Gilmore Girls

Emily, Lorelai and Rory are sitting at the dining room table while Richard is in the kitchen preparing a special dish that his grandmother use to make for him. Emily is not entused about the taste treat to come, but Richard is eager to share the 'Johnny Machete' with his family. While Lorelai, Rory and Richard dig in and enjoy, Emily picks at her supper with distaste. Rory decides this is a good time to announce her decision to go to Yale. Lorelai and Rory are surprised to see that neither Emily nor Richard seems interested in the news. Lorelai makes it very clear that she is also happy about Rory's decision and that it is okay for them to be happy too. With that revelation, Emily and Richard jump up and hug their granddaughter. They rush off to phone their friends with the wonderful news.
At the Independence Inn, Lorelai is overseeing the repairs to the Inn due to the fire. She is trying to get Tom to get the repairs done as quickly as possible. Sookie informs her that as soon as the gas is hooked up they will be able to use the kitchen. Tobin, the night manager, arrives for a meeting. Michel is irritated by Tobin's sycophantic musings and makes his dissatisfaction well known. Tobin presents Lorelai with a scented candle for her birthday increasing Michel's ire.
Later at Lorelai's house, Rory and Lorelai are walking through the house making a list of some handy work to be done by Luke. Every year Luke gives Lorelai five hours of work around the house for her birthday. Of course, Lorelai is exploiting the situation and wonders aloud if building a new kitchen would take more than five hours. The phone rings and it is Paris asking about homework. She has been at home since her meltdown on C-Span. Rory encourages her to go crazy on her last day of freedom. Lorelai and Rory sit down and begin planning their activities for her birthday week. After Rory leaves to continue the planning, the phone rings. It is Richard's secretary. She wishes to set up a meeting between Lorelai and her father. Lorelai insists on talking to her father directly and they arrange to meet the next day.
At Weston's bakery, Rory arranges for a special cake for her mother. Lane comes in to the bakery with some research she has done on the world's largest pizza. They decide 122 feet 8 inches is a bit beyond their resources and perhaps they will just tell Lorelai that what they make is the worlds largest pizza. Lane also gives her an update on the music she has planned for the event.
In the diner, Nicole and Taylor are going over some legal documents. When they finish, Nicole asks Luke if they can talk for a minute. She tells him that her parents are coming to town and she was wondering if he would like to join her and her parents for lunch. With very little enthusiasm, he agrees.
At Chilton, students are standing around talking before Paris enters the room with a bandage over her nose. Shocked by the sight, Rory asks what happened. Madeline and Louise ask her if she got a nose job, but the crazy thing Paris decided to do was to pierce her nose. She had an allergic reaction to the metal in the nose ring and had to go to the hospital to have it removed. Rory's cell phone rings and it is Pete telling her they are having logistical problems with the big pizza they are making. Rory encourages him to just solve the problem.
Lorelai answers the door to find Luke willing and able to deliver on his birthday handy work. Lorelai gives him her list and he sits down to check it over. He suggests that he can get most of the work done today but he'll have to come back to finish the rest. Lorelai tells him that he could come the next day but Luke explains that he is going to lunch with Nicole's parents. Luke also tells her that Jess has been skipping school. Lorelai asks him what he is going to do about it. He tells her that he is just going to let Jess know he knows that he has been skipping school. She offers him help if he needs it.
Lorelai is sitting in a restaurant waiting for Richard to arrive for their meeting. When he finally arrives, he has quite a surprise for Lorelai. He explains that the day Lorelai was born, he celebrated by making a real estate investment. It was recently sold and the proceeds of the sale were in the envelope. Richard hands her an envelope with a cheque for $75,000. Lorelai is stunned.
Later, Rory and Lorelai are sharing a large bowl of macaroni and cheese making plans for the windfall they have just received. The phone rings and Rory goes to her room to answer it. It is Pete. He explains to her there is a problem with the pizza. They had a trial run and when they attempted to transport the pizza on a rack, Kirk received severe cheese burns. Pete suggests for the sake of safety, the pizza should be cheeseless and sauceless. Rory tells him that that is unacceptable and decides to take on the task of getting the pizza moved herself.
In Luke's apartment, Jess is getting ready for a date with Rory. Luke suggests if he quits his job at Wal-Mart, he will give him a raise and then he will have more time to spend on school and with Rory. He tells Jess that he knows that he has been skipping school. They argue and Jess leaves the apartment without resolving the conflict.
At the Inn, the battle between Michel and Tobin rages on. Michel presents Lorelai with a leather bound journal. Lorelai is surprised to get a give from Michel but thanks him sincerely. Michel looks smugly over at Tobin but Tobin gives Lorelai a bag with another gift. It is a leather jacket worn by Joe Strummer a member of the band The Clash. Lorelai is in awe and Michel is livid. He storms out of the Inn looking to find another birthday gift.
Sitting in the Leahy residence, Nicole and her father are having a heated discussion while Luke sits by listening quietly. Nicole's mother attempts to draw Luke into the discussion by asking him some personal questions. She begins talking about what a gift children are to one's life. Luke, still thinking about Jess's situation, responds very strangely...
Mrs. Leahy: The whole experience is like the most fabulous roller coaster ride you can imagine. From the time they're born to that first step. The first word. The first time they hug you. The first time they pick out their own outfits.

