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Gilmore Girls 5.17 “Pulp Friction”

by Arieanna on April 8th, 2008

Gilmore Girls 5.17 "Pulp Friction"
Original Air Date: March 8, 2005 (Recap date: April 8, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Why does Kirk take the ribbon retrieval so seriously?
• Why does Rory pay for the cereal she took?
• Do you think Kirk has never thought to move out on his own?
• Did Emily expect Lorelai to return to dinner? Did she assume Luke would tell Lorelai about her visit?
• Do you think Rory is ‘good’ seeing Logan with another girl?
• Was Lorelai overly rude to Michel about the RV?
• Did Rory say yes to Robert to make Logan jealous? Or just to be casual herself?
• Why does Logan think it’s fair for him to get jealous?
• Should Rory have stayed on her date, or should she have gone with Logan?
• Do you think Logan would date Rory exclusively, just to avoid jealousy?
• Why does Emily keep insisting she knows what’s best for Lorelai? Do you think, even after Lorelai yelled at her, Emily has changed her mind?
• Why doesn’t Lorelai tell Rory about her new fight with Emily?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Kirk is re-collecting the pink and blue ribbons now that Luke & Lorelai are a couple again. Lulu doesn’t want to give hers back because she likes pink. Kirk chases her down the street.

Lorelai comes to Luke’s and gets a good morning kiss. Then Luke notices the "enemy coffee cup" from Weston’s. Lorelai excuses it as not coffee - it’s more like dessert in a cup. Kirk has recovered Lulu’s sweater and ribbon.

Rory and Logan went to a play, which was painful for Logan. Rory gushes about a Tony Kushner play, Caroline, or Change, and Logan says his mom plays canasta with Kushner. Logan leads a magical life, Rory says. Logan suggests ice cream, and proceeds to sneak Rory into the dining hall after hours. He had a key made. Rory is worried about breaking the rules, but is swayed into thinking it’s cool.

Rory sees the CoCo Puffs and dives in. She’s never there early enough to get that cereal. Logan says Rory is easy to please. Not before Rory leaves some money for the cereal she took! Logan didn’t think she should, after how much his family gives to the school.

A photographer from American Travel Magazine is coming to take photos of the Dragonfly as one of the Top 10 Inns in Connecticut. Sookie and Lorelai have been prettying up the Inn even more. Lorelai notices that many of the leather-bound books are missing. Instead of the classics, they now have 5 copies of He’s Just Not that Into You.

Michel returns from his trip to California feeling all trendy. He even got Botox and had his teeth done. Michel gives Lorelai a smog globe and Sookie a copy of He’s Just Not that Into You. Michel had been invited onto The Price is Right, or so he claimed. In reality, Sookie knows that he had to sit in line for hours and act over-the-top to get onto the show. Michel admits he may have "jumped a little." Not only did Michel get on the show, but he walked away with over $100,000 in cash and prizes. Lorelai then complains about her cheap gift.

Lorelai is gobbling down her fries and burger to get back to the Inn to prepare for the photoshoot. Lorelai had left Luke a message to save her some pie, but Luke didn’t know he had a message on his cell phone, or how to retrieve it. No pie. Lorelai programs his cell to speed dial her. Lorelai asks Kirk who is winning with the ribbons, and tells Luke the loser pays for dinner on Sunday. Luke thinks it’s no competition, that Lorelai will win by a lot.

Lorelai calls Rory to see if she can go shopping for a "back together with Luke dress". Rory is now driving to Friday night dinner. Lorelai makes Rory admit she’s going so she can laugh at her.

Kirk is having girlfriend woes with Lulu. Kirk still lives at home and he says his mother is allergic to Lulu. Kirk had thought of building a new entrance to his room. Luke says that it’s ridiculous, that Kirk is a grown man. Kirk says his mother won’t move out, he’s asked. Luke presents the option that Kirk move out. That he be a man. The concept just confuses Kirk.

