Emily's Code of Ethnics

Who is Emily Gilmore? Well, Emily is a lady of proper society. In particular, she is a conservative member of New England society as well as the president of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was raised by parents in the elite group who follow a strict code of conduct and appearances. But our "proper" being isn't a dumb-rich-spoiled girl (...well...), she graduated from Smith College and married one of the smart males from her social class. So as you can see, Emily Gilmore is one that furthers herself.

But what's really interesting is Emily's Code of Ethnics. According to Lorelai, Emily is just a replica of Emily Post, the who's who of manners and etiquette. And on many occassions, whether she is in Stars Hollow or her comfortable environment in Hartford, Emily has dished out orders to Lorelai and Rory both as to try to influence them in a manner befitting to her social position.

Here are a few of Emily's Code of Ethnics:
(1) A lady never answers the door.
(2) One asks to leave the table and/or excuses oneself from the table.
I'm sure there's more, but none are jumping to the front of my brain right now.

From the very first episode to this current season of GG, we have learned and seen with our own eyes that Lorelai isn't the proper lady Emily wishes her to be. In every way and many times over, Lorelai presents symptoms of rebellion. From her pregnancy at sixteen to her wacky clothes. But the sweet and not-so-wild Rory isn't so different. She attempt to wrangle her way into her grandparents world by attending a cotillion and a few cocktail parties, but once she got to see the real world of Emily's society, she conformed to her mother's ideal ways. It's as obvious as it is to Lorelai and Rory that Emily is a little over the top with her societal moral structure, but she can't be that bad. I mean she is a Gilmore girl herself, no?

So what do you think of Emily's Code of Ethnics? Can you name some I missed? Do you have any favorites? What is your favorite Lorelai or Rory rebellion to Emily's codes?

Natalie Wood

Gilmore Girls is a show filled with idiosyncratic characters, and one is the glamour stylist and fashion guru Miss Celine. She's only appeared on a few eppies, her latest during season five. But what's most interesting is her face-star match. Once she has labelled you as a certain star, you remain that star. In Lorelai's case Miss Celine took one glance at her and saw only Natalie Wood. Natalie Wood is a 1940 to 1980 actress whose played in many films. She has an eccentric giddy-up with a feverish style. It's no wonder Miss Celine pegged Lorelai as a Nat.


The reason for this post is because I had no idea who Natalie Wood was, and I was to lazy to look her up (that or I forgot). But the other night at twelve am on the Turner Classic Movies channel, a Natalie Wood film called Penelope flashed across my screen. I didn't know what to expect, I just made the Gilmore Girls connection and decided to watch. It was...surprise...a good film. It had an air of Alias with Natalie jumping into multiple aliases, two bank robberies and secret feelings of love all around. But what really made the movie fun was Penelope being a kleptomaniac. Natalie Wood's Penelope is a great look into a Gilmore Girls reference as well as a great old movie. I highly recommend this film.

Now. Did you get the Natalie Wood reference? Or were you like me, having it slip over your head? Have you seen any Natalie Wood films? Which ones? Do you think she's a good actress? Is she a great Lorelai comparison or not?

Marty, Rory's Perfect Mate?

Is Marty Rory's perfect mate? Hmmm...not really, but he is better than Logan. Wait, make that so much better than Logan. Marty is this really sweet, autumn, non-rich, non-full-of-himself, non-jerk who really cares about Rory and not just for sex. In his last GG installment (S5's Jews and Chinese Food), his heart was gutted when Rory disclosed her emotional state for Logan. And even though Marty and fans knew she liked Logan (it did take a map to get that idea), it was a heart-breaking moment. We watched Marty pine for the young Gilmore for awhile, and we knew where the story was headed, but he was the ultimate underdog. And for that reason (plus his compatibility with Rory) no one could have sided against him. No one...unless you dream of your mate as an over-privileged white boy. Anyhoo. It appears that that is Rory's type, for Doctor Laura only knows why.

