I Am All In with Scott PattersonI Am All In…Again: All Hail Caesar! (Season 1 E20 “P.S. I Lo…")
Luke’s Diner sidekick Aris Alvarado, aka Caesar, joins us for this week’s recap of “P.S. I Lo…”
Scott admits a scene in this episode was the most awkward interaction he’s ever watched!
Plus, Aris comes up with a theory that has us questioning the entire series.
I am all in again.
Oh that's just you.
Hi am all in again with Scott Patterson and iHeartRadio podcast. Hey everybody, Scott Patterson, I Am all In Podcast One of Them Productions, Season one, episode twenty ps I Love You Air date May third, two thousand and one. Very special guest Aris Alvarado, who played the one and Only Caesar, the Great Caesar. All Hail Caesar, Great Caesar's ghost. He's here, Caesar, Aris welcome. How you doing, buddy?
You're good, Thank you, Thank you for inviting me. I'm doing great.
Yeah, how are you not too shabby now? Director Lev l Spiro. Written by Elaine Arada and Joan What did you think, Bud? What did you think of the episode? Max Medina is all over this thing? I know, I know, Mean is all over it. Emily is everywhere, Luke is even She's like getting his fashion thing happening. What has happened with this episode? You know? What?
Else is all over the place that I noticed?
Lee, Robert Lee was everywhere in the background.
You can get off the bus work.
It was Robert Lee's finest hour.
I love that guy.
He was It was like, man, they must have been paying him like double triple. Now.
I mean, he's pretty cool because it makes it seem like it is the town. You know, he's everything towns. People are going to see him all over the place.
But he made his bones in my diner, and he wasn't in one diner scene in this episode.
No, I think he was in the beginning he was yeah, oh no, wait, oh man, I think he was. I saw him. And then then we had another guy, the guy before the guy in the kitchen, which I was like, who's in my kitchen? Before the kitchen? But I think he was in the beginning too. Yeah.
Lee was everywhere and he was wearing the same clothes.
Did you notice that too?
Yeah, it's wearing the same jacket, the same pants.
Shopping.
I must have gone shopping for him too. Here's the question, is Laurel I having an affair behind my back with Robert Lee?
Oh? We asked.
We asked the questions here on this show. We want to know, all right, So let's get serious, all right?
Well, first off, the first scene, it was packed with so much Yeah, it was like it's predicting the future. Paying that game, the one two three game you being is like they're already talking about it. And then doing the one two three. Think about one two three with Rory. You know, there's Dean, Jazz and Dan Logan, so them end up with three Who knows because we still don't know if its Logan is the father. It's a it's an earthy prediction for the future. It was great.
Kirk showing up when he did was hilarious. That's really funny. And then he and then he leaves. Yeah, but really, I mean, what a great opening because when Dean walks by, I mean, you didn't see that common, right, you didn't see that common So then you hit that nice emotional beat. It's just like, get you right in it. That was that was really nice opening, really really nice opening. All right. Would you ever play a silly game like that ours to choose girls?
I think I probably have in the but I'm pretty sure from New York we did stupid We did stupid games bat.
All the time. But you know, poor Rory, she can't escape having Dean on her mind.
Oh no, I feel so bad for everywhere. First it was Dean, then with delaying with Dean, and then her mom finding out Max. Oh my god, Rory's going just one day after another.
Have you a big episode for her big episode. All right. So now we're at the independence end and Max calls Michelle answers the phone, and then you love the way he just threw the phone as Lauraa just threw it and hit hits the desk like a bomb, and she's like, what the But that's like normal between them. Didn't piss her off or anything. She's just like, oh, that's Michelle personal call boom. So you know, we get into this whole thing where they're all kind of warm and fuzzy with each other and love and he wants to, you know, Max wants to have a date, a real date, you know. So they make a date, and now we see Lane and Rory. They're walking through the streets. Lane gives Rory an update on Dean's whereabouts, and interestingly, Rory takes out a little piece of a little post it and writes that day down where he's not working at where he's working at the dosies. She's making a schedule of when she can go in there, when she can't go in there. He puts it down on a little post it. Now, all right, and then laurel I spots Luke walking out of that that's what they called.
What's that story?
