CeeBeeGee

Okay, Brandon rolling his eyes at ANYONE for "going on" about an issue is absolutely fucking rich. Brandon, your poor twin has had to put up with your braying for YEARS now. Remember embarrassing her and your parents and your crush when you brayed at your dad's client on said-crush's behalf? Remember the days-long brayoff for Donna's graduation? Maybe STFU when she expresses her opinion on animal rights and testing. What the hell is up with that RA? People are allowed to listen to whatever song they like, even if they're playing it over and over. It can't be too loud of course, but that didn't seem to be very loud--it sounded as though it were the music itself that was the problem. Isn't there a drug den you could be shutting down? Damn, between the RAs who hit on the freshmen and the busybodies, that floor just can't win. OMG that picture of Muntz with the moobs. My EYES. Lucinda has some serious boundary issues, between sleeping with a student and making a pass at a potential angel. She is a hot mess. I actually love Brinda's cropped sweater and braids! Very cute.

Right?! Who TF cares about a couple of freshmen??? This is a huge campus, the football team is what unites them. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. THIS. Oh my God that opening sequence was fucking torture to watch. He is so. fucking. SMUG. I want to punch him through my computer screen. He has had exactly two sex partners before he got together with Lucinda--Emily and Cheryl--and he cannot possibly be that good in bed. Also--arguing that Helen of Troy was a proto-feminist is...iffy. She was objectified quite a bit, literally a prize to be fought over--in The Iliad about the only thing she actually does (IIRC) is to review the troops for King Priam. I guess you could argue she was able to woo Menelaus back and that was her using her sexuality but...Medea seducing Jason would've been a better choice.

UGH. This fucking episode...Look, any pregnant woman should be allowed to make whatever choice is right for her about how--or if--to proceed with her pregnancy. It is her body and her decision and fuck the GOP for politicizing that shit. That said--Andrea is not a real person, she is a character in a popular TV show. And a character that has been written very consistently up til now. And as such the writers/PTB at 90210 tragically whiffed a terrific opportunity to showcase how a responsible woman contemplates and ultimately chooses abortion. Every time--every single fucking time--the issue comes up on evening TV, the woman ALWAYS considers abortion and then ultimately doesn't have one. It's fucking infuriating, this insipid lip service to "choice." 90210 was not a show in a media vacuum, it is merely one of many offerings on primetime TV. And when every single one of those shows presents only this one scenario, it is normalizing the idea that abortion is wrong, that it's not a valid choice. 90210 was a monster hit and their core audience was in college, no longer subject to the remote control whims of their parents. The show damn well could've shown Andrea getting the abortion and it could've weathered the storm that might follow. It might even have contributed to changing the conversation. This was so, so badly and lazily handled. This isn't even touching the complete disconnect between how everybody freaked out over Brenda getting married in Vegas versus how everyone NOW is cooing over Andrea and Jesse. WTAF? Am I eating crazy pills here? This is even WORSE.

Oh God, that HAIR. It's absolutely hideous. As well as Danny LaRusso of The Karate Kid. Poor Ohhhhndrea, they ruined her character. I thought she was very well-written in the West Beverly years, very believable (albeit believably cringe-inducing--"I offer...me!"). I liked how opinionated and political she was, I loved that she was a writer and had high standards and I loved how she was never afraid to call Brandon on his shit, even if she did carry a torch for him. How did we go from that to a student who gives up her passion (writing) for...pre-med???? And didn't have multiple back-up plans in case the condom breaks? (I think I've heard somewhere that she and Jesse didn't use protection when she conceived which I refuse to believe. There is no way in hell someone like Ohhhhhndrea wouldn't have planned that out.) The whole thing is just so poorly handled and written. She's like a completely different person.

Right???!!! It's hard not to watch this and think of her utter betrayal in the SOD.

Just listened to the podcast on this and was literally cackling out loud at the "consumption of birth control pills" bit. "NOM NOM NOM...a low-calorie snack!...I have consumed so many I am causing spontaneous abortions in the people around me, like a gravity well!" DYING.

Okay, so the subplot of Brinda in the naked play is completely preposterous. Anyone at a university, much less one who was casting with undergrads, would absolutely have to have notified the actors at the audition that nudity might be required--full disclosure beforehand is a matter of ethics and theater professionalism. You can't just spring it on your cast like that--aside from everything else, you risk half the cast walking out. Plus there's the incredibly skeevy aspect of dealing with very young actors (some may well have been under 18--I was my first year in college) in an educational setting, pressuring them in effect to go along with the program and take off their clothes--I can't imagine the theater department would've allowed this. Also generally the posters advertising the play would've included a notice that nudity will be featured in this production because not everyone wants to see that (conversely, that can also act to drive up ticket sales 😉 ). So honestly I have no problem with Brinda improvising like that because the whole thing was ridiculous. In addition to all of that, I would think a theater department in a big school like CU would have a pecking order--freshmen aren't cast, they make their bones doing gruntwork. Even my tiny school did it that way--freshmen did props, hung lights, swept the stage. They did not get cast in leads no matter how good they were--heck, we had a girl come in who had a film resume and was told "great, we're making you ASM [assistant stage manager] for The House of Blue Leaves." No way would even a student production cast little old Miss First Semester Freshman in the lead. LA being an industry town, I imagine CU's theater department is huge and extremely competitive. Brinda wouldn't have a chance.

