I Am All In…Again: A behind the scenes fun fact about the graduation speech and ceremony, not even the biggest fan of Gilmore Girls would know! (Season 3 E22 “Those Are Strings Pinocchio”)

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. I am all in. Again. I am all in again with Scott Patterson and I Heart Radio podcast. Hey, everybody. Scott Patterson. I am all in podcast, one of the productions, I Heart Radio Media, I Heart podcast. We are going to recap episode 22 season finale, season three. Those are string Pinocchio, special guest Mitch Silva. He's returning high Mitch. Hi, good to be back. Good to have you. You played Terrence. You played the hilarious role of Paris's life coach when she moved in with Rory to Yale. Two episodes. So welcome back, Mitch. We had a we had John a few years ago. But but we are back to recap. All right. Here we go. Now I get to talk about another episode, one that I wasn't on. Like I get to talk about another episode. Yeah. Well, your your your breakdown skills are strong. So we thought let's bring Mitch back. Thank you. I love my breakdown skills. May twenty two thousand and three was the air date. Synopsis Rory's graduation is upon us. She strikes a deal with Richard and Emily so that Lorela and Rory can go after their dream of being in owners. Luke struggles with the idea of going on a cruise with Nicole while Rory makes peace with Dean directed by Jamie Babbitt, written by Daniel Paladino. Before we get into it, Mitch, do you think this was a good finale episode? Yeah, I actually really loved this episode. And I actually I had never seen this episode. And I it made me watch it a couple of times. I thought it was a really good episode. Like if I had just been watching it the whole season, this was a great one to sort of like end on and make me want to come back. But it I think every storyline like her going to Rory going to Yale, Luke and Lorelai, the trip, the dream that he has at the end where he tells them not to propose in his dream. All of it was great, great cliffhangers. Yeah, all good. All right, let's get into it. Luke and Lorelai. We're going to we're going to start with Luke and Lorelai. Yeah. Luke tells Rory and Lorelai is going on a trip with Nicole. It's going to be a cruise to Alaska. They tease him. It's going to be a loveboat cruise and he's going to get engaged. He just sluffs it off. And a graduation Luke tells Lorelai. He isn't going to go anymore because it is too much of a commitment. And she worries that she got into his head about it with the teasing. And she encourages him to go. And then he says he will after the graduation. Luke falls asleep on the couch and has a dream of Lorelai coming to Luke Steiner and telling him not to get engaged. Mitch. Do you think if Lorelai and Rory hadn't mentioned the loveboat comments, he would have he wouldn't have questioned going on the cruise with Nicole? That's great. I yeah, I I definitely think that planted a seed in his head. And he might have had second thoughts, but I definitely think that that planted a seed in his head for sure. And this begs another question. Do you think, Mitch, that Luke is always looking for validation from Lorelai that it's OK to date other people? It's like kind of like a heat check with her and see what her her reaction might be. Do you think that's the case? Yeah, I think that's the big case. I think they I think he relies on her a lot for approval. I mean, he seems like he tries to act like, you know, he's he's tough. He doesn't need any. I mean, that's just like the whole thing is like, I don't I don't feel emotion, but he deeply does. And I think he really needs her. Her validation means a lot to him. It seems like they're so right for each other. I mean, come on, they're both so crazy. They're so crazy. They're so crazy, man. They're local. Yeah, I mean, the moment at the beginning that where they they come over, they have their backpacks on and he's like, you know, don't leave that here. And just their whole relationship, the whole dynamic of like they don't really listen to him and he kind of just begrudgingly goes like, you know, I'm going to take care of it. It's just they have such a great relationship. It's almost like an older brother. Yeah. So you can't do that. Mom and dad don't want it there. Move it, get it out of my room. It's like it's it's it's like it's his room. And his sister comes in and tries to dump her stuff in there. And he's like, yeah, get it out now. Get it out. No. And she just says, all right, I'll talk to you later. And the stuff is still there. And he's like, I guess I have to take care of it. Lorela and Roy are training for their Europe trip. Walking to Luke's with their big backpacks. Those are very large backpacks. That's the way they used to be. Roy sees Dean in town meeting, working with Taylor. Hired by Taylor. And she talks to him about his wedding and offers him a magazine with pages marked for for a wedding gift. He's thankful they make amends. So clearly she's OK with it. Yeah. Lorela tells