That Damn Donna Reed

Season

Episode

1

14

Aired

February 22, 2001

Written by

Daniel Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino

Directed by

Michael Katleman

[[{{{transcript}}}|Episode Transcript]]
[[{{{transcript2}}}|Part Two]]

SynopsisEdit

Rory and Dean fight, because Dean likes the idea of a 50s type house wife. Rory ends up pretending to be such that type of woman for an evening.

Plot outlineEdit

An evening of "The Donna Reed Show" reruns infects Dean and both Gilmore Girls -- Dean expresses a longing for the type of family represented by the show, Lorelai helps Luke spruce up the diner with a fresh paint job and new curtains, and Rory dresses up like Donna and fixes a 1950s style dinner for Dean while petsitting Babette's new kitten. When the baby chick that's the subject of Rory's midterm project gets loose in the house, Lorelai frantically calls Luke to help her search the house. Both Sookie and Emily force Lorelai to confront her feelings for Luke. Christopher Hayden, Rory's father, roars into town on his motorcycle, and agrees to stay at Lorelai's and Rory's during his visit.

MusicEdit

• "Sunday Best" by Grant Lee Phillips
• "Flower Girl In Bordeaux" by Esquivel
• "Johnny Angel" by Shelley Fabares
• "Beautiful Dreamers" by Grant Lee Phillips
• "Tambourine Man" by William Shatner
• "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by William Shatner
• Also referenced: Foo Fighters, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, The Wallflowers, Bush, Frank Sinatra

Movie ReferencesEdit

• The Music Man
• A Streetcar Named Desire

Pop Culture ReferencesEdit

Dean: What are we watching?
Lorelai: The incomparable "Donna Reed Show."

Rory: Well said, Sister Suffragette.

Lorelai: It's getting a little too Lewis Carroll for me.

Babbette: And Morey just got cable so you can watch those 4 girls talking dirty if you want to.

Lorelai: All day long, just chirps like a maniac at the top of her lungs. Now, nothing. Silence. Marcel Marceau chicken.

Lorelai: Luke, Stella got out and I don't know -- do I put seed on the floor? Do I make cheeping sounds? Or do I pull a Lucy Ricardo and walk like a chicken so she thinks I'm her mother?

Sookie: Wow, that's very Wild Kingdom of you.
Lorelai: I'm like the Marlin Perkins of Stars Hollow.

Lorelai: 'A Streetcar Named Desire.'
Sookie: Vivian Leigh or Jessica Tandy?

Lorelai: All of a sudden I'm trying to get any poor, unsuspecting person in bed with me. I'm like -- Michael Douglas.

Rory: Everything has to be logged. Eating habits, sleeping habits.
Lorelai: Houdini habits.

TriviaEdit

• The information about Donna Reed, which Rory shows to Dean are from imdb.com.
• In this episode, the town troubadour makes his first appearance.