Welcome to the Friday Night Readers podcast! In this Gilmore Girls podcast episode #7, we break down our pop culture rewatch of Season 1, Episode 7, “Kiss and Tell.” Listen below and get the full transcript.
Recap of Season 1, Episode 7: “Kiss and Tell”
In “Kiss and Tell,” the town plans the autumn festival. Dean kisses Rory in Doose’s Market (and she shoplifts), but Rory doesn’t tell Lorelai, which upsets her. Lorelai invites Dean to her home movie night with Rory, which makes for an awkward first date.
The episode begins in the most autumnal of all autumn town squares. This is fall, y’all. Lorelai and Rory walk and talk about underwear as Miss Patty’s mini pilgrims dance among the pumpkins and haystacks.
At Luke’s Diner, Taylor nags Luke about Thanksgiving decorations. This is our introduction to the one and only Taylor Doose, played by Michael Winters. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, so maybe that’s why he’s such a fit for the show. He also made appearances on other popular shows of the time: Cheers, Friends, Home Improvement, The Nanny, Ally McBeal, and so many more.
But Luke doesn’t care. He tells Taylor to stick his decorations…somewhere.
Rory heads to Doose’s Market after school, where Dean and Taylor arrange Thanksgiving food displays. Rory pretends to be highly interested in corn starch as she flirts with Dean.
They have the ultimate Connecticut/Chicago debate: soda or pop? I asked my Instagram followers, and 84% said it’s soda, 16% said it’s pop, and a few Southerners reached out to add a choice–they call it Coke there! Here in Philly, it’s soda, but travel west to Pittsburgh, and it’s pop. It’s that much closer to Dean’s midwestern roots.
Then, out of nowhere, Dean kisses Rory, and her stunned little mouth utters, “thank you,” as she runs away… with the box of corn starch. At Kim’s Antiques, she alerts Lane:
Rory: “I got kissed! And I shoplifted.”
Lane confirms that aisle 3, near the ant spray, is a “good aisle,” so I had to ask my Instagram followers what they’re favorite aisle is. There was an array of answers: coffee, tea, spaghetti, produce, cheese, cereal, bakery, snacks, books, and frozen food were among them. We are a diverse group of grocery shoppers!
Personally, I go to Trader Joe’s, which only has three aisles, and I think the back, where all of them connect, is the best part, because it’s where new candles and samples are.
Lane assures Mrs. Kim that it was “the Lord” who kissed Rory, then she and Rory decide to keep it a secret from Lorelai, who isn’t crazy about Dean.
Back at the house, Lorelai struggles with the crazy refrigerator sound. We’ve all made a strange electrical noise over the phone, haven’t we?! This is such a funny and well-written conversation. Of course, the repairmen refuse to help in a timely manner. Of course they do.
Lorelai heads to Kim’s Antiques to pick up a chair, where Mrs. Kim informs her that Rory kissed the boy in the grocery store. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Lorelai is a mix of shocked and hurt.
Next in this quasi-Thanksgiving episode of Gilmore Girls, Lane and Rory keep gossiping about Dean and the kiss while dressed as pilgrims amidst a cornucopia of pumpkins at the Autumn Harvest festival. Now, I’ve been to my share of fall festivals, but this has got to be the most festive of them all. It’s the costumes for me. My personal favorite, though, was the mushroom festival we attended in a small town near us this year. When I tell you I tasted mushrooms in every form imaginable!
At Luke’s Diner, Lorelai watches Rory from a distance, and you can almost read her thoughts: she feels like she doesn’t know her daughter anymore. When Rory enters, she tries to nudge her into talking about Dean and the kiss, and I’ve been there– albeit at age 30.
In my life, social media friends had already been blabbing to my mom that I seemed to be dating someone (my now husband), but I wanted to make sure the relationship was sticking before telling my family. So, she would always ask pointed questions, like exactly who was going somewhere with me, then doubtfully mutter, mmm hmm. I didn’t give in for six months, when she visited and I said, “There’s a surprise waiting to meet you!”
Lorelai seeks Luke’s emotional support and even compares Dean to Christopher, Rory’s dad. Do you see any resemblance, looks or personality wise? I think she’s just spiraling. She convinces herself she will show Rory she’s not a regular mom– she’s a “cool mom” who is a-ok with it all.
She finally blurts out to Rory:
Lorelai: “So, kissed any good boys lately?”
