I Am All In…Again: A Lash Out She Deserved (Season 5 E2 “A Messenger, Nothing More”)

I am all in. Again! More, more, more.

I want to kiss you more. More, more, more. I want to kiss you more.

I am all in. Again, with Scott Patterson and iHeartRadio Podcast. Hey everybody, Scott Patterson, iHeartRadio Podcast. One of the productions, iHeartRadio Media, iHeart Podcast. We are... Going to break down Season 5, Episode 2 with Jim Hanna. He is an actor. He's been in many shows throughout his career. NCIS, General Hospital, Bold and Beautiful, Young Sheldon Hacks, to name a few most recently, and Landman, The Pit. He was on one episode of Gilmore Girls as Mike Krumholz, a father who visits a dragon plane whose kid gets stuck with Michelle, Fate Worse Than Death. Welcome, Jim. You haven't watched your episode in a while. How is it seeing it back?

Well, first off, hi, Scott. Thanks for having me. Well, I did catch up a little bit, and I did watch A Messenger, Nothing More, I believe the episode was called. And I got to be honest, pure vanity struck the first time I watched it, because I filmed that when I was at my heaviest. So I've lost some weight since then. And so I looked at it and I was like, oh boy. And so just pure vanity. I was watching going, Jim, you look terrible. You look absolutely terrible.

But beyond that, I was struck by, I had to apologize. And I talked to one of your producers that this was 22 years ago. It was one of many little one-off jobs I've done over my career. And so I didn't remember a ton about the day of filming itself. I do remember that the set was incredibly busy. And professionally busy, I mean, it wasn't just scatterbrained, it was like a really well-run operation. And as a guy who just kind of pops into episodes here and there on TV series, I always want to make sure that I'm not interrupting the well-oiled machine at all with my one scene and six or seven, whatever I've got. My job is to put my head down, not be a problem.

do my work as well as I can and go home. So I do remember it being kind of a brisk day, like in terms of just the pacing of it. I got there and it was a very short day, as I recall, for me personally. I was just shooting the one scene with my family. And I think I was there three hours tops. Like I said, very well run operation.

That is not routine on a lot of sets. But once the activity got going there in the Dragonfly Inn, where my scene took place, Obviously, it was crew everywhere and background everywhere and the principal actors there. And it was kind of controlled mayhem, but very controlled. It was really well done. So I was like, all right, don't get in the way. Don't block anybody.

Sounds good. Let's jump into the episode of Messenger. Nothing more. September 28, 2004. Luke comes back from the Renaissance Fair with a gift for Lorelei. Roy writes a letter to Dean, but it comes up. Comes with big repercussions. Lane is starting to realize something different about her fellow band member, Daniel Palladino, directed. Daniel Palladino wrote it. Luke is away, and then he comes back. Luke is still with T.J.

and Liz, but his patience is wearing thin with T.J. Liz thinks it's time for him to return to Starz. Jim, what's your impression of this dynamic between Luke and his sister, T.J.

Well, here's the thing. So I do have to do this caveat at the top where I did not watch the series when it aired. I somehow got, I don't know, whatever I was doing in 2004 or maybe three when we filmed it. I don't remember getting into the Gilmore Girls. And so I hadn't really watched it, which I'm now regretting because I did watch several episodes in preparation for this.

And I'm already hooked a little bit like, oh, what is going to happen between Lindsay and Dean and things like that.

So Luke is packed and ready to go. And he makes a call on a cell phone to Lorelei. Liz notices his grin. After the call, he wants to give a necklace to Lorelei. She screams, huzzah, and is excited for him. Rory and Lorelei come in after getting yelled at by Lindsay's mom. Luke is happy to see her. He runs off to do an errand. Then Lorelei meets him outside he gives an excellent necklace to her and she's already wearing the earrings they almost kiss but the cider mill parade starts all right so jim we're starting to see the beginning of luke and laurel's relationship where right where it's sort of giddy and exciting and just watching this episode what are your thoughts on their chemistry.

Well, can I say as a guy, like, I do remember that being in the ether back then. Like, I have so many friends who are fans of this show. And I am actually thinking back to my childhood when Luke and Laura on General Hospital was the big relationship and everyone knew about it, even though as a kid, I never watched General Hospital. And I started hearing a lot about Luke and Lorelei, Luke and Lorelei, Luke and Lorelei.

