If you look closely, Dean was never the perfect guy in Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls was one of the earliest shows that set the standard for boyfriends in the early 2000s. Dean, Jess, and Logan, the three men Rory dated, were all loved for their own qualities. Since Dean was Rory's first boyfriend, he was the first to set the standard for both Rory and the viewers. For the most part, he was the innocent teenager who was a sweet and loving boyfriend.

However, Dean Forester (played by Jared Padalecki) was far from being the perfect guy for Rory (played by Alexis Bledel). He was possessive, jealous, controlling, and a boy who never grew up.

Gilmore Girls' Dean was never a perfect guy

Rory and Dean first meet in season one of Gilmore Girls, and the pair soon start dating. Rory has just turned sixteen, got accepted to Chilton, and has started dating her first boyfriend.

Initially, Dean is a great boyfriend. He is sweet, supportive, and cares about Rory and her ambitions. Jared Padalecki portrays the character in Gilmore Girls in such an honest way that you can't help but really like the guy. Dean and Rory attend different schools, but their relationship still flourishes.

On their three-month anniversary, Dean builds Rory a car and tells her he loves her. When she can't say it back, Dean breaks up with her. While it makes sense for him to be hurt, the breakup shows his impatience and inability to accept that Rory should have her own pace. They eventually get back together before season one ends, after Rory tells him she loves him.

In season two of Gilmore Girls, the supportive boyfriend Dean soon starts having problems with Rory focusing on her schoolwork and not giving him enough time. He has issues with her focusing on school, and we soon see a toxic side of him.

Their relationship becomes more strained after the arrival of Jess Maiano, Luke Dane's nephew. Jess is quiet and acts cold to everyone but Rory. Rory and Jesse's friendship makes Dean jealous. For instance, when Jess tries to win Rory's basket at a charity auction, Dean lashes out at Rory. While Dean's jealousy is justified to an extent, it does not help the situation. We also see Rory kiss Jess at the end of season two.

In Gilmore Girls season three, Dean realizes he and Rory cannot keep fixing their issues, and they break up. Rory then dates Jess for a while, and towards the end of the season, Dean suddenly gets engaged to Lindsay. However, in season four, things take a turn.

Dean, now married, cheats on his wife, Lindsay, and sleeps with Rory. While Rory is to blame as well, Dean turns out to be the guy who could not be with Rory earlier, but also cannot forget her, despite being married to someone else.

Dean and Rory get back together in season five of Gilmore Girls. Yes, they date while Dean is married to Lindsay. Rory seems to be making the worst choices when she is with him or giving in to her attraction towards him. But irrespective of time, they do not work out. This is their last and final breakup, and Dean is not a part of Rory's life in the next two seasons of Gilmore Girls.

Dean was not a bad guy. He tried his best to be a good boyfriend, but had problems that even he could not solve. He expected Rory to be of a certain kind, despite knowing about her plans. Though he goes back to her later, he cannot give her what she deserves, and dates her while being married.

As a teenager, his immaturity could be excused to an extent, but even as an adult, Dean does not realize his issues until later, when we see him married to Ginny and a father to three children in the Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in the Life. While he was a good boyfriend at times, he was not a perfect guy, especially not for Rory.

Gilmore Girls is currently streaming on Netflix.

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