Gilmore Girls 5.04 "Tippecanoe and Taylor, Too"

Gilmore Girls 5.04 "Tippecanoe and Taylor, Too"
Original Air Date: October 12, 2004 (Recap date: March 19, 2008)
Recap, Photos & Discussion

Discussion Questions:

• Wouldn’t it have been ok to eat at home just once? Then go back to the routine?
• Is Rory moving too quickly with Dean?
• Why is Taylor so mean-spirited?
• Why does Jackson run against Taylor?
• Who would you vote for – Jackson or Taylor?
• Why doesn’t Dean move out on his own (since he’s making the money)?
• Do Dean’s parents hate Rory?
• How come Rory & Dean can’t think of anything to do other than make out? Is that a danger sign in their relationship?
• Why doesn’t Taylor try to be liked?
• Is Jackson up for the job?
• Do you think Zack likes Lane back?
• Would Dean have told Lindsay?

Gilmore Girls Episode Recap & Photos:

Just like in her dream, Luke is making Lorelai breakfast. Lorelai wants to actually go to Luke’s though. Lorelai doesn’t want everything to change. Rory calls looking for a book, so Lorelai has fun with them both by saying Luke is naked.

Asher left Paris a giant printing press, which is now in their living room. It is big and cumbersome and is also sitting on Rory’s book bag.

alt=”Gilmore Girls Tippecanoe Taylor Too” is going up against Taylor, who keeps rejecting their request for a parking permit.

Jackson is sampling his new tomatoes. He now has a hydroponics greenhouse to grow vegetables year-round. Jackson feeds Sookie a tomato slice.

Dean comes over – kisses Rory. Paris wants the dish on all that and to arrange a system so Paris can soundproof her area if Dean comes over.

Zack, Lane and Brain are buying groceries. Zack is getting a lot of beer for post-concert get togethers with girls. Lane gets snarky about the girls.

Taylor has balloons that say ‘vote for Taylor’. When a customer brings up the sad vegetables, Jackson chimes up about his crop. But Taylor insinuates there are problems with his greenhouse. That will be covered at the next town meeting – Taylor refuses to tell Jackson before then.

Lane calls Rory about the incident at the store. She hasn’t told Zack she likes him yet. Intraband dating can be dangerous. Rory suggests following her heart and telling Zack. Dean calls to say he can’t make it out – Lindsay has the car, they are still sharing it. He suggests that Rory drive back.

Taylor gets graphic about the dangers of ticks. Eventually gets around to Jackson’s greenhouse, which he says is too close to the edge of the property (it’s 9.5 feet away). 10 feet is the minimum. It can’t just be moved 6 inches. Taylor gloats about Jackson not checking in with him before building it. Taylor claims to be the humble vessel for the municipal code - so Jackson suggests it be time for a new vessel. Jackson is now running for Town Selectman. Jackson begins his campaigning right away.

Rory shows up at Dean’s – gets a big hug from Clara, who didn’t like Lindsay. Rory deals with the awkward hello to Dean’s mom before they go upstairs. It’s still decorated like when Dean was a kid. He apologizes for his mom – it’s been a surprise to his parents, and his dad almost never leaves the basement. Clara blares music and Dean’s mom knocks to see when Rory will go home. Then she opens Dean’s door to insinuate that he has no privacy. So Dean turns on his ancient television.

Sookie is campaigning for Jackson. She and Lorelai have set up campaign headquarters at Luke’s. Kirk offers to poll the town to see how the vote would go (first using himself as the entire sample). Lorelai asks Lane if her band can play at the rally. Luke is not pleased that they are organizing there, and refuses to let them gather there for the rally. Sleeping with Luke is getting her no extra benefits.

Jackson comes to get Davie to work the crowd. Unfortunately, free ice cream from Taylor is more popular than Davie. Lorelai calls Rory to come home for the election. Makes small talk about Paris and school and…. Dean. Uncomfortably trying to be a good mom/friend. Sookie questions the tone – Lorelai thinks she’s trying to sound so cool about it all that she sounds freaked out by it.

Rory picks up Dean and they go park in the forest to make out uncomfortably. It doesn’t work. They can’t figure out what else to do, so Dean asks to be taken home. He’s also not keen to go with Rory to the rally. He doesn’t want to parade their relationship around town. Rory goes to crash at home, her spirits are down. Lorelai is surprised that Rory drove down – despite having a car, she also has classes.

It’s voting day – Sookie is all dressed up like a politician’s wife. She expects Jackson to lose, but had fun. Lane’s band is not happy with the music choice – "Believe it or Not", the theme song from The Greatest American Hero tv series. Lane says it’s ok to give up their cool one night and not be in it just for the chicks, but all the guys disagree. It’s all about the chicks. Gil backs up Lane – they are not ditching the gig.

Luke lost out – the Diner is headquarters. Kirk’s poll indicates that everyone in town is voting for Jackson! The diner is abuzz with activity – but, looking over into the Soda Shoppe, Lorelai sees Taylor sitting alone in the dark. Eating whipped cream.

Rory offers to stage dive if needed. Sookie addresses the crowd with her thanks and then introduces a special treat that will "build the roof" – Hep Alien playing one of Jackson’s favorite songs. They come on – and they rock it.

Lorelai tells Sookie it was kind of sad to see Taylor – he knows he’ll lose. No votes is humiliating. Sookie is too happy to be sad for Taylor. But Lorelai asks the last few voters to vote for Taylor. Zack is playing to the crowd – particularly the girls.

Sookie announces Jackson and gives him a very big kiss before he speaks. Jackson comes to a bad realization – he has a job and a life – he doesn’t have time to be selectman. He even talks about his baby making schedule.

"What the hell am I doing here?"

The crowd just cheers him for being honest.

Zack is hyped up, or just acting to be. The girls are hanging off him. Zack goes to get more beer – and Lane tells him she likes him more than a bandmate and more than a friend. She just though he should know. Then Lane goes to her room. And Zack goes for air.

Dean comes by to apologize to Rory for the situation and how hard it’s been. Rory has a serious question for him.

"If Lindsay hadn’t found that letter, were you going to… would you still have left her?"

Dean says yes, of course. I’m not sure Rory seems convinced.

The votes are in – 1114 votes for Jackson, 10 for Taylor. Taylor shakes Jackson’s hand and makes a speech about democracy and his expectation of a recall election when sanity returns to Stars Hollow. It’s barely over and Jackson is inundated with requests by townsfolk.

Lorelai brings some champagne up to Luke’s. He was asleep. He goes to be early. Lorelai will need to get used to that. And he hates champagne. There are things to learn. Lorelai kisses Luke and goes.

Trivia: In this episode, Jackson is introduced as Jackson Belleville – in previous episodes, he was Jackson Melville.

Trivia #2: The title of this episode is a play on words of ‘Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too!’, the first political slogan in American history, and the rallying cry in the successful 1840 Presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. – tv.com

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls season 5, tippencanoe and taylor too, gilmore girls episodes, gilmore girls pictures, gilmore girls recap, town selectman, jackson, doose, taylor

Images: TheWB.com