Gilmore Guys (a guest series) . . . LOGAN! Featuring Jessica Patch and a giveaway

GGheader.jpg

True story: The first time a reviewer compared my new book, Here to Stay, to the TV show Gilmore Girls, I may have squealed a little.

Or a lot.

Because I love that show. It’s one of the only shows of which I’ve seen EVERY episode multiple times. The characters, the dialogue, the storyworld…the wit!

Several other reviewers made the same comparison and since Here to Stay‘s release, I’ve had the fun of connecting with lots of other Gilmore Girls fans. One of our favorite topics of heated debate friendly discussion has been the various male characters on the show. And eventually, the idea for this blog series was born. (My cool coworker Cheryl came up with the series title.) Each Friday (in honor of GG’s Friday night dinners) in June and July we’ll feature a different guest post about a different male character.

And each post includes a giveaway! So even if you’ve never watched the show, feel free to stick around for that part.

Now, I’ve already written (extensively) about one of my favorite male characters, Jess. When it comes to GG, people tend to either be #TeamJess or #TeamLogan, both one-time boyfriends of one of the main characters, Rory. My wonderful friend, fellow writer, and all around awesome chica Jessica Patch, is Team Logan all the way. So enjoy her hilarious take on his character today.

six33xb6.jpg

Jessica is writing about the guy on the right today. Here’s my post from awhile back about the guy on the left.

AND be sure to enter the giveaway at the end. Today I’m giving away a Team Logan magnet, a $5 Starbucks gift card and a copy of Here to Stay.

*****

OY with the Poodles! Logan IS the right guy!

Headshot-blk-and-whiteWow! It’s so great to hang out with the amazing, hilarious, kind, and just down right precious Melissa Tagg—even if we sorely disagree on which man is right for Rory Gilmore. Thanks for letting me kick off this stinking awesome summer Gilmore Guys series.

And we’re kicking it off right with LOGAN HUNTZBERGER. Yep, he’s a trust fund baby, smug and spoiled rich guy. But you can’t blame him for how he was raised, just like you can’t blame Jess for being raised by a fruitcake mom from a much lower social and economic status. It played into his personality too!

Untitled1

What makes a great hero? Noble qualities, of course, but a good writer also knows to avoid cookie-cutter characters; flaws need to be woven into a hero to breathe life into him. Without the flaws, where’s the conflict? And with Logan on more seasons than er…Jess, conflict was necessary.

Let’s look at his lovely qualities as well as his flaws and then I’ll wrap up with why he belongs with me, I mean, Rory.

L is for Lavish

This can be both a strength and a flaw. When it comes to Rory, he’s willing to give her anything.  A swanky apartment for a year so she isn’t stuck living in that rat trap. He takes her to Martha’s Vineyard, heck all over the world. He has the means to do it and he’s generous. It’s also a flaw because he’s never learned the concept of saving money. I do believe he and Rory have this conversation at one point. Which brings me to Rory is good for Logan. She’s not only been raised on meager means, but she also comes from wealth and she knows how to be a good steward.

Oh, and let’s not forget what I personally think was a heart fluttering moment. The coffee cart. A twenty-four hours coffee cart to apologize for a BIG mistake. Oy with the poodles already! (Melissa: I will hand it to Logan there. The 24 hour coffee cart was pretty sweet.)

O is for Open-minded and Ostentatious

He’s both. No doubt. He opened up his mind and made a commitment to Rory. Anything she wanted to do, like work for his tool bag of a dad, he balked but didn’t close his mind off to it. When she moved in with Paris, he balked again but…kept an open mind. Same with her hometown, double dating with her mom and Luke…Dude really does have an open mind. He listens.

And yes, he completely has the need to impress and go big which goes back to being lavish. But we’re talking about a man who’s lived with not being enough for his father, a man who has placed ridiculous demands on him and expects him to take over an empire without even asking Logan what he wants. There’s a big old insecure factor that motivates his ostentatious behavior. It can be annoying, but I tend to overlook it because underneath that is a lost little boy who just needs someone to say, I love you no matter what. Rory was the only one who did that.

