They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They? is the 7th episode of Season 3 of Gilmore Girls.
Synopsis
Determined to win the annual Stars Hollow 24-hour dance marathon, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) forces Rory (Alexis Bledel) to be her partner. While everyone in town dances around them, Rory and Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) can't seem to stop arguing with each other, a fact that is not lost on Dean (Jared Padalecki). Meanwhile, Lane (Keiko Agena) and Paris (Liza Weil) are both surprised when the boys they like drop by to see them.
Plot
Lorelai is determined to win the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon and take the trophy from four-time champion Kirk. She convinces Rory to help her dance her way to victory. Dean sits on the sidelines to cheer his girl on, and is soon joined by Jess and Shane, although they are together Jess can't keep his eyes off Rory and is determined to break her concentration.
Lorelai breaks her heel creating a romantic moment with Luke while he fixes her shoe in which they discuss if they would ever have kids in the future. Dean fills in as Rory's dance partner and while on the dance floor, he has had enough of ignoring the obvious chemistry between Rory and Jess and breaks up with her in front of everyone.Rory tearfully runs off, followed closely by Jess. Kirk wins again making his victory to the theme from "Rocky".
Music
- in the mood | GLENN MILLER
- sing sing sing (with a swing) | LOUIS PRIMA
- walkin' my baby back home | ROY TURK & FRED E. AHLERT
- i can't give you anything but love | JIMMY MCHUGH & DOROTHY FIELDS
- by the beautiful sea | HARRY CARROLL & HAROLD R. ATTERIDGE
- string of pearls | GLENN MILLER
- these foolish things | ERIC MASCHWITZ & JACK STRACHEY
- gonna fly now (theme from rocky) | BILL CONTI
Photos
Gilmorisms
MUSIC
LITERATURE
- The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
- "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" by Horace McCoy.
- This story is about several couples who participate in a dance marathon. There are several exchanges of partners in the story. At the end, the heroine of the story wants to kill herself with a gun, but she cannot pull the trigger. Her dance partner agrees to "help" her by taking the gun and firing. When asked why he would agree to kill her, he says, "They shoot horses, don't they?" Choosing this title for the episode has an obvious connection to the dance marathon. Also, though, Rory has wanted to break up with Dean and go out with Jess for weeks, but she can't manage to "pull the trigger." Dean decides to put her out of her misery and do the breaking up for her.
FILM
POP CULTURE
- Luke – Oh, hey, look. There goes Tommy Tune.
- Taylor – The Tennessee Williams Lookalike Contest last month put us right over the top.
- Taylor – You would kick Tiny Tim's crutch out from under him, wouldn't you?
- Lorelai – With a little encouragement, I could've been the Señor Wences of the vegetable set.
- Lorelai – Miss Patty showed his wife a picture of me and she thinks I look like Elizabeth Taylor, which makes her Debbie Reynolds and him Eddie Fisher. He's no Eddie Fisher, trust me. Fisher Stevens, maybe.
- Paris — Madeline... or may I call you Spicoli.
- Rory – Jamie must be special.
- Paris – Or Ted Bundy.
- Paris – Theoretically, yes, but the second I mention a guy they’re gonna both start singing the theme from the Trojan Man commercial, and I just can’t take that, okay?
- Rory – My mother, the Howard Roarke of Stars Hollow
- Andrew – You went out with Liam Neeson?
- Lorelai – That's sweet, Spectator Ken.
- Lorelai – Well, look who's suddenly interested in dance.
- Rory – Yeah, he's a regular Martha Graham.
- Lane – No one asked for a Tony Manero wannabe to drop by.
- Shane – Who are you, Bobby Brady? Get a life.
- Jackson – Does anyone here understand that a man has a right not to have his personal life debated in a public forum? I'm not Winona Ryder.
