Gilmore Girls 4.14 “The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais”

Original Air Date: February 17, 2004 (Recap date: March 3, 2008)
Photos, Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think Lane is not yet moving on with her life – new job, new place to live, new school?
• Why does Paris get so annoyed about Janet’s boyfriend?
• Why is this semester so much harder on Rory than her first semester at Yale?
• Do you think Rory would have been bothered to see Dean working at the Inn, had he not called?
• Why doesn’t Lorelai share with Sookie the financial issues at the Inn?
• Is Sookie being irresponsible?
• Why does Lane call her mom Mrs. Kim when she sees her?
• Does it seem that Lorelai is asking Luke out on a date?
• Does Rory have too many classes, or simply too many outside activities?
• Is it significant that Rory cries to Dean and Lorelai to Luke? Does that foreshadow events to come?
• Do you think it odd that there is no mention of Jess in this episode?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap & Photos:

Lorelai is purchasing the new horses – Desdemona and Cletus. Calls Rory to invite her to be the first ride – but reminds her that her horse is not likely to lie down and stop moving, like it did when she rode the pony as a kid. Someone needs to be at the Inn later in the week to approve the hardware – everyone is booked, so Lorelai is left having to be the one to re-arrange her day. The phone was installed that morning, and someone calls to make the first reservation for the Inn. Their first reservation – written on a gum wrapper!

Rory returns Lorelai’s call, playing voicemail tag. Rory recounts her pony dying experience. Lane has turned into the dorm mom – telling people when to sleep, knowing schedules. Tana has been soldering up a storm in the dorm and has discovered a love of burning things. Paris brings out a shirt asking who it belongs to – football guy sized. Paris is not a fan of Janet’s boyfriend getting so comfortable at their place. Janet tells Paris she’ll always be alone – Paris has someone, and is on the verge of saying who, but does not.

Rory goes to her room to sleep for a couple of hours. Asks Paris for her notes from last semester for a class, so she can skip it this week and get an extra 2 hours. Later, she calls Lorelai again and has to leave a message – Lorelai can’t get to the phone fast enough. Rory has a new job at Yale as a card swiper at the cafeteria. Lorelai returns the phone message right after.

Rory is studying and card swiping. She is distracted and folks start swiping their own cards. Rory gets a call from Dean. He wants to know if Rory is ok with him working with Tom, the contractor, on the Inn. He was offered a job. Wasn’t sure where they stood after they didn’t come to his wedding. Rory apologizes for that. Dean is only going to school part-time now – a 5-year plan. Rory says she hasn’t even planned more than 2 and a half hours from now. Rory says she’ll save Dean’s new cell number. Meanwhile, a huge line has formed outside the cafeteria waiting for Rory to do her job.

Lorelai, in lingerie, is talking to Tom about tile and misplacing her order; Jason is talking with his secretary. Emily then calls, and Lorelai puts her clothes back on. Trix is coming back to town. Wants to meet with her, Lorelai, Jason, and Richard also for lunch. Emily insists that Lorelai get her hair cut first – Lorelai says she’s been busy. Lorelai tells Jason she couldn’t talk to her mother naked.

Lorelai begs the salon for an appointment for her hair. Lorelai says hi to Dean, who she didn’t know was working there – still playing phone tag with Rory. Tom asks to speak with Lorelai and Sookie – he loves them, but they are having cash flow issues. They haven’t been getting checks from Lorelai. Sookie didn’t know. The stress is too much for Sookie, who Lorelai sends out of the room. Lorelai was turned down for a line of credit. Tom says they can work a little while longer, but then have to shut down.

Sookie & Lorelai talk about any corners they can cut – Sookie’s stove? The horses? Lorelai is not on good terms with her parents, but Sookie suggests Lorelai go to Luke. He’s offered before. Yes, he’s a friend, and yes it’s embarrassing, but not so much as stiffing Tom. They decide to keep Luke as a last resort.

Lane walks in to Paris fighting with Janet’s boyfriend, wanting him to sit in the hall. Janet comments on the bitterness of the lonely, calling her a spinster. That drives Paris crazy. Lane suggests Paris tell Janet about the professor – something Lane is not supposed to know about.

Paris goes to confront Rory in the cafeteria where she is still swiping. Rory admits to telling Lane, and only Lane. And before Lane was living at Yale. Paris says Lane should not be living there. Paris insists tht Lane has to go. Rory thinks Paris is just mad, but Paris says both Janet and Tana think it’s too crowded.

A sweet Rory talks with Tana and Janet about Lane, implying that Paris is the one making it up. After all, what is there to complain of – Lane is nearly invisible, cleans everything, brings them coffee. They say it’s weird – close quarters, and Lane not even going to Yale. It doesn’t seem personal. They didn’t bring it up because they thought Lane would be gone by then.

Lane knows, without Rory saying anything, that she has to go. It’s time. She doesn’t belong at Yale. Rory thanks Lane for bringing Stars Hollow to her.