Lorela. Tells Rory. They didn't get financial aid for Yale. She thinks it's unfair. So she goes. I mean, Rory goes to Emily and Richard the day of the graduation and asked for them to pay for it. And she strikes a deal. She will pay them back. And do Friday night dinners by herself. And then Rory gets a call after graduation, but nobody is there. She thinks it's Jess and tells him goodbye and she thinks she loved him. But she's moving on. That shows real maturity on on her part. That takes a lot. I mean, for a person that's 18 years old, that takes a tremendous amount of strength to do that. Yeah. Because how many people in her position would make the mistake of continuing on with this? Disaster of a of a of a. Of a relationship. Yeah. What do you think about that? Yeah, I think when you're 18, you're. Most of the relationships are disasters, especially. Well, I mean, maybe it doesn't even end as you get older. It's the same. But yeah, I thought she handled that, like you said, like an she's an incredibly mature 18 year old and has a lot of wisdom. And also that she was getting calls, like, just through the day of just nobody there and just assuming it was Jess and and being right about it. I don't know what it says about him, that he's just calling her and not saying anything. I think that's his. I think I also saw that as is as Jess displaying love and strength to just not say anything. And it was almost noble where. You know, he cares so much and he loves her so much, but he knows he's bad for her right now at this point in his life. So he's withdrawing, but he still wants to hear her voice. Very sad. Yeah. And he you're right, because he just kind of he listened. And I think he really like I think he heard what he had. She had to say and couldn't really fight what she had to say, because, you know, everything she said was a truth. She was hurt by him and. And then said, I have to I love I loved you. Well, I loved you. I think I loved you, but I've got to move on. Right. Yeah. You know, she yeah, she's she's the sounding board for his where he is at in his emotional life and his capacity to care for and love for another person in a selfless way. He's just not there. Yeah. And for me, it just wiped away, you know, all of his misdeeds throughout the the couple of seasons. And. You just see what a bad spot he is in. Yeah. And you really I now I'm really pulling for him. You know, it's like, OK, I understand that. They kind of just maybe she's meant at the wrong time. You know, that's sad. It is. It's very sad. Clearly, Roy had big moments in this episode. She's making a deal with Richard and Emily. She handles a just phone call. What would you have wanted just to say if you wanted him to say anything? What could he have said? I mean, I guess the only thing he could say is, I mean, obviously, I'm sorry. And you're right. You know, I hear you're absolutely right. And I'm sorry, I fucked up. Like, that's all he can say. But I think this is yet another example of great writing where, you know, not to write anything. You don't need to just let it sit there and let the audience sort of wonder about and ask this question that I just asked you. Also, that moment where she ends the call and they cut up to him and he's at the phone booth. It just kind of everything on his face says that, you know. It's you're right. It's good writing because you don't have to say it. It's great. It's just fraught with. What's the word? On we, right? Is that on we on we is, I think, isn't on we like boredom? Or is it is it like is it wistful? Is on we is it boredom? Hang on. Let's I'm going to look up on we. That's good word. I remember learning that in school. He and and you I. Well, you're almost right. A deep feeling of weariness, listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of interest, excitement or purpose. It's more profound than simple boredom. Oh, it's deep boredom. No, it's more profound. But it's profound. It's it's more profound than boredom. So it's a level up from bored often described as a gray haze or chronic apathy. Commons, common synonyms include tedium, lastitude, langer, apathy and melancholy. I would say that was melancholic. It was definitely melancholic. I don't think it was like boredom, but it's melancholic. It's wistful. It's sad. Maybe on we is not the right word. But it was it was a good attempt, Scott. And we if the professor marked me wrong on that one, I'm going to argue. I'm arguing case here just based on this definition. All right. All right. So let's go to the independence. And all right, you ready? Yeah, you ready to go to independence and the dragonfly? Here we go. Yeah. Jump on. Suki, Lorela and Luke and Kirk check out the dragonfly and to let them know what needs replacing, actually. Suki and Michelle are going nuts at the independence in not having many guests. They're nervous because the owner's son is there. He later tells Lorelai they're going to sell the in the sun does of the honor because it's too much money to repair. Lorelai comes over