Episode 6.08 - Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out
Air date: 1 Nov 2005
Editor Note: The balalaika (балала́йка) is a stringed instrument of Russian origin, with a characteristic triangular body and 3 strings (or sometimes 6, in pairs).
Info taken from Additional and Revised Sides in the Pre-Shooting Script released on 5 Oct 2005
The information summarized below is taken from the 5 Sides for Tillie, Megan, Bonnie, College Guy, and Soccer Dad.
I will include context and stage descriptions where appropriate.
- Characters:
Megan - 12-year old Girl Soccer player - On Team that Luke sponsors
Tillie - 12-year old Girl Soccer player - On Team that Luke sponsors
Bonnie - 12-year old Soccer Player with Megan and Tillie
College Guy - Colin/Finn's Age, Bigger, Tougher looking.
Soccer Dad - Man - Father to Soccer Girls
Editor Note: The initial Casting Sides for this episode were published in conjunction with a Casting Notice published on 30 Sept for two - 11/12 Girl Soccer players. To quote the CN: "initially very sweet but on the soccer field they turn into ass-kicking monsters."
Editor Note: Scene 3 is picked up in progress. The Scene appears to be inside Luke's and between Luke, Lorelai and the Girls and their Mom.
Interior - Luke's Diner - Time Unknown - Scene 3 -
Editor Note: The Scene is already in progress between Luke and Lorelai when two Girls, Megan and Tillie approach Luke.
Lorelai is talking to Luke - "I don't know if you know this, but if painters have nothing to do, they'll move on to another job..."
Luke astutely observes - "It's the Twilight Zone. I do not know what t do here."
Stage Direction: During the preceding, two twelve-year-old girls, Megan and Tillie, have cautiously approached Luke from a table where a mother, Maggie, sits. Luke doesn't notice them
Lorelai sees the Girls and says to Luke - "Hey - the Lullaby League's looking for you"
Luke looks at the Girls - "Oh. Yeah?"
Megan dares to be first - "Mr. Danes, I'm Megan, and this is Tillie."
Tillie with a timid smile - "Hi."
Megan braves on - "Um... We go to Stars Hollow Middle School. You went there."
Stage Direction: They look at him waiting for him to respond. Luke has no intention of responding. He stares at them blankly.
Lorelai prompts Luke - "I think they're looking for confirmation."
Luke tells the Girls - "Yeah, I went."
Maggie, the Mom - "He's busy, girls. Don't keep him long."
Megan plunges in - "We're on a soccer team and we lost our sponsor."
Lorelai trying to help - "Oh, who was your sponsor?"
Megan responds - "Luger's Bait and Tackle."
Lorelai - "Oh, right" and turns to Luke - "It's shutting down. Luger's wife caught him at that motel with the transves-- uh...." Lorelai remembers the Girls - "Transistor radio. Then he retired, honorably."
Luke asks the Girls - "So what are you here for?"
Megan - "We were wondering if you would sponsor us."
TIllie jumps in - "You would just have to buy our jerseys..."
Megan continues - "It'll say Luke's Diner on the back..."
Tillie's on a roll - "Plus our name - the Bobcats. ANd you would pitch in for trophies, if we win..."
Megan trying to close the deal - "But you don't even have to come to the games, if you don't want."
Tillie - "Yeah, you don't have to come."
Megan trying hard - "But you're welcome to."
Luke tells them - "Oh, well, no offense, girls, but I don't think so. It's not my thing." To Maggie the Mom - "It's just not my thing."
Maggie tells him - "No problem." To the Girls - "Thank him for his time girls."
Both Megan and Tillie sweetly together - "Thank you. - Thank you Mr. Danes."
Luke tells them - "Your Welcome."
Lorelai tells the Girls Bye.
Stage Direction: The Girls return to Maggie's table. Luke goes behind the counter. Lorelai looks unpleased by the encounter.
Lorelai snidely - "Oliver Twist just kindly asked for more gruel, and you kicked him in the junk."
Luke blankly - "Who?"
Lorelai tries - "You just broke those darling little girls hearts."
Luke dodging - "They'll get someone else."
Lorelai asks him - "How is this not your thing?"
Luke says - "I don't want to coach a soccer team."
Lorelai puzzled more than usual - "They don't need a coach. How closely were you listening?"
Luke continues to Lorelai - "Well, not that closely. Kids usually talk but don't say anything, you know? They just kind of yammer? So if you don't find'em cute, they're just boring."
Editor Note: The Scene may continue for an unknown period.
End of Part 1 of Casting Sides for Megan and Tillie.
Editor Note: Scene 9 is picked up in progress. The Scene appears to be inside the Rich Man's Shoe Blues bar. Rory - Logan and the Gang are in attendance.
Casting Direction accompanying the Sides for College Guy: The group (Ed: Logan et. al.) you are speaking to - are loud and drunk. You are trying to listen to the Folk Singer perform.
Interior - Rich Man's Shoe Blues Bar - Night (Night 2) - Scene 9 -
Editor Note: Scene 9 is already in progress.
Stage Direction: A College Guy their age, bigger, tougher looking, turns to them.
College Dude to Finn and Colin - "Hey, you mind?"
Colin asks the Group - "Boyfriend?"
Finn chimes in - "Brother?"
Colin continues - "Or both? He could be Southern?"
Logan is impatient - "Did we order another round?"
Rory tells him - "It's coming. Patience..."
Logan gets excited - "Hey, new drinking game! Every time the folk singer sounds sincere, we have to take a drink."
Juliet turns to Rory - "Buckle your seat belt. It's going to be a long night."
