Episode Report Card Al Lowe: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Mommies Dearest
By Al Lowe | Season 7 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.02.2006
...especially when Rory collapses to the table saying, in spite of her burst of maturity, that the whole thing stinks. She's most upset, apparently, that the Asia vacation she and Logan had planned is now kaput, and runs back to her room to show her mom all the research she did on the trip. "Wow," Lorelai says. "Were you planning on visiting Asia, or invading it?" Because, yeah, Rory's done a little highlighting and Post-It-ing. Apparently, she and Logan were planning on going to China and Vietnam AND Japan AND TIBET. Now, my husband will be the first to tell you that my geographical education is limited to...well, my house. Look, I'm not proud of it, okay? But it's true I don't know where anything is, and I admit that to you before even asking this question: Can one actually travel among all those countries easily and in a limited amount of time? I mean, is going to Japan from China like me going from Alabama to Georgia? I know I can look it up; quit yelling.
Okay, fine. I just looked it up. Are you happy now? Wow, I had no idea where the Philippines were. That is embarrassing. Listen, this whole recap is going to be awkward, for several reasons. Firstly: my already-demonstrated stupidity about Asia. Second of all: I will be typing half of it on a plane while jetsetting my way to Pamie's house tomorrow, watching the episode on my iPod. Seriously, are you impressed? Because that impresses me. I am pretty technologically backward, so for me to perform such a feat will be crazy mindblowing, indeed. Thirdish: my in-laws happened to be making an overnight stop at my house when this episode aired, which meant we all had to gather around the TV like a happy family and watch, together, the episode that happened to feature the word "sex" about, oh, nine hundred times in a row. And now back to your regularly scheduled recap. My sincere apologies for the sidetrack.
On her way out the door to work, Lorelai tells Rory that Lane called and is back from her honeymoon: "And she sounded kind of tired, which is good, I think. Tired after a honeymoon? Bodes well." Rory tests out some of her newfound maturity: "My married friend, Lane, and her married husband, Zach. Nutso." Lorelai comments that Rory has spoken like a true adult, and heads out to work.
Luke arrives at the diner, truck full of rebuilding supplies, and finds T.J. there waiting to help him on the construction project. T.J. is, as you no doubt guessed, so very painfully annoying. He asks Luke if he wants help unloading the truck, and then immediately begs off, saying that he has to finish the cup of coffee he's drinking -- which, incidentally, he bought for Luke and then drank himself, assuming that Luke would be late, which he wasn't. Just repeat that last sentence about six times in a hodge-podge Boston/Philly accent, and you will get the gist of this scene. Luke, naturally, is irritated by T.J.'s rambling, leading T.J. to suggest that they go across the street to the new diner to get some coffee. "What diner across the street?" Luke asks, with growing dread, and then turns to see...