Gilmore Girls might have finished again in 2007, but the present is still all over the place, showing regularly on Netflix’s recommended checklist and TikTok FYPs — no matter if it is a video of Jess above-enunciating “Yale” or a single evaluating Rory and Logan’s marriage to Taylor Swift’s “Champagne Problems.” Gilmore Girls lovers still are not more than what went down involving Rory Gilmore and her a few boyfriends: Dean Forester, Jess Mariano, and Logan Huntzberger. Her romances are enormous plotlines in the series — and enthusiasts and haters alike have powerful emotions about all of them.

With so quite a few conflicting thoughts, it’s really hard to know who justifies the title of Rory’s Finest Boyfriend. Who’s the most supportive? The most appropriate? The most able of acquiring a wholesome relationship? Fortunately, couples therapist Kayla Sammons at Millennial Everyday living Counseling is aware of how to rank ’em.

But to start with, it is essential to seem at the variety of companion Rory is. Although she has her flaws (like shirking all kinds of accountability and never acknowledging her privilege), she is not typically a bad girlfriend — even if she does once in a while kiss men she isn’t relationship. “Rory has a protected attachment style,” Sammons, LMFT affiliate, tells Elite Day-to-day. “She is comfy becoming with her spouse and aside from him.” That is a superior begin to making a long lasting marriage.

Rory’s mind-set toward courting could possibly also describe her range of boyfriends — sporty and possessive, moody and literary, and abundant and witty. But of these a few, who is the greatest boyfriend to her? According to Sammons, these are how Rory’s boyfriends stack up, from worst to finest.

3. Dean

Is there these types of a issue as a balanced very first boyfriend? Not in the entire world of Gilmore Ladies (except for you, Dave Rygalski, you deserved superior). Dean is the quintessential jock who falls for the woman he sees studying in the park. But what starts off as a sweet romance leads to some fewer-than-stellar boyfriend actions. “Dean would seem to rely on Rory for his nicely-staying and can make her truly feel dependable for his emotions,” Sammons states.

All over the system of their romantic relationship, Dean reveals he has an obsession with Donna Reed-esque housewives, lacks ambition (even though experience threatened by Rory’s), acts possessively, begins a fight, and breaks up with her mainly because she does not say “I really like you” back again correct absent. “He feels threatened and jealous of others who get near to Rory, leading him to be rather demanding of Rory’s time,” Sammons claims. (Not to mention, he afterwards cheats on his wife with Rory, which they the two feel to have zero qualms about.)

In any connection, these qualities are pink flags, but Dean’s consistent demands of Rory make their romantic relationship tricky to root for. He will get aggravated with her when she spends too extensive wanting for guides and indignant when she cancels ideas to operate on her Harvard application. Moreover, his you-owe-me attitude when she asks him to don a tux to her debutante ball is the opposite of sweet. “He puts Rory and her desires down if they get in the way of his time with her, which he feels he warrants,” Sammons says. Dean’s loyalty is one particular shiny location in their marriage, but it does not really make up for the rest of his harmful actions.

2. Jess

Jess is a lover-favored. He’s broody and sweet, and his soft place for Rory helps make him the great prototype of an angsty teenage lousy boy. He has his sweet times, much too — like when he borrows one of Rory’s books and annotates it for her, or when he encourages her to go back again to Yale right after she drops out. (“Why did you drop out of Yaaaale?”)

But he has his difficulties, as effectively. He forgets to simply call Rory when they had ideas, will get upset when she doesn’t want to have sex, and leaves city devoid of declaring goodbye. In spite of Jess and Rory’s chemistry, their romance was not particularly healthier, in accordance to Sammons.

“Jess is unpredictable and difficult to go through throughout his interactions with people today,” Sammons says. This turns into distinct when he fights with Luke Danes (his uncle), Lorelei Gilmore, and even Rory. “He shows an inability to regulate his thoughts, and he has a strong panic of rejection, which makes it tricky [for him] to believe in other folks.”

Thinking about how un-associated Jess’ mother and father are (which potential customers him to go to Stars Hollow and reside with an uncle he scarcely appreciates in the to start with put), this emotional baggage will make perfect feeling. However, that does not necessarily mean it’s the basis for a sustainable partnership. “Rory desires relationship, adore, rely on, and honesty, and Jess struggles to give that to her since he can’t offer those issues for himself,” Sammons claims.

The silver lining? All through the sequence, Jess carries on to evolve, doing work by means of his anger troubles and even pursuing his desire occupation by creating a novel. Although the duo does not get again jointly in the reboot, it’s distinct there are some unresolved emotions there. It is no surprise that supporters are hoping he’ll be the a single to phase in and help increase Rory’s newborn, just like his uncle did for Lorelei.

1. Logan

In accordance to Sammons, Logan is Rory’s greatest boyfriend — and it’s not just mainly because he phone calls her Ace. “Logan and Rory both present indicators of high self-esteem, which assists them truly feel protected in them selves and their partnership,” she says. “Rory feels harmless and fired up by Logan and his unpredictability, even though also being aware of she’s protected with him.” (Rory wouldn’t have jumped off that ledge holding an umbrella with just anyone.)

Their relationship commenced off as an FWB problem but progressed into some thing a lot more really serious. Sammons identifies this as a superior indicator — *not* mainly because all situationships must come to be complete-blown interactions, but due to the fact they were both capable to evolve jointly. “Rory is equipped to self-reflect and talk her want for much more from a lover,” she claims. “Then, they both of those choose a prospect on 1 another not realizing if it [will] perform, and that hazard is what interactions are all about.”

Though their romance has some hiccups (like that time they steal a yacht), they’re regularly keen to have confidence in and support each individual other. Not to point out, Logan’s usually keen to go for bat for Rory when his spouse and children members make their disapproval acknowledged. They develop alongside one another at the exact pace, generating their connection one of Rory’s healthiest, even if Rory in the long run rejects Logan’s relationship proposal at graduation. However the Gilmore Ladies reboot places them in a sticky problem — both equally of them cheating on their respective partners with each individual other ahead of likely their separate ways — he even now holds the title of Rory’s Very best Boyfriend.

There you have it: the definitive ranking of Rory’s boyfriends, from worst to greatest. (Staff Jess for existence, while.)