Chat Chat club? Pat cat club. He's got He's got a kitty potholders that that meow as a present for Rachel's birthday. I mean, the guy's closed. Did you you know? This is the first time I felt Luke was a little crazy and like these characters like like it happened in this episode where Laurel Eyes seemed like Loralize seems like the funniest human being, the best stand up comic, with the best pop culture references just flying out of her mouth. She's like some kind of a genius, right, And Luke's some kind of a nut because he stands there and he starts ranting about gift gifting and receiving gifts and like.
What's this guy?
But it's like, it's like it's the unreality of these characters that are the are the are the fan favorite parts of these characters because nobody could possibly be like this. But the writing is so good that you it's like you kind of believe that somebody could be like this.
Well, we don't all have that part of existing, all of us, that part of that you know, what, I have to do this to get this I like them. I have to give a gift to prove how much I like them. I showed them how much I like them every day or something like that.
Right, it's like almost a normal conversation. But who verbializes this stuff? But but maybe maybe they do. They do verbalize it, but nobody in the television world writes about it. No, because it's something that fans, would you know, bristle against. Right, Yeah, these two writers do it, Joni and and Eleineorrata, and it's just so on brand. It is just so on brand. But that's a little bit of the unreality of these characters and.
Probably why people don't like the show all the talkie because maybe they're afraid that, you know, when they're saying stuff that they don't want to say. The people that don't like the show, they.
Don't you know what, I think we need to have a guest, Emma Jackie. We need to get somebody on here that doesn't like the show. That would be an interesting They just put that person up against me. Yes, yes, you know, I'm gonna throw it down the gauntlet. You don't like this show, come on here and you tell me why. Yeah, we're gonna have We're gonna have a cage fight. Let me tell you it would be great.
You get like a couple of husband, a couple, one that doesn't like the show and one that loves the show.
No, I want to go one on one, one on one. Yeah, I want to go one on one with somebody who doesn't like the show. And I want another reasons. So now we're in the antique and Kim's antiques and Lane doesn't tell Rory that she's got Dean as a study partner. And one of the great Missus Kim scenes was when Dean walks in and she says, oh you, It's like she's so good.
Oh she's great.
That was so funny. Then you love the fact that Dean at that time, I mean Jared was eighteen years old and he's like holding his own against Emily Corona and doing like a really great scene and being a great straight man and doing just enough, and it was like just God to have those kind of chops at eighteen, Man, he could have been a star. Oh he did. Sorry, he's gonna stop working. He doesn't stop working. Yeah, people are throwing work. The kid's really good. He's not a kid in anymore. He's like in his forties. Kid to me anyway, I'll always see him as my as my my first on set, like kid son sort of, you know, took him under my wing. He was too tall. I had to get up on them ladder for him to get under my wing. But they're studying and Rory walks in and they're talking about her before we even see her. And then the camera hits her and it's like, oh, man, she heard like five seconds to this maybe more like maybe she heard the whole thing, because she when she came in, she heard him. Oh that was tough. That was tough, you know when you when you have that, you know, every everybody's had that with a friend, right, everybody's had that conflict and you dumped the friend and they did something stupid and they didn't you don't trust him anymore.
You're still talking to your ex and you you.
Know, the thing is this get over ret Yeah.
That's not that's when you're young. You know, you don't know.
That's tough. Yeah, sixteen boy involved that you love, he dumped you or you dumped him. The narrative though, right, she got dumped. That's the narrative she's pushing. Oh, Rory, she's not well.
She walked away from him, right, right, Yeah, she walked away from here.
All right, and she's soaking up all the sympathy based on the assumption, yeah.
That he dumped her.
Uh huh. I don't play that game, Rory, don't do it.
But that's just like one of the many pleasures that she gets throughout the the episode.
You know, what do you so? What do you think you think Lane should have told him? Oh Man, told her, told told Rory.
She could have told him, but it just would have been another problem and she still would have been pissed off, like oh Man, even though it's not Lane's fault. I mean, that's cool to sign a partner not well.
Given that Lane grows is growing up with with her her mother, she's you know, steeped in deception, right, she does. She's path of least resistance in all areas, so that's how she kind of it. So it makes sense, right, It's completely makes sense for her character.
Just like she didn't tell her mom dad Dean was coming over for a study.
