The Rory Gilmore Book Club discussion
Gilmore Girls Discussions
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Dean, Jess or Logan?
I definitely pick Jess. He was the guy I dreamed of in high school, who would come in and rescue me from a life of dreariness. Especially when Rory reconnected with him in college, and he was getting his act together and had published a book! Dean was just gross, no way. And Logan will always be a spoiled rich kid. As the saying goes, "If you marry money, you earn every penny."
Since Marty isn't an option, I vote for the new, improved Jess. When he was dating Rory he was so angry and stubborn and needed to grow up. I liked the new, improved Jess who showed up in season 6. Dean was a good high school boyfriend but Rory outgrew him so fast. To me Logan was Tristan 2.0 and way too similar to Chris.
Ooh, good question. Dean, too whiney. HS Jess, too much of the bad boy. Grown up Jess, fantastic!! Logan was pretty great though. He was a little spoiled, but it seemed like they grew each other up. Except for the whole stealing a yacht thing, that was unfortunate!
Logan was reading down the same path as his father. Eventually down the road he would cheat on her AGAIN and get all caught up in making money. Rory and Logan didn't share the same values or interests. It was a disaster waiting to happen.The new and improved Jess for sure ;)
Oh come on guys! Give Logan a break. He was so good to Rory. He really did get her to live a little more.(I love when he kidnapps her with the Life and Death Brigade in the woods.) He was smart and beautiful. And remember he gave up his money. Rory made Logan do a 180. He went from serial dater to proposing to Rory.But if I had to pick someone for Rory... hands down Jesse. Even though Jesse was a douche bag boyfriend in high school, we should consider that he was just a stupid kid at the time. And Jesse always loved Rory. It makes me kind of lose my breath to watch the episodes when he comes to Yale to get her to run off (the way he delivered his little speech)or when he chases her through the streets and tells her he loves her. But I love, love, love that in the end of it all he finally becomes the person that Rory always knew he would be. I mean after he grows up and lives his dream, he even comes back for the girl who rocked his world. Oh, Jesse. *Sigh*
Gotta go with bad boy grown up -- Jesse! Heh -- I have my reasons.
Each person fit the Rory of the time they were in her life. Since we don't know her post Yale life and how it will change I vote for the unknown guy...maybe someone one out on the campaign trail that is the epitome of Dean, Jess, and Logan.
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Logan became the man... well first, he became A man, but then he became the man that I think he always wanted to be and certainly a great guy for her. He accomplished this largely because he finally had someone believing in him.
I totally got why it was an all-or-nothing thing with him. When you are ready to be "all in" and all that means on every level, you can't dink around with less. It would have eroded who he had become and made the pain far worse. Rip that band-aid off!
I also totally got why she couldn't go there at that point in her life. Not when she's always wanted to see Fez. To live that sort of life. Giving all that up would have also slowly killed the relationship.
Sigh. But it's too bad. They were good. And he was yummy.
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(Marty!)Jess, new version preferred.
Dean and Rory were just so different.
No comments on Logan, poor boy :D
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I would say it would be Logan because unlike Dean he fits her world socially and unlike Jes, he matches her ambitions about seeing the world. Plus, like Jes, he can match her intellectually AND like Dean, he gets along with her mom.However, I think none of the above is for me. I'm glad they had her break up with Logan. Rory was 22. She needs to see the world and have many more boyfriends before she needs to think about settling down. Plus, she should have a period where she has no boyfriends. She did that at the beginning of Yale and I think it helped her figure out what she wanted from her relationship with Logan.
I do feel bad for Marty and I hated that they made him into such a jerk. That was very un-Marty like. But such a boy.
I did like bookstore Jes. He seemed more grounded. He was in a good place, especially since his future requires him to save the world (or blow it up?! lol)
LOL, Meghan! Save the cheerleader, save the world...I agree that I'm glad Rory didn't end up with anyone. She had a lot going for her and take it from me, when you get married young you tend to stop following your other dreams, and then one day you wake up and you're thirty and you've never done anything daring.
I read these posts from Michele and Heather and others about living in Europe and travleing extensively and I'm jealous! I have friends I've done community theatre shows with, and now they're on Broadway, just because they had the guts to try. It's to be commended, that's for sure!
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But I agree Rory made the right choice for her situation and age. She has to get to know her dimensions a bit before she takes that path.
And you never know what will fall into your life even far down the path you choose. I dreamed of traveling but was so shy and awkward that I'd never have done so at Rory's age. BUT when I had two lovely daughters live abroad for study for a year -- well, husband and I accepted the invitation of the older daughter to spend two weeks with her and her three housemates in Spain -- I was an old married lady of whatever but we fell in love with Spain and with our daughter's friends from all over who were wonderfully gracious to the parents.And five years later when the job situation offered living in Belgium -- we pretty much jumped at it -- so dream situations can arrive at any age. The end experiences may differ -- but only in the details, I think.
