May 1, 2007: Girl Power
We have just witnessed the power that is Gilmore. Who else could turn a reckless, rakish, rebellious little rich boy into a responsible, polite, mature grown man? And who else could make a rough, hardened, jaded tough-guy tear up over a love song? Yep, those are our girls!
So Logan is going to ask Rory to marry him! And he actually went to Lorelai's house to ask her permission. Now, usually I would write this off as one of his typical smooth moves. But you know what? He had me at "I came here to see
you, Lorelai." This wasn't just some old-fashioned formality. He really, really wanted her approval. And he thought he'd get it. After all, they'd just bonded over late-night pie and ice cream. She told him she believed he had cleaned up his act, that he didn't need to convince her anymore. But there's one teeny-tiny problem: Lorelai's reaction. The last time we saw that devastated look was when she woke up next to Christopher, not Luke. (That brilliant final shot
has to finally earn Lauren Graham an Emmy nod.) So what is it? Was she caught off guard? Did she realize that the two Gilmores will no longer be one? Or does she feel deep down that he is wrong for Rory? Hard to say. But she doesn't have to love Logan, Rory does. And she's always supported her daughter. "You could never disappoint me. Ever. Ever. Ever," she told Rory when she didn't get the fellowship. So you know she'll say yes.
Maybe it was too much to process. After all, she'd gone out the night before for a fun night of karaoke and ended up serenading Luke. It started off as a cheesy tribute to Rory: "Here's another embarrassing moment for your diary, kid! Happy Graduation!" Then out came a shaky but sweet version of "I Will Always Love You." (A little more Dolly than Whitney, but impressive nonetheless!) But just as she started to sing about "bittersweet memories, that's all I'll take with me," Luke walked in. And suddenly, everyone at KC's Bar knew it wasn't about Rory anymore. As Lorelai warbled her way through the goodbye song about "joy and happiness," Luke actually got choked up and teary-eyed. His rare display of emotion probably got Lorelai through that song. In the end he nodded and smiled. And
I was wiping back tears.
Good thing this ep wasn't entirely emotional. We finally got to see Lane with the twins, and she's totally rocking motherhood. She's so cool, she's willing to stay home and give Zack the chance to tour for two months with Vapor Rub. (Hilarious moniker, and apparently more famous than Hep Alien if they're playing Roseland and the Bowery Ballroom.) And Paris wouldn't be Paris if she didn't throw a party for her future Harvard Med School classmates just to size up the competition.
Rory's future seems shaky, as the rejection letters pour in and she's turned down by the newspaper she'd just dissed. Apparently the
Pro Jo is looking pretty good these days. At least she admitted that she was cocky about landing the fellowship, figuring she was "so in." When a meltdown ensued, mom came to her rescue with the pep talk ("Every setback is a setup for future accomplishments"), junk food (the diner, natch) and, of course, shopping. How can you not love this woman? I bet Luke is asking himself the same exact thing.
