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In ‘The Big One‘, Rory gets her “big” envelopes from Harvard and presumably also Yale and another school. However, Paris was not so lucky. First off, who was surprised that Paris didn’t make it into Harvard?
After finding out she didn’t make it into Harvard, Paris has a bit of a meltdown when giving a speech at Chilton. She ends up breaking down not just about Harvard, but about just having slept with her boyfriend, Jamie.
“I’m not going to Harvard, I’m not going to Harvard. I had sex, but I’m not going to Harvard.”
Paris had earlier confided the sex news to Rory, admitting that she thought sex was ‘inevitable’ in a relationship. I’m not sure she feels she had sex for the right reasons. Why do you think she took this step?
Now Paris says she feels like a slut and worries that Jamie won’t love her, now that she’s not a Harvard girl.
“After all the trouble this sex thing has caused me, I had better’ve been good.”
It’s not clear to me which thing upsets Paris more – having sex or not getting into Harvard. What is clear, though, is that Paris isn’t sure of herself or her decisions. Being rejected from Harvard maybe made her feel like Jamie would reject her too. What do you think?
Watch this episode of Gilmore Girls on TheWB.com here.
Image: TheWB.com
286 days ago
Oh, I think it’s pretty clear which one upsets her more: she just can’t believe that she didn’t get into Harvard and is desperate for an explanation. Never having had a guy, much less sex, it’s just the first place her mind goes.
And I have to say, I always was amused by Paris because of Liza Weil, no matter how horrible I thought she was, but this for me was the defining moment of the series for her. She was robbed of an Emmy.
I could watch that C-span meltdown a thousand times and never get bored. Well done all around.
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286 days ago
I agree with Josh – definitely Harvard. Additionally, I think this was the first sign to me that Rory would choose Yale. Just because Paris seemed such an obvious fellow student for college. Also, I too loved Paris as a character she was such a good personality for the show.
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286 days ago
Liza Weil should have gotten an Emmy some where along the line with all of her great performances.
Alexis should have one for the award “Greatest Performance with Facial Expression.”
I know there is not one but should be made just for her eyes.
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286 days ago
Harvard’s rejection was Paris first irreversible failure so she quickly transferred the blame to her only other recent first – sex with Jamie. That she so quickly rebounded first with Asher and then with Doyle indicates her initial worries about sex quickly evaporated and became a regular part of her life.
Lisa had so many highlights over the series that an emmy nomination was always plausible and at times deserving, but if ASP could not even get the powers that be to notice Lauren then the lack of recognition for Lisa was unfortunately to be expected. Too bad.
For all the grief we have been giving ASP lately, you got to hand it to her – she really could pick a deep talented cast from the stars to those deep in the background.
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286 days ago
I don’t think she has regrets about her night with Jamie. It’s just she really can’t decipher why she wasn’t accepted in Harvard. So she has to find some kind of explanation. It can’t be because of her grades so she blames what’s new in her life and which she never thought she’d make, at least not so quickly.
Lisa Weil is brilliant in this scene. I can just watch her speech over and over again. It’s also very funny when Lorelai is stunned by Paris’ performance and turns to Richard… who fell asleep!
An another note, I never understood why Rory got in and not Paris. Like Paris pointed it out at the beginning of season 2 she was involved in many extracurricular activities and not Rory. They were neck to neck when it comes to grades.
I thought behavior outside of shcool was very important to get in the most prestigious universities.
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285 days ago
lets not forget that rory is the schools valedictorian…thats got to make a some difference.
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285 days ago
I think Paris didnt get in because of her interview. Didn’t she record the interview and play it back to Rory and she was super aggressive and quite overwhelming! I think it was in this episode but I could be mistaken.
Also,I loved Paris’ character, she had great wit and sarcasm and always delivered it with such a dead-pan expression. especially loved the episode where she had her first date with Jamie, all the politicians were avoiding her, she didnt realise she had been asked out by Jamie. she had fantastic lines in that episode.
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285 days ago
I don’t think that this episode is realist. Paris had everything to go to Harvard. Harvard couldn’t in any way refuse her. But in the story, Rory had already set up her mind to go to to Yale: (Excellent choice according to Richard). The only way to sent Paris to Yale was to twist the story. That’s what they did.
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285 days ago
One also must keep in mind that the first choice for the role of Rory was Liza Weil. Which is the reason why both characters are so closed, almost similar. Both good students, and Paris so ambitious, so competitive. She certainly influences Rory and helps her in many ways.
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285 days ago
@ Nil-Wren, I don’t think Liza was first choice. On the Season 1 DVD, it said she read for the part, and obviously she didn’t get it. She was in Episode 2 of Season 1, so she was clearly available as well — which must mean that they chose Alexis over her. She said they created the role for her, and because of that, we can see why she really didn’t get into Harvard — so the show could have her with Rory to the end, as it was clear Lane wouldn’t be there.
As for the rationale, as I’ve said on other threads, Harvard is looking for a diverse class, and it’s a huge school. Every alum with legacy cannot get in. And, on top of that, I’ve known Harvard University students who didn’t get into Harvard Law, Harvard Med, etc., as part of that diversity. And as the admissions specialists said on the panel Paris herself set up, her resume screamed “trying too hard.” Her “interview” may have just made it clearer to Harvard that she was on a fast track to cracking up.
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285 days ago
While it is well known that Liza read for the Rory part, clearly she was not ASP first choice over Alexis or their roles would have been reversed. And can you picture how quickly the show would have died if their parts had been reversed!!
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284 days ago
@mcityrk, I don’t think you can say how the show would’ve turned out if the roles had been reversed. You wouldn’t have known the Rory or the Paris you know now. Since they’re both good actresses they probably could’ve portrayed both the roles quite well.
As for Liza, I read she did a very strong audition for the character of Rory, which is why, when Alexis got the part, they created the character of Paris for her.
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284 days ago
My question is not whether the actresses could have technically played the parts acceptably enough, I think they could. But IMO, I don’t think either would have been as well accepted by the fans in general in reversed parts since Liza is such a physical mismatch to Lauren, David, and the rest of the Gilmore clan and I don’t think Alexis would have been experienced enough at that time to play such a menacing Paris with all her scene chewing behavior as well as Liza.
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284 days ago
I agree with mcityrk completely that Alexis Bledel as Paris Geller would be hard to imagine.
I did see Liza Weil in the most intense episode of “ER” (when Lucy Knight was killed) and Liza played the wife of the schizophrenic killer. Watching tears fall down her face as her husband has his psychotic break shows how fragile she can be. Maybe she would have been more like Emily, but yes, David Sutcliffe would not have made sense as the father, at least physically.
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