Oh don't get me wrong, I love my husband! I just wish before I married him I'd done some things on my own. Best of both worlds, sort of. ;)
I wonder though since Rory started her Obama tour on the East coast she'd have to be going west. So maybe somehow she'll end in San Fran and bump into Logan???
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I don't particularly like discussing Jess as if he's two people...Give the guy a break. Yes, he did some terrible things as a kid. Did he cheat on her? No. Did he pressure her into something she didn't want? Nothing she wasn't able to say no to. Everything he was in high school is still the stuff we love about him now that he's all grown up and doesn't chainsmoke. I wouldn't like him at all if I didn't know about his "bad boy" past. That's what makes him so attractive. (That and those jeans he always wears.)
Where can I get my Team Jess t-shirt?
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You are all forgetting the most influential love of Rory's life...Tristan! Haha! Just Kidding!This is so hard...Even though I HATED him when he first came on the show, I LOVED him when he made Rory wake up and see her erroneous ways in college--I am Team Jess.
Now, I did also grow to love Logan. I, too, loved the Life and Death Brigade episode and I wanted Rory to say yes to his proposal. But I sooo wanted her to get back together with Jess when he reappeared in college. Ah well!
I loved Rory with Logan in college. That was appropriate for her at that stage in her life. But honestly, I do see her, after her traveling the globe and finding some adventures of her own, coming back and settling down with Jes. They would make cute nerdy babies.But don't say Jes didn't pressure her. He did. (the almost date rape scene at the party that Dean broke up, quitting school to move to NY with him, quitting her life pretty much to move with him because he wanted out.) But I'm not trying to make him out to be a baddie. I love Jes too.
I would have to pick Logan. He was definitely my favorite. It seems that alot of people like Jess, but there is just something about him that turns me off. I never really liked Jess from the beginning. But I did work with Milo's cousin at a clothing store!
LOGAN. he's the perfect man for Rory. i guess.happy new year everyone. :D
I never thought I'd ever think anyone fit for Rory like Jess, but until his horrid all or nothing at the end I thought Logan was perfect for Rory.. and honestly who knows, perhaps after time Logan would have gotten over his ego and realized she just wasn't ready for that step yet...
I was so glad that Rory turned Logan's proposal down. Her whole goal was to be a journalist and she would have been compromising her dream if she agreed to marry him, and he would have become just like his dad. I am on Team Jess. I loved the episode where he comes back on Season Six and finally gets Rory to see the light.
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I am all about Jess. Dean was a good first boyfriend but he had nothing of substance to offer her. Logan had money and excitment but no staying power. Jess was smart and challanging [in a good way] plus he cared about her for who she is without judgement.So much for living vicareously through ficational characters.
I would pick Jess. I liked him even when he was being a bad boy. I couldnt stand Logan. He treated her like crap, and she didnt deserve that. Dean was a good first boyfriend..but thats about it.
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Still not my vote, of course. That was cast for a guy in her future - none of the three. But while I think she made a great choice in choosing to go for her dreams on her own for a while, I don't think it would have been a bad or wrong choice to choose to marry Logan. I think she would have had a fantastic life and would have made her mark on the journalistic world still. She likely would even have explored the world a great deal and gone to Fez if she still wanted. But she wouldn't have known what she could do on her own. Not a bad thing when love is there, but a big sacrifice nonetheless. Especially when you are just starting out. I think this is a testament to Lorelai and her example and choices.
Michelle -- Very well stated. I LOVE Jess but I'm also partially a Logan fan -- and you almost convinced me.I think the future guy is a good bet and would combine the best of Jess and Logan.
Sigh. I was never really that into Milo until season 2 of Heroes when the boy was lookin' good. But I watched a repeat of GG today and realized he has always been hot! I guess just because he was playing a high school boy I didn't look at him that way. But he is actually a year older than I am, so I guess it's okay. Hee.Apparently he is now dating Hayden Panatierre who plays Claire on Heroes and is just barely 18. That boy always dates his costars! He and Alexis dated for years.
Oh, it's Jess all the way for me. They had such chemistry on that show, you could practically hear it crackle! Plus when he came back and made Rory wake up to what she was doing with her life...oh, I swoon over Jess!
I have to admit I love Jess. He was a little bit of a "bad boy" in high school, but he really made a comeback in the sixth season. Dean was too needy and clingy (not to mention hot-tempered, especially about Jess), and he was too shortsighted for Rory. She needs someone smarter, who's not afraid to do great things. That's why both Jess and Logan would have worked for her. (But if we're talking about MY opinion, it's no contest. I fell in love with Jess way before I met Logan, and Logan, like Dean, is a little too hot-tempered when it comes to his girl. He was so rude to Jess!)
