Episode Report Card Pamie: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT And I Say: It's All Right
By Pamie | Season 3 | Episode 21 | Aired on 05.12.2003
Rory explains her multi-tiered studying system. She's got each book laid out in front of her, so that when she needs a break from one subject, she can effortlessly move on to the next. Lorelai says that Rory's pushing herself too hard. Rory shows Lorelai her schedule, which accounts for every single moment of time she has until graduation. Lorelai points out that Rory forgot to schedule the Kiwanis luncheon on Monday. Apparently, Rory won a $250 scholarship from them (Lorelai: "That'll keep you in microwave popcorn for a week"), and she has to attend the awards luncheon. Rory tells Lorelai that Emily wants help picking out a dress for graduation. "No," Lorelai says. Rory says she has to go. Lorelai says that Emily has been dressing herself for years and has yet to show up to a function with her bra on the outside of her clothing. If Rory is this overworked, she doesn't need to schedule in time to play costumer to her grandmother. Lorelai makes a joke about koala bears and Rory asks Lorelai to stop making fun of the Kiwanis people because she needs every cent she can get: "Yale is expensive!" Over Rory's shoulder we see Luke in the back door window trying to get Lorelai's attention. As Rory babbles on about how they need to hear from Yale financial aid soon so they can put down the deposit on her dorm room (she's not living at home?), Luke plays a quick game of charades, showing that he'd like to talk to Lorelai, but he doesn't want Rory to know that he's there. Lorelai says she needs to go and get the paper. Rory warns Lorelai not to bring the paper near her, because she doesn't have any unscheduled recreational reading time. Lorelai tells Rory to move her "chill session" from 4 tomorrow afternoon to right about now.
Lorelai steps outside the house and makes a bad stalking joke. Luke says he needs to talk to her but doesn't want Rory to hear. Lorelai makes some more bad jokes and seems not to understand that Luke is upset. When Luke says "Jess is gone and I don't think he's coming back," Lorelai makes this face like she's trying not to smile really, really hard. She's trying to look concerned, but you can see the corners of her mouth rejoice. Luke says that Jess is "gone gone" -- that he left either the previous night or that morning. Luke went to get money out of the safe and saw that all of Jess's stuff is gone. Well, he had to have left yesterday morning, right? Because that's when Rory saw him on the bus on her way to school. So last night Luke didn't worry when Jess wasn't home all night? And he only noticed it today? Moving on. Luke says he's through with Jess now that he's eighteen, and that Jess can do whatever he wants. Luke says that Jess was driving him crazy, anyway, so now Jess can see how far his smart mouth can get him on his own: "I couldn't be more relieved." Luke says he's only concerned about Rory, and asks if she knows. Lorelai says that Rory hasn't said anything. Luke offers to tell her, but Lorelai says she'll tell Rory when the time is right. Not much of a boyfriend-girlfriend thing they have if one can disappear to the other side of the country and the other has to be told later by her mother or the guy who runs the diner. Luke warns Lorelai not to wait too long, since Rory might "notice eventually." You think? Lorelai thanks Luke for coming over. Luke takes a few moments, and then sighs, "I failed him." Lorelai tells Luke that he didn't fail Jess. He supported Jess, helped him, and fought for him. If Jess didn't take the chance that Luke offered, then it's Jess's problem, not Luke's. Luke says he should go. Lorelai asks if Luke has any idea where Jess went. Luke says he has a pretty good idea. He leaves, and Lorelai doesn't bother to ask where. You know, to tell her daughter or something.