S05.E07: Who's Zoomin' Who?

[Primetimer]

Val comes up with a pretty diabolical revenge plan...but still lets it splash back onto herself.

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[Primetimer]

We've collected all the most important imagery of 'Who's Zoomin' Who?'

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[AndySmith]

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Bitchface O'Mullet

Ha! Jennie does give good bitchface, so Kelly gets a pass from me.

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Clare: you're perfect, never change

Season 5 Clare is probably the best Clare.

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David's exasperated expression stands in for our own

Nothing like being handcuffed to your old bed by your current significant other while your old SO who also happens to live there plops onto said bed to vent about their problems. Happens all the time.

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as if Brandon gives a shit about him

Of course Brandon gives a shit, how else would he be able to maintain the moral highground?

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Eeeek, Vulnerable Crying Val is the worst Val yet!

What's funny is, that scene has to be the most times Brenda gets mentioned in single scene post season 4.

[benteen]

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Behold the Peach Pit After Dark brain trust! Four college sophomores and a guy who's almost run his business into the ground twice in the three and a half years this show has been on. Good luck, everyone.

Making fun of Nat and his shitty business management always makes me laugh.  The guy who apparently worked 24/7 without having someone to back him up in the case of emergency.  It was a good thing he never ran the Peach Pit After Dark but then again, the PPAD was run by a bunch of stupid teenagers.  It's amazing that place didn't go down in flames during it's first year.

[SoupThrower]

Clare and David. They facial expression were amazing this episode. I like the couple, it's not melodramatic or screwed up.

Shut up Kelly. Shut up Ray.

I thought Ray would get LVP on the basis that someone is going to see a mess of pumpkins on their doorstep after they got up or coming back home. Red Flag. 

[maxineofarc]

I hate Kelly's voice in these seasons. I hate it I hate it I HATE IT.

[Uncle JUICE]

That unbuttoned fly thing, was that a THING in the 90s? I grew up 90's, I don't remember it in my area. Is it supposed to be sexy? Because it looks like these people heard the door or phone ring while they were on the can, and had to rush to answer.

[ZeroDiscipline]

Good God what is happening with Kelly's hair. I don't remember this horrorshow. It gets worse every week. I feel like her hairdresser was like "No seriously, we are going to make this a thing and then everyone will ask for this at their hair salon and be like 'I want the Kelly Taylor!' or better yet 'The Jennie Garth'! You're going to be famous!" Either that, or she continued to get gum stuck in her hair, and week after week her poor hairdresser had to do their best to cut out the gum but Jennie was like "only cut off the minimum, I'm trying to grow my hair back out as quickly as possible."

[StatMom]

I remember online comments at the time (was TWOP up yet?) about the stupid Babie shirt, as well as mockery of Donna's dramatic reveal of why she had to go find Ray: "He smashed a pumpkin!" Although Ray wasn't pushing anyone down stairs yet, his surly oh-poor-me attitude and snarling at Donna for having a date should have set off warning bells. I can't figure out if Kelly and Clare are supposed to be super-observant/insightful, or if we are supposed to see them as unnecessarily snobby toward him.

I also thought TAT also did a nice job with the cry scene, where it wasn't a big bursting into tears thing.

[gesundheit]

Kelly's my favorite character (no need for anyone to explain how she's history's worst monster, I am aware I'm alone in this), making it physically impossible for me to stomach any of this season's episodes. Her hair hurts to look at and her personality is at its absolute basement worst. It's saying a lot when you think it's a major improvement when someone chops all her hair off and gets addicted to coke. That's when she finally lightens up for a while!

Val's general existence and Dylan's downward spiral are really the only things that make this season any fun.

[Nanna]

Good God what is happening with Kelly's hair. I don't remember this horrorshow. It gets worse every week. I feel like her hairdresser was like "No seriously, we are going to make this a thing and then everyone will ask for this at their hair salon and be like 'I want the Kelly Taylor!' or better yet 'The Jennie Garth'! You're going to be famous!" Either that, or she continued to get gum stuck in her hair, and week after week her poor hairdresser had to do their best to cut out the gum but Jennie was like "only cut off the minimum, I'm trying to grow my hair back out as quickly as possible."

