Happy Birthday, Baby

Season 3, Episode 18, Aired
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Episode Summary

Emily and Richard rejoice when Rory announces her decision to attend Yale. Kirk sustains baking-related injuries while helping with preparations for Lorelai's surprise birthday party. Michel and Tobin compete over giving Lorelai the best present. Richard stuns Lorelai with a very special birthday gift. Luke meets Nicole's parents but is too distracted by Jess' behaviour to make a good impression.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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  • Lorelei's having a birthday, and Rory has big plans for it

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By leo23dc, Aug 13, 2008 Report Abuse
    It's Lorelei's 35th birthday. Rory has plans to make the "world's largest pizza" until she finds out that someone already did that and it was bigger than anything she can make. She and Lane decide to go ahead anyway, and just tell Lorelai that it is the world's largest pizza.

    Richard gives Lorelei a check for 75,000 dollars, which is a result of an investment he made in Lorelei's name when she was born. She decides, after talk of buying hundreds of Jimmy Choos, to pay her parents back for the Chilton loan. She gives the money to her mother, who is upset because she thinks she will never see Lorelei and Rory again.

    Luke catches Jess skipping school to go to work at Wal-Mart, so he hides his car and lets Jess think it was stolen. That way, Jess won't have transportation to get to Wal-Mart and Luke figures he will have to go to school.

    After Lorelai and Rory argue over whether Lorelei should have given Emily the check, they stop arguing as Lorelei sees that the whole town is giving her a party with a gigantic pizza being lowered by a crane. Lorelei thanks Rory lovingly for her loving gesture.moreless

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  • Rory plans Lorelai a birthday party, Luke meets Nicole's parents. Great episode, will the Friday night dinners continue.....

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By stewie1423, Jun 10, 2008 Report Abuse
    I liked how Rory was planning a great party or Lorelai and it was nice to see her try and make it brilliant. From the almost worlds largest pizza to the happy birthday message done in cookies. I liked her rant to the pizza guy and when she lied and said she was talking to Astrid from school.

    Paris getting her nose pierced, did not see that coming. It was pretty funny though, her story about the whole thing was hilarious. I was surprised that there was no mention of where she's going to college now, will it be Yale or what.
    Kirk being burned by loads of cheese, very amusing.

    Luke finally finds out that what Lorelai thought about Jess was true, he's not going to school. Instead he's going to work, funny how Luke ranted to Nicole's parents, there faces were great. I loved how he ended it with Jess, took his car but didn't tell him so Jess thinks it was stolen, his smile was great.

    Richard's investment to Lorelai wasn't what I was expecting, I thought the meeting would be about Yale, it was funny how he set it all up. Also when Rory told the grandparents about Yale, the whole thing was amusing. It was funny seeing Michel get jealous or Tobin, the guy who was impressing Lorelai.

    I thought Emily and Rory acted harshly to Lorelai when she paid back the money, it was fair enough, how else would she have done it. I'm glad Lorelai defended herself to Rory, I think the dinners will continue, purely for entertainments sake. Should be interesting to see Emily's next visit to see Lorelai.

    Only 4 more episodes, look forward to them.moreless

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  • I just love this show more every episode, just love it.

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By karatiz, Dec 21, 2007 Report Abuse
    I had to see all the last episode on a roll lol

    the scene when Rory and Lorelai tell Richard and Emily that Rory is going to Yale... that was fun lol they tried to keep it cool but when they told them that it was OK they were trilled.

    I almost forgot that the Inn had caught fire, I haven't scene an episode in months. Michel and Tobin fighting for Lorelai was great lol so cute. It's Lorelai's birthday and Rory is organizing a surprise party. that argument between Luke and Lorelai was fun, all about the cookies. Jess skipping school is confirmed.

    World biggest pizza?? Yeah right... the transportation was smart.

    I knew Lorelai was going to pay back the money, it had to be at dinner, not a smart idea doing that like that.

    At least the party was good, Lorelai loved itmoreless

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  • Its Lorelais birthday and Rory plans a party for her.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By kebarrera, Jul 28, 2007 Report Abuse
    Rory arranges for Lorelai to have a surprise party. With that her party comes with a 12 foot pizza that it seems like no one can make. Lorelais dad made an investment in her name when she was born in real estate and that was saling so Lorelai gets 75,000 dollars. She decideds to pay her parents back for Rorys tuition for Chilton. Her mom is now afraid that they will never see Rory ever again and Lorelai too. Luke discovers that Jess is skipping school to work overtime at Wal-mart. He follows him one day after he says he is going to school and when he thinks no one is looking he runs to his car and pulls away. Luke gives Lorelai a 5-hour handyman for her birthday so she takes advantage of that and gets all her little things done around her house. End of episode.moreless

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  • Happy Birthday Lorelai!

