Michael York played the brilliant Asher Fleming in 4 episodes of Gilmore Girls. Though Michael York was only in a handful of episodes, he was a ‘part’ of a good many more episodes thanks to his relationship with Paris Geller (Liza Weil) and the fallout of that, and his subsequent death.

On Gilmore Girls, Asher Fleming is a Yale professor and author with a penchant for dating his students. Paris Geller was only one in a long line of students whom he dated, but one that he perhaps took more seriously - introducing her to his family and taking her with him during the summer.

Here’s a video about Paris’ romance with Asher:

Michael York makes four appearances on Gilmore Girls in Season 4, but it’s not until the third episode of Season 5, ‘Written in the Stars‘, that we find out that Asher died from a heart attack and that Paris is in mourning.

Michael York has had a long and illustrious career as an actor, probably best known as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers films. Michael York has four upcoming movies including Mika i Alfred, Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey, The Mill and the Cross, and Quantum Heist. Read more

Gilmore Girls 7.21 "Unto the Breach"
Original Air Date: May 8, 2007
Discussion Date: August 12, 2008
Read "Unto the Breach" Recap

Discussion Questions:

• Why is Lorelai embarrassed about singing to Luke?
• Do you think Lorelai is ok with Logan proposing to Rory?
• Is Lorelai unsure what Rory would say to Logan, is that why she’s anxious?
• Do you think Luke believes Lorelai’s song was "no big deal"?
• Do you think if Lorelai loved Luke she’d tell him? Or is it up to Luke to move first?
• Is Luke ready to get back together with Lorelai? Does Liz help him realize that?
• Can you imagine Paris backpacking in India?
• Do you think Paris will ever be less intense?
• Why does Lorelai tell Babette & Miss Patty the serenade meant nothing?
• Why does Luke believe what he overhears, that the serenade was nothing?
• Is Luke mad that Lorelai’s gesture was (perhaps) not real?
• Why do people of Stars Hollow assume they’ll be at Rory’s Yale graduation if they were not at the Chilton one?
• In the diner, was Lorelai trying to test Luke to see if he had any response to her gesture, whether authentic or not?
• Why isn’t Lorelai excited that the town wants to throw Rory a party?
• Why does the town want to re-enact Rory’s graduation?
• Do you find it odd that we didn’t have any scenes of Emily planning Rory’s party?
• Are you surprised that the meeting between Christopher & Lorelai went so well?
• Does Christ feel left out that Logan asked Lorelai for permission to propose?
• Do you think Chris wants Rory to marry Logan? Why?
• Why is Lorelai terrified about Rory growing up?

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Gilmore Girls 7.19 "It’s Just Like Riding a Bike"
Original Air Date: April 24, 2007
Discussion Date: August 5, 2008
Read "It’s Just Like Riding a Bike" Recap

Discussion Questions:

• Why did Lorelai decide to return to the diner? Why didn’t she go back earlier?
• Do you think Lorelai & Luke feel town pressure to get back together?
• What do you think of Jackson coming to stay with Lorelai? Doesn’t he have guy friends?
• When Lorelai admits she’s worried there’s "too much history" with Luke, that things are awkward, what does she mean?
• Were you surprised Paris got into so many elite schools this time around?
• Do you think it out of place that Paris calls Rory an inspiration? Why?
• Why hasn’t Paris decided between law or medicine already?
• Is Rory beginning to be worried because she has no choices open to her yet, while Paris has so many?
• Rory complains to Lorelai about not knowing what she’ll do next year, but isn’t not having a job different than not knowing what you’ll do? Hasn’t she already decided to be a journalist?
• Why does Lorelai bike to work? Why no cab?
• Why is Jackson getting on Sookie’s nerves, and is that troubling?
• What kind of car should Lorelai get?
• Is Sookie right, is shopping for a car something that can bring Lorelai & Luke back into comfortable friend mode?
• Do you think Luke & Lorelai can be just friends? Is that part of the awkwardness?
• Why are Luke & Lorelai having trouble talking casually?
• Why does Paris break up with Doyle? Do you agree he would influence her decision?
• Do you think Paris is afraid of her own feelings for Doyle?
• Why does Sookie get so mad at Jackson about the doll house breaking?
• Do you think Sookie is happy to be having a third baby, or still has some resentment about that?
• Why is Luke shocked about Lorelai’s mode for "feeling" the car she wants?
• Why is Lorelai hating shopping with Luke so much?
• Why does bickering make things better between Luke & Lorelai?
• Is there some tie between memories & their significance in this episode? With Luke & Lorelai, the doll house, the Jeep… what does it mean?
• Does Paris believe Doyle is "the guy"?
• In the hypothetical question of choosing Logan vs. choosing the NY Times, is it a realistic scenario given that Logan lives in NY?
• Would Rory put her career above Logan? Or do they need to be mutually exclusive?
• If Rory is ok being apart from Logan, does that mean she doesn’t think him "the guy"?
• Why is Jackson so excited about pizza night with Lorelai?
• Why does Luke go so far to get Lorelai exactly what she wants in a car? Is that more than a friend would do?
• Does it mean something significant for Luke to realize that "feeling" is important to Lorelai? What could that mean about their history / future?
• Does Lorelai enjoy relying on Luke so strongly?
• Will Paris make a good doctor?
• What do you think of Doyle’s decision to follow Paris wherever she goes?
• Do you think Rory put too much hope in the Reston scholarship?
• Do you think Rory feels inadequate in this episode? 

