Rory is learning that the world of journalism in 2016 isn’t all that welcoming, with almost all of the doors open to her slamming shut in unison. Despite some desperate acts to keep it all afloat, including trying for a job she didn’t even want and asking Logan for Mitchum’s help in securing an interview with Conde Nast, she’s back home in Stars Hollow. It’s sad to see our girl struggle so much in the real world with all that intelligence and education behind her, but I’m sure it’s something a lot fans will relate to. It certainly helps to negate the problems some people had with how easily she gave up when she faced smaller hurdles years before. She didn’t go down without fighting this time, so you’ve got to give her credit for that.
She may have a fallback option, though. A visit to Chilton with Paris in tow saw headmaster Charleston offering Rory a position of her choosing. It’s a flattering offer to be sure but one that may not fit with Rory’s dreams of becoming a super star journalist. But who can deny that she’d make a wonderful teacher. Her talk to the current students seemed to go a little better than Paris’, for one.
She puts on a brave face, and she certainly talks a serious game, but we saw that Paris is just as unsure about the direction her life has taken as Rory. After spotting Tristan (not Chad Michael Murray sadly), she immediately reverted back to her insecure teen self. Even though her former frenemy Francie reminded Paris just how much she has actually accomplished, seeing an old high school crush brought all those old feelings of insignificance, and self pity back. Here’s hoping she can make things work with Doyle again, though. They were great together.
Meanwhile, Lorelai and Emily’s therapy sessions started with a bang. Though it didn’t help them to reconcile any of their issues by episode’s end, we do see Lorelai start to accept that something may be missing between her and Luke. What’s holding her back from moving forward with him? Claudia, the therapist, pointed out that a life without marriage can be fulfilling for a lot of people, but is this something Lorelai is content with? Does she want more?
Luke also seems to be toying with the idea of moving forward with something big. He didn’t exactly shoot down the idea of expanding his diner “empire” when he found out about Richard’s trust that he left to put towards such an expansion. It doesn’t seem like something Luke would necessarily want. Perhaps he’s looking for fulfilment in the wrong place.
Though this episode was focused mainly on upheaval in the girls’ lives, there was a little more Stars Hollow quirk to help ease the tension. Though I’m not certain I liked the attempt to out Taylor at a town meeting, I do like that they show seems to have broken free of its confines of ghosts of the WB past. It’s also a relief to see that the Palladinos have managed to retain the show’s charm, while still making it seem relevant and knowing almost a decade later. It doesn’t seem wrong to see Luke lie to diner customers about the Wifi password, or Babette looking up b-list actor’s credentials during a town meeting.
Plus
Paris’ old teacher running away from her felt like a fun re-enactment of the political leaders in Washington avoiding her like the plague in season three.
How great was it to have Rory, Paris and Francie going at each other’s throats in the school bathroom again?
I can’t decide if Mr Kim’s first appearance was clever or callous. Maybe it was both?
I really don’t like the fact that Rory is sleeping with Logan, despite the fact that he’s engaged. Didn’t she learn anything from the whole Dean/Lindsay debacle? On the other hand, I love that she had a one night stand with a Wookie.
He Said, She Said
Paris: "Take a powder, baby John. This is our turf."
Francie: Sure. Fine. We'll just catch up at the reunion of the Puffs next month. Oops, no we wont, because you never got Puff-ed."
Paris: "Screw you!"
Francie: "Eat me!"
Luke: "If something's good, keep it the same."
Lorelai: "Michel, he's for me what Paris is for you."
Rory: "Your angry friend?"
Rory: "I have no career, no apartment, but boy oh boy can I bang out a one night stand."
Lorelai: "Peaks and valleys, kid. The older you get, the more you have."
It’s fantastic to see how much this revival is thriving with the right creative team in charge. There’ve been one or two minor snags in adjusting to a modern landscape, but the series feels like it’s telling a necessary story. Add to that the fact that everyone involved seems incredibly enthusiastic about the project and it really feels like a good time to be a part of the Gilmore family.
9/10
Also posted at Doux Reviews.
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