“ Rory says it's one of her favorite books. CuteDean says he'll try reading it again. I wish he'd hand her a copy of Popular Mechanics so she'd squirm. ”
We pan down to Stars Hollow preparing for another festival as we hear this voice-over from Miss Patty: "This, boys and girls, is the story of true love. A beautiful girl from one county; a handsome boy from another. They meet and they fall in love. Separated by distance and by parents who did not approve of the union, the young couple dreamed of a day that they could be together. They wrote each other beautiful letters. Letters of longing and passion. Letters full of promises and plans for the future. Soon the separation proved too much for either one of them to bear. So one night, cold and black with no light to guide them, they both snuck out of their homes and ran away as fast as they could. It was so dark out that they were both soon lost and it seemed as if they would never find each other. Finally, the girl dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her lovely face. 'Oh, my love. Where are you? How will I find you?' Suddenly, a band of stars appeared in the sky. These stars shone so brightly they lit up the entire countryside. The girl jumped to her feet and followed the path of the stars until finally she found herself standing right were the town gazebo is today. And there waiting for her was her one true love, who had also been led here by the blanket of friendly stars. And that, my friends, is the story of how Stars Hollow came to be and why we celebrate that fateful night every year at about this time." As Patty's story unfolds, we see all of the locals preparing for the Stars Hollow Firelight Festival with large stars, banners, and lots of decorations. We settle on Miss Patty's studio, where she's telling the story to a group of children. "Now," she says. "We still have a little time left in our story hour. Who wants to hear about the time I danced in a cage for Tito Puente?" All of the kids raise their hands and plead to hear the story. Miss Patty smokes her cigarette, smiles, and begins her story. "Well, it was the summer of '66," Miss Patty begins, as we fade to the opening credits. Perfect.
CuteDean is waiting at Rory's bus stop. Rory exits and asks him what he thinks of the book. "It's depressing," he says. "It's beautiful," Rory smiles. "She throws herself under a train," CuteDean says as they sit down on the bus bench. Rory: "But I bet she looked great doing it." CuteDean says the story must have been a little over his head. Rory says that Tolstoy wrote for the masses. Rory says she knows it's big. CuteDean agrees. Rory: "And long." CuteDean: "Very, very long." Rory says she knows the similarities in the Russian names can be confusing. CuteDean agrees, saying that every person's name ends with "sky." Rory says it's one of her favorite books. CuteDean says he'll try reading it again. I wish he'd hand her a copy of Popular Mechanics so she'd squirm. Rory says he won't be sorry. They leave for coffee. CuteDean comments on how many celebrations Stars Hollow has. He asks what she's doing Friday night. She says she's got dinner at Emily and Richard's, but she was wondering if he'd like to go to the bonfire with her if she got home early. He says he was hoping she'd get out of the dinner for a special occasion. Rory says she'd have to have some sort of accident that lands her in a plastic bubble for Emily not to freak out over her missing a dinner. CuteDean says that she should tell Emily that it's her three-month anniversary with her boyfriend.
Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers
Rory stops walking and says, "It is?" CuteDean says it's three months after her birthday, which is when he gave her the bracelet, so he figures that's pretty much when they started dating. Take it from me, never have an anniversary on a birthday. It ruins gifts, and leaves a bad feeling on future birthdays after you break up. CuteDean says that technically it should be on a Saturday, since her birthday was on a Saturday (but what date, CuteDean?) but he has to work on Saturday and he's planned this big thing out for Friday. Rory asks what he has planned. CuteDean doesn't say, but pleads with her to get out of the dinner. "Don't make me throw myself under a train," he says cutely. Rory smiles and says she'll see what she can do. He thanks her. Rory says she feels "kinda stupid" that she didn't remember their three-month anniversary. "That's quite alright," CuteDean says, because he's perfect. Rory says this means she missed their two-month anniversary as well. CuteDean says it's still all right. Rory asks how it went. CuteDean says it was pretty good. Rory and CuteDean walk past Grant Lee Buffalo still strumming away, still not amusing, still not necessary.
