Actor Milo Ventimiglia looks back on the complex relationship between Jess and Rory on Gilmore Girls. Gilmore Girls was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and premiered on The WB in 2000. For seven seasons and a follow-up miniseries, Gilmore Girls told the story of the titular Gilmores: the fast talking, coffee-loving mother-and-daughter duo Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel), who live in the quirky town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
Full of humor, heart, and pop culture references, Gilmore Girls drew in a loyal fanbase. Even now, 14 years after the original series went off the air, viewers still have strong opinions about several aspects of the show, including which of Rory’s boyfriends was her best match. Ventimiglia joined Gilmore Girls in season 2 as Jess, the troubled nephew of grumpy-yet-loveable diner owner, Luke (Scott Patterson). Jess had an instant connection with Rory, despite the fact that she was dating Dean (Jared Padalecki) at the time. Jess and Rory went on to have a tumultuous and complicated relationship, and though their romance came to an end in season 3, they ultimately pushed each other to become better versions of themselves throughout the original series and in Netflix’s 2016 revival miniseries, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Speaking on Patterson’s Gilmore Girls-themed podcast I Am All In (via EW), Ventimiglia reflects on Jess and Rory’s complex relationship, revealing that he thinks it’s “kind of great” that it didn’t work out. He describes how he feels that Jess and Rory were “going through developmental change” during their relationship and “were what they needed at the moment from each other.” Read his comments below:
“It's been a while since I've thought about Jess and Rory's relationship. I know people always ask me questions about it, but I think, you know, things are complicated when you're young. I think we can all understand this, I think we can all appreciate it. You're going through developmental change. You are seeing things in the world you've never seen before. You're experiencing things like from the heart, from the gut, from the head that you're experiencing for the first time.
Jess and Rory, I think they were what they needed at the moment from each other. At the same time, you know, it didn't work out. They went in different directions, and that's okay too. That's kind of great."
Ventimiglia goes on to say he always appreciated that Jess and Rory “made their own world” free of outside influences, which endured “beyond them romantically as teenagers." The actor said their connection allowed them to have "an actual friendship as they became young adults." Speaking about a potential follow-up to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Ventimiglia states that he feels he’d “be a jerk not to show up” if another reboot were to happen, especially if the rest of the original series cast and creators were involved.
Though “Team Jess” may never fully be on board with the idea that he and Rory weren’t meant to end up together, Ventimiglia makes good points. Rory and Jess were extremely young when they met, and though they had huge impacts on each other’s lives, it was more than realistic (and relatable) for their teenage relationship to end. However, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life made it clear that even if their connection was no longer romantic, Jess and Rory were still important to each other. Should another return to Stars Hollow come to pass, it’s possible things might rekindle between them - though Rory’s unexpected pregnancy may complicate matters. For now, though, Gilmore Girls fans who want more Jess and Rory will have to content themselves with a re-watch.
Source: I Am All In with Scott Patterson (via EW)