UGH, fucking Kelly. I'm thinking she's regretting dumping him for John Sears but Dylan owes you NOTHING. I loved it when he said he liked Cindy's turkey better than Jackie's (and I love Jackie but even she admits her cooking isn't good). Repeat: Dylan owes you NOTHING. Climb a ladder and GTF over yourself. Brenda's barely hidden smirk when she heard the argument was awesome. As long as she keeps her cards close to her chest (i.e., doesn't actively try to sabotage them), she's always be the irritant in that relationship, the thing that ruins it, the regret in Dylan's past, the idealized relationship and family life that he threw away. She deserves better but that's at least some satisfaction. Oh God, Emily of the dead eyes and robotic voice is baaaaaaack. The thing is, off-camera couples generally don't have great chemistry on-camera--part of acting chemistry (romantic chemistry at least--actors can have all sorts of types of chemistry) is the curiosity and the "what if...?" under the surface of their interactions. They're past that IRL and she is just not a good enough actor to justify bringing her back. (I'm sorry, I hate bashing actors but there's no energy at ALL in her performance and never has been.) In the pilot episode Ohhhhnnndrea spoke what sounded like pretty decent Spanish when she accused Brandon in class of screwing over Marianne RichGirlPartier. Does John Sears know that this at-risk girl he's predating is...15? As in...she's underage and he could get arrested?

Yep. As a freshman my English department had an annual Beer Bash (at some point renamed Beverage Bash but it changed nothing) and I was openly handed beers by my professors. I was 17 and looked 14. It was a blast! English professors can par-tay. WTH were they thinking, making Andrea, of all people, the Katie Roiphe mouthpiece? That is completely out of character for her. This episode did not age well at all, but then episodes about rape almost never do. (See the All in the Family episode where Edith is attacked--at one point the would-be rapist is actually mugging for laughs in the middle of the attack. It's very weird although the rest of the episode and the follow up are well done.) I give 90210 props for at least trying to address how muddled consent can seem to be but they punted when they had a main character be accused. That was insane and I have to imagine that was a dramatization for the sake of the show. No legitimate counselor who specializes in date rape would pressure anyone to name someone as a rapist that soon, in public, in a high pressure situation like a rally. I mean for God's sake, the KEG boys were heckling them! THIS. As much as a knob as Brandon is, fuck DShawn for his smug assumption that Brandon will take the test for him, after weeks of blowing off his tutoring sessions. Brandon would be risking his own academic career as well as DShawn's. (Nice shoutout to Heathers with the "pulling my dick" line, BTW.) I admit I laughed out loud when Dylan pied John Sears.

Steve has always been one of my favorites. He is utterly unpretentious and he knows how to have fun. (Whereas David almost always irritated me.) That shriek of rage you just heard was me viewing this episode for the first time ever (I skipped a LOT of the post-West Beverly years). What a fucking betraying ASSHOLE. I get that they're trying to manipulate Stoort but couldn't he have made up another character flaw--she's flaky or spends too much money or whatever? Did he have to make Brinda sound like a whore, FFS? Not only is his picture a massive exaggeration since she was very upfront about her peccadilloes, it's classic projection. YOU'RE the one who cheated. With her BEST FRIEND. And then let her believe you and she were fine together--for months. And even after that, she had the class to insist her family give you emotional and material support when your father was killed. And this is how you repay her? DICKKKKKK AHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

FUCK YOUUUUUUUU DYLAN. As soon as he started that sanctimonious speech, I wanted to throw something at him. He has absolutely no moral high ground whatsoever.

