Episode Report Card Kim: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Happy Birthday, Baby!
By Kim | Season 3 | Episode 18 | Aired on 04.21.2003
Emily is surprised to hear that Richard gave the money to Lorelai. Richard says it was Lorelai's money. Lorelai tries to explain, but Richard angrily tells her to stay out of it, and insists that he told Lorelai not to mention the money to Emily. Which he never said, which Lorelai points out. Richard says that was why he met her in the daytime at a restaurant. Richard explains to Emily that he knew she would be upset, but that he was legally obligated to give Lorelai the money. Emily tells both Richard and Lorelai not to talk to her. Lorelai says that just because the debt is not paid doesn't mean that Rory and Lorelai won't come over again, even if it's not every week. Emily says it won't happen, because she doesn't need any favors, so she's relieving Lorelai of her obligations. Emily stomps out of the room and Richard follows. Then the maid shows up with two gigantic pieces of cake. Does anyone else feel like Richard's investment story is a bit fishy?
Rory and Lorelai end up in Stars Hollow. Lorelai promises that her parents will calm down. Rory asks Lorelai why she gave them the check. Lorelai says she owed the money. Rory says Lorelai had to know that Emily would take it personally. Lorelai asks if she was not supposed to pay them back. Rory says they didn't want the money. Lorelai asks if she taunted Emily while giving her the check, and points out that she genuinely thanked her parents and gave them credit for Rory getting into Yale. ["I am totally with Lorelai on this, by the way. Emily completely overreacted." -- Wing Chun] Lorelai says that it's been very hard for her to be indebted to her parents for the past three years, and that she decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow. Sorry. She decided long ago to live her life without her parents' help, and while she feels it was the right thing to take their money for Rory's school, she doesn't need their help anymore. Rory says that Lorelai didn't have to throw it in her parents' faces. ["Which I don't think she did." -- Wing Chun] Lorelai says she just paid back a loan, which you are supposed to do. Rory thinks she could have done it differently. Lorelai points out that Rory only knows "the warm and fuzzy Richard and Emily," but that Lorelai has a different not-warm-and-not-fuzzy history with them. Lorelai babbles that she always intended to repay the loan, and that she won't let Rory or her parents make her feel guilty about it. Rory apologizes and Lorelai accepts. They walk off and Lorelai spots the giant pizza being lowered by a crane. She grins and says, "That is amazing." She thanks her daughter as the pizza is lowered into place. Strummy la la stars up as Lorelai asks what happened to Kirk. Isn't that really the essential question of life? What happened to Kirk?