#team Luke and Jess

[springfox04]

YES! No way in hell did Luke actually want or expect Jess to up and leave without a word right after he said that. Whatever the reason, bc he was shocked and upset and just had a big reaction that he didn’t think through or he was trying to scare him into seeing reason or possibly a little bit of both, I still think that Luke expected for them to both get some sleep, cool off, and then try to have a much more reasonable discussion about where to go from there the next day. So, yeah, it’s really such a shame that Jess ended up leaving the way he did but I’m sure with all the things that he was dealing with (issues with Rory, his dad showing up, Luke’s big reaction to the news, and Jess’ own disappointment in himself for what happened, because it’s clear Jess has a lot of self hatred and he self sabotages but I’m sure he’s always beating himself up over all the things he messes up/does wrong, and it makes me sad to think of just how sad that poor boy must’ve been) that he felt like he needed to leave and that it would be the best thing for everyone involved.

I love what you brought up about season 4 about them both feeling rejected by the other cus I’ve never thought of it that way and it makes so much sense and it’s so sad :(

I’m very heavily of the belief that, no matter the issues that they had and the way that they both bottle up their real emotions, including ones of love and appreciation, and tease/make fun of each other, it’s clear that Luke and Jess loved each other (in a familial way, of course). Like by like halfway through season 2 as they’ve started to get to know each other and get used to living together and Jess’ rebellion of “I hate it here so I’m not going to connect with anyone or try to make it work for me” wears off I think they start to slowly kind of understand eachother and their similarities and even enjoy each others company at times. I mean, Luke is always trying to help Jess out, that’s why he took him in in the first place and why he allows him to come back after the accident, and the fact that Jess wanted to move back in after the accident and went to Luke to ask him to move back in is not only a testament to Jess’ feelings for Rory and wanting to stay in stars hollow to see her, but also it shows that Jess realizes he really has been better off living with Luke and the support system Luke provides that Jess has never had before. And also plenty of moments throughout where Jess helps out Luke like with fixing the toaster and encouraging Luke to go out with whatshername lawyer woman because he truly doesn’t want Luke to be lonely bachelor forever and also Luke showing up to Jess’ Walmart employee of the month ceremony! So sweet! They cared about each other so much!

And then season 4 is just so beautiful with Luke letting Jess sleep inside instead of in his car at the end of “a family matter.” Luke slipping money into Jess’ car before he leaves in “Nag Hammadi is where they found the gnostic gospels” (long title phew). GAH then my favorite episodes: “Luke can see her face” where he goes to New York to get Jess to come to Liz’s wedding and then Jess says he only came because Luke said it mattered to him and their bonding over their issues with relationships and Luke trying to help him and Luke giving Jess the self help book and in “last week fights, this week tights” (my fav episode of the whole series btw) when Jess helps Luke pick out a tie which is so little but still so cute and sweet and after the wedding when they have that amazing chat about appreciation and Jess wanting to pay him back for everything and their HUG. And then when we see them in season 6 they’re just so understanding and appreciative of each other and it’s just so perfect and beautiful.

So when people say they wish they had a better relationship, I get it to an extent bc it wasn’t always perfect and especially this moment that we were originally talking about (sorry I TOTALLY got off on a tangent) but also I think we have to acknowledge that the love that they had for each other was there from season 2 and it only blossomed and I think the ups and downs that they had throughout the series were necessary for them to understand each other and honestly for Luke and Jess to both understand more about themselves and have some personal growth.

Look at me, miss yapster over here so so sorry. But their relationship is like my favorite favorite thing in the show and I love it so much and I could talk about it forever. Also I tend to type how my mind works which is working at a mile a minute and I’m not going to read through for typos so I hope that all makes sense lmao!

