S04.E29: Truth And Consequences

[Primetimer]

Casting couch rumours swirl around Brenda while Brandon finally narcs on Clare to her dad, and Andrea's love of snacks induces labour.

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[Primetimer]

Also, Clare continues basically stalking the worst brother ever, but somehow Laura's the crazy one?

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[maxineofarc]

Okay but Brenda's hair really is amazing in this episode.

[StatMom]

I'm a couple of episodes ahead, and "Laura's" handwriting stuck out to me: I swear it's the same as "Dylan's" writing on a photograph that Val is looking at. The photo writing looked really odd to me, because it seemed girly, and I wondered if anyone ever forms their cursive capital T's like that in real life. Same girly/fake writing here.

 

[Princess Sparkle]

In that picture of Roy looking skyward with his tea, he looks just like Charles Manson and now I can't unsee it.  

Poor Gabrielle Carteris.  She's the same height as my mom (5'1), and I've seen pictures of my mom pregnant; when you're that short, and your torso isn't long, you are destined to look like a human with a beachball attached to your stomach.  However, at least everyone taking pictures of my mom had the decency to not shoot her from an upward angle - my god, that second picture of Gabrielle Carteris is terrifyingly unflattering.  It legitimately looks like someone put an oversized suit on her and inflated it.  

[gesundheit]

This one was one of my favorites. And I agree with the podcast, they DEFINITELY should have had Brenda at least engage in some untoward activity with Roy (I mean besides the dress and the sultry private entrance), it would've been a lot more fun.

[gesundheit]

This one was one of my favorites. And I agree with the podcast, they DEFINITELY should have had Brenda at least engage in some untoward activity with Roy (I mean besides the dress and the sultry private entrance), it would've been a lot more fun.

And Middendorf is a national treasure.

[TeslaNewton]

If Andrea is six months pregnant, she either has a serious health issue or an entire football team, backups included, squirreled away in there.

[TeeVee329]

I can't decide what I love more, the quote from TOM!!! or Tara and Sarah's reaction to it.

Brenda's line to Crazy!Laura (Middendorf 2016!) about her having nothing, even counting Steve, was so bitchy, I loved it.

[WhosThatGirl]

Laura going all Tonya Harding is Steve is hilarious. Because Steve can't pull that off.

Also Brandon SUCKS. To be fair, I saw a fair amount of these episodes on soap net so I had seen the reboot and I remember when the Wilson siblings had a falling out and thinking Dixon was a crap brother to Annie even if she wasn't my favorite character but he was a jerk but damn obviously the reboot writers got their notes from the original. And Dixon at least apologized for his behavior. Damn.

I hate Brandon. Ugh

Edited August 19, 2016 by WhosThatGirl

[Tooch]

Everyone berating Brenda not to "overreact" to the fact that all her best friends and TWIN BROTHER believed and even helped to spread the rumor that she fucked a creepy director to get the part was fucking mind boggling. I'd forgotten how bad it was. Brandon is so horrific. 

[marceline]

Ugh. Kelly's so shady and passive aggressive.

"I think I need to tell you about a rumor." Then. "It's just a rumor. It doesn't matter."

Umm, then why did your trifling ass bring it up? Kelly and Brenda are just so toxic. In fact it feels like everyone on this show secretly hates each other. Kelly and Dylan go without saying. Brandon doesn't have his sister's back at all. Steve decides to trash Brenda. Donna slut shames Andrea in the previous episode. Nobody seems to care whether David is dead or alive. They all suck.

[TeeVee329]

Speaking of David, like Tara noted back during Brenda's arrest dramz, he - who's been in recovery for about five minutes from his drug addiction, during which he stole money and lost a child - is about the last person who should be shading anyone's behavior.

[WhosThatGirl]

None of these characters have any sort of right to judge each other. Except maybe Donna and even if she sort of slut shamed Andrea last episode, that was genuinely a mistake, she didn't mean it really. Unlike here in this episode where I do think Kelly was doing something of the sort to Brenda and wasn't trying to clarify a rumor. 

