As a longtime fan of the Gilmore girls, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions when reflecting on Rory’s romantic journey throughout the series and its revival, “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” Rory, much like her mother Lorelai, has always been a character who thrives on the fast pace of life, juggling academics, relationships, and personal growth. However, it seems that in her early 30s, she’s found herself in a bit of a pickle, romantically speaking.
2000 rolled around, and I was introduced to the vibrant duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, portrayed by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, in the small-town charm of fictional Stars Hollow, all thanks to Amy Sherman-Palladino’s creation “Gilmore Girls.” Over seven seasons, both Lorelai and Rory underwent remarkable transformations. Lorelai started as an employee at a local inn, eventually owning her own upscale bed and breakfast when the series concluded. Rory initially enrolled at Chilton Academy for high school, later graduating from Yale University by the final season. As their journey unfolded, both Gilmore Girls experienced love, found it, lost it – so who were some of Rory’s suitors?
In the TV series “Gilmore Girls,” Rory has three primary romantic interests: Dean Forester, Jess Mariano, and Logan Huntzberger. Fortunately, the show received a Netflix revival in 2016 titled “A Year in the Life,” which consisted of four 90-minute episodes set seasonally. This helped answer some unresolved questions about Lorelai and Rory’s romantic paths, but it left certain questions about who Rory eventually ends up with after the revival’s conclusion still a mystery. Let’s examine all of Rory’s boyfriends on “Gilmore Girls,” trace their timeline, and find out where she stands in the final episode of “A Year in the Life.
Rory’s first-ever boyfriend is Dean Forrester
As soon as she’s ready to depart from Stars Hollow High School for Chilton Academy, Rory unexpectedly collides with Dean, a tall and seemingly attractive stranger in the small town. Instantly, there’s a spark between them. Despite attending different schools, they begin dating early in the show’s first season, but their relationship ends abruptly on their third month anniversary when Dean confesses his love for Rory, and she doesn’t reciprocate. They reconcile at the end of the first season and date through Season 2, but part ways in Season 3 upon the arrival of a new man who catches Rory’s eye (more about that later). Regrettably, they reunite in Season 4.
In the fourth season of “Gilmore Girls,” Rory is a student at Yale University and Dean is married to Lindsay. At the end of this season, while Lorelai is celebrating the opening of her inn, Rory and Dean have their first sexual encounter despite his marriage status. This event causes a significant disagreement between Rory and Lorelai when she returns home unexpectedly and finds them both getting dressed. Despite trying to make it work for a while, Rory and Dean’s relationship doesn’t last due to their contrasting lifestyles and future aspirations. Eventually, they decide to end their relationship permanently because they come from different backgrounds and have distinct visions for their futures.
After meeting Jess Mariano, Rory finds herself drawn away from Dean
In Season 2 of “Gilmore Girls,” the character Jess Mariano, Luke Danes’ nephew and future boyfriend of Lorelai Gilmore, moves in with Luke in Stars Hollow. Despite his somewhat unpleasant demeanor, Jess captivates Rory with his intellectual prowess and attractive looks. However, Rory is still involved with Dean, who strongly dislikes Jess, so their relationship remains mostly platonic, except for an unexpected kiss in the Season 2 finale. The situation escalates in the memorable Season 3 episode “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” when Rory and Lorelai participate in a lengthy dance competition. On the dance floor, Dean confronts Rory about her obvious feelings for Jess and breaks up with her. Not long after, Rory and Jess officially start dating.
Milo Ventimiglia departed the series after Season 3, even though the season finale, “Here Comes the Son,” served as a potential spin-off for a show focusing on Jess, which The WB never picked up. Consequently, Jess and Rory split up, but Jess occasionally reappeared. In Season 4, he briefly returned to Stars Hollow, expressed his love for Rory, and urged her to run away with him (which she refused), after which they lost touch for a while. Fortunately, Jess resurfaced when Rory needed guidance in Season 6; upon discovering that Rory had dropped out of Yale, Jess was upset with her and chastised her for squandering the chance and her potential. Due to Jess’s influence, Rory eventually returned to Yale, and she traveled to Philadelphia to thank him for his encouragement. They shared a kiss, but since Rory was still in love with someone else, the relationship didn’t progress beyond that, and they parted on amicable terms.
At Yale, Rory is swept off her feet by Logan Huntzberger
Initially encountering Yale classmate and wealthy scion of a media dynasty, Logan Huntzberger, in Season 5, Rory harbors significant disdain for him, which can hardly be described as mere indifference. Over time, however, she grows fond of Logan, particularly when he assists her with an extensive exposé on a clandestine society at Yale by granting access to an extremely exclusive gathering. Following her definitive split from Dean, Rory ponders the idea of Logan as a romantic prospect. Despite his reservations and objections – he informs Rory that he’s not suitable for a committed relationship but considers her perfect for one – they eventually begin dating, and their bond deepens quickly.