Luke had an (unfortunate) habit of talking big but then never following through with his "rules" for Jess ("The door to the apartment is to remain open at all times!" and "When she's on the couch, you're on the chair!" ...and then a few weeks later he's letting them make out constantly only interrupting them at 10 minute intervals...). So I've often wondered if, when Luke told Jess "You gotta go," he didn't expect Jess to actually DO it. Like maybe he hoped that if he made a big threat, that would be the thing that would "scare Jess straight" and force him to "see reason" and agree to go back to school. Or he'd just get his big emotive reaction out, and then later calm down and come up with something. He didn't actually WANT Jess to LEAVE, he just wanted to scare Jess into doing what he was told. So, in Luke's mind, Jess would RATHER be homeless than stay with him and go to school. He had no idea Jess would actually take his ultimatum seriously, and was clearly devastated when he did. And this, I think, is the crux of all their fights in Season 4. They BOTH feel like the other one rejected them. Now, was that a stupid way for Luke to approach the situation? Yes! That is absolutely a Bad parenting strategy (one that an unfortunate number of parents take). But I think it comes down to a tragedy of miscommunication (or Bad communication) as SO MANY of the conflicts on this show do.

[raisedbythetv89]

Anyone who says "Rory should have married Logan" or that Emily and Richard were a good influence on Rory or that they weren't "that bad" of parents to Lorelai just DO NOT GET IT and "it" being literally the entire messaging of the whole show.

Rory started at chilton when Lorelai left (literally Rory had her birthday party in ep 6 and her first day of chilton is ep 2)

They have the exact same name, look the same and it's said countless times that Rory is just like her mother. So, Rory is picking up in Lorelai's "correct life path" (according to Richard and Emily) exactly where Lorelai left off when she had her and left home, continuing at the "good schools" going to an ivy league college, has a coming out party, joins the D.A.R. etc. Rory has the life Lorelai's parents always wanted for Lorelai AND YET!!!

Rory still doesn't marry "her christopher" aka Logan, but is having his baby and is choosing to be a single mom while Jess is her endgame because Luke is Lorelai's endgame and Jess is Luke and Rory is Lorelai.

Literally the ENTIRE POINT of the show is that everything that Emily and Richard were so worked up about and prioritized all of Lorelai's life about her life choices and how she "threw her life away" because she got pregnant, moved out and became apart of the working class and didn't go to any ivy league college and marry Christopher do not matter and the idea that she "threw her life away" and wasted her potential is absolute bullshit. Because Rory does all the things Lorelai didn't get to do and the results were IDENTICAL except Rory wasn't a teen mom and she would likely continue to live at home with Lorelai and Luke when her baby is first born breaking the those specific Lorelai/Emily cycles because Lorelai did her best to meet her daughter's emotional needs and therefore was able to have a infinitely better relationship with her and Rory is always willing to accept her help and support because it doesn't come at the emotional cost that Lorelai getting help from her parents took because they are literally emotionally abusive and controlling parents - they aren't just bad parents they are abusive (that's a whole other post but there are people who are just human and make mistakes like most of the other characters in the show and then their are abusive ones and Emily especially but also Richard emotionally abuse their daughter even though they help with money and aren't completely horrible 100% of the time that doesn't make them not abusive and while that is never explicitly stated we see and hear how horrible all of the other chilton parents and Logan's circle of friends parents are to their kids demonstrating just how horrible parents in Emily and Richards social circle truly are and it has nothing to do with Lorelai "being difficult or stubborn" as Emily tries to claim but I digress...)

That point of, what Emily and Richard prioritized their entire lives is all bullshit, is literally driven home by Emily's speech at the end of AYITL that "all of this is bullshit!" Emily acknowledges - once Richard is gone and therefore no longer fits into her society like she used to as a wife and married woman - that playing along with all of the societal norms and her ultra-wealthy social circle is SOUL SUCKING and bullshit! She is SO HAPPY to have a home deed with HER NAME ON IT. She has an interested suitor but it's clear she never plans to marry him and she gets a job at a museum as a tour guide for crying out loud!! The old Emily would be horrified by that - she's literally making choices so similar to Lorelai's by the end showing Lorelai's choices WERE THE RIGHT ONES. Moving away from an environment that hurt you and misunderstood and abused you and fighting and working your ass off to build a life that's yours. Even building a loving community with her housekeepers family that moves in with her!!!

