Cordia's Review of S1E18 - The Third Lorelai

The Third Lorelai

Season 1, Episode 18

Original airing: March 22, 2001

My Rating: 63

The Good:

This was a very fun episode which did a great job of adding serious dimension and a whole new perspective to the Emily character. The introduction of Lorelai the First (aka Trix) and subsequent bullying put Emily and Lorelai’s relationship in a new light.

Trix was a fun character and the show got some really good mileage out of her acerbic personality. It was nice to see her fondness for Lorelai and Rory’s can-do attitudes. The idea of the trust fund was quite interesting and I’m curious if it will be reintroduced later. The show didn’t make it terribly clear if Richard was part of the reason Trix rescinded her offer. It also seems like perhaps Trix pick up on the idea that Emily and Lorelai almost need the anchor of the loan for their relationship to continue at this point. Without a reason to see each other, they probably wouldn’t.

I enjoyed Paris in this episode. Her scene with Rory at the house was excellent. The support from Rory once again shows how she’s a genuinely good person. And their banter about clothing and discussion topic choices felt very fluid and entertaining.

The Bad:

Trix’s abuse towards Emily is, unfortunately, too heavy. It’s blatancy in front of everyone else makes Richard’s lack of reaction feel very out of character. His happy bouncing around while his mother is being cruel to his wife doesn’t fit with the protective man we’ve come to know.

I was also disappointed that the show pulled up short of having the characters realize the parallels in their relationships. It would have been nice for Emily or Lorelai to have a small revelation about their relationship and how it mirrors Emily and Trix’s interactions.

Finally, the show pulled the same stunt with Paris as it did in S1E9 Rory’s Dance. When Paris learns Rory told Tristan to ask her out, Paris yells at Rory about how embarrassed she is in front of everyone else. She did the same thing in the Dance about bringing her cousin as her date. Paris is an incredibly self-aware young woman and I don’t believe for a second that she would air her grievances at someone in such a public manner. It feels very lazy and out of sync.

Favorite Moment:

This episode had a lot of great humor, but the moment that stuck with me was the poignancy of Emily standing in the sitting room with the tray while everyone followed Trix to dinner. Her puppy dog attempts to please Trix just before that with the nuts and the platters was shot to hell and no one cared. There’s a certain delight in seeing Emily put in her place in this episode, but the show does a great job of making it also an opportunity for the audience to feel sympathy for Emily. It’s a delicate balance and this scene is an excellent example.

The Bottom Line:

This was a good episode with some really interesting things happening concerning all our of Gilmore women. But the writer’s pulled up short of taking this into the emotional territory it could have covered.