Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Christmas Pageant Rehearsal at  Miss Patty’s. Lorelai helps on alterations while Rory looks for baby Jesus’ arm. They are still mad at each other.

Lane says giving a book to Dean sends the wrong message. That it’s a friend gift, not a girlfriend gift.

Emily reminds Lorelai about the Christmas dinner party. Lorelai says she’ll be late, so Emily un-inivtes her. The first dinner she’ll ever miss. Emily says she’s not happy with the way she was treated and is tired of forcing Lorelai to do things. Rory will go without her.

Rory calls Lorelai immature for not going to the party. And reminds Lorelai that she does enjoy parts of the party – the apple tarts, for example. Rory tries to apologize to Emily for her mistake and to ask that she not be mad at Lorelai.

Lorelai, meanwhile, is eating bagged salad since her pizza is late. Not quite the same as a Gilmore dinner. She hears a noise – it’s Dean tapping at Rory’s window. Dean takes the opportunity to apologize. He doesn’t want to be on bad footing with Lorelai. Lorelai reminds Dean of when she had Rory and Rory’s plans to go to Harvard. Dean assures her he will not hurt Rory.

“She will go to Harvard. And if she doesn’t, it won’t be because of me.”

Lorelai assures Dean she doesn’t hate him. And encourages him to use the door next time.

Lorelai gives up on her pizza and goes to Luke’s. Luke calls Lorelai crazy for not forbidding Rory to see Dean. But Lorelai defends him. Says he’s not trouble – he’s beautiful and in love with Rory. Lorelai asks for the menu – not the burger she gets every day. Something festive. She tells Luke about the great food and big tree at the holiday party – the only Gilmore party she enjoys.

Luke helps Lorelai understand her feelings about why she’s unhappy about being left out. She likes the party. Rory is there without her. She and Rory are in a fight. She feels bad about being separated at a time they usually share together. Very perceptive, our Luke.

Richard is getting all worked up about a colleague in London who edited firm documents without letting anyone know. He’s irritated and hot. The guests all miss Lorelai’s addition to the party.

To cheer up Lorelai, Luke makes her burger into a Santa head.

“Noone has ever made me something quite this disgusting before. I thank you.”

Lorelai misses a call – while she’s checking it, Taylor comes in to trade a Christmas carol for hot chocolate.

“Oh my God! My father’s… in the hospital.”

Lorelai is beside herself. Luke won’t let her just call a cab – he offers to drive her.

“But there’s food and there’s people and there’s a burger with a face.”

Luke ushers everyone out of the diner, all meals on him. Lorelai is obsessed over Rory’s short message that Richard was in the hospital and to come. No details. Lorelai is bitter she has no good childhood memories of her dad. But she realizes that’s the way he is – he was brought up that way, was a good provider, was responsible. Luke tells Lorelai she’s a great mom – Lorelai says it’s the daughter part she has to work on. Hearing that, Luke pushes the truck past its speed limits to get Lorelai to the hospital.

Emily cannot get word on Richard. Their own doctor comes in and takes over trying to get info. She tells Rory not to call Lorelai, but then ducks around the corner to place a call herself. But, she calls the home number, not the cell. Lorelai and Luke are lost in the hospital, but Emily’s yelling leads them on. Lorelai negotiates with the nurse to do the paperwork while she gets word on how Richard is.

First, Emily was surprised to see Lorelai there, and then surprised at her tact with the nurse. Emily was recounting the night when she notices Luke and asks if they were on a date. But, Lorelai is curt in replying that ‘it’s just Luke’, and therefore no date.

Lorelai encourages Emily to follow her past the  no-admittance doors. Rory comes back and sits with Luke, who helps to comfort her. Lorelai comes out to say that Richard’s tests are almost done. She and Rory hug. Rory wants to make herself useful by getting coffee. Lorelai comforts Rory by saying Richard will be ok – Rory is in a panic about losing a grandfather she is only just starting to know.

Luke is again Mr. Supportive – he commends Lorelai for being brave for Rory’s sake. And tells her to think positive.

“Rainbows. Unicorns. Clouds. Little, cute, furry… ok, I’m out”

Emily is busying herself securing the best room for Richard. Luke is getting a little fidgety being in a hospital. Lorelai notices he doesn’t look good, which is odd for him.

“You always look good.”

“Yeah?” (smile)

“I mean, you always look healthy.”

Luke smiles at Lorelai’s discomfort over admitting she finds him attractive.

Richard is rolled by, all pale and groggy. Lorelai is afraid to go into the room with him. While Emily and Rory go in, Lorelai makes excuses to stay out. Luke tries to get Lorelai to admit she’s afraid and to go in. Rory is reading the paper to Richard. She gives him a hug before going to look for Lorelai.

Emily fusses over Richard’s pillows, while he wants a serious talk. He tells her where to find their insurance information and his will. She doesn’t want to listen.

“No, I did not sign on to your dying. And it is not going to happen. Not tonight, not for a very long time. In fact, I demand to go first.”

Richard sees what love he has in Emily. She is very afraid.

Lorelai tells Rory that Dean came over, and that she knows nothing happened. She trusts Rory. It was just panic. They missed each other that night – and Rory even tries to lie and say there were no apple tarts to spare her mother’s feelings.

Emily comes out and sits down next to Luke. Emily unburdens herself a bit to Luke. Luke tells her how he kept many of his father’s things from the hardware store when he made it into a diner. Emily applauds him for honoring his father’s work. Emily prods him about his relationship with Lorelai. When he says there is nothing going on, she calls them both idiots.

Lorelai works up the courage to go see her dad. He’s dozing – when he realizes she’s there, they both make to speak, but Emily comes back into the room. The doctor says he has angina, and must change his lifestyle. He stares at Lorelai and they have a passing father-daughter moment.

Lorelai leaves the room and breaks down crying on Luke’s shoulder. He cheers her up and offers her coffee stolen from the nurses lounge. Luke will drive Rory home – Lorelai encourages her to call Dean.

The next day, Lorelai comes by the diner to give Luke a thank you / early Christmas gift. The blue baseball cap! He puts it on right away. They stand at the window to watch the rehearsal for the pageant and Lorelai tells Luke the hat looks good on him.

“Good how?”

But Lorelai does not answer – Luke just smiles at her.

Discussion Questions:

• Does Emily realize she forces Lorelai to do things? If so, why does she continue to do so in the future?
• Why is the Christmas party so much smaller than normal Gilmore parties?
• In the start of the season, Lorelai seemed to be seeing Luke as more than a friend. So, why here does she say he’s “just Luke” and imply she would not date him?
• Do you think, at this stage, Emily wants Lorelai to date Luke?
• Is Lorelai flirting with Luke when she gives him the hat? How does Max fit into the picture?

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