Gilmore Girls 7.18 "Hay Bale Maze" Recap

Episode Name: "Hay Bale Maze"
Episode Number: 7.18
Air Date: April 17, 2007
See photos here

Sookie is primping baskets for the guests to promote the Spring Fling. Michel is stepping in and trying to put the schedules up front, since he made them. Sookie keeps switching them back and they get into a cute cat fight.

Lorelai calls Michel Mr. Cranky Pants. She notices ‘bird watching’ on the schedule, which was not scheduled. And the hay bale maze is not on the list. They all complain about how weird it is. That Taylor is the only one who wants it. He convinced the town by crying (turned out to be an allergy to hay) passionately about being a kid and wanting to see a hay bale maze. The town caved and let Taylor have his maze.

Paris complains that there is no more milk in the fridge for her cereal. Apparently there were 4 other milks in there, but Logan finished the ‘one’ milk that Paris wanted. Paris and Doyle squabble about being lactose sensitive.

Rory comes out in a swanky suit to be ready for an interview. She’s nervous. Everything keeps going blank in her head. Logan says she’ll do great, Paris says she’ll choke.

Rory is going to interview for the Providence Journal Bulletin. A great newspaper that makes it writers work hard. But it’s no New York Times.

Paris gives Logan a credit card statement that was sent to their apartment. This annoys Paris because she wants to know why Logan is there. Why he’s using their place as a permanent address. Logan says that his last apartment was paid for by his dad’s business and he, well, quit. Paris also mentions he’s broke. They all leave – minus Logan, who stays back to do the dishes.

April is rambling on about books at Luke’s place. She’s in a Native American phase. She is very passionate about knowledge. And she seems to have enjoyed New Mexico. Luke says April looks good. She is taller and more sophisticated. Straighter hair. New glasses. Earrings.

April gives Luke a gift. A bracelet. The turquoise is to symbolize the Apache tradition to ‘aim more true’. It’s a huge garish silver thing with turquoise on it.

Lorelai welcomes guests to the Inn – they’ve been looking forward to the Spring Fling all year.

Rory calls. She says the interview went great. Lorelai passes Rory to Michel while Lorelai checks in the guests. Rory is on a train back from Providence. Michel says trains are dirty.

Rory tells Lorelai she met the editor. They talked and talked. Had lots to talk about – including one about Oprah. She was just herself and forgot completely about impressing her. The editor says she’ll know tomorrow whether she got the job. Very fast!

Rory asks if she can bring Logan to Stars Hollow for the Spring Fling. Seems like a big deal. A ‘gentleman caller’ calling to Stars Hollow.

Lorelai tells Rory she’s impressed with her. Going on a big interview and relaxing and being herself. Getting it all together.

Rory and Logan arrive at Lorelai’s home. Logan says ‘wow’. That this is where the Rory Gilmore grew up. Logan has flowers for Lorelai. Really nice Orchids. Logan calls the house charming. Rory is nervous about her job. She has not received the call yet – but the day is just starting.

Lorelai circled town events for them while she goes to work. The Spring Fling is tomorrow. Anyway, Rory says she can kinda handle it. She did grow up there ;) Lorelai set up a bed and a trundle bed in Rory’s room – but is ok for whatever they want to do. Bed wise. Logan proceeds to make out with Rory once Lorelai is gone.

Miss Patty is training some little kids in a skit for the Spring Fling. Rory is taking Logan around the town telling him stories of her childhood. Where she fell off her bike in third grade, for example. Apparently Miss Patty is doing the annual daffodil dance – from bulb to stock to full bloom. Cute. Rory did the same thing when she was a kid.

Rory takes Logan to Luke’s. Zack is there. He says Kwan and Steve are growing really well. Rory and Logan had seen them on the street. Luke comes over to say hi. Rory is checking her phone for the millionth time. She says its no big deal. The Reston Fellowship is her first choice, so this job doesn’t really matter.

The hay is being piled up in front of Luke’s window. Luke flips out at Taylor. Quite the nice show. Logan is amused.

Sookie and Lorelai are gossiping about Logan. Lorelai says that she is glad Rory and Logan are back together and that he’s back from ‘gallivanting’. She says he’s a nice, polite, charming young man with great hair. But Sookie calls her on a repressed judgment tone. Lorelai says she does not mean to be judgmental. Rory is an adult. It doesn’t make as much sense to have an opinion. She does not love that Logan lost money doing a business deal behind his father’s back and is now living with Rory and writing in a journal, his "idea book", all his time.

Lorelai asks where all the booths are if the fair is tomorrow. There is only hay.

Lorelai and Sookie arrive at the town hall. They see April and Luke. Lorelai comments on how grown up April looks with her new earrings. Luke asks about the Inn. Small talk. The meeting is called to order.

Taylor addresses concerns about the Spring Fling. He says everything is going as planned. Sookie gossips with Lorelai, asking how it’s going with Luke. She says "fine" unconvincingly. Miss Patty asks where the booths are. But everyone just comments on the vast amount of hay. Taylor tells everyone to take chill pills. Taylor says there will be no booths as all the booth money was moved towards the hay bale maze. He spent the entire budget on the hay bale maze. Lorelai complains that she has guests who are epecting the traditional events – the pony rides and pie eating and whatnot.