That was the one of the main relationship arcs in the show. So I was aware of that even before I went back to rewatch this episode and a couple of others. And I did watch the finale of season four yesterday to see the kiss. I knew that was a big deal. And that's what sort of was the cliffhanger into season five. So I will be honest. I don't, I'm curious now how it goes. I feel like I know that at the end, because I've done enough, you know, background reading on this, that you guys do end up together, but it sounds like there's a lot of back and forth in between then. So I'm actually going to, get caught up on this series and follow it all the way through. But it's obviously one of the main relationships

of the entire series and a very charming and funny and entertaining one at that. And you're rooting for him and then you're terrified.

Well, these feelings of best friends turning into a relationship, does that sound scary or hopeful?

To me, in my personal life, it sounds fine because that seems to be what I've mostly done in my life.

Uh-huh.

I guess at that point it all seems very hopeful and optimistic in season, in this particular episode. Well, we're certainly rooting for them, certainly want them to get together. And I'm delighted that by the, that in our episode, that relationship continues to be explored. Yeah. I mean, it's a, it's one of the iconic couples in TV history. And so even, even I'm aware of that from just even the, the, you know, my episode and, and, just knowing about it from my friends. I will say this as a side note, I've done dozens and dozens of these kind of one-offs in my career. That's how it made my living. And sometimes I don't get a sense of how well something is being received until I start hearing about it from friends,

especially now in the streaming age, people are catching up on old shows they used to watch and people are, you know, binging Gilmore girls again. I get, notifications, texts, and emails from my friends constantly about, Oh my God, you were on Gilmore girls. I just saw your episode of Gilmore girls and Gilmore girls. So it is one of the most noted upon jobs in my career that I was briefly on Gilmore girls.

There you go. All right, let's dig into a little lane and Zach. Lane is in charge at Luke's, and things seem like they're going well, even though Caesar's trying to come up with his own type of salad. The band discusses what will be on their set list and thinking of cutting the covers. Zach shows up with a couple of girls. Lane seems annoyed. He later comes back with the same two girls. And they fight. Again, one of the girls comes back inside and apologizes that she didn't know. Lane doesn't know what, then realizes. Lane talks to Rory about Zach and Luke Steiner confiding in her about her feelings. All right, Jim. Zach is with two gals in this episode and is playing off as a ladies' man.

Does he play it well, or is he coming off too strong? Oh, no.

I mean, it seems like it's sort of an archetype of the charming but slightly jerky love interest. He's definitely not so unlikable that you don't want them to get together, but he's definitely playing some games, it seems like, in the diner. Can I ask a side question? I meant to Google this yesterday. In the band, of the three members of the band, there was a famous rock star in that band. Is that... was that Sebastian Bach or am I just totally confused? That is, I was watching that going like, wait a minute. Is that now I'm curious because I did not catch up on the remaining seasons after five episode two, how does that relationship turn out?

And I guess that's part of the, why this show has captured so many hearts over the years is there's just always these relationships that you're rooting for to happen and the frustrations when they don't. And, um, That's a good formula for a TV show to remain popular 20-some years later.

All right, let's get into Rory and Lorelai. Lorelai goes to Luke's. Diner sees all the postcards she sent. She is sending Lane at Luke's, and we see she has not talked to Rory much. Rory and Emily are in Rome.

Right.

And Emily's very particular about the room, and they head to the cafe, and the waiters are hitting on Emily. Back at Stars Hollow, Lorelai's being... particular and michelle gets stuck with the krumholtz family uh your character jim and the kids love him then lorelei is being told by suki to head home and relax because she's been acting nutty uh rory calls and apologizes asked her to give a letter to dean that she wrote so lorelei agrees she gives it to him at dozy's market the day rory comes home lorelei And Suki sees Dean and Lindsay fighting through their apartment window. She's screaming and throwing his things out her window. It's a big fight. As Rory and Lorelai are on their way to Luke's diner, they

run into Teresa and Lindsay. She lets them have it, screaming that she should be ashamed of herself, and Dean is back living with his parents. I don't know why that's funny. Rory then heads to Dean's house after Luke's, and they chat. He blames himself. for everything that happened, calls himself an idiot. All right, Jim, we see your scene here with Lauren Graham at the Dragonfly. What do you remember about your day on set?

