Episode Report Card Al Lowe: A+ | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Good, Good, Goodbye. SOB!
By Al Lowe | Season 7 | Episode 22 | Aired on May 14, 2007
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Rory, in her pajamas, meets her hero, Christiane Amanpour! That's...really all that happens with that; they just meet, but it's so cool, it must be mentioned. Though Lorelai and Rory have planned a crazy roller-coaster tour of the country, Rory must bail when she gets a surprise job offer to cover Barack Obama's campaign for an online magazine. The thing is, she has to leave in three days, breaking the hearts of the whole town, which was looking forward to her reenactment party. When Luke sees the full scope of the tragedy, he enrolls Sookie in planning a surprise party to be held before Rory departs. Everyone gets involved in a secret town meeting where they overthrow Taylor's protests, and there is all sorts of sneaking around behind the Girls' backs. Lane consoles Rory when she has a panic attack about going off and leaving everything behind. Meanwhile, Lorelai is staying maniacally busy to keep from showing how traumatized she is. Finally, she admits that she's holding herself together until the last minute. During the party setup at 1:00 AM, Babette has a premonition (via her ankles) of a huge rainstorm. Luke stays up all night sewing a tent, and the party goes on as planned, even with a downpour. Even the Grandparents show up. Richard emotionally praises Lorelai for her excellent work as a parent, as does Rory, and Emily thaws one degree when she understands Lorelai wants to continue the Friday Night Dinners, even after Rory is gone. When Lorelai realizes how much Luke has done to pull off the party, she goes to thank him. "I just like to see you happy," he says, and they kiss. On her last morning in Stars Hollow, Rory sits with Lorelai in the diner and, as Luke cooks for them in the background, they chatter over their coffee and we all say goodbye. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
Previously, on Gilmore Girls ...Everything. This is truly one of the most unique, intelligent, heartfelt shows ever to be on TV, and though it has had its ups and downs, even at its very worst, it was better than most. I surprised myself when I realized how disappointed I was that it was going off the air, but I am glad to see it go out on a high note, and hope it isn't long before every member of the cast, down to the most infrequently seen townie, is back on my TV screen. As for Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel? It will be hard to see them in the future without each other. And, as for Scott Patterson... well. Call me.
Lorelai is driving quickly into the parking area of the Inn, having just run home to drag Rory out of bed, in her pajamas, to see the alleged Christiane Amanpour. Rory ain't buying it: "Remember the time when you thought you saw Sandra Day O'Connor?" Rory reminds her mother. Lorelai: "Yeah, well, this is different. I haven't had any cough syrup." Rory rolls her eyes. "I guarantee you, it's not her," she says, walking in and eyeing up this alleged Amanpour. "OH MY GOD, it's Christiane Amanpour!" Rory says with shock. They both freak out. "I told you!" Lorelai says, while Rory panics about having to meet her idol while wearing pajamas. Michel flits by, informing them that Ms. Amanpour checked in late the night before. "She's staying here?" Lorelai asks, shocked. "You didn't tell me?" Michel says he was trying to avoid yet another embarrassing incident where Lorelai embarrasses herself in front of celebrities. "Marisa Tomei's mother's best friend," she says in her own defense regarding one particular incident, "is my hairdresser's cousin's roommate. That's just freaky!" They brush off Michel's concerns, and Lorelai says she will go say hello to Amanpour and ask if she'll meet Rory. "Okay," Rory says, freaking out. "Wait! Don't be funny!" Lorelai goes over and respectfully says hello, shaking hands with Amanpour. She asks if she can introduce Rory, whom she proudly lauds as a recent Yale grad and editor of the newspaper. Shyly, Rory peeks out from behind a post, finally coming over to say a very exuberant hello. Listen, nothing else happens with this -- it's awesome that they got Christiane Amanpour on the show and she is very cool, but yadda yadda, Rory meets her and it is great. She even gives Rory her card, encouraging her to send her some clips.
Whatever, it's awesome, but I'm already tearing up because, sniff, the credits music is starting and Carole King and her daughter are singing and (SOB!) it is the last time we will ever hear it on a new episode. Okay, I promise I am not going to do this through the whole recap. OH MY GOD IT'S THE LAST RECAP. Waaaah! Hold on. No, actually, I'm happy about that part, especially when the next scene starts and Rory and Lorelai are having a chatter-fest about the big roller coaster adventure they're planning. As Rory addresses and seals dozens of resumés to send out to newspapers, Lorelai looks up coasters on the Web and reviews the itinerary. After Great Adventure, she says, their next stop will be Lake Compounce, home of the Boulder Dash. "The number-one choice of wooden roller coasters, according to Mr. Arthur Levine of About.com," Lorelai quotes, and Rory acknowledges the venerable Levine's coaster genius. "You can admit if you're scared!" Lorelai says, ominously, but Rory denies it. After the Boulder Dash, they will head to Coney Island, followed by the Millennium Force in Ohio. "This site calls it a 'giga-roller coaster,'" Lorelai says. Holy SHIT, people, go and LOOK at that thing. I think a ride on the Millennium Force would make even Lorelai stop talking for a second. I am a notorious chicken re: speeding to my death from a height of three hundred feet, so I think I would have to give it a pass.