Mick Jagger

RORY: Okay, here’s an interesting question for you – “Have you given any thought to how children will work into your future plans?”.

LORELAI: Oh, well, uh, they’re not gonna stand in my way, that’s for sure. I mean, I plan to have some, of course, but I’m just gonna knock ’em out and, uh, have Nanny catch ’em and care for ’em, make sure Mick Jagger doesn’t come anywhere near them and then just return them to me when they’re twenty-one.

Sir Michael “Mick” Jagger (born 1943), English singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer who has achieved international fame as lead vocalist and founding members of the Rolling Stones, previously mentioned. His songwriting partnership with Keith Richards is one of the most successful in history. Jagger’s career has spanned over six decades, and he is known for his distinctive voice and energetic live performances. He gained press notoriety for his romantic involvements which is why Lorelai says she’ll make Nanny keep him away from her (imaginary) children.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 2004 into the UK Music Hall of Fame with the other band members. As both a member of the Rolling Stones, and as a solo artist, he has reached #1 13 times, made the Top Ten 32 times, and the Top 40 70 times. He was knighted in 2003 for his services to popular music.

Of course, this casual attitude to children is the exact opposite of Lorelai’s real mothering style, which is deeply protective, and, if anything, rather too involved in her daughter’s life. Although even in a joke, she is concerned about shielding them from unwanted influences.

School Pageant

RORY: I had a school thing once, and I wasn’t sure if Mom would want to go so I didn’t invite her. It was my kindergarten “Salute to Vegetables” pageant and I was broccoli and I did a tap dance with a guy that was playing beets and the entire number I was just thinking, “Mom’s not here” and it was my fault that she wasn’t there and, well, it was kind of a life lesson for me.

We already know that Rory studied ballet with Miss Patty when she was a little girl, but apparently she did tap dancing even in kindergarten! I’m guessing Miss Patty also taught tap to the kindergarten class. In A Year in the Life, Rory takes up tap dancing again as a way to relieve stress.

Rory’s little anecdote about the school pageant is actually one of the more plausible things we hear about her childhood. Most things make her seem either too old for her age or too young, but it’s perfectly believable that the thoughtful young child of a single, working mother who’s a maid at an inn would be hesitant at asking her mother to come to a school pageant.

Little Rory would know how hard Lorelai works and that there’s no other parent to fall back on if she’s unavailable. I can imagine her feeling that a school pageant isn’t important enough to pull Lorelai out of work for, yet missing her horribly when the moment arrives, and seeing all the other mothers there.

The fact that she blamed herself entirely for the situation shows that even as a young child, she was already placing herself as the responsible person in the relationship with her mother, and taking on the parental role.

Rory Invites Richard and Emily to Lorelai’s Graduation

RORY: As you know, Mom’s been going to business school at the community college out here for three years now … Actually, she’s graduating Thursday, and there’s going to be a ceremony and I think it would mean a lot to her if you guys were there.

Concerned that Lorelai is making a mistake by not inviting her parents to her graduation ceremony, Rory takes it upon herself to give them tickets herself on an after school visit for afternoon tea. She makes a very mature, calm and rational submission to them, and you can tell that her days on the debating team haven’t been wasted.

At the end, she addresses her grandparents as “Richard” and “Emily” when tea is served, to indicate both how objective she was trying to be, and that she was speaking to them as a friend and equal, not as a beloved granddaughter pleading with them for a favour.

She wishes them to attend Lorelai’s graduation ceremony because they want to, not because they feel manipulated into it, and I think Rory’s sincere attempt to make things right is the main reason Richard and Emily go to the graduation ceremony with such a good attitude.

Lorelai and Luke Meet at the Market

LORELAI: Hey Luke, do you think we could –

LUKE: I gotta get back.

After awkwardly running into each other at Doose’s Market, Lorelai attempts a reconciliation, but Luke evades her overture by saying he has to get back to work. He is not ready to forgive her yet, and it’s another sign to Lorelai that Jess being gone has not really solved any of her problems.

I’m not sure what Luke came into the market for, but he’s just left without buying anything, so whatever it was, he didn’t get it!

Note that Frosted Flakes breakfast cereal is shown in the background, which was so prominent in the scene where Lorelai discovers Jess will be moving to Stars Hollow.

Skeet Shooting

While all three walk through the town square, Dean explains his new hobby of skeet shooting to Rory and Lorelai. He has taken it up at the urging of his father, who is a big fan of the sport.

Skeet shooting, elsewhere known as clay pigeon shooting or clay target shooting, is using a shotgun to try to break clay targets mechanically flung into the air at high speed from a variety of angles.

The show keeps giving Dean more and more interests that couldn’t be less compatible with Rory. Monster trucks, robot battles, shooting … we get it now. He and Rory don’t belong together! The fact that Rory can’t wait to make fun of her own boyfriend for daring to have hobbies she doesn’t share seems like another red flag Dean should have paid attention to.

Mystery Breakfast Spot

LORELAI: We have arrived.

