Gilmore Girls Recap: 7.08 “Introducing Lorelai Planetarium”
Episode Name: Introducing Lorelai Planetarium
Episode Number: 7.08
Air Date: November 21, 2006
The episode begins with Lorelai calling Rory to say they are home and to try to get over "STASAP" - sooner than as soon as possible.
Chris asks Lorelai to have an open mind. Apparently he wants to install a waterfall fixture in the living room? And a lounger chair. And a flat screen tv over the mantle. So not Lorelai’s style, and she just finished renovating too! Anyway, all of it was a joke… except the tv ;)
So, it’s clear that Chris is moving to Stars Hollow, but he wants to bring some of his style too into the small town life.
Rory calls and Lorelai begs her to come for dinner. Rory had plans, but Lorelai makes up a story about having to cook snails or they will go bad.
Rory talking to Logan on the phone as she exits the elevator. Enters the apartment. There is Logan! Back in town. Rory chides him for always surprising her like that.
Why is he back in town? Apparently there is a space called the Orchid Room they want for their launch party, and a space opened up in the reservations for that night. So, it will be a pre-launch-launch-party, put together at the last minute, but with a crazy guest list put together by 5 of the town’s best PR agents. That’s a lot of money floating around!
So, Rory will have to go to the launch party after getting the big news from her parents. That should be interesting.
Then Logan drops something interesting. Checking out apartments. Um, aren’t they standing in his apartment? Ah, he is moving to New York, which is just over an hour away from Yale. Rory is so excited! About him being closer than London, but not about him living somewhere else. But Logan makes a good point, his hours will be too crazy for the commute.
Odd thing is, he’s not going to take any of his stuff from the Yale place. "New apartment, new stuff" - ahhhh, to be rich. Rory jokes that Logan should take Henry though - the suit of armor. Creeps her out. lol.
Luke tries to pry April’s head out of a book to give her dinner. She was reading about bear hibernation, and then Luke goes into a story about seeing a Grizzly. OMG, then they go into April’s schoolgirl gossip. And Luke is following along. I take it he’s well briefed. Then Luke gets a little ruffled when April mentions that boys are going to her friend Sabrina’s birthday party. Then asks about kissing, which grosses out April. So funny.
Rory arrives in Stars Hollow. Lorelai in an apron, that’s different. Rory points it out too. My God, they really did cook snails. Ew! Lorelai tries to get Rory to try one, while conspicuously hiding the hand with her wedding band. Chris braves a taste. Like a buttered gummy bear?!?
Lorelai drops the bomb about the elopement. After some initial shock, Rory takes it quite well. Congratulates them. They tell Rory about how they decided to get married. It seems kinda weird. They tell Rory about being inspired by a small village church an hour outside Paris where they went to see the lilies Monet painted - but we saw last week they had talked about it over dinner. Are they lying to Rory? To make it seem more impulsive?
Chris goes out to grab some champagne. Then apparently Rory didn’t take it quite so well as we thought. But stifles her anger because Chris will be right back.
Rory makes it to the fancy launch party. Logan offers to talk about the whole wedding thing, but Rory still needs to process. So, party it is. Logan makes fun of a few of the guests - people who want to be known but don’t want to be known, or with funny names.
Bobby calls Rory’s dress "cute", which of course must be driving Rory nuts. That whole reference to "cute" being "juvenile" and her jealousy of Bobby. Apparently, Page Six made it to the party. Coverage is good. They get stuck in a conversation with a guy complaining about delays building a mansion on an isolated tropical island. Yeah. Um. Ok. And, of course, everyone has to pretend to be interested. Bobby does come to the rescue to take away the boring rich guy. At least Logan doesn’t like being fake either.
Logan introduces Rory to a guy who worked for the New York Times and now starting an online magazine. Logan plays up Rory’s resume, like a great b/f. When he has to take off to another conversation, Rory stays to chat with the journalist. They start making fun of the pompousness of the party. He asks what she gets to write, and Rory gets to gush about her passion. He then offers to take a look at any pieces she submits to his site. "Cultural and social observations" - like the party they are now at.
