Gilmore Girls 10/14/03

Patrick Sun · 10-15-2003, 12:03 AM

Episode 4.4 "Chicken or Beef"

One of my favorite TV writers, Jane Espenson, wrote this episode, and she got the Gilmore Girls cadence down pretty well. And since she also wrote an episode of "The O.C." she was able to slip in the fact that Dave (Lane's on-again-off-again boyfriend) took off for California to attend college (while the actor, Adam Brody, is now on "The O.C.", as Seth, which is set in California).

The dialogue was pretty sharp and snappy, a return to form.

Almost didn't recognize Michel with hair. That body odor/French joke was chuckle-producing.

Lorelai's use of Persis Khambatta to needle Rory with her new haircut was classic. (For those who don't get the pop cultural reference, she was the actress who was bald in Star Trek: The Motion Picture from 20+ years ago).

I really wanted to see Lorelai rough up Taylor, but the quid pro quo worked out in the end.

Rory looked really confused and hurt at the last scene as she looks on Dean's wedding from afar. Alexis did a nice job capturing those internal emotions within Rory.

With the shorter hair, Rory looks like she's around 21, not 18, but I'm starting to look the cut as the episode wore on.

I'm looking forward to more Jane Espenson, so I hope she pens more of them.

Thomas H G · 10-15-2003, 08:15 AM

Technically, isn't Adam Brody playing a high school kid in O.C? Anyways, glad she slipped that in there. That was funny.

I wouldn't have put up with Taylor's sh*t as long as Lorelai did. He was really pissing me off.

Also, I would have to agree that the dialogue was sharp as compared to the previous few episodes.

Patrick Sun · 10-15-2003, 08:26 AM

Adam's playing a 16 year old on The O.C. (just thought the confluence of events helped explain his absence on The Gilmore Girls in a serendipitous way).

The writers have pretty much slammed the door on Rory ever seeing Dean in a romantic sense again (Luke pretty much made that happen by taking care of Dean after he got faced, and kept Rory away from the wedding to keep any second thoughts of his marriage to turning him into the "Runaway Groom").

Kirk's "security" patrol of Lorelai borders on obsessive compulsive, but Lorelai is smart enough to handle it the way she does.

Michael Hughes · 10-15-2003, 08:49 AM

It seems like they are working the full cast back into the mix again.

I thought it was just a so-so episode, my beef was more about the content than the writing though as the dialogue was very witty. But it seemed like one more chance to pad the Rory and Dean saga. Luckily it appears that we are ready to move on with getting some Gilmore men involved in the show soon. I think it is apparant that the show needs to begin the new direction and I think now that we have Rory settled into college and Dean off and married we can finally see some new things happening.

The New Inn being constructed
Rory's first College Beau
Suki's Baby
and finally
Luke and Lorelie getting it on..

Ken_McAlinden · 10-15-2003, 09:23 AM

Quote:

I wouldn't have put up with Taylor's sh*t as long as Lorelai did. He was really pissing me off.

As far as she knew, if she stopped putting up with it, her dream would not be realized. The frustration with swallowing that much bull pucky is both what made it hilarious and what led to her cold hard business epiphany.

Regards,

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Jason Seaver · 10-15-2003, 09:38 AM

Jane Espenson's a funny lady; she wrote most of the good episodes of Buffy last year, and she seems to be a perfect fit for this show. This was the hardest I'd laughed at Gilmore Girls in quite some time.

Still, I kind of thought Taylor seemed off - previously he'd been a blowhard, but sort of oblivious to what a jackass he was. I don't recall him ever being this calculating before. Michel hating him was predictable but, also, hilarious - how did the show get into its fourth year without playing those characters off each other?

Thi Them · 10-15-2003, 09:45 AM

I thought they could've done a better job of explaining Dave's absence by not mentioning him going to college. Simply saying that he went to California would have been a better joke.

I don't think the doors have been slammed on Rory and Dean reuniting. There are still a few years left of the show, and I can see Dean eventually divorcing his wife.

Rory looks cuter with the new haircut.

~T

Ken_McAlinden · 10-15-2003, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Still, I kind of thought Taylor seemed off - previously he'd been a blowhard, but sort of oblivious to what a jackass he was. I don't recall him ever being this calculating before

Yeah, but I think that considering how his calculations turned out to be so far off w.r.t. how difficult it would be to get his ice cream truck, it still played okay. There was an element of "obliviousness".

Regards,