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November 21, 2006: Synchronicity
I found it quite appropriate that the theme of tonight’s episode was printed on an old rock T-shirt Chris stole from Lorelai when they were teenagers: Synchronicity. It began the second Lorelai put that shirt on and said she’d never take it off. (Here, let me quote you some of the lyrics by The Police: "Synchronicity / A connecting principle / Linked to the invisible / Almost imperceptible / Something inexpressible / Science insusceptible / Logic so inflexible / Causally connectable / Yet nothing is invincible.")
Is it just me, or do those lines explain exactly what’s going on between these three couples: Chris and Lorelai, Luke and April, and Rory and Logan? Each of them is bound together in this episode by odd timing and twists of fate: After 20 years, Chris and Lor are now the married couple settling into the house that, ironically, Luke rebuilt. Sure, there was some back-and-forthing about the flat-screen TVs in practically every room and how they’d need to redo Rory’s bedroom in pink for Gigi. Chris agrees to small-town living, even if he moved in rather firmly, making it clear that “things would have to change.” Lorelai eventually gets used to his presence, and even helps him move Rory’s furniture. Linked to the invisible. Synchronicity.
As for Luke, well, there’s some impressive parenting. The guy who’s never raised a kid realizes April’s sick, despite her protests, and rushes her to the emergency room for an appendectomy. I actually enjoyed the bonding beforehand when they gossip about Melissa at school and whether April’s denim skirt was ready for wearing. And I loved how he uses juggling as a metaphor for kissing boys, ironic in its own way since juggling is exactly what he’s doing with his life. Everything seems fine between the two, rather touching even, especially when he’s at her hospital bed, until The Philadelphia Story comes on TV. (The movie, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, is about a woman who is about to marry the wrong man.) The last scene in the ep shows a devastated Luke who'd just seen Lorelai's wedding band when she came to visit at the hospital. A connecting principle. Synchronicity.
And finally, Logan unexpectedly moves back to the States to head up his huge project. (Anyone want to explain to me what it’s all about? It doesn’t sound like Dad’s newspapers to me.) They’re riffing off each other and all happy-sappy until Rory writes an article about the launch party titled “Let Them Have Cosmos.” Instead of finding it funny (“The party was filled with people who can’t imagine their worlds without their trust funds and bottled water.”) Logan is enraged and insulted. When he points out that Rory is exactly the same as the partiers — a prep schooler and a Yalie who lives for free in his luxury apartment — she becomes enraged, but when she reads the piece several times, she realizes she had been “awful, mean and judgmental.” Only then does she really come to terms with their similarities. Casually connectable. Synchronicity.
Sure, it’s an old rock song, and it might be the soundtrack to their lives right now. But I have a feeling a newer anthem will come along and knock this one off their charts.
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Nov 21, 2006 11:20 PM
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Great recap as usual Robin.
But where was the devasting silent moment that was mentioned in the Hot List? When Luke was watching the movie? This show seems to be all over the place lately and I just cannot seem to catch up.
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Nov 22, 2006 12:42 AM
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Tonight, while I was busy and time-shifting GG, I also caught bits and pieces of it on live and the small tweaks that need to be made to enliven the show just leapt out at me.
First, the scene outros, especially to commercials, are way too long. This means there's not enough show to show. Upon further reflection, this is also showing up in the timing within the scenes. While the words are almost up to the old banter, they are no longer snappy. The show needs two more scenes added with none of the existing scenes in an episode cut. This will speed things up quite nicely.
Next up is the direction. Tonight's episode looked phoned in with little effort made to make shots not seem static.
Scene design...what's with all the earth tones? Everything is now so neat and clean and suburban. EVERYWHERE. It's visually boring. Honestly, Lor and Chris facing each other and talking about how she'd just seen Luke looked almost exactly like Lor and Chris facing each other at the Yale Daily News (except with Rory in the middle). It was just flat and totally visually static. Snore.
The actors. Honestly, they look confused. They know something is off, but don't know what. It's almost like looking at a cat that has lost its whiskers.
All of this stuff could be fixed in the span of, like, one episode. Start with adding some colors and contrasts to the sets, ease up on the pseudo film grain in some scenes, shoot something other than so many static close and two-shots, and add about five more dialogy pages to the script (i.e. let some of the ancillary characters be characters...there needs to be inter-plot interaction).
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Nov 22, 2006 1:27 AM
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Robin--great writeup as usual. I think I enjoyed your writeup more than the actual episode! Now I need to go dig out my old Police tapes.
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Nov 22, 2006 5:12 AM
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I have to agree...overall the episode was great but the acting? it felt way flat especially between Chris and Lorelai when talking about Luke and Rory being upset about their nupitals. And what's up with Lorelai, physically? Am I the only one who sees how much weight she's gained? Either she's pregnant in real life or she just let herself go...like this show?
Honestly, the Logan-Rory fight, Luke's sincere concern for April's wellbeing (where's mom btw?!!) and Luke's obvious disappointment with Lorelai's wedding band (crafty to insert Philadelphia Story here) were among the few genuine moments of the episode. The last scene, while sad, gave me hope b/c just maybe we might see Luke and Lorelai reunite one of these days...We can only hope...
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Nov 22, 2006 5:16 AM
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Finally some interaction between Luke and Lorelai, though the realization on Luke's face when he saw Lorelai's wedding ring...But the use of "The Philadelphia Story" to show when Tracey realizes she is about to marry the wrong man and Dexter steps in to save her by giving her guests the wedding they were previously cheated out of - I hope it shows how the future we are to expect from Lorelai and Luke, after all Dexter did build boats!
