in-show answer: she wanted to go with her boyfriend, who gave no indication that he wasn’t going to be able to buy her the tickets until it was too late. his life was also kinda imploding and i doubt that teenage jess was in any way capable of sharing his troubles with rory/lane so that lane could buy tickets for them. after jess left, she was likely reeling from that and wouldn’t have been up to going to the prom considering how different the circumstances were than how she imagined it.
real answer: jess and rory needed to break up and it needed to be dramatic in a way that hurt rory.
it was definitely a shitty thing to do but at the same time, from his perspective he wasn’t doing it specifically *to* rory; she was just one of the people who got caught in the crossfire. withinm weeks his car had been stolen, he presumably lost his job at walmart with no way to get there, he found out he wasn’t graduating which he knew meant he would be kicked out of luke’s house, and his father blindsided him by showing up for the first time in his life and then immediately running away (again). telling rory he was leaving would have come with him having to explain *why* he was leaving, and i’m sure enduring her (well-intentioned) efforts to help him fix it was the last thing he wanted when he truly felt like his life was falling apart.
Beautifully put! Also, Rory was one of the few people in his life who actually believed in him. That must have made it so much more difficult for him to tell her
Some schools only allow students to bring a date from a different school, not multiple friends. I don’t know if Dave went to Stars Hallow High. If not, then Rory might not have been able to go as Lane’s guest because Lane was already taking Dave.
It seems like they would have made an exception for Rory to attend since the whole town knows her.
There’s a good chance she just didn’t want to go because the whole thing was tainted by the issues she was having with Jess.
Process might be slightly different for each school district but for my school district, if someone wanted to bring someone from outside their high school, there was a form that the student, the guest, and the school administrators had to sign off on that basically said that the student was responsible for the guests behavior. There was also a limit on how many people a single student could sponsor as an outside guest. Usually that limit is one outside guest.
Assuming that is the same case with SH High, Lane was already sponsoring Dave so she couldn't bring in Rory also.
You’re only allowed 2 tickets - one for you, and one for your date.
Lane wouldn’t have been able to bring Rory unless she brought her in lieu of going with Dave and Jess wasn’t allowed to buy tickets.
You can’t just show up to some other schools prom without someone who actually goes to that school brining you as a date.
Only students of the high school could go to prom, people outside of the high school could only attend if they were accompanied by a senior in my high school. They definitely could've had a girls prom, but after Mrs. Kim agreed to let Dave date Lane, I wouldn't want to say "no take me instead"
I doubt Rory wanted to go to the SH prom with another boy, but if she did, I’m certain she could have gotten a date.
I think Rory should have attended the Chilton prom (alone if necessary) because she is student Vice President and valedictorian.
If she really wanted to go, I’m sure Lorelai would have found a way to bully the high school administration into letting her.
Regardless, I think she was super down about Jess and just confused. I don’t think she wanted to go at all. Third wheeling wouldn’t have been that much fun and it would’ve just reminded her of Jess.
I don't think we actually know whether she went or not. It was implied I guess that she didn't end up going, but I don't think it was ever acknowledged.
Even if the school allowed her in, she'd have been miserable the whole time third-wheeling Lane and Dave's night. I wish she'd gone to Chilton prom with Paris & Madeline & Louise.
in-show answer: she wanted to go with her boyfriend, who gave no indication that he wasn’t going to be able to buy her the tickets until it was too late. his life was also kinda imploding and i doubt that teenage jess was in any way capable of sharing his troubles with rory/lane so that lane could buy tickets for them. after jess left, she was likely reeling from that and wouldn’t have been up to going to the prom considering how different the circumstances were than how she imagined it. real answer: jess and rory needed to break up and it needed to be dramatic in a way that hurt rory.
I'll never get over how Jess left without telling her
it was definitely a shitty thing to do but at the same time, from his perspective he wasn’t doing it specifically *to* rory; she was just one of the people who got caught in the crossfire. withinm weeks his car had been stolen, he presumably lost his job at walmart with no way to get there, he found out he wasn’t graduating which he knew meant he would be kicked out of luke’s house, and his father blindsided him by showing up for the first time in his life and then immediately running away (again). telling rory he was leaving would have come with him having to explain *why* he was leaving, and i’m sure enduring her (well-intentioned) efforts to help him fix it was the last thing he wanted when he truly felt like his life was falling apart.
Beautifully put! Also, Rory was one of the few people in his life who actually believed in him. That must have made it so much more difficult for him to tell her
So true I could definitely see Rory trying to help fix everything
Some schools only allow students to bring a date from a different school, not multiple friends. I don’t know if Dave went to Stars Hallow High. If not, then Rory might not have been able to go as Lane’s guest because Lane was already taking Dave. It seems like they would have made an exception for Rory to attend since the whole town knows her. There’s a good chance she just didn’t want to go because the whole thing was tainted by the issues she was having with Jess.
Lane went to the prom with Dave. Most proms only allow one date, not multiples who don't go to Stars Hollow.
Process might be slightly different for each school district but for my school district, if someone wanted to bring someone from outside their high school, there was a form that the student, the guest, and the school administrators had to sign off on that basically said that the student was responsible for the guests behavior. There was also a limit on how many people a single student could sponsor as an outside guest. Usually that limit is one outside guest. Assuming that is the same case with SH High, Lane was already sponsoring Dave so she couldn't bring in Rory also.
Very interesting to learn!
You’re only allowed 2 tickets - one for you, and one for your date. Lane wouldn’t have been able to bring Rory unless she brought her in lieu of going with Dave and Jess wasn’t allowed to buy tickets. You can’t just show up to some other schools prom without someone who actually goes to that school brining you as a date.
Only students of the high school could go to prom, people outside of the high school could only attend if they were accompanied by a senior in my high school. They definitely could've had a girls prom, but after Mrs. Kim agreed to let Dave date Lane, I wouldn't want to say "no take me instead"
Kind of a bummer I'm glad Lane got to go with Dave but it would've been cute seeing rory and Lane go together
I doubt Rory wanted to go to the SH prom with another boy, but if she did, I’m certain she could have gotten a date. I think Rory should have attended the Chilton prom (alone if necessary) because she is student Vice President and valedictorian.
If she really wanted to go, I’m sure Lorelai would have found a way to bully the high school administration into letting her. Regardless, I think she was super down about Jess and just confused. I don’t think she wanted to go at all. Third wheeling wouldn’t have been that much fun and it would’ve just reminded her of Jess.
Plus she didn’t know until pretty last minute that she wasn’t going to get to go
100% the town could've marched on the school if Rory wanted to go lol
I don't think we actually know whether she went or not. It was implied I guess that she didn't end up going, but I don't think it was ever acknowledged.
I think the scene where Lane is showing Rory her pictures from prom suggest heavily that Rory wasn’t there.
Ah okay I must have forgotten that one
Even if the school allowed her in, she'd have been miserable the whole time third-wheeling Lane and Dave's night. I wish she'd gone to Chilton prom with Paris & Madeline & Louise.