Again, like I mentioned, it was a very controlled mayhem set, a lot of activity, especially the opening weekend of the Dragonfly. I do know, like, so I played a lot of dads in my career, especially I did a lot of commercials, especially in the early 2000s up I'm always the bumbling dad, the goofy dad. And so I always try to have a memory of the kids that I worked with. And I've worked with dozens and dozens. I've had dozens of fake children on TV shows. I do remember those two kids being very kind and very professional. And I had forgotten on my rewatch that the kids get a subplot.

I thought it was like, oh, it's just a little brief family moment. And then, oh, no, the kids... keep going with Michelle and all that stuff was very, very funny. But yeah, I guess I'm just still struck by the, the, the, the professionalism of the set, the, the positivity on the set. It was one of the friendlier sets I had been on.

And again, I was just kind of like, you know, I think for guys who come in for like in my job and just do a scene or two, again, our job is not to steal focus from the rest of what's going on. It's to advance a particular plot point. So I'm not, I guess it was just, again, very sort of professional. Just, we, I did the scene, few times.

I don't think we did too many takes. And then it was on to the next setup that I was not a part of. And so that, that was my day. And it was a very exceptional day in terms of how, how happy the day was and how professional the day was. Um, but I was just in kind of in and out on that one. So, um, which is what a lot of my jobs over the years have been.

All right. The way Lindsay's mom went off on Rory fair or unfair should, should this anger have been taken out on Dean instead of Rory? What do you think?

Well, I guess we could assume that Maybe Dean got chewed out separately, maybe by the mother, uh, mother-in-law. Uh, no, it felt a little righteous to me when I watched it. Um, I do completely understandable how Rory got caught up with this, but also there are consequences. And it seems that, you know, she got a little of, um, comeuppance maybe, but she probably deserved a good scolding from the mother-in-law. No, that seemed appropriate and satisfying to me.

Well, as you probably noticed since you were there, Rory and Lindsay didn't speak one word to each other during that tongue lashing. Do you think they should have?

Well, again, I don't know where it turns out or maybe they have it later. I'm not sure. I apologize to the hardcore fans that I'm not caught up on the rest of the series. But first off, again, not knowing much about Lindsay, the character, she seems like a lovely person. And so I did feel bad for her and her righteous anger did seem justified to me. But yeah, hopefully they'll have a chat at some point and come to some sort of understanding.

Well, Rory wrote in the letter to Dean that she is taking herself out of the equation and he should work on his marriage. Is it a It's too little too late for that.

Oh, I, it probably is. Cause that was a heck of a fight they were having, but it certainly was a decent thing. I thought of Rory to do. I mean, that was a, uh, like an adult moment for her that she messed up and then she decided, well, the best path forward is honesty and decency and, and.

Um, stepping back.

And so, uh, it was certainly due to Rory's credit that she was willing to do that. So that was admirable.

All right, tell us a little bit about your friends being excited, especially excited about you appearing on this show. Have you been recognized by Gilmore fans as you go shopping or you go to the gas station?

Specifically by a stranger? I don't think so. The type of career I have where, again, doing commercials as an actor, the public never learns your name. And popping in briefly on a TV show, they might learn your name. So a lot of people don't know me by name as an actor, even though I've been at this for 25 years.

But I definitely get a lot of interacting with folks that I don't know going, why do I know you? Why are you familiar to me? Did we go to high school together? I get that a lot. And I'm like, no, I probably didn't go to high school. And then I feel a little awkward kind of going, well, I'm an actor. So you probably saw me on something because I could be wrong. Maybe they just... Saw me walking down the street the other day. No, I get a lot of vague recognition all the time. So I don't know that I've specifically been noticed for Gilmore Girls itself, except by the friends I have who can't stop texting me when they are rewatching Gilmore Girls and tell me they just saw the scene. Including an agent I didn't have at

the time, a current agent, like, you were on Gilmore Girls? And I'm like, yeah, I was on Gilmore Girls.

What are you doing now? Anything in the offing, in the can that's going to come out?

Yeah, well, it's funny. The business, not to bore two people too much, is in a rough state for actors right now and for everyone in Los Angeles specifically because the work production has slowed so much. So it's a slow time for me and a lot of my peer actors, friends of mine who are in the same boat. I've been fortunate enough to be able to keep working. A couple of things just came out. Criminal Minds, which is now on Paramount +, I think, an episode there. And I guess I don't know when it's coming out very soon, but I haven't seen the premiere date. There's a golf comedy on Apple called Swing with Owen Wilson. And season one is already aired and now season two is in preparation.

