Gilmore Girls 7.20 "Lorelai? Lorelai?" Recap

Episode Name "Lorelai? Lorelai?"
Episode Number 7.20
Air Date May 1, 2007

Chilton, and Rory in class. A flashback moment. The principal comes in and interrupts class. The teacher says that Rory Gilmore has to leave, there has been a mistake. And there is no coming back. She leaves, but the next room is her home, not the hall. Lorelai is packed up to go to Hawaii. Rory wants to talk with Lorelai, but Lor says she needs a break, and walks out the door.

Rory goes to the kitchen, where Paris, Doyle & their 2 kids are having dinner. She’s a doctor and Doyle is associate editor. And, apparently, Paris now owns the house. They take pity on Rory for being ‘confused’ and give her money. Then they tell her she’ll be late for work, and give her a trash poke. What a mishmash of memories and futures! Rory wakes up…

Gilmore dinner. Richard has been given a clean bill of health; indeed, he’s healthier than before the heart attack. He’s really into exercising. And real drinks are back! Emily is sorry Logan can’t be there, but he’s doing interviews. Rory is taking a reprieve from her final exams.

Emily says they have a surprise for Rory. They have decided to purchase a 2-bedroom place on the upper east side. Their apartment, but for Rory to live in and for them to visit. They want her to have a place to stay while she works at the NY Times. Rory tells them all she didn’t get the Reston Fellowship, which apparently Lorelai didn’t know about. Richard and Emily are outraged, Lorelai is hurt but sorry. Rory says she’s hungry and needs to get back to Yale fast. I think it’s more an escape from the conversation.

Lorelai is leaving a message for Rory, wishing her good luck on her first final. Lorelai walks into Luke’s Diner, where Babette and Miss Patty are talking in a harsh whisper. They want to save their voices for karaoke night - they signed up for the first 15 songs of the night! They insist that Lorelai come.

Luke brings over their orders. Lorelai and Luke seem much more comfortable. And he’s wearing her hat!! She sits at the counter while he gets her coffee. There are some nautical charts on the counter, as Luke prepares for his boat trip with April. Lorelai asks if he is up for it – too dangerous. Luke says April is excited, but Lorelai insists that they have a few nights in a hotel so April may wash her hair. And gives advice on a place to eat in Maine. Then Miss Patty & Babette sing the "Goodbye" song from Sound of Music.

Rory arrives back at the apartment, where Paris has thrown a party for all Yale-ites who got into Harvard Medicine. Paris is sizing them all up as her future competition. Rory opens a letter from the Chicago Sun Times – not hiring. She goes to her bedroom and phones the Providence-Journal Bulletin to try to recant her refusal of the job. It’s already been filled. 

Sookie cooking at the Inn. Lorelai tells Sookie how Luke was wearing the hat she’d given him a few years back. That he didn’t wear it when they were broken up, but now it’s back! They think it’s a good sign, but Lorelai thinks she needs to reciprocate with a like sign of friendship.

Lane, putting one of her babies down to sleep. They both are asleep, so she does a happy dance silently in the living room. Zack came back with groceries. Lane is unhappy that he bought name brand goods when they’re on a budget. Zack said he splurged because he got a call to be lead guitarist in a band, going on tour for 2 months in the summer. Almost totally sold out. And he got it so that Lane and the babies could come along as well. They are so excited!!

Lorelai drives up to her house in some behemoth of a vehicle – rental? Rory is already there. She’s hiding under her bed covers. Says she’s hiding from the world. Rory says she tanked her final. She actually had some of it there, as she forgot to hand it in! Rory says that she started to panic about her future, and it clammed her up. She feels like she’ll be laughed at for giving up such a great job. Lorelai tries to cheer her up, that she’s so talented. Lorelai says that the occasional meltdown is completely fine. Rory tries to blame Lorelai for making her confident about getting the job at the NY Times. She got a little too cocky. And telling people makes her feel ashamed. She feels like she disappointed everyone. Which of course she did not do.

Lane is there with both her babies, getting them ready to take out for a walk. However, one starts to cry and the other needs a diaper change. Never ending. She is talking with Brian about Zack getting the gig, and he kind of sparks Lane’s concerns about taking the babies on tour. She would struggle to take care of them on her own, without her mom.

