Directing and writing credits:
Written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino. I love this episode and if I'm ever having a particularly bad day, I usually put it on in the background and listen to it while I do other things. I don't know why it cheers me up because it's not exactly happy, but it does make me feel cozy and nostalgic for days spent watching "Gilmore Girls" with my mom.
(Editor's note: John Stephens shares the writing credit on this episode with ASP, which I didn't initially realize.)
Most batshit crazy outfit:
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I really hate Lorelai's bridesmaid dress. It doesn't flatter her shape and looks cheaply made. I hate that I can see both the lining and Lorelai's undergarments. I don't want to body snark anyone (especially LG because she looks great!) but a pair of Spanx or a better strapless bra would help rectify the situation.
LG wears other ugly shit in this episode, but I think this dress is the most egregious offense because it looks like she actually tried hard to look nice/stylish but totally missed the mark.
Most irritating Rory or Lorelai moment:
Lorelai's doughnut bit in Luke's is both embarrassing and irritating. I love that after she finishes, Luke just kind of clears his throat and doesn't even look up from his stack of receipts.
"Oh, good doughnut selection this morning, really. Good variety, good color, good goodness, good .... Well, so the choices are there. It all comes down to what I’m in the mood for. Sprinkled or chocolate or jelly or glazed, maple or kiki or apple or, uh, raised. Little doughnut rhyme there. Never mind. Can I have a chocolate and a sprinkled please?"
Also, what the hell is a kiki doughnut? I'm pretty sure this is what she says ... maybe it's cakey and not kiki? Can anyone clear this up for me? It's driving me crazy.
Number of times Rory or Lorelai treat their bff like shit:
None. Lorelai plans Sookie's entire wedding and manages to walk down the aisle and summon some joy for her even after Christopher's crushing news.
Best literary or pop culture references:
Does ASP have psychic powers? 🔮
Rory: Get back to the gossip, please.
Lorelai: Oh yeah. Okay. So, guess who’s in the process of breaking up?
Rory: Brad and Jen?
Lorelai: Bite your tongue.
Brad and Jen got married in July 2000, this episode aired in May 2002, they got divorced in October 2005. Maybe rumors were already circulating in the tabloids during the time this episode aired, but I'm still impressed.
Stars Hollow weirdness:
As usual, most of the townie weirdness revolves around Kirk. He badgers Luke about which sandwich can be made quicker (ham on rye or a patty melt), reveals how lonely he is ("I'm so damn lonely not even Animal Planet does it for me anymore"), and sings a really nice rendition of "Walkin' After Midnight" at Sookie's wedding.
Babette and Patty are outed as sexual harassers, which is no surprise based on their history.
Lorelai: Dean, you clean up really nicely.
Dean: Uh, thank you.
Lorelai: You know, we’re gonna have to hide him from Patty and Babette once they hit the hooch.
Rory: Already told him.
I bet Dean has some #MeToo stories to share.
Sharpest insult or one-liner:
Emily's reaction in the first scene is golden. If you've seen "GG" 5,000x, this and COPPER BOOM will easily work their way into your lexicon.
Books mentioned/books Rory is reading:
When discussing the election, Paris tells Rory "See, that is exactly what I need from you, "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" for the new millennium." This children's book by Kate Douglas Wiggin is about a try-hard named Rebecca who grows up with two poor aunts and triumphs. The Wikipedia page says, "The novel ends with Rebecca exclaiming, "God bless Aunt Miranda! God bless the brick house that was! God bless the brick house that is to be!" It sounds terrible.
Rory also mentions "Girl, Interrupted" when she comments on Sookie's initial music selections fro the wedding. The movie came out in 1999, so I imagine she's probably referencing it, but I suppose it could go either way.
Best song of the episode:
It would be bullshit not to go with the titular song by Ella Fitzgerald.
Thoughts:
Although this finale episode doesn't really leave us with much of a cliffhanger, a bunch of important things happen: Sookie marries Jackson, Chris and Lorelai find out Sherry is pregnant, and Rory kisses Jess.