Rory has brought some editions of the Yale Daily News for Richard, who came to the door expecting a "they". Rory makes sure they know Lorelai is not coming - there is an extra place set. Emily seems surprised, but says of course they know. Emily goes to take the extra plate away herself, and looks very sad. Later, they are saying goodbye to Rory, and giving her leftover goose to take home.

After Rory goes, Emily voices her displeasure with the dinner. Richard wasn’t sure Lorelai would come, but Emily says she was sure. Emily doesn’t see what kept Lorelai, now that she arranged for her to get her "filthy diner owner" back. Richard wonders if perhaps they didn’t get back together. They think perhaps Luke is not a "take charge" guy, since he never followed Richard’s franchise advice. Emily pouts.

Rory is succeeding in her shopping, but Lorelai has not found her "back together with Luke" dress. Rory discovers, by accident, Logan out with another girl. And he seems to kiss her or whisper in her ear. Lorelai is outraged on Rory’s behalf, but Rory says it’s fine. That they both agreed to make it casual. Lorelai sarcastically says she gets it, the "friends with benefits."

Lorelai is showing the photographer around the Inn. Michel is very angry on the phone. So Lorelai shows him out to take some exterior photos.

Rory is working at the Yale Daily News office. Logan comes to say hi and Rory continues to concentrate on her work. Logan asks if he saw Rory on State St. Rory says yes, and casually confirms she saw him too. Logan asks if they are still good, and Rory says absolutely. He seems surprised by that. So, he asks Rory to coffee. She is good to go, but has a moment of discomfort as she seems to "prep" herself.

Michel’s "prize" arrives early to the Inn - it’s an RV. The show would only give him half of the prize’s worth in cash, so he took the prize. Michel just wants to sell it. Lorelai tries to pay the driver to take it away for an hour so they can do the photoshoot, but he won’t comply. The photographer is now concerned about the dust not settling after the RV kicked it up. They have to give up and take interior shots only. Lorelai gets incredibly mad at Michel and calls him a "super-colossal hindrance."

Rory is reading a book in the dining hall and is approached by a guy named Robert, who asks Rory on a date to Finn’s birthday party. Rory says sure. She’s be ready at 9 with the Quentin Tarantino theme. Robert walks away rather impressed with himself. Rory also looks to be gloating.

Sookie lets Lorelai know Michel is avoiding her a bit. Lorelai realizes she was mean. Michel is sensitive with people dish it out back to him. Michel is showing the motor home to some folks who want to pay only $20,000 for it. Michel is dejected and willing to accept that. Lorelai steps in to do a better job selling it. Lorelai tries to apologize to Michel, but he’s hurt. Lorelai tells Michel the Inn could not be run without him. The photoshoot was rescheduled, so it all worked out. Michel feels better and goes into bargaining mode.

Lorelai is worried her new dress is too sparkly and her shoes are too "come and get it." Rory assures her it’s all fine, via the phone. Rory tells Lorelai about her date, and gets drilled about going out with Robert. Rory will be dressing as Gogo, a character in the Kill Bill movies.

Luke and Lorelai repeat the awkwardness of their first date where Lorelai is coming out the door just as Luke pulls up. Lorelai finds a Reggae Fever CD in Luke’s truck and proceeds to make fun of him. Not only that he got into Rastafarian culture, but it serves as a reminder that they were apart. Luke is just as happy to be back together.

Rory and Robert walk into the party and he goes straight for the shots. Finn seems to have forgotten who Rory is. Logan is there with his own date, Whitney. He comes up to say hi to Rory, in a very casual way, and to introduce his own date. Robert keeps his arm on Rory, as does Logan on his date. Rory later asks Robert what his last name is.

There is a noise in Lorelai’s garage when they get back. It’s not a raccoon, it’s Kirk sleeping naked in Luke’s boat. Kirk had packed up and moved out of his mother’s place, all excited to be a man and move to the next level with Lulu. But he was hasty and had nowhere to go. Lorelai tells him that he can sleep in Rory’s room. Lorelai reprimands Luke for "mentioning" anything to Kirk.

