By: Maddy Friedman ‘25 and Melissa Nugent ‘25
Gilmore Girls. While it debuted over 20 years ago, it remains one of the most popular teen shows to this day. However, there is one question about it that has endured for years: which of protagonist Rory Gilmore’s boyfriends was truly the best? Were they all great? Were none of them great? This question has divided Gilmore Girls fans since the dawn of time. Luckily for you, we’re here to answer it.
Before we get started, here is an official disclaimer for anyone who has not finished the show or plans on watching it in the future – there are LOTS of spoilers ahead!
Let’s break it down for people who have never seen Gilmore Girls: Rory Gilmore has three main love interests throughout her time in high school and college. In the beginning, there’s the boy-next-door Dean Forester, whom she began dating in season one and had an on-and-off relationship with later in the show. Rory started dating her second boyfriend, bad boy Jess Mariano, shortly after she and Dean broke up in season three. They dated until she left for college, where she began dating rich guy Logan Huntzberger during their sophomore year in season five. Caught up? Great! No? Too bad! Let’s jump into the debate!
While we believe that none of Rory’s boyfriends were the best for her, there is still an objectively correct answer to the question at hand: Jess Mariano. Although Jess was a bit of a dirtbag as a teenager and didn’t make the best decisions, he was the perfect match for Rory’s personality and intelligence, and he proved this during his reappearances in season six. The growth he showcased during their few reunions that season demonstrated his advanced emotional understanding not only of himself but of Rory as well.
Even as a teenager, Jess proved to the audience that, while he is a little bit of a jerk, he always had a soft spot for Rory. He constantly matched her intellectual energy, even writing notes for her in the margins of her favorite book, Howl And Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg. In a healthy relationship, your partner should satisfy your intellectual and emotional needs, and, ultimately, this was not the case between Dean and Rory. While Dean seemed to connect with Rory over books and movies in season one, this connection weakened as their relationship continued and Jess was introduced to the show. Unfortunately, this drift was permanent, and Dean became a horrible, possessive airhead as the show continued, proving that he would never be the right guy for Rory.
Logan, on the other hand, is a rich, snarky finance guy with a very well-known last name. Even though Logan could grapple with difficult conversations and showed high signs of intelligence during the couple’s time at Yale, his all-too-frequent bouts of great immaturity and frantic behavior are qualities that don’t blend well with Rory’s type-A, organized personality. That’s not even mentioning that he uses his money and (semi) good looks to pull him through life.
Any sensible Gilmore Girls watchers (as we, of course, are) would notice that Logan’s bad traits remind them of another one of Rory’s love interests (hint: it’s Jess). If this is the case, you might wonder: how Jess could be better for Rory if he acts so similarly to Logan?
The answer is very simple. Jess showcased evolution and amazing character development, while Dean and Logan showed little growth – they even worsened as their stories progressed. Jess reappears in season six when Rory has just dropped out of Yale, an idea Logan encouraged. Jess single-handedly convinces Rory to go back to school and get her life together, because that is precisely what he had done after his abrupt departure in season four. Logan didn’t prevent Rory from quitting the one thing she loved the most, school, while Jess helped bring her back to it.
If you still believe Logan or Dean is the better romantic interest for Rory after reading this, you need to get your brain checked. Jess is obviously the right choice for Rory, and you are wrong if you say otherwise.