Lorelai's Graduation Day

Season 2, Episode 21, Aired
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Episode Summary

Lorelai and Rory have breakfast at Sookie's in an effort to avoid Luke's, but Lorelai can't avoid an awkward encounter with him at Doose's Market, where he fails to pick up on her hints to patch things up; in an effort to help Lorelai through final exam stress, Rory gets her excited about attending her college graduation ceremony and secretly invites Richard and Emily, despite Lorelai's assertion that they'd never agree to attend; after a late night phone call from Jess, Rory impulsively cuts school the next day and visits him in Manhattan; Christopher sends Lorelai a graduation gift basket filled with fun goodies and an expensive necklace; Lorelai is shocked to see Emily, Richard and a film crew accompanying them to her graduation, and must contend with an obnoxious classmate with an attitude about the rich; Rory is furious with herself when her bus home is delayed and she misses her mother's graduation; when Rory finally arrives home, Lorelai forgives her when she realizes that the trip to New York may indicate that her daughter has fallen in love with Jess, despite her protests to the contrary.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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  • Rory and Jess! One of my favorite epiosodes!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By cookaberry, Jun 08, 2010 Report Abuse
    First of all, it's great seeing Lorelai graduate and the moment with Emily and Richard is truly touching. But on to Rory and Jess...

    Rory runs to New York, skipping school to see Jess. While in New York they have fun, hanging around, and Rory really truly, imo, realizes that she is in love with Jess. The best part of the whole episode is when Rory's getting back on the bus, and Jess asks her, Why did you come? She replies, "You never said good bye." It is truly amazing.

    Rory misses Lorelai's graduation, but it was kind of nice seeing Rory mess up... She really was sorry and it showed that she's not perfect. My favorite season 2 episode!moreless

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    3 0

  • Lorelai graduates from Community College,Christopher sends a very original gift basket and Rory skips class to travel to NYC to meet Jess and subsequently misses her mother's graduation.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By swanstoon, Jun 08, 2010 Report Abuse
    This is an extraordinary episode climaxing in Rory's simply wonderful soliloquy at episode's end! There is so much to like about this episode with Rory's impetuous,yet spontaneous trip to New york City,Lorelai's Business Classmates Liza and Zach,Jackson's 'over the top' suit ("you're a fox" says Sookie) and Rory's proposal to Richard and Emily regarding Lorelei's Graduation.And there's Christopher's highly original gift basket!

    But it's Rory's passionate speech of apology which closes the episode that leaves me in awe of this show,it's writers and it's actors.Rory is simply stunning and i'm usually left speechless by the pure conviction and authenticity of her delivery and reduced to tears by it's passion and intensity.

    A wonderful,wonderful episode and arguably my favourite!moreless

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    2 0

  • Lorelai graduates from her business class but Rory doesn't turn up. Brilliant episode, with an even better end!

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By stewie1423, Jun 08, 2010 Report Abuse
    The end was definitely a highlight of the episode, but I'll go into that later. It was great to see Lorelai graduate and prepare for it. It was nice to see how happy everyone was for her, Sookie with the hat shaped cake, Christopher with the basket and her parents by actually showing up at the event. Rory obviously cared because its her, but she still tried to get everyone to attend.

    Her sudden trip to New York obviously proves her feeling for Jess which Lorelai points out at the episodes end. However, her being in New York was very entertaining. She and Jess are great together, good chemistry. From the hot dog stand to the punk record store, Jess's smile here says it all.

    Plus when Rory goes to leave on the bus, he asks why she came, she says because he never said goodbye. I'd say it is only a few episode until they get together. I know there's Dean but .... you never know. The mystery breakfast thing with Jackson was funny, good how it came up again later.

    As for Lorelai's graduation, very enjoyable. It was funny to see Emily frantically trying to get things ready, with the camera man. Another great part was Lorelai pretending that Emily wasn't her mother, by agreeing with her classmates about rich people. but when they find out they are fairly harsh to her.

    The ceremony itself was great, the camera men following Lorelai up to the stand, Emily and Lorelai nearly crying, the picture at the end and Richard giving Lorelai an envelope at the end. All great stuff, shows that her parents do care for her. Rory inviting her grandparents was also a great scene, with the maid and all.

