Gilmore Girls: In Omnia Paratus

Logan Huntzberger was one of my favorite characters introduced to Gilmore Girls.  (Of course, if you think about the fact that Paris Geller was written because the actress, Lisa Weil was so fantastic, it blows the mind imagining this show without Paris.)  However, I digress…

But first, what does “in Omnia Paratus” mean?

Since I imagine many new and old fans alike are binge-watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix (Raises hand. Me too, on repeat…), I thought I’d dive into one of my favorite episodes where this phrase first starts building into canon for the show. I just finished watching one of my favorite GG episodes from Season 5— I Jump, You Jump, Jack.

Some interesting facts about this term. Though this episode aired in the original show, when the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life released, this term gained interest. So much so, the term made it on the most-searched results that Merriam-Webster recognized for the year 2016.

It’s safe to say Gilmore Girls has a mad impact on culture, old and new. Because I was such a fan of the show when it aired, I love seeing it find new audiences today.

To me, the original episode marks the true beginning of the Logan/Rory romance. 

While I know there are many claims as to which of Rory’s men was the best match for her (we’ll debate that another day very soon), my choice was always Logan.  He was her equal, he brought out the best in her, stood back and supported her while she wallowed in the worst in herself, and always allowed Rory to be exactly who she was and needed to be in that moment.  A product of not being allowed to be who he wanted to be for most of his life, I imagine.

This episode shows Rory digging into something called the “Life or Death Brigade”, a secret society at Yale which of course, Logan is a member. Their motto? In Omnia Paratus which means Ready for Anything.  Very fitting for Logan and how he viewed the world.

Rory has been invited by Logan to see what the secret society is all about and here, she decides to take the leap—literally— into Logan’s world.  It was a shift, a change for her, and I loved watching it unfold.

I love this line:

When they are at the top of the structure:

Rory: (looking at the group of guys and girls watching from the ground) Why do they all look so worried?

Logan: We are low on champagne.

You see the connection come back in the revival, A Year in the Life — and while it was just ridiculous enough to be over the top, for me, it was a great call-back to some of the key moments of Rory and Logan’s relationship.

This episode also shows Luke’s first true interactions with Richard and Emily Gilmore as Lorelai’s significant other.  They’d met Luke before, but of course, he was of little consequence at that time.  And there’s nothing quite like disagreeing with Lorelai’s choice of a boyfriend to bring two controlling parents together.  This episode marks yet another turning point, in my opinion— the reconciliation between Richard and Emily.

Here is a bit of dialogue from just as they are arriving at the Gilmore home for their dinner with Emily:

Lorelai: Open with that. That’s a great icebreaker. Now listen, I want you to be careful about your consumption of booze.

Luke: I’m not going to drink too much.

Lorelai: No, no, no. You’ve got it backwards, there, Pablo. Ride the pink elephant, baby,  because it’s your only defense against Emily Gilmore unless you’re packing a Kalashnikov.

Luke and Lorelai are also one of my favorite all-time TV couples… In fact, they might be 1.  But that’s for another post.

What’s your favorite or most memorable line from the Gilmore Girls?