Rory walks into the house to find Lorelai pondering over a box of Hamburger Helper. Rory demands that she put the box away. "No. I wanna cook," Lorelai pouts. Rory says that Lorelai is allowed to make soup. Lorelai says she wants to really cook things, like sauté and chop and say, "Bam!" She says she wants to be the Iron Chef. Rory says she'll help. Rory goes to get a pan and Lorelai mutters that she probably should have bought hamburger. "You didn't buy hamburger?" Rory moans. Lorelai says she did. She just likes saying things like that so Rory looks at her like she's crazy. Rory asks why Lorelai wants to be domestic all of a sudden. Lorelai says there are too many stars out there, and all that love stuff is making her feel sick. Rory says that Mustang Max must not have called yet. Lorelai says he hasn't. Rory says that's why Lorelai's so cranky. Lorelai asks for a new subject. Rory says that Lorelai has a phone as well, and she could call Max. Lorelai still wants a new subject, so Rory tells her about her own dilemma. She explains that she wants to go out with CuteDean on their anniversary for his big fancy plan, but she'd have to get out of dinner at Emily's to do so. "Ah," Lorelai says. "Good luck with that." Lorelai says that Emily couldn't possibly care any less about Rory's anniversary. Rory asks if Lorelai will help her talk to Emily. Lorelai says she will, because she cares, but that Emily probably won't. Lorelai goes to call Emily and starts giggling. Rory asks what's so funny. Lorelai goes into an Emily impersonation. "Really, Lorelai? Well, that's wonderful! I'm thrilled! Three months! Well, woo-hoo! Hold on, I'm going to cartwheel." Rory tells Lorelai just to forget it. Lorelai says that Emily and Richard "are Cabbage Patching." Rory tells Lorelai to get her own pan as Emily answers the phone. Lorelai makes small talk until Emily asks why she's calling. Lorelai explains Rory's problem with lots of words I'm not going to recap here. Emily says it's fine. Lorelai is shocked and stunned and keeps asking if Emily understands that she just said that Rory wouldn't be at dinner. Emily says she'll see Lorelai at seven. Lorelai hangs up the phone. Rory: "So?" Lorelai: "The world is officially coming to an end."
Chilton. Paris and the Snobs are watching Philllipppe mug down with some girl at the lockers. They talk about how they'd like a boyfriend to make out with. Paris complains that she can't get to her locker. She says that this is a school and you don't make out in a school. Louisa explains that if your boyfriend is Philllipppe, you make out "anywhere you can." Louisa and Fraulein go back and forth listing places (street corner, phone booth, shopping mall) until Paris thanks them for the list of possible make-out places and heads for her locker. "Hell hath no fury," Louisa says to Fraulein.
Paris tells Philllipppe that he's in her way. They keep kissing. "Hey! Spawn in front of somebody else's locker, please," Paris pouts. Rory walks up and joins the girls. She asks Paris if her locker is in there somewhere also. I'd think that Rory would have known by now if her locker were to Paris's. Rory asks if Paris has tried to get their attention, since they're still mugging down hardcore. Paris says she has, with no luck. They watch the kissing for a while. Rory grimaces and says it looks like Philllipppe is eating that girl's face. Paris says she's going to get the fire hose. Rory tells her to wait and knocks on Philllipppe's shoulder. Rory asks Philllipppe to move further down because he's blocking their lockers. Philllipppe pretends he was too wrapped up in the girl to notice. They move just an inch down. Paris opens her locker and Philllipppe says hello to her. She says hello back. "You should get bangs," PrepWhore says to Paris without looking at her. Paris thanks her for the tip. "You have a long forehead." PrepWhore continues as she applies lip-gloss. "Bangs would hide that." I'm going to pretend that's not a shout-out. Paris slams her locker and stares at PrepWhore until Fraulein busts in with a party invitation to cut the mood. Fraulein hands one to Rory and tells her that she can invite her boyfriend. Rory says she'll see. Philllipppe and PrepWhore flirt away. Paris says it's a shame Elizabeth Barett Browning wasn't there to see all of that. "She'd put her head through a wall."
Independence Inn. Someone spiked Sookie's soufflé with roofies, because everyone is all over each other. People are holding hands, leaning on each other, flirting. This is all making Lorelai quite pouty. She scoffs at the couple making out in the lobby and walks over to the kitchen. She opens the door to find Sookie and Jackson making out. They stop kissy-facing and turn guiltily towards Lorelai. She reminds them that this is a kitchen, and not a place for lovemaking. Sookie and Jackson stammer out a lie that Jackson is planning on making jam and preserves. Lorelai asks if there's coffee. Sookie apologizes. Lorelai says it's fine and turns to leave. She tells them to "resume smooching." Sookie thanks her and Lorelai leaves. Sookie and Jackson sigh at each other.
