“She’s okay with anything I do”

CAROL: So, tell me something, Harvard hair – how bad do you wanna please your parents?

RORY: My mom, and really bad, but it’s not hard to please my mom. She’s okay with anything I do. As long as I’m happy, she’s good.

Not really true – there’s plenty of times Lorelai hasn’t been okay with what Rory wants to do. She didn’t permit Rory to give up Chilton after she met Dean, she was furious when Rory told Emily about their financial problems, and she doesn’t approve of Rory’s attraction to Jess. In the future, Rory will discover that when it comes to her university education, Lorelai will not be “okay” with all of Rory’s decisions, and that Rory just being “happy” is not enough to satisfy her.

More accurately, Lorelai and Rory have plenty of fights and disagreements, some more serious than others, but they always find a way to resolve things, eventually.

Note that Rory repudiates Christopher as her father here – she is quick to say she only has one parent, her mother. She is seriously angry with him for what he did to Lorelai, and to her, and it is a rift which is never really healed. Rory will never go back to being the young girl who yearns for her father and gets excited at the thought of him making one of his all too rare visits.

Lorelai Pretends to be Rory on the Phone

LORELAI: [answers phone in high voice] Hello? Hello, um, this is Rory Gilmore. I believe you were expecting my call . . . Um, oh, well, this is such a wonderful opportunity for me . . . Whatever’s good for you will be great for me . . .

Rory couldn’t go to school on her first day without Lorelai, she needed Lorelai to help her study for a test, and to arrange her first date. Once again, Lorelai steps in and arranges the meeting with Darren Springsteen on Rory’s behalf. She even pretends to be Rory in the process, as if they have finally merged together into one person. This is actually pretty odd, considering she could have arranged the meeting as herself – surely it’s not that unusual for a parent to phone up on behalf of their teenaged child?

Dave Rygalski

DAVE: [on machine] Hey, my name’s Dave Rygalski, I’m calling about the ad. I left my number before, so call when you get a chance.

This is our introduction to Dave Rygalski, who later becomes Lane’s band mate, and eventually her boyfriend. We first hear him on Lorelai’s answering machine, and we know he’s keen, because this is the second time that he’s phoned.

There is a mysterious female voice in the background, leaving it open whether Dave has a girlfriend, a sister, or a female friend.

“Fast runner”

[Rory exits the diner and runs to catch her bus as Luke walks over to the table]

LUKE: Fast runner.

DEAN: It’s the coffee.

LUKE: Not your face?

Luke is very resentful of Dean for standing in the way of Jess being with Rory, which is what Luke wants for him. (That may suggest he’s not as thrilled about Jess being with Shane). Here he gets a dig into Dean, implying that Rory should be running away from him. I don’t think he ever really forgave Dean for breaking up with Rory early in their relationship.

Hillary Clinton and C-SPAN

RORY: It’s not due for weeks, and I already have my essay topic picked out … Hillary Clinton … She’s so smart and tough and nobody thought she could win New York but she did and she’s doing amazing, and have you heard her speak?

DEAN: Only when you’ve played me the thousands of hours of C-SPAN footage you taped.

RORY: She’s a great speaker, strong and persuasive, with a wonderful presence, and even those suits of hers are getting better.

Hillary Clinton, previously discussed. We now discover Rory is a complete fangirl of hers.

C-SPAN, Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network. Cable and satellite television network created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the US federal government, as well as other public affairs programs.

Note that Dean has to watch hours of C-SPAN footage taped by Rory, but she wouldn’t watch BattleBots with him until he went to her debutante ball as her escort. Maybe she also pays him back in some way (or she considers just going out with Dean enough of a big favour?).

“You’re not free”

RORY: I thought we could see a movie or something.

DEAN: You’re not free.

RORY: How do you know?

DEAN: ‘Cause you’ll be working on your application all weekend.

Dean is now experienced enough to know that when Rory says she’s free to spend time with him, that means, unless she has unexpected homework to do. Or a test to study for. Or Paris wants her to do extra work for the newspaper. Or she suddenly discovers she’s got to do volunteer work all summer. He can even anticipate it coming before she can. Instead of fighting with her over it, he’s learned to just accept it.

John-Boy

RORY: So, what are you doing Saturday?

DEAN: Just my usual chores.

RORY: Your usual chores, John-boy?

Rory refers to The Waltons, previously discussed (and mentioned as using the same set as the Dragonfly inn). John “John-boy” Walton, played by Richard Thomas, was the eldest son of the family, and the protagonist of the series.

