Episode Report Card Al Lowe: A+ | 9 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Good, Good, Goodbye. SOB!
By Al Lowe | Season 7 | Episode 22 | Aired on 05.14.2007
In the square, Luke is ordering the folks around during the setup. Turns out, East Side Tillie had a stash of table cloths in her basement, and Patty was delighted to wake her out of a deep sleep to get them. Even the Mystery Asian Waiter from the diner has a line when he arrives with a turntable for Kirk's DJ action. I am barely processing this when Babette comes screaming across the square. Her ankles are swollen! Not to be evil, but I expect it's been a long time since they weren't. She says her ankles only swell in premonition of a huge rainstorm, and Nick Walker, the Weather Channel's charming silver fox, confirms it. "Sorry for the bad news," she says, "but you know my ankles." Luke nods. "Yeah," he says, "that's true. They're never wrong." Hee. Babette says yeah, her hairs only 50/50, but the ankles are never wrong. Jackson, Brian, and Zach try to think of ideas, but none of them will work. "I don't suppose anybody has any idea where we can get a big wedding tent at one o'clock in the morning?" Jackson moans. They all sigh. "It was a nice idea, man," Zach says to Luke and they all wander away, defeated.
At the CS, Rory is asleep when Lorelai comes quietly into her room. She sits on the edge of her daughter's bed, sighs, and cries while the strummies strum. SO DO I.
Meanwhile, at the diner, I KEEP CRYING, as Luke sews a huge tent out of various tarps and raincoats. He opens the drawer under the register and finds the box with the "back-up necklace." He puts it in his pocket and keeps sewing.
It is indeed storming the next day as Lorelai and Rory drive through town. Rory complains that no one is picking up their phones, which will make it hard for her to find them to say goodbye. "We'll track 'em all down," Lorelai promises, but as they pull up the square, they realize they won't have to. The whole town is there, under a huge tent, cheering and waving good luck signs. "I think you're gonna get to say goodbye to everybody," Lorelai says, and from the tent, Jackson and Zach run out with huge umbrellas. Even THAT is making me cry. The husband of Lorelai's best friend and the husband of Rory's best friend? SOB. I am getting ridiculous over here. I'm supposed to be a mean ol' recapper! But, but...y'all. I'm giving myself a sinus headache. "Did you...?" Rory asks her mom, amazed. Lorelai shakes her head. "No," she says, "I didn't do a thing." They arrive at the tent to the cheers of the whole town -- everyone is there, clapping and yelling about how they love her. The camera lingers for a moment on Sookie, tears in her eyes, and moves to Luke, looking on proudly. Kirk steps out, in his capacity as town sash presenter, to present her with a Rory Gilmore sash, which he also made as, you know, town sash maker. "Kneel before me!" he says, officially, but when Rory cringes, he allows her to merely bow her head. "I got the material from one of Mother's nighties," he says, and Rory's subsequent "ew" is drowned out by the cheering throng. Even the Grandparents are there, standing at a remove. Emily is sure to get in a complaint about the last-minute nature of the party, but Richard and Lorelai ignore her. "I can't believe they did this all for her," Lorelai says, looking at the party, but Richard says he thinks the party is for more than just Rory. "I think it's a testament to you and the home you've created here," he says, causing me to cry like I have never cried before. "I regret...that you needed to..." But of course Emily can't let him finish. "Oh, please, don't become one of those 'I had a heart attack, let me express my every thought' types," she groans. SHUT UP, EMILY. I AM TRYING TO CRY, OVER HERE.