All of Luke's "rantings" about the wealthy and corporate greed, owning and operating a diner even though he's shown to have the cooking skills and know-how to do "more". Taking something he inherited from his father but making it his own by turning it into a diner instead of keeping it a hardware store. Whereas by the end of AYITL Christopher is working within his family's business, staying on the path his parents wanted for him and it's the same with Logan - marrying the woman his parents want him to marry and working for his father - The show tells and shows us over and over again, not just doing what society tells you you should do with your life but knowing yourself well enough to decide for yourself and taking the time to find out is what is best and you shouldn't let anyone else dictate that for you. The show is very pro "break out of the boxes society tries to shove you into"

There is a whole other convo to be had about privilege that comes with being white and thin and pretty and coming from money that more easily enables your ability to do so as well as Lorelai having a community in Stars Hollow that has always supported her which allowed her to leave home at 16 with a newborn and build a great life for herself because if she failed she wouldn't end up homeless because her support system and her parents provided a safety net so the message is very much only aimed at the characters within the show that have the ability to make your own way in life but that is what Rory and Lorelai do (Rory's really starts with rejecting Logan's marriage proposal when she graduates and taking a grueling, low paying campaign job instead of using any of her many connections to get her a more prestigious and stable position whereas before she was absolutely on the "conveyer belt" described by the "other daughter" of the wealthy family of Harvard alumni who helped Rory with all her college application questions, who chose not to go to college like her two other siblings) as well and Luke and Jess both make their own way and build a life that best suits their passions and skills. Which is why Luke/Lorelai and Jess/Rory are endgame because you can't have a relationship between someone who fits into their societal mold and one who broke out, it just doesn't work. Logan's affair with Rory shows he has the desire to break out of his mold but never has the strength to do so, just like Christopher which is why they could never truly keep up with the Gilmore Girls.

The show does have flaws in it's execution of this message because of internalized misogyny, white supremacy, and fatphobia that we are still struggling to get out of writers rooms to this day so don't think this post is me saying everything about the show or Rory and Lorelai is perfect because they absolutely are flawed characters who makes questionable decisions and mistakes but to me they are all very realistic of 2 pretty white women in the early 2000's dealing with all of the trauma that came from Richard and Emily's abuse and Rory being raised by a teen mom and a completely unreliable father for most of her childhood.

Anyway Team Jess, Team Luke and Team Rory receives entirely too much hate because of misogyny and her trauma is completely overlooked because she so rarely shows how much hurt she's endured in her young life and is carrying the weight of the world and her entire family's expectations and "legacy" on her young shoulders. Emily and Richard never being able to let go Lorelai getting pregnant and leaving home and SHOWING THAT/SAYING IT around Rory made her feel responsible for all the issues between Lorelai and her parents, her grandparents pain and disappointment and to "fix" all her mother's "mistakes" - her burn out/break down in AYITL makes COMPLETE sense and her choice to allow herself to be "just like her mom" by keeping her baby and being a single mom is the start of her shedding those burdens she's carried her entire life and letting her just be herself even if that looks a lot like her mother who her grandparents and everyone in their world has been telling her for decades is a failure and a disappointment. Rory has always tried to please her grandparents and having to tell her grandmother she's going to be a single mom is basically the worse thing she could do in Emily's eyes (at least the old Emily who knows how post AYITL might react because she's stopped caring and therefore stopped trying to be so controlling but her revelation might not be enough to counter news like that that hits a wound that she literally never even tried to heal). Radical self acceptance despite what society aka her grandparents and their world thinks is what is meant for both Lorelai and Rory and choosing Luke/Jess over Christopher/Logan is apart of that acceptance.

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

I Am All In Rewatch - Jess & Rory - Episode 3x8 (Part 1)

[ I know Luke is all like he is trying to be very like strict and tough, but I think I just based off of like what I can tell so far, he's such he loves Rory and Jess together. Am I the only one thinking that? Like he's always smiling and he's always just like...] He's tickled pink....I think he also probably feels it gives him a better shot with Lorelai. There's more chances for them to connect and to discuss things, and you know, it's it's it brings those two closer together as well. 