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By Black_Grace, Jul 28, 2007 Report Abuse
    Emily and Richard rejoice when Rory announces her decision to attend Yale; Kirk sustains baking-related injuries when Rory secretly enlists the help of her fellow Stars Hollows citizens to bake the world's largest pizza for her mother's birthday party; Michel and Tobin compete over giving Lorelai the best present, but Richard wins the contest hands-down with a check for $75,000 that's actually the proceeds from an investment he made in Lorelai's name at her birth; Luke confronts Jess about skipping school to work at Wal-Mart, but is blown off as usual; when Lorelai decides to use the money to pay back her parents for Rory's Chilton tuition, Emily becomes furious with Richard for giving Lorelai the money, fearing that the repayment of their loan is a sign that she'll never see either Lorelai or Rory again; Luke makes a bad impression on Nicole's parents, scaring them off with a rant on the horrors of parenting Jess.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Rory announces to her grandparents that she is going to Yale. Edit
    • Nicole tells Luke that her parents are coming to town. She would like him to go for lunch with her and her parents. We then see Luke and Nicole being entertained in the Leahy's residence. (There were a couple of conversational clues indicating that Mr. and Mrs. Leahy were the hosts) Did they come to town for lunch and then go back home for drinks? Seems improbable. Later when Luke is apologizing to Nicole for his behavior, she asks if the next time they are in town she can make another lunch date. If the Leahy's lived so close then they wouldn't have to wait until they came to town to make another lunch date. Edit
    • Rory arranges the chocolate malomars to spell "Happy Birthday Lorelai" on the kitchen table. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • German episode title: "Das liebe Geld", meaning "The Beloved Money". French episode title: "Joyeux Anniversaire", meaning "Happy Birthday". Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Jess: So, it's been a couple days since you made the big decision. You still going to Yale?
      Rory: Yes, I am. It's got all the s I want and some really great teachers, and plus, you know, as an added bonus, it's really close to here.
      Jess: 22.8 miles.
      Rory: How'd you know that?
      Jess: Do you Yahoo?
      Rory: You looked it up?
      Jess: Yeah.
      Rory: You looked it up.
      Jess: I just hit a couple buttons on the computer.
      Rory: You looked it up.
      Jess: I was bored. There was nothing on TV and I was fooling around, it was something to do, that's it. Rory: You looked it up. Edit
    • Lorelai: Listen, Rory, I don't think you realize how hard it has been these past few years to be indebted to my parents. A long time ago I told myself that I was not going to go back, that I was going to be free from them, but then I had to ask them for that money, and I'm not sorry I did it because it was the right choice for you. But you only know the warm and fuzzy Richard and Emily Gilmore, and I want you to only know the warm and fuzzy Richard and Emily Gilmore because their grandparents, and they love you. But I have a different past with them. It was not all warm, and it was definitely not all fuzzy. And I'm sick of feeling guilty for paying back a debt that I always intended to pay back. I will not let them make me feel guilty about it, and I will not let you make me feel guilty about it! Edit
    • Rory: Why did you do that? Lorelai: Excuse me? Rory: Why did you pay Grandma that money back? Lorelai: Rory, I owed it to them. Rory: They obviously didn't want it. Lorelai: I didn't want to have to owe them anything anymore. Rory: That's not the point. Lorelai: Yes, Rory, it is completely the point. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Rory: This is not "Gangs of New York, now with Cameron Diaz"! This is Gangs of New York twenty years ago with Meryl Streep, as Scorsese originally imagined it! ... Kirk: (after Rory leaves) Somehow I can't picture Meryl Streep with Leonardo DiCaprio. This is a reference to Scorsese's original 1978 conception for the film, which would have starred Robert De Niro in the role eventually played by Leonardo DiCaprio. It was also due to star the classic punk band The Clash (whose lead singer, Joe Strummer, is referenced in this episode as well). It was shelved as a result of the box-office disaster of Heaven's Gate, which made studios leery of big-bidget historical dramas. Edit
    • Luke: Yeah, you could send over a couple Ooompah-Loompahs to kick the crap out of Aunt Tillie. Oompah-Loompahs are Willy Wonka's "short people" assistants in the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Edit
    • (Lorelai takes a leather jacket out of the bag.) Lorelai: Tobin, it's amazing. Tobin: That is the jacket that Joe Strummer wore during the 1979 Pearl Harbor tour. Joe Strummer was the lead singer of The Clash. Some of their albums include Give 'Em Enough Rope, London Calling, and Combat Rock. Strummer died on December 22, 2002 of a heart attack. Edit

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