Stage Direction: Rory looks wary. Finn has folded a piece of paper into a triangular paper football and has lined it up, ready to flick with his finger.
Finn announces to the Guys - "Come on, start folding your won, gents. Whoever hits the folk singer first. wins."
End of Scene 9
Exterior - Rich Man's Shoe - Later - Night (Night 2) - Scene 10 -
Stage Direction: The streets are quiet as Rory and the group exit the pub patio. Someone locks the gate behind them. The guys are staggering. Juliet and Rosemary are fine. Colin and Finn head to Rory's car, which is parked across the street. Rory walks with Logan, who is so drunk he need help walking. Finn runs into the street.
Finn cries out to the World - "Good Morning, New Haven!!!"
Editor Note: Scene 10 continues for some length.
End of Casting Sides for College Guy.
Editor Note: Scene 14 is picked up in progress. The Scene appears at a soccer game with Luke and Lorelai in attendance among others.
Exterior - Soccer Field Somewhere - Time Unknown - Scene 14 -
Editor Note: Scene 14 is already in progress.
The Soccer Dad hollers out - "Good hustle, girls! Good Hustle!"
Lorelai is in a bit of a shock - "Is that girl unconscious?"
Luke tries to reassure her - "She's getting up. She's wobbling a little, though."
Lorelai still working it out - "Was it okay for Megan to slam her elbow into her neck like that?"
Luke tells her - "I don't think so..."
Stage Direction: There's another violent coming together on the field. Luke and Lorelai both flinch again. No one else around them seems disturbed by it.
Luke exclaims - "Oh my god!"
Lorelai points out - "That was cute little Tillie."
Luke is getting queasy - "There's blood. I see blood."
Lorelai questions - "Who's their coach - Sam Peckinpah?"
Maggie, the Mom a bit viciously - "Way to go Tillie! Dominate! Dominate!
Lorelai turns to Luke - "Shouldn't that have been a foul or something?"
Maggie, the Mom overhears and explains - "Oh don't worry. Tillie is expert at knowing when the ref is watching and when he isn't." She turns to the field and hollers out - "Aggression! Aggression! Aggression!"
Editor Note: Bloody Scene 14 continues for some time or until Megan and Tillie kill them all.
End of Casting Sides for Soccer Dad.
Editor Note; The Sides pick up again with ACT FOUR - as we FADE IN:
Interior - Lorelai's House - Entryway - Night (Night 3) - Scene 17 -
Stage Direction: Lorelai enters from outside. She looks down and spots a couple pairs of shoes in the entryway. They were clearly not there before. There are other shoes lined up too, and they seem to form a trail. She follows it through the kitchen archway, and into the kitchen. The trail of shoes ends at Rory's door, where Lorelai finds Paul Anka, lying down, and looking sick.
Lorelai in a concerned voice - "Baby..."
Stage Direction: She pets Paul Anka, feels his nose.
Lorelai worried - "Oh..."
Interior - Luke's Diner - Night (Night 3) - Scene 18 -
Stage Direction: A dozen little girls, including Megan and Tillie and a girl named Bonnie, are eating food Luke has prepared for them as their game-winning celebration. Luke is sitting with them, in mid-talk about something that's concerning him. He's clearly frustrated by their response. Megan and Tillie no longer seem sweet and innocent - they're tougher and defensive.
Luke tries - "Look, I'm not saying take a dive or let'em win..."
Megan is hardly listening to him - "Good burger."
Luke plunges on - "I'm not even saying let'em score a point, which the other team did not..."
Stage Direction: Megan and Tillie high-five with a couple of others.
Megan excitedly - "Yeah!"
Tillie - "Shut out!"
Megan on a roll - "They ate some dirt!..."
Luke trying to fit in as he disciplines - "They did, they did, they ate some dirt, but all I'm saying is, do you have to hit them so hard?"
Megan pointedly - "It's part of the game."
Luke keeps bailing - "But Megan, just an example - that banana kick you did --"
Megan gets defensive - "That's allowed."
Luke trying some more - "When you're kicking the ball, not a girls head."
Megan rants - "She was up in my grill..."
Luke explains - "I know, and I don't like it when people get up in my grill, but there are other ways to deal with this."
Tillie explains to Luke - "This is how the boys play. Watch'em you'll see."
Luke exasperated - "Well, boys are boys and girls are girls."
Stage Direction: The Girls don't like that line of reasoning.
Megan prissily - "I cannot believe I'm hearing this."
Tillie is a brat - "So we're just supposed to play like cute little girls, like we're at a tea party?"
Bonnie chime in - "We want to win."
Tillie keeps going - "Which means we've gotta kick some butt!"
Luke plaintively - "You were so shy when I met you."
Stage Direction: The phone is ringing. Luke has gotten nowhere. He answers the phone.
Luke tells them - "I'll be right back."
Stage Direction:Luke gets up to answer the phone. As he crosses to it, Megan squirts some ketchup onto a napkin and holds it up for the others to see.
Megan asks the Group - "What does this remind you of, Guys?"
Stage Direction: Bonnie, Tillie and the other react: "Whoo hoo!" "Yeah!" Luke see this, shakes his head as he answers the phone.
Into the phone - "Luke's"
Stage Direction: For the remainder of the call, we will INTERCUT WITH:
Interior - Lorelai's Living Room - Continuous (Night 3) - Scene 19 -
Stage Direction: Lorelai looks worried.
Lorelai says into he phone - "Hey, it's me."
Luke into his phone - "Hey. What's wrong?"
Editor Note: The Scene obviously continues for some length.
End of all Casting Sides for Episode 6.08 - Let Me Hear Your Balalaika Ringing Out.