Gilmore Girls – Recap – Episode 6-11

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In a very funny opening scene, Kirk goes behind the counter and helps himself to coffee at Luke’s. Needless to say, Luke isn’t pleased. Kirk accuses him of giving preferential treatment to people (Lorelai) he’s sleeping with. Despite his valid point, Kirk is still not welcome behind the counter.

Lorelai & Rory return from their 21st birthday celebration in Atlantic City. Seems like they had quite a good time, and have a lot of worthless junk to prove it. They were hoping to see Journey, INXS or Queen in concert – all sans original lead singers, but had to settle for Tony Danza. They also saw Luke 2.0, his doppelganger. Or a guy dressed as Dolly Parton. The girls overwhelm Luke as usual:

Lorelai: He missed us
Rory: Definitely

Well, it’s time for Rory to head back to Yale – one semester behind. It’ll probably take her at least a month to catch up. Lorelai’s disappointed when Rory informs her she’s moving in with Paris and Doyle to an off-campus apartment. I’m with Lorelai, as usual.

Back at Luke’s, Lorelai & Sookie discuss wedding plans. Luke tries to join in, and is told politely but firmly by Sookie to step back. She’s the B.F.O.T.B: case closed. Lane’s appearance and overall surly attitude scares Lorelai. There’s plenty more where that came from.

Paris gives Rory the grand tour of their “new” apartment, and I can’t stress enough what
a step down it is. At least Paris & Doyle have home security covered…

Casually walking home from Luke’s, Lorelai & Sookie continue the wedding talk when they stumble upon a rather generic looking bridal store. Sookie persuades an unenthused Lorelai to just check it out. Suddenly, right in front of her: the perfect dress. Her size. On sale. The perfect dress.

Switching gears entirely, Lane’s back home – and she’s p*ssed. I must say, she does bitter very well. Everyone’s been in this kind of mood before, and it stinks. Lane is completely out of control, lashing out at her mom, customers at the antique store, Zach. No one is spared.

Rory’s back to kissing up pathetically: this time a poor professor, who teaches a class she desperately wants to add, is the target. It was almost as annoying as when she wouldn’t leave that newspaper guy alone. Then she runs into good ol’ Logan at the coffee cart,
but she can’t deal and bolts. Any chance of Marty returning?

Lorelai bursts into Luke’s to tell him about the perfect dress. And the perfect church. And the perfect carousel. Oh, and the perfect wedding date: June 3rd. Luke looks a
little overwhelmed, again.

Paris begins her reign as Editor of the Yale Daily News. How did that happen again?
She gives a very brief, harsh, Paris-like introductory speech, and then orders Logan
into her office to let him know he won’t be coddled.

Rory gives Lorelai the tour of the new apartment, and gets a lot of no’s. Mom’s not
impressed. But Rory calmly talks Lorelai out of moving her out. Then Lorelai starts
freaking out when Rory asks how the wedding plans are going. Suddenly, everything
falling into place has become a bad thing. “Things shouldn’t be this easy,” she says. Followed by a wonderfully crazed reference to a Twilight Zone episode involving a bride-to-be being chased on horseback by her older-self. Poor Lorelai. Just waiting for bad things to happen. Is Luke destined to become another Max?

Speaking of Luke, he abruptly decides to pay April’s mother Anna, played by Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey, Twin Peaks), a visit. The Palladinos must really like Fenn, who you’ll remember also played Jess’s dad’s second wife a few seasons back.

“How come you didn’t tell me, Anna?” Anna responds that they weren’t together anymore when she realized she was pregnant with April, and that Luke hated kids – even bringing up his unnatural hatred of Macauley Culkin. Luke says he’s not that guy anymore, and wants to pitch in. Anna responds that he doesn’t owe them anything. But Luke insists that he wants to be a part of April’s life, and Anna says it’s fine with her if it’s fine with her daughter. It’s actually a genuinely pleasant visit. As Luke’s heading out the door:

Anna: Hey, Luke – you happy?
Luke: Yeah
Anna: Me too, it’s pretty cool isn’t it?
Luke: Yeah, it is

Back at Yale, Rory returns to her apartment to find Logan waiting again – with cold coffee and loads of excuses about why he “broke up” with her. Is he gone yet?

Immediately after her unpleasant encounter with Logan, Rory attends her first psychiatric evaluation – ordered by the school for students who return after taking a leave of absence. “I don’t have to lie down, do I?” jokes Rory. But things quickly turn heavy, and Rory really lets the doc have it – not able to shake the whole Logan affair. Are we supposed to believe now that she really loved Logan? I thought she was confused, rebelling or something. After using up a couple boxes of the doctor’s tissues, she calls Lorelai to tell her about the session, and that there will be more:

Rory: Guess who’s crazy? Me!
Lorelai: I’m so sorry you’re a nut

Mrs. Kim has finally had enough of Angry Lane. So she takes her into the kitchen, grabs a bottle of booze and two shot glasses, and tells Lane it’s time to move on. Well done.

At episode’s end, Luke comes home prepared to tell Lorelai everything about April. But Lorelai comes down the stairs in the perfect dress, and Luke is tongue-tied. So I guess
he’ll wait and tell her tomorrow. As we all know in TV World, this is a colossal mistake.