The TiVo says this episode is called "The Incredible Sinking Lorelais." The WB said "Shrinking." You make the call.
Dragonfly. Horses. Bad horse puns. I quote Only 90% Effective, one of my favorite comedy troupes of all time: "My favorite color is horses." Michel isn't a fan of the animal kingdom. They let us know in this scene that the horses haven't been paid for. Lorelai leaves a message on Rory's cell, saying that the horses are named Desdemona and Cletus. Lorelai says she wants them to be the first to ride them, and she hopes that Rory is over the fact that when she rode a horse when she was little, the horse stopped walking and laid down and Rory rolled over into a ditch. Lorelai asks Grumpy Tom the contractor how he likes the horses. Tom calls them "fragrant." Lorelai tells the horse that Tom is very busy.
Inside the Dragonfly, Tom barks a couple of workers back into working, and then tells Sookie, Michel, and Lorelai that hardware arrives tomorrow and he needs someone to be there to approve. Lorelai is busy. So is Sookie. Michel is busy working at the only job that pays him. Lorelai cancels her plans to meet the delivery person. The sound of a phone ringing throws everyone into confusion. Tom hooked up the line this morning. They take their first reservation (remember how dead Stan had already made a reservation?) on a gum wrapper, much to Michel's dismay. Everybody is stoked that the Dragonfly is officially in business. Michel and Sookie debate different gum wrappers while Lorelai looks as elated as she is overwhelmed.
Yale. Rory is leaving a message on Lorelai's cell, and informs her that the horse didn't lie down -- it died: "And then the owner dragged him away by the back legs. Every time I use glue, I think of him." She hangs up and finds Lane, who asks why Rory isn't in her game theory class. No idea what game theory is, and that's why I never went to Yale. ["That's what the Beautiful Mind dude was all about, isn't it?" -- Wing Chun] Rory needs to rest, because she was up late working on a paper. Lane has become rather maternal and protective over Rory, and tells her that she needs sleep. She tells Rory to go lie down and stay off drugs. I wish Lane started hanging around the music building and then started pretending she was a Yale student, and went to classes and then suddenly she had her own spinoff, where she's a fake Yale student who's going to win Battle of the Bands.
Tana is soldering, and she couldn't be happier about it. In the background, Janet laces her shoes for a very long time. Tana's so giddy about soldering for hours that Rory suggests she give it a rest for a little while. Seriously: Janet is still tying her one shoe. Paris wants to know who left a gigantic football jersey in the living room. It's Janet's boyfriend's, and Paris is unhappy that his things are lying around. Actually, she seems just to be unhappy that Janet has a boyfriend, and that he's allowed to be seen in public with her. I really don't think it's worth recapping a single one of the off-character fat jokes that Paris unleashes for the half-hour, but know that Paris has never been this rude. Ever. And Janet's all, "Stop. Don't. Enough." And Paris just goes on and on about how enormous Janet's boyfriend is, and how disgusting it is that he's so large, and how he's worthy of the circus. And then she goes on about how he's stupid, prompting Janet to comment, "Bitter little woman." She tells Paris that jealousy doesn't become her: "Neither does makeup or a hairstyle." Rory asks the girls to break it up. Janet tells Paris that she drove her own boyfriend away, so she hates that anyone else has one. She suggests that Paris go and sits in her bedroom so that she can get used to what the rest of her life is going to be. "I'm not alone," says Paris. Janet asks Paris who her boyfriend is. Paris, who can't answer that question, backs down. Paris hates backing down. "Very sad," Janet says, and leaves. The foley artist goes out of control as Paris storms out of the room. Was she wearing stilettos?
In the bedroom, Paris threatens to kill Janet by squeezing her neck until her expandable hair falls out. Rory wants to nap, but first she has to console Paris, who wishes she could tell everyone about Professor Fleming. Rory asks to borrow Paris's notes so that she can skip another class. Paris actually does have a Noam Chomsky poster in her dorm room. Where did they find a Noam Chomsky poster? That's awesome.