Luke: (Angrily)The first time they tell you they're going to school and then you follow them, and they get in their car and drive to Wal-Mart.

Mr. Leahy: Wal-Mart?

Luke: And they think you don't know. They think you're just a moron and you're going, 'Hey, they must be telling me the truth, right?' And they don't think that maybe you know that they're lying to your face and that you're really mad because you guys had an agreement.

Mrs. Leahy: Oh dear.

Luke: And that agreement was clear, very clear. And they know that breaking that agreement is a violation of everything you had talked about. Oh yeah, that is cute. That's just darling. I can't wait to experience that again. (Embarrassed by his outburst.) I'm sorry, did someone mention cheese?
Later in the diner, Luke is on the phone apologizing to Nicole for his outburst. They agree to try lunch with her parents again, next time they are in town. Jess rushes into the diner panicked because his car has been stolen. Luke sends him off to school telling him that he will report the theft.
At Friday night dinner, they are singing "Happy Birthday' to Lorelai. When they finish, to Lorelai's dismay, they take the cake into the kitchen without letting her blow out the candles. They retire to the living room to have their cake there. Lorelai takes this opportunity to present Emily with a cheque, paying her back for Rory's tuition at Chilton. Emily realizes that Lorelai is no longer obligated to her and will not be coming to Friday night dinner every week. She expresses her consternation in no uncertain terms and leaves in anger.
On their way to Lorelai's party in Stars Hollow, Rory questions her mother's decision to pay back the money and upset Emily in that way. Lorelai defends her action...
Rory: Well, they didn't want the money back.

Lorelai: It's not the point.

Rory: Well, it's kind of the point.

Lorelai: No, Rory, it's not the point at all.

Rory: They were throwing you a party, Mom.

Lorelai: Sorry, did I miss something? Did I dance around saying "nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah" when I gave her the check?

Rory: No.

Lorelai: Did, did I not thank her...genuinely thank her for everything?

Rory: Yes.

Lorelai:: Did I not credit your getting into Yale with them giving us that money?

Rory: Yes, but...

Lorelai: Uh uh, no buts. Listen Rory, I'm not sure if you're aware of how hard it has been for me these past three years to be indebted to my parents. I decided a long time ago that I was gonna live my life without their help, but I went to them and I took their money and I'm not sorry I did, it was the right thing for you, but I don't need their help anymore.

Rory: Fine, but you don't have to just throw it in their faces like that.

Lorelai: I paid back a loan. You're supposed to pay back a loan. I have Polonius and then entire banking system on my side.

Rory: I just think you could've done it differently.

Lorelai: How?

Rory: I don't know.

Lorelai: Take a shot.

Rory: I don't know.

Lorelai: Rory, my relationship with my parents is very different from your relationship with them. You only know the warm and fuzzy Richard and Emily, and I only want you to know the warm and fuzzy Richard and Emily because they're your grandparents and they love you, but I have a different history with them and it was not all warm and it was definitely not all fuzzy. So do not judge me for repaying a loan that I always intended to repay, that I told them from the beginning I would repay, that I had to repay. I will not let them make me feel guilty for doing that and I will not let you make me feel guilty for doing that either.

Rory: I'm sorry.

Lorelai: It's okay.
They continue walking until they see the huge pizza. Their mood changes immediately. The serious discussion is forgotten. Lorelai smiles broadly and gives Rory a heartfelt thank you.