But I think that the stakes have raised, they have gone up considerably because if there's any kind of conflict between Rory and Jess, there's going to be conflict. There's going to be misunderstanding conflict between Luke and Lorelai. So it's a it's a smart writer's move, it's a smart plot move here, um. But it does raise the stakes that there is. It enhances the risk. It's a it's a it's a risk on trade, as they say in Wall Street. -Scott

[teddypickerry]

putting aside lorelai’s idiotic and immature dislike for jess, let’s focus on the deep and eternal misery that is there lack of relationship. i mean, can you imagine if jess was around when rory was doing community service? if he saw the mugshot on the fridge? jess and lorelai making never ending quips about it, jess even sticking it to the menu at luke’s for rory to see. it’s a harmless tease, he’s just being a good ex-boyfriend, of course. team jess and lorelai would be SO funny. i am forever grateful for their (appearing) friendship in ayitl. i can already imagine all the family holidays where they mock the hell out of luke and rory.

[personaldiary]

role model

[5566-moon]

Hear me out; (completely my opinion 😅)

Dean is Rory’s Christopher

Jess is Rory’s Luke

Logan is Rory’s Max

[ohnoidroppedmydonut]

Gilmore girls is my emotional support blanket

[fleuraimer]

JESS IS HERE JESS IS HERE PSA JESS IS HERE I REPEAT JESS IS HERE!!!

[gorgeousgreymatter-x]

rewatching gilmore girls after 25 is realizing those adorable gilmore girls were the villains the whole time lol

[kimberly-stocks]

Like uncle, like nephew. The exact same face 😅

[taylor9736]

The Page Turner

Jess Mariano x fem!reader

Warnings: none

The small bell above the door of ‘Luke’s Diner’ rang, signaling yet another customer entering the familiar space. Jess Mariano didn’t bother looking up from the book in his hand. He was halfway through a chapter, completely absorbed in the words, but then he heard a voice—a new voice.

“Hey, can I get a cup of coffee to go?”

That caught his attention.

Jess looked up to see you, standing at the counter with a soft smile. You had y/h/c hair that fell just past your shoulders and y/e/c eyes that sparkled with curiosity as you glanced around the diner. You weren’t a regular, that much was clear, and Stars Hollow wasn’t exactly known for new faces. Intrigued, Jess shut his book with a quiet thud.

“Sure thing,” Luke grunted from behind the counter. “You new in town?”

You chuckled, a sound that made Jess’s chest tighten for reasons he couldn’t quite explain. “Yeah, just visiting for a while. My aunt lives here.”

“Ah, got it,” Luke said, pouring the coffee into a paper cup and sliding it across the counter. “That’ll be two bucks.”

As you reached for your wallet, Jess found himself lingering on every detail—the way you carried yourself with an ease that was foreign to the chaotic rush of the diner, the calm confidence in your voice. You were… different.

He wasn’t sure why he spoke up, but the words left his mouth before he could stop them. “You won’t like that coffee.”

You turned toward him, surprised by the comment. “What makes you say that?”

Jess smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Just trust me. Luke’s coffee is basically hot mud in a cup. You want good coffee, you gotta try Weston’s, down the street.”

Luke shot Jess a look, but you seemed amused by the banter. You raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Jess shrugged. “If you like actually enjoying what you drink, yeah.”

You grinned, a spark of playful challenge in your eyes. “Well, I guess I’ll have to see for myself, then.”

Before Jess could reply, you grabbed your coffee, thanked Luke, and turned to leave. But just before you stepped outside, you looked back at him, your y/e/c eyes locking with his for a brief second that seemed to stretch into eternity. There was something in that look, something that made Jess sit up a little straighter.

And then you were gone, the bell jingling as the door closed behind you.

Jess stared at the empty space where you had stood, his mind racing in a way that it hadn’t in a long time. He hadn’t felt this kind of pull toward anyone in forever—if ever.

“She’s outta your league,” Luke said from behind the counter, shaking his head as he wiped down the surface.

Jess scoffed, but couldn’t hide the slight smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

---

The next day, Jess found himself walking past Weston’s Coffee almost instinctively. He wasn’t usually one to go out of his way for anyone, but something about you had gotten under his skin. He didn’t know if it was the way you had smiled at him like you could see right through his smart remarks or the fact that you didn’t seem fazed by his sarcasm. Either way, he wanted to know more.