Lorelai's house. Phone rings. Lorelai doesn't get to the phone in time, so we hear Rory leave another message about missing her again. It's unclear why Rory has taken a job at the school as a card-swiper for the cafeteria. I mean, if her grandparents are paying for Yale, then she wouldn't need a work-study job, and those kinds of jobs are for students putting themselves through school, right? And if Rory is so overworked, I would imagine the job for extra money would be the first thing to go. Lorelai calls Rory back, but gets her voicemail. Lorelai says she's proud of Rory for being such a wonderful card-swiper, and is upset that she's missing this monumental moment in Rory's life. She tells Rory to call her cell or to catch her at Digger's later on.
Rory is dressed just like Delia, so it's a bit jarring at first when Glenn holds out his food card and says that if she's going to ignore him, he could just go hang out with his ex-girlfriend. Rory takes Glenn's card, apologizes, and then swipes it. Glenn says that everybody will be sorry someday. He repeats it, storming off, and Rory suggests that he stop watching Taxi Driver. Rory is studying as she works, and soon students are swiping their own cards as she sits there. Since she's officially not working at all, she takes a cell-phone call. It's CuteDean. Rory thought it would be Lorelai, but Lorelai doesn't speak in a "resonant basso profundo." They make CuteDean play the Neanderthal, all, "Does that mean 'cars'? I like potatoes. Me tall!" And Rory's all, "Silly community college boy. I'll tell you later, by drawing you a picture. Can I borrow your crayons?" Anyway, "Grumpypuss" Tom offered CuteDean a job on the crew working at the Dragonfly, and CuteDean didn't want to take the job if Rory would be uncomfortable. See? That's the difference in CuteDean and Jess. CuteDean calls Rory and asks if it's okay if he works at a place where Rory doesn't even live anymore, whereas Jess would kill Desdemona and Cletus, steal Sookie's baby, and then blame it all on Rory for not being whatever enough. Rory gives CuteDean permission to take the job. CuteDean says he didn't know where they stood after his wedding, since the girls didn't go. They haven't spoken since? Rory apologizes for not going, makes another joke at CuteDean's expense, and then chats with him about school. Then for no reason I can see, CuteDean and Rory give a little advertisement for cell phones, because CuteDean has one now. Rory hangs up and sees the line of pouty students waiting to get their cards swiped. In the last scene before this one, Rory was complaining about having to go through a training process for this job, and here she is, ten minutes in, screwing up.
Lorelai and Digger are in negligee and robe, both on separate cell phones, still discussing work, arguing points about semicolons and tile. They get off the phone and back into bed. Digger asks if Lorelai is ready for "round two." How romantic. Lorelai asks whatever happened to the cigarette after sex. They might have avoided this problem if they turned off their phones when they got into bed. Have they learned nothing? Lorelai and Digger kiss. Lorelai says they're the all-business corporate couple. She gets another call. It's not Rory this time; it's Emily. I think Lorelai would make a sound investment by getting Caller ID on her cell.
Emily is busy unpacking the decorations she has to put out whenever Gran comes to visit. She's coming back from Palm Beach and wants to have a luncheon in two days. She also wants to meet Digger. Lorelai is quickly putting on clothes, uncomfortable, I guess, to be in bed with a man while her mother talks to her. But we know Lorelai enough to know that she'd probably put down the cell and give Digger a blowjob while her mom went on and on about Gran. Emily tells Lorelai she has to come to the luncheon, but she has to get her hair cut first: "You looked like the bird lady from Mary Poppins the last time I saw you." Lorelai says she's been very busy lately. Emily doesn't care; she doesn't want Gran blaming Emily for Lorelai's hair.
Lorelai gets undressed again to get back into bed with Digger. She tells Digger that Emily would know if she was naked while on the phone. It's her superpower: "She can hear sin and depravity and all sorts of lustful things." Digger wishes he could get bit by that same radioactive spider. They kiss and...we go to commercial. Not the ending I would have expected.
