Gilmore Girls: Help Wanted
February 3, 2025 3:59 PM - Season 2, Episode 20 - Subscribe
With Richard's old secretary not following him to his new business, Lorelai steps in to help her father at work. Dean returns home. Luke goes fishin'. Lane discovers a new store in town.
Luke's is closed, for the first time that anyone can remember. The sign says that he's Gone Fishin'. While this is rough for everyone (Kirk left his wallet in there, for instance), nobody can feel the pain of it like Lorelai, who must go to another coffeeshop for her fix. That place (The Hungry Diner) has alternatingly over-friendly service and absent service, the coffee cups are dollhouse sized, and the coffee that comes in them is disgusting. The only upside? Running into Michel, who had hoped to keep this one corner of his life free from Lorelai, but Michel never gets what he wants, y'all!
Rory needs to beg off of Friday Night Dinner, since Dean is returning and she needs to see him face to face to tell him about the accident. Which she does by handing him a letter (which is chickenshit to be sure, but it's a believably teenaged kind of chickenshit.) He gets angry and then... is fine. He invites her in to have dinner with his family and watch tv.
At Friday Night Dinner, Lorelai learns that Margie, Richard's secretary for the past thirty years, won't be following him to his new business. Without her, Richard and Emily both think that he might just have to pack it in, but Lorelai is sure that she can help him to find a suitable replacement. So she shows up at his office the next day, which is still mostly in boxes, and does some basic stuff like setting up the phones and learning how the thermostat works and taking her father shopping for office supplies - a surprisingly educational experience for him.
Rory is walking with Lane when she runs into Taylor, whom she feels she owes an apology since the accident (since the car ran into one of Taylor's bench ads or something), but Taylor is just happy that Jess is gone and doesn't hold Rory accountable at all.
Meanwhile, Lane runs off to the new store in town: Sophie's Music! Wherein Lane sets her gaze on a drum set and immediately falls in love. She has no idea how she's going to buy the drum set, where she'll keep it, or how she'll tell her mom, but she finally has a dream, and that dream is to be a drummer. And it's wonderful.
Lorelai keeps filling in at Richard's office and doing a great job, her managerial skills translating very well into, well, office management. Rory runs into Babette, who bemonas the youngster falling under the sway of a nogoodnik like Jess, as she herself has done many times, like that time she joined a cult. Rory goes in the house.
Richard and Lorelai interview a job candidate named Karen who seems both eager and very qualified, but Richard isn't interested. As they have lunch, it becomes clear that he kinda just wants Lorelai to keep doping what she's doing indefinitely, which she can't, since she already has a job and all. As Lorelai makes this point clear, Richard turns cold and tells her that she may go.
But she and Rory still need to come to the Launch Party! It's a swell affair, the new office packed with guests and catering staff. Richard has hired on Karen, who seems to be picking up the job very quickly (Emily is pleased with her even if Richard still has doubts) and Richard is very happy, landing deals and such again. Emily sees Rory's cast, which Lorelai hadn't told her about (though why Emily still expects Lorelai to tell her things is beyond me.)
Rory tells her about the accident, and by this point she's so sick of everyone treating her like a lost little lamb led astray that she gets loud and angry insisting on her own responsibility in the matter. Lorelai sends Emily away to talk to Rory on her own, and the two get into a shouting match, the gist of which is that Lorelai hates Jess and Jess is gone so she never has to think about that. Rory leaves the party.
...and winds up at the diner, just as Luke is returning. He opens it up to let her in for some coffee, and they chat (his anger at Lorelai not transferring to Rory even a little bit, which is nice.) He tells her that Jess arrived at his mom's safely. She tells him that it wasn't Jess's fault. He says he knows, and they sit in silence, the only two people who seem to care about that fact.
A.V. Club Review - David Sims
Woman in Revolt Review - Lindsay Pugh
Soundtrack:
"Heavy Metal Drummer" - Wilco
Random Guest Star Watch: Carole King as Sophie the music store owner. As I understand it, she'll become a recurring character in seasons 5 & 6, but for now this seems to be a one-off role.
Luke's is closed, for the first time that anyone can remember. The sign says that he's Gone Fishin'. While this is rough for everyone (Kirk left his wallet in there, for instance), nobody can feel the pain of it like Lorelai, who must go to another coffeeshop for her fix. That place (The Hungry Diner) has alternatingly over-friendly service and absent service, the coffee cups are dollhouse sized, and the coffee that comes in them is disgusting. The only upside? Running into Michel, who had hoped to keep this one corner of his life free from Lorelai, but Michel never gets what he wants, y'all!