G is for Gallant and Green-eyed

Gallant by definition means a brave, noble-minded, or chivalrous man; a man exceptionally attentive to women; a stylish and dashing man; a suitor or lover.

Untitled2

I don’t see how any of us can deny this. He never mistreated Rory, even when they bickered. He was attentive to her, though I’m sure many of you will argue, especially at the end when he brings her to a work dinner and takes off for the weekend to Vegas to nurse some wounds. Not saying those things were smart or right, they weren’t, but again he’s doing what he knows. No worse than Jess bailing on her every single time. At least when Logan balked, it was for a minute and then he did what Rory wanted. He did all sorts of things for Rory he didn’t necessarily want to. And let’s be honest, he was super stylish! I love a man in a scarf and coat. But that’s me.

A big fat flaw? He’s extremely jealous. Rory is his first real commitment. It’s new to him. And sometimes jealousy is legit and sometimes not. The way he handled it was never stellar and it did indeed hurt Rory. I think with time, he’d have gotten better but we only had 7 flipping seasons!

A is for Adventurous and Arrogant

The Death Brigade. Need I say more? Okay, I will. He jumped off a cliff and almost died. It’s a strength and a flaw. You know, ’cause the almost dying thing. And yes he stole a boat with Rory. I love his line: “You need to tell me why we’re committing a felony before we do it.” It’s his I’m all-in nature. Was it right? No. Was he the bad influence on Rory? I don’t think so. She’d been the perfect angel for so long, it was bound to break out.

Arrogant. Yeah, that would describe him. But as he grew, he became less and less. Still a hint of it, but not nearly like the first season. And I’ll be honest, I kinda like an arrogant hero. IF…he has a sweet heart underneath and learns to shave off the insecurity that makes him this way, leaving him with simply…confidence. You may disagree. (Melissa: I do. But it’s okay. We can still be friends.)

Untitled3

N is for Noble

He IS noble. He wants what is best for Rory. He has every intention of giving his dad the what-for after he crushes her. What about when he gives Luke the matching bracelet or was it the necklace?…either way, it was a piece of jewelry that Luke hadn’t purchased for Valentine’s Day. And he did it without any strings attached. Noble. Not to mention instead of feeling entitled due to his social position or arrogance, he humbles himself and actually asks Lorelei’s permission to marry Rory.

I could have probably come up with a “N” flaw but I’d like to leave on a positive note. I think Logan will find Rory on the campaign trail. At some point, he’ll hunt her down and tell her that he loves her; it doesn’t matter if she’s not ready. He’s willing to wait because she’s worth it. Yeah, she’ll have to deal with the baggage of his family, but she’s used to that thanks to Emily and Richard. She can take it. But I see no reason why they can’t make it work. Or why they shouldn’t.

So I leave you with this quote from Logan:

“If I could, I’d also like to say a few words about my girlfriend of the last 3 years. You amaze me, Rory Gilmore. Every day, everything that you do, everything that you are. This past year I learned that I don’t know a whole lot more than I thought I knew, if that makes sense. I’m sorry, I’m a little bit nervous and I didn’t think I would be. What I’m trying to say is, I don’t know a lot. But I know that I love you, and I want to be with you.”

And this YouTube. Some top moments with Logan and Rory!

Jessica R. Patch writes inspirational contemporary romance with plenty of mystery and suspense. A passion to draw women into intimacy with God keeps her motivated, along with heaping cups of caffeine in the form of coffee. When she’s not hunched over her laptop or teaching the new & growing believer’s class at her church, you can find her sneaking off to movies with her husband, embarrassing her daughter in unique ways, dominating her son at board games, and collecting recipes she’ll probably never cook. She is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency.

*****

Giveaway Time!

I’m giving away a Team Logan magnet, a $5 gift card to Starbucks and a copy of my book. There are multiple entry options below. The giveaway ends next Thursday night. Happy entering…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a GG fan? If so, Team Jess or Team Logan? If you’re not a fan, do you think we might convince you to become one by the end of the summer??

Be Sociable, Share!

    Comments 86

      1. Post
        Author

        Thanks, Crystal! I think part of the reason people compare the two is because the main character of Here to Stay owns an inn and the town, Whisper Shore, is pretty reminiscent of Stars Hollow from GG. 🙂

    1. Okay, first off, Jesse is one of my besties, she was even in my wedding. But when it comes to who a character should end up with she always seems to be wrong. Hah!

