S01.E09: The Gentle Art of Listening

[Primetimer]

Brenda's ennui moves her to try volunteer at a teen help line, where she does the opposite of help.

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[Dave in Chicago]

"Thanks" to this podcast I have started watching 90210 for the first time. Things I did not realize: this ran until the year 2000? And at some point along the way basically turned into "Dynasty"?

TBH, so far I have thought the show isn't quite as bad as you make it sound, but maybe I am just cherry picking the competent episodes. Or maybe I just loved Evil Amanda from the not-a-slumber-party too much.

[AndySmith]

And at some point along the way basically turned into "Dynasty"?

 

No, more like Knots Landing.

 

Looking at the pic of Donna here and last week...how on Earth would Felice let her out of the house dressed like that? Then again, given some of the outfits she'll be been seen wearing in front of Felice (the Color Me Badd Short Short Shorts), I guess it shouldn't be that shocking.

Edited July 9, 2015 by AndySmith

[Narla]

AndySmith! This used to drive me crazy -- when I was 15 and watching this! I've said it on this site before, but Donna's clothes, especially in the early seasons, make no sense. But as weird as Felice letting her out of the house with half her ass hanging out, I also don't understand why Aaron Spelling -- who had Donna stay a virgin for at least 8 seasons -- was ok with her going on TV like that. It's so weird!

[Tara Ariano]

Did someone say "the Color Me Badd Short Short Shorts"?!

[JennB]

That gif of Brandon at the mirror needs a warning. I was drinking something and almost choked.

The worst part about Donna's clothes (I mean, if you had to pick one thing) is that later, she's supposed to be a fashion genius.

[Cekrypton1]

This is it--my first 90210 episode! Who would have thought that this one would lead to a lifetime of fandom? No one sane, that's for sure.

[Qoass]

My MVP is the dancing boy extra on the stairs behind BrandonwithHat in the GIFs.  If only he had hooked up with David Silver, he could have spared Donna years of pain!

[StatMom]

That's quite the hat Brandon was wearing at the rally. Is he going for the Parisian artist look?

[runforcover]

1990, hellOOOO: the breathy Ms Doherty delivery, Sheryl Lee references that aren't camp, a lukewarm yet egregiously depicted rape-storyline, and Steve.

[txhorns79]

That's quite the hat Brandon was wearing at the rally. Is he going for the Parisian artist look?

 

I think he's wearing a backwards newsboy cap.  I recall when that look was a thing.  Though I don't remember people doing them quite as color coordinated as Brandon, with a purple hat to match his purple shirt. 

[John Ramos]

and Steve.

I love this.

[vendredi3]

This is it--my first 90210 episode! Who would have thought that this one would lead to a lifetime of fandom? No one sane, that's for sure.

Ha! This was also the first episode of 90210 that I caught during its initial run. Upon re-watching, I'm not sure what kept me wanting to follow this show, though I remember the Summer Of Love being a highlight. I'm sure that will be an embarrassing disappointment when we get to it as well!

[gpgurl50]

Great episode. You guys are producing them rather quickly which I love.

Edited July 10, 2015 by gpgurl50

[Pogojoco]

This ep actually depressed me a little....or a lot. Just because a football player raping a cheerleader usually ends with some sort of news frenzy, slut shaming by her classmates, administrative indifference/bungling/ worrying about "ruining" the football players' lives and the football players not facing any kind of consequences, freeing them up to date rape co-eds in college. The cops saving the day was nice, but sigh.

Also- "R and R in Bangkok" um, TMI, Nat.

This is such a weird episode- the teen line/date rape stuff with Brenda and then Brandon's warm tingling sensations and being crushed on by little freshman.

I actually think Shannen Doherty is really great in this ep. Classic Brenda- over the top, dramatic, good heart but an idiot. Even the outfits are classic. Girl wears a lot of black. 

Dylan is definitely trolling Brandon.

 

And yeah. the threatened cheer leader in the darkened parking lot is totally Buffy (and is subverted by Buffy often). Also leading to the familiarity- Sunnydale High and West Beverly High are both the same exterior location (Torrance High in LA) 

Edited July 10, 2015 by Pogojoco

[helent]

Did the cop sounds like the flash-the-cash dj to anyone else?

[StatMom]

Did the cop sounds like the flash-the-cash dj to anyone else?

I'm such an idiot. I thought he was saying "flash to cash." This makes a lot more sense! Well, more than my interpretation, anyway.