But is Marty that different from Rory's other seasonal guys? He's a drinker; we saw that from day one. And as GG has progressed, Rory's guys (Dean, Jess, Logan) have all dab into the liquor bottle at some point or another for some reason or another. Marty also possesses Dean and Jess's destitute. That's a second Rory-type trait. Yes, Logan doesn't fit in to that category (obviously), but you can count that really as Rory chasing something new. Plus, Marty is smart. That he has in common with Rory as well as Jess and Logan. Dean was a little on the slow side. But as you can see, Marty does seem to drum to the beat of Rory's mating call. So what do you think? Is Marty Rory's perfect mate? Can you think of any other traits that fit to the Rory-type? Do you detest Marty? If so, why?

Set Up, Wash Out

I was rewatching my taped episodes of this season, and something hit me so hard I thought I hit the floor. Okay, do you know the episode when Rory returns to the Gilmore fold? I think the episode is called The Prodigal Daughter Returns. Anywhoo. The people over at GG set up Rory's return with her finding a place to stay away from the Grandparents and her reconcilating with her mother, but that's not the set up I'm referring to. I'm talking about Rory getting her job back at Logan's dad's paper in Stanford. It was Rory doing the Lor thing, you know the Lor thing. The Lor thing is when Lorelai goes into her nothing-but-blinders-on mode. And I have to say that Rory doing this usual Lor thing was great. She bugged, camped-out, stalked and all but handcuffed her former boss to her. But as soon as this story set up went into the episode, it washed out in the next episode. What does that mean? Did she lose the job? Or was it another GG inconsistency? My money is on the GG inconsistency. But at least, we got to get a great Rory moment out of it.

GO BACK, BACK TO THE BASICS!

Gilmore Girls has always praised itself on the mother/daughter relationship of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, but in recent seasons that dynamic has disappeared. The show is now, more than ever, centered on Lorelai's and Rory's relationships with males. Yes, it's great that they find companionship, and of course, it's only natural that Rory goes off to college. But phone calls and surprise visits does not give viewers, especially this viewer, the central relationship that past seasons have thrived on. It feels forced and not Gilmore. I want that relationship back, we need that relationship!

Buying the DVDs and watching them over and over only reminds me of what it is I'm missing. No Stars Hollow days; no Rory and Lorelai breakfast or dinner dates. Instead, we are stuck with Rory making goo-goo eyes at Logan, her following him around like a little puppy dog, Lorelai throwing her best diatribes at Luke and Lorelai chasing an imaginary wedding. This is not good. It is not what I signed up for. I signed up for Lorelai and Rory's wake-up calls, their morning routines, their movie nights and all the other Gilmore goodies. So hear me now showrunners. Go back, back to the basics!

GG Inconsistency

I think I found a GG inconsistency. No, I'm sure I found a GG inconsistency. Gilmore Girls showrunners have always been good about keeping with the storylines, but when rewatching my season five DVD, I noticed a contradiction. And it's no small incongruity either. In the Tippecanoe and Taylor, Too episode, Jackson runs against Taylor for Town Selectmen and wins. Yeah! And throughout the episodes that follow, Jackson is seen ducking, hiding and disguising himself to avoid Stars Hollow townies because of his Town Selectmen duty. That's all good and stuff due to it's small laughing feats and great references, but how in the world does Taylor get seated again at the Town Selectman thrown? I'm not exactly sure when it happens or how, but sometime from season five's Emily Says "Hello" episode to this current season Taylor has come back. I'm pretty sure that I've never missed an episode from season five or this current season, so this Town Selectman switch-aroo has to be an inconsistency, right?

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

I think Lorelai Gilmore says it best: "Coffee, coffee, coffee!" You probably think that no one in real life could drink more coffee than the Gilmore girls, but I bet ya I run a close second. I'm a coffee addict. I love coffee, actually I live on coffee. It's my one and almost only beverage that I consume on a daily basis. Yes, there is the H2O, the milk and the rootbeer that I drink, but it doesn't hold a penny to the rich and creamy liquid. I admit it. Gilmore Girls started the psychosis, but it rampaged all on its own. I used to watch GG and drink coffee, and I used to drink coffee and think GG, but now I drink coffee in the morning, the noon and the night. It's became a life on its own. I don't fret too much, though. It's got to be a healthier obsession than alcohol. Right?