Taylor unveils a diagram of the hay bale maze. It covers the entire town in complexity. He then uncovers Kirk in a Menotaur costume. Kirk then talks about the difference between a labrynth and a maze, but the town gets up to leave. They are all angry.

The gazebo is being lifted from town square. Sookie and Lorelai both say "insane."

Lorelai walks into her house – Logan and Rory are making paella. Lorelai is impressed. Logan says he’s fascinated by Taylor. Lorelai complains about the gazebo being moved – Taylor says it would interfere with the maze if you could see it.

Rory runs out to answer her phone. Lorelai brings up the bad business deal. Logan says it’s just part of an ocean, riding the wave. Logan spouts out some of his new ideas. All the trends happening. Like Second Life. Logan says that ideas are his commodity. That with his contacts, he could get right back on top with the right idea. Lorelai does not look convinced.

Rory runs in. She got the job! She has until Monday to accept. Getting paid to write! Her own desk and 401K account. She is so thrilled. But what about the fellowship? If she got it, would she give it up?

Rory, Lorelai and Logan are walking around the feverish hay bale maze building. Rory says it’s an excellent paper. But rather small. Is it better to be a small fish or in a career where she’ll have more opportunities? She says she may write more at the Providence paper, but is it too small? She says it’s one of the best jobs – but perhaps not the best. If she took the job, she’d have to give up her chances for the Fellowship – even if it’s only a 6 week unpaid intership.

Logan says to screw the 401k and that flips off Lorelai who goes off about financial responsibility. Logan tries to tell Lorelai that he is aware of the importance of money. He got his first credit card statement. First! Logan says Rory should gamble. Lorelai says gambling is his thing, not her thing. They pick up three pies from Westons.

Middle of the night. Rory is in a separate bed (cute). Up late doing her pro/con list. She is getting really anal – comparing air quality, which has the best Chinese food, etc. Logan tells her to go to sleep. Logan puts his pants & shirt on to go get a glass of water. Rory jokes at him, saying Lorelai won’t be offended if he goes out in his shorts.

Lorelai does spot Logan. She came down for pie. She says she’ll see him in the morning. But Logan asks her to stay. Says he’s not a gambler. Logan says that’s not who he is, despite all the things that Rory may have told her. Lorelai says she is worried. Worried that Logan takes things too lightly. Does not worry enough. He lost millions of dollars! Logan says he admits he made a big mistake and knows it, but didn’t want to show it in front of Lorelai. Didn’t want to self-efface. It was not his way. Lorelai says reality is important. Bills, etc. Lorelai says Rory was not raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, like Logan was. Logan says he spat out his mouth of silver utensils because of his values. Logan tells Lorelai that she did the same thing and he is willing to work as hard as she did. Lorelai seems a bit more at peace. They have pie.

The hay bale maze is in full swing. People are running through it. The town is very busy. Lots of kids in daffodil costumes.

The young kid from the Inn is trying to ask what the maze is. Is it just a maze? Will there be guns aimed at him or anything? He’s nervous. So Lorelai, Rory and Logan chip in about how crazy they are about hay bale mazes. Logan chipped up first. It made the kid feel better. Lorelai is impressed.

Taylor made the hay bale maze into a race. Meanwhile, he’s sneezing like crazy. His allergy. He is filtering people into the maze. Lorelai goes to see Sookie & Jackson. They say the kids loved the maze. So, the Spring Fling was a hit!

Rory had written "Logan ???" on the pro/con list. She didn’t know what to do. Logan says he doesn’t want to be factored in her list. That Rory should just do what she wants to do and that Logan will factor her in. Logan insists that her decision be based on what she wants to do.

Rory says she wants the Fellowship. She’s going to say no to the Providence Journal Bulletin.

Logan and Rory enter the maze. They seem happy after that little talk.

April is helping out in the diner. Luke is trying to take down an order for delivery. Zack comes in and says he has something to tell Luke. That it’s easier to go through the maze to make deliveries than to go around it. He says he’s memorized the maze, but is having trouble recounting it. April is dying to go through the maze, so Luke sends her out to see it.

Zack says he wants to go through the maze at night with a blindfold. Simply smelling the hay.

Lorelai is walking through the maze on her own. She comes to a dead end. Backtracks. Turns a corner, and a few more. She bumps into Luke going through the maze to make a delivery. Lorelai notices Luke’s bracelet. A ‘wow’ moment. Luke comments on how fast April is growing up. That she suddenly became a teenager.

Out of the blue, both apologize. Obviously, for the past.

"I messed up. That night I went to Christopher. I’m sorry. I never admitted it to you that’s it’s wrong, what I did. And I’m sorry." – Lorelai

"You know, I’m sorry too. Now that I’ve had April, I’ve learned a lot. I was crazy to think I had to fix everything with April before I could be with you. And that’s not how to fix things." – Luke

He says that he was compartmentalizing. He should have asked her for help. And that he used April to push Lorelai away. He was afraid. He apologizes and she accepts. Luke tells her how to get out of the maze and things end on a good note.

The troubadour sings as we see an upper shot of folks going through the maze.

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