Gilmore Girls 3.03 “Application Anxiety”

Gilmore Girls 3.03 "Application Anxiety"
Original Air Date: October 8, 2002 (Recap date: January 16, 2008)
Photos, Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Why does the Harvard application freak out Rory?
• Do you think Rory was unprepared for her application? Would she have gotten in?
• Do you think Lorelai felt inferior at the lunch?
• What helped Rory more – the conversation with the alumnus, or knowing she was not on the ‘conveyor belt’?
• Dean brings up their relationship and what happens when Rory goes to Harvard. Does he think they’ll break up? Is there more to it?
• Did Rory just realize she’d be leaving not just Dean, but her mom and her town?
• Do you think Lorelai would get rid of Rory’s room?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap & Photos:

Rory’s Harvard application arrives while they are watching the Brady Bunch. Lane is looking to join a band – having trouble making her ad short. Rory begins to think about the essay she’ll write with the application.

Rory tells Dean she’ll be writing on Hillary Clinton. So she’s not stressed. Taylor pretends not to be taking photos of the place next to Luke’s, which he now owns.

Paris and Rory have organized a seminar on University applications – "the business of getting in." The biggest mistake is lack of originality - such as yet another Hillary Clinton essay. Rory’s face drops. She looks like she’s going to panic when she hears it’s bad to circle all interests – shows a lack of focus. The panelists laugh at immature applicants with college paraphernalia on their walls – like Rory.

Emily tosses some college magazines at Lorelai and rattles off stats on how hard it is to get into a school like Harvard. Rory comes in and asks to speak alone with Lorelai. Says she’s unprepared and has no original thought. So Lorelai rants on all the issues Emily just brought up. Both are freaking out. Then Paris calls because she’s freaking out about the ‘hyper intense’ comment from the panelist.

Lorelai is worried for Rory. Lane is fielding calls from bands with less musical knowledge than she has.

Little kids come in to Luke’s asking for weird ice cream dishes. Taylor put them up to it. He wants to open a Soda Shoppe. For the rowdy kids. In the place Luke owns. Luke takes great pleasure in saying no.

Lorelai talked with Headmaster Charlston about their application anxiety. He suggests a dinner with a Harvard alumnus. Rory gets nervous when she calls the person the Headmaster suggets, and hangs up. Someone calls back, but it’s a message from a ‘Dave’ for Lane and the band. They try the call again but Rory freaks and so Lorelai pretends to be her. A very lame version of Rory. They set up a lunch.

At the lunch, Lorelai seems more uncomfortable than Rory. Makes oddly timed jokes and comments. The girl of the house is also planning on Harvard and practically insists Rory set up a date with her to talk. Color coordinated siblings. That are drilled on their studies during the meal. Rory gets a question right. Lorelai misses hers and tries to joke her way out of it. Rory meets the other daughter – the one not going to Harvard. Seems more normal. Though she is dressed like a bunny. Lorelai seeks her out for answers to the trivia. Rory realizes she’s lucky her mother doesn’t push her into Harvard.

Taylor tries to make the Soda Shoppe an issue for the town meeting. They can force it, as per the bylaws. The town is impressed with the model and the idea. Luke agrees – at a high rent.

Dave comes to seek out Lane at the town meeting to talk about his band. Lane is impressed with his music geekiness. Says "I love you…. for being that way."

Dean notices Rory is un-freaked about the application now. But asks what happens when she leaves for college. With them. Rory says they can make it work with visits and calls. The whole conversation freaks Rory out a bit. Too serious.

Jackson asks what Lorelai is doing with Rory’s room when she goes to Harvard. He wants to know if he can use it to store his antique tool collection. Lorelai realizes quite suddenly that Rory won’t be with her for much longer.

The alumnus calls to tell Rory that he looked over her package of grades, etc, and is impressed. Plans to send glowing praise to the Harvard admissions office. Both of them realize now that a big change is happening in their lives. They blow off their plans to spend time together.

Taylor and Luke are already bickering about specifics of Taylor’s Olde Fashioned Soda Shoppe.

Images: TheWB.com

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Image: TheWB.com