Célèste's Review of S2E11 "Secrets and Loans"

“Secrets and Loans"

Season 2, Episode 11

Original airing: January 22, 2002

My Rating: 42

The Good:

• Dean was actually good in this episode. He comes off as very supportive and loving. When he hesitantly admits that Rory can be stubborn it seems like he knows her well and loves her from who she is.
• Seeing Lane cheer (to a Madness song no less) was kind of fun. Her routine was cute.
• Mrs. Kim's paranoia about the termites was funny.

The Bad:

• There wasn't anything maddeningly bad here, like the sauna scenes in "Kill Me Now," but there wasn't anything good either. The main plot about Lorelai not wanting to accept her mother's help was tired and silly and didn't feel appropriate for how far they've come since early season one. Who wants to watch a low-rent version of a conflict we've already seen? Not me.
• Lorelai was super annoying. Her refusal to even accept her mother's help even in the form of a recommendation and an appointment at her bank came off as immature rather than independent. I was also annoyed when she continued to insist that she was blameless in the fight with Rory, considering Emily ended up being the only way she could get a loan, which means Rory was right in the end. 
• I really don't understand why Emily wasn't more bothered by Lorelai's behavior. If I were friends with that banker, I would have felt humiliated by her. 
• Considering how weak the A plot was, the B and C plots could have had a chance to shine, but they were both blah. I like of enjoyed seeing Lane as a cheerleader, but the conflict with Rory felt forced and then resolved itself immediately. I love seeing more from Lane, but all her plots still feel half assed. As for the PSAT stuff, it never went anywhere and it was super distracting that the characters acted like the score is the same scale as the SAT (math/verbal 200-800), when it's actually totally different. Not only is the scale different, but there are actually three sections instead of just two. Seriously, people? Couldn't they just have made the plot about the actual SAT? Rory's a junior, so she could be taking the SAT by now anyway. 
• All the tension and conflict in this episode centers around a few fights: Rory/Lorelai, Lorelai/Emiliy, Rory/Lane, all of which seem to be based on nothing and resolve based on nothing. The whole episode doesn't really go anywhere. 

Favorite Moment:

Lane cheers to Madness

The Bottom Line:

This is a very forgettable impact that makes virtually no impact and is not worth rewatching.