Gilmore Girls: The Road Trip to Harvard
January 28, 2025 3:29 PM - Season 2, Episode 4 - Subscribe
In the wake of the broken engagement, Lorelai and Rory hit the road to experience some of the best that New England has to offer. Sookie helps get the news spread around town. Lane returns home from Korea.
And away we go! Rory and Lorelai hit the road so quickly that they forget to bring any CDs along, which bothers Lorelai, though Rory is more concerned with the fact that they're driving with no destination and no concept of their current location.
After calling Sookie to confirm that she at least didn't get too far into crafting the giant and gorgeous tiered wedding cake that we see in Sookie's kitchen, our heroines pull into The Cheshire Cat, a decidedly uncool B&B that is lo longer owned by Loreai's "friend" Donald Something-stein because it's 2001 and Friendster is pretty much the only social media game in town at this point. They get settled and head downstairs for dinner when they're deterred by all of the guests ("Boston dentists," Lorelai assumes) and the boring conversation they'd be subjected to, so they go to bed hangry and fight about why Lorelai left Max, which Lorelai isn't really giving an answer to because she probably doesn't really know herself yet beyond the gut feeling of it.
By morning, they can fast no longer and brave the gauntlet of dentists to retrieve some scones. Lorelai makes up some lies about the publishing business and then abandons Rory at the table to call Sookie. Sookie's at the diner watching a crankier-than-usual Luke attempt to bumrush Kirk out of there, but when she gives him the news that Lorelai and Max are off, suddenly all coffees are on the house for some reason.
Lorelai then surprises Rory by bringing her to Harvard campus, where Rory is excited and intimidated and Lorelai is by turns goofy and wistful. She flirts with a college boy, sneaks them into a dorm to check out the rooms, and stares longingly at the photo of the Class of 1990 Valedictorian while Rory sits in on a class and holds her own discussing Seneca and Stoicism.* They then head back out with a jeep-load of Harvard merch.
They return to a Stars Hollow ready to commiserate with them (Kirk literally welcomes them back with open arms), though Luke forgot to pick up the Chuppah (which he kicks himself for later.) When they try to break the news to Emily, she at first throws a fit, assuming that Lorelai eloped to keep her out of everything, but then seems fine with the breakup. And Lane is back! Apparently Korea is great for bootlegs if you know how to get them through customs.
Not one to stomach feeling listless for too long, Lorelai talks with Luke, and then Sookie, and decides to move forward on their dream to open up the Dragonfly Inn.
*This scene shouldn't work, I don't think, but it threads the needle somehow of having Rory's thoughts make sense coming from a bright high school junior and also suitable for the college lecture class. It also doesn't wear out its welcome, showing us just enough to allow Rory to transform from feeling unworthy of Harvard to feeling like she fits in there.
A.V. Club Review - David Sims
Woman in Revolt Review - Lindsay Pugh
Soundtrack:
"Perfect Situation for a Fool" - George Highfill & Jai Josefs
"L-O-V-E" - Irving
Random Guest Star Watch: Nancy Lenehan (LaDawn the Innkeeper at the Cheshire Cat) is one of those actors who's been in seemingly everything, but to me she'll always be the friend Joyce made while Buffy had run away to L.A. between seasons 1 & 2.
And away we go! Rory and Lorelai hit the road so quickly that they forget to bring any CDs along, which bothers Lorelai, though Rory is more concerned with the fact that they're driving with no destination and no concept of their current location.
After calling Sookie to confirm that she at least didn't get too far into crafting the giant and gorgeous tiered wedding cake that we see in Sookie's kitchen, our heroines pull into The Cheshire Cat, a decidedly uncool B&B that is lo longer owned by Loreai's "friend" Donald Something-stein because it's 2001 and Friendster is pretty much the only social media game in town at this point. They get settled and head downstairs for dinner when they're deterred by all of the guests ("Boston dentists," Lorelai assumes) and the boring conversation they'd be subjected to, so they go to bed hangry and fight about why Lorelai left Max, which Lorelai isn't really giving an answer to because she probably doesn't really know herself yet beyond the gut feeling of it.
By morning, they can fast no longer and brave the gauntlet of dentists to retrieve some scones. Lorelai makes up some lies about the publishing business and then abandons Rory at the table to call Sookie. Sookie's at the diner watching a crankier-than-usual Luke attempt to bumrush Kirk out of there, but when she gives him the news that Lorelai and Max are off, suddenly all coffees are on the house for some reason.
Lorelai then surprises Rory by bringing her to Harvard campus, where Rory is excited and intimidated and Lorelai is by turns goofy and wistful. She flirts with a college boy, sneaks them into a dorm to check out the rooms, and stares longingly at the photo of the Class of 1990 Valedictorian while Rory sits in on a class and holds her own discussing Seneca and Stoicism.* They then head back out with a jeep-load of Harvard merch.
They return to a Stars Hollow ready to commiserate with them (Kirk literally welcomes them back with open arms), though Luke forgot to pick up the Chuppah (which he kicks himself for later.) When they try to break the news to Emily, she at first throws a fit, assuming that Lorelai eloped to keep her out of everything, but then seems fine with the breakup. And Lane is back! Apparently Korea is great for bootlegs if you know how to get them through customs.
Not one to stomach feeling listless for too long, Lorelai talks with Luke, and then Sookie, and decides to move forward on their dream to open up the Dragonfly Inn.
*This scene shouldn't work, I don't think, but it threads the needle somehow of having Rory's thoughts make sense coming from a bright high school junior and also suitable for the college lecture class. It also doesn't wear out its welcome, showing us just enough to allow Rory to transform from feeling unworthy of Harvard to feeling like she fits in there.
A.V. Club Review - David Sims
Woman in Revolt Review - Lindsay Pugh
Soundtrack:
"Perfect Situation for a Fool" - George Highfill & Jai Josefs
"L-O-V-E" - Irving
Random Guest Star Watch: Nancy Lenehan (LaDawn the Innkeeper at the Cheshire Cat) is one of those actors who's been in seemingly everything, but to me she'll always be the friend Joyce made while Buffy had run away to L.A. between seasons 1 & 2.
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The bed & breakfast stuff just comes across as odd to me, and not funny.
The tour of Harvard is cute to begin with, but Lorelai's main-character syndrome kicks in with the whole sneaking into dorm rooms and flirting with college boys. (I do, however, like when the show admits that both Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel are absolutely gorgeous. It doesn't do it enough.)
I agree that Rory shining in the college class works despite itself, despite none of this being realistic. But I do think the unreality of this show is part of its charm, honestly.
Sookie being at the diner seems like a contrivance of convenience because she doesn't really like Luke and Luke doesn't really like her. She only seems to be there if Lorelai is but ... I'm letting it go.
I do love Lorelai insisting on showing slides of her terrible photos to Emily. I also love Emily keeping the gift she bought a secret (not ice tea spoons, apparently!). I love Kelly Bishop in the scene where she thinks Lorelai eloped and then is told it's not true. She's having so much fun.
The whole Dragonfly Inn plot is such a slow burn. I guess that's realistic but it does tread water for a really long time.
posted by edencosmic at 5:52 PM on January 28 [1 favorite]