They talk, then head downtown for movie night junk food, and Rory introduces Lorelai to Dean. All goes well… that is, until Rory runs to the video store and Lorelai invites Dean over to watch Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory with them.
Rory displays her utter horror in this hilarious exchange, repeatedly emphasizing the word “mother”:
Lorelai: “Stop saying mother like that.”
Rory: “Like what?”
Lorelai: “Like there’s supposed to be another word after it.”
Rory compares Lorelai to Emily, and ouch, it hurts. Lorelai says she needs therapy.
Back at the house, Lorelai helps Rory pick an outfit, and Rory is both amazed by Lorelai’s dating skills and nervous about her own.
Dean arrives late after getting accosted by Babette, then the girls give him a house tour, including the stove filled with shoes. This reminds me of my grandmother, who used to store her purses in her dishwasher. I honestly can’t imagine preferring handwashing dishes to buying storage for my handbags, but hey, to each her own.
Sookie arrives with dessert, and Lorelai begs her to leave. But, she manages to stay and continue the Rory humiliation tour of 2000.
The threesome proceeds to eat “everything pizza” and talk about Oompa Loompas. We learn that Dean has “sisters,” (with an S), yet we only ever meet one, Clara, later in the series.
Soon enough, Lorelai realizes she should leave Rory and Dean to themselves, so she reads a magazine in the kitchen. Now, this actually becomes a pretty good first date in my humble opinion. Rory gets private time with Dean, but the safety and comfort of her mother is just a room away.
She seeks Lorelai’s help, and Lorelai praises her politeness in thanking Dean for the kiss. Turns out that Rory doesn’t want her mom to be a friend anymore, but rather a mother. Oh, the many hats she, and all moms, wear! She advises Rory this oddly philosophical line:
Lorelai: “I’m afraid once your heart is involved, it all comes out in moron.”
Lorelai heads back into the living room with Dean, and while I usually like to remark on Emily’s savage burns, she’s not in this episode, and we actually have a Lorelai one:
Lorelai: “Sweetheart, the whole town is watching you. That girl in there is beloved around here. You hurt her, there’s not a safe place within a hundred miles for you to hide. This is a very small, weird place you moved to.”
They come to the agreement that Rory “won’t go on his motorcycle,” and I’ll just leave it at that.
Then, Dean fires back at her that he’s not going anywhere. Was he out of line? Sort of. He has the confidence and ego that only a teen can have in talking back, but then again, Lorelai was kind of rough on him.
Dean and Rory share a goodnight kiss, and Rory apologizes to Lorelai for not telling her about the kiss. She spills everything, and like Lane, Lorelai confirms that Aisle 3 is a “good aisle.” Such a sweet, full circle ending!
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.
- Love For Love by William Congreve
- The Crucible by Arthur Miller
- The Fair Penitent by Nicholas Rowe
- Sigmund Freud
- Shaft by Ernest Tidyman
- Elsa Klensch
First things first: the phrase “kiss and tell”— the name of this episode– originated in William Congreve’s 1695 play, Love For Love. This play is a fast-paced satire about love, money, and social manners in England’s upper class. Sounds a bit like Gilmore Girls, eh? Oh, these writers are so smart.
Next, to Luke, Lorelai says:
Lorelai: I’m not gonna talk about how good you’d look dressed like one of the guys from The Crucible.
This classic play centers on the Salem witch trials. A parable, its purpose is to convey the harm that violence sanctioned by society can cause. It’s a great fall book, but I actually preferred the movie adaptation starring Winona Ryder. It’s just not as immersive to read a play.
Then, Lorelai calls Dean a “Lothario.” The name originated from The Fair Penitent by Nicholas Rowe and means a womanizer or seducer. In this tragedy, Lothario is a handsome, smooth-talking seducer who leads a young woman to ruin. So, you can almost smell Lorelai’s fear here! The name is also famously known from Miguel de Cervantes’ Spanish classic, Don Quixote.
Lorelai tells Luke not to quote Freud to her after she compares Christopher to Dean. Sigmund Freud is the founder of psychoanalysis (and an author) known for his methods of treating mental illness and exploring the unconscious mind. He believed that children have unconscious desires and conflicts, especially involving their opposite-sex parents, otherwise known as an Oedipus complex. So dark!
Lorelai tells Rory she’ll be as cool as Shaft in front of Dean at Doose’s Market. While Shaft is best known as a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson, it was first a book by Ernest Tidyman. Since Lorelai doesn’t specify “book or movie,” I’m assuming it’s the book. This approach just gives us more to read! Shaft is a tough, but stylish private detective from 1970s New York, known for his confidence, swagger, and fearlessness.