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls season 7, gilmore girls discussion, reston scholarship, paris gellar, doctor, luke lorelai, luke danes, bike, its just like riding a bike

Gilmore Girls 7.12 "To Whom It May Concern"
Original Air Date: January 30, 2007
Discussion Date: June 10, 2008
Read "To Whom It May Concern" Recap

Discussion Questions:

• Lorelai is usually honest when she hates food - why hide the quail?
• Did Sookie bring Lorelai coffee from Luke’s on purpose? Why?
• Do you think Sookie now likes the idea of Lorelai & Chris?
• Why is Anna being so mean to Luke before the court? Saying he’s "no parent"?
• Why does Paris auto-include Rory in "Operation Finish Line"? Because Rory is clueless about her future?
• Why doesn’t Sookie realize she’s pregnant?
• Why does Rory seem bored when Richard talks about his classes?
• Why does the Lucy issue bother Rory so much, if they haven’t been friends long?
• Why didn’t Jackson get the vasectomy? Why did he hide it from Sookie?
• Does Anna really think April has no connection with Luke?
• Why is Sookie so mad at Jackson, when she was equally unfair in forcing the vasectomy on him in the first place?
• Do you think Lorelai is warming up to the idea of having a baby with Chris?
• Why does Paris confront Lucy on Rory’s behalf?
• Do you think Lucy is getting too much attention as Rory’s friend, vs Lane for example?
• Do you think Rory was, in any way, responsible for Lucy & Marty breaking up?
• Is Luke making a good impression in court, interrupting the way he is?
• Why does Lorelai have a copy of the letter she sent to Luke?
• Is Chris angry or hurt by the letter? Why?
• Does Luke read "love" into Lorelai’s letter, or is he just proud of what she says?
• Do you agree with Chris, does Lorelai’s letter read like a love letter?
• Should Lorelai have to forget her past feeling for Luke in order to be loyal to Chris?
• Is Chris misreading Lorelai’s signs? Is his jealousy driving them apart?
• Were you surprised the custody hearing was over so quickly, and that Luke won?
• Did you expect Richard to be ok from his heart attack?

And, though not directly related to a spot in this episode, I think this episode has a lot to offer us in terms of love - what it means to love as a friend, what it means to be "in" love, in terms of loyalty and trust, jealousy and anger, hurt and betrayal. And how hard it is to be equal in the way you share your heart.

Tags: to whom it may concern, gilmore girls, gilmore girls season 7, gilmore girls discussion, lorelai letter, luke letter