Rory seems to think the word “chores” sounds very rural and folksy. Unlike Dean, Rory doesn’t have regular chores – as it’s just she and Lorelai (and they both have work/school), she takes an almost equal share of the household tasks. It’s never made clear how Lorelai and Rory divide up jobs around the house, but they’re rarely shown arguing about it or even discussing it, and they have a relaxed approach in any case.

“Wax on, wax off”

RORY: Wax on, wax off.

Rory quotes from the 1984 martial arts drama film The Karate Kid, directed by John G. Avildsen, and written by Robert Mark Kamen, who had earlier success with his screenplay for the 1976 boxing film, Rocky. It stars Ralph Macchio as karate student Daniel LaRusso, and Pat Morita as his mentor, Mr. Miyagi. The film was a commercial success, becoming a sleeper hit, and the #5 film of 1984. It received positive reviews, and launched Macchio’s career, while revitalising Morita’s, who had mostly been known for his comedic role as Arnold on Happy Days. It has also been credited with popularising karate in the US.

Mr Miyagi is the handyman in Daniel’s apartment, and when he defends Daniel from bullies with his unexpected karate skills, Daniel asks him to teach him karate. However, to his dismay, at first all Mr Miyagi does is give him chores to do, such as waxing his car – instructing Daniel how to do so with the words, “Wax on, wax off”.

Only later does Daniel realise that all the chores (waxing, sanding, painting) are teaching him the hand movements for karate and giving him muscle memory. Thus he learns to trust his mentor, knowing that even the seemingly mundane tasks he is given are a valuable part of his training.

Rory says this line teasingly to Lane, to remind her that every line she puts in her band advertisement has to be paid for out of her wages, and that if she’s going to make the ad really long, she’d better start waxing more tables. Rory is being realistic – Lane’s advertisement is ridiculously long and expensive!

It’s possible that on a deeper level, this quote from The Karate Kid is also saying that Mrs Kim is the Mr Miyagi to Lane’s Daniel. Although Lane’s mother seems harsh and stern, she is actually teaching her daughter some valuable lessons. Lane is certainly not afraid of hard work, and has a strong work ethic, which can only be of help in learning and practising music. And the Kim’s house is filled with music – religious music, but at least Lane has been brought up to listen to it. This could be a tiny hint that Mrs Kim is not a complete monster, and has had at least some positive effects on Lane’s musical aspirations.

Tiny Cities Made of Ashes

This song by alternative rock band Modest Mouse is playing in Rory’s bedroom during the opening scene. Only later do we discover Lane is in her bedroom, and it is she who is listening to it.

“Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” is a track from the band’s 2000 album, The Moon & Antarctica. The first to be released by the band on a major record label (Epic Records), it led to fans being worried that they would lose their unique sound. However, the album received positive reviews, with some critics feeling that it was actually the band’s “weirdest” album. It was ranked as one of the best albums of that year. The album went to #120 in the US, and has been certified gold, having sold almost half a million copies.

Knowing that Lane is in Rory’s bedroom the whole time in this scene, it seems a bit strange that Rory doesn’t share the big news of the Harvard application arriving with her best friend. I suppose it’s something Rory wants to experience with Lorelai first, and perhaps she doesn’t want to shove her academic opportunities in Lane’s face – and she also knows Lane is too busy concentrating on writing her band ad to listen. Still, it’s a slightly melancholy indication that their lives are going to continue in different directions.

“Break into a barn and put on a show”

JESS: Seemed to me like you’re still pretty together. I half expected you to break into a barn and put on a show.

Jess is referring to the 1950 musical film Summer Stock, directed by Charles Walters, starring Judy Garland, and previously mentioned. In the film, Judy Garland’s character, Jane, owns a farm, and one day her actress sister Abigail (played by Gloria DeHaven) breaks into her barn to rehearse with her fiancé, theatre director Joe (played by Gene Kelly), along with their theatre troupe.

Jane reluctantly allows them to go ahead, and inevitably gets sucked into the action by taking part in their show, including their big song and dance numbers. By the end, Jane has dumped her boring farmboy fiance Orville (played by Eddie Bracken), and winds up with Joe, while Abigail has, slightly implausibly, been smitten with Orville. The film was a box office success, and is iconic in popular culture, often referenced in songs and music videos.

Note that Jess likens Rory and Dean to a couple who break up to find different partners – this is essentially what ends up happening.