I agree, as much as I hate the whole wasted storyline. Seriously, she's there a few days and then walks out? WHY SEND HER THERE THEN, WRITERS. But in-universe, I can respect Brenda for making the decision and acting on it. They have things in common and they also complement each other. Brenda had some ambition, this episode notwithstanding (her actions in this are largely a response to her perceived failure in Minnesota)--she genuinely does value education (she graduated with honors). Brenda's values and background were a nice counterweight to Dylan's, they fit together much better than Kelly and Dylan ever did. And I can't stand Kelly's annoyed response when she hears he spent the day with Brenda. Again, Kelly, you have no right to resent that. Shallow note, Luke Perry's hair is seriously cute. I hate the shelf look, but floppy loose hair looks much better. YES. I haaaaaaate it when TV shows have HS kids all going to the same local school while also trying to sell the audience on how "prestigious" said school is--The Facts of Life did that ("Langley College"), Family Ties did it ("Leland University") and it doesn't work. You can't have it both ways, show--you can't tell us over and over again how "CU is a good school" and then have ALL your main cast, including openly acknowledged bad students like Kelly and Steve, get in, unless you want to subtly indicate they bought their way in. FUCK YOU BRANDON. That whole reaction made no sense. My parents maintained my bedroom during and well after college. And oh God, yes, I was horrified at those lines. I went to a small private women's college (two actually, I transferred after my freshman year) and registration was easy, easy, easy. I was never, ever locked out of a class. I can understand Dylan's frustration. Man, I miss the early seasons of TRW. Does anyone know if they're streaming anywhere? Would love to watch Chicago and Hawaii again.

Celeste was GREAT. What star power Jennifer Grant has, with that smile! BH was a fool not to sign her to a longer contract. My mouth fell open at the mock punch. W.O.W. Yes! Definitely noticed that.

UGH. One incestuous circle jerk of self-congratulatory affirmation. Fascinating! That's a great bit of luck for an extra. I wonder if he got his SAG card for that? Even more interesting because when I saw his face, I thought it was very plausible he could be Kelly's dad.

Kelly has gorgeous skin but should not wear white. She is FAR too pale to pull off white. She needs jewel tones--gorgeous reds and emeralds and blues. The hairdo, though, was stunning. It's so hard to play drunk convincingly--I know Aaron Spelling was supposed to care for his young cast so I really wish at some point he had provided acting coaches for some of them. Donna just isn't that convincing as a drunk, although I appreciate her energy. Again, I wish I could leap back into time to coach her, to show her how less is more, especially on film. (She truly did get better, she's fantastic in Death of a Cheerleader, which I've seen MANY times.) I never thought Carteris was that unconvincing as a teenager. I knew teens with crow's feet when I was in HS.

Had never seen this episode before--Kelly is beyond slappable in this! Good God! How could anyone, much less Dylan, put up with this shriekfest? How did he not run screaming back to Brenda after enduring Kelly's diatribes here? Jackie is stuck with her, Dylan, but you can still save yourself! I can't get over her petulance at not seeing Dylan's manuscript. JFC, Kelly. AGAIN, his dad died. He died young. He died horribly. And Dylan witnessed it. Can you just calm the fuck down and let him figure some things out without taking it personally that he doesn't immediately share everything with you? WTH is her problem? We called them Senior Superlatives--why didn't they have Class Couple or Most Dramatic? Brenda might've won the latter (although for someone who wants to be an actress, she never seemed involved in any class plays at WB).

That's absolutely plausible, especially with what we know of Dylan and his weird relationship with his father. The problem is, none of it comes through in Luke Perry's acting (at least, not that I see)--if that's what they were playing, the director should've worked with Luke to elicit that kind of subtext from him. (Now I'm wishing I could go back in time and demand to be the director--I loooove directing subtext.) My biggest problem is that immediate "OMG my dad was blown up now I'm going to SCREEEEEEEAAAAMMM" reaction. That just did not read as earned to me, it felt more like "OMG this is SO going on my Emmy bid reel." A more real reaction to me would've been Dylan standing there blankly, in stunned trembling wide-eyed shock. And to be clear, this is not Luke's fault. It's clear from his performance overall in the show that he's not the most experienced actor--he was cast because he's cute and he can play "James Dean-ish rebellious type" well enough. It's the job of the director to push the actor for more, to lead them through more difficult material.

I actually thought that hat was quite cute on her. Flowery hats were a thing in the '90s. I know Kelly is probably cranky from hunger pangs but she's been semi-intolerable the last two episodes. That moue of annoyance she made when Jim offered to take in Dylan, plus her irritation that Dylan was seated with the Walshes at the funeral, and then her jealousy in this episode. Have a sense of what's appropriate in the larger scheme of things, Kelly. Dylan's dad is dead. He died young. Plus, he died horribly. Plus Dylan saw it happen. He's dealing with a hell of a lot here and the Walshes are his surrogate family, whether or not you like that. It's not about you and your ridiculous possessiveness which is especially ironic when you consider the circumstances under which this relationship began. I guess your sackcloth and ashes "I'm sooooo sorry, Brenda, please be my friend again" routine didn't last long. Even if Brenda is trying to needle you on some level with the "this is home" remark--frankly, she's entitled to that and more. I'm saying all this as someone who generally likes Kelly (although I lost interest when St. Kelly starting emerging). Be a friend to Brenda and be a supportive GF to Dylan. It's not all about you.

