Gilmore Girls‘ cozy vibes are unbeatable, but the complex dynamic of the Gilmore family is only the beginning. The most heavily debated element of the long-standing series is the romantic relationships, specifically those of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel). Yet Lorelai’s love life comes to a definitive conclusion when she ends up with Luke (Scott Patterson), while Rory’s is left open-ended. The truth is that Rory has several important love interests, and which man is the best for whom is hotly debated among fans. However, in the seven seasons, there are only three real contenders for that title: Dean (Jared Padalecki), her first love; Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), the rebellious teen she falls for; and Logan (Matt Czuchry), the rich guy she dates throughout college. There are those who will argue for each of these, but one near relationship is often forgotten, and that is for the best.
At the beginning of the series, there is another contender for Rory’s affection: Tristan Dugray (Chad Michael Murray). Rory meets Tristan on her first day at Chilton, and though she never likes him much, Tristan unrelentingly works to gain her attention. As the story goes on, Gilmore Girls drops several hints that they could develop into an enemies-to-lovers kind of trajectory, but it never happens. Tristan abruptly leaves in Season 2 and never resurfaces in Rory’s life, cutting short any long-term storylines they might have shared. While Tristan plays an interesting role as he complicates Rory’s transition to Chilton, their potential relationship is no great loss, especially considering Logan fills a similar role much better than Tristan ever could.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Set Up a Relationship Between Rory and Tristan that Never Happened
Pretty much as soon as Rory arrives at her new school in Season 1, she meets Tristan, who insists on calling her Mary, much to Rory’s annoyance. Even though Tristan teases her relentlessly, it’s clear that he has a crush on her, though little comes of it. On Scott Patterson’s podcast, I Am All In, Murray describes the character’s feelings for Rory, saying, “He found her intriguing, he thought she was smart, intelligent, beautiful, and that he did love her.” Throughout the first two seasons, there is considerable drama set up with Rory and Tristan that could have grown into more. He asks her to the school dance and develops a rivalry with Dean, who Rory is dating at the time. The story seems to be bringing them together, especially after they kiss during Dean and Rory’s first breakup. Tristan even asks her to a PJ Harvey concert, which Rory refuses, but it all stops when Tristan leaves the show.
In Season 2, Episode 9, “Run Away, Little Boy,” Tristan and Rory are paired together on a project for the final time as they must perform the final scene of Romeo and Juliet in their class. This brings Tristan to Stars Hollow, where Paris (Liza Weil) has found space to rehearse, and Tristan picks a fight with Dean, who is quick to get jealous over Tristan and Rory’s stage kiss. Despite the buildup of this situation, Tristan is sent to military school at the end of the episode. By this point, Rory’s opinion of Tristan has softened, and she feels sorry for him as he’s sent away, but with his departure, any chance of further developing the dynamic between them disappears. On Patterson’s podcast, Murray confirmed that Tristan was intended for a longer arc, but he chose to leave and pursue other roles (namely Lucas on One Tree Hill) as he discovered who he is as an actor.
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‘Gilmore Girls’ Replaces Tristan with Logan
Though in the immediate story, Jess takes over Tristan’s rivalry with Dean, creating a love triangle, Logan is introduced a few seasons later and fills the same role as Tristan, as the blond, arrogant, rich boy with an interest in Rory, who refuses to call her by her actual name. There are many similarities between Logan and Tristan, from the way they look to their shared popularity. Logan and Tristan are both mentioned to have dated many different girls and have a tendency to get into trouble. It’s also worth noting that both have issues with their fathers, with each acting out due to the expectations set for them, and in both cases, Rory softens her opinion of them after realizing this. Tristan’s father sends him to military school, and Logan and Mitchum (Gregg Henry) have near-constant arguments as Mitchum tries to control his career and relationships.
The similarities are staggering, but the clearest argument for Logan replacing Tristan is the fact that Logan becomes the grandparent-approved love interest that Tristan would have been if he and Rory actually dated. Dean and even Jess fit directly into Rory’s Stars Hollow life and, therefore, received dislike from Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop). But they instantly love Logan because of his family, just like how Richard voices his approval when he sees Rory and Tristan talking at Rory’s birthday party in Season 1. With their privileged upbringings and family wealth, Tristan and Logan are mirrors of Rory’s father, Christopher (David Sutcliffe), which plays into the comparison between Rory and Lorelai.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Was Better Off with Logan Than Tristan
Despite their many similarities, Logan ended up being the better option for that role. Though Tristan was initially set up to be the love interest from the Gilmores’ world, Logan is introduced at a point in the story when Rory is in a different place. After years of contact with Richard and Emily, she has grown more open to that lifestyle, and her interest in Logan demonstrates that. Plus, Logan, as insufferable as he is early on, never picks on Rory the way that Tristan does. Tristan gave Rory no reason to see him as anything but a bully, and so it’s difficult to imagine them in a relationship.
But perhaps the biggest change Rory and Tristan dating would have caused is that it would have interfered with Rory’s friendship with Paris, adding an unnecessary obstacle for them. Paris has a long-standing crush on Tristan, and even when Rory turns down Tristan’s advances, Paris freezes her out, so if they actually started dating, it would hurt the growing-but-fragile friendship between Paris and Rory, possibly beyond repair. Meanwhile, Rory’s drama with Logan often lines up with Paris and Doyle’s (Danny Strong), bringing the girls closer together. While further developing the dynamic between Rory and Tristan may have been the plan, Tristan’s early departure made way for Logan to follow a very similar story, and that is so much better for Gilmore Girls.