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Gilmore Girls 2.21 "Lorelai’s Graduation Day"
Original Air Date: May 14, 2002 (Recap date: January 9, 2008)
Photos, Recap & Discussion
Image: TheWB.com
Discussion Questions:
- Prior to Luke going fishing, Lorelai was going to return to the diner to settle their fight. Why hasn’t she?
- Would Richard & Emily have gone to the graduation if Lorelai asked?
- Why does Jess call? And why is it so brief?
- Why does Rory go see Jess?
- Why does he take so long to ask her why she came?
- Why won’t Rory admit feelings for Jess?
- Does Lorelai begin to hate Jess less, knowing what he means to Rory?
- Is Lorelai more troubled that Rory likes Jess, or that Rory won’t admit it?
Gilmore Girls Episode Recap & Photos:
Rory and Lorelai go for a mystery breakfast. Lane asks to practice drums on their pots & pans. Sookie made them breakfast. Jackson is groaningly trying to wake up. Lorelai has fun getting him to ‘respond’/groan to her questions.
Lorelai is cramming for her finals. Tired, grumpy. But thankfully the last ones before she graduates. Rory realizes there must be a graduation ceremony – which indeed there is. Rory encourages her to go. And to invite Emily & Richard – Lorelai thinks they won’t want to be there. May consider it a humiliation – so much below what she ‘could have been.’
Dean tries to explain skeet shooting to Rory & Lorelai – a hobby he’s now taken up. Lorelai runs into Luke at Doose’s. She begins an apology, but he evades.
Rory pays a visit to her grandparents. Rory has prepared a formal tea and Richard ran home from work. Rory begins formally, asking them to keep an open mind. Tells them about graduation and that it would mean a lot to Lorelai. But not to go if it upsets them in any way.
Lorelai is done her finals and is glad the pressure from the weight of ‘Clem and Clem’ is off her chest. They make fun of the life plan book from the college.
Jess calls. Rory is flustered, then goes to speak privately in her room. He calls, barely says anything, then the call is over. Confusing. Rory flops back on bed.
Lorelai is all excited about graduation. Cute.
Paris is ranting but Rory is not listening. You can tell she’s trying to figure something out. She decides to skip school.
Sookie baked Lorelai a graduation cap cake. Chris calls to see if she got his basket of presents – he put them together himself. Many of which are comic, like the Armed Forces application. But the pearl necklace is real. Says how proud he is of her, with everything she does.
Rory gets off a bus. In New York. Looking for Washington Park, where Jess hangs out. She finds him. He doesn’t question why she’s there. They both smile and go for lunch. Rory is talking a lot, maybe nervously but also because they talk well. Jess asks how Luke is. They get hot dogs, go to a music store.
Lorelai is hours early to the ceremony. So is Emily – she’s setting up a video camera to record the ceremony. Causes Lorelai some stress.
Rory finds a Go-Go’s record as a present for Lorelai. Rory says it was fate that she came there. And when Rory offers to show her withering stare to Jess, his ‘I’m a lucky man’ could be interpreted many ways.
Jess walks Rory back to the bus depot. Rory hesitates when leaving. He followers her outside the bus as she goes down the aisle. And asks her why she came. That it’s not her to ditch school.
"Because… you didn’t say goodbye"
"Oh"
They say goodbye.
Lorelai is embarrassed when fellow classmates start ragging on Emily and people with money in general.
The bus is delayed from leaving by an accident. Poor Rory is stuck in New York.
Emily has the professional video guy and a sound guy, and everyone is complaining. Then someone comes in with corsages for Lorelai to choose from. And everyone knows she’s the daughter of the rich folk. Rory pages that she’s running late. And Rory finds out it’s even worse, as her bus back is not the express one.
Lorelai keeps looking to see if Rory is there. She’s not. The camera man follows as Lorelai walks to the stage. Lorelai Victoria Gilmore is called. Richard looks proud, Emily is so proud she’s crying. It makes Lorelai tear up. Tells them after that she’s glad they came – and means it. Lorelai asks to take a picture with them. She didn’t get to do this with high school. Richard gives Lorelai an envelope – his gift for ‘something fun’. Rory won’t make it there at all – called to say she’d meet back at home.
Rory is waiting when Lorelai comes home. Lorelai seems mad and hurt. She did this all for Rory. Rory tells her what she did – though she doesn’t know why she did. Tries to set her own punishment. She says she’s a horrible person. She’s not herself. She goes on and on about not understanding and being mad and disappointed in herself. Lorelai just shakes her head.