Dragonfly. Lorelai is on the cell phone begging for a hair appointment. Sookie is celebrating the fact that there are pipes in the kitchen by shouting and jumping. Lorelai wants Sookie to shut up, because she's on the phone. Sookie can't wait, and keeps interrupting Lorelai's very important hair call. Lorelai gets her appointment and finds CuteDean. She hangs up to talk to him. CuteDean needs to get in on Lorelai's hair appointment, because his floppy hair has turned into weird wings. And why is every guy on this show growing out a beard or mustache? Is it some kind of inside joke? Lorelai says that she and Rory keep missing each other, so she didn't know CuteDean was going to be working at the Dragonfly. CuteDean: "Well, I'm here. And your hair looks fine to me." Man, I hope she and CuteDean get one hot, inappropriate hallway kiss sometime at a party.
Tom asks if he can talk with Lorelai and Sookie. He reminds them that a fancy sink is coming the day. Sookie says they can't install it until she sees it. Tom says they won't even leave it without her approval. Then he asks the workers to give them some privacy. Tom tells Sookie and Lorelai that he really likes them, and that it's not just because they're nice and smell pretty. But it appears as though Lorelai hasn't been paying Tom (so it's a little strange he just hired CuteDean). Lorelai swears she'll pay him soon enough. This is all news to Sookie. Lorelai makes Sookie leave so that she can talk to Tom without anyone in the middle freaking out like a kid. Lorelai tells Tom she's trying to take out a loan at the bank, and that they've just been hit with an avalanche of things. Tom says that because she and Sookie are so nice and smell pretty, he and his crew won't walk off the job, but that they'll have to soon. Lorelai thanks him for being so awesome. Lorelai asks if he'd like a hug. Tom says he's kind of dirty right now, so he'd prefer it if she whistled at him in front of the guys later on. Lorelai then leans over one foot and says, "Hey," and Sookie walks out from behind the wall. Awkward blocking. Sookie asks if they're dead broke. Lorelai says they're getting there. Sookie says they can skip the expensive stove from France. Lorelai says they won't do that, since Sookie has four pictures in her wallet: one of Jackson, one of the baby, and two of that stove. They debate dropping the horses. Sookie doesn't want to lose the horses. Lorelai says they could drop one of the horses. Sookie asks, "Who's making that choice, Sophie?" Lorelai asks if Jackson can give them money. Sookie asks if Lorelai's parents can give them money. And this is when they decide that it's time to hit up Luke for cash. Sookie reasons, "He's a hermit, so we know he's got money." Lorelai agrees to use Luke only as a last resort. ["They're going to beg Luke for money before giving up the horses? Lord, I think I might know how they got into this predicament in the first place." -- Wing Chun]
Lane comes back to her dorm room to find Paris fighting with Janet and her boyfriend. Paris unleashes a string of fat jokes to this guy's face. People who sleep in old, wrinkly, grandfatherly houses shouldn't throw gallstones. Janet holds her own, though: "There's nothing like the bitterness of the lonely." Boyfriend agrees: "Yeah." Paris: "Nice addition, Potsie." Janet tells Paris to go put on her spinster dress.
Paris tells Lane that she's moving, or Janet has to leave. Lane -- wearing a Paul Frank shirt I am now coveting -- tells Paris that she hates it when they fight. She tells Paris to just tell Janet about Professor Fleming. Paris wheels around, amazed that Rory told Lane her secret, and storms out of the room. Someone hits "Door Opens (Angry)" on the sound-effects machine.
Rory's swiping cards and leaving cell-phone messages. Paris pulls her away from her job to lay into Rory about telling Lane her secret. In Rory's defense, Lane lived in Stars Hollow when Rory gossiped about Paris. Rory lies and tells Paris she's told no one else. Paris doesn't want Lane living with them anymore because Lane knows too much. Paris says she talked with Janet and Tana, and they all agree that it's too crowded with Lane there. She knows Rory likes having Lane around, because she brings back small-town happiness and field-skipping days of simple glee and Carpenters songs, but she doesn't belong at Yale. She tells Rory to stop blabbing, and storms off. Go, Paris.
