Tag: Did You Notice?

Lane’s School Results

RORY: Hey how’s it going?
LANE: Very well. I have discovered that in addition to my lameness in geometry I also will not become a biologist, French translator, or Civil War buff.

Apparently Lane didn’t get great results in her mid-term exams – at least not in Geometry, Biology, French, and American History. A reminder that Lane has a school life too with homework and exams, and that unlike Rory she isn’t an academic whiz-kid.

You can see that Lane has a sheet of music up, so she is apparently teaching herself to read music, as well as familiarising herself with multiple genres of popular music. This helps explain her lacklustre school results – she is bright, focused, and hard working, but is simply far more interested in music than school. If only her parents had sent her to a music school, she would have aced everything, but only Rory gets educational opportunities and a chance to shine at what she’s good at.

Martha’s Vineyard

RORY: So when do you guys leave for Martha’s Vineyard?
RICHARD: Ah, we’re not going to Martha’s Vineyard this year.

Martha’s Vineyard, often known as The Vineyard, is an island off Cape Code in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony. More than half the island’s homes are occupied only seasonally, and the population of around 16 000 can rise to over 100 000 in the summer.

Notice how cleverly the dialogue goes from wine, to wine making, to The Vineyard.

The Old Muddy River Bridge

RORY: Hey Luke, someone put a sign for the rummage sale up in your window over there …
LUKE: Your mom asked me to put it there, okay?
RORY: And you said yes?
LUKE: She’s not real good with “no”.

From the sign in the window of Luke’s Diner, we learn that the charity rummage sale is to raise funds to restore the Old Muddy River Bridge. There is an artist’s impression of the bridge, although it’s unclear whether this is what the bridge used to look like and needs to be restored to this condition, or this is what the new bridge will look like once it’s rebuilt. Either way, it looks as if the whole thing could be knocked up in a single afternoon with less than $100 worth of lumber and Luke donating his time to it.

However, for some reason this simple wooden footbridge is an ongoing project for the town, which spends much of its time raising money towards the bridge’s reconstruction and maintenance throughout the show’s original run. We can see that once again Luke is more civic-minded than he pretends to be, as he helps advertise the rummage sale, just as he brought hot drinks the Stars Hollow Battle re-enactors.

Also notice that Lorelai doesn’t even need to add her address: everyone in town knows where she lives, and she can just tell them to take contributions to her house. That’s some level of notoriety in a town of nearly 10 000 people.

In real life, the small town of Washington Depot, which Stars Hollow was originally inspired by, is surrounded by state parks and reservations. There are several wooden footbridges over rivers, creeks, and gorges; some quite elaborate, and others small and simple like the one in the drawing.

 

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.