I still think Brandon is the worst. The lack of defense about Brenda to Steve is disgusting.  Also his whole "I'm not judging you" but his talks with a judging tone makes me so mad. 

[Racj82]

Has anyone notice the visual cue for when Kelly gives no fucks? The hands on the hips with her elbows pointing behind her. I know I'm in for a show when I see her standing like that.

[SoupThrower]

Everyoneeeee suckssssss this episode especially Brandon. Whether you believe it or not, just shut it down. Worst. Though it is a logical conclusion to make even if it is not true but god dammit Brandon. The writers suckkkkkkkk even more. 

lol David gets one line. Also shut up Erica.

[SoupThrower]

11 hours ago, StatMom said:

I'm a couple of episodes ahead, and "Laura's" handwriting stuck out to me: I swear it's the same as "Dylan's" writing on a photograph that Val is looking at. The photo writing looked really odd to me, because it seemed girly, and I wondered if anyone ever forms their cursive capital T's like that in real life. Same girly/fake writing here.

 

lol I forgot about this. The pose, the writing which seems like something out of letter. 

[TeeVee329]

I'm sad there's no GIF of TOM!!!!!!

[MissEwa]

The thing that confuses me about this is... Kelly kinda helped to start the rumour, didn't she? Brenda tells her and Donna she went to Roy's house, Kelly tells Steve and when Steve jumps to his conclusion Kelly's all 'well, he did come on to *me*...'  - and then he tells Laura. 

I don't know, and it's not relevant to anything, given she's gone off to the island of lost bit players, but I kinda think the way they then went and framed it as Laura's fault is ridiculous. "We shouldn't have believed her!" You... didn't. You were *already* well convinced. 

Also Brandon is the worst. So the worst. 

[Lisin]

OK, so I went to a university that hosts a world renowned theater festival every summer. It's actually kind of a big deal and they premiere new plays and have some pretty heavy hitters in the theater world participating and all that good junk. Anyway, the dude who runs the festival and who is the head of the drama department is even more Roy Randolph than Roy himself. This is to say I agree with @Sarah D. Bunting's husband's 7 on a scale of 1 to Cass (?) wrt the whole Roy Randolph of it all. This dude once shipped in a professional actress from NY for a STUDENT PLAY because none of his students were "good enough" to play the lead... in a student play... with students as the cast and crew... aside from one professional actress he put in as the lead... who he paid... So yeah. Roy seems kinda mellow to me! 

[bilgistic]

  On 8/19/2016 at 11:09 AM, StatMom said:

I'm a couple of episodes ahead, and "Laura's" handwriting stuck out to me: I swear it's the same as "Dylan's" writing on a photograph that Val is looking at. The photo writing looked really odd to me, because it seemed girly, and I wondered if anyone ever forms their cursive capital T's like that in real life. Same girly/fake writing here.

 

lol I forgot about this. The pose, the writing which seems like something out of letter. 

What kind of jackass regular *non-celebrity* person signs their own photo to give to someone else?

[Petunia13]

Lol whats the school and actress

[scarynikki12]

Kelly and Steve definitely started the rumor and then pretended they heard it elsewhere. This episode really was a good example of how these people were no longer friends* because if they were then surely Kelly or Donna would have stopped the rumor by pointing out that Brenda was upfront about seeking out Roy for the second audition. She wasn't hiding it, nor did she act like there was anything to hide so they had no reason to believe otherwise. But, because they were no longer friends, they were eager to assume the worst and start the rumor. 

And Brandon really is the worst. Yes, him saying that it didn't matter to him if she did sleep with Roy for the part was probably the nicest he's ever been but that tells us how shitty a brother he is. Even if he did privately believe that Brenda was capable of sleeping her way to a role and that she did, this is one of those times where he needs to take her side and then get mad if the rumor turns out to be true.