Janet does sit-ups as Tana watches television. Rory enters, assuming that Paris was lying about Lane. But it turns out Tana and Janet do think it's strange and wrong that Lane has been living with them, and that it's too crowded. Seriously. I'd be so pissed off if my roommate smuggled in a friend for an indefinite period of time without ever asking me if it'd be okay. Janet says she'd vote Paris out over Lane in a heartbeat, but that Paris actually pays for the room and goes to the school. Tana asks Rory if she's mad. Rory says she's not, and leaves the room.
Lane's in Rory's room, staring at the wall, waiting for her friend to activate her "Alive" button. Rory tells Lane she has to study. Lane figures out from Rory's look that Paris is mad, and now Lane's out of the dorm. Rory offers to talk to her roommates again. Lane points out that she doesn't go to the school, and that it's time for her to leave anyway. Rory suggests that Lane either get a job as a janitor or apply to Yale so that she doesn't have to go home. Lane says that her squatting isn't fair to anyone there, and says she'll leave the morning. I like that Lane doesn't have to be terminally perky in this scene, so she actually sounds like a normal person who's just a bit beat down. Rory remembers how she and Lane used to talk about living together someday in a house made of cheese. "You brought Stars Hollow here," Rory pouts. Lane promises to visit.
Lorelai gets her hair done, grateful to have her head in a shampoo sink. Her cell phone rings. She says she can't ignore it, since she's been waiting to talk to her daughter all week. But it's the delivery guys, and nobody's there to approve the sink, so they're going to leave. Lorelai begs to get a little bit of time to get someone over there pronto. She calls Sookie and gets the longest answering-machine message, where Sookie and Jackson try to get their baby to contribute. Lorelai calls Michel, who is beaming with giddiness because Céline Dion is standing five feet from her. This very same conversation happened once when I called my friend who's a concierge at the schmancy New York hotel Michel's is based on, and he was whispering, "I'm staring at Ellen DeGeneres!" However, I was excited for my friend and listened to him describe everything about her, unlike Lorelai, who wishes Michel would drop everything to do what she says. Lorelai leaves the salon as we go to commercial.
Lorelai, with droopy wet hair and a pouty face, knocks on Sookie's door. Sookie is exhausted from her baby, and forgot about the sink. She doesn't think it's a big deal, but Lorelai thinks it's a huge deal: they sent the sink back to Canada since nobody signed for it. It does make me feel good to know that things have to be done to Lorelai's hair to make it look nice, and that in its normal state it looks like everyone else's hair. Lorelai then gives Sookie a reaming. Lorelai's done everything for the past six months, taking care of meetings and bills and finances. She hasn't had a second for herself. She wanted one hour to get her hair done, and she couldn't even do that. Sookie says she apologized, but that she has a baby. Lorelai: "Yes! I know! Believe me! It's all I hear about lately." Wow. Sookie apologizes for breeding. Lorelai says that Sookie misses every meeting and needs Lorelai to be there. She says she had a partner so that she wouldn't have to do everything herself. Sookie says she didn't know she was pregnant when they started the inn, and that she was never supposed to deal with the business side of things, anyway. She wanted to run the kitchen, and that's all she knows how to do. Lorelai says she needs Sookie before that. Sookie says she's doing the best she can. Lorelai leaves, slamming the door, waking the baby.
