WB Summary: When a meeting of the Edgar Allan Poe Society at the Independence Inn is interrupted by a fire, Lorelai must find rooms for the guests at various homes around town. Forced to give up her own room, Lorelai spends the night at Luke’s. Trying to decide among Harvard, Yale and Princeton, Lorelai and Rory make an extensive list of pros and cons for each school. Luke worries that Jess may be skipping school when he learns that Jess has been working a surprising number of hours at Wal-Mart.
Elise’s Comment: Many things happenned during this very well written episode. I grade it an A+ right away, there’s no doubt about it. The main story lines are: 1) Rory writting her pro/con lists of Universities, 2) The fire at the Independence Inn and 3) Jess being nominated employee of the month at Walmart. Then, there are even more secondary stories worth mentionning: the Edgar Allan Poe Society’s visit in Stars Hollow, Kirk’s new money making endeavour, Sookie’s attachment to all living things, Paris and her refusal letter from Harvard, Lane and Young Chui’s situation. A lot of things happening in a single episode mean only one thing: a long, but complete, review on my part.
A: The Fire.
When I was younger, I was very scared that my house would catch fire. This episode brought back those bad memories. The destruction a fire brings is unbelievable. It was very sad to see the Inn in this state. However, Lorelai and the entire Inn team reacted very well to the incident, well except Michel, who tried to get a job at the Cheshire Cat. Luke was kind enough to share his diner with Sookie. It reminded me of the episode Cinnamon’s Wake, when both of them are constantly competing. Even Babette and Miss Patty helped out; don’t they make great receptionnists? There’s also Rory, with her puppet show to entertain the kids. Nothing was missing, well, that is besides beds for the guests at the Inn. Lorelai openned the doors of her home to them, which led her to spend the night at Luke’s. I can’t believe she told him about her dream.
Lorelai: Help the guests with the kids, make sure they’re not freaked out. Gather them up and entertain them for awhile so the adults can catch their breath.
Rory: Right. I have never entertained kids — how do I do that?
Lorelai: Uh, take your socks off and do a puppet show.
Rory: You’ve clearly never entertained kids either.
Lorelai [to the kids]: Hey, guys, go on over to the diner and have breakfast with your families, and then ask the nice man in the baseball hat and the flannel shirt to do sock puppets for you. And if he says no, just ask him louder — it’s part of the game!
Miss Patty [with a funny accent]: [answers the phone] Hello, this is the Independence Inn emergency headquarters. I’m Miss Patty, I’ll be assisting you today. How may I help you?
Babette [on the computer]: Hey Michel, I just hit F4 and the num lock key and the one with the little apple on it and it’s freaking out like it’s on acid or something.
Luke: You tuck a bed in on both sides?
Lorelai: Yes, and then I slip down into it like I’m in a straitjacket or something.
Luke: Oh, you must feel right at home there.
B: The pro/con lists to Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
I loved the episode Road Trip To Harvard, however, I always feared the fourth Gilmore Girls season because things would be bound to change. Rory living in a residence, Lorelai in Stars Hollow, things would be different. I guess the writers had that same worry in mind, that’s why they brought the idea of Yale. They brought the subject very naturally, it didn’t seem as a desperation to keep the characters together. I love the last scene, when Rory enters her room to find that her Harvard wall has been replaced by a Yale wall, with t-shirts, flags and everything. Funny moment related to this subject: Luke hugging Rory when he learns she has been accepted to the three Universities she applied. Oh Luke, you little softy! While on the subject of future plans, lets talk briefly about Paris who, after being rejected by Harvard, spends her time in bed watching soaps. Wouldn’t you have done the same if you would’ve humiliated yourself at the Harvard interview the way she did?
Rory: Have you guys heard from Paris? […]
Louise: She’s not here? […]
Madeline: Didn’t notice.
Louise: Although, it did seem like there was a lot more air in here.
Lorelai: … you’ll have the best on-campus productions. You’ll get to see the next Meryl Streep all goofy and eighteen and doing crap like, “Hey, name an occupation!” “Plumber!” “Name a farm tool now!” “Tractor!” “Hey, I’m a tractor doing. . .plumbing.”
Rory: That’s what they do at the Yale drama school?
C: Our little Jess was chosen employee of the month at Walmart.
Behind that cold exterior, you could see he was happy and proud. Who wouldn’t be, especially with weeks of 45 hours. Does this foreshadow trouble ahead? Luke was so proud of him. He and Jess are really starting to look like a family, which was the writers’ goal when they brought Jess to Stars Hollow. It’s sad we’ll have to see him leave.
D: Faux Poes Foes.
This picture is related to two subjects: Kirk’s shirts and the Poes’ visit to Stars Hollow. Lets start with Kirk who doesn’t seem able to find a career path. The Video Store, Dosey’s Market, Beauty Supply Store… and now selling shirts with random Stars Hollow events written on them. “Babette ate oatmeal”, what a nice openning act. Well, they were usefull to the Inn guests who lost their clothes in the fire. Now that these shirts didn’t bring him the success he anticipated (remember the 80% off sign?), he’s thinking of a career as a Poe. Which brings me to the Poe Society. What a funny concept to bring them to a small town. Almost everyone was at their presentations of The Raven. How funny, two confused Poes competing with facts about the poet’s life. Dean, Lindsay, Luke and Nicole were there. Oh the attitude that these two women directed to Lorelai and Rory! Good news of the episode: Dean has chosen a college to attend. Does that mean he’ll be staying in Stars Hollow?
Lorelai: Do we bolt?
Rory: Do we dare?
Lorelai: At least if I’d brought a flask, we could’ve played the nevermore drinking game.
Rory: Oh, maybe this is what drove Poe to the bottle.
Lorelai: His own work.
E: This last section is dedicated to the other subjects. First Sookie and Jackson’s attachment to all living things, and then Lane’s situation with Young Chui.
Sookie: Yesterday.. .ugh, it was awful. Jackson moved a table and just kind of nicked this spider. He didn’t see the little thing, and just clipped one of its legs. And it was having trouble walking and we were so upset, but Jackson made a new leg for it out of a paper clip, but jamming the clip into the spider killed it instantly. Little Satchmo.
Lane: Oh my God, he [Young Chui] loves me. That stupid boy’s fallen in love with me!
Rory: It’s not stupid. You’re a catch.
Lane: But not his catch, I’m Dave’s catch. I’ve already been caught.
[Written by Elise on June 5 2003]
Gilmore Girls Memories 