It’s been 10 years since Gilmore Girls went off the air (not counting the reboot), but fans are just as obsessed with Jess Mariano as they were in the early ’00s. Pretty impressive for a character who only played a supporting role in Seasons 2 and 3.

It got us thinking about why so many of us are still Team Jess after all this time (apart from the obvious: his ridiculously good looks). Yes, he was the bad boy, and that’s always a fun option, but there was so much more to him than that. Scroll down for a list of reasons why we’re still crazy about Jess!

His dry sense of humor.

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Like that time Lane told him to get a pen out of her bag, and he cracked this joke instead.

His connection with Rory on an intellectual level.

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Their shared love of books and music made them perfect for each other. Rory never had that with Dean.

His ability to melt your heart with one look.

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Need we say more?! We honestly don’t know what to do with ourselves.

His skill at noticing the little things.

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Ugh, if only the men in our lives were that attentive.

His compassion — which shined through when it mattered most.

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We admit that in the beginning, he went a little overboard when teasing Rory about Dean, but he cared enough about her to take a step back when she needed him to. Like that time he helped her turn off the sprinklers, only to turn them back on when he heard that Dean was coming to her rescue.

His super sexy confidence.

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“Trust me.” Swooooooon. He knew exactly what Rory needed in her life (aka more of him!)

Bonus from Netflix’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life — the smoldering stare never went away!

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We’re begging the TV gods to let Rory and Jess end up together. There really is no other option.