This was one of those times when we needed more on screen story support. Brenda had been in one play and one theater class prior to this story yet the viewers were being asked to think the rumor had merit. They should have put her in plays in high school for background characterization. Just have scripts on her nightstand, promotional posters on her walls, mention various roles when planning for college, and have Brandon put all of her theater souvenirs in a box when he decided he was taking her room. Just make her dedication to acting something that we would be aware of so that the rumor would be more than just setting up Shannon's exit. 

*Plus it gave the actors a reason to shit on Shannon on camera. 

[Lisin]

1 hour ago, Petunia13 said:

Lol whats the school and actress

School is Shepherd University, I can't remember the actress. I'm old. It was a long time ago, she wasn't famous, just a working NY stage actress. Brandy something maybe?

[Petunia13]

At my school there was a bajillion productions or opportunities for actors. While I was there. 1 who was a senior was in a movie with Julia Roberts before she graduated. But I distinctly remember my bf years ago composing the music for a play Mamie Gummer was in and her mom Meryl Streep showed up to the performance and it was no big deal in some small auditorium used for craft fairs. Other plays were going on that same night. CU was supposed to be UCLA lite and there wasn't more shows going on or actual coeds doing movies or tv shows or modeling - they are all peeing their pants over this asshat and his obvious choice of a play? RME 

Edited August 20, 2016 by Petunia13

[TeeVee329]

17 hours ago, MissEwa said:

The thing that confuses me about this is... Kelly kinda helped to start the rumour, didn't she? Brenda tells her and Donna she went to Roy's house, Kelly tells Steve and when Steve jumps to his conclusion Kelly's all 'well, he did come on to *me*...'  - and then he tells Laura. 

I don't know, and it's not relevant to anything, given she's gone off to the island of lost bit players, but I kinda think the way they then went and framed it as Laura's fault is ridiculous. "We shouldn't have believed her!" You... didn't. You were *already* well convinced.

I think where Laura comes in is that she's the one who tells Steve that Roy has a reputation for sleeping with his leading ladies so later, when Kelly tells him about the late night audition at his house, Steve more easily leapt to the conclusion he did.

But yeah, Kelly definitely had a bigger part in the rumor's genesis that she would probably admit.

[Klaw]

Quote

Kelly kinda helped to start the rumour, didn't she?

OMG, YES!!! This. She totally did.

Quote

Kelly and Steve definitely started the rumor and then pretended they heard it elsewhere. 

AND THIS! I remember watching this (probably when it originally aired, heh) and finding Kelly's attitude to be completely infuriating and gross. Some friend. You could almost hear the gleeful undercurrent in her voice when she told Brenda about the "rumor" she heard from "some people." And then when Brenda got upset -  which, newsflash, bitch - is the appropriate response to someone saying you screwed yourself a promotion/reward/job she acted all put out like Brenda was a terrible person for yelling about it. How did she expect Brenda to respond? I almost wish Brenda had been all, "yep, that's what happened, and y'know something? Roy wasn't half bad in the sack.* thanks for letting me know, now, whatarewe eating?" Jesus, this version of Kelly is the worst. 

*because these kids speak like middle-aged characters from Mad Men. 

Quote

Everyoneeeee suckssssss this episode especially Brandon.

There is a special circle of hell for siblings who don't look out for each other.  At our advanced 40something ages, I am now best friends with my dear older brother but when we were young we fought like cats n' dogs but even then, we would never, ever, ever, let someone "outside the family" slag the other off. Had my brother's best friend basically called me a whore à la Steve, my brother would have had him by the throat. EVEN IF he thought I had done it. He would have kicked Steve's ass and then come home, told me he had kicked Steve's ass and why and would've been like "yea, I know you totally did it, but fuck that guy." OMG! Everyone abandoning her during the SOD fallout was one thing but this incident of Brenda bashing was the worst. Y

And while Dylan was dead to me after the SOD, I do appreciate his steadfast loyalty to Brenda, although me thinks he was only doing it partially to tick Kelly off since they HATE each other. eye roll. 