to Suki and Jackson's with champagne to celebrate a new challenge. The independence in closing, they're getting a severance pay. And that's it. They're so sad about it that they decided to celebrate. Lorelai tells Rory she can't. Buy the dragonfly because she's lost her job. At the graduation, Rory tells Lorelai she can buy the in now because of the deal that she struck. With Emily and Richard. So Lorelai is predictably upset at first. But then she. Because she thinks Rory is being manipulated. Of course, she does. Lorelai tells Suki the news and she makes a phone call to the realtor. They got the in. All right, Mitch. The roles are reversed now. Rory is doing something for her mom to help her achieve her dreams. Do you think Lorelai recognizes that? Or is she too clouded? By what's happening? She's been. Thinking that Rory is being manipulated. I think it could be both. I think at first, I think. She's cut off guard clearly by it and in her first reaction as you're being manipulated. But I think she also you could tell she can see that her daughter is trying to do something. Like very sweet, very thoughtful for both of them. I mean, Rory keeps saying this is a win win win situation. We all win. And but, you know, Lorelai has issues, obviously, with her parents. And and her first reaction is like, I just want I think she says, like, I want to win and I want you to have a win. And I just want at one point to have it just, you know, basically us and not them. But I think she sees it eventually that this is a good situation. And what Rory just did was incredibly sweet. Thoughtful and smart. Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day. Someone's got to pay for Yale. And that ain't cheap. So not even Lorelai is going to stand in the way of that. No, it just means she has to go to have have dinner with them sometimes with her parents because of this deal. You know, they get they get good food. They get good meals. I bet they do. I I often often fantasized about sitting down at that table. I don't know that I ever got a chance to sit down at that table. I stood there once like like an idiot. But I don't know that if I maybe once I got to sit down. And and try some food. I bet they have like, I mean, court, you know, they're like four course meals or they have courses. Right. Right. It would be an experience. They do it right. They do it right. They they Emily Emily does it right. They dress for dinner. They dress who does that right? Who doesn't anymore? They dress for dinner. When you see old movies and they're like a come home like I'm going to go dress for dinner, dress for dinner. You know what? That is that's that that is a various student observation. It's so obvious it's right in our faces. But nobody else dresses for dinner in the show. No. And Emily's in her in her, you know, her Chanel for dinner, which is in a rich is in a full suit and bow tie. Uh-huh. And they're having dinner. He has a jacket on every night. They could every night for dinner. And like if I have dinner, I'm like at that point, I'm already in my pajamas. Right. That's how I dress for dinner. Right. You get in your sweats and your T-shirt. You get comfortable. You don't dress up. Yeah. It's different. And it's just them. It's not like they're having gas over. It's kind of it's very charming. And exhausting. Exhaust it right? Imagine the dry cleaning bills. Imagine that. Wait, I wanted to say a line that was said in the scene where they're they're checking out the dragonfly and Kurt is upstairs. Like he's looking for mold. He has a lot. You know, they have just like throw away lines on Gilmore girls all the time. That's never to he has a line about Ed McMahon's dog that I'd never heard of for getting a mold. He's checking for mold because I guess Ed McMahon's dog got affected by mold and lost its memory. And like I had a look that I'm like, what happened to Ed McMahon's dog? And I guess it's true. Ed McMahon said his dog got affected by a mold and had like respiratory issues and was a smart dog. And then the mold affected it. I mean, to have that level. Of research. Yes. But I guess it was something that was happening at the time. Mind of in. It's also like one of those things that if you're a writer, like it's something that you heard one time and it just burrowed its way into your brain and it just popped up like it's such a random fact. You know, Amy and Dan are uniquely attuned to pop culture weirdness. Yeah. And oddities. It's a perfect and it's a perfect thing for Kirk to just throw out there. Absolutely perfect. Yeah, that's another thing I love about the show. It's really paying attention to what is happening in the celebrity culture and pop culture, you know, past past and present. It's it's quite an interesting element to throw into a show and to be that loose with it that it can work. You know, imagine the West Wing doing that. No, you know, you are. Yeah. And we won't dress up for it either. You wear your pajamas. I'm going to wear my sweats. Perfect. I'll let Luke wear the