Rory's Dance is the 9th episode of Season 1 of Gilmore Girls.
Synopsis[]
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) persuades Rory (Alexis Bledel) to attend her first dance at Chilton, then sets out to make her daughter a dress for the occasion. A nervous Rory asks Dean (Jared Padalecki) to join her for the event, and Emily (Kelly Bishop) invites herself to Lorelai's home to help with Rory's party preparations.
Recap[]
Spurred by Emily's comments at a Gilmore women only Friday Night Dinner, Lorelai tries to encourage Rory to consider going to a Chilton Formal Dance. Rory eventually decides she wants to and asks Dean to be her date. Lorelai makes Rory's dress for the dance, but has a minor accident and hurts her back. Emily insists on seeing Rory off to the dance and, upon realising Lorelai is injured, further insists that she stick around to help and ends up caring for Lorelai, even tucking her in.
Tristin's increasingly apparent feelings for Rory cause him to lash out at her at the dance, and Dean, who gets fed up and almost gets into a fight with Tristin. Rory appreciates Dean's actions, but is oblivious to the reason behind Tristin's perceived malice, which Dean clarifies for her: Tristin's in love with her. After waking up around dawn the next morning at Miss Patty's, having fallen asleep, Rory panics and rushes home to find Emily degrading Lorelai, insinuating that Rory will get pregnant at 16 too. Lorelai defends Rory, but takes her pain out on her daughter once Rory appears and everyone is upset.
Starring[]
- Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore
- Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore
- Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James
- Keiko Agena as Lane Kim
- and Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore
- Recurring cast
- Liz Torres as Miss Patty
- Jared Padalecki as Dean Forester
- Liza Weil as Paris Geller
- Chad Michael Murray as Tristin Dugray
- Teal Redmann as Louise Grant
- Shelly Cole as Madeline Lynn
- Guest starring
- Kyle Gibson as Jacob
- Maybin Hewes as Yoga Woman #1
- Kay Freeman as Yoga Woman #2
- Co-Starring
- Kara Holden as Cissy
- Jonathan Ficcadenti as Boy
Trivia[]
- A drowsy Lorelai calls Emily 'mommy'.
- Paris' mother pays Paris' cousin Jacob to accompany her to the formal.
- Jacob also hits on Rory.
- Louise hits on Dean right in front of Rory, but Dean makes it clear he is uninterested.
- Rory and Dean define their relationship.
Music[]
- we're all light | XTC
- rory and dean arrive at chilton
- fade into you | MAZZY STAR
- rory and dean dance
- mixed bizness | BECK
- paris's cousin hits on rory
- sometimes always | JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
- paris yells at rory; dean and tristan rumble
- thirteen | BIG STAR
- rory and dean after the dance
Photos[]
Gilmorisms[]
MUSIC
LITERATURE
- The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker and Brendan Gill
- The Group by Mary McCarthy
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
- A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
FILM
- Midnight Express
- Sixteen Candles
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- The Outsiders
- Gone with the Wind
- Double Indemnity
POP CULTURE
- Lane – No, you have to do this now.
- Rory – Why?
- Lane – Because I have to go home soon and my mom threw out our TV after she caught me watching V.I.P.
- Lorelai – Become a crazy Oscar Levant kind of celebrity, go on talk shows, heckle Regis.
- Tristin – The guy's supposed to buy the tickets.
- Rory – Really? Does Susan Faludi know about this?
- Tristin – Look, I'll confess something to you. I don't have a date.
- Rory – I hear Squeaky Fromme is up for parole soon.
- Lorelai – Wow, Mom, look at you. You'd think Ann Taylor was having a sale or something.
- Lorelai – Hey, Dean, meet my mother, Emily Post.
- Lorelai – You know, Mom, you have a Barbara Stanwyck-y voice.
- Emily – Oh, I do not.
- Lorelai – I mean it. You could have gotten Fred MacMurray to off Dad if you'd really wanted to.
- Dean (to Tristin) – Get out of my way, Dristan.