[-Genevieve-]

Episode 6.22 – Partings
Air Date: 9 May 2006

Writer: Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino
Director: Amy Sherman-Palladino

The WB: "“Partings” - SEASON FINALE" ((TV-PG, D, L) (HDTV))
LOVE TAKES A PAINFUL TURN FOR BOTH LORELAI AND RORY AS STARS HOLLOW IS INVADED BY TROUBADOURS — Stars Hollow is suddenly overrun with troubadours when news gets out that the town’s regular street performer (Grant-Lee Phillips) has been discovered. On the evening of Logan’s (Matt Czuchry) graduation from Yale, Rory (Alexis Bledel) throws him a wild party, but the knowledge that he is being forced to leave for London the next day makes their time together bittersweet. Meanwhile, at a Friday night dinner, Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Richard (Edward Herrmann) attempt to set Christopher (David Sutcliffe) up with an attractive young woman (guest star Melora Hardin). Finally, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) decides she was wrong to let Luke (Scott Patterson) postpone their wedding for so long and delivers a tearful ultimatum. Musical guests include Sonic Youth, Sam Phillips, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Yo La Tengo, Sparks, Joe Pernice and Dave Gruber Allen. Melissa McCarthy and Sean Gunn also star. The episode was written by Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino

TvGuide: In the sixth-season finale, Lorelai tries to avoid Luke and ends up pouring her heart out to a psychologist (Melora Hardin) who was invited to dinner at her parents' house. Elsewhere, Rory tries to avoid the Huntzbergers, particularly Mitchum, as she attends Logan's graduation and prepares for his inevitable departure; and Taylor's bothered by an influx of troubadours to Stars Hollow. Mary Lynn Rajskub, Sam Phillips, Grant Lee Phillips, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Sparks and Joe Pernice appear.

• Timeline and sides released 4 April 2006

• From genki: Things don't end well for LL. Do not end the season as a couple.

• From massimin: L/L "sad realization" type of breakup

• From domesday at TWoP: There's a big 1960s retro theme party for Logan in the finale.

• From sources quoted on TWOP:
• Lorelai GOES to Chris. She tells him that she doesn't want to be alone because she's had a crappy day. The next scene I've seen with them is her waking up in bed. I don't know if there's something in between that. The scene preceding her almost breakdown would be the breakup, which I only have small details of ...
• Describes Lorelai's condition when she knocks on Chris's door as "On the edge of a breakdown" and that she has a "Near-breakdown"
• The "special guest" at Emily's dinner is a psychologlist named Carolyn, however Christopher is also there.Emily gets Lorelai to talk to her, which they do in Carolyn's car when dinner is over.
• Then Lorelai goes to talk to Luke.
• The beginning of the breakup scene is Lorelai going to Luke wanting to elope immediately.
• Pretty sure that there is not a scene with L/C between them going inside and the now infamous "Lorelai wakes up" scene.
• The scene in between: Rory and Logan say goodbye.
• Lorelai is not drunk.
• The breakup has nothing to do with Anna or Chris.
• Lorelai is naked in the final scene.

• From Gen on the WB tour - The sign on the model of the building the Gilmores are looking at says "Rory Gilmore Astronomy Building". Also saw chuppah partly draped with flowers.

• Musical guests in the finale include: Sparks perform Perfume, Sonic Youth members do an acoustic version of “What a Waste”, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe on “24”) on guitar, Yo La Tengo, and Sam Philips serenade L/L with her song “Taking Pictures.”

• From Mots15: Read an article that said both DP and ASP wrote 6.22. ASP directed it.

• Ask Ausiello: Rory and Logan goodbye scene not in airport

• Ausiello reports on the season finale screener. Lorelai finally utters the L word to Luke. Logan and Rory's final scene is a tear-jerker.

• From a poster on LJ: Chris will be in only boxers when he takes off his robe in the last scene.

• We'll hear in the finale why Lorelai really proposed and her thoughts in that moment.

• Finale may overrun two minutes, pass the word for anyone who plans to record

• Libbie Schrader - I was also in a scene where the dialogue was "I don't like ultimatums." "Well I don't like Mondays, but they both come around eventually!"

Articles and Reviews

• An unhappy critic - The last scene paints the show into a very tricky corner that isn't going to please Gilmore World.

• Gilmore Girls' Plans Big Finale - "It might be the coolest thing we've ever done," Sherman-Palladino said of Tuesday's season finale.

• Robert Bianco - Not a single story works tonight as the episode lurches between forced attempts at humor and dramatic scenes that are lugubrious when not ridiculous.

• NY Daily News - "I am ready to get married," Lorelai admits at one point, but worries, "I could lose him if I push too hard." "You don't seem to really have him now," she's told - which sets her negotiation with Luke in motion.

• CHicago Tribune - “I’ve been patient long enough,” Lorelai declares to Luke in the “Gilmore” season finale, and no doubt by this time next year, or earlier, fans of the show will be saying the same thing.

• Ain't it Cool - Does Rory put a knee to Mitch Huntzberger’s nethers?
  An elevator brings her together with the senior Huntzberger, but testicles do not come into play. Surprisingly, his critique of her journalistic abilities does not come up, nor does the Wall Street Journal. And Mitch has the last word.

• Mauren Ryan - Things do end on a sad (and in Lorelai’s case, frustratingly repetitive) note for both Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, but there are compensations: Alexis Bledel, as Rory, displays some fine chops in a scene in which Rory confronts the arrogant father of her boyfriend.