Rory's Birthday Parties

Season

Episode

1

6

Aired

November 9, 2000

Written by

Amy Sherman-Palladino

Directed by

Sarah Pia Anderson

[[{{{transcript}}}|Episode Transcript]]
[[{{{transcript2}}}|Part Two]]

Rory's Birthday Parties is the 6th episode of season 1 of Gilmore Girls. It is the 6th produced episode of the series.

SynopsisEdit

What a difference a day makes. The swanky birthday celebration Emily hosts is a freaky Friday for Rory. But Lorelai's Saturday party is way cool - not counting the big blowup between Lorelai and Emily.

Plot OutlineEdit

It's Rory's birthday, and her grandmother and mother each plan a party representative of their respective styles. Emily has recently served pudding for desert at one of the Friday night dinners, which Lorelai has taken as a sign that Emily is trying harder to relate to her and Rory. When shopping for a gift for Rory, Emily makes several misteps, but finally chooses a bracelet that Rory would actually like, easing the tension bewteen her and Lorelai. Unfortunately, Emily invites all of Chilton to Rory's party without asking her, and when Emily asks Rory to make a speech to the guests, Rory balks, causing a rift once again.

The next day, Lorelai throws her own birthday party, attended by the residents of Stars Hollow. This is a much more casual affair, catered by Sookie, with a house stuffed with guests and laughter. To make peace, Emily and Richard attend Lorelai's bash, and Emily warms up, seeing how happy Rory is to see her.

Emily and Lorelai take a tour of the house, and Emily quizzes Lorelai about her relationship with Luke. When Emily sees a photo of Lorelai in a cast, she finds out for the first time that Lorelai broke her leg three years earlier. As she leaving the party, she sadly admits to Richard she doesn't know her daughter at all.

After the guests have gone, Lorelai looks out her window to see Dean and Rory together. Dean and Rory are obviously a couple, and he gives her a handmade gift, a medallion bracelet.

MusicEdit

• "Happy Birthday" by Altered Images
• "This Old House" by Brian Setzer Orchestra
• "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
• "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" by Travis
• "The Lathe of Heaven" by Scott Abels, Aaron Owens, Matthew W. Parker, David Fuentes, and Brian Dixon

Movie ReferencesEdit

• The Fly
• Freaky Friday

Pop Culture ReferencesEdit

Emily: My daughter, Henny Youngman.

Lorelai: So, how'd you like two parties this year?
Rory: You couldn't get her to cave.
Lorelai: No, but she did agree to make the string quartet learn "Like A Virgin."

Rory: So, is this party grandma's having going to be a big deal?
Lorelai: Not really. The government will close that day. Flags will fly at half-mast. Barbara Streisand will give her final concert... again. Now, the Pope has previous plans, but he's trying to get out of them. However, Elvis and Jim Morrison are coming, and they're bringing chips.

Sookie: it's too bad you couldn't get your mom to relinquish Friday.
Lorelai: No, she has her Vulcan death grip on that one.

Lorelai: Lucy, I'm home!

Lorelai: "And Justin is just so dreamy. He can't marry Britney. I'll just cry and cry and cry."

Lorelai: You're shopping for your imaginary granddaughter, Barbara Hutton.

Emily: You wanted me to get her a Filofax and a mermaid eraser. Oh yes, and there was the T-shirt with the Farrah Fawcett face.
Lorelai: A hero to many who aspire to the perfect feather flip.

Rory: I wonder if the Waltons ever did this.

Emily: Well, what do you think?
Lorelai: I think Edith Wharton would've been proud, and busy taking notes.

Lorelai: Here.
Rory: What is it?
Lorelai: Shirley Temple.
Rory: What are you drinking?
Lorelai: A Shirley Temple Black. I got your Good Ship Lollipop right here, mister.

QuotesEdit

Lorelai's birthday speech to Rory:
Lorelai: Happy birthday, little girl.
Rory: Hey.
Lorelai: I can't believe how fast you're growing up.
Rory: Really? Feels slow.
Lorelai: Trust me, it's fast. What do you think of your life so far?
Rory: I think it's pretty good.
Lorelai: Any complaints?
Rory: I'd like that whole humidity thing to go away.
Lorelai: Alright, I'll work on that.
Rory: So, do I look older?
Lorelai: Oh, yeah! You walk into Denny's before 5:00 and you've got yourself a discount.
Rory: Good.
Lorelai: So you know what I think?
Rory: What?
Lorelai: I think you're a great, cool kid, and the best friend a girl could have.
Rory: Back at ya.
Lorelai: And it's so hard to believe that at exactly this time, many moons ago, I was lying in exactly this same position.
Rory: Oh boy, here we go.
Lorelai: Only I had a huge fat stomach, and big fat ankles, and I was swearing like a sailor...
Rory: On leave.
Lorelai: On leave, right. And there I was...
Rory: In labor.
Lorelai: And while some have called it the most meaningful experience of your life, to me it was something more akin to doing the splits on a crate of dynamite.
Rory: I wonder if the Waltons ever did this.
Lorelai: And I was screaming and swearing, and being surrounded as I was by a hundred prominent doctors, I just assumed there was an actual use for the cup of ice chips they gave me.
Rory: There wasn't.
Lorelai: But pelting the nurses sure was fun.
Rory: I love you, mom.
Lorelai: Shush, I'm getting to the part where he sees your head... So there I was...

TriviaEdit

• In this episode, we learn that Paris intends to attend the same college, Harvard, as Rory.

• Luke asks Lorelai to marry him, but only to get her to shut up.
• We learn that Rory's birthday is October 8th.
• Kirk talks to Miss Paty like he doesnt know her, but later she says that Kirk was in her dance classes when he was a kid.