"You break it, you buy it"

Back at the Tarantino party, Logan is intently watching Rory on her date. Robert goes to get her a drink, and Logan comes to see if Rory is having fun. Logan changes the subject to Robert, and assuming he made "quite the impression" on Rory. Logan drinks and smiles harshly, then starts to insult Robert. Saying he’s a jerk. Then Logan pulls Rory to the side and tells her that she looks great. Logan kisses Rory several times, and tries to get her to leave with him. Rory says they can’t, that they have dates.

Logan tells Rory he doesn’t like this - Rory being there with Robert. He is un-phased that he has a date, but Rory having a date is bothering him. Rory reminds Logan what he said, and tells him that she has to go, she has a date. Rory goes back to Robert and accepts her drink.

Lorelai was hoping that Rory would call, but she hasn’t. Lorelai tells Luke about Robert, and the whole Logan situation. Lorelai doesn’t think Rory is the "dating" girl. Lorelai feels that she needs to be careful about what she says to Rory now, not to jeopardize the good communication Rory has opened up. If things don’t go well in their relationship now, it’s harder to make up. It was easier when they lived together. And Rory doesn’t have to listen if Lorelai plays the "mom card." Luke then chases after Kirk, who is probably sleep walking.

Emily walks into the diner and asks Luke what’s wrong with him, besides his fashion sense. She "told" him to get back with Lorelai and even how, so does he need a cheat sheet? Emily tells him that coming there was not easy for her, although she says it in a more insulting way. Luke takes out his cell phone and speed dials Lorelai, leaving it on the counter while Emily yells at Luke for being incapable to put his relationship with Lorelai back together. Lorelai runs to the diner.

Lorelai tells Emily to go home, that she has no right to barge in and cause a scene. Lorelai says they don’t want to hear what Emily has to say, and want her to butt out of their lives. Emily picks up on the reference to "our lives" and Emily then gloats that Luke did what she wanted. Luke says:

"We got back together because we wanted to get back together."

Emily says she doesn’t understand what the problem is, why Lorelai won’t come to Friday dinner. Emily says she obviously fixed the problem.

"You fixed it? You broke it! Just because Luke and I found a way to repair the damage doesn’t erase the fact that it happened."

Emily tries to say she did what she did out of concern. Lorelai doesn’t believe that for a second. Emily says she has a right to be concerned as a mother, and that when Lorelai was taking her life down a "disastrous path", she "had" to jump in. Lorelai tells Emily quite forcefully that if she wants Emily’s input in any way, she will ask for it.

"Until then, do us all a favor and shut up!"

Emily turns from surprise to annoyance and walks out. Luke says she’s now a fan of the speed dial, and grabs Lorelai’s hand.

Kirk had called Rory to ask if he could crash at her dorm. So, Lorelai has to explain why Kirk was in their house. Lorelai mentions that her dress was a success, but does not mention the Emily incident. Rory tells Lorelai about her night, and how it felt great to tell Logan ‘no’. Since then, Logan has called twice that day and set up dates. A complete turnaround. Lorelai notes the "balls" are in Rory’s court now. Rory notices that Lorelai sounds down. Lorelai says it’s nothing.

Michel has sold his RV and is now getting bonus cash to measure things for the buyer. He is gloating about his sale. Inside the RV, however, he finds a naked sleeping Kirk.

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls season 5, pulp friction, 5.17, 5×17, gilmore girls recap, gilmore girls episodes, rory logan, logan huntzberger, tarantino, kirk gleason

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POSTED IN: Discussions, Emily Gilmore, Gilmore Girls Recaps, Kirk Gleason, Logan Huntzberger, Lorelai Gilmore, Lorelai's love life, Luke Danes, Michel Gerard, Richard Gilmore, Rory Gilmore, Rory's love life