S04.E02: The Girl From New York City

[Primetimer]

And what he's just done to this tennis ball, you'll want to do to Dylan and Darla after peeping our Visual Aids for S04.E02!

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[Primetimer]

Jill has a dark secret, but Brandon's here to...make her trust men again?! That can't be right.

Read the story

[Drogo]

I'll never watch 90210, but I'll never miss a Visual Aids. Well done.

[AndySmith]

Yeah, we do see quite a few chokers this season, but...this is probably Donna's best season, sartorially. She looks normal for a change, and actually cute at times.

 

Was JP always this sloppy a kisser and I never noticed?

 

I mean, yes, shut up Darla, BUT 1) go to the lounge, it's what they're for; 2) go to the library, or the student center, or anywhere the boning will not be audible to you, unlike the two feet away you've mystifyingly selected

 

Or, you know, talk to the person and tell you're not cool with the set-up, and maybe she should try getting laid at his place instead?

[Earmuffs Mom]

Brenda is a hot mess this entire episode.  I hate that Dylan and Kelly got back together so quickly too.  Clearly they are miserable together.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Earmuffs Mom

[MuuMuuChainsmoker]

Brandon's hair is just a few inches away from being full Kid N Play!

[Tooch]

Brenda really didn't try, like, at all. And I actually kind of respect it, because I think she realized immediately that she'd made a terrible mistake pretty much as soon as she got there, so the best thing probably WAS getting the f out.

I did the same thing, impulsively moving from an exciting city back to my hometown to take a job (after a lousy breakup, no less!) and I ended up gutting it out for two years, even though I knew RIGHT away that it was a very bad move. Ten years later and I think those two years are still impacting my career. It's legit.

[radishcake]

@David T. Cole - Kudos for that sweet Street Fighter reference. It made me spit out my coffee. I thank you, my shirt less so. ;)

[SoupThrower]

A whole season of Kelly and Dylan......yay.....

 

David is a dumbass. Why did you move in with her? Why? I could never get into that couple. 

 

Darla is still a jerk in several ways. She didn't try to include Brenda much and was just as bad as she was. 

Edited April 25, 2016 by SoupThrower

[TimeyWimey52]

What is going on with ShanDo's hair this season? Especially since it was so good last season. Is this the hair of impending departure-doom?

[AndySmith]

I love how Brenda brags that they know how to party back in Beverly Hills. Girl, 85% of the partying you and your friends did was hanging out at a 50s themed diner.

[Tooch]

I love how Brenda brags that they know how to party back in Beverly Hills. Girl, 85% of the partying you and your friends did was hanging out at a 50s themed diner.

 

HA! I just snorted. Reminds me of Valerie's glorious first appearance when she complains to Ginger about the gang being so lame "we went to a club and no one even tried to get a drink!" Seriously.

[Chicken Diablo]

The only hair that improved this season was Donna. And she completely regresses to a weird platinum helmet next season.

[Nanna]

Dylan is really a bastard - nice backtalking your girlfriend IN FRONT OF HER with another girl. What an ass. But I guess anything goes if you've decided you're "soul mates". I can't eyeroll hard enough.

[gesundheit]

Brenda's hair actually gets to Peak Brenda later this season when she grows out the bangs and goes with a reddish hue. It's completely gorgeous, it's just the eyebrows that are a shame.

[kfree9]

I was JUST imitating the tennis playing in this episode the other day because I have always found it so ridiculous and was randomly talking to someone about 90210. I remember this episode so clearly because I was a tennis player and hated the jumping after every shot. What WAS THAT?! Haven't listened to the whole podcast yet so I hope it's mentioned. I love that first screenshot.

[kfree9]

I'm confused about the Minnesota weather thing. Isn't it supposed to be late August or early September? They just started classes, right? Even Minnesota doesn't get snow THAT early. I bet Fall is gorgeous there so Brenda needed to quit bitching about the "terrible weather," that she lived in for approximately 15 years of her life.

[benteen]

A whole season of Kelly and Dylan......yay.....

 

David is a dumbass. Why did you move in with her? Why? I could never get into that couple. 

 

Darla is still a jerk in several ways. She didn't try to include Brenda much and was just as bad as she was. 

 

That reminds me...doesn't the last 90210 reference to Melrose Place take place when David, Kelly and Donna are discussing places to move into during this episode?

[MyAimIsTrue]

Was it really cold enough in Minneapolis the first week of school (late August/early September?) for Brenda to wear a heavy coat?

[lovinbob]

Darla's outfit is a more colorful version of what I wore on my first date in 1990. With a guy I looooooved. Except my pants were olive green, my button-down was beige, and I added an olive green sweater vest.

No, I did not get lucky.

[maxineofarc]

But how is Gordon Lightfoot?

[adam807]

I know Minnesota is known for being cold but isn't it AUGUST?

[Racj82]

A whole season of Kelly and Dylan......yay.....

David is a dumbass. Why did you move in with her? Why? I could never get into that couple.

Darla is still a jerk in several ways. She didn't try to include Brenda much and was just as bad as she was.

