Tag: Relationship Insight

Richard’s Engagement

RICHARD: Oh, that mouse and I were engaged.

EMILY: Oh, you were not.

RICHARD: I’d given her my pin, I’d introduced her to my parents … The date was set, invitations mailed out.

Although Emily denies that Richard was ever actually engaged to Linny Lott, he claims that a wedding date had been set and invitations mailed out, which sounds pretty solidly engaged to me.

In a former episode, Richard said he almost married a woman named Lucinda Lester, until Emily set her sights on him, due to his prowess at fencing reminding her of her celebrity crush, Errol Flynn.

Although it’s possible that Richard almost married two women with the initials LL he met in college, this does feel like a retcon, with Lucinda becoming Linny. Emily claimed Lucinda had a moustache, something she never says about Linny or Pennilynn.

Rory Takes Off Her Bracelet

[Lorelai finds the bracelet that Dean made for Rory on the dresser]

LORELAI: Oh wow. I guess this means there really isn’t a Dean any more, huh?

RORY: Yeah, that and it broke in the shower this morning. Though I probably would’ve taken it off anyway.

When Lorelai finds Rory’s bracelet made for her by Dean on the dresser, she realises that Rory and Dean really have broken up and aren’t getting back together this time. Even though Rory says that it broke in the shower that morning, she says that she probably would have removed it herself anyway. In fact, she wasn’t wearing it at Friday night dinner the previous week, so it seems as if she had actually stopped wearing it almost immediately after breaking up with Dean.

This leads to a discussion between them about Jess, with Lorelai snarking about him, and Rory asking if Jess is always going to be demonised by Lorelai. Lorelai does not pretend to be thrilled about Jess, and admits she felt Rory was safer with Dean (I don’t think Rory always felt perfectly safe, but Lorelai never seems to think about that). However, she is willing to endure Jess for Rory’s sake, and says Rory and Jess won’t be forever, anyway.

Luke’s Dating Rules

When Rory is in the apartment, the door has to remain open

Rory and Jess are only allowed in the middle part of the apartment (the living area), not the end parts (the sleeping areas)

They must sit on separate seats, they cannot share the sofa

On weekdays, Rory must be home by 9 pm. On weekends, home by 11 pm.

Any evidence of cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs, and they will only be allowed to see each other with an adult present

Shrapnel

LUKE: What was going on up here?

JESS: Nothing.

LUKE: Nothing? I walk in here and the two of you are like shrapnel.

Shrapnel, the common term for fragments of an artillery explosion (technically not quite correct, but good enough for our purposes). Luke means that Rory and Jess sprung apart when he came in like a bomb exploding in several directions at once.

Luke was so keen to see Jess and Rory together, but the minute he actually finds them just about to kiss, he freaks out. What did he think two eighteen-year-olds were going to do alone together?

Rory Goes Up to the Apartment

RORY: Yup, here we are. Wow, I haven’t seen it since you guys redid it … It’s bigger.

JESS: Ripping a wall down can have that effect on a room.

As you may recall, Luke renovated the apartment back in March, after buying the flower shop next door. They knocked down the wall between the apartment and the upper floor of the flower shop. It feels as if that should have made the apartment twice as big, but it only looks slightly more roomy than before. For some reason, Jess still doesn’t have his own room, which was supposed to be the initial reason for the renovation. The whole renovation (which is of course quite fictional, they didn’t renovate the set) thus seems like a lot of wasted opportunity and money on Luke’s part.

This seems to be Rory and Jess’ first opportunity to be alone together since the dance, more than a week ago. They haven’t rushed into this, and are naturally extremely nervous with one another.

“Jess happened”

LUKE: But why, what happened?

LORELAI: Jess happened.

Lorelai completely blames Jess for Rory’s break-up with Dean. Although in a sense she’s correct, in that Jess’ appearance precipitated the break-up, Lorelai ignores the fact that her daughter hadn’t been happy with Dean for a long time. Rory and Dean didn’t share many interests or similar values, and it seemed as if when Rory wasn’t frightened of Dean’s temper, she was bored with him. Lorelai was happy for Rory to continue in an unsatisfying relationship rather than go out with Jess.

Unlike Lorelai, Luke is thrilled by this news. He has been shipping Rory and Jess since the beginning, and this is another instance where Luke and Lorelai are not on the same page.

Rory and Jess: The Early Years

LUKE: What the hell was that?

LORELAI: That was episode one of Rory and Jess: The Early Years.

Compare to Lorelai saying a potential situation with her father was like Who’s The Boss, the later years.

This is Rory and Jess’ first encounter since Dean dumped Rory at the dance marathon. They are both too shy to say more than a few words to each other in front of Lorelai and Luke, which feels true to life.

Lorelai Comforts Rory

[Lorelai sees Rory across the gym, and she walks over to her]

LORELAI: Rory, what happened? Where did you go? [sees that Rory is crying] Oh, Rory, honey! Oh.

[Lorelai and Rory hug while Kirk runs around the gym with the trophy]

Despite ruining Lorelai’s chances of winning, Lorelai only thinks of comforting her daughter when she sees how upset Rory is. Nothing stops Kirk’s victory lap – he has no problems celebrating as a teenage girl sobs in her mother’s arms!

Kirk’s dance partner is Donna Delain, who he has danced with for the past five years. She is presumably a good friend, or possibly a relative, but we never hear of her again. Kirk does not include Donna in the celebrations, and he keeps the trophy, even though her dancing has helped him to win! Also note that Kirk is wearing a Doose’s Market logo on his back – perhaps Taylor is sponsoring him?

“I have to go take care of something”

JESS: You’re definitely broken up with Dean?

RORY: Yeah, I’m definitely broken up with Dean.

JESS: Okay. I have to go take care of something then.

Before anything happens between Rory and Jess, he leaves to break up with Shane. It’s six in the morning and she’s been stuck watching a dance marathon for eighteen hours – let the poor girl get some sleep, Jess! However, it does show that Jess has a responsible side, and is not going to cheat on Shane, no matter how badly he treated her otherwise.