    Lorelai is extremely disappointed and heartbroken that Rory doesn't turn up. The end was excellent, Lorelai comes home to Rory on the porch. Obviously Rory was sorry and she goes on a giant rant about how sorry she is, what Lorelai can do to punish her but Lorelai tells Rory she thinks that she is falling for Jess.

    She immediately denies this and goes back to her rant. As I said, brilliant episode and an even better end. Bring on the finale!moreless

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  • Lorelai graduates from business classes. Rory goes to New York to visit Jess and misses the graduation.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Ashley_382, Oct 03, 2007 Report Abuse
    Parts of this episode made me want to cry. I really felt sorry for Rory when I realized that she was going to miss her mother's graduation. She should not have skipped school to go see Jess anyway, but to do it on such an important day for her mother was scarcely believeable. She is not a thoughtless person, so I would not ordinarily expect something like that from her. Lorelai's reaction was also not what I would expect from a mother. Their relationship may be more relaxed than most, but still. She could have been a lot more upset than she was. I could tell that Rory was truly sorry though.moreless

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  • Lorelai graduates, I'm so happy

    10
    "Perfect"
    By karatiz, Sep 06, 2007 Report Abuse
    Do you know where is the best place for breakfast???
    Sookie's house!! lol

    Lorelai is finishing exams so she can graduate. She finally did it!

    And Rory asks her who she is going to invite, she says "you", then they add Sookie and Jackson and Rory brings up Lorelai's parents, Lorelai says no.

    Of course Rory had to ask then to come.

    And then a stroke happens, Rory cuts school to go to New York to see Jess.
    At the end, the one persons Lorelai wanted more than anything, her best friends, her daughter, misses the ceremony.

    Emily cries, I loved that.

    And Rory is so sorry, she even make up a list for the things she was going to do to make up to her mother.
    She is still in denial but Lorelai knows she is falling for Jess...moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In this episode, we discover that Lorelai's middle name is Victoria. Edit
    • We learn that Lorelai has attended business school for three years. Edit
    • Lorelai's fellow graduate invites her out to Shakey's after the ceremony. This is the same place Kirk later mentions in episode 4.7 "The Festival of the Living Art." Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • French episode title: "Diplôme de Lorelai", meaning "Lorelai's Diploma". Edit
    • Lorelai's Book List: Life Plan Book (gift from Hartford Community College to its graduates) What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job Hunters by Richard Nelson Bolles Edit
    • Music: "52 Girls" by The B-52's "Dance This Mess Around" by The B-52's "O'oh" by Yoko Ono "Monkey Gone to Heaven" by Pixies Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Rory: Do they allow hot dogs in the subway? Jess: You are such an out-of-towner! Edit
    • Lorelai: I am feeling so good, sista, because it's over! No more finals, no more studying, no more school, the pressure's off. Do you know how much pressure I felt, do you? All last week I felt like a giant man and his brother were sitting on my chest. Rory: A giant man? Lorelai: And his giant brother. Rory: Did they have names? Lorelai: Clem and Clem. Huh, same names, which did not reflect well on the imagination of their mothers. Rory: Mother. Lorelai: Mothers. There were two Clems. Rory: Yeah, 'cause they were brothers. Lorelai: Yes, so they had mothers. Rory: Okay, you're drawing me into your drunken world. Lorelai: It's not a bad place to be, my friend. Mnh-mnh, tank's empty. (Lorelai walks into the kitchen to get another drink) Edit
    • Emily: That's a camera? Lorelai: That's a camera. Richard: It looks like a toy. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Lorelai: (sneezes at a blackboard, spraying chalk dust around) Great, I'm Woody Allen in Annie Hall. Annie Hall contains a scene in which Woody Allen's character sneezes over a packet of cocaine, blowing most of it into the air. Edit
    • Rory: It was a vinyl copy of the Go-Go's original album signed by Belinda. The Go-Gos were an all-girl band in the 80s and came out of the punk/new wave music trend. They were perhaps the most popular all-girl band of the 80's and some of their hits include Vacation, We got the Beat and Our Lips are Sealed. Their lead singer was Belinda Carlisle who went on to have a moderately successful solo career and later appeared in Playboy. Edit
    • Lorelai: Thanks for coming, Sook, Marcus Shenkenberg. Marcus Schenkenberg is a Swedish born male model and Lorelai comparing Jackson to Marcus due to his new Ermenegildo Zegna suit. Edit

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