GILMORE GIRLS: PRESENTING LORELAI GILMORE (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic series about Lorelai Gilmore, a thirty-something mother raising her teenage daughter Rory under the constant surveillance of her overbearing and very wealthy parents, Emily and Richard. In this episode, Lorelai and Rory arrive for their Friday night dinners at Emily and Richard’s home to find them arguing about Emily’s “frivolous parties” and his work commitments. Lorelai is entertained to see her normally composed parents behaving childishly. The next day, at Luke’s, Lorelai reads over one of Rory’s papers and they watch in amusement as Luke and Jess argue about proper work attire. Later that day, Emily has tea with her DAR friends, and they fill her in on the gossip from the parties she has missed lately. Rory stops by to pick up a book, and Emily’s friends suggest that she should “come out” into society and participate in a debutante ball, and Emily is intrigued, especially because Lorelai’s teenaged pregnancy prevented her from doing so. At home, Rory tells her mother about the ball, and while Lorelai initially objects, Rory says she is willing to do it. They call Christopher, who is living nearby in Boston and surprisingly agrees to escort Rory at the ball, as per the rules. Rory persuades Dean to accompany her to the ball as well, which takes some effort when he learns he must dress very formally. Christopher arrives at their home and Lorelai is both amused and impressed by his conservative new car and mature new job. Miss Patty attempts to teach Rory and Dean ballroom dancing, and they are showed up by Lorelai and Christopher’s talents. Lorelai shops with Emily for Rory’s accessories, and she witnesses another tense moment between her parents. Later, Lorelai and Christopher help Rory and Dean prepare for the ball, and she confides in him about Emily and Richard’s fighting. At the ball, Rory meets Libby, an experienced debutante who puts a great deal of importance on the event, which makes Rory nervous. In the lobby, Lorelai finds a harassed Emily, who is upset that Richard has not arrived. Christopher arrives, and he and Lorelai sneak drinks, bonding over their own unpleasant teenaged experiences with the high-society set. As the ball starts, Richard and Emily are still arguing publicly, with Richard clearly expressing his lack of interest in being there, and Lorelai finally takes them aside and tries to make them behave for Rory’s sake. Emily argues that they have a “social responsibility” to be there and act presentable, and Richard retorts that she has not been listening to his problems about work, and bluntly explains that he is being “phased out” of his insurance company because of his age and will eventually be asked to leave, which he finds insulting. Emily fails to see why he is taking it so personally, but they are interrupted by Rory’s debut, which she pulls off without a hitch, accompanied by Christopher and Dean. Afterwards, Rory and her parents head to Luke’s, and Lorelai and Chris speak privately. She invites him to come visit them more often, saying that she and Rory would both enjoy his presence, but he admits that he has a girlfriend back in Boston, Sherry, with whom he is living. Lorelai seems taken aback, but accepts the news kindly. She joins Rory at Luke’s, and they are both amused to see that Jess has started wearing the official “uniform” of the diner, which annoys his uncle. Lorelai muses that she is glad she has Rory to confide in, and considers that her mother might be lonely. The next day, she goes over to Emily’s to “just hang,” and tells her mother that she can always talk to her if need be. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: WB
- DATE: November 6, 2001 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:85113
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Mothers and daughters
- SERIES RUN: WB/CW - TV series, 2000-2007; Netflix - Internet series, 2016
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Gavin Polone … Executive Producer
- Daniel Palladino … Executive Producer
- Amy Sherman-Palladino … Executive Producer, Created by
- Michael Katleman … Co-Executive Producer
- Patricia Fass Palmer … Producer
- Sheila R. Lawrence … Producer, Writer
- Barbara Brace … Associate Producer
- Chris Long … Director
- Sam Phillips … Music by
- Carole King … Theme Music by
- Toni Stern … Theme Music by
- Lauren Graham … Cast, Lorelai Gilmore
- Alexis Bledel … Cast, Rory Gilmore
- Melissa McCarthy … Cast, Sookie St. James
- Keiko Agena … Cast, Lane Kim
- Yanic Truesdale … Cast, Michel Gerard
- Scott Patterson … Cast, Luke Danes
- Jared Padalecki … Cast, Dean Forester
- Milo Ventimiglia … Cast, Jess Mariano
- Kelly Bishop … Cast, Emily Gilmore
- Edward Herrmann … Cast, Richard Gilmore
- Liz Torres … Cast, Miss Patty
- Judy Geeson … Cast, Natalie Swope
- Jacqueline Schultz … Cast, Sunny
- Samantha Shelton … Cast, Libby Doty
- Susan Bjurman … Cast, Vivian Lewis
- Millicent Martin … Cast, Debut Presenter
- David Sutcliffe … Cast, Christopher Hayden
- Grant Lee Phillips … Cast, Grant
- Nona Niedert … Cast, Millicent
- Jen Dede … Cast, Leisal
- Kincaid Walker … Cast, Katie
- Peggy Goss … Cast, Mom #1
- Jean St. James … Cast, Mom #2
- Shane Partlow … Cast, Maurice Chevalier Lipsyncer