Jenni O'Hara was also in the first few episodes of the first season of The Facts of Life--she played a normal, common-sense teacher who was very much the foil to the inane, cringe-y headmaster who routinely made a fool of himself. O'Hara asked to be let out of her contract when she saw how few lines she was being given. Dylan also stood up for Scott against bullies in their tech class in the first episode in which Dylan appeared. In West Side Story Somewhere is reprised when the two gangs unite at the end to carry off Tony's body. So it's appropriate in a funereal sense.

Agreed, that was pretty horrible in retrospect. Thank God we know better now. I have some more thoughts on this episode: Dylan's reaction to Jack's murder seemed off to me and I finally figured out why. He processes what happens immediately--unless, on some level, he was worried all along that something like this would happen, unless he's visualized it, he would've been in disbelief and shock a lot longer. If he was actually worried about his father deep down, we certainly didn't see it--and we should've. The writing is a little sloppy here and in the past few episodes (YA THINK?!) wrt what Dylan really thinks of Jack's motives about the money. When they first approach Jim about the dissolution, Dylan gives Jim a side look that seems to ask for him, the trustee, to delay the process (the podcast comments on this). But then later when Dylan and Jim are meeting one on one, Dylan seems genuinely angry that Jim won't roll over. Which is it, writers? The writers, the directors and Luke Perry should've sat down and discussed exactly what Dylan was thinking and what he wanted so we could've seen stronger indications of this in his performance.

This episode is to the early '90s generation as "Fear Strikes Back" (season 2 of The Facts of Life when Natalie gets attacked--the episode ends with a self-defense class and ever after, I would stick keys between my fingers if I was walking in a bad area) was to the 'early '80s. Kellie: "Steve doesn't hold a grudge unlike some people." SHUT UP, KELLIE. The scene between Duke and Brandon was genuinely scary.

I have to say, destroying the Silver/Taylor marriage that quickly is--kind of cruel. It's really not good story-telling IMO--the writers threw away years of a potentially great series of character arcs (Jackie maturing into motherhood, not making the same mistakes she did with Kelly, Kelly learning to lean on a stable father figure, middle-aged love) to make a cheap point about how All Dads (Want to) Cheat in Beverly Hills. It's really sad. I can't remember what happens to the marriage after this but I assume they'll divorce. That said--I am rather impressed at how subtly the writers are developing Brandon's gambling problem. The only reason I know he will eventually develop a serious problem is because the podcast reminded me. They have tiny, rationalizable moments of Brandon talking about making best, and it's so quick or so seemingly "normal" (the Super Bowl bet--everyone bets on the Super Bowl, right?) that you don't realize what's happening to Brandon. That is well done.

I didn't hate this episode--it's obvious but, well, It's a Wonderful Life is a classic for a reason--but I haaaaaaaaatttttttttteddddd the stupid accents of the angels. For starters, the girl angel (Miriam?) sounds like LaVoyne--which, we can all agree, is an objectively stupid accent. It's done strictly for comic purposes and fails miserably. Second, CLARENCE SOUNDS NOTHING LIKE CLARENCE FROM IAWL!!! Clarence from the movie doesn't sound like Danny DeVito! And he would never be some kind of annoyed middle bureaucrat, saying "go away until you memorize the book." Clarence was sweet and kind and very patient with George, trying to help him understand what a gift he'd been given. This is such a sleazy appropriation of IAWL. Ditch the stupid accents and just tell the story without the forced stupid jokes. And stop forcing the two alpha females to compete for a dude. I'm vomiting at that storyline. It's so offensive. You had an interesting idea, D&B break up and Dylan pivots to Kelly--and now it's "oooh, the two gorgeous girls throw themselves at the dude"? VOMIT.

You can tell she sang it because she's a little pitchy. She's sharp in places, whereas the backup singers sound suspiciously perfect (which is how we know the girls are dubbed). Bitch Brenda is the best! I'm rereading Jason Priestley's memoir rn and he says that part of ShanDo's "quirky charm" was that she "really and truly did not give a shit." This is why she's able to fully commit to the Bitch in Brenda. "Have a good time at the gynecologist"--perfect 🙂

I have neeeehhhhver been a fan of David, although he gets a bit better with time. His appearances in Seasons 1-2 are so incredibly grating. I especially despise how his creeper-ness (spying on the slumber party, talking about how he's going to photograph the girls undressing during the fashion show) is just played off. Do. Not. Like. He is absolutely a long-lost Estevez child. I thought that the minute I saw him. Shannon needs to confer with Renee Estevez (she was in Heathers) to confirm. It took me an imdb search to figure out how I'd remembered Christine--she is the awesome gun range receptionist in Beverly Hills Cop II who has the scene with Eddie Murphy with the vitamins and she gives him cash to get the so-called explosive package off her desk. I love that scene! She's a decent actress, does a lot with what she's given. Dylan is so gross, breezing up at the end of the episode to kiss each girl blithely. UGH.