Finally, Tracy Middendorf deserved an emmy for "Best Line Reading by a Supporting Actress or Guest Star" for "KIDZ from BEVERLY HILLZ." (Right up there with "I'm going to get you, YOU CRUD!") That and her trying to wrap that bigass rope around her neck cracks me up, every, single time. She made a meal out of that role and it never gets old. 

Oh, and David? STFU. Chiming in with your judgmental bullshit about someone's sex life after you nearly got arrested for dealing METH.

[Klaw]

One more thing: do you think the Producers were so pissed off at having to write in Gabrielle's pregnancy that there was some sort of payback going on? It just seems like it was beyond mean with the bad angles, the make up/hair/wardrobe... I mean it seemed like they went out of their way to make her look awful...

[Nanna]

Kelly is such a bitch in this episode. She seems as if she's actually happy that Brenda didn't get the part (although she claimed in the previous episode that she wanted Brenda to get the part) and is really quick to confirm Steve's suspicion of foul play - so yeah, she's totally the one starting the rumour. The worst part is that the show keeps reminding us how Kelly was a victim of rumours because John Sears, No Blanket Man and blahblah - and yet she's the first one to believe the worst of her friend. Nice. Move to London, Brenda, and get new friends. BTW it is funny to think about how the rumour reached Randall, seeing as no one from the gang seems to ever speak to anyone else. Laura must have been really busy spreading the word of Brenda's alleged sluttiness!

[Maherjunkie]

Why does he go by his full name all the time, is what I wonder.

[WhosThatGirl]

7 hours ago, Nanna said:

Kelly is such a bitch in this episode. She seems as if she's actually happy that Brenda didn't get the part (although she claimed in the previous episode that she wanted Brenda to get the part) and is really quick to confirm Steve's suspicion of foul play - so yeah, she's totally the one starting the rumour. The worst part is that the show keeps reminding us how Kelly was a victim of rumours because John Sears, No Blanket Man and blahblah - and yet she's the first one to believe the worst of her friend. Nice. Move to London, Brenda, and get new friends. BTW it is funny to think about how the rumour reached Randall, seeing as no one from the gang seems to ever speak to anyone else. Laura must have been really busy spreading the word of Brenda's alleged sluttiness!

This. It's odd because I do like JG and SD but I think in these last episodes of this season it's obvious how hard it was to get the cast members all together. This episode highlights all of the actors real feelings about SD at that time.  And Kelly makes no sense, when she tries to act like "we just wanted to tell you, and we wanted you to us it was wrong. Which we totally knew it was of course, but then you got all mad and bitchy at us and we were like fine" like.. what? No. You wanted Brenda to say it was true so you could realize Brenda had to sleep her way to the top and prove that she isn't good at acting, but you were. 

Yeah, the gang turned on Brenda all on their own. They made their own conclusions, and yeah, like our lovely podcast hosts tell us, it's a messed up thing to go along and start a rumor about someone you've known since high-school who has never done any sort of sleeping around before to just suddenly start this behavior. Maybe for Steve it does, he was kind of a real ass to Kelly in season 1 and went along with the school calling her a big slut because they broke up pre the series and only found a friendship due to the Twins coming into their lives and bridging the gap, so to speak and forcing the hangouts. 

The Steve and Brenda lines throughout the episode always ring somewhat true to me, the "I'm your brother's friend, not yours" is really true. Brenda and Steve have never seemed close and it's not like this episode fixes that. Normally when a show acknowledges a group of people who are friends who hang out and there's two who aren't that close and the show addresses it, the show then tries to write them as becoming close or something. I think Brenda and Steve have a moment in the next episode, but to me, it doesn't really fix it.

Another thing not acknowledged? The same damn fight with Brenda and Kelly. I really think the writers didn't know what to do, if they were up in the air about SD leaving or what, but this? Its the same scene. Over and over. I wonder if the writers were just copying and pasting the  lines on the scripts. 

Edited August 22, 2016 by WhosThatGirl
Almost a half hour later, when I am no longer on a touch screen device and realize my mistake.

