Welcome to the Friday Night Readers podcast! In this Gilmore Girls podcast episode #10, we break down our pop culture rewatch of Season 1, Episode 10, “Forgiveness and Stuff.” Listen below and get the full transcript.
Recap of Season 1, Episode 10: “Forgiveness and Stuff”
In “Forgiveness and Stuff,” Richard collapses during a Christmas dinner, leading to a hospital trip that forces an angry Gilmore family to put their differences aside and come together. At the same time, Luke supports Lorelai, both with a Santa burger and a ride to the hospital, and she returns these favors by gifting him his famous blue baseball hat.
It’s Christmas in Stars Hollow–this is our first Gilmore Girls Christmas episode!
Miss Patty and the town prepare for the Christmas pageant with the armless baby Jesus doll, as tensions remain high between Lorelai and Rory after she stayed out all night with Dean in the last episode (“Rory’s Dance“).
Rory tells Lane she bought Dean a book for Christmas, which Lane thinks is a terrible idea–like him giving her a football. I asked my Instagram followers, and 75% of you agreed with Lane on this one.
Emily calls Lorelai about her Christmas party. She sets it during Lorelai’s work hours, then uninvites her. I think this was deliberate. We all remember their big blowout.
On a side note, I’ve got to say, the Gilmores’ house is giving me the vibes of the social media trend a “Ralph Lauren Christmas.” This trend reflects the brand’s aesthetic and features rich deep tones like forest green and burgundy, tartan plaids, velvet, aged brass accents, leather and dark wood textures, and an overall feel of elegance in America.
Rory tries to lure Lorelai to Friday night dinner by reminding her that she waits all year for Emily’s apple tarts. She’s even made up songs about them, after all! Of all the food referenced on this show, it’s the thought of these apple tarts that makes me salivate the most.
I asked my Instagram followers what their favorite holiday treats are, and they shared: pumpkin pie (the top pick), pumpkin rolls, chocolates, cheesecake, red jello, snickerdoodles, and cranberry hootycreeks that the whole family fights over.
My favorite is Christmas cookies: my former colleague’s are bakery-worthy, and my mom’s date back to my grandmother’s recipes. My favorites are snowballs and classic Italian cookies.
At the party, Richard stresses about work, and Rory attempts to apologize to Emily for that night of the dance.
Lorelai awaits pizza delivery by a razor scooter and settles for some bagged lettuce. Yuck. We’ve all, at some point, punished ourselves through stubbornness like this, haven’t we?!
“Narcolepsy Boy” a/k/a Dean taps on Rory’s window and apologizes to Lorelai. She comes around to him, and I’m happy about this exchange. He was genuine, and, at the end of the day, it’s probably in her best interest to be on good terms with him. Otherwise, Rory may start sneaking around.
Lorelai heads to Luke’s for a more appropriate dinner, but Luke is still steaming about Dean. Lorelai stands up for him, but it’s kind of creepy:
“He is not trouble. He’s 6’2. He’s beautiful, and he’s completely in love with my daughter!”
Why, pray tell, is she harping on a teen boy’s “beauty,” and why is this giving me icky “living through my daughter” vibes? There are many cringey lines in this show, and this is certainly one.
Anyway, she asks Luke for a “holiday special,” and he whips up a Santa burger out of ketchup, olives, and cream cheese:
“You made me a Santa burger. He has a hat and everything.”
Lorelai thinks it’s sweet, but I asked my Instagram followers, and 65% of voters said they would not eat this Santa burger. I made one once, but I wiped it clean before eating it.
Back at Richard’s and Emily’s, does anyone besides me think it’s odd that only three extra people attend this lauded Christmas party? It all goes terribly anyway when Richard collapses. Lorelai gets the panicked voicemail from Rory:
“Grandpa’s in the hospital. Please come.”
Our ever dependable Luke steps up and drives her there, consoling her all along the way, while Emily berates the nurse at the hospital who calls her “Ms.” instead of “Mrs.”
Lorelai finds her way to them by following the breadcrumbs of her mother’s shrill tone and her off-putting inquiries about whether Luke is her “escort.”
Lorelai, Luke, and Rory commiserate and try to cheer each other up as they worry. Richard returns to his room, where Rory reads the paper to him, but Lorelai just can’t bring herself to go in to see him.
Emily attempts to make Richard comfortable, while he scares her with talk of his potential death. She can’t even fathom this thought.
Richard: “Emily, listen to me: if I die”–“
Emily: “No!”
Richard: “Emily.”
Emily: “Richard Gilmore, there may be many things happening in this hospital tonight, but your dying is not one of them.”
Richard: “But”
Emily: “No! I did not sign on to your dying. And it is not going to happen. Not tonight, not for a very long time. In fact, I demand to go first. Do I make myself clear?”
Richard: “Yes, Emily. You may go first.”
Deep exhale. In my humble opinion, this (“Yes, Emily. You may go first.”) is the saddest and most tear-jerking line of the entire series. It’s delivered with so much tenderness and, in just a few simple words, captures so much about how their relationship works.
Also, we now know that Richard, in fact, went first, which makes it all the sadder. Edward Hermann died of brain cancer in 2014.
I asked my Instagram followers, and 75% of voters agreed that this (“Yes, Emily. You may go first.”), is, in fact the saddest line on Gilmore Girls.
I also usually lose my cool when Rory graduates high school and college, and without giving away any spoilers, during the first dance in “Wedding Bell Blues.” Richard’s funeral on the Netflix reboot also always feels startlingly real.
At the snack machines, Lorelai and Rory make up, and outside Richard’s room, Emily and Luke connect. She knows he’s not all that bad, and would actually be good with her daughter, his “friend.”
“You’re idiots. Both of you.”