I'm probably in the minority here, but I never liked Jess and just never warmed up to him, whether back in high school or when he made an appearance later in the series.At the end of the series, I was definitely on Team Logan! Yeah, he was immature at times, but he's still young. He really became a better person after Rory came into his life, and I kind of think Rory became less of a goody-two-shoe after Logan came along. (Yeah, yeah, the stealing boat thing sucked and was out of character for her and I didn't like it at all, but overall, I liked seeing her have fun and not always the perfect student and daughter she had been previously.)
Out of all the choices I would have to say none. Even from the beginning when I started watching the show I always expeted Rory to end up single by the end because she's so young.However, as for personal favorites, I have got to say Jess. I loved his character. He beats Logan in the category of a "changed" character because Jess went from dysfunctional teen to a socially well adult. Logan did change but his was not as profound as Jess.
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This is only commenting on that statement, not your opinion of Jess v. Logan, Sarah. I totally respect that. But, you gotta give Logan his due props, too!
Interesting, Emily, what you say about Logan, since when she fell for him it was during his Life & Death Brigade antics. Definitely more adventuresome and carefree than responsible. I think it's a good example of the change that Michele described.
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Also Emily, agree that Dean regressed. Even in the first season. How emotionally immature must you be to respond as he did when Rory did not respond with an "I love you?" Ugh.
I have to agree with some in that I was thrilled that she said no to Logan, not because he was a bad guy or anything but I think it would have been such a cop-out to have her say yes. It wouldn't have been appropriate for her character to agree to get married so young! It would have been her reverting to the time she spent at her grandparents cottage and in the DAR! A glitch! I have to say that I am in the minority here in saying that I liked Dean. I realize he wasn't on her level, but he was a sweet guy and worshipped her, a GREAT first boyfriend, but she shouldn't have gone back there.
All that being said, if I HAD to pick one of the 3, I would have gone with Jess after he grew up. I hated him in HS but he did become a better person and definitely her intellectual equal!
I'm curious what everyone thought of Dean cheating on his wife with Rory. And what did you think of Rory for being the other woman? Do you think it was justified because Dean was unhappy and they were each other's first love?
It all sucked, and I don't think cheating is ever justified, man up and get out if the relationship is that bad! That being said, I couldn't hate either of them for it. Stupid youthful mistakes, hopefully they both got it out of their systems.
I hated the cheating storyline! How slimey of him! If Dean was truly unhappy, he had no business staying in that marriage. Obviously Lindsey had no idea that things were that bad because she was still trying to improve their relationship. Which makes me think that he didn't really communicate about his issues with her in a mature way, probably just lots of fights and arguments. My question is, would he have eventually left Lindsey for Rory if the situation hadn't come to a head? I don't remember exactly how it happened, but didn't she find out then kick him out?
All that said, I felt for his wife and really hated what they did. I did think it was really sad that Rory had to walk around with a virtual scarlet letter on her chest afterwards. All in all, a sad situation.
I hated the storyline not because it was about cheating but because the target demographics of GG is still teenage girls and they did nothing to address the severity of what had happened. Had this been Dean was dating Lindsey and decided to go back with Rory that is relevant to teens. They could pop into their own lives and understand the consequences.But he was married and what kind of message are you saying with having him cheat with Rory? That's it's okay, so long as it's with your true love? That it's okay because Rory (essentially) cheated on him with Jess? That it was okay because Dean and Lindsey were way too young to get married in the first place? And don't place all blame on Dean. Rory knew he was married and walked into that with eyes wide shut. And the stupidest thing of the whole thing was that the relationship was predictablly going to end. And then it was over and all is well? There are consequences with affairs with married people and they reverberate throughout a lot of lives and it can reverberate for years. To wrap it all up so cleanly I think is irresponsible for a show that seemed to pride itself on trying to be a role model for young girls.
Meghan, I could not agree more. I just hated it altogether. It did not seem to me to be the kind of mistake Rory would make, for starters. And not that they allowed her to be cavalier about it, after the fact, but the fallout wasn't really explored. At least they had Lor come hard on her from the moment she found out; I always liked seeing the moments when Lor was truly the MOM.And I'm on Team Logan, and I was from the very beginning. He was a jerk at times, but he worked his butt off to become the right kind of guy, and I bawled when she turned him down. Not that it wasn't the right choice, but BAWLED. I've remained very disillusioned about him not being willing to wait for her to catch up -- he's already been out of school and doing his own thing, he's always been so supportive of her -- why be such a hardass now?
But I still heart him.
Logan!! hands down would be mine because he fits in Rory's world so well. He also brings her a lot of adventure