“You’re not buying us a DSL”

In the scene where Lorelai confronts Emily at the salon, we learn that Lorelai and Rory have dial-up internet access, and that Lorelai is turning down the offer of free broadband from her mother, even though that would be of genuine help to Rory’s education. To maintain her independence from Emily, Lorelai is willing to disadvantage her own daughter.

In the Pilot, when Lorelai and Rory are arguing about going to Chilton, Lorelai claims that their household has always been a democracy, with Rory getting an equal say in all decisions, until she decided to use the “mom card” and force her daughter to attend private school. Yet in this instance, Rory is never even told about the offer of free broadband so that she can put forward her views. We may wonder how many other times Rory remained unaware that a choice was being made on her behalf.