Lorelai says that Rory is not crazy or ill – maybe Rory is falling for Jess. Rory says no. Jess is gone, she loves Dean, and will forever. Lorelai says that doing what she did means something. Rory refuses to talk about it. Realizes she left the album on the bus and feels even worse. Lorelai still wants to go out – Rory doesn’t deserve it, but she does. Rory cries. Lorelai just looks sad.
Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls season 2, gilmore girls episodes, 2.21, lorelais graduation day, rory jess, gilmore girls photos, gilmore girls pictures, recaps
955 days ago
[...] ‘Lorelai’s Graduation Day‘, Jess calls Rory and she’s immediately flustered. Despite her so-called aim to [...]
Hey guys,
Can you help me find the song that is playing in the background, when Jess calls Rory and Lorelai is celebrating her exams?
//Thanks!
1563 days ago
[...] 2.21: Lorelai’s Graduation Day – for Rory’s big step and its sad results [...]
i think i have decided that there are just tooo many amazing gg moments to pick one. instead, i think im going to use “life is just a tv show without a script” im still not sure, and if i suddenly remember a amazing gg quote ill totally use it. thanks for the help though! oy with the poodles already is awesome, and the first one i thought of actually, but my equally-obsessed gg friend has already said shes using it :( thanks so much for the help tho! =)
I love that part when Lorelai walks to the stage and look at Emily is crying and so happy of Lorelai is graduation day then she almost tear up make me almost cry this episode.I just sad that poor Lorelai,Rory not feel go out with her for she finish graduation day and celebrate,but Rory not.
Lorelai staring out into space at the end …. realizing Dean is over and Jess is a happening thing. Maybe thinking about her own rebellious years with Chris and not believing perfect, controlled, organized Rory can put that all aside to react spontaneously for bad boy Jess. We come to know the special side of Jess …. I sure missed him when he left the show. Great chemistry b/w those two ….
The whole community college graduation thing hits home. Sort of portrayed as hokey-pokey, but certainly a proud moment for everyone (including Emily and Richard) involved. It is not where you go to college, but what you do when you get there. Having graduated from a Big Ten university and now teaching at a small community college, I see both perspectives with each experience unique and special.
That is the most user-friendly NYC set I’ve seen depicted ever -Washington Sq. Park, the street, subway? You definitely do not get the traditional “feel” that Rory and Jess are in NYC. She was correct though about the smell ….
Senior quotes – google Gilmoreisms for more help. Lots of stuff out there already catalogued and documented by ep. Also stuff in the DVD sets if you have access to those.
I could never narrow it down to one! Let us know what you pick!
You could simply have googled “Gilmore Girls Quotes”.
ok so i think Lorelai is more troubled that Rory wont admit liking Jess. I feel Rory wont admit to this because she already has a good thing going with Dean and doenst want to mess it up.
I beleibe Jess calls Rory to hint at her that he has some sort of feelings for her and that he didnt forget her. Because he called, Rory became axious to see him again and she skipped school to go to New York. I
You could use the classic ‘Oi With the Poodles Already’ quote from GG. it’s season 2, I can’t get it started. if u needed to credit it! hope that helps u! I think this episode is so saaaaaad!!!!!!! But i dont know what Rory was thinking going to New York!!
I love this episode. It doesn’t matter how many times I see this one, I always cry when Lorelai walks across the stage and she and Emily are both tearing up. It’s so rare that we get to see moments like that between them, and I absolutely adore when it does happen. I was also really upset with Rory in this one. Usually I am on her side, but this one sucked. She had to pick that day to go to NY? Seriously? She couldn’t have waited a day or two? Such a bad idea… At least Lorelai took it really nicely. She was incredibly cool considering Rory didn’t make it.
ok, i go to this site all the time but ive never commented…and i dont know if this is where i should do this, but i was wondering if anyone has some good gg quotes. im in 8th grade, and we get to put quotes under our picture in the yearbook. i had a few i wanted to use, but my mom wont let me for different random reasons. :( if anyone had an idea i would really appreciate it :) i luv gilmore girls, and ive seen every episode many many times, and have many favorite quotes and moments. i just cant remember all my favorites, and the ones i can just dont seem to fit. if this is totally random im sorry, but ive been thinking for days and cant think of anything :( thank u!!