Lorelai finally enters Richard’s room in tears, but she doesn’t get the chance to speak. There is so much pent-up emotion in this scene, and really in the whole episode. You can feel the burdens of all of the ups and downs of Lorelai’s relationship with her father weighing on her as he faces the possibility of death. And, the stakes are that much higher given its Christmas timing.
As it turns out, though, Richard will be just fine. Lorelai heads back to Luke’s and gifts him the infamous blue baseball cap he wears throughout the show. They dim the lights and watch the Christmas procession amid the twinkle lights outside.
Books and Authors Referenced
Let’s break down the Gilmores’ world of books– this episode’s most iconic literary references for those taking the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge with us on Fridaynightreaders.substack.com, where we read from the list of books mentioned on Gilmore Girls.
- The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
First, Rory says, “Things are still very Miracle Worker at my house.” This refers to a play about Helen Keller, a woman born in 1880, who contracted an illness that left her both deaf and blind. Rory is trying to say it’s quiet there, but that’s not the most politically correct way to put it. I haven’t read this play, but I did grab it at my most recent library sale, so I plan to. I did read Helen Keller’s own version of her story: The Story of My Life. It was a short and fine read overall.
Next, Rory buys The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka as a Christmas gift for Dean. This novella tells one very strange, tragic story of a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to discover that he has transformed into a giant insect. It’s about how this transformation changes his life and his relationships, and it’s meant to make you think about themes of alienation, isolation, and identity.
It’s short, easy, interesting, and very popular with readers in our book club. It’s one you can’t really go wrong with, so I highly recommend it. It reminds me of this mug I once saw that would be perfect for readers like the Gilmores– it said, “But first, Kafka.”
Then, while traversing the hospital’s corridors, Lorelai refers to the scarecrow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I believe this is the first time we’ve gotten a Wizard of Oz reference, and it certainly won’t be the last. I’m pretty sure it’s the most referenced title in the entire series. There are just so many ways to work it in: from lions, to tigers, and bears, oh my!
Personally, I liked the movie better, and I tend to think most will. It’s one of the best movies of all time, beloved by so many generations, and an icon of American film.
Curious about every single book mentioned in this Gilmore Girls episode—even the obscure references most people miss? Head to this episode’s page at Fridaynightreaders.substack.com. Paid members get printable episode guides for every Gilmore Girls episode, which are perfect for tracking your own Rory-inspired reading journey.
Pop Culture References
Oy with the pop culture already! Now, because I want you to understand even more of the Gilmore Girls’ fast talk, here’s what some of this episode’s best pop culture references mean.
At the hospital, Luke tells Lorelai she should look for Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful American labor leader and president of the Teamsters union, known for his ties to organized crime. He mysteriously disappeared in 1975 and was never seen again. This is one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in U.S. history.
Then, Lorelai tells Rory, “I’ll never be able to understand what Charo is saying.” This statement is also not very politically correct. Charo is a Spanish-born singer, flamenco guitarist, and entertainer known for her flamboyant personality and accent. She became a popular TV star in the 1970s and beyond. I do recall seeing her on all kinds of shows throughout my childhood, from game shows to talk shows and variety shows. She was omnipresent.
Next, one of my favorite comedic actresses, Jane Lynch, plays the nurse at the hospital. This is also one of my top 3 cameos on the show. She’s best known for her role as the cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on the TV series Glee.
But she has also appeared in one of my favorite comedic movies, Best in Show. This was a very early mockumentary about a dog show, starring all kinds of hilarious celebrities, including Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, and Jennifer Coolidge. The style is super dry, like The Office.
And, it’s pretty clear that showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino is a fan. She later gave Lynch a guest-starring role in her TV series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel— another great one!
Before we move on, I want to take a minute to talk about our very own Richard Gilmore– Edward Hermann– since he features so prominently in this episode.
He was an American actor, director, and writer known for his distinguished, larger-than-life presence on screen and stage. His award-winning career spanned over four decades, including his spot-on portrayals of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in films like the musical Annie. Yes, that’s him!
And, in case you were wondering, Kelly Bishop (a/k/a Emily Gilmore) did speak very highly of him in her recent memoir, and she shared that she visited him in the hospital one last time during his final days. The story was actually quite reminiscent of this episode. It’s all a stark reminder of how influential he was and how much he is missed.
Music
- “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by Tony Bennett: plays in the background at Emily’s and Richard’s party
- “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses: plays when Lorelai attempts to order takeout
- “Happy X-Mas” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono: plays when Lorelai and Rory get snacks at the hospital
- “Thanks For Christmas” by XTC: plays when Lorelai gives Luke the hat at the diner
These Christmas songs make for great musical selections– two very beautiful and iconic songs and two quirky, poppy jams you may not have heard before.
They remind me of the playlists we had when I worked at Gap at the same time as the show. They were just so perfectly curated to make you feel seasonal in both classic and fun ways. We worked so much during December that we had the playlists memorized. I’m telling you, they were so memorable to us workers that you’ll find many recreations of them on Spotify. I listen to this Gap’s Holiday Rewind playlist every holiday while decorating my house.
If you’ve listened to previous episodes of this show, you’ll know I talk a lot about how Gap’s music and fashion overlap on Gilmore Girls. In fact, “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses from this episode is also on the Gap playlist I shared.
The point is not to continuously indulge my own nostalgia, as much as I do love it, but rather to show what was influential in our lives in the early 2000s, before social media existed. We really were heavily driven by things like the fashion and music on TV shows and in our favorite stores. They were our influencers. And knowing this gives all the more dimension to our rewatch.
Up Next
Lastly, the time has come for me to be what Jess called Rory—a book tease. Tune in next week, when we dive into episode 1.11, “Paris is Burning,” and books like Swann’s Way, which Max loans Lorelai, and Rory later mentions in her famous speech!