      So Logan made me laugh a few times and he had a few redeeming moments like giving the V Day necklace to Luke, but his arrogance and promiscuity were way too much for me to ever consider that he should end up with Rory. They were on different wave-lengths.

      Logan is the LAST guy who I would’ve chosen to end up with Rory. Heck, even Tristan would’ve been a better fit (going back old school GG).

      Wonderfully written post, though.

      And P.S. Jess was in 4 seasons, Logan was in 3 😛

      1. Post
        Author

        Charissa for the win! I am completely there with you on Logan. Yes, he had a few redeeming qualities. And I appreciated his whip-smart humor. But I’ve just never been a fan of pretty boy, arrogant heroes…even when they’re redeemed in the end, they still just feel sort of “meh” to me. Sort of like Matthew McConaughey in every chick flick he’s ever been in.

        BUT…I totally respect Jesse and she does make some good points (plus, she’s hilarious) and I can admit that Jess had his faults as well. I guess they’re just easier faults for me to forgive… 🙂 My latest theory on Logan is that he, for Rory, is exactly like Christopher was for Lorelai…a worthy partner for a time, someone she could gel with for sure, but not the makings of a long-term relationship.

        1. What? See, I love MC in all his movies. We’ll just have to agree to disagree. However, I will say that I have loved both your heroes in your books, Tagg! Well done on both of them. I’m thinking you may not like my heroes lol!

          1. Post
            Author

            I’m sorry, I don’t know why, but MC always leaves a bad taste in my mouth in chick flicks. I’ve discovered I actually really like him as an actor in non-chick flicks. But yeah…maybe my taste is off. LOL!

            1. Post
              Author
        2. Yes, Melissa. I think the arrogance was one of Logan’s major downfalls. Even when Jess was being a jerky teenager (I emphasize that he was a teenager when he was messing up) he never seemed arrogant. He just seemed like he didn’t fit in and didn’t know how to connect with people.

          Logan was grown when he was talking down to people. And I’ll never forgive him for being rude to Marty. Marty was such a sweetie. (If Rory couldn’t have been with Jess, Marty would be my next choice for her.)

          1. Post
            Author

            Yes to everything you said, Charissa! BUT…I will say this for Logan. He tried. He tried a LOT harder than Jess did for a LOT longer. Don’t get me wrong, I vote Jess all the way, all the time. But for all his faults, Logan tried…whereas, yes, Jess did just up and leave town. Thing is, like you said, Jess was a teenager.

            And yeah, Logan being rude to Marty was…ugh. But actually that whole situation made me more at Rory than anything. If you’re dating a guy and he treats your friends like crap, that’s BAD NEWS!

            1. Tis true. I was always mad at Jess for telling Rory he loved her and then leaving before she could respond. And by her reaction, it seemed like she would have had a pretty good response. Jess shot himself in the foot a lot by running away. But like I told Jesse, as many times as he ran away, he came back that many times too.

              Yes, Logan did try. I really don’t hate his character, I WAS surprised by how long he lasted on the show. But I will be forever grateful that the writers had her turn down his proposal so that we could imagine that Jess would come back for her yet again when they were both ready.

        1. Jesse, you probably wanted Elizabeth Bennett to end up with Mr. Wickham instead of Mr. Darcy or Jane Eyre to end up with St. John instead of Mr. Rochester…

          Or Cory to end up with Lauren instead of Topanga, or Troy to end up with Sharpay instead of Gabriella…

          Am I right?!

          1. No! I’m a Darcy and Rochester fan. But once you hit Boy Meets World, you are a generation behind me. I never watched that show. I know what it is and probably have watched an episode when B watched it (reruns for her lol) but I can’t choose. I did want Bruce and Jessica to be together and was distraught when Todd and Jessica ended up together and Elizabeth with Bruce. Not cool Francine Pascal. Not cool. LOL

            1. Haha, your last couple sentences are like Mandarin to me.

              Oh Jesse, some day the Lord will reveal to you that Jess is who was supposed to be with Rory. The Lord or Amy Sherman-Palladino, whichever comes first. hah!

