Gilmore Girls 5.02 "A Messenger, Nothing More"

Gilmore Girls 5.02 "A Messenger, Nothing More"
Original Air Date: September 28, 2004 (Recap date: March 17, 2008)
Recap & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Is Rory being too mean to her mother, not letting her know how she is during the summer?
• Why is Lorelai on overdrive at the Inn?
• Does Emily know Rory is bored?
• Why does Rory seem so distracted?
• Is Lane developing feelings for Zack? Does she know it?
• Is Lorelai overworking because Rory is not there, and they are fighting?
• Why does Rory take so long to apologize?
• Do you think Luke & Lorelai are closer from the time spent apart, just talking privately?
• Why is Emily gloating about the European men?
• Do you think the town will side with Rory? Pity her? Or be against her?
• Why does Luke make up an errand after seeing Lorelai?
• Does Dean blame Rory for his cheating?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap:

The ’spunky entrepreneur’ is off to start her day. Zack orders an unhealthy burger with an order of ‘wink winkers’ from Lane. Free fries. Lorelai comes for her coffee, and Lane tells her that people are calling her ‘The blur’ for never being around and always running. Luke is still not back yet. There are postcards from Rory all over the diner – Lorelai hasn’t received any, it seems.

Liz is now back up on her feet, but it’s been six weeks. And that’s six weeks of Luke’s personal hell. TJ is still not back up on his feet yet. And is rather a pest about how Luke is organizing the wares and that he’s not using ‘approved Fair language’. TJ is hiding a tv – milking his injury. It’s time for Luke to go.

Emily is nitpicking her room in Rome. Her way of doing Europe is very ritzy - private tours, being waited on hand and foot. Rory does some of her own touring while Emily naps. Emily notices that Rory needs this time.

Lorelai is organizing the heck out of the Inn. Michel is hiding from two kids who have taken quite a liking to him. They love his ‘fake’ anger. Lorelai makes sure he keeps his language from being foul.

Emily calls from Rome – their last stop. Emily talks about the gorgeous men she has to keep off of her. Emily passes the phone to Rory, who is monosyllabic in her talking while Lorelai takes over making the bed from one of the maids. Lorelai just gives up on both.

Emily thinks everyone is flirting with her. They have stopped for coffee after an outing at the stores. Rory looks distracted.

Lane and her band need to figure out how to weave their original songs into their covers to keep up the hype of the set. A couple of girls come into the diner and hang off of Zack – Lane looks on uncomfortably.

Michel doesn’t want to lose at Chinese Checkers again. Lorelai sees a dirty spot on the floor again. Then goes to move the dining room table a couple of inches. Sookie takes Lorelai aside to tell her she’s gone nutty. Lorelai is doing everyone else’s job. She’s yelling, and not resting. Sookie tells Lorelai the staff are as afraid of her as Emily’s staff are. Lorelai doesn’t want to go home – there is nobody to hang out with.

Rory calls, looking contrite. She tells Lorelai she was at the corner of Bark & Cheese today. And that it was the same as the last time they were there. Flashbacks. Back to the Gilmore Girls banter.

"Mom… I’m sorry. I screwed up."

Rory knows she handled everything wrong. She wants to fix the mess she made. Rory asks Lorelai for a big favor – to get a letter to Dean. She doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but Lorelai says she’ll take care of it. They end with ‘I love you.’

Luke is getting ready to go – Liz is fine with him going, but TJ tries to milk it. Luke calls Lorelai – who calls him a liar for not getting home when he said he would. Luke shares more of the Fair gossip with Lorelai – sounds like they’ve been chatting often. Luke wants a necklace to give to Lorelai - to match the earrings. It’s obvious to Liz how Luke feels. Liz gives a "huzzah" that Luke has "found his TJ".

Lorelai goes to give Dean the letter from Rory - he wants to know why Rory is in Europe. Lorelai wishes to be a messenger, nothing more.

Cesar wants to put a new salad on the menu – but it doesn’t work to call it Cesar’s Salad. Zack brings his bimbo girls to the diner again. Lane is annoyed that Zack is trying to sound smart, spouting off some book / history know-how that he got mad at Brian for talking about. Lane won’t give Zack free fries with them around. Zack leaves – one of the girls comes back to apologizes, saying they didn’t know. Lane asks, "know what?" twice. Then it dawns on her.

Lorelai and Sookie have taken the whole day off, for a girls day. But it’s hard to let go of their to-do lists. They walk by Dean & Lindsay’s – the two are fighting. Clothes are being thrown out the window. Lorelai is the only one who knows what it’s about.

Sookie is unsuccessfully trying to let go of her kitchen for the night. Rory comes home. Emily comes in gloating about the European men again. Rory feigns to not know how the Inn is going – Sookie assumes she’s filled in. So, Sookie says how they are booked to 90% capacity and are turning people away from the restaurant. They are the favorite Connecticut Inn.

Sookie mentions the ‘big town news’ – the Lindsay & Dean fight. Lorelai cuts the conversation short and reminds Sookie she needs to go home. Rory tries to digest the news on the way to get food. They, of course, run into Lindsay and her mom. Her mom yells at Rory, telling her she should be ashamed of herself. Lindsay read the letter in Dean’s jacket. The whole town overhears this. And sees Rory’s shame and pain.

Lorelai asks Rory what was in the letter. Rory wrote that the night was special and that she wasn’t sorry it happened. But since Dean is married, she wanted to make it easier on him and take herself out of the mix. Lorelai says it was a good letter - but they need to get out of the public eye. They go to Luke’s.

Luke is back! He and Lorelai trade punches and smiles – it’s been seven weeks. After awkward moments, he then makes up an errand. Lorelai makes up her own errand and follows. Lane has her own quandary – is she in love with Zack? But Rory gets distracted by the concept of a ‘dirty trollop.’

Lorelai catches up with Luke, after he ran a fake errand. He feels kind of dumb. He had no errand, but felt crowded in the diner. Luke gives Lorelai her new necklace - and she’s already wearing the earrings! A perfect match (oh how loaded is that phrase!). They are about to kiss when the parade starts with a bang right behind them. They plan to ‘hook up’ later. Lorelai bumps into the guy behind her and he lets go of a bunch of balloons.

Rory goes to Dean’s house (he’s back with his parents). Dean says he feels like an idiot. Because he was married and threw it all away for a girl who dumped him once and just bailed again. The lost balloons float past Rory.

Lorelai is sharing Renaissance gossip with Rory. Rory deftly maneuvers the conversation away from Dean. Lorelai sees Rory’s pain and reminds her that her home is her sanctuary. Rory has put an old movie clip from 1985’s A Room With a View to represent her European adventure with Emily. Lorelai puts her arm around Rory.

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls season 5, a messenger nothing more, a room with a view, 5.02, 5×02, gilmore girls recaps, gilmore girls episodes, rory dean, lindsay dean, luke lorelai