But alas, let's think on GG's favorite coffee moments. I'm hoping that everyone can agree that the most known coffee moment is the scene from the pilot:

LORELAI: Please, Luke. Please, please, please.
LUKE: How many cups have you had this morning?
LORELAI: None.
LUKE: Plus...
LORELAI: Five, but yours is better.
LUKE: You have a problem.
LORELAI: Yes, I do.
Luke pours her coffee.
LUKE: Junkie.
LORELAI: Angel. You've got wings, baby.

But the next scene is following pretty close (just because coffee's the answer to her dilemma):

[Luke’s Diner. Luke is taking chairs off the tables when he sees Lorelai sitting outside the diner waiting for him to open.]
LUKE: What are you doing?
LORELAI: I need coffee.
LUKE: It's 5:00 in the morning. Make coffee at your own house.
LORELAI: I did. I drank it all.
LUKE: You drank all the coffee in your house before five in the morning?
LORELAI: Big gulps, lots of sugar.
LUKE: Alright, get up. [Pulls her up and takes her inside.]
LORELAI: And just a little bit of cream 'cause it makes it cold.
LUKE: Keep moving.
LORELAI: [ Sighs ] I can't sleep. I can't turn my mind off. It keeps running and thinking and making lists.
LUKE: Maybe if you drank a little less coffee, you'd make a little less lists.
LORELAI: Oh, I can't stop drinking the coffee. If I stop drinking coffee, I stop doing the standing and the walking and the words putting-into-sentence doing.
LUKE: I'll make you some coffee.

So what do you think? Are you a coffee addict? How much do you drink a day? What's your favorite GG coffee moment or quote?

Snit-bit

I have a snit-bit to share. Do you remember Paul Anka? Yes, the dog. Well, two episodes from now we, the viewers, will have a chance to meet the real Paul Anka. According to Kristin on E!Online, Anka (the human one) couldn't resist working with his canine counterpart on the upcoming Gilmore Girls episode The Real Paul Anka. Lauren Graham says, "I have a dream that Paul Anka and Paul Anka meet." She continues to comment by saying that "it's surreal," especially when he sits on Babette's (Sally Struthers') lap. So buckle up and prepare to catch two Paul Ankas on the April 11th episode.

A Botch Plot

What were they thinking? How could the Gilmore Girls showrunners conjure such a botch plot? You are probably thinking that there is no botch plot in the Gilmore archive, but I'd have to disagree. The Rory/Dean affair at season four's finale and season five's beginning was a botch plot. It spoiled Rory's character, making her tainted in my eyes. Now don't get me wrong, I still love Rory, but the Dean affair just made her more human and definitely made her a notch below Lorelai in my book. Every time I watch my season four and five DVDs, I skip past those parts. And taking that kind of action breaks my heart, for I feel that I am missing a part of Gilmore Girls. I've never done that in the past, not with any show. But watching Rory make side glances toward Dean, almost kissing Dean, kissing Dean and then sleeping with Dean is something that I do not care to relive. Yes, it would have been great if Dean was not married, but "Rory, he's married." And my moral compass is still in shock and screaming "terrible, just terrible." But even with my animosity toward this episode, I have to hand it to the writers for going to a place that other shows would have avoided because it straddles an immoral/moral line that could have been catastrophic to the ratings of the show. So kudos. But never, I mean never, try such a stunt again. Please!

Sookie St. James

Every show has a comic relief, and for Gilmore Girls that relief is Sookie St. James. At first, more than half of the Gilmore Girls fans had thought that Sookie was a little off putting, but I'd have to disagree. The moment I first saw her, I loved her. She's affectionate, sweet, clumsy, flaky and such a goofball. I didn't look at her and see her weight; I looked at her and saw bright energy. And it's not just any energy either. She's got that kind of energy that lights you up when you are around her; she is just that type of poison. Top that off with her sensitivity and one-track culinary mind, and you got a classic Gilmore character.