RORY: Arrived where? [looks up] Aw, you are without shame.

Somehow Lorelai has led Rory all the way to Sookie’s house without Rory having the slightest idea where they are going. This is even less believable than the time Lorelai took her right to the very gates of Harvard before Rory suspected where they were. How can Rory not remember where Sookie lives?

Once again, we see that Sookie seems to live a long walk from Lorelai’s house, yet somehow it is too close to get in the car and drive to it. Rory says they are in the opposite direction to the business district, and even wonders if they are walking to the next town, suggesting that Sookie lives on the outskirts of Stars Hollow. Yet the area doesn’t look any more rural than Lorelai and Rory’s street – which makes sense, because in real life, Sookie’s house was right next to Lorelai’s!

Lorelai cannot go to the diner for breakfast, because she and Luke are still in a fight over Jess. The show doesn’t make it clear whether Lorelai arranged in advance to have breakfast at Sookie’s, or if they have turned up unannounced first thing in the morning expecting to be fed (which would not be out of character). Either way, Sookie is delighted to have extra people to cook for.

Tonto

RORY: My feet are sore.

LORELAI: Hey, Tonto, when did you become older than me?

Tonto is the Native American companion of The Lone Ranger, crime-fighting fictional characters from the American Old West created by George W. Trendle and Francis “Fran” Striker. They first made their appearance in 1933 on The Lone Ranger radio show, but proved so popular they appeared in several other media – perhaps most memorably in The Lone Ranger television series (1949-1957), with Jay Silverheels in the role of Tonto [pictured].

The portrayal of Tonto is often seen as degrading to Native Americans, as Tonto spoke in pidgin English. From the 1980s onward, Tonto was articulate in English, and tended to be witty, outspoken, and sarcastic toward The Lone Ranger.

Lorelai addresses Rory as her loyal sidekick, like Tonto. In the radio series, Tonto was actually quite elderly, and it was only when they moved into films that he began to be portrayed as a handsome young warrior.

“It wasn’t his fault”

RORY: It wasn’t his fault.

LUKE: I know it wasn’t.

Rory finally finds the one person in town who will listen and believe her when she says the car accident wasn’t Jess’ fault. It’s a moment where Rory can connect with someone who won’t be angry or blame her for what happened, but won’t blame Jess either. Rory and Luke have very few moments alone together shown in the show, but when we see them, they are always heart-warming.

“Twice a week”

LANE: Twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday nights at six o’clock, I could come and practice here …

SOPHIE: Please, go home.

LANE: I can’t. I can’t go home until you say yes. I have to rock, I have to! Please, I’m so begging you – let me rock!

Lane begs and pleads and cajoles and bargains, and finally gets Sophie to agree to let her practice twice a week at the music store in the evening. It’s an incredible gift Sophie has given Lane, apparently touched by her overwhelming need to live a musical life and with no one to help her.

Rory gets opportunities handed to her on a platter, while Lane has to beg a virtual stranger to let her practice drums. She’s not getting free lessons, she will have to teach herself, but at least she is going to be allowed to touch some actual drums on a regular basis.

According to Lane, her mother goes to Bible group alone on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6 pm. In “It Should’ve Been Lorelai”, Lane has to accompany her mother to Bible class every Saturday morning, but Bible class and Bible group seem to be two different things. Perhaps Bible class is for instruction, while Bible group is for discussion. Throw in Thursday evening hymns, and most of the week seems to be taken up with religious activities.

Notice how Lane pleads with Sophie as if in the throes of passionate prayer. I can imagine Lane has prayed constantly for any chance to play music, and after many years, her prayers have been answered.

“I’m sick of everyone treating me like I’m some kind of mindless idiot”

RORY: I’m sick of this. I’m sick of everyone treating me like I’m some kind of mindless idiot being led around by a guy … Everyone in my life, including you, is refusing to believe that I was just as responsible for what happened that night as Jess was.

Rory has always been treated as some sort of perfect girl that all adults love to an almost insane degree. She’s “the sweetest kid in the world“, she’s the Gilmore family’s “great white hope“, she’s the princess of Stars Hollow, daughter of the queen bee.

Now she expresses her resentment at being forced into this stifling role, because it means that she can never be granted agency or bear any consequences for her actions. If she gets into a car accident, then it isn’t Rory’s fault – she’s been led astray by “that boy”. Rory is smart enough to see that it means nobody is actually treating her as a person, that her thoughts and actions don’t matter to them – what matters to them is the imaginary Rory they have in their heads of the perfect girl.

Rory explains to Lorelai that she agreed to go for ice cream with Jess, she let him drive the car, she asked him to keep driving instead of going straight back to the diner. She was having fun with Jess, she enjoyed driving with him until the accident occurred, and she knows that she bears at least some of the responsibility for what happened.

Unfortunately, nobody listens to her at all. Lorelai stills blames Jess. Her grandparents still blame Lorelai and Dean. It’s Rory’s tragedy that she is never brought to account for her mistakes and errors, even when she demands it, and eventually this will have big consequences when she becomes an adult.