Season 1, Episode 13
Concertus Interrupts
(Original air date: 2/15/01)Lorelai purchases a sweater at a charity rummage sale, which she was enlisted to arrange because it was her idea, and is shocked when Luke snaps at her for wearing it. It turns out the sweater belonged to Rachel, a serious girlfriend of Luke's who left him several years prior. Lorelai is curious and grills Sookie about it; Sookie teases Lorelai for being jealous, which Lorelai adamantly denies.
Sookie receives four tickets to see The Bangles in concert in New York City as a thank-you gift from a satisfied customer. When Rory is grouped with Paris, Madeline, and Louise on a project, Lorelai has the idea to give them to Rory and her classmates as a way to improve Rory's relationship with them. At the concert, Madeline and Louise meet a group of college-aged boys, and sneak away to a party, prompting an irate Lorelai to hunt them down.
Tropes:
- The '80s: Having a baby to take care of didn't keep Lorelai from buying fancy tasseled clothing at seventeen.
- Blatant Lies: Lane asks her mother if she can go to a show— a play. That tells the story of how an eighties' girlband presently gives concerts.
- The Cameo: The real Bangles giving a concert for the purpose of the show.
- Captain Obvious:
- Louise tries, but Paris calculates by subtracting Rory's age from Lorelai's that Lorelai was sixteen when Rory was born.
- Paris also explains to Madeline and Louise that they are all sixteen, all being high school sophomores and in the same class for which they are doing homework.
- Comically Missing the Point:
- Subverted. Lorelai asks Taylor if he wants to write a manual for how to handle the butter dish he donates to the rummage sale, and he does.
- Sookie runs in and claims the three girls in the room (Lane, Rory, and Lorelai) are going to love her when they hear what she has to say. Lorelai insists that she already loves her.
- Concert Episode: The episode revolves around the girls attending a concert together and the mix-ups that ensue.
- Didn't Think This Through: Luke should have thought about his inability to see other people wearing Rachel's clothes when he gave them to the rummage sale.
- Everyone Can See It: Lorelai inquires about Luke's ex, and Sookie calls her on being jealous.
- Friendship Moment: Rory and Paris have one at the concert, in which they talk about things other than school. Paris remarks that she really likes the band and it's the best night she's ever had.
- Hates Everyone Equally: The lady whose door Lorelai knocks on when looking for Madeline and Louise.Lady: I don't talk to anybody. People annoy me.
- Hypocrite: Lorelai isn't as strict about observing the "mom code" from the previous episode, of letting other mothers like Mrs. Kim know what their daughters really are up to, when she's going to be present herself.
- Mama Bear: Lorelai is not pleased to find that Madeline and Louise left the concert with two college-aged boys they didn't know, and tracks them down by knocking on every door in the apartment building where the party is. Paris comments to Rory that if she were missing, she hopes her own mother would come looking for her like that.Lorelai: Yeah, see those two idiots over there? They’re 16 - underage and I bet you’re not. I also bet those big fancy party cups aren’t holding lemonade. You really want to end any further conversations with me, so step aside, Skippy. [To Madeline and Louise] Move your asses outside - now![Madeline and Louise step out into the hallway.]Lorelai: Hey. I am not even going to begin to tell you how completely insane it is to take off with anyone you don’t know, or drink things that you don’t know what’s in them, or act like you have a clue when you don’t, but so help me God, if you ever pull a stunt like this again, it will not be around my kid! Do you understand me?
- Mathematician's Answer:
- Luke demands to know why Lorelai thinks it's okay to wear a sweatshirt she found at a rummage sale. Lorelai replies that she paid for it, which might not make it okay, but it makes it legal.
- Somewhere in the state Connecticut there's crackers.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Invoked. Rory was almost named Susanna for the Bangles vocalist.
- Operation: Jealousy: Paris says she is aware that Tristan only flirts with her to get to Rory, but she'll take it.
- Ship Tease: For Luke and Lorelai. Lorelai is very curious about Luke's ex, which prompts Sookie to tease her for being jealous.
- Shout-Out:
- Harvey Fierstein impersonators redo Paris's house.
- Louise references Little Red Riding Hood to tease Paris for liking Tristan.
- Rory quotes Macbeth to let Lane know how she feels about being in the same group as Paris and her friends.
- Rory calls Lorelai Annie Oakley when she shows up in a newly bought cowboy hat.
- Rory compares the growing number of boxes of clothes to tribbles.
- Lorelai apologizes for her house being so House of Cards (UK).
- Madeline thinks Rory and Dean are very Joanie Loves Chachi.
- Louise refers to Dean as Paul Bunyan.
- Lorelai figures Rachel must have been Wonder Woman.
- The Bangles are on another farewell tour. Sookie got tickets.
- Rory suspects that Paris, Louise, and Madeline have just dropped their plan to dump pigs’ blood on her at the prom.
- The climb to their seats reminds Sookie of Everest (1998).
- Lorelai asks whether Rachel was a Catherine Zeta-Jones kind of pretty, or a Michelle Pfeiffer kind of pretty. Sookie says an Elle MacPherson kind of pretty.
- Lorelai is the good witch of the…
- Teen Pregnancy: Discussed. Using basic math, and with some help from Paris, Madeline and Louise manage to work out that Lorelai being twice their age means she had Rory at the same age they are now. Louise can't imagine having a baby, and Paris assumes Lorelai regrets it.
- Too Much Information: Louise says the group can't study at her house because her mom's having an affair.
- Wild Teen Party: The one Madeline and Louise sneak off to, although Lorelai surmises that no one else there is underage.