Gilmore Girls 6.21 "Driving Miss Gilmore"
Original Air Date: May 2, 2006 (Recap date: May 14, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Why did Emily & Richard want to make up with Christopher?
• Why did they decide to donate money to Yale? Is this a public statement of their involvement in Rory’s life?
• Is Lorelai avoiding Luke? Why? Did what Anna have to say about being engaged vs. being married hit Lorelai hard?
• Why is Luke so angry to hear that TJ and Liz are not together? Is it his misplaced emotions of missing fatherhood, or concern for Liz?
• Is Rory being overprotective? Does Logan like that, particularly in contrast to his own family?
• Do you think Emily wanted Lorelai’s help, instead of that of strangers?
• Is what Mitchum said a lie? Why does it make Rory so angry?
• Is Liz displacing her fear of being a bad mother onto TJ? Trying to pre-blame him for any problems?
• Is it ironic that Luke is preaching about relationships to TJ when he himself is missing Lorelai’s signals?
• Why does Emily bring up Christopher being lonely?
• Why does Lorelai get so mad at the mention of Christopher?
• Why does Rory call the Wall Street Journal? As an editor herself, shouldn’t she know the futulity of her request?
• Were all the errands a front to get Lorelai to the real estate office?
• If Emily appears to be ok with Lorelai marrying Luke, as evidenced by the house, then why talk so much of Christopher?
• Do you think Emily had good intentions with the house for the wedding present?
• Is Lorelai sabotaging her relationship with Luke (even as a defense mechanism)? Or is she simply reacting to the truth?
• Is Lorelai at Sookie’s to avoid Luke, or to prepare to break up with him?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Lorelai is gesticulating wildly about someone who either looks better or worse with dark hair. Emily takes away the plates, being fed up with Lorelai making her point by waving the meatball. Emily says spaghetti and meatballs makes the girls fight.

Emily is having Lasik surgery on her eyes. She’s quite excited about it, and about the cute doctor who is supposed to be the best surgeon on the east coast. Richard gets jealous and says ugly people make the best doctors.

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Gilmore Girls 6.20 "Super Cool Party People"
Original Air Date: April 25, 2006 (Recap date: May 13, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Why didn’t Lorelai go to be with Rory at the hospital?
• Why didn’t Chris & Rory take Lorelai from the party earlier? Even if by force?
• Do you think Colin & Finn (and Logan) were irresponsible on their trip?
• Do you think Luke bit off too much with the party for April?
• Why does Miss Patty (and the whole town) protect Lorelai by lying to Luke?
• How do you think Paris got the info out of the doctor?
• Does Luke buy the toiletry kit for April just because Lorelai doesn’t think it’s the perfect gift? To prove her wrong, and prove he’s a good dad on his own?
• Does Luke keep Lorelai from being involved out of poor self-worth, or jealousy?
• Why does Luke exclude Lorelai from buying the present, if that isn’t even having contact with April?
• Does Luke expect to keep Lorelai a secret from April indefinitely?
• Who do you think Logan was showing off for? His friends, or in some way, to Rory?
• Has Rory forgiven Logan now? Or is she torn with guilt, for letting him do something unsafe?
• Why does Luke involve Lorelai only after his parenting skills fail?
• When Lorelai takes them to the beauty store, who do you think is paying?
• Why does Rory call Mitchum?
• Did Lorelai overstep her bounds by buying April a different gift? When did she have time to get it?
• Does Luke now realize Lorelai won’t "steal his thunder," so to speak?
• Is Lorelai jumping to conclusions too quickly about Luke & April and her place?
• Do you think Anna was overreacting? How would she have felt if Luke had hired people to come entertain the girls, would that have been different? Ok?
• Is Anna being possessive? Not letting Luke have anyone in her life, because she doesn’t have anyone in hers?
• Do you think Anna would have approved of Lorelai, had she met her?
• Does Lorelai realize Luke is pulling back again? Because Anna gave him no choice, with April?
• By saying he "doesn’t know what’s wrong", is Logan avoiding responsibility for his own actions?
• Is it Lorelai’s place to approach Anna? Would that make Luke mad?
• Anna is now arguing that April cannot be with Lorelai because she’s not a permanent part of Luke’s life - was that the argument from the start?
• Is Anna inventing new arguments to keep April from having another mom figure? After all, if it came to her own life, wouldn’t she want April to meet the man she was engaged to before they were married?
• How does Anna’s decision about April & Lorelai affect the wedding plans with Luke? Can they marry without Lorelai knowing April?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Lorelai has a hangover and is not cherishing being a "hit" at Lane’s wedding. Sookie tries to cheer her up by saying she was simply "colorful". Sookie informs Lorelai that she tried to audition for America’s Next Top Model on Lane’s reception tape.

"I thought that was a dream! The posing, the strutting, the inappropriate gyrating?"

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Gilmore Girls 6.17 "I’m OK, You’re OK"
Original Air Date: April 4, 2006 (Recap date: May 8, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Were you surprised to see Logan fighting so hard to get Rory back?
• Did Rory agree to come home with him because Logan’s logic was sound? If so, do you think she still feels cheated on, emotionally?
• Did Luke lie to Lorelai about April’s trip in order for her to say yes to him going? He made it sound like April just asked him then, but then confesses to researching the route the night before.
• Why didn’t Lane move back to the apartment too?
• Luke once said before that he enjoyed shopping with Lorelai, so why now does he make it sound horrible?
• Did Rory come home to escape Logan?
• Is Mrs. Kim open to Zack marrying Lane now? Was that because of how sad she saw Lane was?
• Why is a hit song the requirement to marry Lane? Does Mrs. Kim think it impossible, or is she just motivating him?
• Do Emily & Richard want to move to Stars Hollow?
• Did Rory think Lorelai was talking in code about Rory not interfering with April?
• Is Rory investigating Anna as "the other woman" because of her own issues with Logan "cheating"?
• Why does Zack decide to write the song without taking any breaks? What’s the rush?
• Why does Zack have Lane’s ring in his hand if Lane had been wearing it?
• Did Zack write a "hit", or did Mrs. Kim satisfy herself that he was dedicated enough to marry Lane?
• Why is Rory ignoring her phone? If everything is not "ok", why doesn’t she say so?
• Has Rory made Lorelai more suspicious of Luke & Anna?
• Why does Luke accept luggage from Anna and not from Lorelai?
• Was Rory trying to hurt Logan? To what end? Why does she lie to him about why she didn’t tell him she was going away?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Paris and Rory are chowing down on all the Chinese food Paris had ordered prior to Rory just showing up. Paris suggests they paint the apartment, a new color scheme for a new era. Paris says she’s glad Rory is back; Rory apologizes for the whole editor thing. Paris realizes she’s not cut out to work with people, and is sorry for throwing Rory out.

Logan comes knocking at the door, and Paris greets him as "New Haven’s favorite whorehound." Paris does all the talking to Logan, despite his pleas to speak with Rory. Paris says to him all the things she’s always wanted to say; Rory nods along behind her. Logan bursts in and insists on talking. He’s not the only man to come back though - Doyle walks in, still wearing Rory’s coat. 

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Gilmore Girls 6.16 "Bridesmaids Revisited"
Original Air Date: February 28, 2006 (Recap date: May 7, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Why is it ok for everyone but Lorelai to see and bond with April?
• Why is Paris still on the war path against everybody?
• Would Rory be giving Paris special treatment with more articles?
• Does Rory seem to encourage Logan to drink more?
• Why does it take Lane’s poster to get Zack to try to get the band back together?
• Did Honor invite Rory back out of friendship or obligation?
• Are you surprised Logan slept with so many people during his break with Rory? Should he have told her?
• Should Chris have warned Lorelai that Gigi was trouble?
• Rory accuses Logan of letting her walk into a room with girls he’d had sex with, but wasn’t he away when Honor grabbed her?
• Did Logan cheat on Rory?
• Is Rory overreacting?
• Was Logan right, were the girls stirring up trouble on purpose?
• Why is Chris dismissive about Gigi’s behavior?
• Is it out of character for Rory to turn to drinking?
• Are you surprised Paris let Rory back so easily?
• Why does Lorelai promise to help fix Gigi?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

The diner is very busy. Lorelai sits down and tries to encourage Luke to re-hire his unreliable meat guy because his parents are old. Kirk is on a juice fast, and now thinks he has super-smell. Lorelai warns Luke, in advance, that Chris will be at Rory’s "Young Voices in Journalism" panel at Yale. He’s ok with that.

Lane has an ad for "Drummer Available" with her photo on it. She misses playing in a band. Lane is using April’s pens, and Lorelai asks how things are going with April. Apparently Lane plays games with April when things are slow. Lane and Lorelai share stories of how Rory played as a kid and how April plays.