Sookie has made us chuckle and giggle since the series premiere with spastic gestures, funfilled dialogue and heart-softening blonde moments, and I thought I'd give her praise by typing out some of my favorite Sookie moments and quotes. The first and fore most is her giddy one-worder "chickadee" from season one. A smile pops across my face everytime I think it and say it. It's just so cheery. Then there is the moment in season one when Michel passes ennui to Sookie and she comes up with it's opposite -- "off-wee" and claps. That's just so a "giggle-what" moment. What about her "you were picturing him with a Lorelai Gilmore sort of pretty" line from season one? Or her quip "build the roof"? And there's that wacky moment in season five where she's wearing her Jackie Kennedy outfit for Jackson's election rally. That gives me a side-splitting laughter everytime I watch it. And just think, these are just a handful of her best moments. I give her a round of applause with a praising bow. Kudos to you Sookie and especially to you Melissa McCarthy cause without you none of these Sookie moments would be here.

6.16: Bridesmaid Revisited

Bridesmaid Revisited was a VERY GOOD episode. It had the snap, crackle and pop of the original Gilmore Girls episodes. You know the ones. Those that have the funny humour and dramatic style.

But I really enjoyed this show's plot movements alot, specifically the three that I consider to make this episode worth watching. The first is the Logan and Rory blow-up/break-up. It all happened at Logan's sister's wedding. Rory went early with Logan to get ready for the wedding with intentions to work on some of her Yale Daliy News stuff, but was forced by Honor to join her and the bridesmaids in the bridal room. While helping the bride and her three bridesmaids get ready, Rory uncovers Logan's extracurricular activities over the Thanksgiving break. Apparently, he's been with the whole bridal party, except for his sister of course. I was intrigued at how the writers (and guest actors) presented the material to the viewers and Rory. It was well written and it seemed to act out like Rory and us were not there, for the bridesmaids and Honor chit-chatted like the Mad Hatter with no reguards (what would you expect with blondes?). With Rory stunned (and me screaming at her "told ya"), she missed the wedding and when Logan appears (finally) she sets in on him. It's basically the whole Ross-and-Rachel thing from Friends. Logan claims "break up," while Rory claims "just a break." But we don't get the whole heated discussion like on Friends, instead Rory just storms out with a time frame for her moving out. Man, that filled me with chocolate-covered glee. I've never liked the Rory/Logan relationship because I've always felt that Logan was beneath her and completely wrong for her. He totally knocked her off course and remains to be a stumpling block that she refuses to side-step or move out of the way. I'm hoping, though, that this is the final straw and that she'll grab the forklift and toss his sorry a**.

On a more happier note, the second plot movement that had me jumping for joy was the Rory and Paris mending. After storming out on Logan at the church, Rory heads straight for the bar and drowns her troubles. A few shots later, a "friendly" diatribe with the waitress and a goodnight kiss that she would like to forget about, Rory heads over to Paris' in hopes of finding a place to stay. Paris is her normal self and Rory slips into the lion's den with an offer of food for ten. Paris offered Rory solace with her huge harden heart, instead of sharpening her horns and charging full speed. And aside from her constant bully ways and annoyance, I have always felt that Paris has brought a uniqueness to the show by being a friend to Rory. She's one that's always entertaining and overpowering, which is what makes this scene refreshing to see because it brings back seasons of Paris memories both bad and good. It was just nice to see the rampaging Paris on pause.