Later, while Lorelai helps Rory get ready for movie night, Rory calls her a “crazy Elsa Klensch.” Born in 1930 in Australia, Elsa Klensch was a pioneering voice in fashion journalism and a television host best known for creating and hosting CNN’s “Style with Elsa Klensch,” which aired from 1980–2001. Despite growing up during this timeframe, I, unlike our very cultured Rory, never heard of her!
Curious about every single book mentioned in this Gilmore Girls episode—even the obscure references most people miss like all the books on the Gilmores’ shelves in this episode? Head to this episode’s page at Fridaynightreaders.substack.com. When you upgrade to a paid membership, you’ll get printable episode guides for every Gilmore Girls episode—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.
Food
I couldn’t help but note all the movie night junk food mentioned in this episode: marshmallows, jelly beans, Hershey kisses, cookie dough, peanut butter, Fun Dip, Red Vines, pizza, and Caramello bars. If that doesn’t sound like the recipe for a stomachache!
My favorite movie night food is simply pizza and popcorn! I asked my Instagram followers, and popcorn was the most popular answer with you, too. Some readers also love: chocolate, Sour Patch Kids, ice cream, Pop-Tarts, M&Ms, chips, Raisinettes, Milk Duds, and cookies. I think Lorelai and Rory would get along well with you.
Movies and TV
- General Hospital
- 9 1/2 Weeks
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- Cinderella
- Sleeping Beauty
- Ice Castles
- The Way We Were
- Boogie Nights
- Magnolia
Lorelai tries to coax Rory to tell her about “the kiss” by talking about one on the soap opera General Hospital. She mentions the old and new Lucky, and I’ve got a great fun fact for you! The old Lucky was played by Jonathan Jackson, who co-starred with Alexis Bledel in the movie adaptation of the children’s classic Tuck Everlasting.
A few more fun facts: I actually think they look like they could be siblings! And, lastly, Alexis narrates the audiobook for the 50th anniversary of the book. I both listened and watched this year and enjoyed both– probably the movie a bit more! It’s great for all ages on a family movie night.
Lorelai says that by the time news of “the kiss” gets to Miss Patty, the story will look like a scene from 9 1/2 Weeks. This is an erotic 1986 movie starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, which follows a brief, but very intense affair between a mysterious Wall Street man and an art gallery worker who grows increasingly obsessive and controlling.
The movie night feature is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! This Oscar-nominated 1971 film remains a classic! And it’s based on a book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. It’s about a poor boy who wins a golden ticket to tour Willy Wonka’s magical chocolate factory. There, however, children who misbehave face dire consequences of greed.
I’ve seen the original movie, read the book, and watched the recent adaptations: 2005’s Oscar-nominated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp and 2023’s Wonka starring Timothee Chalamet. By far, I prefer the book. It’s written so well and really impressed me, especially for a children’s novel. Next, I’d probably pick the original film. Gene Wilder’s performance is iconic. I’ll also note that Wonka veers in a different direction.
If you want to experience this story like a Gilmore, have yourself a whole weekend of reading, watching, and binge eating Wonka goodies.
Then, Rory admits to Dean that she once had a crush on Prince Charming, but she clarifies that it was, “not the Cinderella one, the Sleeping Beauty one.” Since she’s talking about physical crushes, and since it’s in the context of talking about movies, here, I assume she means the movies. Both Disney adaptations were popular around the time Rory would have been a child.
During movie night, Lorelai and Rory tease Dean about his embarrassing secrets. First, Rory guesses that the theme song from Ice Castles makes him cry. All I’ve got to say is: Rory, how dare you mock Melissa Manchester’s “Through the Eyes of Love,” one of the most noteworthy love songs of the 1980s. Who wouldn’t cry when a figure skater who becomes blind after an accident learns to skate again with the help of her boyfriend?!
Next, Lorelai says that Dean must have wished, at the end of The Way We Were, for Robert Redford to dump his wife and kid for Barbra Streisand. They describe this movie, which he’s never seen, as “heartache, laughter, and communism all in one package.” And I think this entire scene shows the depths of Lorelai’s and Rory’s connection. Why? This movie also has a famous theme song.
This 1973 film is an American classic for all who strive to be avid moviegoers. It’s one that I borrowed from the library during the pre-streaming days to expand my own pop culture catalog.