      1. Post
        Author

        That’s a totally acceptable answer, Laurie. Truthfully, as much as I adore Jess, I actually like that Rory ended the series without a guy in her life. I love that she took off and pursued her dream. (Although, in my imagination, years later, she and Jess reconnect. LOL!)

      1. Post
        Author

        Haha, you’re totally not alone, Gina. I know quite a few other Logan fans. In fact, for the longest time, I actually thought I was the only Jess fan! It’s always fun when you find other people who think the same as you…and it is equally fun arguing with the people who don’t. 🙂

    2. Hey, just want to say I’m about to be on the road heading home from vacation and may be scarce for awhile, but I’ll pop in when I can! In the meantime, go ahead and gush over Logan, I don’t mind! Thanks, Melissa, for being so awesome and hosting this series! Tons of fun!

      1. Totally agree with you! Jess grows up and tries to be better. Logan is a brat who continues to mess up no matter how much he tries to pretend he has it together. Jess for the win!

        1. Post
          Author
          1. Melissa, that was most likely my phone’s fault. The silly thing loves to irritate me.
            Anyway, I think someone should write a GG book that ends with Jess and Rory together. You should get right on that, Melissa 😉

            1. Post
              Author
      1. Post
        Author
    3. I’m a Logan fan. I didn’t start watching GG until a few seasons in. I went back and marathoned the seasons I had missed.

      There is something youthful but vibrant about Logan. Jess seemed like a crotchety old man. I admit I mostly re-watch season 4-7 so I’m not working with fresh memories but the impression I was left with.

      Logan enjoyed life and certainly made his share of mistakes. One of the things I appreciated about Logan and Rory was she made him adapt. Logan used to buy off his “women” with the expensive gifts and trips. Rory while she never denied him the pleasure of gifting her, she asked for more. She’d have accepted him broke if he would just communicate with her. He learned to do the things Rory appreciated.

      While Jess and Rory may have matched on a maturity and intellect level, I think Logan challenged Rory. We all don’t need t steal a yacht to deal with disappointment, but I don’t think it is a bad thing to have someone shake us out of our comfort zone to see what we are capable of.

      1. Post
        Author

        LOL I love your line about Jess seeming like a crotchety old man. Hehehehe…he and Luke sorta had that in common. I’m probably the opposite of you because I rewatch the first four seasons and don’t watch the latter ones as often. I just don’t care for Rory as much in the latter seasons…I feel like they dumb her down in many ways. And that always bothered me. I love characters with faults who make mistakes…but the choices she made just did not seem at all consistent with her character.

        But you make very good points about Logan! And I love that last sentence of your comment…so true!

    4. I usually go back and forth between the two…but usually end up on Team Jess. I just wish we got to see more of him in the later seasons!!

      1. Post
        Author

        Me too! At first I thought maybe they were bringing him back in that episode in the six season, I think, when he comes back and tells Rory he’s written a book. I loooove him in that episode. Never could understand why Rory didn’t drop Logan right then… haha!

    5. I love Gilmore Girls! I was Team Jess at first but after The Death Brigade episode I liked Logan. I thought he was a brat at times but I still think he was good for Rory. 🙂

      1. Post
        Author
    6. Honestly, I am #TeamJess all the way. I love how much his character grew throughout the show. I own all of the GG seasons on DVD and watch them from time to time. I love how funny the show is!

      1. Post
        Author
    7. I need to rewatch this show! Is it on Netflix? If not, it should be!

      I’m wondering what 7-8 guys you’re going to cover…are there that many?! I mean…is someone actually Team Dean? That’d be weird… 😛

      1. Post
        Author

        It’s not on Netflix. Sad! When you’re here this summer we could watch some though. 🙂

        I don’t think we’re covering Dean at all. There are no Dean fans amongst us. We are, however, covering Luke (of course!!), Marty, Kirk, MAX (I like him more and more every time I watch the early seasons), Digger, hmm…who am I forgetting…?? Well anyway, yes, we’re covering some of the lesser known guys, too, just for fun. I can’t remember if someone’s doing Jackson…??

