The Fundamental Things Apply

Season 4, Episode 5, Aired
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Episode Summary

Rory accepts a classmate's invitation to go out on her first date since breaking up with Jess, while her roommates engage in a war of wills. Meanwhile, Lorelai invites Luke over to share the traditional Gilmore movie night she used to have with Rory, although she is somewhat disturbed after discovering that the designer she just hired to decorate the inn used to work for Emily.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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  • Amazing episode!

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By holden_potter, Apr 28, 2010 Report Abuse
    This fifth episode of season 4 is awesome. Everything is so great- fun and hilarious. All of the characters are included in this episode and all of the parts are entertaining.
    Rory starts college dating. She firstly refuses to go on a date with a boy but after Lorelai's advices she dicides to give it a chance. The date goes really bad. Rory feels very awkward that she talks about urine mints which was actually very funny. Lorelai giving her tips from the phone was also very amusing.
    Lorelai and Luke spend the movie night together. It was fun to realise that Luke hasn't watched movies before. Lorelai's movie night rules were amazing and she was very funny because she is the one who doesn't keep them.
    Lorelai and Sookie hire a designer to help them with the inn but they find out that she knows Emily. Lorelai starts thinking that the designer gives Emily information about Lorelai's life.
    Everything is amazing. It is better than the first four episodes because a lot of things happened, the humor was on and the characters were amusing.
    Excellent Gilmore Girls episode!!!moreless

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  • Rory goes on her first college date and Luke replaces her for movie night with Lorelai. Both parts to the episode were great.

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By stewie1423, Jul 03, 2008 Report Abuse
    I'll start with Rory. I still really like the new college parts to the show as there very entertaining. We see the 'naked guy' Marty again and perhaps some chemistry between him and Rory. I loved the Paris and the other room mate feud, it was at times just very funny. Paris seems to be becoming a better and more entertaining character by the episode.

    As for the dud date, that was enjoyable but also quite amusing. I'd imagine this is what it's like to date, you never really know what to expect. The urine mints thing was just a weird thing to say, the whole date was very awkward which added to the enjoyment of it. He did seem rather dull though. I liked how Lorelai was giving her tips on the phone.

    Lorelai being annoyed that her designer knew Emily was typical but it was amusing how she handled it all. We find out Sookie is naming her baby Davie but the whole thing about her wanting to argue with Jackson was humorous. I liked the scene when Lorelai wanted to wait in the car until Rory arrived, so she went back outside and Emily caught her dancing to a song on the radio, her explanation was great.

    Move night was funny, with all the rules that Luke kept breaking. but in the end Lorelai broke them as well. I'm still waiting for these two to get together. The room mate meeting was hilarious, thanks to Paris again, how funny was it that she challenged the athlete to a race. At the end, Rory has a moment with a guy who's doping his laundry, she goes for it and asks him out, he says no, poor Rory.

    Another brilliant episode!moreless

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  • Luke and Lorelei have a movie night, and Rory goes out on a date

    9.1
    "Superb"
    By leo23dc, Feb 20, 2008 Report Abuse
    This was not a pivotal episode, but it was good. Lorelie was funny about not going into her mother and father's house while Rory wasn't there. But Emily caught her. Then there was the whole thing about Lorelie's new designer, Natalie, and whether she was a "spy" for Emily or not. In the end, Lorelei fires her, as she did spill the beans to Emily about Lorelie not wanting Natalie to tell her mother anything. Meanwhile, Rory goes out on a date, after first turning Trevor down, then, after Lorelie suggests that maybe dating would be a good idea, talks him into asking her out again. But she can't think about anything to talk about during the date except conversation stoppers like "urine mints." While she is on this date, Lorelei and Luke are having movie night. They are watching Casablanca. Lorilei has many rules for movie night for Luke, then proceeds to break them all. Luke ends up crashing on Lorilei's couch, as the two Gilmore Girls watch him tenderly.moreless

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  • Dating is hard lol

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By karatiz, Dec 23, 2007 Report Abuse
    I love those moments, when the episode started, they are the best. Paris is crazy!! lol And another thing, I wouldn't want the robe back lol

    Rory is meeting guys, Trevor is cute. And the questions regarding dating pop in Lorelai's and Rory's head.

    Lorelai finally found a decorator and she couldn't pick better lol she had to pick Emily's old decorator lol
    And Luke is taking messages for Lorelai, that's fun lol

    Rory goes out on her first date and Lorelai tries to show Luke the wonders of movie night.
    Emily finding out Sookie's pregnant and the fact that the Natalie knows Emily puts ideas in Lorelai's head. I glad they worked it out.