Lorelai leaves Rory a message about her feelings around the wedding. Rory and Lorelai fights are never good.
Rory wrote a piece on the party, Logan is reading it. She is very excited, but he looks somber. Pissed, actually. The story makes Logan’s party, and Logan, seem pompous and arrogant and that Rory disapproves. Says there is a difference between joking and judging. Rory tries to say Logan is different, not like them, but he’s not ashamed of his trust fund. Rory says she wanted to make a point about certain people networking with certain people - a closed circle to get ahead.
Logan accuses Rory of trying to be morally superior. She, after all, networked. Logan says her education does not make her morally superior. She is one of them too. Went to prep. Goes to Yale. Rich family. And not paying rent there either. Ouch. Rory says "Screw You" and leaves.
April isn’t feeling well, but is still getting ready for the party. Luke tries to sit her down about the party. Referring to "kissing" as "juggling" to not gross out April. Doesn’t want her to do any "juggling." While April goes to get the birthday card, she has to hold herself up from the pain. April has a fever and Luke tells her to stay home. April is not happy.
Chris has a peach shirt and Lorelai accuses him of vanity. Then Lorelai finds a shirt that was hers 22 years ago - he lied and kept it all that time! Chris laughs so hard.
Lorelai freaks a bit at converting Rory’s room into GiGi’s room. Not quite ready to give up the Rory stuff. Not an easy thing for a parent. But Lorelai is a little freaked with all the changes. Chris is mad that Lorelai didn’t mention Rory was mad.
Rory is having Lucy and Olivia read the article. And vents about Logan. Rory wants to move out - agrees, without agreeing, she’s leeching off Logan. Or rather, doesn’t want to be seen as leeching. Lucy and Olivia say it’s a great article - sharp, funny… but mean. That hits Rory. Being mean and judgmental, and insensitive, without meaning to be.
April is looking very sick. Luke panics and calls Lorelai. Lor thinks it could be her appendix. Luke takes her to the hospital. Lorelai comes by to see if they are ok. April did have her appendix removed.
Luke is grateful Lorelai came. Parent to parent, very thankful for the support. The doctor comes out to get Luke and thinks Lorelai is April’s mom. Luke says they are not married, Lorelai chimes in, and in the "we’re not married" statement, Luke sees her wedding ring…
Rory returns to Logan’s place. He apologizes for throwing the apartment thing in her face. Rory apologizes for writing such a mean piece. And for saying things, and writing things, she did not mean. But says she needs to find her own place. That him getting another place is just different. It’s no longer her just waiting for him to come back.
Lorelai drops by to talk with Rory. Rory says she’s happy for them, but she wasn’t there. It’s like if Rory got married without Lorelai. It hurts. Lorelai did truly believe Rory would have talked her out of it, which Rory admits would have been true. Rational Rory.
Lorelai feels better. Goes home and decides to purge Rory’s room to make room for GiGi. Knowing Rory is ok sharing a room with GiGi, and feeling good about the wedding, makes Lorelai ready to accept her new life.
Luke sitting with April, watching an old movie scene. About a man who is trying to make up for a failed elopement. And it hits him that he missed his chance with Lorelai.
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17 opinions for Gilmore Girls Recap: 7.08 “Introducing Lorelai Planetarium”
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[…] Episode 7.08: Introducing Lorelai PlanetariumAir Date: November 21, 2006Picutres[Read Recap] […]
» Gilmore Girls 7.08 “Introducing Lorelai Planetarium” Video Clips Gilmore Girls News - Everything Gilmore Girls
Nov 22, 2006 at 10:38 pm
[…] Episode 7.08: Introducing Lorelai PlanetariumAir Date: November 21, 2006Vidoe Clips[Read Recap] […]
Tara Ashley
Nov 23, 2006 at 12:01 am
I really expected this episode to be a lot worse, especially since I read comments on it before I actually watched it…BUT, I was really pleasantly surprised.