My friend had a haircut like Kelly's. It was sort of a "hair model" sort of thing (the hairdresser needs to rehearse new styles so she'll cut your hair for free as long as she gets to decide the style). It must hve been about the same time, so clearly, someone in the hairbusiness was trying to make this fashionable. It wasn't. Which was obvious even then.

[Petunia13]

3 hours ago, Uncle JUICE said:

That unbuttoned fly thing, was that a THING in the 90s? I grew up 90's, I don't remember it in my area. Is it supposed to be sexy? Because it looks like these people heard the door or phone ring while they were on the can, and had to rush to answer.

This was probably how low rise jeans became a trend. Someone said they were sick of fucking w the unbuttoned thing and wished there was a way to get jeans more midriffy. So some designer said why not ...just make the waist to crotch ratio shorter? 

[AllyB]

I'm racking my brains and may be having very vague memories of the open jeans button thing. I think I can see myself as a 90s teen posing in front of my bedroom mirror with my top button open and thinking it was suggestively sexy. Sort of a cross between what Val's doing and this;

 

I definitely never left the house like that though.

[scarynikki12]

The open button thing only works if there's a bathing suit underneath cause then it's merely a formality.  But as regular clothes it makes no sense.  On the other hand, most of the show's "fashion" makes no sense so it comes back around to being appropriate for the characters.

I remember when The Rachel was THE haircut (right around this season actually) and I read an article about popular cuts inspired by certain actresses.  They referenced a few different ones but included Garth's cut from this season.  It still baffles me.  I get why Aniston's cut was popular as long layers are a generally flattering style even if your hair isn't as shiny as hers but I'll never understand how Kelly's mullet would appeal to anyone.  Her initial cut from the premiere?  Yes, that was cute but then she went way too far and it looks awful.  Unfortunately we won't be done with the bad styles until season 8 when everyone started getting it together. 

[KateeBar]

Kelly's hair was really terrible this season. I bet the bitchface came very naturally every time she looked at Val's gloriously perfect bob. But if forced to choose between that shagmullet and Donna's slip-on plastic hair helmet, I choose Kelly.

This many episodes in, I can't figure out how I'm still shocked at how awful Brandon is and how I just apparently glossed over that on first watch.

[scarynikki12]

1 hour ago, KateeBar said:

But if forced to choose between that shagmullet and Donna's slip-on plastic hair helmet, I choose Kelly.

Agreed.  At least Kelly's hair moves when the wind blows.

[bilgistic]

I'm racking my brains and may be having very vague memories of the open jeans button thing. I think I can see myself as a 90s teen posing in front of my bedroom mirror with my top button open and thinking it was suggestively sexy. Sort of a cross between what Val's doing and this;

 

I definitely never left the house like that though.

That cover is suuuper disturbing. Christina Aguilera looks to be about 15. I'm going to assume/hope she was older. "Guess What Christina Wants"? A sweatsuit? A manager with her best interests in mind? Cripes.

[bilgistic]

  1 hour ago, KateeBar said:

But if forced to choose between that shagmullet and Donna's slip-on plastic hair helmet, I choose Kelly.

Agreed.  At least Kelly's hair moves when the wind blows.

Can we talk about David's hair? All I can see are giant, crispy spider legs.

[SoupThrower]

On 9/27/2016 at 11:24 AM, bilgistic said:

Can we talk about David's hair? All I can see are giant, crispy spider legs.

Well the only positive about that hair (other than it being iconic) is that it doesn't last the whole season but he grows this weird mustache. Geez Brian. Though kind of weird that he is probably the best looking out of the guys. 

