Why Dean Forester from Gilmore Girls Deserves More Appreciation

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Even though Gilmore Girls first aired 25 years ago and the revival concluded almost a decade ago, the show remains popular with fans. Despite this, one character still gets a lot of negativity, and many believe he’s unfairly treated.

Fans of Gilmore Girls still argue about who Rory’s best boyfriend was, considering how each relationship played out. While many strongly dislike Dean Forester, he’s often unfairly criticized by viewers.

Dean Forester Continues To Be Hated By The Gilmore Girls Fanbase

Jared Padalecki played Dean Forester, who was Rory’s first boyfriend on Gilmore Girls. He actually appeared in the very first episode, even before viewers fully understood Rory’s personality, and their relationship continued throughout multiple seasons of the show.

Dean initially came across as a charming and smooth talker who easily impressed women. But it quickly became clear he was more complex than he appeared.

Rory often flustered Dean with her words and made him blush when they first met, but Dean wasn’t the aloof, ‘too cool’ type – Jess eventually filled that role. Dean proved to be a family man, and his feelings for Rory were so strong he even built her a car.

Dean wasn’t flawless – a particularly awkward moment was when Rory pretended to be a stereotypical housewife to cook for him. However, he was generally dependable, kind, and thoughtful. In fact, Rory later admits in A Year in the Life that Dean showed her what it felt like to be safe.

Despite this, many viewers still dislike Dean, often ranking him as one of Rory’s most problematic boyfriends, or even the worst. People criticize him for being controlling, and especially for cheating on his wife, Lindsay, with Rory. While I don’t think the controlling aspect is the biggest issue, the cheating is particularly unforgivable.

Dean Is (Very) Far From The Only Cheater On The Show

Okay, let’s talk about Dean as Rory’s worst boyfriend. I keep hearing the cheating accusation, and honestly, it doesn’t quite hold water. It’s not like Rory was a saint in that whole situation – she was definitely involved. But more importantly, Dean isn’t the only one who strayed in the world of Gilmore Girls. Let’s not pretend other characters didn’t have their moments, either!

Perhaps the most striking revelation in A Year in the Life is that Rory seems to have missed a lesson from her past relationship with Dean. She and Logan are both cheating on their significant others, mirroring Dean’s own infidelity. This is made even more amusing by Rory’s ongoing habit of forgetting to actually end things with Paul.

The situation is much less amusing from Logan’s perspective. He’s not just having an affair – he becomes engaged to another woman, Odette. The series also reveals that Odette is unaware of Logan’s continued relationship with Rory.

Although Rory shouldn’t be seen as the bad guy in that situation – Logan is more to blame – it’s hard to call Dean a bad character without also pointing out that Logan and Rory did the same thing.

Even if you try to justify treating Dean differently because he was married, it’s still unfair to single him out. Many characters on Gilmore Girls are unfaithful, and it’s inconsistent to judge Dean more harshly than them.

Dean Remains Among Rory’s Best Exes, Especially Early On

Okay, hear me out, but I genuinely think Dean was a pretty good boyfriend to Rory, especially when they were first together. I know people point to him getting possessive when Jess came around, but honestly, he wasn’t wrong to notice something was happening. Rory and Jess clearly had a connection, and he was picking up on that. It’s easy to judge him now, but he wasn’t just making things up in his head!

Okay, putting aside the obvious issues, Dean really did seem like a good match for Rory, at least initially. What struck me most was how he genuinely understood and valued the incredibly close bond Rory shared with Lorelai. He didn’t try to change that, which was smart – he actually integrated himself into their world. It was almost sweet, seeing him even try to offer Luke advice on how to navigate their quirky family dynamic!

Dean consistently allowed Rory to be herself and pursue her ambitions, unlike some other boyfriends like Logan, who occasionally overshadowed her. While Logan did become supportive later on, he didn’t encourage her to prioritize her own goals when she took time off from Yale – Jess was the one who did that.

Dean possessed a genuine kindness that Rory never found in her later relationships. While Jess matured and became a good partner, he also hurt Rory deeply by leaving without explanation—something Dean would never do. Logan, too, occasionally treated Rory poorly.

Even if Dean made mistakes later in the series, he was truly a good friend and supporter of Rory during their early relationship. Because of this, it’s surprising how much some viewers of Gilmore Girls dislike him.

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2025-11-06 05:39