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Gilmore Girls 5.15 “Jews and Chinese Food”

by Arieanna on April 4th, 2008

Gilmore Girls 5.15 "Jews and Chinese Food"
Original Air Date: February 22, 2005 (Recap date: April 4, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Doesn’t Rory have an obligation for Friday dinners?
• Why does Chris pretend like the entire incident at the vow renewal was a misunderstanding? How was it?
• Why is Rory dense abut Marty?
• Why does Luke want to know if Lorelai will be at the play, before deciding?
• Was Luke being inconsiderate when he took the boat back?
• Why did Rory go to so much trouble for her movie ‘hang out’ with Marty?
• Do you think Michel has friends?
• Was it right for Rory to kick out Doyle?
• Why does Luke really get mad at Lorelai?
• Was Logan’s mention of Marty being a waiter a way to express his jealousy or dislike?
• Should Marty have been asked to pay at dinner?
• What meaning did the "Do you love me?" song have for Luke and Lorelai?
• Why did Marty decide to tell Rory how he felt? Could they still be friends?
• Why does Logan use the window, not the door?
• Is it out of character for Rory to be so forward? Did Marty’s confession have anything to do with that?
• Was Logan’s last line a non-PG reference, or did he refer to exiting the window? And, if the former, is that appropriate for Gilmore Girls?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Lorelai has shown up to Yale at Rory’s dorm, and walks into a spat between Doyle and Paris over the status of their relationship - lovers? Or what? Lorelai runs to the safety of Rory’s room. The girls have plans for their own Friday night dinner. Before going, Paris tries to get Lorelai to be an anecdote in her paper, talking about loneliness and her break-up.

Rory and Lorelai are eating in the dining hall. Lorelai shares some Stars Hollow news, which includes info that Lorelai has signed up to do costumes for the elementary school production of Fiddler on the Roof. Rory is still worried about Lorelai, after the break-up with Luke. Lorelai’s new morning routine is to go to Weston’s.

Rory got an email from Christopher. It’s been almost three weeks now since the vow renewal, though Rory had the email on Monday and just hadn’t told Lorelai about it. Lorelai says Chris’ side of the story doesn’t exist, unless he had an evil twin. It’s more than a misunderstanding. Rory asks if Richard knew about Emily’s plan in inviting Chris, but Lorelai is sure Emily is the one who poisoned the apple.

Later, Rory and Lorelai are eating ice cream in freezing cold weather, and are regretting the eccentric choice. They notice Marty, but he runs away when Rory calls him over. Rory says they haven’t been as close lately, but that’s as far as we go on details. Rory offers that Lorelai stay the night at Yale, but Lorelai says she’s ok. She’s been dumped before.

Lorelai tries to introduce herself around at Weston’s, to become familiar. The woman at Weston’s misinterprets Lorelai’s "coffee, coffee, coffee" to mean 3 coffees. They don’t know her well enough there to get her "bits". Luke has moved the boat from Lorelai’s garage to in front of the diner. Lorelai notices on her way to work.

Doyle is trying to have a meeting with the Daily News staff, but they’re not being overly co-operative. Rory notices Marty outside the office windows, so she runs out to talk to him. Rory assumes he’s been busy, hence why she hasn’t seen him. Rory tells Marty she misses him a lot. Rory suggests they have a hang out night on the weekend, watch the Marx Brothers. He breaks down and agrees, and Rory hugs him. Marty doesn’t walk away happy, though.

Luke is getting too many questions about his boat, and he’s become quite surly about it. A little kid comes into the diner with Lulu - it turns out, to ask Luke to help with the Fiddler on the roof set. Or rather, they had assumed he was already signed up, and just to tell him when to be there. Lorelai had signed Luke up weeks ago. He says he probably forgot, then. Luke asks if Lorelai will be there. She will. Luke agrees to help out.

Lorelai is having to be creative with the costume beards - she is going to die Santa beards in tea. Sookie is subtle in asking if Lorelai saw the boat. Sookie thinks the whole stunt is rubbing the break-up in Lorelai’s face. Lorelai goes back home to work on the costumes.

Apparently, not only did Luke take the boat, but he left the garage wide open. Lorelai stands in front of it, then shakes her head and goes inside.

