The conversation of whether Rory Gilmore should end up with Dean, Jess, or Logan is a tale as old as time. But while Dean is a super sweet first boyfriend (at the beginning of their relationship, at least) and Logan pushes Rory out of her comfort zone, I really believe Jess is the boyfriend that truly understands Rory — and wants her to be the very best version of herself.
One viral theory, which you can find in the Gilmore Girls Fanatics Facebook group, comes from an A Year in the Life moment you might have missed. And it proves just how much Rory Gilmore and Jess Mariano belong together.
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While fans love that final moment between the characters (you know, where Jess stares longingly through the window of Loralei's house? I still get butterflies thinking about it), there's another moment earlier in the miniseries that's even more important for Jess and Rory's relationship.
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When Jess shows up at the Stars Hollow Gazette in the summer episode of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Rory is at her wits' end. She's stressed about money, she isn't sure where her life or her career are headed, and unfortunately, she still hasn't broken up with Pete. But instead of putting up a front or pretending everything's fine, she almost immediately pours her heart out to Jess.
"It's the fact that Rory hasn't seen Jess in four years, but within ten seconds of him sitting down — without him even really ASKING her anything — she is sharing all her deepest fears," Facebook user Victoria TP says. "One conversation, and she's more vulnerable and honest with Jess than she is with any other person in her life."
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As a bookish perfectionist myself, I can totally relate to pretending everything is fine at all times. But Rory's willingness to be honest and to reveal her innermost thoughts show how much she trusts Jess, and how much she values his opinion. Because if she didn't care what he thought, or if he wasn't important to her, she would probably just give him a canned answer and move on.
"And Jess, as ever, doesn't judge her in the slightest," Victoria continues. "He regards her with nothing but affection, and then he gently points her in the direction of the passion that he KNOWS is within her. Because he's always known it. Forget longing stares and unspoken words. That singular conversation contains more respect, hope, and love than any other moment in the series."
Jess is trustworthy, kind, and has a good listening ear. Yet another reason I'm convinced Jess is Rory's Luke! And his love & respect for her has always been there (after all, it is the center of the viral "Why did you drop out of Yale?!" moment from season 7). Jess doesn't only know Rory, he knows what sets her soul on fire. And he doesn't want her to give that up.
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Actor Milo Ventimiglia agrees that love will always exist between the two. “I think that he’s never going to not love her," he says in an interview with People(via Brit + Co) . "I think, the two of them found something deep, a connection so deep when they were so young that even though their lives went on different paths, different directions...they had that together and you never lose it.”
If you need me, I'll be over here, patiently hoping we see more Jess and Rory in A Year in the Life season 2!
Do you think Rory Gilmore and Jess Mariano should end up together? Let us know on Facebook!
Lead image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix
