As I was reviewing the most recent twists and turns in the world of the Gilmore Girls for the latest supercaffeinated recap, I couldn’t help but notice how much happens in a short amount of time. Time flies by, and though there’s likely more drama and definitely more coffee in the world of Lorelai and Rory, it’s not terribly unlike real life. I’m still not entirely sure where the month of April went, but it flew by in a blink.

Now, we’re stepping into the middle of season four. Rory’s had time to settle into college, Lane’s band is getting into a groove, and Lorelai’s business is chugging along. However, it’s not all easy and smooth; a few curve balls were thrown into their paths. Let’s discuss.

Who Knew Tailgate Parties Were Great?

We don’t often see Richard and Emily outside the setting of their formal home having fun. Sure, we see them in work or classy social situations, but not at tailgate parties. They joined Team Sports in “Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out” for the Yale vs. Harvard football game. Of course, based on my limited experience with tailgating, Emily had the fanciest possible set-up. I wasn’t sure if I’d be into the more stuffy version of tailgating, but did you see all their food? It was cute to watch Richard and Emily sort of act like the middle class. Middle Class Lite, if you will.

A couple of important points came up over the course of the episode. We met Pennilyn Lott, the woman Richard almost married. Even if Pennilyn and Richard were together over 30 years ago at this point, Emily was jealous and weird. She’s often irrational, but her attitude towards Pennilyn was off. And things took a terrible twist when Emily learned Richard had been in communication with Pennilyn and hadn’t been telling her. It’s one of many factors that contribute to the couple’s marital troubles.

Lorelai acted like her rash self, too. Emily unfairly directed her temper at her daughter, and Lorelai lashed back by finally agreeing to go out on a date with Jason Stiles. Pro tip: Never go out with someone simply because you want to make your parents angry. That’s not fair to anyone.

Favorite quote: “He watched The Breakfast Club and decided to tape his own butt cheeks together.” – Rory

It’s About Time

Has anyone else felt bad for Mrs. Kim? She’s obnoxiously strict, but did she really deserve to have her only daughter lie to her for years and years? I understand Lane’s perspective and I’m not saying I wouldn’t make the same decisions in her shoes, but Mrs. Kim has only tried to do what she believed was best for Lane. The truth finally came tumbling down in “In the Clamor and the Clangor.”

Lane’s band booked a late gig at CBGB’s, and since she couldn’t think of a story to get her out of the house for it, Lane just left. But her move was selfish: Mrs. Kim ended up thinking the worst and panicked. I can’t imagine what it would be like to find your child missing from her bed in the middle of the night. The hubbub prompted Mrs. Kim to discover Lane’s secret stash of music, makeup, and all manner of unholy things. I have nothing but respect for Mrs. Kim telling Lane she couldn’t live as she wanted to if she wanted to stay under Mrs. Kim’s roof—the decision couldn’t have been easy for her.

And speaking of the truth, Lorelai got angry with Luke because he didn’t tell her he moved in with Nicole. Luke’s definition of cohabitating isn’t the same as everyone else’s, so Lorelai’s rage was for naught. She was annoyingly oblivious, too. At least part of the reason Luke didn’t tell Lorelai about his new arrangement was because of his feelings for her. Duh.

Bonus: Rami Malek made a cameo in this episode!

Favorite quote: “There are no astronomy classes at Adventist College. That would imply the universe is old.” – Lane

Here, Have a Meltdown

A handful of Gilmore Girls episodes are always guaranteed to make me dissolve into a puddle of tears formerly known as Amy. “The Incredible Sinking Lorelais” saw Rory and Lorelai at their lowest of low moments and without each other to turn to. Busy schedules, circumstances, and a thousand other obstacles kept the mother daughter duo from catching up and unloading their burdens upon each other. It turns out when they don’t talk to each other, the water boils furiously and then explodes upon other people.

The world often turns in all the right ways for the Gilmores, so on top of not getting to be their usual selves, they had to deal with things going downhill. You know how it can be–one little something goes wrong and suddenly the rest of the universe finds out, adds to the pile, and makes you think you’re an inconsequential bag of air. When those days happen, you might melt down and you might do it in front of your clingy ex-boyfriend (oh, Rory) or your friend you have romantic interest in. Aww.

Favorite quote: “She is scarier than Nick Nolte’s mug shot.” – Jason

Tell me your thoughts about the middle of season four. Would you pick other episodes as the highlights or stick with these three? Let me know in the comments.

Images: Warner Bros., Lukes Danes, Bustle, Because I Love You, Tumblr