suit, but I'm going like just as is. Just pajamas, sweats. Yeah. This the students at Chilton are recording a goodbye video for their graduation. Emily and Richard Cole Lorelei at the end to check about their seating arrangement. And I'm going to go to the next one. I'm going to go to the next one. At the end to check about their seating arrangement at the graduation ceremony. And inform her they want to buy Rory a car for her graduation gift. Jackson, Suki, Luke and Lorelei are at the graduation basically as backup singers. They're not really in the band, are they? Emily and Richard throw a fuss about sitting next to Lorelei. Rory goes up to do her speech and thanks Lorelei and her family. It makes everyone cry. And by the way, those were all real tears. I want to say this. And here's a little behind the scenes for the fans. I. OK, so. When you're on set, most actors, if they have to cry, they get that little glass tube blown into their eye to create tears. Not one of us did that on that day. That was all real stuff. The first time I saw somebody having that applied to them. By the makeup department, you know, they'd hold up the glass tube and they'd they'd blow into their eye. And I thought, what in the heck is she doing? I didn't know what I didn't know what was going on. I said, is this maybe she got something in her eye and they were removing something from her eye to get it out. And the only way to do it was to be careful and just blow it out. But anyway, that's the thing. That's that's a technique and it produces real tears, maybe not with the emotion behind it, but it produces real tears. And it's. Look, it's it's it's one of the most difficult things to do. For some people, for a lot of people, it's very difficult. For other people, it's it's really easy to do to cry on cue. It is it is definitely not the sign of a great great actor, but it's certainly not the sign of a bad one. That's so sweet that you guys all were genuinely moved by it. That all all of you just those are real tears. Nobody nobody got. Air blown into their eyeballs on that day. And that was a long day. That was a long shoot. I bet. Yeah, there's a lot going on at that graduation. I'm sure there was it's not only hard to cry on cue. It's hard to keep doing it take after take after take. And then they have to like turn it around or they have to like get it. It's it's a master shot than the close up. It's like you have to keep that emotion going if you're going to. Yeah. So that's real. OK, so more more BTS for the fans. That is when people get that is when actors and actresses get the most prickly, they get the most anxious, they get the most. You know, nervous and it's when they know they have to cry. It's their close up. They've already done the master shot. They've already done. The semi-wides or the or the you know, for the waist up shots of the two shots or the three shots or whatever. And then last but not least, you know, hours after you have. Done your your master shot and held back tears, you know. Do you get the opportunity to really let them flow? But you're dry because you've done it too many times now. What do you do? Well, you get anxious and nervous. And you have you've been in you've been in that situation. Yeah, everybody everybody everybody pretty much. Yeah, everybody reacts differently. The minute it says in a script, he cries, you know, like. You might have just cried on your own, but like that if it says he cries, you it's really hard to not like getting your head about it. You know what? I would love. I think if a writer puts in. That kind of direction, it's bad writing. Yeah, you should just. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. An actor knows an actor worth assault knows. When or when not to do that. And most of the time it's no. Sometimes you don't need the tear or sometimes like, you know, you can convey everything that you're feeling. And if the tears don't come, you still feel it. You know, you know, it's that old theater adage. You know, if you feel 100 percent show 70. Yeah. If you feel 70 show 40. If you feel 40, don't go to the theater. Stay home. Stay home. In the dressing room. But it's like, yeah, it's like, you know, they didn't pay all that money to sit there and watch you be emotional. Yeah. Your job is to make them emotional. Right. Yeah. And it's the it's this old, old actors stuff, but it's not the tears that make usually that make people cry. It's the fight. It's the fight to not cry. That's what makes people cry. