As Gilmore Girls fans know, Amy Sherman-Palladino’s 2000s masterpiece isn’t just a show. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a religion. It’s an essential fall/winter rewatch. And it’s my go-to comfort show when I’m feeling blue. In recently revisiting Season 2, Episode 16, “There’s the Rub,” I remembered the longtime personal fave is woefully underrated. Unlike a majority of the series’ greatest installments, it doesn’t feature a Friday Night Dinner, Richard (Edward Hermann) is MIA, we only catch glimpses of Luke (Scott Patterson), and Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) spend a majority of the 45 minutes apart. After a top-notch cold open, Emily (Kelly Bishop) tricks Lorelai into spending a “relaxing” spa weekend together, while Paris (Liza Weil) and Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) crash Rory’s big night alone. Shaking up the typical format gives us a compelling trio debating Bukowski and Jane Austen over burgers and fries, plus deeper insight into Lorelai and Emily’s complex dynamic. The fun, fresh, unexpectedly emotional episode, takes us out of town, shows rarely seen sides of characters, and makes Dean (Jared Padalecki) mad. What more could you want?
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