    8. I have never watched Gilmore Girls, but have heard so much about it. Maybe I can put that on my to watch list for this summer!!!
      Can’t wait to read your book, Melissa! Loved the first one!

      1. Post
        Author
    9. Fun post, Jessica!!

      Also, Team Jess forever!!!! Although, y’all, I was watching that episode where he wrecks Rory’s car, and Dean responds SO NICELY, and for just a minute, I actually felt sorry for him and how things turn out for him…

      Gulp.

      But YAY for TEAM JESS!!

      1. Post
        Author

        Dean honestly does have his nice moments. I truly feel that his character suffered at the writers’ hands. He was pretty okay that first season…but they so obviously dumbed him down to make room for Jess in the second season. Of course, then he just gets idiotic in the fourth season and beyond!

    10. I have to start off by saying the following to Melissa-you have fantastic taste in television programming…and I say this post book-banter. ;D
      I put way more time into thinking about this that I should have, btw, but like you said I’ve had a few years.

      If I decided this my actor, I would probably pick Jess. I mean he (Milo Ventimiglia) was in “Heroes” and Matt Czuchry was a total snake on “The Good Wife” when I watched it. Ugh.

      When the series ended, I was quite devastated that she didn’t accept Logan’s proposal, but some of that was because he was so hunky. I’m honest, and I was fairly young. I spent most of the series torn between loving and hating Logan. I’m a sucker for grand gestures, and a hopeless romantic, but his jealousy…I’m out. I’m grown up now, so I can go about this “hindsight is 20/20”. Smart move, Rory, but 🙁 .

      Jess-nope. Uh-uh, thought I feel guilty about it. He just bugged me. I felt like I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop with him. May adult Jess, but teen Jess-I can’t give him my vote.

      I’m tempted to go all caps here when I say, “Soooooo glad we are not even considering Dean. I wanted to smack him. End of rant.

      My hope was that Rory found the perfect combination of witty, successful, and romantic, and they lived happily ever after.

      1. Post
        Author

        Why thank you for thinking I have good taste, Brooks. LOL! Clearly you do, too, if you’re a Gilmore Girls fan. And hey, thanks for stopping by the book banter, too. That was a fun night.

        Logan was darn good at grand gestures, I will totally hand him that!

        Waiting for the other shoe to drop with Jess…that’s a very understandable view. He was pretty unstable in those early years. But adult Jess was just sooo great…he pulled himself together and discovered his dream and threw himself into it! Ahhh…

        Dean. BLERG! 🙂

    11. I’m team Naked Guy all the way…

      That sounded better in my head just now. Let me rephrase: I feel bad for Marty. He got friend-zoned so hard when Logan was a pompous little jerk unworthy of Rory’s affection. And yes, I know that he turns into something of a jerk when he’s “Boyfriend,” but that happens in the last season, and as a coping mechanism, I’ve decided that Season Seven never happened.

      1. Post
        Author

        John! I’m so glad you’re contributing to this conversation. We have a Naked Guy/Marty post coming up, I do believe. (Actually, I need to double-check that…’cause if nobody claimed Marty, then I’m totally going to ask you to write it. LOL! But I think somebody claimed him already. 🙂 )

        And I’m totally with you on that 7th season. Honestly, sometimes I just pretend the whole series ended five minutes before the end of season four. Right after Luke and Lorelai kiss and Kirk runs outta the inn, but before Rory and Dean…ahem.

          1. Post
            Author

            Ok I just checked and we do have someone signed up for Marty…June 20 is the day for that post by the wonderful Amy Haddock. BUT if you’d like to do any kind of Gilmore post, John, you’re more than welcome. We’re scheduled through July 25…but it would be sweet to have an actual GUY contribute a Gilmore Guy post…so if you’d want to cap the whole thing off on Friday, August 1, that’d be awesome. No pressure…but it’s all yours if you want it. 🙂

    12. I appreciate your arguments. And being willing to stand on the less popular limb. I’m still team Jess, but glad to hear another side.

      1. Post
        Author

        This is true…that Death Brigade thing with the umbrellas and the big jump was pretty cool. And really, Logan did have his great moments. It’s just when compared to Jess that he falls short for me. LOL!

