If the quirky essence of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls could be condensed into a single character, it would be Kirk Gleason. Played by Sean Gunn, Kirk appeared early on in the drama, and quickly became a consistently entertaining staple. He offered moments of hilarity and innocence as he worked about a million different odd jobs over the seven seasons and in the Netflix revival. Stars Hollow wouldn’t be Stars Hollow without Kirk.

Though he had moments of being stubborn—like when he complained about a small price increase at Luke’s—he mostly just wanted to be included and often had good intentions. Here are seven reasons I think Kirk is one of the best characters on Gilmore Girls.

1. He’s an ideas man

When Kirk has a business idea, he goes for it whole hog. Remember when he sold “whimsical” mailboxes? As he pointed out to Lorelai, “Whimsy goes with everything.” Then there was the time he sold the Hay There skincare line. He was always trying new tactics—often to his own detriment. His entrepreneurial spirit hasn’t landed him ahead of the pack yet, but as we saw in the revival with his Oooober business, he hasn’t stopped trying.

2. His work ethic

Kirk wouldn’t be able to pursue so many business opportunities without a strong work ethic. When he put in a bid for the Twickham house, he laid it out for Luke. He said, “Luke. I’ve had fifteen thousand jobs. I’ve saved every dollar I’ve ever made. That and the miracle of compound interest has created a bounty of a quarter of a million dollars.” Before the revival, Kirk was spotted having over 50 different jobs in the series. He sold makeup at the beauty shop, he delivered flowers, he walked dogs, he ran movie night at Black-White-Read Bookstore—you get the idea. He didn’t ask his rich family for loans (though he did live at home); he worked his butt off.

3. His enthusiasm for town events

Kirk has pride for his town, and he’s shown it over the years by devoting time to work with Town Selectman Taylor Doose on Stars Hollow’s myriad festivals. He longed to prove himself to Taylor and went above and beyond. In fact, Kirk was so disappointed in himself when he realized he didn’t make an Easter egg map and practically hospitalized himself trying to rectify his mistake.

4. The way he treats Lulu

It seemed unlikely Kirk would find a girlfriend, but Lulu came along and embraced all of Kirk’s offbeat mannerisms. Once Kirk got accustomed to Lulu sticking around, he was sweet towards her—albeit, in unconventional ways, but still sweet. And he was just so proud when she was selected to be the town harlot in the annual Revolutionary War reenactment.

5. His creative mojo

After all those hours working, you’d think Kirk would be too exhausted to do anything else—nope! He’s managed to release two riveting short films over the years, going so far as to showcase the first one, “A Film by Kirk,” in season two. The town was not (and is still not) ready for his inventive vision—even during A Year in the Life.

6. His thriftiness

I know I called Kirk out for acting cheap when Luke changed the price of toast at his diner, but part of me admires Kirk’s thrift. He could have spent all the cash he earned from his dozens of jobs on gadgets and toys and film equipment but instead, he squirreled it away. He acted in a responsible fashion I aspire to imitate.

7. He looks out for his friends

This one includes spoilers for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, so skip on ahead if you haven’t watched the new episodes.

Kirk has an affection for those in his inner circle. I get the impression once Kirk thinks of you as a friend, he never stops. Luke’s helped him out of multiple pickles, and Kirk paid back any and all favors he may haved owed Luke by decorating the town for Luke and Lorelai’s wedding in the most magical, extraordinary fashion. It’s not the only example of him being selfless, but it’s one of my favorites.

Do you have any excellent Kirk moments you’d add to the list? Share them in the comments or come to Twitter and send me Kirk gifs.

Images: Warner Bros., Netflix, Giphy, Tumblr/But She Didn’t Go Away, Friday Night Dinner, The Dragonfly