Episode 7.06: Go, Bulldogs! - Discussion

All in all, a pretty good episode.  The speed of the dialog and the little random references were back in fuller force. - I think the new writers are getting better at mimicking ASP's style.

Recap:

Lorelai calls Emily to bow out of a curtain check.  Emily answers, but Lorelai pretends that she can't hear her, and instead talks like she's talking into an answering machine.  Lorelai hangs up, and Chris is sitting next to her on the couch, impressed with her skills.  The phone rings, and they ignore it.

Lorelai's house.  Lorelai is listening to a French language learning tape in the kitchen.  Chris enters bearing coffee.  She shows him how she speaks French - English with a French accent.  He tells Lorelai that she needs to work harder on her French since they leave for Paris in two weeks.  She tells Chris that she opens her mail once a month; Chris finds an invitation to the Yale Parents' Weekend and says they should go, but Lorelai thinks it's a dorky activity and tries to get out of it.  Chris reads the lists of events and insists that they go; Lorelai relents.  Rory (on the Yale campus) calls.  Lorelai tells her that she and Chris are coming to Parents' Weekend; they agree to have lunch with her when they visit.  Luke's Diner.  An odd exchange between Kirk and Luke.  Lulu offers Kirk some of her muffin and they exchange an odd dialogue too.  A car honks feverishly outside and April rushes off and says good-bye to Luke.  Lulu leaves.  Kirk confessese to Luke that he feels like Lulu is smothering him.  The Dragonfly kitchen.  Sookie and Michel argue over who will be in charge of the inn while Lorelai is away; Lorelai tells Michel that he will be in charge of the front desk, but Sookie (as part owner of the inn) will be responsible for the entire inn.  A new produce man comes by with free samples; Sookie tells him that she already has a produce supply, but he leaves the veggies anyway.  April's swimming pool.  Like arrives to pick up April and meets Coach Susan Bennett.  Susan says April is doing well, and is disturbed to learn that Luke can't swim.  She encourages him to take her Saturday morning class and he agrees to do it.  April comes out and she laughs at him for taking the class.

Yale, Parents' Weekend.  Chris and Lorelai walk outside and discuss the atmosphere.  They check-in with an incredibly perky student who Lorelai accuses of being an actress.  Rory calls her from the Yale Daily News and they discuss their plans and the schedule, which is full of acapella group performances.  The pool.  Luke practices blowing bubbles and taking deep breaths.  He gets lots attention from Susan.  She offhandedly asks Luke to ask her out to dinner, and gives him her number.  Yale, dining area.  Lorelai and Chris wander around and meet the parents of Ethan, a fan of Rory's and aspiring journalist.  Another father approaches and says that he was just talking with Chris's wife - he points out Emily.  An irritated Lorelai goes to talk to Emily, who is surprised to see Lorelai there.  Apparently they have attended the Parents' Weekends every year since Rory's freshman year.  They tell her that they're taking Rory out to dinner.  Lorelai is clearly bothered.  Chris greets them and gives her an out by saying a lecture she wanted to hear was about to start.

Yale, lecture hall.  A professor is giving a lecture.  Lorelai complains to Chris about Richard and Emily's presence.  She texts Rory and Rory responds that she assumed they knew her grandparents were coming.  Chris asks an intelligent question of the professor and Lorelai is proud and impressed.  Dragonfly kitchen.  Sookie feels guilty over using the new produce man's vegetables.  Michel refuses to listen to her prattle unless she agrees to call him Captain, which she does.  She talks a little more and then he leaves.  Luke's Diner.  Luke gets back.  Kirk tells him that he's going to dump Lulu and thanks Luke for the inspiration (since no one cares what Luke does).  Luke tells him he's nuts and that he's a lucky man to have Lulu.  He threatens to break every bone in his body if he hurts Lulu, and then leaves.  Yale Daily News.  Staff meeting.  Paris gloats over getting the front page lead story., and Rory talks to other staffers.  Lorelai and Chris observe.  The three chat about the brunch.  They tell her they've come to take her to lunch.  Rory introduces them to the staffers.  They all talk about the restaurant they're going to, and Chris invites them all along.  The Restaurant.  The group all sits around a lunch table.  Lorelai sasses the waiter.  Chris invites them all for a ski weekend during the winter.  Lorelai and Rory have a side conversation about the weirdness of the lunch.  Rory gets a text message about an incident on campus, and they cut the lunch short after some strong-arming by Rory.  The creme brulee and cognac they'd all ordered arrives right after the students all leave.

Luke's apartment.  April and Lane are playing chess while Luke roams around getting ready for his date with Coach Bennett.  (Lane is baby-sitting.)  Lane convinces April to play Boggle.  Restaurant.  Susan and Luke arrive at a restaurant for dinner.  Susan insists that Luke sit beside her.  Luke isn't thrilled with the vegan menu, but Susan insists that vegan products are great.  Susan talks a lot and with great animation, and Luke looks really uncomfortable.  Outside Yale, nighttime.  Chris and Lorelai get a text from Rory saying she'd be at the Daily News all night.  Chris feels responsible for getting the staff drunk and making Rory stay up all night.  He says he feels guilty over not being a part of Rory's life earlier on.  Lorelai tells him that it's ok and that Rory will have crises to deal with in the future.  They pass by an acapella performance on a staircase.

Dragonfly kitchen.  Sookie and the other kitchen staff members and Michel taste-test food that she made.  They say it's the best she's ever made.  Jackson arrives.  He complains about their friends.  Sookie goes to get her purse, and Jackson goes to taste her ratatouille, but she stops him and says it's a bad batch.  Sookie suggests that they have a nice romantic dinner.  Luke, driving up to the diner in his truck.  He sees Kirk and Lulu and gives Kirk a wave.  He goes into his apartment.  Lane is asleep on the couch and April is watching TV.  April says she had fun and asked how the date went.  Luke clearly didn't have a good time.  He eats a piece of leftover pizza and April plunks down next to him on the couch.  Yale Daily News.  Rory paces around the office.  Chris and Lorelai arrive with coffee and donuts.  Chris apologizes for getting the staff drunk.  Rory tells them that Richard and Emily are expecting them for dinner.