Lane asks Luke for her job back. Luke gives it to her, because he's swamped at the diner. Luke tells her she starts tonight. Lane runs into Lorelai, who's wearing a Bon Jovi hat. She thanks Lorelai for letting her stay with her. Lorelai checks her messages and hears one from Rory, informing her that Lane will be staying with her. Lane asks if it's okay. Lorelai says it's okay as long as Lane lets her mom know. Lorelai walks to the counter. Luke complains that he can't believe people eat this much, and that it's disgusting all the food people order and shove into their mouths every day. Lorelai suggests that Luke might be in the wrong business. Lorelai asks him to hit the pause button on the rant, and invites Luke to dinner that night. Luke says that his wife is out of town for the week, and suggests that he make them dinner at the diner. Lorelai knows you have to spend money to make money, so would rather schmooze Luke out of thousands of dollars at a fancy restaurant than pop the question over a pancake. Luke complains about having to wear a tie. Lorelai says he only has to wear a jacket, and that he can take it off after they sit down. Luke agrees to go, and compliments Lor's hat. Lorelai says she's living on a prayer.
Lane carries a bag of groceries down the street. She sees MamaLane. They walk toward each other. They stare at each other for a second. "Hello, Lane." "Hello, Mrs. Kim." I know we're supposed to find that funny, but it seems like Lane wants nothing to do with her mom anymore, if she doesn't call her "Mama." It made me very sad. It apparently made MamaLane sad, too. She walks off. Lane tells MamaLane she's staying at Lorelai's. "Wear socks," MamaLane mothers, and walks away.
Rory leaves a message for Lorelai about how she's on her way to her professor's class to ask about the last lecture, with an excuse that her pen ran out and she couldn't read her notes, but she's really going there to find out what she got on her paper so that she can get some much-needed teacher-praising. Rory sports a Texas shirt here that I need to own. The Professor knows what Rory's doing the second she enters, and fetches her paper while Rory goes on about Charlize Theron and how "pretty girls like to get fat" and win Oscars. Rory doesn't get an earful of love. What she gets is a suggestion that she drop the class. He can tell that she's using knowledge she got from other classes to use as research into this paper. Wait, they know when we do that? And we're not supposed to do it? Where else would I ever apply the things I learn in Art History if not in Latin American Playwrights? This professor went so far as to look up her schedule and talk to her advisor. Everybody thinks Rory needs to drop a class. This is unacceptable to Rory, as it would have been for me. Only once did I drop a class, and it was a dance class I had to drop due to an injury. I didn't even change stuff to pass/fail. And I took fifteen to eighteen hours a semester. I would have been as devastated as Rory here at the very notion that I couldn't handle the schoolwork. And the worst thing in the world is a professor suggesting you do it, that you aren't good enough, that you're a failure. I am so with Rory for the rest of the episode, as this scenario was one of my biggest fears in college. ["Me too. In my second year I had to ask for special permission to take an extra half-course in my first semester, which was one of the dumbest things I ever did. I was taking all English or Comparative Literature classes so I had between 1000 and 1500 pages of reading to do every weekend. Basically, I spent those four months in bed, reading. And even with that insane courseload, I was still the only person in my Women Writers class who finished Middlemarch." -- Wing Chun] It's when he tells Rory she works at a "slower pace" than others. Whoa, that would have sent me into a terrible panic. Rory's face when she finds out that she got a D on the paper is absolutely perfect. Girls like Rory don't get Ds. This isn't how things are supposed to go. This is all wrong. She exhales, deflated, and stands up to leave. The professor tells her that this happens to a lot of students. "Okay," Rory says. "Glad to be fitting in." She leaves. ["If that had happened to me in my first year of university, I would have never stopped crying." -- Wing Chun]
Emily's. Here's what I don't understand. If you know you're going to lunch with your frantic mother who will be scrutinizing the hair you couldn't get done in time, wouldn't you pull it up into a bun or a French twist, or some clips? Why let it all hang down in a mess? I mean, how helpless is Lorelai? She wears this rocking dress that's a little inappropriate for lunch with your grandmother and hair that looks like it's knotted and filthy. I just turned into a grandmother on that last sentence. Sorry. Gran asks Emily what's the matter with Lorelai's hair. She says that if Lorelai had gotten proper notice of Gran's arrival, Lorelai would have done something with her hair. Lorelai tries to take the blame, but Gran assumes that Lorelai is covering for her mother. She tells Emily to fetch her daughter a drink. Gran asks about Rory. Lorelai says that Rory's perfect: hair perfect, grades perfect, perfect, perfect: "Studying her butt off." Gran says that's charming. Heh. Gran says that Gilmores have quite a legacy to live up to at Yale. Lorelai says that Gran's legacy is safe with Rory. The latest maid arrives with a bowl of nuts. "Mom!" Emily shouts. "Here are the nuts!" Gran feigns heart palpitations, and mocks over-enthusiasm for the rest of the scene. She tells Emily that she needn't announce to the entire neighborhood that the nuts have arrived. I love Gran because she is hysterical in her jabs, and Emily needs a little bit of her own medicine every once in a while. Gran says to Lorelai, "Strange woman! So excited about nuts!"