Walking through the festival, CuteDean asks Rory what book she brought. See? He remembers things. This is why we love the CuteDean. Rory confesses that she brought The New Yorker, but it's the fiction issue. The Mayor stands at the gazebo and kicks off the festival. He says that many people have found true love standing where he's standing right now. He says it's where he met his true love and they've been married for forty-three years. Cardigan Man covers the microphone and tells the Mayor to ask his wife to wave. The Mayor whispers back that he can't. His wife went to play Bingo in Bridgeport. Hee. That's near where my family is from, and we used to go into Bridgeport to play Bingo. It's nice and trashy. Like a good Bingo game should be. They start to light the bonfire, but Rory asks to start Phase Two. She says it'll be a while before they actually get the bonfire lit. The Mayor and Cardigan Man are grumbling and yelling at each other until the Mayor turns to the crowd and shouts, "Does anyone have any matches?" Wah-wah-wah-waaaaaaaaaaaaah.
Chase is blah, blah, blahing as Richard and Lorelai are in hell. I don't understand a word that he's saying. Something about computers, which bores Richard. Chase tells Emily that if she answered a few simple questions for him, he could pinpoint the day she's going to die. This stops Emily's interest, but Lorelai is now back in the game. She tells Chase to ask the questions. Chase scoffs (with a "No, no, Lorelai!") that he couldn't just come up with a date, and that he'd have to feed the answers into a computer. "I'm not Kreskin!" he shouts, and then snorts himself into a coma. Richard almost chokes on his tongue. Emily says that Chase and Lorelai should retire in the living room with some brandy while she helps clear the table. Lorelai laughs and says, "While you do what?" Chase gets all creepy and says, "Well, that sounds lovely." He then actually raises his creepy pasty hand and is all, "Shall we?" Lorelai stammers and says she will, but first she has to powder her "something," and excuses herself from the table. She says she'll meet him in the living room. He says he'll be waiting. "Super," she smiles.
Lorelai takes a quiet moment in her bedroom. She grabs her coat and heads to the window. As she's got one leg towards freedom, Richard walks in and calls her. There's a moment where they stare at each other. Lorelai: "Hi, Daddy. Okay, I know this is bad. And I know this probably brings back all the horrible aspects of my childhood life for you, and see, I'm really sorry that we fought last week, and I'm really sorry that you're so disappointed in me, and I really wish there was something I could do to fix that, but there probably isn't, and I can accept that, because I'm an adult now and, and, and I'm proud of who I've become, but I am begging of you, please, please, please do not make me go back down there because that guy is boring." Richard turns and shouts, "Emily! She's not up here!" Lorelai whispers, "Thank you, Daddy," turns and leaves. Richard smiles for a second and then leaves the room.
Pan down to a junkyard. Rory and CuteDean stand in front of the gate. She asks him what all of this is. "Did you ever see Christine?" he asks her. Rory gives a shaky, "Yes." "Well, it's nothing like that," he promises. They break into the junkyard. "You brought me to Beirut?" she asks. "It's a salvage yard," CuteDean says, correcting me. Rory says it still looks like Beirut. He brings her over to the hollow shell of a car. He tells her that this is her surprise. Rory is confused. He explains it's a car. "When it grows up?" Rory asks. CuteDean says it's not really a car yet, but it will be. He's building it for her. Rory can't believe this, and keeps asking him over and over again if he really means that he's building an actual car for her. He says that she doesn't have a car and she's wasting precious minutes on that bus every day when they could be sitting together arguing over long books by confusing Russian authors. Y'all. He's building her a car. My heart can't take this. Rory's face is so perfect, all full of love and awe, calling him insane. He asks if she likes it. She answers with a kiss. He says he'll take it as a yes. "Take it, Mister," she says all cute. He opens the door for her, and it falls off. He says he'll fix it. "Don't!" Rory orders. "I like it like that." She gets into the front seat, all proud and happy. CuteDean jumps over the passenger side door. "This is amazing," she says. She says that she had no idea three-months was the car anniversary. He says month she gets a plane. He puts his arm around her and she settles back into him. As we watch them from overhead, Rory says, "I'm having one of those moments right now. One of those moments when everything is so perfect and so wonderful that you almost feel sad because nothing could ever be this good again." CuteDean says he's depressing her. Rory says he is and giggles. "You're very weird," he says. "And you're wonderful," she says back. They kiss. Man. I can't take all the perfect.