And she was trying to protect Rory. I believe that. I think she's good hearted, and I do believe I believe her. You know, Rory very fragile emotional state. You know, that broke her a little bit. So it's a shame. But we hope they get back together, you know, we hope that they can patch up their friendship, all right. So that leads to Rory dumping her coffee into the trash cannon you see Lorelai, and they have their walk and talk and they get in a big fight, big dust up over and I got I got to tell you one of the most awkward scenes that made no scene so far has made me more uncomfortable than than Max Medina having that conversation with Rory at the end of class. That was just so cringe and it really reconfirmed my original feelings about this from three four years ago when I first saw it on our first go around on this podcast. Is how disturbing I thought this relationship was and how it was going to affect Rory, you know, and their relationship in general, mother daughter relationship is just so cringe, right, Yeah, And that was a and it shocked me that Max Medina was even having that conversation with one of his students and thought it was okay. I mean, they're just both wow. Yeah. Yeah, And you know, what And I feel my feelings are justified by Rory's reaction to the whole thing, because that's my reaction to the whole thing.
Wasn't there, Like I haven't seen all the episodes before, but wasn't there another thing where Rory tells her mom that it's very uncomfortable anyway that if she started dating her her feature or something like that.
It's like mm hmm.
It's like, don't do this to me, mom, you know, don't lost the boundaries or whatever.
So that's that they you know, I'm going home, mom, you know. She goes home, but and Lola gets there, she's not there, and where is she? We don't know where she is. And then she pops up at Emily to the grandparents, to the grandparents. But before we get there, Laura I hits the diner. And what we didn't talk about was Luke gave lorele I his credit card so she'd go shopping for Yeah, right, I see. It was funny the beginning of that scene. She goes shopping, comes back, she's got a bunch of bags. What do we think about that scene?
I think that seems hilarious because she's like, I know the part where she takes out the suit and she's like, that was two hundred or seventy five, one hundred and seventy five percent off, Right, she's not listening to you. She's not listening to you. She just wantsn't tell you that this is good for you.
Well, it's it's the way I like to see those two together, you know, him sort of begrudgingly acquiescing and trying on the clothes and you know, I mean, and she's in her glory. Right. It's just these two, these two are fun to watch sometimes, you know, yep, not all the time, but most of the time.
It meant to be together. This is just part of the reason why it's great writing.
It's great stuff. It's really great stuff. Just misplaying the role. It's a great role, just such a great role, such great words, great situations. And then who walks in Rachel.
Another uncomfortable situation.
Uh oh LAURALI takes off and I'm left with Rachel. That's funny stuff.
Funny stuff now that you know that you were always going to end up with her, or that was just going to be a tease throughout the whole.
Oh no, well, I mean yeah, I kind of figured I mean you never know.
Right, Yeah, you never know because things writers can change their mind and yeah you can show up and you know, chemistry change everything.
Yeah. I mean I think the only two people on that show who had job security were you know, Laura and Yeah, I mean Lauren. You could have killed off every other character. I mean, I didn't know who knew at the time.
I didn't know.
I thought, yeah, it was going pretty good. But you know, she's got so many other fellas that she's seeing throughout the years, and it's just like, hmmm, maybe it won't be man, I hope.
It's an.
Everybody it's I tell you, it's good having a job. But I was keeping my options open, right, But yeah, I mean it became it became apparent in season four, you know, yeah, when we got together, and then I was like, oh I felt a little better, you know. Then I was like, Okay, I can relax a little bit.
Now do I see the other guy in the kitchen. But that's the part when I see the somebody else in my kitchen. In that scene where you try it where you well, she brings all the clothes to you and all the gives.
Me oh right, right, right, right, right, all right, so now we're at Now we're at the Gilmours, right, and I was so glad to see Emily and Richard, you know, interacting in the way they do. That scene really defined their relationship, the ease of it, the honesty of him not wanting to go, and how he's going to read his paper during her speech and he called the woman giving a speech a dipso maniac h And then the doorbell rings and it's Rory. And you know the thing that that troubled me about that is that Emily just opens the door. She doesn't look through the peep pole, she just opens the door. I mean, I guess they're in a gated community where that's okay, and it's.
So do they have a guard that?