Lorelai is getting her hair shampooed when she gets a call – Sookie is not at the Inn and was supposed to be there to meet someone. Lorelai tries to track down Sookie. Michel won’t go because Celine Dion is at his hotel. Lorelai has to give up on her hair cut and go herself.

Lorelai goes by Sookie’s place. She looks exhausted. Doesn’t remember about her meeting. Lorelai says they already sent the sink back to Canada. Lorelai is yelling at Sookie, but it’s not registering. Lorelai basically forces Sookie to turn around and listen. Lorelai has been taking all the meetings for the last 6 weeks and only needed one hours for herself, but she didn’t get it. Lorelai says that, despite her baby, they have a business to run. Sookie has missed all the meetings. Lorelai was depending on her partner share in all this. Sookie didn’t expect to be pregant or to have to plan and make decisions – she thought her part came after the Inn was open.

Lane goes to Luke to ask for her job back, apologizing for leaving him like that. Lorelai comes in and Lane thanks her for letting her crash there. Lorelai didn’t hear from Rory yet, that Lane would be there. Lorelai reminds Lane to tell her mom.

It’s busy at the diner and Luke is sickened by the volume of food being consumed. Lorelai asks Luke if they can have dinner that night, to talk over something. More official than diner talk, so Lorelai wants to go out.

Lane is coming out of Doose’s and runs into her mom. Says “hello, Mrs. Kim”. Tells her she’ll be at Lorelai’s. Mrs. Kim just says to “wear socks.”

Rory goes to see a professor on the premise of her notes being messy, but really just in hopes of him telling her early what her grade was on her paper. She expects an A. The class is Game Theory. He reads through Rory’s fake excuse easily and pulls out her paper. He says it sounds like she padded her paper with material from another class – using an example not quite appropriate for the paper, perhaps to avoid further research.

The teacher says it’s normal for freshman who are overloaded and don’t understand the demands of Yale. He’s already looked at Rory’s schedule and talked with her advisor – they think Rory is taking on too much. He suggests Rory drop this course. That perhaps Rory works at a slower pace than most people, like her grandfather. Rory got a ‘D’ on that paper.

Trix immediately blames Emily for Lorelai’s messy hair. Trix asks about Rory at Yale – saying the Gilmore’s have quite the legacy to live up to there. Richard, with a moustache, comes in with Jason. Trix thinks Jason is quite young. Jason then gets the third degree for considering to give Trix a present. Lorelai gets a call but Trix tells her not to answer it – it was a very panic-stricken Rory.

Trix asks Lorelai about the Inn and her business plan for when they can make it profitable. Lorelai says they had to speed up construction in order to meet the May 8 deadline for the first reservation. Trix asks how the money is – knowing Lorelai’s financial situation before all this started. Lorelai says they are fine, but Trix can see otherwise. Thinks Lorelai is in trouble. Trix blames Richard for this – for not noticing. That they have a reputation to uphold – that, as a family, they need to prevent these things.

Trix thinks Lorelai is failing, and is surprised with Richard – Trix helped him when he had financial issues after a bad investment early in their marriage. Richard says he was young, it was the time to take risks – Trix reminds him that her money bailed him out. Richard yells at his mother – Emily smiles. Richard does not appreciate her bringing that up, after he has started and run two businesses without her help. It is his home. Emily reminds Richard that Richard paid back Trix’s money in 2 months. More cause to argue. Trix leaves.

Rory is looking for her mom, and tries the Inn. Lorelai is not there, but Dean is. He knows something is wrong. Rory turns from exasperation to tears. Rory tells Dean that things are falling apart – she can’t handle the five classes like everyone else, like her grandfather. Rory dropped her class, but is upset that she is now a drop-a-class person. Rory liked having Lane there, and now misses her. Dean has his arm around Rory. Rory is having a panic attack and needs her mom.

Rory says she’s messing everything up, even now. Says Dean shouldn’t have to be nice to her, after how horrible she was to him. And he’s married to someone not her, and not a failure. Rory doesn’t know what to do – she needs to talk to Lorelai.

Lorelai goes up to Luke, who is all dressed up, to ask to reschedule their dinner. Luke says Lorelai doesn’t look ok. Lorelai says, every once and a while, she wishes she were married. She likes her life, but wishes for a partner to be around, to pick up some slack and help out. Lorelai says she thought she had it all under control, but she doesn’t. The Inn is falling apart. Lorelai is failing at her dream.

Lorelai needs help with everything, needs to speak and see Rory. She had to listen to Trix call her a charity case, which she couldn’t argue against. Lorelai tells Luke she is running out of money and doesn’t know what to do – she was planning on asking Luke for $30,000 at dinner. Luke just holds Lorelai – she’s overwhelmed thinking about it. Luke assures Lorelai she is not failing. She just cries “I don’t know what to do” over and over.

Rory went back to Yale and listens to a message from her mom as some semblance of comfort. Lorelai does the very same thing on her own machine.

PHOTO: SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX.

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