CuteDean sits back and says, "Rory? I love you." Rory's face falls as the music dies. "Rory?" CuteDean asks. "Did you hear me?" Rory says she did. CuteDean asks her to say something. Rory stammers that she loves the car. CuteDean asks if that's it. Rory says no, but she's surprised. "You don't love me," CuteDean says. Rory says she just has to think about it for a second. CuteDean asks what she has to think about. Rory says that saying "I love you" is a really difficult thing. CuteDean: "Well, I just did it." Rory: "And you did it really well." CuteDean: "What the hell does that mean?" Rory apologizes and says that this all came as a big surprise to her, what with the dinner and the car and the confession. She says she needs a minute to think about it. CuteDean says this isn't something you think about. You either feel it or you don't. CuteDean should show her at this point some sort of gash or scar he got while working on the car. That'll get her. Rory begs him to not be mad about this. CuteDean says a few things that are mean about her having to go home and talk about it with her mother and make a "pro-con list." "Not fair," Rory says quietly. CuteDean apologizes and says he's an idiot. Rory says that it's just not easy for her. She asks him to think about it from her point of view. Her mom said "I love you" to her dad. "You don't get pregnant saying 'I love you,'" CuteDean spits. Rory says she knows that. She's just confused and needs to think. She says it's a really big deal.
Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers
CuteDean starts to get out of the car, but Rory pulls on his arm and begs him to not be mad. "I'll take you home," he says. She says tonight was amazing and perfect and she just needs a minute. CuteDean interrupts her with a "whatever" and pulls himself out of the car. He won't let Rory touch him. Rory watches CuteDean leave the salvage yard as hearts break around the world. Rory gets out of the car and follows him.
Lorelai walks by that damn Buffalo guy who keeps on ruining things. She walks past Sookie and Jackson. Jackson asks Sookie if she knows what he's thinking. She doesn't. He's thinking this is really nice. She agrees. Rachel stands a few feet away, taking photographs of them while extras ruin the shot by walking through the scene.
The camera follows Rachel, who takes a few shots of the grumpy Luke. She sits down to him. He asks if she got some good shots. She says that the Firelight really changes people, and makes them seem free and without troubles. Luke speculates that it's probably the Firelight Party Punch that's doing that job. Rachel says she loves the punch. He asks what she's doing there. She says she's putting more film in her camera. He asks again. She says she was at the airport and now she's there. He says she has a tendency to show up and then leave suddenly. She asks if he's happy to see her. He doesn't say anything. She says she missed him and wanted to see him. He says he missed her too. She says that since they're both being honest, she'd like to know about Lorelai. He keeps avoiding talking about her. Luke says that they are just friends. "For now," Rachel says. Luke says yes. Rachel asks about the future. Luke says he doesn't know. Some days he thinks there's a chance and other days it's not there. He says that he doesn't know at all. He says he is happy to see her, though. "Good," Rachel says. She says she's going to get some more punch. She asks if he wants any. "That stuff'll kill you," he grumps. "Oh, Luke," she smiles. "Some things never change."
As Rachel walks over to the punch tent, Lane and her funeral party slowly walk by. She's leading a pack of at least twenty stone-faced Korean elders.
Lorelai sits down to Luke. He says he thought she was supposed to be in Hartford. She says she was but she climbed out a window. "Okay," he says. Lorelai asks if he wants to know why she climbed out the window. He doesn't really care. She says that's what she loves about him. He asks how long she's been there. She says not too long. Luke says she missed Cardigan Man and the Mayor get into a fistfight. Lorelai moans that she can't believe she missed it. She asks where Rachel is. Luke tells her that Rachel's a punch junkie. Lorelai says even the good girls aren't safe. Luke says that Rachel's having a good time, he thinks. Lorelai asks what "the haps" is between the two of them, which might be a shout-out, since my friends are fond of asking, "What's the haps, peeps?" but that's just me projecting myself into this show yet again. They argue about "the haps" for a bit. Then they argue about how to ponder.
Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers
Lorelai asks if Rachel's staying. Luke doesn't know. She asks if he wants her to. He doesn't know. She says Rachel really likes him. Luke goes on about debating things, wondering what's right or wrong, and sometimes you just need to jump in with both feet. He says they loved each other before and she left and he survived, so why not try again. Lorelai says that he should. He says he's going to go check up on Rachel. Lorelai says it's nice to have someone to check up on. Luke says it's not so nice when that person is drunk and puking in a corner. Lorelai says it's still kind of nice. Luke smiles and says he'll see her tomorrow. "Tomorrow," Lorelai says, and watches him leave.
Back at the house, Lorelai walks in and looks at the phone. She picks it up and dials Max's number. She's about to leave a message but Rory walks in. Rory stands there, her face alldamn, this is sad. Okay. So, Rory's just standing there, and Lorelai puts the phone down and calls Rory's name, and Rory just looks up and goes, "We just broke up." And that's all. She's just standing there all sad and shocked and thinking about what happened, and Lorelai walks over and holds Rory until the episode ends and I can't stop crying, so this recap is over.
week stupid Rory gets mad over stupid CuteDean and might kiss stupid Philllipppe.