    Luke's idea for the changing seat thing was good, at least worked for a while.
    Luke and Lorelai's movie night was fun and he sleeping there too.moreless

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  • Rory goes on her first date.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Black_Grace, Aug 10, 2007 Report Abuse
    Rory accepts a classmate's invitation to go out on her first date since breaking up with Jess, while her roommates engage in a war of wills. Meanwhile, Lorelai invites Luke over to share the traditional Gilmore movie night she used to have with Rory, although she is somewhat disturbed after discovering that the designer she just hired to decorate the inn used to work for Emily. After Rory's date didn't go well she meets another guy while washing her clothes which she asked out for coffee but he says no. What a jerk!! He was ugly anyway but they had a lot in common.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In the diner, as Emily tries to get Lorelai to commit to Friday night dinner, Lorelai attempts to get Luke's attention while she is on her cell phone by throwing things at him. Look carefully...there is a stain on the back of his shirt before she actually hits him with the hamburger. Edit
    • "Shadow Dancing" was one of Lorelai's all time favorite songs in junior high. Edit
    • When Rory is on her date, a picture of Da Vinci's The Last Supper is seen hanging behind her, this painting was later recreated in The Festival of Living Art, which aired two episodes after this one. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • When Lorelai and Nathalie are talking about horses at Luke's Dinner, Lorelai mentions how she has always loved horses. Lauren Graham has mentioned in interviews that horses were her passion as a child. Edit
    • French episode title: "Les Choses Fondamentales", meaning "The Fundamental Things". Edit
    • Chris Eigeman (Jason), Edward Herrmann (Richard) and Sean Gunn (Kirk) do not appear in this episode. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Luke: Never plan for anything more than two days in advance Lorelai: That's your rule? Luke: Yes, cause when you make plans you have expectations. When you have expectations, you will get disappointed Lorelai: Having expectations gives you something to look forward to. Luke: Then you're looking forward to being constantly disappointed. Lorelai: You're not that cynical. Luke: I am today. Edit
    • (Lorelai's cell phone rings) Lorelai: (answers) Hello? Emily: Do you know what one of life's great mysteries is? Lorelai: Uh, Mom... Emily: Whether or not you're going to be joining us for Friday night dinner. Lorelai: Uh huh. Emily: And since you pretend to be ignorant of the concept of the RSVP even though I know it was taught to you as a child, I am reduced to calling and asking you, are you coming? Lorelai: Uh huh. Emily: Is that "uh huh, yes, I'm coming" or "uh huh, I was reading while you were talking"? Lorelai: Um, tell you what, Mom - plan on me coming, and if I don't, then it'll just be a little more for everyone else. Emily: Lorelai, you know very well our dinners do not work like that. There is careful planning and shopping and preparation that goes into every meal no matter how boring and simple it may seem to you. Lorelai: Oh, Mom - (Lorelai throws something at Luke to get his attention.) Luke: Hey, what...get off that phone! Lorelai: Oh, shoot, Mom, there's no cell phones in here. I'll call you back later. Bye. (hangs up) And when I need you - nowhere. Edit
    • Luke: Why can't you respect the rules of my diner? Lorelai: I do respect the rules of your diner. It's that baseball cap I have issues with. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Lorelai: Okay, just one more warning. When they showed the first motion picture over a hundred years ago, it featured a train rushing toward the camera, and, um, people were so sure the train was going to burst off the screen and crush them, that they ran away in terror. Now, Luke, the train is not going to leave the screen.
      Lorelai is referring to the Lumiere Brothers' L'arrivée du train, which is considered the first motion picture in modern history. The film showed a train coming into its station at full speed. And just as Lorelai said, many people ran from the theater screaming and ducking for cover because they believed that the train was going to leave the screen and crush them. Edit
    • Natalie: Small world, isn't it? Lorelei: Yes, yes. Really small. About the same square footage as that box they threw McCain in. Lorelei is referring to John McCain who was held in a cell as a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down in Vietnam in 1967. Edit
    • Lorelai: I've always loved horses, ever since I was a little girl, and now I finally have a grown-up excuse to buy a pony. Luke: Great. Listen, National Velvet, you have to move this stuff out of here. National Velvet was a novel written by Enid Bagnold. It was made into a movie in 1944, starring a 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor. It was about a girl who loved horses. Edit

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