Gilmore Girls 4.07 “The Festival of Living Art”

Gilmore Girls 4.07 "The Festival of Living Art"
Original Air Date: November 4, 2003 (Recap date: February 21, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Is Lorelai clipping coupons for fun or for need?
• Has Jackson decided to witness the birth now, do you think?
• Whose idea is the midwife, do you think?
• When Mrs. Otis commented on the Stars Hollow enthusiasm – was that positive or negative?
• Why didn’t Lorelai think of tricking Taylor to get her part in the Festival?
• Is it like Taylor to give up so easily when something goes wrong?
• Does Luke want to build the table?
• Why doesn’t Lorelai throw Sookie a baby shower?
• Earlier, it was inferred that Lorelai left home about a year after Rory was born [the flashback referred to Rory's stroller being put away after a year]. So, how could a jumper for baby Rory be post-Gilmore?
• Why does Lane make the decision to hire Gil without the band’s approval?
• If Nicole didn’t want to get divorced, why did she let the divorce proceedings go so far?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap & Photos:

Rory is home to do laundry – Lorelai is clipping coupons. The guitar auditions are still not going well for Lane’s band. The washing machine machine is broken – something Lorelai "failed" to tell Rory. Lane comes in to douse her head in water – Rory steals what she thinks are Lorelai’s only set of coupons.

Jackson’s brother Bo is staying with them for the birth, but Sookie is a week past due and Bo is grumpy. Jackson and Sookie have also decided to have a home birth. They give Lorelai a pager – they want her to be there for the birth.

Kirk makes it very known that Lulu is his girlfriend at the emergency town meeting (he calls Lulu ‘my girlfriend’, even when talking to her). Taylor says their town was picked to host the Connecticut annual Festival of Living Pictures - Stars Hollow hosted it seven years ago and a last minute cancellation meant that Taylor could volunteer them to host again. In one week. Miss Patty says it’s the one smart decision Taylor has made – then backtracks and tells him he has a sexy beard, when he gets annoyed.

The head of the Arts Council, Buff Otis, comes up and says only "your enthusiasm shocks me" to the town. Lorelai will help on costumes, and may be the Renoir girl again.

Luke is still tangled in the divorce and now has his own lawyer – more tangles. He calls the Festival stupid. Lorelai suggest he pose for "cranky guy in baseball cap" while Rory considers not posing this year. Meanwhile, Taylor and Mrs. Otis are staring at Rory through the diner window comparing her to a photo. Lorelai guesses Rory is in line for the feature painting. Taylor yells for Rory to show her profile.

Kirk was cast as Christ in The Last Supper. He goes to celebrate with his apostles. Miss Patty shows Lorelai the photo they want Rory for – Portrait of a Young Girl Named Antea [ref]. But Lorelai was not cast as the Renoir girl [ref] – whom she is a spitting image of. Taylor tells Lorelai she flinched very badly – Miss Patty backs that up. He doesn’t want the ‘Taylor’ of the other town to see any mistakes this year.

Lorelai and her Dream Fresh detergent are at Yale to watch Rory do laundry. Rory has a trick up her sleeve to help Lorelai - if they want an Antea, they will have to cast Lorelai for Renoir girl. Rory plans to spring it on Taylor after her costume fits perfectly.

Lane and the band are jazzed for an upcoming audition of a really great guitarist – someone shows up, but he’s much older than they expected. His name is Gil.

Kirk is being fitted for Jesus, reading the bible as his research. Taylor comes over to tell Lorelai she’ll be the Renoir girl. The town troubadour will be Judas in the Last Supper – Kirk glares at him. He is not the favored apostle, even though it’s just acting.

The band starts rocking out – nobody is smiling at first, but Gil is kicking some butt and Lane knows it. They guys need some convincing. Between sets, Gil calls his work (he owns a sandwich shop). They harp on his age, but lane reminds them that Gil is the best they’ve heard.

Sookie is on bed rest, surrounded by balloons deflating because they arrived before the baby did. Bruce, the midwife, can sense Lorelai’s anti-midwife energy. Bruce is very ‘strong’ as a presence in the house.

Half the table for the Last Supper is missing, so Taylor wants to quit the festival. Kirk, now into his Jesus role, challenges Taylor to rise above this crisis of faith - very wise advice. Luke thinks they’ll ask him to build the table and says he won’t, though he seems intrigued by the challenge. Kirk has now drawn a crowd to his pulpit.

Rory has come to ‘drink in’ the picture of the new band. She’s startled by Gil, but impressed. Zach is meanwhile very annoyed with Gil’s age. Zach votes no – "dude rocks, but dude’s too old." He’d rather break up the band, which pisses off Lane.

Sookie comes by in the middle of the night yelling "it’s not coming out!" to Lorelai. Meanwhile, she keep expanding. She’s trying to jostle the baby out – she wants booze and she wants the baby out! Lorelai has out her ‘baby box’ - things from the night Rory was born. From the gum necklace to the Teen Beat magazine. Lorelai pulls out Rory’s first jumper – Bananarama. Sookie falls asleep as Lorelai talks about the pink baby smell.

It’s the night of the Festival and final makeup is being applied. Taylor is a bit tense. Lorelai has fun with the fake ferret. Kirk almost forgot to get rid of his watch in the final Jesus prep.

Taylor gives a speech, insulting Woodbury, then Kirk needs to go move his car from the fire zone. Judas rats him out. The first tableau is Rory’s Antea. Backstage, Judas and Jesus are in a brawl. Partly out of the car issue, but mostly about the past – they argue as if it were the present.

Gil came to see the Festival, and tells Lane it’s ok – he felt the vibe. His age is an issue for them. Gil says his last big break fell apart from infighting right before their big tour. Lane tells Gil he’s in the band. He celebrates with his wife and two kids.

Nicole comes by the diner, having passed by the nuttiness of the Festival. Luke did make the table. Nicole says their situation is nutty too – getting married breaking them up. Nicole says maybe rushing into divorce is just as wrong. She suggests postponing the divorce. So they can date – not be married, but date. Luke smiles.

Lorelai is getting ready for her portrait but is getting nervous. Lorelai knows she flinched – and once a flincher, always a flincher. Rory says to think of England and to go be still. To top it all off, Lorelai is the finale! Lorelai is not flinching – but Sookie’s baby pager is going off! "Oy to the vey" says Miss Patty. Lorelai may look upset, but she is not moving. The festival ends and Rory & Lorelai run to Sookie. 

Images: TheWB.com

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