      1. Post
        Author

        I miss it, too. *sigh* Every once in awhile you hear talk of someone making a Gilmore Girls movie. I’d love that if Amy Sherman-Palladino was the writer. How awesome would that be?

    13. My best friend and I love Gilmore Girls!!! I do have to say I am team Jess. He is a little rough around the edges, but I loved to see the side of him that Rory brought out.

      1. Post
        Author

        Right there with you, Melissa. And I’m convinced if the show would’ve gone on another season or two, they would’ve brought Jess back for a happy ending with Rory. 🙂

    14. Oh yes! I’ve got every season on DVD!! But what about #TeamDean?? He was her first love. I love Jess and Logan in different ways. With this, I think I’d have to go #TeamLogan. He loved her tremendously! But like I said, I loved all her boyfriends 🙂

      1. Post
        Author

        Logan did love her quite a bit. I rewatched the last season recently (even though I don’t particularly like that season and most of the time like to pretend it doesn’t exist) and I have to admit, Logan had matured quite a bit. And poor Dean. The writers really messed with his character! But he was cool in the beginning. 🙂

    15. I’m loving all this banter between the teams! And for those of you who have never watched it, you’ll get hooked fast like me. I watched all seven seasons in less than three weeks! I kept saying, “You really need to do something like grocery shop, cook, clean, speak to your family…” LOL Great show!

      Melissa, this has been so much fun!

      1. Post
        Author
      1. Post
        Author
    16. It had been soooooooo long since I saw the earlier episodes that I don’t really remember Jess that much but I remember Logan’s first season and I really really didn’t like him. It was after a season our two that he really started to grow on me. I might have to watch some reruns this summer (I’m sure my husband will think this is a great idea…it maybe not.:) )

      1. Post
        Author
    17. I confess I am terribly culturally irrelevant for one of my years, and thus I have never seen Gilmore Girls. However, after looking at the pictures, I’m pretty sure I would choose Jess, seeing as about the time the show ended he came down with a pretty cool set of superpowers (which I know, thanks to an introduction to Heroes by my sci-fi-loving husband). He will save America, Earth, and The Future!

      Yep, that’s all the contribution I can make on this subject (vaguely related though it is) . . .

      1. Post
        Author
      1. Post
        Author
    18. Yes, Jessica. These are all the same things I loved about him. I was uber skeptical about him at first, but he totally one me over.
      I still thing Roy and original Dean were MFEO if the writers hadn’t killed him off and replaced him with a stupid clone. But since they DID because they are evil sadists, I think Logan made an acceptable substitute.

      1. Holy typos, Batman!!! And *think and *Rory!!! I HAAAATE typing on my tiny phone keyboard. Do I get extra entries for leaving multiple comments?

        1. Post
          Author

          Logan never quite completely won me over, but Jessica did make good points, didn’t she? And I agree about the writers completely changing Dean’s character…I mean, I wasn’t over the moon about him first season, but he was at least a great and interesting guy. By the second season he was BLAH (as well as annoyingly jealous) and by the fourth season…eww. EWW!

    19. I have to admit, Melissa that I’m one of those weirdos that hasn’t watched an episode of Gilmore Girls. Blame it on the rabbit ears on top of my TV. Yeah, I’m one of those people. But you may convince me to go out and get the series on DVD. (That, and I’m a sucker for a Starbucks gift card.)

      1. Post
        Author

        Haha, you aren’t weird at all. I know many people who haven’t watched it. And truthfully, I never really watched it while it was on TV. I got addicted to reruns at some point…and now I own it all on DVD. LOL!

      1. Post
        Author
    20. I’m not really sure how I found your blog (Surfing Goodreads, I think), but I am so glad I did! I’m a major Gilmore Girls fan and loved this first Gilmore Guys entry. Can’t wait to read the others and will be ready for next Friday. Oh and as far as picking a team, I have always been torn between Jess and Logan (Dean wasn’t ever really a contender), I lean towards Logan more. I’m about to read your earlier post on Jess, so maybe I’ll be pushed the other way. By the way in case you can’t tell, I am loving this whole Gilmore Guys discussion! Thank you!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *