Forgiveness and Stuff
Season 1, Episode 10
Original airing: December
21, 2000
My Rating: 66
The Good:
Much of this episode was spent in dealing with the fallout
from Season 1, Episode 9 – Rory’s Dance. Rory and Lorelai are barely speaking,
Emily and Lorelai are barely speaking, and it’s causing heartache all over
town. I’m really glad this spilt over and was a significant presence in this
week’s story. I also like how a lot of it was resolved by the larger threat of
Richard’s collapse. It put things in perspective for all three of our Gilmore
girls.
While it’s nice to see everyone apologizing and getting
along, I do feel the show does a good job of showing that this doesn’t really
fix everything the fight was about. Lorelai seems more willing to work on her relationship
with her mother and father, but she’s still awkward around both of them.
Lorelai’s still suspicious of Dean and will always feel protective of Rory. But
at least we’re all back on speaking terms.
Luke was a significant part of the action this week and it
was excellent. Scott Patterson who plays Luke and Lauren Graham who plays
Lorelai have undeniable chemistry. Their scenes are a joy to watch as their
interactions feel incredibly natural and appropriate. The show has been so
inconsistent with Dean’s characterization, so it’s nice to have a consistent
male presence who is presented in the same light to the audience as he is seen
by the characters. We’ve picked up that Luke is interested in Lorelai and we’ve
seen little things he does to think of her (such as bringing ice in S1E6), but
this was a great showcase for just how far he’ll go for Lorelai. His instant insistence
on taking her to the hospital and helping her once there was the epitome of the
phrase “actions speak louder than words.”
It was wonderfully surprising to see Emily and Luke having a
conversation. Her insight into his relationship with Lorelai is exactly what I
want to say to him from the audience. And I love the tiny moment where Emily
swoops Rory away to leave Lorelai and Luke alone after calling Luke an idiot
for not dating Lorelai.
The Bad:
Dean continues to prove he’s an overconfident idiot. Having
him sneaking around the house to see Rory when she’s told him to stay away
makes him look really dumb. On top of that, it’s Friday night. He should know
Rory would be at her grandparents’ house and not at home.
And, unfortunately, I was turned off by the strange lighting
in the moment with Richard and Lorelai locking eyes. I like the idea that they
don’t know what to say to each other, but can let some of their raw emotion
play across their faces. However, the way it was shot felt like a soap opera to
me, which was ultimately too distracting.
Favorite Moment:
Kelly Bishop nails it again as Emily Gilmore when she
refuses to listen to Richard’s dying instructions. Her ever-so-slightly
quivering lip when she demands to die first is so perfect I actually burst in
to tears. Richard’s response shows just how well he knows his wife when he
calmly agrees, then takes her hand and just looks at her. I love when we get a
peek into the romantic side of this long-standing relationship.
The Bottom Line:
While I greatly enjoyed most of this episode, it just didn’t
click for me overall. I can’t quite pinpoint it other than to say I don’t feel
a need or desire to ever see it again. So while I’m giving it a good score and
overall review, it doesn’t push over the top in my mind. Important for the
story, but let’s move on now.
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