Clare and David both noted in their ways how Ray is. I think Clare is like "That better not be that Ray guy again." & David being like "He's really an intense guy"

Edited September 28, 2016 by SoupThrower

[Jax7917]

I actually found kelly's hair the worst in season 8 when her and brandon got back together. That thing was etrocious. Kelly had such nice her and I think was at its nicest in the last season.. Also, season 6 with colin she looked really good. But that season 8- yikes.

[Cekrypton1]

I will give the show credit that they were pretty subtle about working in references to Brandon doing student president work, as that will become crucial later. A rare case where the writers were actually on top of things.

[ridethemaverick]

Ah, I love this episode for little silly reasons like Donna saying "A big ol' bed" really awkwardly or telling David "he smashed the pumpkins!" like he was supposed to know what the hell that meant and Dylan scratching like a crackhead. I also love when Kelly sees Cindy at the door of her own damn house and snottily asks her what she's doing there and Cindy smirks like "listen bitch, you need to check your tone and rephrase."

I think it was Clare who told Donna she likes to save wounded men and she was so right. The pumpkin thing was a major red flag but of course Donna just skipped her happy ass down to the pumpkin patch to apologize for existing. Ugh.

[Sarah Emily]

not related to this episode and sorry if folks are already aware (I'm just finishing season 3), BUT Christine Elise (Emily Valentine) is making an appearance this Friday and Saturday at "90210! The Musical!" an off Broadway play running through November

http://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Real-Emily-Valentine-to-Appear-at-Off-Broadways-90210-THE-MUSICAL-20160919

Would love a report back if anyone can make it!

[Petunia13]

Cindy is really just amazing. Carol Potter as Cindy Walsh and Ann Gillespie as Jackie totally nail their roles. Like I believe them in their scenes and would enjoy conversations with their characters.  A show could have been centered around Val and Deshawn in LA being cool with friends and Cindy and Jackie involved in some tertiary way and it would have been more amusing than the .... of Brandon, Dylan, and Kelly. 

Ray isnt donnas official bf, he has no right to hulk out. Her other guy is a creepo but completely agree w podcast she needs to set boundaries and assert himself with them and in general. I am not crazy with how they write her as all child like or naive, considering her learning disability. that's not cool. 

Val is has a pretty face, awesome hair, banging body, is a college girl, and lives in LA, and likes to party. In what would would she be hung up on some old looking, miserable, drunk, poor ant bodied douche? Realistically she would have been miffed for a minute and like went to buy a book or get coffee had a more intriguing opportunity. Or with her idgaf attitude gone to a concert or club alone and moved on like that night. 

[CurlyATX]

Oh... I can't even imagine if Val and D'Shawn got together, or were just really good friends.  Maybe they met to mutually roll eyes at Brandon. 

The story arc of Kelly's beauty is so annoying! Yes, she freaking knows she's hot-- she was voted Most Beautiful at her high school and even went on to yell at Dylan for only liking her for her looks.  Now, she's wondering if she's pretty?  And, like Sarah said, Garth is very cute, but she's not model material.  Most models tend to look weird IRL- super tall, extremely thin with very sharp features.  At that time, even Seventeen had models who became major players (like Cameron Diaz or to a lesser extend Rebecca Gayheart/Toni).  I've mentioned before that Garth went to HS with my husband.  He said she was amazing IRL, prettier than any of the local girls.  I wish Kelly started really getting involved in school instead, maybe started questioning "The Gang" and making ANY other friends.  

On another note- wasn't Jackie struggling financially?  She sold the house because Mel wasn't able to pay alimony, right?  She doesn't work and I'm assuming wasn't the thrifty drug addict in her past years.  Why can't Kelly be happy that Jackie was asked to do a shoot?!

[LucyHoneychrrch]

I could watch that gif of Steve hitting Dylan ALL GODDAMN DAY.

[Petunia13]

[Dawn Grobe]

I'm a year behind on the podcast, but I am here bearing bad news.

Ann Gillespie was born in 1957, so she wasn't even 40 yet in this episode!

At 41, I look at all the 9ers' parents and still think they look older than me.