In the early stages of their relationship, Logan and Rory encounter several hurdles. At a dinner hosted by the Huntzberger family, Logan’s mother and grandfather express their disapproval of Rory as a potential bride for Logan, stating that she isn’t fit to be a Huntzberger. This comment, following a question about her lineage, prompts Rory to retort, “My forefathers arrived on the Mayflower!
Initially, Rory and Logan had a short-lived split, but they managed to maintain a solid relationship until Rory discovered that Logan was seeing other women during their breakup. This revelation led Rory to end the relationship, but they reconciled soon after. From then on, they were essentially inseparable throughout the series until the finale, where Logan proposed, but Rory declined and departed Stars Hollow to accompany Barack Obama during his first presidential campaign trail (a reference to an older show).
Who does Rory date in the revival?
In essence, while Rory is technically involved with Paul in the “Gilmore Girls” revival, their relationship is somewhat ambiguous due to frequent jokes about him being forgotten. However, it’s important to note that Rory isn’t solely dating Paul. Instead, when she visits London for work, she’s not staying with a friend as claimed, but rather with Logan who lives there and has a fiancée in Paris.
It’s later disclosed that for several years, Rory and Logan have maintained a somewhat casual relationship when they’re both on the same side of the Atlantic. They often dine at a favorite restaurant in London prior to Rory’s trips back to the U.S. However, in “A Year in the Life,” it becomes evident that time is running out for them as Logan’s wedding to an unnamed woman named Odette appears imminent. In the finale, “Fall,” Logan, Rory, and a few of their rowdy college friends indulge in one last night of reckless fun before Rory decides to end their relationship permanently.
It turns out that both Jess and Dean cross paths with Rory again during the revival. Dean is now married (no longer with Lindsay) and has kids, and there’s an opportunity for Rory to express her gratitude for being a wonderful first boyfriend, though some might question that assessment. As for Jess, he plays a significant part in “A Year in the Life,” despite having fewer scenes, by urging Rory to make a bold move in her creative and professional life.
Where does Rory end up in A Year in the Life?
In essence, Rory finds herself in quite a disarray during “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” She’s homeless for a while until moving back into Lorelai’s home in Stars Hollow. Additionally, she seems to have forgotten about her boyfriend Paul and has a questionable arrangement with ex-boyfriend Logan. Professionally, she’s not doing too well; aside from an article in The New Yorker, her career isn’t thriving. An attempt at pitching articles in New York City ends up with a spontaneous encounter and a night with a man in a Wookiee costume. Later, when offered a chance by Sandee Says, she fails to present any pitches or ideas for the website. Rory appears to be struggling in her early 30s, and this struggle is not just a simple setback; however, after reuniting briefly with Jess in Stars Hollow, she comes up with an idea: writing a memoir about her life with Lorelai.
Jess is, without question, the one who inspires and champions this idea, and despite Lorelai’s complete reluctance, she eventually agrees to let Rory write about Lorelai’s evolution from a single teenage mother to the owner of a successful inn … and the years the two Gilmore girls spent together trying to make everything work. (It’s also quite obvious, throughout Jess’ time on-screen, that he’s majorly carrying a torch for Rory after all these years.) At the end of the revival, Lorelai and Rory share a quiet moment — after Lorelai and Luke’s long-awaited, spontaneous wedding — at which point Rory utters four words (specifically, the four words Amy Sherman hoped would close the original series). “Mom?” Rory says. “Yeah?” Lorelai responds. “I’m pregnant,” Rory replies. Cut to black.
Will we see a conclusion to Rory’s romantic story?
Is it possible that we may not get a resolution to Rory’s significant reveal at the end of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” or any further exploration of the story? As of now, there are no announced intentions to resurrect or reboot “Gilmore Girls.” However, some key cast members like Lauren Graham, Scott Patterson, and Sean Gunn did reunite for a Walmart commercial in 2024. To summarize, Rory doesn’t end up with anyone at the conclusion of “A Year in the Life,” and we are not definitively informed about who the baby’s father is.
The answer, though, is Logan. Even though Matt Czuchry tried to play coy about the whole thing and claim he couldn’t say whether or not Logan is the father, in 2023, “A Year in the Life” costume designer Valerie Campbell weighed in on the whole thing in a series of TikTok videos (via Entertainment Weekly). “”The only obvious choice is — you guessed it — Logan,” Campbell said in the first video; in a follow-up, she said, “If it was Paul, she would’ve had the baby in the ‘Fall,’ if it was the Wookiee, she would’ve been about to burst.” Campbell also revealed that even Amy Sherman-Palladino found it baffling that anyone didn’t think Logan was the father, saying the answer is “supposed to be very, very, very, very, very obvious.”
In the revival, Rory Gilmore might or might not be shown as a mother, but regardless, it’s significant: Rory turns 32 just like Lorelai did at the start of “Gilmore Girls,” indicating that the story of the Gilmore girls has come full circle. If we don’t get to witness more adventures of Lorelai and Rory after the final scene in the gazebo, it’s alright because their journey seems to be complete with Rory preparing to likely raise a child on her own.
“Gilmore Girls” and “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” are both streaming on Netflix now.
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2024-12-22 22:30