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Gilmore Girls 6.14 "You’ve Been Gilmored"
Original Air Date: February 7, 2006 (Recap date: May 5, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Do you think Lorelai still believes she’ll be married on June 3rd?
• Shouldn’t manners have prompted Emily to invite Luke to dinner after she learned of the engagement?
• Why is Lorelai bothered by Chris staying silent?
• Is Paris in denial about being fired, or is she just saving face?
• Why is Michel so bent out of shape by Luke doing fixes?
• Why wasn’t Rory nominated for editor earlier in the process?
• Does Paris truly blame Rory or is she just mad in general?
• Why did Rory wait so long before calling Logan about being "evicted"? Why didn’t she call her mom to help?
• Is moving in with Logan a big step? Does he realize that?
• Instead of being a baby about it, why doesn’t Michel just ask Lorelai for coffee? Remind her?
• Was Rory hiding the fact that she’s living with Logan?
• Why does Chris approve of Logan after hearing of all the private schools he was kicked out of?
• Do you think Lorelai & Luke are targets, as Emily & Richard say?
• Was Lorelai hiding from Luke that she had told Emily about June 3rd?
• Do you think Emily & Richard have now accepted Luke? When did that happen?
• Why did Chris call Lorelai? Couldn’t he have waited a couple of days, to eliminate finking if that was the case?
• Rory refers to living with Logan as "interesting" news - is she not happy about it?
• Did Rory want Lorelai to be mad about living with Logan?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Everyone is trying very hard to keep things civil for Friday night dinner. Emily & Richard are still touchy about Yale though. Lolelai puts a temporary ban on talking about Yale and starts the night afresh. Richard wishes to yell at the people "who deserve it" but instead yells at Emily. Lorelai counts back from five and Richard then says "I love shrimp" to change the topic.

Emily asks how Luke is doing, if they are still engaged. She hasn’t received her "save the date" card. Emily persists on knowing when the wedding will be, so Lorelai blurts out June 3rd. Emily comments on how soon that is and that they haven’t seen Luke in a long time. Emily insists that Luke come to dinner the next Friday, as Richard will be traveling a lot. Emily plays Lorelai by suggesting Luke is not really the man she wants in her life if he won’t come to dinner that Friday. A "not no" becomes a "yes" and Emily says she’ll pick up some save the date cards for Lorelai.

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Gilmore Girls 6.13 "Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting"
Original Air Date: January 31, 2006 (Recap date: May 2, 2008)
Recap & Discussion & Video Clips

Discussion Questions:

• Does Luke realize Lorelai is not happy about postponing the wedding?
• Do you think it’s wise for Lorelai to wait, to not postpone the wedding right away? Or, is that only delaying her eventual unhappiness?
• How did Richard know Rory was returning to Yale if neither Rory nor Lorelai are speaking to them?
• Why is Paris so out of control?
• Doesn’t Paris connect her editing with the issues at the paper? Don’t you think Doyle would bring them up?
• Why doesn’t Rory want to talk with her grandparents? Should Lorelai have to be the one to tell them about the Yale money?
• Was Rory snubbing her grandparents?
• Why can’t Richard & Emily see Chris paying as a good thing? Not just that Chris is stepping up, but that Rory won’t have the large debt that she’d promised them she would pay back?
• Does Lorelai like Logan now?
• Why does Lorelai lie about making dinner plans with her parents?
• Why does Paris think everyone on the paper is incompetent?
• Did Luke forget to tell Lorelai the part about her not seeing April? Did he even realize it would be an issue?
• If Rory was calling junior writers in, why didn’t she call Logan? Particularly as he does know so much?
• Is Luke right to keep April to himself for a while? Should Lorelai feel hurt by that?
• Did Logan do everything at the paper for Rory, or is he really a good guy?
• Are Richard & Emily trying to snub Rory, or pretend like nothing is wrong?
• Emily & Richard have always wanted Christopher to be more involved, so why do they laugh at the thought of him being a responsible father?
• How can Emily compare Chris’ involvement trying to break up Lorelai & Luke to paying for Yale?
• Do Richard & Emily honestly not remember Lorelai’s conversation with them about Rory?
• Is Friday-night dinner a truce element? Who "won" that battle, and how?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

Lorelai is up and ready at 6am - up even before Luke is! Luke keeps pushing Lorelai to say where she’s going, so she tells him she was supposed to meet with Sookie to pick flowers for the wedding, and had forgotten to tell Sookie the wedding is delayed. Luke asks if he can help cancel stuff, but Lorelai says she can handle it all. Luke gets up to hug her, it seems, but instead runs into her and bashes her nose. Lorelai says she’ll "see him" and leaves.

Lorelai meets Sookie at the flower mart, where Sookie has been scoping out where to get the best flowers. Lorelai sadly tells Sookie that the wedding has been postponed. Sookie thinks Lorelai got cold feet, but Lorelai tells her about Luke’s daughter and how Luke is in shock. Lorelai applauds that Luke is trying to be a father. That makes Sookie question if Jackson has a love child he doesn’t know about.

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