I'm convinced Rory and Logan's story was originally supposed to include a different Gilmore Girls character

One of the reasons why I love Gilmore Girls it's because of the love interests, and one of Rory's most important boyfriends is Logan. Played by Matt Czuchry, Logan Huntzberger is introduced in season 5 like he's the opposite of Rory's exes; I couldn't help but fall in love with him. It doesn't take long for the two to connect and Rory begins to embrace the side of her life that Logan represents. While I hated when she walked away from Lorelai, that wasn't Logan's fault, as he couldn't be blamed for Rory's questionable choices.

Of course, Logan is far from Rory's only love interest, as Dean and Jess also play prominent roles in the series. However, an almost-boyfriend from the show's early seasons draws a surprising number of parallels to Logan. I've always been intrigued by the role of Tristan Dugray, played by Chad Micheal Murray, and although he was dropped, it's hard not to see how he and Rory could have followed a similar path to her and Logan. After reviewing Gilmore Girls Many years later, I began to examine the different paths the series could have taken and how it would have altered the main characters' arcs.

Why I think Logan's story was originally intended for Chad Michael Murray's Tristan

Tristan Dugray fits the same archetype as Logan at the beginning of Rory's story

Rory and Logan's Relationship Timeline in Gilmore Girls takes place from the 5th season onwards, but when I put the facts together I realized how similar he is to Tristan. A prominent parallel is that Logan and Tristan belong to the upper class of Rory's upbringing, which belongs to her grandparents. Rory meets Tristan at Chilton and Logan at Yale, two elite schools funded by his grandparents, attended by children of powerful and privileged parents. Although Lorelai didn't have much of a chance to meet Tristan, I know she would have disapproved of him, as she initially did with Logan.

Additionally, Tristan and Logan feel trapped by their strict upbringings and family expectations, which is a big part of why I think Rory softens toward Logan and sees the deeper parts of him. For both Tristan and Logan, the response to this pressure is to act, and it has been proven many times that Rory has her head turned by rebellious men. It was never confirmed by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the series' writer and creator, that Tristan was intended to have a similar story arc or that he would have become Rory's main love interest.

However, based on clues from the series, I think Tristan would have been Rory's first bad boy. Unfortunately, Murray decided to leave Gilmore Girls early, despite plans for a longer arc for Tristan as other roles became available (via iHeart Radio). He went on to play another TV teen heartthrob in Hill of a treeone of the best teen romance TV shows. Other elements that seem to have been recycled from Tristan's storyline into Logan's, like Rory's nicknames Mary/Ace, make me think that Sherman-Palladino decided to delay Tristan's potential storyline until a later season when he left.

How Tristan Replacing Logan Would Have Been Different for Gilmore Girls

This could have changed Rory's entire character arc

One of the ways in which Tristan differed most from Logan was that he was much less mature and more combative towards Rory. Because he is younger and hasn't found any freedom with his parents, he doesn't know how to deal with his attraction to Rory, so he mocks her and makes Chilton even harder on her. This makes it difficult for us to root for Tristan initially, and I would have been hesitant to see him fully redeemed if he and Rory had started dating and she began to embrace her elite world.

Tristan and Logan are like Christopher, Rory's father and Lorelai's first love, to whom she continually returns throughout the series. If Rory and Tristan were together, it would have added to the timeline of Rory embracing the life and influence of her grandparents, which she does a little during the first few seasons but is more prominent during seasons 5 and 6. However , that wouldn't happen. This aligns with Rory's character arc, as she doesn't become disillusioned with the idea of ​​herself and her inevitable success until college, which Logan helps her navigate. Rory acting in high school would have changed Gilmore Girls forever.

Although Jess also fulfills this bad boy archetype, he never pretends he doesn't care about Rory, and although he ends up hurting her, it's because he has a lot more maturing to do and has been hampered by his upbringing. Since Tristan is like Logan and Jess, his relationship with Rory could have altered her timeline with Jess, which would leave me very disappointed. Tristan may have pressured Rory to separate from Lorelai earlier, which could have prepared her for more lasting success in adulthood, but I doubt Rory would have been ready to try that in high school.

I'm glad Logan's story happened instead of more Tristan

He was the best match for Rory in the end

Even though Logan left Gilmore Girls before the final episode and wasn't always the perfect partner for Rory, he was the ideal person to help her achieve what she wanted in life. Their dynamic worked because Logan had time to overcome his childhood rebellion and immaturity, realizing that she wanted to grow up and be a person Rory could trust. Plus, Logan was a new part of Rory's life, and their relationship drama doesn't come from petty jealousy. Tristan drove a wedge between Rory and Paris, something later seasons didn't need.

Rory's arc in the second half of Gilmore Girls is one of the most polarizing parts of the series, but it makes sense that she would have a delayed period of rebellion because of her close relationship with Lorelai. Having his separation from Lorelai, accompanied by the growth of his connection with Logan, made sense. Rory needed to test her limits and discover what kind of person she wanted to be, exploring the privilege that Lorelai tried to keep her apart from. I was sad that they had to spend so much time apart, but it was in the best interests of the show.

Logan has much more time on the series to have a nuanced character arc with significant development, but even if Tristan had stayed, it wouldn't have been the same. Tristan coming back in recent years wouldn't have pushed her into a new part of life, but rather pulled her back to her teenage years. It's clear to me that one of the reasons Rory and Dean broke up Gilmore Girls season 5 is because she's outgrown the things that made her comfortable in high school and is looking for someone to challenge her.