Yeah, it's but it's like, who the heck just opens their door at night, right, So, I mean, the they didn't know it was kind of I guess it wasn't a guard gate or anything gated community because the cab driver just rolled right up to the front of the house. Oh that's right too, Yeah, it was it was guard gate. The guard well she I guess they would have called the house and said there's a you know, you got a delivery of a granddaughter.
They're just so used to living in a great neighborhood that they're not going to expect any people. I don't know.
Yeah, that seems a little strange to me.
New York. We don't just open the door.
We're like, no, no, who in the Northeast just op flints ther door? Open?
Who is it?
I don't know, open the door? No, it doesn't happen. It's not nineteen sixty. So anyway, Richard's relieved because he's glad to see his granddaughter. But now maybe he doesn't have to go to this thing. He offers everybody a drink.
She's sixteen years old.
You want to drink, You got a fight with your mom? You want to drink, which isn't really so taboo. And Emily obviously is very pleased that Rory is there and her room is all made up and waiting for her, and boy, we see the wheels turning in Emily's eyes, don't we We see those wheels turning. Man, she's really gonna she's gonna get a lot of man, she's gonna have a lot of fun with her daughter. Oh you to this one, And it's just a perfect setup, and then we cut back to Laurelize house and she's obsession to her daughter is I mean, she's real panic and Max is there to comfort her. And then after they find out, you know, then then the mother calls and says she's here, and all that they have a very tense phone call. You know, Max is there to comfort her, but isn't isn't that where that's where Max? Again? Weird guy, I think a little bit because it's like, are you telling everybody about our relationship with Laurli?
They just started dating?
What are you doing, dude? What are you bringing this up for? She's the woman's got adrenaline and quarters all pumping through her veins right now because her daughter, she thought her daughter might be kidnapped. And you're sitting there, like, you know, being a weenie about why didn't you tell everybody that we were dating? I mean, it was like, what is happening with this guy?
It was weird, right, weird because it's like at that moment and they already been talking on the phone. It's not like they have even gone on her first date, he said, right, So it's like, what, dude.
That's not what you would call playing it cool. No, he wasn't playing it cool right there. Well, look, I think Emily is trying to genuinely help Rory, and or do you think she's using the moment to prove the Laurel I that Rory chooses her side, like like, Emily's gonna blow this out of proportion, right, right, She's like a political operative who tries to make some little thing into a giant scandal to make the other side look bad, which we are experiencing, you know, for the last two decades now in politics. But you know, Emily, it's similar behavior where it's like, you know, never let a crisis go unused, never waste a crisis. You know, you can make a lot of hay with a crisis, even a small one. And this is a bit of a crisis. So Emily's gonna, you know, she's gonna get political about it.
Yeah. Yeah, she's gonna tell her how to raise her own kid. You know, that's perfect advantage for her to Right.
So here's here's a question. Do you do you think Laurel I is intentionally hiding her relationship with Max.
I think she hadn't really even Yeah, I think so consciously, yes, But also it's like.
Right, I don't, right, I don't think it's a conscious thing.
Yeah, it's so consciously, yes, But they're just starting, you know, it's just starting to row, right, haven't Well he got up to speed yet.
Right, because they broke up and now they're didn't they they get together a little bit now and now they've stopped it.
I was trying to remember that they already started dating and they broke up.
Yeah, yeah, and uh now they're started up again, so I can see her not But anyway, we get to the end of the episode and she starts going through a phone book calling people said she's so that was a little I don't know. So the next morning at the Gilmour House, Rory comes down for breakfast. She gets a nice plate of eggs. You know, she usually has a pop tart, but now she wants like the royal treatment. And man, I was just thinking, how nice it would be to have a full time chef. People live like that, right, It's like, how nice would that be?
Breakfast table?
What do you want?
It's like it's like, I.
Mean, it's like you turn your house into a twenty four hour room service. That's that's brilliant. That's brilliant. I'm gonna look into that, yeah, because I love cooking, but man, it'd be nice to walk downstairs and say, hey, you know how about a plate of actions and bacon and so. So Laura l I goes into into to Luke's and tells about Rory and he gets a little anxious and concerned and you know, all that kind of stuff. They discuss their equal hatred for Dean.
She doesn't mention Max in that conversation. She already mentions Dee, and Rory's also upset about Max, but she doesn't say that to.