Rory needs to beg off of Friday Night Dinner, since Dean is returning and she needs to see him face to face to tell him about the accident. Which she does by handing him a letter (which is chickenshit to be sure, but it's a believably teenaged kind of chickenshit.) He gets angry and then... is fine. He invites her in to have dinner with his family and watch tv.
At Friday Night Dinner, Lorelai learns that Margie, Richard's secretary for the past thirty years, won't be following him to his new business. Without her, Richard and Emily both think that he might just have to pack it in, but Lorelai is sure that she can help him to find a suitable replacement. So she shows up at his office the next day, which is still mostly in boxes, and does some basic stuff like setting up the phones and learning how the thermostat works and taking her father shopping for office supplies - a surprisingly educational experience for him.
Rory is walking with Lane when she runs into Taylor, whom she feels she owes an apology since the accident (since the car ran into one of Taylor's bench ads or something), but Taylor is just happy that Jess is gone and doesn't hold Rory accountable at all.
Meanwhile, Lane runs off to the new store in town: Sophie's Music! Wherein Lane sets her gaze on a drum set and immediately falls in love. She has no idea how she's going to buy the drum set, where she'll keep it, or how she'll tell her mom, but she finally has a dream, and that dream is to be a drummer. And it's wonderful.
Lorelai keeps filling in at Richard's office and doing a great job, her managerial skills translating very well into, well, office management. Rory runs into Babette, who bemonas the youngster falling under the sway of a nogoodnik like Jess, as she herself has done many times, like that time she joined a cult. Rory goes in the house.
Richard and Lorelai interview a job candidate named Karen who seems both eager and very qualified, but Richard isn't interested. As they have lunch, it becomes clear that he kinda just wants Lorelai to keep doping what she's doing indefinitely, which she can't, since she already has a job and all. As Lorelai makes this point clear, Richard turns cold and tells her that she may go.
But she and Rory still need to come to the Launch Party! It's a swell affair, the new office packed with guests and catering staff. Richard has hired on Karen, who seems to be picking up the job very quickly (Emily is pleased with her even if Richard still has doubts) and Richard is very happy, landing deals and such again. Emily sees Rory's cast, which Lorelai hadn't told her about (though why Emily still expects Lorelai to tell her things is beyond me.)
Rory tells her about the accident, and by this point she's so sick of everyone treating her like a lost little lamb led astray that she gets loud and angry insisting on her own responsibility in the matter. Lorelai sends Emily away to talk to Rory on her own, and the two get into a shouting match, the gist of which is that Lorelai hates Jess and Jess is gone so she never has to think about that. Rory leaves the party.
...and winds up at the diner, just as Luke is returning. He opens it up to let her in for some coffee, and they chat (his anger at Lorelai not transferring to Rory even a little bit, which is nice.) He tells her that Jess arrived at his mom's safely. She tells him that it wasn't Jess's fault. He says he knows, and they sit in silence, the only two people who seem to care about that fact.
A.V. Club Review - David Sims
Woman in Revolt Review - Lindsay Pugh
Soundtrack:
"Heavy Metal Drummer" - Wilco
Random Guest Star Watch: Carole King as Sophie the music store owner. As I understand it, she'll become a recurring character in seasons 5 & 6, but for now this seems to be a one-off role.
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(I do find it hard to believe Richard didn't know about Office Depot, even with Margie doing most of the heavy lifting.
Lane deciding to be a drummer is delightful but also ... beginning of one of the most tiresome tropes of this show. And to be honest, Lane always seemed to be more of a bass player to me and I mean that with love (bass players are so often the coolest, honestly).
I do like Rory giving Dean a letter although his constant "WHAT?" is tiresome. Like, just let the girl have this moment. She fractured her wrist! Stop making this about you, Dean!
Babette -- and therefore Sally Struthers -- did not have enough screen time on this show. She joined a cult! She got pushed out of a moving car! Everything about Babette's life is chaotic and I love it. She's definitely genuinely the kind of person who'd end up living in a town like Stars Hollow and corners all her neighbors with the weird stories of her life.
posted by edencosmic at 5:04 PM on February 3 [1 favorite]