I found myself liking the first few lines, and then the first scene, then the next scene, and so on until I realized, this episode is not half bad? Almost funny, actually. I loved the Leroy/Elroy line, and the knight in the apartment stuff, and some other really silly but ASP-esque parts. But WAY more importantly, I thought the acting was really good. I loved watching Lorelai’s expressions, especially during the very first scene and the dinner. And Rory was great as well- it seemed (almost) that the actresses recaptured their spark.
Having said that, Lauren Graham did NOT look good. Anyone else think that? And it’s strange to me, because I think she has looked absolutely beautiful in the past few episodes. Hmm…
Rory and Logan are back in action, YAY! Finally some good scenes and good acting between them. It was an interesting plot line for them in this episode, I think, and I’m glad they finally addressed the fact that Rory is living rent free in his apartment. I always thought that was odd. Something I would love to see developed is a Lorelai/Logan relationship. Any thoughts on that? And I HAVE to add that Matt is an excellent excellent actor!
On that note, Luke/April scenes were cute and well done- it’s nice to see that relationship developing, and it’s nice to see Luke’s personality because it seems so downplayed this season. But for the LOVE of God, don’t write in any more “sweeties” for Luke. SO out of character, and SO awkward. The first time I could bear it, the second on I cringed.
Lorelai and Chris are… interesting. To me, the whole elopement and even relationship still feels like a dream. I feel like it’s SO far from what I expected that I’ve disconnected it with the past 6 seasons. Does anyone else do that? Christopher moving in is weird, weird, weird. The whole premise of “Gilmore Girls” has been tainted, which, I know, was to be expected at some point- but still, so weird. Rory’s reaction was amazing, but her explanation at the end wasn’t enough for me. Questions I’d like her to have said: are you really happy with this? What now? And most importantly: are you completely over Luke?
The Luke and Lorelai interaction was NOT up to par. First of all, and I’m sure you are all wondering this, why on earth did Luke call Lorelai first? It wasn’t an “emergency” as they made it seem in the spoilers. She didn’t fall or break something or get into a sudden accident- the only sudden thing was Luke randomly deciding to pick up the phone. He wasn’t even frantic? And why why why wasn’t Anna called? AND, when Lorelai answered, why didn’t she do her signature “Luke…(trails off)” This particular scene could have been SO much better. Shame on the writers! The hospital scene was poignant. The ring flashing was pretty obvious and poorly directed, but the interaction between L&L was sweet. Luke’s face was disheartening.
All in all, if I didn’t read spoilers, I’d be a VERY nervous and unhappy girl. Lorelai –and I absolutely, positively HATE to say this– seems almost genuinely happy with Chris? Her “I’m so certain about this” speech to Rory broke my heart. Does she really think Chris is the right one for her? Is she REALLY over Luke? I know from spoilers and my own faith in the show that L&L WILL get back together, but sometimes this season REALLY makes me wonder…
Just a thought, but if Lorelai truly believed that had she spoken with Rory, she wouldn’t have followed through with the elopement, doesn’t that mean that SOMETHING is wrong with this marraige? If someone can talk you out of marrying someone, do you really honest to God love that person? I don’t know. I don’t think anyone could have come CLOSE to talking her out of her elopement with Luke, prior to the whole April mess.
I am SO ready for there to be some progress in the L&L reunion. I need something to go off on, something more than the way too short hospital scene. Merry Fisticuffs may be my only hope. If THAT episode isn’t good, all hope is lost. But, props to the writers for salvaging the season (slightly) and writing this pretty decent episode. Pray, pray, PRAY for the quick return of L&L. I neeeeeeeeeeeeeed it! :(
Tara Ashley
Nov 23, 2006 at 12:09 am
*when I said no one could have come close to talking Lorelai out of her elopement with Luke, I meant her ENGAGEMENT with Luke.
DA
Nov 23, 2006 at 6:27 am
I very much agree with you, Tara Ashley!!