Luke, right right, good, good catch. Yeah, no way she's gonna mention Max. So laurel I walks into Dosi's and the first thing she says to Dean is a line that was borrowed from Remember that movie The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman and Bancroft, Murray Hamilton. Yes, Katherine Ross the Graduate and Mary Hamilton comes into Dustin Hoffman's room at Berkeley, right because he's he's he's going after Catherine Ross, Marray Hamilton's daughter. But Anne Bancroft told all these terrible stories, right, you saw the movie, right, yea? And Murray Hamilton is waiting for Dustin Hoffman in his room, his attic room. And as soon as as soon as Dustin Hoffman walks in, what is Murray Hamilton say when he stands up and he goes over to him and he goes, I think you are scum. I think you are filth. You're a degenerate. Right, This is what he says to Dustin Hoffmann, Right, Okay, Yeah, And Laurel I walked up to Dean and says, I think you are scumb I laughed so hard because it's a good you know, you know, it's a good thing to borrow. Anyway, I just wanted to let I'm sure a lot of the fans know that are that are listening. No, that's from but that's what that's from. And if you haven't seen The Graduate, I saw it long time ago. No, no, I'm saying to the fans, I mean, you've got it. You gotta download The Graduate. You've got to see this film. It is one of the great films, Mike Nichols, one of the great films of all time. And it's the first time I'm like a normal looking dude. Well maybe not the first time, but in modern times, a normal looking dude got the lead of a film, the romantic lead of a film, because I think they were considering Robert Redford, and uh, you know, Mike Nichols was like, you know, let's go another way. Yeah, can you imagine rejecting Robert Redford? What that film made late sixties ninety seventy was anyway, great movie, just a great movie. So that that's when Dean reveals that he said, jeez, you know, all I did was love her, and she she took close, you know, she dumped me. So I just want you to leave me alone. Tunced up my butt. It's like Jesus Man, girls, poor guy, he wants to go back to Chicago. A great scene though, So now Laura I knows and she tells Rory she knows. And that's a very nice scene for me. That is like the scene of so far of the series between those two. That was a really touching, tender, beautiful scene and it and it shows why every fan wants Lauren Graham to be their mom, you know what I mean, because she listens, she listens, and she's like she's in tune with Rory. She feels her own daughter. I mean, it's just like it's full time. She never takes her eye off the ball. And even with this MAX stuff and you what are you doing with this Max stuff? It's like you forgive her because you know she's listening to her daughter. She and this is the big challenge with child rearing is is are you in tune with your kids? Right?
Yeah?
To them? Yeah? Do you? Or do you just lecture them and you know, go away? So really beautiful scene. Really, the whole the whole basis for this entire series is this relationship. And it's just so great. It's so strong between them, and it's so great to see them. Rory fall into her arms right away, you know, soon as soon as Laurli walks into the room, Rory just gets up and falls into her arms. I mean it's it's really just really a very true to life, really lovely scene. Love that scene, my favorite scene of the whole show. It really was. I mean it really. I gotta tell you, I got a little for clemped.
Well. She tells her, I don't want you to not to be able to say I love you?
Right, Wow, Yeah, I know right. It's powerful stuff, powerful stuff. You get a little teary eyed.
I see, oh, yeah, that was, you know, not to be able to say I love you for the right reasons. She tells her too, not just to say it, but not to be able to say that or feeling yeah.
But then you know, Emily's still giving Laurela a hard time. She gives her a lot of a lot of crap right in front of her own daughter. And Rory never says, Grandma, stopped talking to you my mom that way, and Laura I says, Mom, don't talk to me that way in front of her daughter. It's always just sort of like for the comedy of it, see again, it's the unreality of it that blends so seamlessly with the reality of the situation, which makes it really doable and funny and believable. Right, yeah, I don't know that a show has done that better, and this show doesn't. It really just it's seamless, the fact versus with the fiction blending that stuff. It's just so effortless, and it's just it just eases right into it. It makes it super believable. And then they're driving home and they're having that nice talk and she stops at lanes and we see them hug, and you know, it's just all good feelings, good stuff. You got to go through all that agida right through the through the episode. And this was a really strong episode because it had a lot of drama, and it had a lot of really high level drama, and it had a lot of laughs. It was a very good balance. I thought of the episode so far, the twenty episodes so far, I thought, this, this is right at the top of the list of one of the finest. And what a way to start a series. I mean, this is year one. Yeah, yeah, this is year one, and it's firing on all cylinders and it has been, you know, for I mean I don't know from was from episode one or three or something. I'm just firing on all cylinders.