So and I shot an early episode of season two. So whenever that starts airing, I'll be on Swing on Apple. And beyond that, you know, just knocking out auditions whenever I can and wait for the next next gig.

So Will Ferrell's Hawk, I guess Hawk, his character, that's a different show.

Yeah, that's Netflix, I think. I don't think Swing got a lot of publicity at the time. It's first season, and I watched the first season, and it was really good, but I don't remember getting a lot of buzz. I don't know how second two is going to fare, but it was another one of those. I was playing a Stuck up golfer and I was there for a day out of the golf course in Encino and shot a couple of scenes and then went about my day.

That's fun. Is that one of the funner jobs that you've had?

It's interesting. You know, I mentioned how sometimes I just think my job is to come in and do my job and not cause trouble and go home. And other jobs, I want. If I get to work more than a couple of days on a show, that is actually helpful. When you come back the second day and people remember you and you say hi to the crew and the other actors, um, there are definitely sets that are a lot more, uh, lively, a lot more fun. And certainly Gilmore girls is one of them because the vibe in that, that dragonfly for my scene was very, it seemed that day. Uh, but yeah, there are certain, there are jobs where occasionally they will, I do, I do a pretty even split between comedy and drama. And sometimes I'll be on a sitcom set and, uh,

They'll shoot the scene. Again, I'm just there to do my job. And then they'll go, all right, now let's do a fun run. And a fun run, outside the industry I'm familiar with, basically the principal actors, in this case, it was like one was Parks and Recreation, which I was on about 12 years ago, I think. And they got all the setup shot. They got everything locked. And then they said, OK, now let's just do the fun run.

And I was a little overwhelmed. It was in a scene around a conference table with Amy Poehler and all the series regulars. And I said, Amy, Amy, is a fun run what I think it is? And she said, yeah, yeah, we're just playing around for a take. Super intimidated for me. Also trying not to insert myself too much in all their ad living. But I got off a couple of good lines and one of them made the final edit.

So that was nice. But yeah, that was one where, again, very brisk and professional and a well-run set. And then they do one goofy thing where everyone has a blast for five or ten minutes. So there are stuff like that where it's a little more lively or I've got a better, you know, I've got a good story to take out of it. So, yeah.

So that's where all those came from. those viral clips are coming from, from Parks and Recreation. It's those fun run clips.

I would think so because they went on.

Have you seen the one that's really viral?

Oh, I probably have because I'm a huge Parks and Recreation fan.

Where, you know, Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones are sitting at a table and they say they want to talk about, you know, celebrities or whomever that have made big comebacks in their career. Oh, gosh. OK.

And so these are all there's an edit of the sort of outtakes, basically the.

Well, yeah. And then and then they go around and they bet they bat some names around. Then Chris Pratt has his famous. You know, I won't mention it because it's a little X rated, but OK, it it it broke up. the entire set to the point where they were just like screaming with laughter. Yeah.

Again, one ad lib I made did get into the final edit. That one, it feels like it went on for five or 10 minutes and not much from that. It seemed like, again, this is almost a way for the, the series regulars to blow off a little steam as opposed to, but occasionally they might get a gem, you know, somebody ad lib something and it's perfect. So they include it.

But I think I had that on, I was on hacks a couple of years ago too. And that was another job like that, where, I was just playing, of all things, I was at a conference with Debra and Ava, the two leads, where they were trying to get the local TV affiliates on board with her being the new late night host. So she had to schmooze with all of us. So I just shot a couple scenes where I'm schmoozing. And then there's a scene where I'm vaguely kind of creepy flirting with Hannah Ambinder, who played Ava.

And they didn't call cut. after we got it locked. And so I sat there for about a pull pause for a few seconds. And then I just said something and they laughed and they're like, okay, keep going. Just keep going. And I think they let me ad lib for 30 minutes being a creep with her. They must've been ahead of schedule that day because they let me just go and go and go. And everyone was very kind and positive. And afterwards, when I was talking to the producers behind the, checking out, I said, well, I don't know if you'd be able to use any of that.

It was like, oh no, we'll find a way. It was great. And then of course they didn't use any of it, but still an incredibly fun day.

It's really- But they did that with every scene?

No, they did not.

On Parks and Rec, with every scene you were in.

Did you- Well, I only really did one scene.

I guess I did two scenes.