Lorelai and Rory at Luke’s Diner. Lorelai is trying to convince Rory that a setback is just a prep for future success. And that Rory has so easily achieved everything she wants in the past, so this might help get her perspective. Logan calls, and she walks away. Luke comes over to make sure Rory is fine. Luke says he made hotel reservations as per her suggestion. He’s getting really excited. Lorelai mentions they are going to karaoke, but Luke is not overly interested and she does not formally invite him.

Rory asks Logan when he’ll come back. He’s not totally sure, as things seem to be going well. He tries to make her feel better about the Times and her other rejections. Tells her things will be looking up… Rory notices that Luke changed his hat.

April called Luke with ‘news’. Good & bad news. Apparently, she signed up for a science camp in January, and she got in! It’s 6 weeks, and right in their boat trip. She says she wants to go on the boat, but this is a huge opportunity for her. She’s torn. Luke tells her she cannot pass this up, but they can easily go on the boat another time. Luke is really sweet.

A packed night for karaoke at the bar. Miss Patty and Babette are singing. Fabulous! They are singing ‘Fever’. Rory says that she’d be cheered up if Lorelai sang. Lorelai says she’d need to drink first – so, on come the shots. Luke and Zack are cleaning up the diner; Zack is talking about the boat trip, Luke mentions that April got into science camp, so no boat trip. Zack tries to be empathetic. Lane comes into the diner, sans babies. They are off to karaoke night too. They try to get Luke to come along, but he says maybe later.

Zack tells Lane how April bailed on the boat trip. Silence. Lane says she realized that she can’t go on tour. It’s not possible with two babies. It’s hard at home, with all the support system, but her routine would not be manageable anywhere else. Zack says it’s ok, he understands. Zack is all ready to cancel the trip, but Lane tells him he needs to do it. It’s a short, but great, opportunity. That he has to do it. Lane feels great about it, no worries.

Kirk singing, badly, with Lulu the only one enjoying it. ‘Do you really love me’ is his song. Lorelai is tipsy, and she’s up next. She does not have a song chosen yet. Lane & Zack join them at their table. Lane asks if Rory is done with her finals. Lorelai and Zack go off to get munchies and drinks. Lane asks what’s really up. Rory says she’s just a bit down from the internship. Lane tells Rory about Zack going on tour. She’s very good about it all, saying the ‘mature gene’ comes on once you become a mother.

Lorelai gets up on stage, to much applause. Saying it’s another embarrassing moment for Rory’s diary, and happy graduation! She does a very dramatic Dolly-Parton-esque "I will always love you", and she’s not half bad! Mid way through the song, Luke walks in. He smiles seeing her up on stage. Lorelai gets a bit nervous, but does not take her eyes off him. People notice. She clearly states "I will always love you", looking right at Luke. The words have great meaning for their relationship. Luke smiles, flattered.

Lorelai the next morning, slight hangover. Rory is up and chipper. Apparently, Lorelai had 7 more shots than she did. Rory is heading back to Yale to finish up. She is feeling a lot better after the wallowing and eating and singing. Sometimes you just have to ‘let your feelings out’, Rory says. Lorelai agrees, quite.

Luke back in the diner. Zack says thanks for coming out last night. Luke asks what he thought of Lorelai. He hesitates, but says she can belt. Luke says he’s feeling a bit better. Zack says he found Luke’s hat, wedged by the dishwasher. So, he had lost it, not changed it as a symbol! That said, he does not change back to the black one. He smiles, and puts it away.

Logan shows up. He says he’s there to see her, not Rory. Logan has been offered a position in an emerging tech company, a partner in the company. He’s quite excited about it. Lorelai says she’s cool, that she knows he’s a serious guy. Logan says he’s excited but, it does mean a move to Palo Alto in California. He has not told Rory yet. But he wanted to talk to Lorelai first… Logan says he loves Rory, and wants her to come with him. But not just as a girlfriend. He’s there to ask her permission. He wants to marry her. Lorelai’s face falls, she’s silent.

"Lorelai? Lorelai?" – Logan

Nice work-in of the title. Now it makes sense!

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