30 Days of Thanks 2020: ‘Gilmore Girls’
Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! And if you are Canadian like me and celebrate the holiday the second Monday in October, happy belated Thanksgiving. The episode I’ve chosen is one of my favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls. Season three episode nine “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”. So keep reading as I discuss what I loved about it and why you should add it to your Thanksgiving watchlist!
The Stressful Holiday
It seems fitting that Lorelei and Rory would find themselves with not one, but four Thanksgiving dinners. They are world champion eaters. As Lorelei points out, it is their destiny. But for me, it’s what each dinner represents. Friendship. Love. Obligation. And this series always did a great job of bridging the gap between Lorelei’s past and the life she built for her daughter and herself in Stars Hollow.
Image via WB
The Awkward and Fun Dinners
Lorelei and Rory’s first dinner is with Lane’s family. Say what you will about Mrs. Kim. But what a heartwarming gesture to invite your daughter’s best friend and her mother to your Thanksgiving dinner. It’s not quite breaking bread with a stranger, but I think we can all agree Lorelei is not Mrs.Kim’s favorite person. So it’s close.
Image via WB
Their second dinner finds them at Sookie’s. And it seems fitting. Sookie is Lorelei’s best friend and business partner. Plus, it provides some of the funniest moments of the episode. And gives Melissa McCarthy a chance to shine. Sookie’s Thanksgiving started to go downhill the moment she promised her new husband he could cook the turkey. But then she discovers he and his cousins (?) intended to deep fry her beautiful, expensive organic turkey. By the end of the evening, she’s sloshed and the lawn has been set on fire. Everyone has had one of those holidays. When everything that can go wrong does, with either the fire department showing up at your door or a trip to the emergency room. And you end the night feeling no pain. I’m not advocating alcoholism here, but as Carrie Underwood once said “I don’t drink but sometimes I need a stiff drink”.
Image via WB
The Grumpy Dinner
Their third dinner finds them at Luke’s Diner. Luke plans a Thanksgiving dinner every year at his diner for the townspeople who don’t have a family of their own to celebrate with. How sweet is that? There’s also the added bonus that the real reason he goes to all this trouble every year is for Lorelei and Rory. Of course, Lorelei doesn’t see it. But that’s what makes slow burns so interesting. Or frustrating. Depends if you’re a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person.
It’s probably my favorite dinner out of the four because as much of a curmudgeon as Luke is, he was raised in Stars Hollow and these people are as much his family as his blood relations, and the same holds true for Lorelei and Rory. Family is family and to me, that’s what every holiday should be about. And if you want you can imagine Kirk as that socially awkward relative that no one really likes but gets invited anyway and then proceeds to make everyone super uncomfortable.
The Last Dinner
Dinner number four is where the fireworks happen. Richard and Emily’s very formal dinner. Maybe this is how the wealthy do the holidays, but inviting two couples from your social circle, one of whom is French and despairs the gluttony of the American diet, seems an odd choice to this blue-collar girl. Fun fact: Douglas Swope is played by John Aniston – Jennifer’s father and Victor Kiriakis on Days of our Lives.
The dinner ends up being a pivotal turning point for both Lorelei and Rory. But pity the poor souls who came for a nice meal and had the host’s daughter turn it into a donnybrook (FYI that’s what Australian’s call a scene of uproar and disorder). So here is where I point out this is what comes from making someone feel obligated to attend a family dinner. It’s not pretty. Let them come of their own free will.
Image via WB
This episode is heartwarming and funny, and at times a little stressful, just like any holiday meal I’ve ever attended. But it shows us what we should truly be thankful for. Friends and family. And I hope this holiday finds you safe and sound. Was this one of your favorite Gilmore Girls episodes? Will it be on your Thanksgiving watchlist? Which dinner of the night was your favorite? Find and follow us on Twitter @capeandcastle to discuss all things Thanksgiving, Gilmore Girls, and more! Be sure to also check out our site for more articles on all things Disney and beyond!
