Gilmore girls is famous for its quick dialogue, witty banter, and the endless pop culture references that make every rewatch just as entertaining as the first. That’s what inspired me to start this series — breaking down every reference, episode by episode, and seeing just how many I’d missed after all these years.

Episode 9, Rory’s Dance, is one of the earliest episodes where the emotional stakes really deepen — especially between Lorelai and Emily. Rory goes to her first Chilton dance and asks Dean to be her date, Paris shows up with her cousin, Tristin gets jealous, and Dean ends up calling him an accountant. Meanwhile, Lorelai hurts her back, and Emily stays over to take care of her, making bananas on toast. This is also the episode of one of my absolutely favorite Emily lines, “This is not a drive-thru, she’s not fried chicken”.

It’s also the episode where things shift (and crack) just as quickly. Emily goes from warm to cold in a second, Lorelai’s walls shoot back up, and for the first time, we see Lorelai truly angry at Rory. It’s funny, tense, awkward, and emotional all at once, and it shows just how complicated the Gilmore women’s relationship really is beneath the banter.

And, as always, the episode is filled with clever cultural nods and quick one-liners that are easy to miss unless you’re paying attention.

In this series, I go through each reference I could find, explaining what it means, where it comes from, and how it fits into the story. You’ll also find a list at the end of all the books, movies, music, and cultural mentions so you can keep track — or add a few to your own list.

Gilmore girls is available to stream in most countries on Netflix and Disney+, so whether you’re rewatching or discovering it for the first time, you can easily follow along with every reference.

Okay, let’s get into it! Here are all the references explained from Gilmore girls Season 1 Episode 9 “Rory’s Dance”

1. “And then we can go to Turkey and stay in that place from Midnight Express.”

Context:

Rory and Lorelai are at Friday Night Dinner without Richard, who’s away in Prague. Rory mentions that the former prison cell of Václav Havel (the former president of Czechia) has been turned into a hostel and says that maybe they could stay there on their future Europe trip. Lorelai jumps in with her own travel idea, saying they could also visit Turkey and stay in “that place from Midnight Express.”

Explanation:

Midnight Express is a 1978 movie based on the true story of Billy Hayes, an American student who was arrested in Turkey for drug smuggling and sent to a brutal Turkish prison. The movie became infamous for its intense and disturbing portrayal of prison life.

Fun fact:
This isn’t the first time Midnight Express comes up at Friday Night Dinner — Emily referenced the movie in episode 8 (Love and War and Snow) as well.

2. “and then you get auctioned off to a biker gang from Sausalito.”

Context:

We’re still at the same Friday Night Dinner scene. Rory has stepped away to get a Coke after telling Emily she doesn’t want to go to the Chilton dance. Emily immediately blames Lorelai, assuming Rory must have picked up a negative attitude toward dances from her. Lorelai pushes back and says the only thing she’s ever told Rory about school dances is that you go, you dance, you have some punch, you take a picture… “and then you get auctioned off to a biker gang from Sausalito.”

Explanation:

Sausalito is a town in the San Francisco Bay Area, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. The town is famously referenced as “the dock of the bay” in Otis Redding’s song, and it also appears in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.

The line also echoes the plot of the 1967 film The Born Losers, where a motorcycle gang terrorises teenage girls in a small California town. We later learn that this movie is actually one of Lorelai and Rory’s favorites. The film itself was inspired by a real incident involving the Hells Angels in Monterey, California — the same event that led Hunter S. Thompson to write Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (1966).

3. “OK, Blanche.”

Context:

Lane and Rory are standing in the town square talking about the upcoming Chilton dance and whether Rory is going to ask Dean to go with her. Lane casually refers to Dean as Rory’s boyfriend. Rory immediately denies it, saying Dean isn’t her boyfriend — instead, she calls him her “gentleman caller.” Lane rolls her eyes and sarcastically replies, “OK, Blanche.”

Explanation:

“Gentleman caller” is an old-fashioned expression most famously associated with Tennessee Williams’ plays, especially The Glass Menagerie, where Amanda Wingfield is constantly talking about her daughter receiving a “gentleman caller.” Blanche is a nod to Blanche DuBois, the fragile, Southern-belle character from Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, who also speaks in overly romantic, old-world language about men and courtship.

So Lane’s line is a playful jab at Rory’s dramatic wording, teasing her for sounding like a swoony, theatrical Southern heroine rather than a teenage girl talking about a boy she likes.

4. “Become a crazy Oscar Levant kind of celebrity, go on talk shows, heckle Regis.”

Context:

Emily calls Lorelai to complain about Rory not going to the Chilton dance, dramatically insisting that she will regret skipping it and that it will turn her into a bitter person. Emily asks whether Lorelai wants Rory to grow up bitter. Lorelai responds with her usual sarcastic self, saying that if Rory does end up bitter, at least she could make money from it — and “become a crazy Oscar Levant kind of celebrity who goes on talk shows and heckles Regis.”

Explanation:

Oscar Levant was a pianist, actor, writer, and radio/TV personality best known for his sharp wit and famously neurotic, self-deprecating humour. By the 1950s and 60s, he was a regular talk-show guest whose on-air reputation revolved around his cynicism, gloom, and emotional instability — which ironically made him a kind of cult celebrity.

“Regis” refers to Regis Philbin, longtime talk-show host (most famously Live with Regis and Kathie Lee). Lorelai’s line imagines Rory becoming so bitter and eccentric that she’d end up as a talk-show persona, popping up on TV just to snark, complain, and heckle the host.

5. “You're not using the curtains are you?”