And this feels like it could be a first episode two. It has so much information packed in it because I haven't watched the whole thing, and I just watched this one episode and I was like, wow, just watching this, I know what's going on.
You know, that's an interesting thought.
You know, even the relationship between you and and everybody, all the relationship between you and Loralai, even even you you're already a father figure to Rory there, right, and you don't have to say anything or act like Max Medina getting all in her business.
You're just there coetic, right, what if that was the pilot episode?
It felt like it when they started in a diner that first scene, it was like, well, I know these characters in that first scene, what's going on? They're paying this quirky game the dreams. She talked about this dream with a magician breaking up for twenty you give it her back quarters Like, that's.
So nutty, huh. I mean, I thought the pilot was pretty darn strong, but oh yeah, this as a pilot episode. Interesting? Well, fans, what do you think? Chime in? Let us know, let us know your thoughts. If you thought, if you think Aris is a genius, because that kind of I'm thinking Ris is kind of a genius right now. Do you think that episode twenty ps I love you could have been the pilot as well? Would you have been confused? Would you have been as engaged? Would you have fallen in love with these characters the way you did in the pilot? So let us know through our socials. She calls Max at the end of the episode, we gotta get to we get you know, they got to wrap it up. Laurle gets off the phone with Max, you know, high, high high a nice thing. They're in love. He's happy, she's happy. And then she gets out her phone books. She calls Richie. She's going to start telling people about her relationship with Max. All right, she's actually doing that. Well anyway, tied it up with a nice bow. Terrific episode, I mean, really really strong all the way through. Uh, there just wasn't there wasn't a chance to catch your breath at all. It was just great stuff, fully full engagement. All right, I got some rapid fire questions for you. Okay, are you ready?
Yeah?
Alright? Coffee or tea, tea, chilting or Yale childed Team, Dean jess or Logan Yes, Richard, Emily Richard favorite season.
Ooh, I would have to say one because I just watched this episode.
Yeah, it's pretty great in it. One word to describe to Gilmore Girls warm, favorite character Kirk, most iconic Gillmore Girls quote.
Ah, coffee, coffee, coffee.
Nice Luke's diner or Friday night dinner diner. Baby, you go bringing it home, buddy?
All right?
Listen, Uh your short film rewind Uh to Her is premiering soon. Can you tell us a little bit about your role in this film.
Oh yeah, I pay like a tech guy who I'm a tech dealer who could connect you to a computer and make you relive your past.
Okay, but you can't be in.
There too long or you can die. So to people and I just and I make him relieve their past and make lots of money.
Out of it. You are blowing my mind. That is fantastic. All right, So fans can catch you on Bootyology and Ghostbusters south.
Side Outside south Side.
Wow, what treat to those projects? Well?
Ghostbuster south Side, Sony approached some friends of mine and they were they were trying to sell some of their movie ideas and they were like, well, you guys are nobodies. Can you come up with something else? Well, they had a ghost ghostbusterspect and they said, go ahead and make a short film bring it back to us. So he made a short film about Ghostbusters based in south central LA. And Sony loved it. But dan Akur said no, thank you. But Sony loved it, and they gave us. They gave us like an old theater to get a special premiere of the Ghostbuster after like move after light movies.
So okay, what is available on YouTube.
You can watch it there. It's a fun little sixteen minutes short.
All right, everybody checking out, all right, Ghostbusters south Side and we are talking to Aris Alvarado played Caesar so brilliantly, Buddy. Great catching up with you. He always a blast. Hope to see you soon, soon, soon, and we will see you next time. Everybody. Next episode, Season one, episode twenty one, Love Daisies and Troubadours. Aris, Thank you so much for your time, buddy, and remember bet you are the best fans on the planet bar none. And where you lead, what are we gonna do, Aris, We're gonna follow him, follow You're gonna follow, all right, Love you guys, Stay sicked dot Hey everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.