So I typed up a really long comment and it’s not showing up when I post it. I think I posted it twice, too. But I can’t see it. If anyone else can see it, please tell me, I don’t want to post it 3 times haha. I know you hate double posts :)
mollie
Nov 23, 2006 at 7:34 am
tara ashley said it all. why did luke call lorelai NOT april’s MOTHER? why did they not adress the wedding ring flash more? why did lorelai even go to the hospital? and WHY was she moving stuff out of rory’s room?
DA
Nov 23, 2006 at 8:17 am
Sorry if I’ve already posted this:
Ok, now for a really long response :) I actually liked this ep in the fact that it’s slowly but surely getting back to normal in terms of Gilmore-ness. More quips and references, and I actually laughed at some of Lorelai’s lines :) Good stuff!! Now if we could only get the rest of the town back in the picture and Chris out, then all will be good in Stars Hollow :)
On the other hand, I’m feeling a bit slapped in the face. I mean, seriously, all of the spoilers were built up and we are SO ANXIOUS to see it (Luke and Lorelai interaction) actually happen and then: ho-hum. I wish visiting Luke would have pulled a different reaction from Lorelai. Not when they’re actually talking at the hospital (I’m going to give it the benefit of a doubt that the forced casualness was reinforcing the fact that Luke and Lorelai just have a deep connection, no matter what the circumstances; besides, I was excited that Lorelai showed up ON HER OWN INITIATIVE) but afterwards??? I was about ready to punch her in the face, especially when she was talking to Rory. Since when does CL feel SO RIGHT? CL getting married wasn’t a long time coming. Didn’t Lorelai say she never thought of marrying Chris in a “longingly, good way”? And Lorelai also said that her and Luke was “a long time coming”. And that was in an episode DR wrote. Ugh, this makes me mad. I mean, if you had to talk yourself into not letting you talk yourself out of it, thats definitely saying something MAJOR. The only good thing I got out of the convo was her not changing her name to Haden. Whew!! Still a Gilmore after all. Sort of. I’d bet she’d definitely change her name to Danes though… JMO :)
And it’s like she was completely unaffected by seeing Luke, him even calling her, heck actually talking to him for the first time in what seems like forever. There had better be some confrontation next week between them- she was so trying to hide the ring after she realized he noticed it. Poor Luke!! Could anything else go wrong for him?? Oh, wait, Anna comes back and “Oh, by the way, I’m moving April and I to New Mexico.” I don’t know why, but I love his relationship with April. The whole kissing conversation was adorable!! And he’s just now really getting to know her and be a real father-figure to her, and Anna just wants to pick up and leave?? Poor guy is getting crushed right and left. I’m very interested to see how the legal battle transpires. Thank God there’s Christopher whom he can take his anger out on in *2 weeks*!!!
Is anybody else irked to no end that NOBODY is MAD?? About the elopement that is… Rory’s not mad, Sookie doesn’t seem to be mad, I’m fairly sure that Emily and Richard aren’t going to be mad. Maybe Luke is mad, but it’s not like he can talk to Lorelai about it. I have finally come to a realization about this, however… Lorelai has to figure this out on her own- come to the conclusion all by herself without anyone else’s input. This whole season she has let everyone else tell her how it’s supposed to be: She let Luke make her think that she wasn’t worth marrying. She let Christopher tell her that they belong together, and she let her parents turn her into the daughter she never was. The writers must be making it so she realizes all that on her own… I just want it to be soon!!! And believable!! This whole CL thing has so many holes and unexplained details that I’m afraid that everything that happens between now and LL getting back together will not be played out well enough, that it’ll just happen and it won’t have a whole lot of depth to it. Even though I want them back together, it won’t be satisfying if it’s not really amped-up.
I cannot believe they are changing Rory’s room into freakin’ Gigi’s room!! Chris just waltzes in and thinks he can change everything and everyone will just be fine with it. “Rory won’t care!!” Adding flat-screen TVs and crap all over the house- He definitely DOESN’T FIT AT ALL. Does he honestly not even think of anyone other than himself??? He is still a jerk. He is still the same stupid idiot who paraded back into Lorelai’s life trying to win her heart in season 2, only this time he somehow succeeded because Lorelai was vulnerable at the time, but he’s still a heartless jerk. At this point, I cannot wait until Feburary. I honestly can’t. Lorelai is driving me CRAZY. My only hope is that the more she talks about her and Chris, the more she sounds like she’s trying to convince herself, and maybe she’ll eventually hear herself!!! Too many anvils have landed on her head and now she can’t think straight to save her life- literally!!