I love Sookie and want her to be happy, but it's hard to feel excited about her marriage to Jackson, especially since we know about all of the fucked up shit he does to her later (unless, of course, you're watching this show for the first time). Their relationship seems very gender normative and some of the comments about marriage bother me. Take this conversation between Sookie and Lorelai the night before the wedding, for example:
Lorelai: Your last night as a single woman.
Sookie: Yup.
Lorelai: You still look good.
Sookie: I still feel good.
Lorelai: Just think of it. As of tomorrow, you can start wearing cold cream to bed and stop shaving your legs.
Sookie: That’s right, ‘cause I already got me a man.
A lady can wear and do whatever the fuck she wants all the time and if men don't like it, oh well ... find better men. In subsequent episodes, Sookie redecorates her house to give it a more "manly" look and Jackson makes inappropriate gay jokes. Stars Hollow might be cozy, but it's not exactly a progressive enclave.
The drama between Chris, Lorelai, and Sherry also strikes me as ultra conservative. If Sherry is pregnant and doesn't want the baby, there are options. She could easily get an abortion! If Sherry is pregnant and does want the baby, she can still have it and raise it in a supportive environment, even if she and Christopher are no longer together. I don't understand why her pregnancy equals the end of Chris and Lorelai's budding reconnection.
If my husband decided he didn't love me anymore and stayed in a relationship with me just because I got pregnant, I would be fucking furious! That shit is not something that you can keep a secret for very long ... in one way or another, the truth will come out and the relationship will disintegrate. Most people are not great at stifling their emotions and making major life decisions based solely on societal expectations.
If Christopher was really a good dude, he would have told Sherry about Lorelai and explained that he still wants to help her (and if she chooses to go through with the pregnancy, remain a presence in the child's life). In the "GG" universe, situations are constantly painted in black and white with zero gray area. Characters either have to be all in or all out when it comes to relationships and it's much more Andy Hardy than the Palladinos would ever admit. If you really dissect the show, it's definitely something Paul Ryan would give the nod of approval.
The only person who does something untoward in this episode is Rory. After seventeen episodes of build-up, Rory finally acts on her feelings for Jess and kisses him at Sookie's wedding. As Lorelai later points out, this is pretty messed up considering she attended the event with Dean.
Much like the end of Season 4, Rory makes a bad decision and then leaves Stars Hollow for the summer. If Jess did something like this to her, she would lose it, but she sees nothing wrong with the situation when she's the one doling out surprise kisses and then peacing unexpectedly. Typical Rory.
Random observations:
- Sookie and Jackson's wedding poster has a picture of Sookie holding a cake and Jackson holding a bunch of bananas. It's kind of delightful. Later, at the wedding, the officiant wears a shirt with the same photo on it.
- Theory: Michel is the only sane person in this universe and that's what's driven him to be who he is.
- Inger is the Gilmores' maid.
- Rory and Dean have a black hole of chemistry. It seriously looks like Alexis Bledel dreads touching Jared Padalecki and I don't understand why. I hate on him all the time in the context of "GG," but dude is fiiiiiiine. Also, she apparently dated him IRL, which I never realized before. Maybe they dated before the show started, which would explain the awkwardness.
- I think it's clever that they had Rory wear an Emily the Strange t-shirt to her arm cast removal appointment. The stickers might be gone, but Emily is there to stay.
- The inside decor for Sookie's wedding looks more appropriate for a grandma's funeral (aside from the pillows with Sookie and Jackson's faces).
- My husband at the end of the episode: "I'm glad this didn't work out for you, Lorelai, because you're horrible and don't deserve happiness."
- Christopher Hayden, aka poor man's Jude Law.
- Sookie's wedding dress is flattering and fits her personality. I'm surprised the wardrobe people didn't put her in a burlap sack. They have a storied history of making Sookie look fucking horrible.