Luke arrives to help build the set. One of the boys blurts out that his mother is a lesbian, and asks Luke how many lesbians he knows. It makes Luke uncomfortable. Bradley, Luke’s "supervisor", shows him the plans. Luke has to teach the boys about tools. Carrie, the woman who has always had her eye on Luke, comes sauntering in. She’s the opposite of subtle in seeing how he is after his break-up. Luke asks the boys not to leave him alone with Carrie again.

Carrie is the director of the play. And Kirk is playing Tevye, the only adult with all the kids. He happily sits on the floor with the other kids, then puts his hand up to "go potty" when asked. Luke asks Lulu where the "tall people" are, the other adults helping, and Lulu tells Luke they all come at different times. Luke tries to be nonchalant about it.

Sookie comes over with all the glue and glitter she could find in Stars Hollow. Lorelai is decorating her garage. To turn it into a "special all me alone place". Michel, who is busy lint rolling himself, calls Sookie to say there was a bang in the kitchen. He didn’t check it out. Sookie knows it’s a ruse, that Michel was hurt to be working when the girls were decorating. Lorelai ponders a Moulin Rouge theme. Michel calls again saying there is a funny smell.

Rory is setting up for her movie marathon with Marty. Doyle comes in and says he’s concerned that Rory felt comfortable enough to walk out on the Yale Daily News staff meeting. Rory throws the ‘boundaries’ argument back at Doyle, since he’s there every day eating her food and just put his sock on her table. Paris’ room is his ‘casa’, not the common room. Doyle leaves completely.

Michel had his way, and is now helping the girls decorate the garage. Or rather, he’s decorating. He is using an antique stencil on the walls. Michel denies that he had a fit to be included when Lorelai points out all his complaining. It is turning out just like Lorelai wanted, but she looks sad. I’m sure she’d rather not have an "alone place".

Rory is dressed up as Harpo Marx, to an extent, and has the room decorated in tribute. And has provided pretzels of the World for their snacking pleasure. Marty is a little awkward with Rory, trying to compliment her on the Harpo look. He fidgets very nervously as they begin the movie. Takes a little more wasabi pretzels than was smart.

Paris storms in and sarcastically thanks Rory for kicking out her "undefined sexual male partner" out of the room that they share. So now Paris has to stay at his dorm, with 3 roommates and things growing where they shouldn’t. Rory just smiles. Marty says he missed it there.

Luke has been working on the set for days, and is still the only adult. He asks Lulu again where they are. Luke says it’s not about talking to other adults, but then is cut off. Kirk complains that the dairy cart that Luke built is too good, not suitable to a poor man, which his character Tevya is. So Luke kicks the cart and it goes crooked. Now it’s legitimately hard to pull, much to Kirk’s satisfaction. Kirk rehearses a song, "Tradition" from the play. When a little girl trips, Luke flips out. He blames it on the costume being too big. He gets very dramatic about it.

Luke drives to see Lorelai, who is in her garage blow drying some daisy decorations. He yells "Yenta tripped" when he gets there. Luke appears to know the play inside and out now, and blames the play rehearsal being blown on Lorelai for not being there. Luke is mad that he’s there teaching kids how to use tools, because she signed him up, and she’s not even there. You can’t say no to Bradley when he has an inhaler in his mouth, now can you?

Luke notices the garage and asks what it’s all about. When Lorelai says it’s her special alone place, he sarcastically throws back that she has a whole house of that. Lorelai gets riled up at that. Lorelai says that Luke knows she never parked her car in her garage, so when it became empty, she decided to do something with the space, so it wouldn’t be a "giant hole of depression." Luke thought he was doing Lorelai a favor. Lorelai says it was not much better of him to park it in front of the diner as a giant "they broke up billboard." Lorelai is mad and hurt about the way he did it, not calling or leaving a note or anything. Lorelai excuses herself.

Marty and Rory are well into their movie night, and Rory has her legs comfortably draped over Marty. They’re having fun, talking movies and tv. There is a knock at the door - it’s Logan, he’s back. Logan says he missed Rory and wants to buy her a fortune cookie - to take her out for Chinese. Rory says she can’t, because she has company. Logan invites Marty. Logan says if he’s going to hang with Ace, he would like to "get to know you without a waiter’s uniform on." Logan assumes it’s a done deal and waits in the car. Rory says they don’t have to go, but Marty knows she wants to.

