Posted : September 16, 2019
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If you love Gilmore Girls as much as we do, then you are probably familiar with the Dean/Jess/Logan debate. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if you have already chosen your contender for Rory Gilmore’s heart and stand firmly behind him. If you are heading to Unionville this October for the first-ever Canadian installment of the Gilmore Girls Fan Fest, and if by some chance you haven’t heard about this epic love conundrum, then let us bring you up to speed and help you decide if you are Team Dean, Team Jess or Team Logan.
The Debate
Let’s dive head-first into the GG dirt. This is a serious issue—we’re talking about Rory Gilmore’s love life, after all. Throughout the entire run of the original show, from 2000 to 2007, this precocious young Stars Hollow resident has had three main love interests. Fans of Gilmore Girls, GGFs for short, are as invested in Rory as Rory is in herself… or as she would be if she were a real person, that is.
GGFs are passionate about who is the most deserving of Rory’s precious heart. What’s unique about this globally loved young woman is that she is fragile. It is a quality which makes fans want to take care of her, to look out for her… even if some of her (forehead-slap-worthy) personality quirks drive us bonkers. Naturally, GGFs want her to end up with the perfect man. Unfortunately, the jury is out on which of her three suitors fits that role.
The Contenders
Team Dean
Dean Forrester is Rory Gilmore’s first love. We meet him in the pilot episode as the new boy in town, who is intrigued by the quiet, studious girl with the innocent face and luminous blue eyes. They begin a relationship which can best be described as typical of the teenage years with its ups and downs. Despite this, it is no less satisfying for fans of the show. Dean is a hands-down hottie with a wit that fans adore. He and Rory are an on-and-off item through five seasons and, ultimately, we know that they do not end up together.
But that’s the amazing thing about reruns. You can relive Rory and Dean’s best moments as if they were happening for the first time. Team Dean fans are passionate for this reason, because this is a relationship which never truly ends. The power of new love is something which the cast and crew of Gilmore Girls do extremely well, and because the show airs and streams in syndication, Team Deaners can proudly shout their vote for Rory’s heart.
Team Jess
His name is Jess Mariano, he is Luke Danes’ nephew, and we’re willing to bet that if you’re Team Dean, you don’t like this young man very much (you’re in good company; Rory’s mother Lorelai doesn’t like him either). He did, after all, woo Rory away from her first boyfriend… oh, and he was involved in a car crash that landed Rory in the hospital. He is a troubled young man who some contemporary GGF blogs occasionally suggest is conniving, negative, and even moody. But he’s also highly intelligent, and loves literature and the arts. If you watch the show, you know that Jess’s feelings for Rory are genuine… even if his actions don’t always show it.
Jess brings to Rory’s life, and to the aggregate life of GGFs everywhere, a sense of mystery and edge. In a show like Gilmore Girls, where the overall atmosphere is that Stars Hollow is “a really lovely place to be,” (this from Gilmore Girls Fan Fest organizer Jennie Whitaker ), Jess provides the right amount of excitement with the same warm and fuzzies we all expect this phenomenon of a series to deliver. He certainly keeps Rory on her toes.
Team Logan
Despite Logan Huntzberger’s poor first impression on Rory, Team Logan fans have come to love this young man for a wit that equals hers, his Yale education and his occasional wild side. Beneath the confidence and the charm, there is a little boy who is hurting—Logan’s relationship with his “old money” parents is strained as a result of their groomed him to be the heir of the family’s business empire. He is a young man who is certifiably swoon-worthy, with some pretty intense on-air moments (PG-rated, of course) which leave us all with some serious butterflies. Then again, Logan’s wild side, not to mention his elitist family, can land Rory in a few uncomfortable situations… including her first arrest.
Team Loganers are firm in their camp because this bright young man with a damaged heart brings sigh-inducing romance to Rory’s life. At a time when she is maturing—at this point in the series she is attending Yale—Logan provides a glimpse of the Happily Ever After that GGFs want for their beloved main character. Now if only he can be that man for her one hundred percent of the time.
The Verdict
Well… we don’t have one, and we can’t tell you which young man you should stand behind. The debate continues to rage over who is really best for Rory. Even we can’t decide, though we know the outcome according to the television show.
So, you tell us: Are you Team Dean, Team Jess or Team Logan?
Story by Katherine Ryalen
– Ryalen is a Durham-based author and lifestyle blogger. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