As he passed the window, there you were, sitting alone at one of the tables, a book open in front of you and that same paper cup from Luke’s in your hand. You were sipping it slowly, a look of concentration on your face as you read.

Without really thinking, Jess opened the door and walked in.

You glanced up, surprised but not unpleasantly so, and gave him a small smile. “Let me guess—here to tell me Weston’s has better coffee?”

Jess shrugged, slipping into the chair across from you without asking. “Just checking to see if I was right.”

You held up the cup, now almost empty, and smirked. “Luke’s wasn’t that bad. But maybe I’ll give Weston’s a try next time.”

He grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Told you.”

You closed your book, studying him with curious eyes. “So, what’s your deal?”

Jess blinked, a little taken aback by the directness of the question. “My deal?”

“Yeah,” you said, leaning forward a little. “You seem like the kind of guy who’s always got something going on. So, what’s your deal?”

He chuckled, impressed by how straightforward you were. Most people didn’t dare try to get to know him, especially this quickly. “No deal,” he said, shrugging. “Just a guy who reads too much and drinks bad coffee.”

You laughed, the sound light and genuine. “I find that hard to believe.”

Jess raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh yeah? And what’s your deal?”

You smiled. “Y/N, visiting Stars Hollow for a bit. Trying to avoid too much small-town gossip.”

He nodded. “Good luck with that.”

There was a comfortable silence for a moment, and Jess found himself surprised at how easy it was to sit here with you. Usually, he had his guard up, always ready with a sarcastic remark or a way to push people away. But with you, he felt… calm.

After a beat, you glanced at the book in front of him. “What are you reading?”

Jess lifted the book, showing you the cover. “*On the Road.* You?”

You turned your book around to show him the cover of a novel he hadn’t heard of but found himself interested in. “A little something for the train rides back home,” you said with a shrug.

“I’ll have to check it out,” Jess said, and he meant it. He liked that you were a reader. It gave you both something to share.

As the conversation flowed, Jess realized he was genuinely enjoying himself. You weren’t intimidated by him, and you weren’t overly interested in the mystery people usually tried to solve. You were just… you.

And as you sipped the last of your coffee, Jess found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe, he’d finally met someone worth sticking around for.

---

[pumpkins-are-my-spirit]

I think I was Michel in my past life, or even my present one

[lovealwayssay]

Season 3 of Gilmore Girls might be the best season of Gilmore Girls.

[teddypickerry]

GILMORE GIRLS ASK GAME.

since i’ve seen so many ask games lately… feel free to reblog and ask your mutuals :) fill up my inbox!

1. team dave or team zach?

2. best quote from _______?

3. favorite lorelai love interest (besides luke)?

4. if you could go to one place in stars hollow, where would it be?

5. would you rather attend chilton or stars hollow high?

6. favorite gg headcannon?

7. participate in the 24 hour dance marathon or the picnic basket event?

8. if you had to recast one character who would you choose and why?

9. favorite lorelai outfit?

10. favorite rory outfit?

11. would you rather join the puffs or the life and death brigade?

12. favorite literati scene?

13. watch a movie with lorelai or read a book with rory?

14. if you could give one character more screen time, who would it be?

15. favorite stars hollow side resident?

16. if you could watch one movie with lorelai, what would it be?

17. favorite refrence?

18. unpopular gg opinion?

19. try emily’s apple tarts, the magic risotto, or luke’s coffee and pancakes?

20. what song/album do you think (character) would like?

21. summer in california with jess or europe with logan?

22. favorite episode of ayitl?

23. favorite rogan scene?

24. if you could be best friend’s with one of the gg characters, who would it be?

25. would you rather see a spin-off of jess’s childhood or life in california, or emily before she became a gilmore?

26. what would be (gg character)’s favorite tv show?

27. favorite dean/rory scene?

28. paw-paw or paul anka?

29. which gg character would you most likely have a one night stand with?

30. favorite picture of (gg character)?

31. lorelai’s winter or rory’s autumn?

32. (gg character) you hate that everyone loves?

33. is there a character from another show that reminds you of (gg character)?

34. crackship you think would work? (ex: rory gilmore & chuck bass)

[polish-lolita]