Gilmore Girls: Back in the Saddle Again
February 3, 2025 7:10 AM - Season 2, Episode 18 - Subscribe

Richard helps out with Rory's Business Fair project. Lorelai has to intervene about Dean's clinginess. Michel receives a visit from his mother.

Chilton's Business Fair is coming up in... three weeks! (Which is an eternity of time in the GG universe.) Rory is the leader for her group, which includes Paris, Madeline and Louise, of course, but also a triumphantly returning Brad! (Brad's psychiatrist and rabbi agreed that he needs to face his fears, which seem to mostly involve Paris.) Each group has to come up with a consumer product targeted at high schoolers, develop a prototype of it, and design a marketing strategy for it.

They're also supposed to find a "business advisor" to help them. Most of the kids' working parents are traveling (Louise's is defending himself in court, but she doesn't know what the charges are) and Brad's mom is a museum curator. Which leaves local inn manager Lorelai Gilmore!

Lorelai doesn't want to do it, but she recommends that Rory ask Richard, flush with time post-retirement and driving Emily crazy working on his antique car all the time. Meanwhile, Michel is in high spirits because his mother Giselle is coming to town, and they apparently get along wonderfully.

Richard doesn't want to be the Business Advisor either, but Emily talks him into it. At his first meeting with the group, they hear pitches (Louise wants to make a lipstick lojack, which is honestly a good idea but a bit ahead of its time, and Madeline wants an all-service robot that you can fit in your locker, but Brad's robotics skills aren't up to creating a prototype of that.) Paris proposes a first-aid kit that can fit in a locker and be teened-up in different styles, and Richard gets into this idea.

While Rory is busy with this Dean is busy getting mopier and clingier about wanting her time to himself. He calls fourteen times in one night trying to reach her. Giselle arrives and she and Michel have a blast, until Lorelai mentions that he never normally eats carbs, and suddenly his whole private life is up for inspection. Michel vows revenge.

Richard holds the next group meeting at the Hartford house, where he gets very into everything. Emily comes in with refreshments, and he is kind of a dick, shooing her out of the room, but she's honestly happy seeing him back in his element and smiling again. In Stars Hollow, Lorelai comes home to find Dean outside washing Rory's car, and invites him in to teach him about giving Rory a little bit of space instead of tail-spinning like this out of fear of losing her.

At the Business Fair, the team's project looks great, but loses to the "Locker Alarm" (which apparently doesn't even work.) The team is frustrated, but Richard loses it, marching up to Headmaster Charleston (over the kids' objections) to lodge a complaint, and ultimately embarrassing himself.

At Friday Night Dinner, Richard announces plans to go back into business for himself. Rory gets a page from Dean on their way back to Stars Hollow (his only contact in two days!) but she's got plans with Lane and can call him tomorrow. Lorelai drops her off at the diner and returns home, to find Dean moping on the front porch, asking if Rory's into Jess now.

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Woman in Revolt Review - Lindsay Pugh

Soundtrack: None

Random Guest Star Watch: Janet Hubert (the original Aunt Viv from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) as Giselle.
posted by Navelgazer (1 comment total)
 
Dean didn't finish washing Rory's car and I don't know why that bugs me as much as it does. Dean is exhausting here and I'd be avoiding him too.

Richard's meltdown the business fair is painful but understandable. He just wants a purpose again! Other than Richard deciding to go into business for himself, this is pretty inconsequential episode.

The beat between Brad being asked if he ever tried to make a robot and him saying "yes" is one of my favorite moments in all of Gilmore Girls.
posted by edencosmic at 9:45 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]


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