Context:

Still on the same phone call, Lorelai tells Emily she’s making Rory’s dress for the Chilton dance herself. Emily immediately offers to buy a dress instead, but Lorelai reminds her that she should just be happy Rory agreed to go at all. Emily, clearly uneasy about the whole “homemade dress” idea, responds with: “You’re not using the curtains, are you?”

Explanation:

Emily’s line is a reference to The Sound of Music, where Maria famously makes play clothes for the von Trapp children out of the mansion’s old curtains. For Emily, that image represents something rustic, thrifty, and completely inappropriate for a formal event.

6. “Really? Does Susan Faludi know about this?”

Context:

Rory is standing in line to buy tickets for the Chilton dance when Tristin starts bothering her about it. He questions why she’s buying her own tickets and insists that if she had a date, “the guy should be buying them.” Rory, unimpressed by his old-fashioned attitude, fires back with: “Really? Does Susan Faludi know about this?”

Explanation:

Susan Faludi is an American feminist writer and journalist best known for her 1991 book Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, which critiques sexism, gender expectations, and the cultural pushback against women’s independence. She often writes about how society reinforces traditional gender roles, especially in subtle, everyday ways.

Rory’s line is pure sarcasm. By invoking Faludi, she’s mocking Tristin’s outdated belief that men should pay and women should passively wait to be asked — as if his worldview is so backwards that a leading feminist thinker would need to be alerted about it.

7. “Well I hear Squeaky Fromme is up for parole soon. You should keep a good thought.”

Context:

Still in the same scene at Chilton, Tristin admits to Rory that he doesn’t have a date for the dance yet. Instead of showing sympathy, Rory leans into dry sarcasm and tells him that Squeaky Fromme might be up for parole soon — so if he’s lucky, maybe she’ll be available to go with him.

Explanation:

Squeaky Fromme (Lynette Fromme) was a member of the Manson Family who later became infamous for attempting to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975. She spent decades in prison and became a symbol of extreme, dangerous fanaticism.

By referencing Fromme as a potential date for Tristin, Rory is basically saying: only someone completely unhinged would willingly go to the dance with him.

8. “Well I was all out of saran wrap.”

Context:

Emily arrives to see Rory before the dance. Lorelai is in Rory’s room with back pain, so instead of answering the door formally, she just calls out, “We’re in here!” from the other room. Emily is scandalised and says, “That’s how you answer the door?” Lorelai responds with: “Well, I was all out of Saran Wrap.”

Explanation:

This is a reference to the film Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), where Kathy Bates’ character tries to rekindle intimacy in her marriage by greeting her husband at the door wearing nothing but a dress made out of Saran Wrap. Lorelai’s line exaggerates Emily’s sense of propriety — as if Emily expected an even more shocking way of answering the door than shouting across the house.

9. “Hey, Dean, meet my mother, Emily Post.”

Context:

Dean arrives to pick Rory up for the dance. The plan was that he would honk and Rory would run outside, but Emily is horrified by the idea. She delivers her iconic line — “You don’t go outside when a boy honks. This is not a drive-through. She’s not fried chicken.” Instead, she insists that Dean should come to the door and greet them properly. After a delay, Dean finally does come inside, and Lorelai dryly says: “Hey, Dean — meet my mother, Emily Post.”

Explanation:

Emily Post was a famous American author and social etiquette authority whose books and columns defined “proper behavior” for much of the 20th century. Her name has basically become shorthand for strict manners, social rules, and formal etiquette.

Lorelai’s line introduces Emily as if she were Emily Post, poking fun at how rigid and old-fashioned Emily is about something as small as how Dean arrives for a date.

10. “Just call me Ponyboy.”

Context:

On the drive to the dance, Rory is clearly nervous and starts rambling, trying to prepare Dean for what Chilton is like and how different the students are from what he’s used to. She explains that the kids at her school are awful and asks if he’s seen The Outsiders. When Dean says yes, Rory replies: “Just call me Ponyboy.”

Explanation:

The Outsiders is a 1983 film (based on the 1967 novel by S. E. Hinton) about two rival teenage groups divided by class — the wealthy “Socs” and the working-class “Greasers.” Ponyboy Curtis, the main character, often feels like an outsider who doesn’t fully belong anywhere.

By comparing herself to Ponyboy, Rory is joking that she’s the outsider at Chilton.

Honorable Mentions In This Episode:

Historical Figures:

Václav Havel (author + former president of the Czech Republic)

Actors:

Barbara Stanwyck
Fred MacMurray

Movies/Series/TV-shows:

Sixteen Candles
V.I.P.
Regis
The Outsiders (movie based on the novel)

Books:

The Portable Dorothy Parker
The Outsiders
The Group

Music Artists:

98°
Tom Waits
Oscar Levant

Fashion Brands:

Ann Taylor
Baccarrat

I hope this was helpful in understanding some of the references from Gilmore girls and that we are one step closer to decoding our ultimate comfort show.

Gilmore girls: Season 1 Episode 9 References Explained

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Okay, let’s get into it! Here are all the references explained from Gilmore girls Season 1 Episode 9 “Rory’s Dance”

1. “And then we can go to Turkey and stay in that place from Midnight Express.”

2. “and then you get auctioned off to a biker gang from Sausalito.”

3. “OK, Blanche.”

4. “Become a crazy Oscar Levant kind of celebrity, go on talk shows, heckle Regis.”

5. “You're not using the curtains are you?”

6. “Really? Does Susan Faludi know about this?”

7. “Well I hear Squeaky Fromme is up for parole soon. You should keep a good thought.”

8. “Well I was all out of saran wrap.”

9. “Hey, Dean, meet my mother, Emily Post.”

10. “Just call me Ponyboy.”