Samantha Who? 1.15 “The Birthday”

May 13, 2008     Entertainment, Gilmore Girls News, News

Samantha Who? 1.15 "The Birthday" (Season 1 Finale)
Air Date: May 12, 2008
Recap & Discussion

Samantha Who? Episode Highlights:

  • Todd and Sam are making out in the history section of the bookstore, still sneaking around. Sam says no more fooling around until Todd tells Chloe
  • Sam didn’t know it was her own birthday!
  • Regina is throwing Sam a birthday party, and Sam asks Dena to do the guest list (bad choice, she doesn’t know anybody). Andrea says they always went to the spa for their birthdays.
  • Todd and Chloe come to the cafe where the girls are, but it doesn’t look much like Todd is breaking up with Chloe.
  • Sam confronts Todd, who initially tries to lie about breaking up with Chloe. He spent all day with her. Sam is mad she’s becoming a "boyfriend stealing whore"
  • Todd says Chloe’s aunt is in the hospital… so, Chloe is vulnerable, as is Sam (celebrating her 1st birthday)
  • Andrea tells Regina that Samantha’s party cannot be there, it will be at her place instead (oh, the animosity!). Sad to lose out on people making their own placemats, Regina reluctantly agrees
  • Most of the people Dena calls are pretending to have Jury duty for her party
  • Sam flashes back to a memory of telling Andrea to fake a relative in the hospital in order to avoid someone breaking up with her. She goes to the hospital to prove the truth.
  • Sam finds the room with Chloe’s Aunt Wendy, who has passed away. She is in the middle of trying to read the hospital bracelet when Chloe walks in. The dead woman is not Aunt Wendy, though. She comes wheeling in soon after.
  • Dena invites Frank, the doorman, to Sam’s party
  • Just after Sam leaves a message for Todd not to break up with Chloe, Chloe comes to Sam’s house looking for a friend, after Todd broke up with her. Chloe was touched that Sam came to the hospital.
  • Regina is cooking in Andrea’s kitchen - a first for the kitchen. Andrea sometimes wishes to stay home more, while Regina is awed by Andrea’s lifestyle and travels. Andrea confesses shey buys the Holiday Ideas magazine from Good Housekeeping each year - as does Regina. Andrea wishes for a handy man like Howard.
  • Sam discovers from Chloe that Todd has a pattern of not breaking up with his old girlfriend until he has a new one lined up.
  • Nobody has showed up for Sam’s party… not even Sam! Frank shows up, though
  • Andrea decides to call up some Euro-trash to fill out the party - Sam won’t know, she has amnesia
  • Sam confronts Todd about fooling around with Chloe before breaking up with Sam. She’s not "Bad Sam" anymore, but he’s "Same Todd"
  • When Chloe walks into the apartment, Todd and Sam hide in the closet
  • Dena is enjoying the Euro-trash, and Frank loves Regina’s cooking
  • Sam doesn’t think Todd would have broken up with Chloe without a push
  • Chloe discovers Sam in the closet, who pretends to be looking for shoes for her party (she grabbed a pair of Todd’s runners). Sam decides to tell her the truth about being with Todd, but Chloe thinks it’s a joke. When she realizes the truth, seeing Todd in the closet, she’s devastated. She thought Sam was her friend
  • Sam doesn’t want to be with Todd if it’s only because she’s "not Chloe". She wants to be someone. Convinced she can’t have a fresh start there, Sam leaves, in tears
  • Sam is now ready to start filling out the pages in a new volume in her life, starting with her first birthday party
  • Todd comes by with balloons and introduces himself afresh to Sam - a balloon has his number on it. He asks for her to call sometime and leaves.
  • Sam cuts the first piece of her cake

Discussion:

So, I thought this was an important episode with really strong messages for all of us. Things about honesty, friendship, and knowing what you want in life.

  • Can Sam and Todd start fresh? For that, does Todd need to be a new Todd?
  • Does Todd need to learn to be on his own? To be "someone", just like Sam?
  • Will Frank grow to be friends with the girls?
  • How are Regina and Andrea alike, and can their differences compliment each other in ways they both crave?
  • Was Chloe sincere in seeking out a friend in Sam?

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