Richard and Digger arrive together. As they chat about Florida, Lorelai gives her mom an understanding pat to the thigh. "Would you like a nut?" Gran asks Richard quietly. "They seem to be very important to your wife." Whee! Richard just now notices Lorelai and seems to think she somehow snuck into the room. Richard is growing an ugly mustache. "The Ferrari arrives Tuesday," Emily says. Heh. Digger's facial mess is getting worse. Richard introduces Digger. Digger has brought Gran a present. Gran stares at it and asks what's in it. Digger tells her that it's a book on French antiques, since he'd heard she likes them. "I do like French antiques," she says, like a challenge. She stares at Digger, who puts the gift down and tells her she can open it later. It is then that Gran softens just a little, but she doesn't want to show her approval just yet. Digger, however, has no idea how to deal with this woman who doesn't flirt and blush and coo like other ladies do. Lorelai gets a cell-phone call, and Gran tells her she isn't allowed to answer the phone in front of company. Lorelai turns off her phone. Gran suggests that they take turns guessing how long it'll be before lunch is served.
Rory is upset to get her mom's voicemail. She hangs up without leaving a message, grabs her keys, and leaves her room, slamming the door.
Lorelai sneaks into the study to check her messages. Digger follows, asking if it's anything important. Lorelai says it's a hang-up. Digger chats about globes, and how important characters in movies always have globes in their studies. "You're hiding from my grandmother, aren't you?" Lorelai asks. Digger: "She is scarier than Nick Nolte's mug shot!" Lorelai hooks an arm around his head and pulls him back to the luncheon.
In the hallway, Gran informs Lorelai that they've decided just to go sit at the table and hope the food eventually arrives by wish fulfillment. Emily offers to go check on it, but Gran doesn't want to disturb the cook, who's "obviously in the middle of a crossword puzzle." They sit. Lorelai tells Gran that she had to check her messages because of all the construction going on at the inn. Gran asks Richard if he's seen the inn. Richard admits that he and Emily haven't yet. Lorelai says it's a mess right now, and that they'll see it when it opens. Gran asks when that would be. "Soon," Lorelai says. Gran: "I see you measure time like your mother." Emily asks if she may go check on the food. Gran asks Lorelai how much money she's invested in the inn. Lorelai says it's a chunk. Gran asks about Lorelai's projected timetable for getting her chuck out. Lorelai hopes to break even in the first year and turn a profit in the second year, since their town has a regular tourist trade. Digger says that bed and breakfasts can be real money factories. Gran: "Yes, and wonderful places to put all those French antiques." Digger and Gran share a priceless look here. He wants to get her; she knows him all too well. Lorelai says they just booked their first reservation, and that they have to be ready by May 8th. Gran asks how the money's holding up. Lorelai says she has enough money left to finish. Gran stares Lorelai down and concludes, "You're in trouble." Lorelai looks away and says she's not. Gran says she can see in Lorelai's eyes that she's hemorrhaging money, and that it must be costing a fortune to get a contractor to stick to a projected completion date, while she's not working. Emily says this isn't the best time to discuss this. Gran says that if they were eating, they'd have something else to do, but since they aren't, this is the time to discuss it. Gran scolds Richard for not taking care of his daughter when she needs help the most, and reminds Richard that she helped him and Emily when they were starting out, and helped pay for this house by bailing him out when he made an unwise investment at Lorelai's age. Richard says he built two extremely successful businesses without any of her help, and that he doesn't appreciate her throwing back in his face, many years later, how she once helped him out financially. Gran tells him not to raise his voice at her. The maid tries to serve lunch, but Emily sends her away, and then reminds Richard how they paid Gran back in two months. Gran says she's leaving the table. Richard offers to help her with her chair.