I'm going to push back on the Darla not trying to include Brenda much part because that's not true, IMO. Every single time we see her with Darla or the other girl they are inviting her to go somewhere or trying to get her out of her funk. She wasn't the best roommate but damn. Brenda was the worst.

[AndySmith]

Yeah. Darla may not have been the best roommate but she sure made more of an effort than Brenda did as far as going out and being social.

Edited April 25, 2016 by AndySmith

[FozzyBear]

So in regards to Donna's weird advise to Kelly about Dylan. I like to fan-wink that Dylan and Kelly have already become that horrible couple that invents reasons to break up and get back together and consume every situation with talk about their relationship. Donna has head this sob story from Kelly a thousand times since she got together with Dylan and she wasn't really paying attention to the details and just told Kelly to hurry up and get back together with Dylan like Kelly wants to do they can have boring conversations about David and Donna not fucking.

[TeeVee329]

I had thought Brenda's stint in Minnesota lasted longer than two episodes. It's crazy she goes out there, gets homesick/hates it, and runs back to Beverly Hills before the others have even had their first class.

[Kristen]

BRB, actively trying to work "cat butt mouth" into everyday conversation.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Kristen

[profreader]

Brandon's hair according to Bunting & Ariano:

1. The top of the head is a tousled crop circle that really looks very pointy

2. like a boot brush, but the rest of his head is shaved to the skin

3. like someone put a plate of pine needles on his head and then shaved the rest

4. so much product in it, but now it's spiky. It's short on top but really over-gelled

4a. yet, the sides flare out at 45 angles from the shaved part

5. Like he styled it by walking under a helicopter that was taking off

6. The top of it looks like actual velcro (the fuzzy side)

6a. And he is the dwarf stuck to it

7. Fido Dido-y

8. He looks like a screw.

9. (from Dave) like Guile from Street Fighter 2

10. NASCAR/mental hospital situashe

11. He looks like frisee in a salad, with a lot of vinaigrette dressing on it.

Conclusion: Brandon's hair is terrible.

[profreader]

I finally figured out one (among many) things that irks me about the way Brandon talks. He puts on this almost New-York-y tough guy tawk -- like where his Ts become Ds -- especially in braying scenes, like with Jill. And just where does that come from? He's from MINNESOTA. Isn't JP from Canada? I guess a midwestern accent wouldn't have the right "bowling ball clanging" swagger.

Listening to Darla, and some of the other guest stars -- you can really hear how speaking voices have changed in the time since then -- there was just the very beginning hints of vocal fry (rarely) & all the particular ways people on TV speak nowadays.

[Panda Bear]

I'm confused about the Minnesota weather thing. Isn't it supposed to be late August or early September? They just started classes, right? Even Minnesota doesn't get snow THAT early. I bet Fall is gorgeous there so Brenda needed to quit bitching about the "terrible weather," that she lived in for approximately 15 years of her life.

 

Indeed, if this is taking place in Minneapolis in early September, it would probably be about 75 degrees. Fall is gorgeous here!

[bilgistic]

I'm on my phone, and I accidentally held my finger on one of Brandon's kissing photos too long. The photo's file name popped up with the option to save the photo, among other options. I cracked up when I saw the file name was "face-eater". I've been with guys like that. They just engulf your whole face, and they think they are great at kissing, because some poor naif told them so when they were 12. They refuse to accept creative criticism now, three decades later.

[Lindsey]

Brandon's hair looks like they were going for a military style high and tight, but didn't understand how that's supposed to look AT ALL. It makes everything he does look even more aggressive, including the bray and the lamprey-kiss.

[FozzyBear]

I know Minnesota is known for being cold but isn't it AUGUST?

This is such a pet peeve of mine! I hate the way show wardrobe departments act like school starts in November. Most schools start in late August/early September which is summer! I'm from central California and it's always about 100 for the first month of school. i would lose my mind when Gilmore Girls would have Rory starting school in a sweater because Conneticut is so known for its breezy Augusts.

[MerisWetBar]

so happy to see that Brandon has his triangle eyebrows of concern on in that one visual aid. /\

[SoupThrower]

I'm going to push back on the Darla not trying to include Brenda much part because that's not true, IMO. Every single time we see her with Darla or the other girl they are inviting her to go somewhere or trying to get her out of her funk. She wasn't the best roommate but damn. Brenda was the worst.

 

Let me rephrase that. Darla was trying to include her but she seemed a little like she had to do it or it was snide. I don't how to explain it but it didn't seem sincere. Maybe it's the acting? Very likely. 

 

Brandon's hair. Jason normally kept it like the same. Was he doing a movie during that summer period?

[CeeBeeGee]

What is the obsession the 90210 writing staff had with girls named Darla? That is a very uncommon name in my experience, and this is now the 2nd girl in the show named that (Darla Diller, Steve's would-be prom date, is the other one).

This Darla was also on one of my favorite X-Files episodes, Syszygy, as one of the obnoxious "hate her, hate her, wouldn't want to date her!" blondes.

Dylan, it's really rude to talk in another language in front of someone you know doesn't speak it.