*Because it won’t snow in Stars Hollow ’til February this year*
Tara Ashley
Nov 23, 2006 at 12:04 pm
Did you make up that snow in Feb thing, DA? Or did you find it somewhere? Either way, LOVE IT! :)
I like the whole Lorelai realizing things on her own thing. I hope that’s where this is going. I think what upset me the most about all this isn’t that Lorelai and Chris are together (because we know they won’t be forever, confirmed by MA) but that L&L won’t get back together until FEBRUARY. I want to see lots and lots of L&L episodes! And if they only get back together in February, that leaves what like 8ish episodes to see L&L together? Not to mention that a bunch of those will (or should) be them working out issues. It’s not going to be as smooth sailing as the *AMAZING* kiss in season 5. Yikes. Bring back Luke and Lorelai NOWWWWWWWW PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!
mollie
Nov 23, 2006 at 12:25 pm
i tink anna is doing her i don’t want april to get tocomfortable thing with somone and is picking her up. i hope that when ana does pick april up she and luke have a confrontion and luke tells her that it is her fault that he isn’t married and dosn’t have a wife. that he now can’t win back the woman who he pined for for 9 years. i hope that then luke demenads to have full parental rights and ana just move by herself to new mexico.
any comments
DA
Nov 23, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Yeah, Tara Ashley, I feel like they’re running out of time. I’m getting really frustrated with it all!! I have a feeling that even if L&L get back together, it’s not going to be done right at all, and the season ending will be disappointing. It won’t ever be the same now.
And, the snow thing I made up based on screen caps from future episodes (and some discussion on fanforum) that snow wasn’t ordered on set until episode 12 or so. Which is really strange to me, especially with them living in Connecticut and there not being snow even at Christmas, but I have this hope that it represents something HUGE since snow means so much to Lorelai… but who knows.
Mollie- Luke can’t just take April away from Anna, they’d at most have joint custody of her. I’m really interested to see how this plays out and how it affects everyone else.
Michelle
Nov 24, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Omg! That sounds like such a great eppisode! I didn’t get to watch it because at my house channel 5 only had basket ball on! I can’t believe I missed Luke and Lorelai talking.
» Synchronicity Gilmore Girls News - Everything Gilmore Girls
Nov 24, 2006 at 4:18 pm
[…] TV Guide makes a neat reference to Synchronicity, starting off with the shirt of Lorelai’s that Chris had kept for more than 20 years, and expanding that to a theme in the episode "Introducing Lorelai Planetarium." […]
Janey
Nov 26, 2006 at 1:39 pm
So far this year, I have found the dialogue between Rory and Logan to be the most intelligent, or at least the most Gilmore-esque. And I agree with a previous poster, I think Matt Czuchry does a great job with his character, whether you like that character or not. Alexis Bledel was great in this episode, too.
I’ve completely lost interest in Lorelai’s storyline right now, though, because I think the writers have taken her outside the believable boundaries of her character. I also didn’t think that Rory’s reaction to her mother’s wedding was complex enough.
The only reason she’s mad is because she wasn’t there? I was 18 when my mother remarried, and not even all that close to my mom, but I still felt weird having to share my mom with a new stepfather (although my stepdad’s great, too, but it was just weird). So, I find it hard to believe that Rory would not feel some conflict over the fact that her mom is being “shared” now, and that a man has penetrated their space and their world after all these years. It is a bigger adjustment than the writers bothered to deal with. Maybe they’ll do something with it down the road, but I thought that in terms of the various emotions they could have explored, they didn’t explore them all that well at all.