Lastly, Dean wants to recommend Boogie Nights for movie night, but Rory says he’ll “never get that past Lorelai.” He questions whether she doesn’t like Marky Mark, and Rory says that Lorelai “had a bad reaction to Magnolia. She sat there screaming for three hours, ‘I want my life back!'”
We’ve got a lot to unpack here. Boogie Nights is a very popular 1997 film that explores the rise and fall of a young porn actor, Eddie “Dirk” Diggler, in the 1970s and ’80s adult film industry. This was one of those movies everyone was talking about at the time–mostly for its salacious content.
Here, I thought that’s what Lorelai wouldn’t approve of, but no, it’s star Mark Wahlberg, formerly known as Marky Mark. You may know this famous American actor from movies like The Departed and Ted, but did you know that to 90s kids, he was Marky Mark from the pop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch?! He was also the brother of the 1980s boy band star of New Kids on the Block, Donnie Wahlberg. What a background!
I can assure you that every tween girl at that time danced to his pop hit, “Good Vibrations.” To us, he was known for his shirtless video featuring his buff chest and low-slung jeans.
Now, we also have to talk about Magnolia. This emotionally intense film with an ensemble cast was one of those movies that was critically acclaimed at the time, so you heard a lot about it, yet it wasn’t widely seen by the general population. In other words, it wasn’t a huge box office success.
It weaves together multiple interconnected stories set in Los Angeles, exploring themes of love, regret, coincidence, and redemption. And, it has the same director as Boogie Nights— Paul Thomas Anderson. I’ve always wanted to see it, but always skipped it for the reasons I just listed.
Famous People
The Doose’s Market cashier and Dean spar over which Gene (Hackman or Wilder) stars in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I’ve got to believe these two famous acting “Genes” of the same generation got this all the time. Both have since passed. Hackman was recently found dead in his home with his wife, who also died.
Babette says Dean has a “Chuck Heston chin.” He was an American actor known for his roles as larger-than-life characters in epic films Ben-Hur (for which he won an Oscar), The Ten Commandments, and Planet of the Apes. And, yes, he does have a strong jaw.
Rory tells her mother that, around Dean, there shall be no James Dean jokes or Nancy Walker impressions. James Dean was an American actor and cultural icon of the 1950s, famous for his brooding good looks and his rebellious style. His movie performances and untimely young death in a car crash cemented his status as a symbol of youthful deviants everywhere. He’s actually a lot more like Jess than Dean.
Now, Nancy Winkler. She played Ida Morgenstern, the mother of character Rhoda Morgenstern on one of my favorite TV shows ever, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This 1970s sitcom was groundbreaking for following a single, independent working woman. Walker was known on the show for being sharp and overbearing yet lovable to her daughter.
I watched this on Nick at Nite every night when I was younger and still watch reruns on Hulu today! I think that, if you appreciate the smart, female-driven humor on Gilmore Girls, you will appreciate it on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, too.
Music
This is a pretty “quiet” episode when it comes to music. But, Lane does say that Dean likes:
Nick Drake is actually one of my favorites, too! He was an indie folk singer-songwriter known for his intimate sounds, particularly through his acoustic guitar work. His music feels so haunting and emotionally layered. Perhaps this is why Dean says this:
Dean: “How much does it suck that they use Pink Moon in a Volkswagen commercial?”
Next up is Liz Phair. She’s actually a Connecticut native! This American singer-songwriter was a staple of 1990s alternative rock, particularly in women’s music. Her song “Why Can’t I?” was practically an anthem for angsty young women:
Why can’t I breathe whenever I think about you?
Why can’t I speak whenever I talk about you?
Another very smart reference by the showrunners for this particular episode!
Last of all is The Sugarplastic. I’m not actually familiar with them, but I gave them a listen, and I’d describe the sound as Talking Heads meets Weezer. Does that make sense?! They’re a 1990s California alternative band.
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 1.8, “Love & War & Snow,” and books like Pride and Prejudice, which Rory and Dean surprisingly share.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rory and Dean first kiss in Doose’s Market during Season 1, Episode 7 of Gilmore Girls, “Kiss and Tell.” A nervous Rory then famously steals a box of corn starch.
Taylor Doose, played by Michael Winters, first appears on Gilmore Girls as the owner of Doose’s Market in Season 1, Episode 7, “Kiss and Tell.”
During Season 1, Episode 7 of Gilmore Girls, “Kiss and Tell,” Rory’s and Dean’s first date is movie night at the Gilmores’ house, watching Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and eating junk food.