[AndySmith]

I love all the bitchy drama in this storyline.

[Jmallory]

One thing that was always consistent was Brenda's bitchiness. She had a sharp tongue and it only came out when she was done wrong. "I always knew you were weak" has to be one of the greatest Brenda digs...at least in the top five. It was time for her to move on and get new friends. They weren't loyal to her. Her friendship with Kelly should've ended in high school. Brandon was even worse. He didn't have her back. He never has her back. I don't care if he was best friends with Steve, he should've kicked his ass the minute he knew Steve was going around spreading that rumor. Steve is a notorious slut shamer too. He did it with Kelly, Brenda, and later Val. 

[Maherjunkie]

When did she say that?

[Sarah D. Bunting]

That she knew Steve was weak? Right before the line about how Laura having Steve on her side was like having nothing.

[AndySmith]

Here is that scene in all of it's bitchy awesomeness:

[CurlyATX]

I really don't get how and why Steve was spending any time with Crazy Laura.  He was a victim of her rumor!  And I love how at the time, Kelly shut that down hard/fast (even betraying Laura in the process) because she knew Steve could never do it.  Yet, she doesn't say that about Brinda.

I wish Brinda hadn't apologized at the end, saying it was partially her fault too.  It wasn't- they are all jerks.  I have been in that situation where it seems like a group of friends and you are growing apart.  It's painful to see them all clustered together and sometimes leaving you out.  But, in my version, Brinda had a great time in "Europe" and couldn't even be bothered to come back for her only sibling's non-wedding. 

These last episodes are my favorite-- it's like the ending of the Godfather, everyone gets his comeuppance (pun for David).

[CurlyATX]

In 8th grade and throughout HS, I used to get pictures from friends that had epic essays written on the back, but I never had someone sign his name on the front. 

I'm 5"0 (and a half) and I can tell you that both times I was preggo, I ballooned up in the belly and boob.  No torso means that it's a mess.  My first pregnancy I sadly was "eating for two" and gained 40lbs.  Second kid, I just gained 25lb.

Why is it that crazy people are the ones that want to hurt others.  Stalking, being a narcissist, or having an addictive personality isn't part of the deal. 

[StatMom]

Another win for the props dept. I'm picturing they just grabbed one of Luke Perry's publicity photos and some female PA wrote on it. Why would Dylan have one of these glamour shots type pics? He wouldn't. Such laziness. 

[AndySmith]

To be fair, on most TV shows, most characters all seem to have personal pictures of this nature, no?

[AllyB]

I guess Dylan saw Kelly's 90s style selfies in her bedroom and wanted something special for himself.

[Cekrypton1]

I hope there is at least one take of the "Can we call her Margaret" scene where Roy Randolph's response is, "You do know that this is why people hate you, yes?"

[ridethemaverick]

On 8/21/2016 at 3:34 PM, Klaw said:

One more thing: do you think the Producers were so pissed off at having to write in Gabrielle's pregnancy that there was some sort of payback going on? It just seems like it was beyond mean with the bad angles, the make up/hair/wardrobe... I mean it seemed like they went out of their way to make her look awful...

 

I've always thought this. There was also that line they had Donna say, something like "good thing Andrea's not here, she would have had a miscarriage!" It didn't make much sense so I always assumed it was a passive aggressive dig at Gabrielle.

[Onfire444]

I love all the bitchy drama in this storyline.

I hadn't seen any of these episodes, and still haven't (I stopped watching after Donna Martin graduated), but I found myself getting really caught up in these plotlines just from listening to the podcasts and wanting to hear how the casting drama played out. I think it's pretty good soap opera writing this season!

[Onfire444]

Nice Nutcracker reference in the Visual Aids!

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Thanks! One of my go-tos for a huge garment.

[RedbirdNelly]

just watched this episode last night and can only echo comments already made. Really bad episode for Kelly and Brandon and Brenda didn't need to apologize. Lots of shows have both sides at fault, but Brenda wasn't in this case.