I loved this show when it first aired (I was about 8 or 9 when it started). I stopped watching when Brenda left, and only caught a few eps here and there until Dylan skedaddled. But really, my heart isn't in it come S3. Sure, the SOD is fun and all from a bitchy standpoint, but as a Brenda fan the show gets increasingly hard to watch once S3 hits. Behind the scenes drama leaks into the script and it feels a little like a game of Kick the Brenda every week until she leaves. And that's a lot of kicking she takes.
I was the biggest BD fan, but time has ruined it for me when I go back to rewatch. S3 and on Dylan just makes me want to stab things. He is the biggest dillweed in the history of teen TV (with the possible exception of Lucas Scott). S1 and S2 I can still enjoy, and I feel like it's got some measure of continuity that makes sense, despite the few leaps around (Donna's a whore -- oh wait, we mean virgin!). In S1/2, Brandon hasn't yet turned into the flatheaded gimp I know and loathe, Kelly's fun and loyal, Donna's thankfully peripheral, Dylan is actually a great boyfriend to my girl Brenda, Andrea's not pregnant, Steve's hilarious and David looks and acts 12. I love the first two seasons. But everything after that's shit.
Personally, the most unbelievable thing the writers tried to push was that Brandon was at all popular. Guys like him went to my high school and they didn't win awards - they got jumped after school for being a suck-up. I mean holy fuck, if any pupil in my school had been pals with one of the teachers and called them by their first name, he would've had to have his underwear surgically removed from his arse every.damn.week.