Célèste's Review of S3E1 "Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days"

“Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days"

Season 3, Episode 1

Original airing: September 24, 2002

My Rating: 66

The Good:

• This episode does a good job of tying up some of the strings left by the finale. Lorelai telling her parents was definitely a highlight, and Jess finding someone else over the summer throws an interesting wrench into things for Rory, who's used to being the center of his attention. 
• The Paris subplot was great. It didn't even bother me that we'd already seen Rory helping Paris get ready for a date. It's so entertaining, I could was various iterations of the same theme for a while without getting bored. 
• I love a good Stars Hollow festival, so I enjoyed having that as a backdrop to Lorelai and Rory's argument, even if we didn't stay there for long. This episode really had a lot going on. Gilmore Girls must have had a bigger budget for their third season. 
• Despite the fact that I think the Lorelai/Luke reconciliation didn't take the exact form I would have preferred, I did enjoy seeing Lorelai show him such a vulnerability and admit to him and to herself that she wants the "whole package" out of life. 

The Bad:

• The Sookie subplot was a little too over-the-top for me. Over-the-top works for her when the comedy is really hitting, but there just weren't enough laughs to justify how silly the whole thing was. 
• I like that Luke held out for so long on Lorelai instead of forgiving her instantly, but I don't like that their reconciliation took the form of a "remembering what really matters" scene rather than having a basis in Lorelai actually understanding Luke better and making a real amends. It seemed like she really did recognize she was wrong and eat crow at the end of last season, but that wasn't enough for him. So, why is this enough for him? I mean, she didn't even rinse out her mug like she said she would. 
• It's very strange the way characters hold conflicting moral opinions that aren't addressed. Shouldn't Emily be a bit more outraged to hear that Christopher still had a girlfriend when he and Lorelai were getting back together? Lorelai is particularly hypocritical when she criticizes Rory for cheating on Dean without acknowledging that she helped Christopher cheat on Sherry. 
• I noticed a few small things that bothered me. For example, Luke has cleaned all the counters after closing but hasn't locked the door, and, even weirder: has left a full pot of coffee right on the counter where Lorelai can easily get it.

Favorite Moment:

Kirk's "Hey There" scene, and particular Michel's and Lorelai's reactions to him

The Bottom Line:

This episode does a good job of reorienting us for the third season, but doesn't hold enough appeal for me on its own, and, aside from the introduction of Jess's new flame, it does more to tie up loose ends than to whet our appetites for the season to come.