'Gilmore Girls'

After being stuck in the rabbit hole that was Lorelai marrying Christopher and Rory obsessing over Logan, crawling out is feeling pretty good.

Tuesday's episode of "Gilmore Girls" both officially kicked off the countdown to Luke and Lorelai's reunion and gave Rory something to worry about besides her love life.

The show began going through the motions of putting the pair back together, using the timing and teasing tactics that keep "Grey's Anatomy" audiences hooked. At least things aren't as McSchmaltzy when you make up in Stars Hollow.

Luke and Lorelai spent the majority of the episode trying, and mostly failing, to repair their friendship. Lorelai walked into Luke's diner for the first time in months to discover to her surprise that only small talk was on the menu. Awkward silence and weather conversation replaced their rapid-fire back and forth, and later, when she asked Luke to help her select a new car to replace her dead Jeep, radio static became preferable to the tension of the car ride.

Until, that is, Luke exploded with frustration at Lorelai's nonsensical criteria for choosing a car. "I just don't like the way it feels!" she whined. His outburst made her smile. They were bickering again. Cue her (and our) relief.

Did it feel a little overboard when an "exasperated" Luke tracked down a replacement for her Jeep, took it for a test drive, and negotiated down the price by day's end? Sure, but it's welcome excess. Like legions of "Gilmore" fans, he just wants to get the ball rolling again.

In the meantime, while her Yale friends planted their flags in post-collegiate territory, Rory resumed pondering her future. Her over-achieving roommate Paris got in the night's best line after finding out that Harvard Law had come calling after rejecting her from its undergraduate program four years ago: "Bite me, Harvard! Bite me!"

Rory, however, got only bad news: A succinct rejection letter of her own, passing on her application for a fellowship at The New York Times. (Did she really have a shot? Maybe not. Let's not forget that last season the writers sent Rory on a bizarre tailspin that had her dropping out of Yale and spending a good part of her down time running her grandmother's Daughters of the American Revolution society functions.)

Both mother and daughter are now in line for some heavy-duty growing up. Here's hoping that the preview for next week's episode, which revealed that Logan is about to propose to Rory, doesn't mean "Gilmore" falls back down the hole.

(Photo courtesy The CW)