jess Goes to the Winter Carnival

Jess and Rory have plans to meet up at 9 pm after the winter carnival, as Jess doesn’t want to go. However, Rory “coincidentally” runs into Dean on the way, who is taking his little sister Clara to the carnival. Clara asks if Rory can go to the carnival with she and Dean, and before she has a chance to give an answer, Jess suddenly decides he is going too. He possessively puts his hand on Rory’s back while they walk behind Dean and Clara.

Jess is not only irritated that Rory is being friendly with Dean and that he feels forced to accompany Rory to the carnival, but by Clara’s insistent questions and comments to him. Clara is ten or eleven by now, but behaves more like a child of five or six in this episode.

We’ve never seen her act like this before, she’s always been quiet and rather sweet, if a little young for her age, so I wonder if Clara is deliberately trying to annoy Jess. She may see him as the horrible boy who took Rory away from Dean, and therefore away from her as well. Between Dean and Clara, Jess has the awful time at the carnival he had been expecting.

Dean Brings Back Rory’s Stuff

LORELAI: Not weirded out, even a little?

RORY: Why would I be weirded out?

LORELAI: Well, Dean coming over, bringing your stuff back.

RORY: No, I’m fine.

LORELAI: Okay. Although, you know, if you were weirded out a little, it would be okay. It wouldn’t mean that you don’t like Jess, or that you made a mistake. It would just mean the guy who was in your life for two years isn’t there anymore.

Dean drops off his “Rory box” of mementos, in order to return them to Rory. Although Rory brushes off Lorelai’s concerns that she might feel “weird” about it, when she takes the box to her room, she seems unable to open it and deal with the contents. She sits on the bed and eyes it with an unhappy, regretful (remorseful?), expression.

Note how Lorelai doesn’t miss a chance to mention not liking Jess, or making a mistake, even while trying to comfort Rory. We never see Rory return her “Dean box” to Dean – but then again, Lorelai told her that such memory boxes were to be kept as a lifetime reminder of a previous relationship.