GILMORE GIRLS: APPLICATION ANXIETY (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, the application for Harvard, Rory’s lifelong dream school, arrives in the mail, and she and Lorelai prepare to fill it out as Lane attempts to create her “drummer seeks rock band” newspaper ad, which is slightly too descriptive. They discuss Rory’s personal statement and her interests, and she decides to check off almost everything (except sports) to show her enthusiasm. However, at Chilton, Rory and Paris conduct a Q&A session with college admissions officials, and Rory is disturbed to learn that her plans for the application, including her Hillary Clinton essay, will lead to a perfunctory, unremarkable submission that will not help her stand out. At Friday night dinner, Emily fretfully tells Lorelai about the competitive, complex application process and gives her a number of college magazines, which worry Lorelai further. Rory arrives and panics with her mother in private, telling her about the application panel, but they force themselves to calm down and analyze the situation. At Luke’s, several customers, including Kirk, request unusual ice cream concoctions, and Luke realizes that Taylor is behind it. He excitedly tells Luke about his ideas for an old-fashioned ice cream and soda shoppe, which will be a “wholesome” place for the young people of Stars Hollow to spend time. Luke realizes that Taylor wants to use the space next to the diner, which he himself owns, and vehemently refuses. At home, Lorelai tells Rory that she talked to her headmaster and got the number of a Harvard alumnus, Darren Springsteen, who counsels prospective students, and they make plans to have lunch at his house. When they arrive, the Gilmores try to make themselves sound impressive and intellectual, avoiding mention of their favorite silly pastimes. Lorelai is mildly disturbed by Darren’s two preppy, energetic children, and when they sit down to lunch, they learn the Springsteens have another daughter who is “following her own path.” The meal soon turns into a hyper-educated quiz bowl, as is family tradition, and Lorelai is flustered when complicated questions are shot at her. Rory escapes briefly from the table and runs into the other daughter, Carol, who is running between her two jobs and does not attend college, preferring to avoid the “conveyor belt” that her siblings are on and saying that they are focused only on pleasing their parents. Rory explains that Lorelai is content as long as Rory is happy, and Carol remarks that she is lucky. Later that night, at the town meeting, Taylor brings up his soda shoppe idea again and provides a ludicrous physical model of the store. Luke is annoyed at its old-timey kitsch, but the townspeople react favorably and he eventually gives in, grudgingly agreeing to be Taylor’s landlord. Outside the meeting, Lane meets Dave Rygalski, who responded to her newspaper ad and reveals himself to be an “audio geek” and as much of a music enthusiast as Lane, which thrills her. Rory meets up with Dean, who asks Rory what will become of their relationship when she leaves for Harvard, and she hurriedly tells him that little will change, but he seems unconvinced. Jackson and Sookie ask Lorelai about her plans for Rory’s room once she leaves, and it is clear that she too has not really considered the thought. The next day, they receive a phone call from Darren who says Rory is “tailor-made” for Harvard and that he intends to recommend her highly. Realizing how close her college years are, Rory and Lorelai agree to put off their tasks for the day and spend time together, and they stroll through town, entertained by Taylor and Luke’s arguments over the new shoppe. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: WB
- DATE: October 8, 2002 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:85117
- 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
- Amy Sherman-Palladino … Executive Producer, Created by
- Daniel Palladino … Executive Producer, Writer
- Sheila R. Lawrence … Co-Executive Producer
- Patricia Fass Palmer … Producer
- Helen Pai … Co-Producer
- Steve Turner … Associate Producer
- Janet Leahy … Consulting Producer
- Gail Mancuso … 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
- Liza Weil … Cast, Paris Geller
- Jared Padalecki … Cast, Dean Forester
- Sean Gunn … Cast, Kirk Gleason
- Kelly Bishop … Cast, Emily Gilmore
- Edward Herrmann … Cast, Richard Gilmore
- Liz Torres … Cast, Miss Patty
- Sally Struthers … Cast, Babette Dell
- Michael Winters … Cast, Taylor Doose
- Granville Van Dusen … Cast, Darren Springsteen
- Jackson Douglas … Cast, Jackson Belleville
- Adam Brody … Cast, Dave Rygalski
- Tinsley Grimes … Cast, Carol Springsteen
- Grant Lee Phillips … Cast, Grant
- Jeanette Brox … Cast, Jennifer Springsteen
- Matt Newton … Cast, Jack Springsteen
- Biff Yeager … Cast, Tom
- Anita Finlay … Cast, Marie Springsteen
- Philip Pavel … Cast, Jim Romaine
- Jay Krich … Cast, Mr. Hunler
- Karen Bankhead … Cast, Rose
- Kendall Schmidt … Cast, Peter
- Jeffrey Noah … Cast, Brent
- Rich DiDonato … Cast, Eddie the Mailman