The Fundamental Things Apply

Season 4, Episode 5, Aired

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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
    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

  • 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
    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

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

    9.1
    "Superb"
    By leo23dc, Feb 20, 2008
    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

  • Dating is hard lol

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By karatiz, Dec 23, 2007
    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

  • Rory goes on her first date.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Black_Grace, Aug 10, 2007
    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 (13)

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    • 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.

    • "Shadow Dancing" was one of Lorelai's all time favorite songs in junior high.

    • 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.

    • When Lorelai arrives at her parents house for Friday night dinner, she enters the house and the maid tells her Rory is not there yet. She turns around and goes back outside. Wouldn't Lorelai have noticed Rory's car was not in the driveway as soon as she pulled up?

    • At Friday night dinner, Emily and Lorelai find out that Rory is going on a date with a boy from Yale. When Emily thinks that Rory has asked this boy out, she is very upset by such a social faux pax... Emily: ........... Rory, you're in Yale, not Amsterdam. How you conduct yourself socially is as important as how you conduct yourself academically. However, in Season 3, Episode 5, "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis", Emily happily gives Lorelai the phone number to Peyton Sanders. Obviously she was going to phone him to ask him out and Emily is thrilled with the match up.

    • The professor in the class Rory shares with Trevor is the same professor in the classroom at Harvard when Rory and Lorelai visited in "The Road Trip To Harvard."

    • In this episode the Open/Closed sign is not on the door at Luke's.

    • Trevor said he is from Chicago. Dean is also from Chicago.

    • Luke and Lorelai are sitting on the couch and he starts saying how he feels comfortable around people. He lists his ex-girlfriends.

    • When Lorelai is inside the diner talking to Luke, her shirt collar moves in and out of her sweater as the shots change.

    • Janet can't be on a 'partial athletic scholarship' because Yale doesn't offer athletic or academic scholarships to anyone. All undergraduate loans and grants are based solely on financial need.

    • Rory evidently forgot about her half-sister Georgia when she answered "No" to Trevor's question about whether she had any siblings. Possible explanation: Rory was nervous, and she and her father and half-sister Gigi aren't very close, and Gigi wasn't very old at this point. Rory probably forgot and didn't correct herself. She didn't even remember she had been to Europe only months earlier so she was clearly nervous.

    • Emily gets upset with Lorelai when she finds out from someone else that Sookie is pregnant. Apparently she didn't pay any attention at Rory's graduation, as Sookie was pregnant, and showing there too.

  • QUOTES (15)

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    • 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.

    • (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.

    • 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.

    • Emily: You not telling me about Sookie is unforgivable. Lorelai: Why? It's not like you are such good friends. Emily: I went to her wedding! Lorelai: So did Kirk! Emily: I haven't sent her a gift yet, how does that make me look? Lorelai: Like you hate her and all child bearing women.

    • Lorelai: I'm going to have color coming out of my ying yang. Rory: Well then maybe you'll finally get a man.

    • Lorelai: Now I have a grown-up excuse to get a pony!

    • Ed: I am never accepting anything free from you again Luke. Luke: Oh what a threat!

    • Natalie: What do you think the outlook for this lawn jockey is? Lorelai: Not good. Natalie: Emily would hate it. Lorelai: Wrap it up.

    • Emily: Come sit down I need to talk to you about something. I just found out that Sookie is pregnant. Lorelai: Uh huh. Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it.

    • Luke: What's that? Lorelai: Okay, um. . .A, um, no talking during the movie, and B, don't tell me you've never seen the FBI warning before. Luke: It's new to me. Lorelai: Oh, my God. You're beyond monk. You're uber-monk. Luke: Just start it up. I won't talk again. 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: You've been stomping around, barking at people for days. Luke: I have not. Lorelai: Yes, Cujo, you have. Luke: I always talk to people like that. Lorelai: No, Benji, you don't. Luke: I'll be fine tomorrow. Lorelai: Really, Lassie? Why is that?

    • Rory: Hey, Lane. Lane: My mom ordered all the okra in the western hemisphere. She got a great deal and I'm starving to death. Rory: Swallow. Lane: Between Seventh Day Adventist college and my mom's new fascination with ordering on the internet, my future looks very grim.

    • Lorelai: Oh, it got my hand! It got my hand! Rory: Shake it off. Shake it off. Lorelai: Oh, it won't go! It won' t go! Rory: Aah! You wiped it on my shirt. Lorelai: It was a reflex. Rory: To ruin my shirt? Lorelai: I'm sorry. Rory: You never liked this shirt. Lorelai: It's not that. It's just that - Rory: Aah! There's something crawling up my leg! Lorelai: Oh no, oh no! I got it, I got it. Rory: There's something crawling up my leg! Lorelai: I got it, I got it! Ew! It's big! Ew! Rory: Okay, so the next time that Babette gives you a bag of bulbs to plant because you're lonely, you say... Lorelai: No, thank you. Rory: Class dismissed.

    • Rory: What are you doing? Lorelai: Well, I'm gardening. Rory: What are you doing? Lorelai: I'm gardening. Rory: What are you doing? Lorelai: Why don't you come over here and see, honey, since you seem so confused? Rory: Oh, my God. You are gardening.

    • Luke: Stop doing that Lorelai: Doing what? Luke: Looking at me! Lorelai: Vain party, table for one!

  • NOTES (4)

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  • ALLUSIONS (9)

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    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Episode Title: The Fundamental Things Apply The title of this episode is from the song As Time Goes By which is played repeatedly in the movie Casablanca that Lorelai and Luke watch in this episode.

    • Lorelai: That could have been very ugly, huh? The Great Cappucino Disaster of 2003. Shelley Winters drowns... Lorelai is alluding to the 1972 disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure in which the woman played by Shelley Winters drowns.

    • Trevor: Rory's right. The book's about a guy who can't sleep with the woman he loves. It's not some Woody Guthrie song. Woody Guthrie is a folk singer who wrote some of America's best protest songs.

    • Paris: Charlie tried the same tricks on our boys at Khe Sanh, and let me tell you, if she keeps this up, I am not gonna be responsible for what happens. Khe Sanh was a U.S. Marine military base in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. "Charlie" refers to the Viet Cong, since the initials V.C. in U.S. military radio code are "victor charlie".

    • Lorelai: Days. You've been stomping around, barking at people for days. Luke: I have not. Lorelai: Yes, Cujo, you have. Luke: I always talk to people like that. Lorelai: No, Benji, you don't. Luke: I'll be fine tomorrow. Lorelai: Really, Lassie? Why is that? Cujo is a rabid dog in the Stephen King novel Cujo, Benji is the name of a dog who was the focus of several movies in the '70s and '80s and Lassie is a dog that starred in several movies, a TV show and books.

    • Rory: Anywhere. The floor, the top of another dirty washing machine. My Belle and Sebastian t-shirt was in the garbage... Belle and Sebastian is a Scottish pop band who achieved success in the U.S. in 2003 .

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