And the second scene was just me and Amy Poehler and we didn't do a fun run after that.

You didn't do a fun run, okay. No. Okay.

It's a lot. It definitely is a nice change of pace from just set up, shoot the scene as scripted.

Move on. It's a nice way to break up the monotony. We never had time for that on Gilmore Girls. We were so pressed for time all of the time. We just had to get to it.

Can I ask something real quick?

Sure.

So obviously I knew how another thing I was aware of while not really being too deeply engaged with it when it was airing was that It's extremely tightly written and the characters are very hyper articulate and there's a lot of banter and it's very brisk. And I remember somebody saying like in an interview, because I did some back reading on this, that it was pretty expected to be word perfect all the time.

Oh, all the time.

Which can be difficult with that much verbiage, especially. Though then I did listen to the podcast you did recently with Julie Dolan, I think the version you did with her. And she mentioned something about ad-libbing at one point. You seem surprised. Is that because ad-libbing didn't happen a lot?

Didn't happen ever.

Oh, I wonder what she.

But maybe she was encouraged in that particular scene or that particular setup to do a little bit, I guess. But no, I never heard of anybody ad-libbing anything on Gilmore. Yeah. No way. No way, no how. No way.

I certainly wasn't about to as Mike Crumble.

Right, right, right, right. Yeah, you know, we had a scene in the diner and there was a nice young kid, 20 years old, whatever, actor. He had one line and he came in the diner and he just had one couple of words, actually. And during rehearsal, he took it upon himself, as all young men do, is they want to get ahead. You know, he recited some monologue that he made up.

While they were rolling?

No, during rehearsal. So I had to.

How'd that go over?

Not well, you know. And I, you know, I had to take them to the side and say, listen, you know, just you can't do that here.

Admire the effort, kid, but not the place for it.

It's just we don't know. You know, they they're concerned about the time.

Well, yeah, that's what I'm assuming just for editing purposes. It's so tightly scripted. Yeah. That you can't veer too much. It would seem to me.

Yeah. And I was tempted many times, but I, you know, of course you don't do that. You don't want to do that.

What about the, what about the thing that happens a lot on set? So the scene is scripted is done. There's a small pause before cut and somebody just throws in a joke. They know, isn't going to make the edit just to make their cast mates laugh. I assume that has happened to people like a little after near the end of the take that, you know, is not going to be used just for fun. Like a zinger here or there.

Maybe. Oh God.

Maybe not.

Huh? I just, we were so to the letter that, that it just, I don't, I mean, maybe it happened a few times. I, you know, we, we would get loopy after about 12 hours, we'd start getting a little punch drunk. I would think. And, you know, just the smallest, like if we were in any kind of a situation that was absurd or we knew that, the other actor actress was really tired and couldn't really, couldn't really dredge up her performance. We would find it funny. And then once you start laughing, you can't stop laughing. Cause you feel, you know, this real compassion for the other actor. Yeah.

Yeah. And you're, and you're, you're punchy. It's late.

It's late. You're punchy. You can't do it anymore. Your body is shutting down. Yeah. But those, those are the, those are really good memories. Those are really good memories when you're, when your body's breaking down and your mind shuts down.

But you're having fun with your team.

So you are, you really are. You really, anyway, listen, very pleasant talking to you. And thank you for your insights. Appreciate the time and keep on going with your, your very successful career.

Hey, I, I, I can't complain. I mean, I've been working pretty regularly for quite a while now, and maybe I never broke through to where people recognize me by name. But in this town, just having a career at all is a nice feather in the cap.

So, yeah. And you know what? I mean, you know, that's the beauty of the business. It could happen tomorrow for you. You never know.

It's a lottery ticket every day.

You're right. You get a phone call and it changes everything. Anyway. Thanks, everybody. Best fans on the planet. Keep those cards and letters coming. We read each and every one of them. Remember to go out and get my new cookbook, Scott Patterson's Dishes from the Diner, out now. Barnes & Noble, Amazon, wherever you buy books, online or off. Check it out. There's a lot of nice diner recipes in there that I think you're going to love and enjoy making with your friends and family. And remember, where you lead, we will follow.

Stay safe. Hey, everybody, don't forget, follow us on Instagram at I Am All In Podcast and email us at gilmore at iheartradio.com.

I Am All In…Again: A Lash Out She Deserved (Season 5 E2 “A Messenger, Nothing More”)

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