Gilmore Girls: 5 Times Jess & Luke’s Relationship Was Better Than Rory & Lorelai’s (And Vice Versa)

The bond between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore has been talked about and dissected since the show’s inception in 2000. The duo acted like best friends more than mother and daughter; they even fought like sisters. However, after the reboot and re-watching the original series time and time again, it became clear that another Gilmore Girls duo gave Lorelai and Rory a run for their money: Luke and Jess.

Luke was Jess’s uncle and although their time together in Stars Hollow was short, it was inspirational for both of them. The Uncle and nephew learned so much from each other and stayed in each other’s lives even when they didn’t need to. Seeing the foursome together from time to time made fans wonder: who was the better duo, Jess and Luke or Rory and Lorelai?

10 Jess & Luke: From The Bad Boy To The Good Guy

It says a lot about the kind of man that Luke is that he was able to transform Jess from a wild child to a standup man. Jess didn’t live with Luke that long but it’s obvious that Luke had a big role in his changed path in life. Seeing how Jess got his head on straight is a testament to the impact Luke had on his life.

9 Rory & Lorelai: They Have Always Trusted And Respected Each Other

The amount of trust and respect that Lorelai and Rory have for each other is amazing to watch as a viewer. Rory had troubling times as a teenager—just like thousands of other teenagers—but she and Lorelai always understood each other in those trying times.

On the contrary, Jess and Luke fought more than they got along. It was hard for Luke to trust Jess just as hard as it was hard for Jess to trust Luke.

8 Jess & Luke: They Set Boundaries With Eachother

The biggest difference between Rory and Lorelai and Jess and Luke is that Luke sets boundaries with Jess. He needed Jess on a straight path and the only way to do that was by making rules and making sure Jess followed them. Lorelai was more concerned with being Rory’s best friend than setting curfew times and setting boundaries. And by looking at their futures in A Year in the Life, it appears that boundaries shaped Jess.

7 Rory & Lorelai: Their Bond Was Unbreakable

Luke and Jess ended up learning a lot from each other but their bond wasn’t like Lorelai and Rory’s bond. In fact, no one’s was. They were closer than mother and daughter — they were like the same person in two bodies.

They had the same interests, cravings, and views. Their bond made them better people because they learned from each other’s achievements and failures.

6 Jess & Luke: Jess Has A Much More Productive Adult Life Compared To Rory

Regardless of fans’ feelings on the Gilmore Girls reboot, A Year in the Life, one thing was incredibly telling: Rory was not the productive and successful young adult that she was told she would be her entire life. She was looking for work, she was unprepared for adult life, she didn’t have one place to call her own, and she was in a toxic relationship that revolved around secrecy. Jess, on the other hand, appeared to have his life together. He was an author, was most likely still working in publishing, and was far more level-headed than Rory was. Jess has Luke to thank for that.

5 Rory & Lorelai: A Banter Only They Could Understand

Lorelai and Rory practically speak a different language. They speak fast, they name-drop countless pop culture references, and they don’t clarify themselves when people are confused. Emily, Richard, and Luke are constantly playing catch up when they’re around these two and it’s endearing to watch. They were best friends who didn’t need to always explain themselves with words; sometimes a movie title or song would suffice. There’s no way Jess and Luke could compete with that bond.

4 Jess & Luke: Resources To Succeed Instead Of Money

If Rory didn’t have grandparents with deep projects, it’s hard to tell what her future would have been like. She wouldn’t have gone to Chilton and paying for Yale would have been a struggle. She wouldn’t have had a car and she wouldn’t have a trust fund through her great-grandmother.

Contrastingly, Jess had to fight and pay for everything he had. He worked over 40 hours a week as a teenager just to buy himself a car. He didn’t pass high school but he ended up turning his life around and getting a successful job in Philadelphia. He used the resources he had and his natural grit to make a living. Luke gave him the tools to live a better life and Jess took note.

3 Rory & Lorelai: They Fight For Eachother

Whether it’s against a teacher, the Gilmores, or someone in Stars Hollow, Lorelai and Rory defend each other when times get hard. They know each other’s true intentions and can defend each other even when they don’t know the whole story. That’s how much they know each other. With Jess and Luke, the trust between them wasn’t always there, which meant that they couldn’t necessarily defend each other when times got tough.

2 Jess & Luke: They Grew Through Love Not Obligation

A beautiful aspect of Jess and Luke’s relationship was that they came together in a forced way but stayed together out of love. Although Jess moved on from Stars Hollow, he continued to visit Luke and check on him. Jess didn’t need to remain in Luke’s life; it’s not like Luke was his dad. But they remained in each other’s lives because they genuinely cared for one another and wanted to.

1 Rory & Lorelai: They’re Apart Of Each Other’s Decisions

As mother and daughter, Rory and Lorelai were a real unit. Every decision the women made as independents was made with the other mind. Lorelai couldn’t move from Stars Hollow with Christopher because she thought it would be too hard leaving all those memories behind. She knew Rory wouldn’t want to be in another home either. Lorelai also put her wedding to Luke on hold until she and Rory were on better terms. The two had selfish tendencies but they were selfless when it came to each other.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
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Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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