Watching with surprise as Christopher Haden pops up, I noted that this appearance beholds the third and last enjoyable plot movement for this episode. I give my stupidness credit as I didn't catch his return on the spoilers. Chris comes back as our favorite dad, but almost leaves the episode with viewers in red-face hatred. Chris first enters the picture attending a news event of Rory's with Lorelai. He and Lor do their best work of dialogue and rapid talk, but he's adorable cut and close shaved face make him more than eye candy (as Rory noted in a previous episode as she gave her dad a tour). That's a tangent, so let's move on. After the news event, Rory scampers off leaving Lor and Chris catching up. And some how, some way Lorelai ends up with Gigi (Chris' second daughter) -- the spoiled brat from the rich side of the streets. She screams like the movie, throws tantrums and flushes sheets or drapes down the toliet. But if you put aside all the off putting personality, Gigi is really cute and adorable with her pigtails. Apparently, Chris sees only her cute looks, too, because when Lorelai tells Chris about Gigi, he totally flips. "I am done with your advice, and your help." It's his usual freak out. But this time, he pissed me off. And I'd be mad at him, if he hadn't called to apologize and converse with Lorelai near the end of the episode. It makes me feel that she's going to be there for him in later episodes, and I can't wait. The showrunners seem to be really maturing his character, which is what we've all waited for. Makes Luke look like second place (I know, I know. Bad me.).

As you can tell, there were alot of different things happening in this episode. So I leave you with a couple more tidbits that add to this episode's deliciousness.

Great Sidenotes:
* A druken Dole wearing Rory's coat.
* Zack proposes to Lane, and she accepts in the middle of Luke's Dinner.

Pro/Con List

Rory Gilmore is extremely close to her mother, a coffee lover and richly intuitive, but that doesn't stop her from taking up some childish things like Pro/Con lists. It's how she makes her most important decisions, by weighing the pros and cons and seeing which wins out. Rory's done it countless times with Lorelai right along with her. Yale being the most memorable one. But let's look at Rory's pros and cons.

Pros:
-- Coffe
-- Daughter of Lorelai
-- Intelligent
-- Blue Eyes
-- Stars Hallow Enthusiast
-- Dean Relationship in S1
-- Her Study Tree

Cons:
-- Dean Treatment in S2 and S3
-- Dean Relationship at S4's Final and S5
-- Logan Relationship
-- Grandparents over Mother

And though this list can go on and on, I thought it was just peachy keen to type out the most important, especially the cons. But that's all I'm going to say.

GG's 1st Valentine

After five years, the showrunners over at the Gilmore Girls show have finally given the viewers a V-Day episode. In the episode, Rory and Logan invite Lorelai and Luke to spend a weekend with them at Logan's family's house on Martha's Vineyard. Rory and Logan have a wonderful time, but Lorelai is upset by Luke's unfriendly attitude toward Logan. Problem is that though Luke finally came around to being ahhhh...nice, he was a stench for the episode. I've always liked Luke's ranting behavior in the past, but this episode hinted as to what's to come and curved my appetite for Luke's undulating rage. I'm only left with fears about the L&L relationship and hopeful for character changes on Luke's part (since Lor pointed it out). Maybe if Luke can change, then L&L can start to mend what's ahead of them (I'm refering to the season's end). With all that's said and done, it's a Valentine episode to be proud of. Luke finally confronts our and Lorelai's fears of them not marrying (after Lor says something) and Rory and Logan seem like a real couple (definitely on account of the actors). So buckle your seats and hope to catch this episode on a rerun, for it is Gilmore Girls's 1st Valentine.

A Turn For The Worse

Luke and Lorelai are the couple that all GG fans have begged for. But look out because Amy Sherman-Palladino has a huge twist in store for the couple at this season's ending. According to the interview Ausiello had with Amy S-P, the plan is to have a "doozy of a cliffhanger" for both Rory and Lorelai. "They each have their own seperate one; it does not deal with the two of them together. Their relationship is on good footing, so it's now their two romantic relationships. It's closer to the Season 4 cliff-hanger when Rory slept with Dean, but it's a little bit more Pow! Bang! Ouch! than we've done in the past. Basically, it's a Batman episode." So for those reading between the lines (or not), Luke and Lorelai's relationship is taking a turn for the worse.

Welcome !!

Hello and welcome! I'm Rudy and I'm glad to be setting up a Gilmore Girls discussion blog. I have two Charmed websites, P4's Halliwell Manor (a msn group) and Charming Talk (a blog); check them out if you like. My mission, however, is to start pondering, typing, scripting and marking all and everything I can about the Gilmore Girls and their grand show. Any comments will be welcome, so feel free to type out any ideas, notions or opinions you might have.