Episode Report Card Al Lowe: C+ | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Punch it Out
By Al Lowe | Season 7 | Episode 10 | Aired on 12.04.2006
Logan is at Yale to visit Rory, who insists that they eat in the cafeteria, where he never had a meal in his long tenure at the school. He says that he occasionally stopped in for cereal, but she assures him that that wasn't good enough: "You need to get something hot, and mushy and meaty." Also, she has an extra family guest pass from Parents' Weekend, and she wants to use it to get Logan's meal comped: "I'm going to tell them that you're my brother." He tells her that he doesn't mind paying for his mushy meat (ew), but she says that's not the issue, all sneaky as she explains, "I know how to work the system. You know me, I can be crafty." Yeah, says Logan, she can be crafty, in the sense of being able to make a macaroni necklace, but this family pass business is high-stakes deception. "Yeah, well, what's my middle name?" she jokes. "Rory 'High Stakes Deception' Gilmore." I thought your middle name was "Steals Yachts" or "Sleeps with Married Dudes." No? In any case, Rory's sneakiness does not pay off -- they almost sneak by on the family pass until Logan is greeted loudly by someone he used to know and who refers to Rory as Logan's girlfriend. "I'm a terrible liar," Rory tells the cashier, and they are forced to pay ten dollars for the mushy meat. Wow, people. Do cafeteria meals really cost ten dollars now? Seriously? Because in my day, they cost $3.25. Of course, I did not go to Yale. "Way to work the system," Logan chides Rory, and as she vengefully orders him a serving of meatloaf, they are interrupted by none other than Lucy. She bounces over and loudly meets Logan. "I'd give you a proper hug," she says, "but my pockets are full of Apple Jacks. I have Art History in a few minutes, and my professor sounds like Garrison Keillor on Quaaludes, so I need a constant intake of sugar just to stay awake." She congratulates Logan on "buying the internet or something," and they make plans to have dinner the next night.
Marty steps through the door calling out to Lucy -- "Hey, babe, come on!" -- like a biker in a 1950s motorcycle song. What is the deal with Marty's lack of personality? If this were One Tree Hill, he'd eventually end up stalking and trying to kill Rory, but would be thwarted by the sexily righteous Chad Michael Murray, who would then marry Rory barefoot on the beach (but then divorce her six weeks later to marry the youngest daughter on 7th Heaven). I almost wish Marty'd pull out a knife, because his blank stare and weird behavior are boring. When Marty sees that "babe" is talking to Logan and Rory, the blood drains from his face. Reluctantly, he goes over and says hello. Logan immediately shakes Marty's hand, saying of course he knows Marty. He tells Lucy that Marty bartended at a few of his parties, causing Lucy's eyes to go wide. "You probably met Marty, too," Lucy trills to Rory, "you just didn't know it!" Rory hems and haws, uncomfortable, and Marty pulls Lucy away, saying something about getting to the library before it closes. Didn't she just say she had a class? Whatever. Logan, of course, realizes that something is afoot and, when the other two are gone, asks Rory what the cageyness is all about. She explains the whole thing to him: Marty pretended that they'd never met, and she was so weirded out by it that she went along with the lie. Logan asks why Marty would pretend not to know her, anyway. "I don't know," says Rory, positing that maybe Marty still likes her a little. Logan gets a little bit pushy about it, though he pretends he's not bothered, asking why she hasn't told Lucy yet and why she hadn't told him that she and Marty had been hanging out. Rory is caught off-guard, and swears that she just didn't think there was anything to tell. "You have to tell Lucy," Logan advises, and I agree, but why doesn't Rory get up in Logan's face now (or later, when it will be even more appropriate) and ask why he is so hot to defend Marty when Logan, more than once, publicly humiliated and openly scorned him? "A little brotherly advice?" adds Logan. "You should tell her sooner, rather than later." Rory says that she will, when she finds the right time, and adds that they don't have to go to dinner with Marty and Lucy as they've just planned. Logan says they should go ominously adding, "Unless there's something on your end." Rory is offended and says that there definitely isn't, but we cut away on her uncomfortable face.