Rewind: Gilmore Girls 117 "Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out"
2005-11-16 / 1:00 a.m.
The writers on this show must be writing with Ginsu knives, every bit of dialogue and plot, not to mention every nuance of direction and facial expression and vocal inflection (I don't mean to start sounding like coffee-house hip-hop beat-poetry but I just happened to do that just now and I'm too excited to rephrase what I've already said, for shizzle) is honed and razor-sharp, so that I am left cut and bleeding with the salt from my tears stinging in every wound at 9:07 every Tuesday night (see previous entry, A Lorelai Thing to Do). Not to say that they don't occasionally throw in stuff that doesn't make sense or is just uninteresting, like Logan's drunken homies (outside of the Life-and-Death-Brigade, which was kind of cool and too bad it was a one-off), that woman that Luke married a few seasons back (did he marry her? I thought he did. What happened to that woman?), and Chad Michael Murray.
But oh, what would I give for a walk-on as one of Emily Gilmore's maids-for-a-day: my ability to taste sweetness, my autographed Angel: "Shroud of Rahmon" call sheet, my first-born child (of course, since I haven't had any yet, they would have to collect later, Rapunzel-style--at least I could use up one of my third-string baby names, like Dahlia or Simon)... I digress.
So "Balalaikas" starts out with Lorelai poring over a "paint color thingy". Points to Lauren Graham for the many ways she can coyly say the words "dark magenta"--they range from enthusiastic to downright threatening--and another point for the writers who made the reference to the little girls from the soccer team as "The Lullaby League". I am so glad that GG focuses on the real geek obscura, and not obvious, worn-out cliches like "The Lollypop Guild" has become.
And, though I am officially a Jess-hater (a Dean-hater as well, I truly believe that none of the guys so far has been a close match for Rory. Logan is the best so far but deeply flawed, and that makes for some good television), on the record I really liked his appearance in this episode. The awkwardness of his and Rory's dialogue was just right, and balanced out the weird sudden-assholeness of Logan (which has manifested before but not so often or prolonged as in this episode).
I didn't like the killer soccer babies thing. Eh.
Anyway, Rory and Logan have a big fight in the pub, a long time coming, I imagine. I think eventually they will end up together somehow, I mean, no relationship worth having hasn't withstood big screaming fights once in a while. I'm so glad as this looks like Rory's big turning point (ok, ok, I had a sneak peek at the title of the next one-but there's a further twist, to be addressed later). Rory also throws it down with Emily at the DAR Russian Tea, right in front of the balalaika band--showing shades of her mother; I can't totally blame Emily though, she is programmed a certain way, like my mother was, and look how I turned out. For my children's sake I will strive to be their Lorelai... I wish I'd gone ahead and changed my name when my mom gave me the chance at 14 (right around my Confirmation), Lorelai was actually one of my choices--I was really into mermaids and Gershwin. Damn!