I also thought Chris was being very presumptuous about the whole thing. “Rory will be happy, Rory will be fine…” he doesn’t even know Rory, I think–he hasn’t been around. He doesn’t have nearly the depth of bond that Lorelai has with Rory, which creates a very strange dynamic, since he is her father.
But these adjustments and dynamics are the kind that you explore over time and with subtlety and nuance. The current GG path is all about gimmicky drama, it would seem, so I don’t hold out much hope that those issues will be explored in depth anytime soon.
Still, I think Rory and Logan were the bright spot in this episode, even though Rory would have known better–as someone with a bit of background in journalism– than to expect that she’d write a piece about her boyfriend’s company and have it considered by a serious journalist like Hugo. That was just a convenient way to get them to fight, I think, but oh well, my expectations are just lowered for this show since ASP left. At least it was kind of a good fight.
The show is still not the same, though.
(end rant).
Chris K
Nov 27, 2006 at 11:47 am
Just wanted to chime in.
Against everything I expected, I love this season.
For me, ASP started going downhill ever since the Lorelai/Rory fight from 2 seasons ago. I never liked that Rory, who’d grown up in a small town, suddenly fell in willingly with all these privileged rich kids and seemed to have little in the way of second thoughts. The whole DAR thing was ridiculous.
Luke and Lorelai last year under ASP was a disaster. Luke having some inexplicable desire to keep April and Lorelai separate, after claiming he was “all in.” The ending of last season was terrible with Lorelai looking like Jennifer Connelly at the end of Requiem for a Dream. I have to also admit that Chris and Lorelai make a much better couple than Luke and Lorelai. Sometimes life throws curveballs and just because it isn’t where everyone thought the show was headed doesn’t make it bad.
I love the two new girl friends - though the Marty thing is weird. One of the bright spots of the last two seasons was when Jess expressed his distaste for what Rory had done with herself. She seemed to like the world Jess had made for himself and I think we’re getting a taste for it this season.
I was really skeptical about the new guy, especially with his history. But he’s pulled it off, and the show is fun again, even if it’s not always as witty.
The characters make sense. The Palladinos would change characters to fit the plot and it always annoyed me. One week Luke had never seen more than a handful of movies. Another time he’s making references to 70’s movies.
Ana
Dec 1, 2006 at 7:37 am
I completely agree with Chris K, it’s not that this season is worse because of ASP not being on the show,its decline started some seasons ago. Season six did’t made much sense to me. Luke not wanting to marry Lorelai? Rory not being involved in Stars Hollow and acting like what she had always criticized, and the worst of it, Sookie and Jackson weed, that was just crazy and stupid. I’m sorry, but to me this season is making it a little better, of course it’s not like the firts seasons, but at least DR is getting through things worth watching. I mean, I know this season is not one of the best but I really like it better tha the sixth.
annie
Dec 4, 2006 at 4:05 pm
I think/hope Loralai and Luke will eventually get bak together. Though, i think it was very important the whole Chris thing. We all know that Christopher and Luke have been the great loves of her life. It seemed to be the perfect moment for Luke and Loralai in the past season, but was it? She has never been truely convinced which one’s the one for her. I think the marriage with Chris will make her live what she needed to live with him first, just to realize that Luke’s really The One!!
» Gilmore Girls Season 7 Gilmore Girls News - Everything Gilmore Girls
Dec 5, 2006 at 12:06 pm
[…] Episode 7.08: Introducing Lorelai PlanetariumAir date November 21, 2006*new* Lorelai breaks the news of her elopement to Christopher to Rory. Rory pretends to be happy, but when Christopher leaves, she tells her mom how hurt and angry she is (that they married, or that she was not there?). Logan returns to town to work on his new company and invites Rory to the launch. A magazine editor suggests Rory cover the event, but her article is judgmental and calls the guests ’spoiled elitists’. Logan gets angry and accuses Rory of hypocrisy - after all, she lives for free in his place. Rory realizes this is a double standard, so looks for her own place. April faces a medical emergency and, in panic, Luke turns to Lorelai. More…[Spoiler & Trailer][Recap][Pictures][Video Clips] […]
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