[WhosThatGirl]

I was too young to watch this show when it originally aired. I do recall however trying to start watching when TAT joined the cast  back then this show wasn't really my thing. Thanks to soapnet  and other channels though, I think I have seen every episode in reruns. These podcasts are the best.  This episode was kind of hilarious. I did love how when this episode was starting the assumption was that this was the episode where Brandon meets a blind cheerleader because of how the actress was cheerleading. And that sounds like something this show would have done.  

 

I agree that this storyline is a little too heavy for this show. But also, Andrea really grates in this episode. That's about all.  Oh but also I agree it was nice that Jim and Cindy were supportive of Brenda. This is probably the only time ever because she is not Brandon the golden child. 

Edited July 10, 2015 by WhosThatGirl

[swimmyfish]

I'm pretty sure the first season of 90210 was produced by Propaganda Films, which was also the production company for Twin Peaks - high scool me was very impressed by that. As I recall, there are a bunch of little Twin Peaks references scattered throughout the season (the greatest of which, obviously, is Brenda's "It's not Hippy Witch, it's Twin Peaks, and it's very IN."), so, while I don't want to give the writers credit for something they don't deserve, I would believe that the wrapping in plastic by an actress who look like Sheryl Lee is a deliberate shout-out.

 

I don't remember this episode at all, but it sounds like the Brandon plot is his most tolerable one yet - no hints of self-righteousness to mask that he felt out of his depths with this lady. Also, since so much of the press at the beginning was about all of the actors being too old to play high school students, I have to believe that Brandon's "She's really old. Like, 23," was either a little bit of self-referential humor or a middle finger to critics.

 

As an aside, seeing the clips now they all look so young to me! I can't even believe how long ago this show was.

 

As for Brenda, it looks like getting self-righteous when you don't know what to do is a Walsh family trait, and it was all over her this week. Which is really too bad - wanting to help in a situation when you have no idea what to do could have been a good story. And it's a little weird how, so soon after highlighting Cindy as a parent you could turn to in the Fashion Show e, the show completely forgot that there are adults she could have gone to for help. Although that's probably just adult me talking; I'm sure it's probably a little more realistic for a teen to think they'd have to handle the entire thing on their own.

[rollerblade]

Looking at the pic of Donna here and last week...how on Earth would Felice let her out of the house dressed like that?

 

That's funny, cause I thought Donna looked the best out of the 3 in that pic. But I'm speaking with 2015 in mind, not 1990.

 

Besides, no one in Beverly Hills cares that much about parenting. Except the Walsh's, of course.

[AndySmith]

Yeah, but whether in 2015 or 1990...FELICE!

[Lalochezia]

That is actually a LEMUR t-shirt on Brandon, not a meerkat shirt - so at least then it makes sense as another TEENS LOVE ENVIRONMENTALISM reference? But also means that that's just one more thing that Brandon could theoretically bray self-righteously about.

[Petunia13]

That girl at the pep rally with the backpack staring at Brandon was also on an episode of Saved by the Bell.

This topic and the way it was handled was way too dark for season one. Literally I was like what is happening here and scared. You can't just cut from something light and fluffy like flirting with cute guys and teen nerds trying to hook up to rape and abuse. It would be like oh here's a story line about shopping and we will intermingle that with one about human trafficking. Whaaaat?!?

Dylan is 20x cooler than Brandon and extremely tolerant and patient.

Brenda looked great aside from her clothes. Her hair and makeup were so cute and right for her and the time period.

Steve has the same laugh and sense of humor this season that he carries the entire run of the show. It's kinda amazing if one thinks about it, how consistent he remains.

[StatMom]

Thank goodness those short choppy bangs on Brenda have grown out. They looked like when a toddler takes scissors to her own hair.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Which is pretty much what happened.

[runforcover]

Steve has the same laugh and sense of humor this season that he carries the entire run of the show. It's kinda amazing if one thinks about it, how consistent he remains.

Dude, yes.  Steve is the series' "dark horse" for likability. 

[Donna Martin]

This is one of the episodes that makes me think they were shown out of order from when they were shot. Brenda is all, "Andrea Zuckerman!" in that TONE and this is supposed to be after they bonded over Kelly's mom being a hot mess at the fashion show?

[carrier76]

Okay, I have to get this off my chest, as it has been bothering me for years, after many rewatches. In the picture of Brandon wearing the mustard colored blouse, there is a guy in the forefront that I recognize from some random stock footage that is shoehorned into MANY an episode, usually when something "wacky" is happening over the school's loudspeaker. I guess that footage was filmed on the same day?

See also: the dude with the neon/black backpack that is trudging into the school in many opening sequences, and the women in the 1991 bathing suits rubbing in sunblock at the beach club. Oh, and the random seated lady who picks up an errant volleyball at the beach club.