In a private room at the Chinese restaurant, Rory and Marty join Logan and a few select friends for dinner. Another girl at the table, Juliet, seems impressed with Rory’s ability to eat anything she wants. Juliet’s metabolism won’t let her eat "food" - she plans to marry a poor man who will never leave her after a pre-nup is signed. Funny.

Logan casually plays with Rory’s hair. Marty, poor Marty. And he doesn’t fit into the conversation well either. The rich boys who went to boarding school and hate their families, and Marty, who thinks he would have missed his home. Marty seems to have lost his appetite.

It’s the night of the play. Lorelai and Luke are back stage helping out with costumes and props between scenes. Carrie tries to hold Luke’s hand, Luke shows her his hammer. Lorelai and Luke share an odd look - kind of sad, kind of understanding, kind of questioning. Lulu comes and needs Lorelai’s help to find Sarah.

Dinner is done, and the crew is ready to move on to continue their night. Alligator Lounge next? Marty doesn’t seem keen to move on. The bill is being split evenly per person, so that’s $75 per person. Marty is not sure he has enough, but won’t let Logan pay. Marty goes to look for an ATM. Rory runs out after him. Marty is outside, and he knows he can’t pay the $75. He only has $18 in his account. Rory tries to give Marty some money, but he won’t accept it at first. Rory convinces him it’s the way to go, and promises they don’t have to go to the club after. Marty thinks this is the low part of his life.

Kirk is singing "Do you love me?" Luke and Lorelai were helping some more kids, but are both freed up to listen to the song, which repeats "Do you love me?" over and over. Golde is mad, so Tevye is trying to ask if she still loves him after 25 years of marriage. Lorelai looks heartbroken, barely stemming off tears. Luke watches the play with a small smile that turns into a sigh - he looks at Lorelai. She looks at him. They look away. The song continues, and Lorelai and Luke both fidget in a want-to-say-something way.

Do I love him?
For twenty-five years I’ve lived with him
Fought him, starved with him
Twenty-five years my bed is his
If that’s not love, what is?

At the end of the song, Golde and Tevye say "I love you." Luke looks at Lorelai and walks toward her, but is blocked by kids going on stage. He moves aside instead. The moment is lost.

Marty assures Rory that he’ll pay her back. Rory says it’s ok. They get back to Rory’s dorm and she offers that he come in and finish their movie marathon. Marty says he has to tell Rory something.

"I know we’re friends. And I’m glad we’re friends. But… I don’t want to be just friends anymore. I like you."

"I like… Logan."

Marty figured. Rory says she doesn’t know why, and apologizes to Marty. Rory wants to know if they’re still friends. He says sure. Marty goes off to his own room in the dorm, on what has been the worst night of his life. Poor Marty.

Rory is in bed reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius in bed, but she seems to mostly be just thinking. Logan knocks at Rory’s window, so she invites him in. He comments that the move seemed more graceful in movies. Logan says it was his first time coming through a window, though perhaps Rory does not believe him.

Logan puts his arm on Rory’s shoulder and says he just wanted to make sure she got home ok. Logan admits it wasn’t all concern, though. He didn’t get to say a proper goodnight to Rory. Logan says "Goodnight, Ace" and kisses her. Rory teases:

"I thought you said a proper goodnight"

Rory takes off Logan’s jacket, and he asks if she wants to change into something more comfortable. Like feetsie pajamas. Rory says she’s not that kind of girl. They kiss towards Rory’s bed. Logan pauses to ask Rory if she wants him to go. Rory kisses him as her answer. He asks again, more seriously:

"Rory, do you want me to go?"

"No" [Rory sits on the bed]

"Good, ’cause if you think climbing in that window was hard…"

"Shhh"

The scene ends with Rory and Logan kissing on her bed. Hot!

Tags: gilmore girls, jews and chinese food, gilmore girls episodes, gilmore girls recaps, 5.15, 5×15, logan huntzberger, marty, rory gilmore, luke lorelai, gilmore girls quotes

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POSTED IN: Discussions, Gilmore Girls Recaps, Logan Huntzberger, Lorelai Gilmore, Lorelai's love life, Michel Gerard, Paris Geller, Quotes, Rory Gilmore, Rory's love life