Rory is at the Dragonfly, but can't find her mother. She finds CuteDean instead. She's so frantic that CuteDean asks her what's wrong. She says she's fine, but babbles into craziness. CuteDean takes her outside. Rory begins to fake-cry as CuteDean pulls her to the ground and asks her to talk. Rory is very bad at the fake cry. I don't even know why you'd bother doing it if it's going to be so fake. Rory says that she's a failure and that everything is falling apart. She thought she had it under control but she doesn't. Everybody can handle the classes, but she can't, and she's supposed to take five classes since Richard did. She doesn't know how to tell Richard she failed. She didn't even get a chance to fail; she dropped a class. It's a really big deal because she's not a drop-a-class person. She gets good grades and handles things. Lane's not around anymore and she misses her. She liked having Lane at school. She hasn't talked to her mom and she needs to talk to her and she's not around. Rory whines that she's failing and she can't handle it. CuteDean holds her as she says she's messing everything up. She then says that CuteDean shouldn't have to be nice to he, since she was horrible to him, and now he's married to someone nice. Side note: remember how the radio promos for this episode make it sound like Rory throws herself at Dean, and Dean gently tells Rory that she doesn't love him? I want that episode. CuteDean tells Rory she's not a failure. Rory dissolves into words like "can't" and "Mom" and "failure" and "I don't know what to do." I'm so there with you, Rory. CuteDean holds Rory as she cries, and tells her it's okay.
Lorelai finds snazzy Luke as he's on his way to his truck. She should tell him he looks awesome; she doesn't. She apologizes and says she needs to reschedule dinner. Luke says that's fine. Lorelai says she's tired, and apologizes for getting him all dressed up. Luke says it's okay to dress up every once in a while because it reminds him why he's not an accountant. He asks Lorelai if she's okay, because she doesn't look okay. Lorelai distractedly admits that she's distracted. She says that today she wished she was married, even though she loves her life and space and stuff and time, but today she wished she had a partner -- someone to pick up the slack. Someone to make her coffee in the morning and get the sink. Lorelai sits down and cries, saying she thought she had everything under control but that she doesn't, and the inn is falling apart. This has been her dream forever and it's here and she's failing. She can't handle it. She spends every minute running around, working, and thinking. Sookie has the baby and Michel has Céline and she doesn't have time for herself or to talk to Rory. She sat at her parents' house today listening to her grandmother call her a charity case and she couldn't even argue with her. She couldn't say anything because she's running out of money and doesn't know what to do about it and was going to ask Luke for $30,000 tonight: "That's how pathetic I am." Luke tries to figure out how he can give her the money, but Lorelai doesn't want to talk about it right now. She says she doesn't want to think about it. Lorelai cries, and Luke pulls her into his arms as Lorelai whines that she's failing. "I'm failing," she repeats. Luke tells her she's not failing. "I don't know what to do," Lorelai sobs. Luke holds Lorelai as she cries, and tells her it's okay. Ah, fake boyfriends. What would we do without them?
Yale. Rory listens to a message from Lorelai, who says there's nothing much to report.
Home. Lorelai listens to a message from Rory, who says there's nothing much to report. Lorelai heads upstairs as we fade to black.
week: Shopping. Emily. CuteDean considers divorce.