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Many times, many times. Yeah. Anyway, that that scene is great. It's great. Between all four of you trying to cry. It's it's funny. And it's a specific kind of crying, too. It's like funny crying. Yeah. It's like comedy crying. Yeah. It's in it. And you're proud. It's like a proud. You're proud of her. It's you're sad that she's moving on. It's all of it. Sentimental crying. It's great. Right. The backup singers had to do comedy crying. I love that album. The backup singers had to do comedy crying. Yeah. Yeah. The backup singers weren't really getting their moment. They just had to go. Also, I just want to say before I forget, two of my favorite lines in the entire episode are during that graduation. And one is just once again, throwaway lines. When Paris gets her diploma and the dialogue is the headmaster says, congratulations, Paris. And she says she takes it from him with a smile on her face says, no hard feelings. And he says, OK, and that's the dialogue. Just no hard feelings. What are you talking about? And also when she's asking you, Lorela is asking for a pen. And she's like asking Luke, Luke, give me a pen. And I think he said, you have to something like you have to stop assuming I take pens with me everywhere I go. Like this has been a conversation you have had before with her. Right. That made me laugh really hard. By the way, just to emphasize how important back singers are, you know, I'm going on tour with the band and we just brought in a backup singer and she ain't no backup singer. She's the lead. She's unbelievable. And it really, really enhances the whole thing. So I'm not trying to disparage backup singers or make jokes about them. They are crucial and super important. All right. Emily and Richard. Give Roy a car. But they but the lot is filled with cars with bows on them, which is really funny visual. It's a Prius, the one Leo Capde Caprio drives. All right. Mitch, did did Roy's graduation speech make you emotional? Yeah. You know, it didn't. I didn't. And it didn't mean I found it more funny. It was heartwarming. You know, why I felt I felt I didn't cry, but like it's so. Yeah, I made me feel something. Yeah, especially when she's talking about her grandparents. That part. And I thought that was like and honestly, Emily and Richard's react. I mean, they're both such good actors, but like their reaction to hearing their granddaughters say those things. I mean, they just, you know, were so moved by it. It was really sweet, I thought. So the support that Rory is receiving. Is is is everything. It means everything. And this has been known to fans of the show as a favorite episode of the series. Why do you think that is? That's a great question, because I feel like well, everything kind of comes to a head and like it's the end of a chapter. You know, like it's an end of a chapter of Rory and Laura Lai literally living together and and end of Rory's chapter at her school and going on to a whole new thing with the Yale. And. I think that's a that's a huge reason why it just feels like like a line in the sand for the series, like something is a change. It's just a big change for both of them. And I think it's also really like people get emotional anyway with people moving kids graduating high school and going to college. It's people. It's really moving between a parent and a child. Yes. Let your child move on like that. Oh, yeah. Yes. I can only imagine I'm facing that in a few years. And I can't even imagine it. It's hard to even imagine it. But I don't know. Maybe we'll get sick of them. We'll be like happy to get rid of them. I don't see that happening. Yeah. But yeah, huge moment, huge, huge moment. And it's like something that I imagine when you have a kid, you're like, I know this is going to happen and you want it to happen for them. But when it happens, it's. So, no, I want some more. Yeah. All right. Closing thoughts, final thoughts. How would you rate this top 10? Have you seen all the episodes and all the I haven't seen all the episodes in every season? But what you see, this is one of my favorite episodes. I just really like this episode. I thought it was so well written. I mean, they all are. But this was a particularly well written. And for what we said before, it just packed so much in it because it's such a change for the characters and Rory's moving on. And the two of them are no longer going to be together all the time. So, yeah, it's it's it's it's just the emotional impact of it is great. I yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. Very, very special episode. And they all are in their own unique way. It's hard to pick. They're most are so good that it's it's hard to pick. You know, it's even hard to pick a top five top top 10. All right, Mitch. We are out of time. Unfortunately, you're going to have to come back again. Sure. Be a three timer. You want to be a three timer? I'll be a three timer. I'll be in the three timer club. We'd like you to be a three timer. All right. All right. All the best to my friend. And thank you so much for spending a little bit of time. We appreciate it. We know the fans enjoy it and all you get fans out there. Keep the cards and letters common. We appreciate every single one of them. And remember where you lead, we will follow. Stay safe, everyone. I want you. Hey, everybody, don't forget, follow us on Instagram at I am all in podcast and email us at Gilmore at I heart radio dot com. Incredible everyday prices. 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