Luke is proving what a good father he is becoming while Chris is so far out of touch that Rory doesn't even want to express her real feelings regarding her parents marriage. Chris is willing to take Rory's room and give it to GiGi with barely a thought to Rory.
As for Rory and Lorelai, why does it seem if Rory disapproved of Lorelai's marriage that I think the marriage would be over almost immediately, this seems to show Lorelai is afraid to even think for herself. She realizes if she had told Rory in advance that Rory would have talked her out of it.
But Logan back in the U.S. is great for Rory, she will see if they can survive outside the confines of Yale. Looks like more interaction from all is to come.
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Nov 22, 2006 7:01 AM
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Great recap, Robin.
I did feel like this episode was off somewhat - can't really put my finger on why. Just felt - wrong. Sigh.
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Nov 22, 2006 7:39 AM
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We have new writers so things change. I think Luke said that and it's true. There's a story here and you just need to sit back and watch. I don't think Chris is always wrong. He and Rory are getting closer and I think he knew she would be okay with the marriage. She wanted to be there and we all know that. It's time for Lorelai to put herself first and let Rory take flight. I like the way that the characters are really talking this season. That's something ASP would never let them do. I give DR credit for taking on the impossible and making it real for me. April was a real teenager. You are not a parent until your child has talked back and stormed out. Now I want to see the rest of the story. Mama Anna and Luke dealing with their past.
I do think L&L are the end game and I'm intrigued in how the writers are going to get them there.
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Nov 22, 2006 7:48 AM
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I agree that Chris was strangely unfeeling about converting Rory's room to Gigi's. He's literally barging into Lorelai's house and rearranging the furniture in one fell swoop. If she didn't stop him, I would have jumped through my TV screen and knocked him down myself (that IS physically possible, isn't it?)
I also agree that something isn't quite right--not with the show itself in the broad sense, but with Lorelai. If she was afraid of Rory talking her out of marrying Chris, what does that say about her commitment? And when she told Rory she's keeping the Gilmore name, because they'll always be Gilmores and nothing will tear them apart, she sounded as if she was really trying to convince herself.
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Nov 22, 2006 8:35 AM
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Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I think Lauren Graham looks fabulous - healthy and radiant, and I don't think she's put on any weight.
I really enjoyed last night's episode, even April was endearing - not wanting to admit that she felt ill because she wanted to go to the party. The moment when Luke spied Lorelai's ring was just poignant. Actually, I do have one complaint. One of the reasons I started watching Gilmore Girls was Logan (I'm a latecomer to this wonderful show), he always seemed so unpredictable and fun. But for some reason I'm not liking him nearly so much this season. Maybe it's just that he's grown up a bit. I don't know. I've been catching up on old eps lately on ABC Family, and I kind of like the whole everyman, working class vibe that Dean had. Never mind. It's probably just my Supernatural obsession coming out.
Aside from that though, grand episode. I definitely think Rory made the right decision to move out.
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Nov 22, 2006 8:47 AM
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This was my favorite episode this season. I actually enjoyed the interaction between Luke and April and for the first time in a while I liked him again.
I just don't like Christopher and I don't feel this great "connection" that's supposed to be between him and Lorelai. Maybe it's because I'm watching the old shows on ABC Family and seeing how he treated her and Rory, so I don't want them together. I don't think that's it though, I really don't see any spark there and Lorelai seems miserable, even as she's telling Rory how happy she is about the marriage.
Hopefully the writers are taking us in a different direction and are going to give Lorelai some of her spunk back- to me last night it sounded like she was desperate to get married, and that is defintely not the Lorelai I remember!
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Nov 22, 2006 9:05 AM
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It's official: this once smart, witty, quirky show is now being written for simpletons.
Which, considering Chris is the King of Simpletons, makes a weird, unfortunate, and unwelcome kind of sense.
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Nov 22, 2006 9:07 AM
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It's official: this once smart, witty, quirky show is now being written for simpletons.
Which, considering Chris is the King of Simpletons, makes a weird, unfortunate, and unwelcome kind of sense.
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Nov 22, 2006 9:08 AM
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Seriously people, you're driving me nuts! Yes, Christopher wasn't great to his Gilmore girls in the past (like in the first season, & presumably for most of Rory's young life), but you know what..people CHANGE. I think we've seen that over the past couple seasons with Christopher, which is why I don't think the Chris-Lorelai union is so unrealistic.
And Rory did not disapprove of the marriage at all, she was just upset because she was left out - which I agree with - she should have been there when her parents finally got married. But maybe this will be an excuse to have an actual ceremony w/friends and family.
The Philadelphia Story clip & reference was good, but it's different w/Luke-Lorelai-Christopher. Cause it's not like Luke can convince Lorelai to not marry the "wrong" guy, cause she's already married - and she looks pretty happy to me! I'd be really disappointed if the writers tossed that marriage aside just cause Luke finally realized he should've married Lorelai. She gave Luke his chance, and he showed that she wasn't important enough. Chris & Lorelai work well together, & honestly, I think they're a better match than Lorelai & Luke.
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Nov 22, 2006 9:18 AM
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I agree with most of the comments about last night's episode and have one observation to add: did anyone else find it weird that Lorelei is the first person Luke calls when he realizes April is really sick? As far as I remember they've had no contact since the immediate fallout of their break-up. Yet she's the first person he calls in a crisis and she acts like his call was no big deal and totally normal. And where's Anna?
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Nov 22, 2006 9:22 AM
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