I still use jquery too and it doesn't have to be a tangled mess of insanity nowadays.
Webpack + ES6 modules + jquery is a reasonable option IMO if you like the idea of server rendered templates with sprinkles of Javascript.
Plus, with the way things are heading with certain web frameworks (like Phoenix), you can do really interesting things like push the diffs of your server rendered templates over a websocket channel without having to write any user land Javascript yourself, and on the initial page load it just gets served without Javascript using the same templates. It's like the best of both worlds (super fast feeling apps, SEO just works and you don't have to duplicate templates and logic on both the client and server).
Webpack + ES6 modules + jquery is a reasonable option IMO if you like the idea of server rendered templates with sprinkles of Javascript.
Plus, with the way things are heading with certain web frameworks (like Phoenix), you can do really interesting things like push the diffs of your server rendered templates over a websocket channel without having to write any user land Javascript yourself, and on the initial page load it just gets served without Javascript using the same templates. It's like the best of both worlds (super fast feeling apps, SEO just works and you don't have to duplicate templates and logic on both the client and server).