S01.E05: Picture's Up

[formerlyfreedom]

When the first day of filming is halted amidst the latest threat, the cast makes a list of their potential enemies and sets their eyes on a former co-star who may be holding a vendetta against them. Jason's insensitivity while directing, causes the ladies to become frustrated and Tori stresses over an upcoming sex scene with Brian. Meanwhile, both Gabby and Brian share some personal news with the cast.

Airing Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

[screamin]

Fun, only dragged a bit during the endless sex scene crap. Loved Jennie's "It's not real. Like these," line. And not really credible that Brian didn't ask for a DNA test.

[Guest]

I seem to watch this show solely for trying to figure which BTS relationship with Shannen remains toxic to the level of not filming together.  Last one on my list is Jason who got left behind the group investigation to find the arsonist.  Maybe he had a filming conflict?

I don't understand the random chicken hitching a ride home with Shannen.  Is that a reference to something or just a random chicken.

Apparently I still have The Heights nostalgia.

Edited September 5, 2019 by ParadoxLost

[screamin]

3 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

I don't understand the random chicken hitching a ride home with Shannen.  Is that a reference to something or just a random chicken.

It appears to be Tori's kids' neglected pet that Shannen 'rescued.'

Forgot to add - the capture of the stalker seems a bit anticlimactic. Was that all there was to that plot?

Edited September 5, 2019 by screamin

[Chaos Theory]

The scene where they were listing all the people who had a grudge against them was definitely the best scene.

I also really loved Shannen’s deadpan “Your gay” when Gabby was coming out as undeclared.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, screamin said:

Forgot to add - the capture of the stalker seems a bit anticlimactic. Was that all there was to that plot?

I assume not since a cop was still hanging around for finger prints,

On the other hand maybe that isn't why he was there and its just about finding out who Brian's kid is and his wife sent him.

[screamin]

Just now, ParadoxLost said:

I assume not since a cop was still hanging around for finger prints,

On the other hand maybe that isn't why he was there and its just about finding out who Brian's kid is and his wife sent him.

Brian's wife would send a private detective, not a police detective. Maybe the kid's a career con artist, though at least a somewhat well-informed one, since he presumably knew at least the name of the obscure extra Brian dated back in the day, and it's hard to see what he might be plotting to get away with yet.

9 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

The scene where they were listing all the people who had a grudge against them was definitely the best scene.

Gabby: "Corey Feldman, The Surreal Life!" Heh.

[Ohmo]

13 minutes ago, screamin said:

Forgot to add - the capture of the stalker seems a bit anticlimactic. Was that all there was to that plot?

Something tells me there's more coming to that plot.  The cop who retrieved Zach's water bottle... It wouldn't surprise me if that's connected to the stalker somehow.

Speaking of references, someone needs to explain the reference to Shannen eating throughout the episode.  It must be a reference.

I thought Shannen really shined in this episode.  Thought the whole scene where she tried to figure out who Jamie was was funny.

Enough already with Jennie and Wyatt.  Still hate the Gabby storyline.  Like Anna and Ian, though.

[TenaciousWarrior]

It was good to see Shannen more involved and integrated with the cast. I enjoy Shannen and Brian’s friendship.

[Writing Wrongs]

I laughed a lot throughout this episode. Lots of great lines.

"There was a Season 6?" "Siri, how many seasons of 90210 were there?"

I loved Shannen's constant eating. 

JAMIE WALTERS!

[MerisWetBar]

39 minutes ago, screamin said:

Brian's wife would send a private detective, not a police detective. Maybe the kid's a career con artist, though at least a somewhat well-informed one, since he presumably knew at least the name of the obscure extra Brian dated back in the day, and it's hard to see what he might be plotting to get away with yet.

Gabby: "Corey Feldman, The Surreal Life!" Heh.

That made me laugh out loud. After someone mentioned the awesome Surreal Life recaps by Uncle Bob (that I hadn't thought about in at least 10 years) I went back and read all the recaps then literally just watched that whole season of The Surreal Life last night. So funny!! 

[Ohmo]

1 hour ago, screamin said:

Brian's wife would send a private detective, not a police detective.

One forum that I hang around a lot is the Dateline forum.  It has been known to happen for police to hold a press conference in order to try and get a suspect to react.  What if we find out that Brian actually went to the cops about Zach.  To flush him out, the cops concocted some bogus story about the stalker being the "red dress" guy.  That and Brian "acting" like he cares about Zach gets Zach to let his guard down and get lazy with the water bottle.  Cops then swoop in to retrieve it.

Brian also made a point of changing things so that Zach is now working at the studio---away from Shay and his children.  I think Brian may be doing more acting than just the part of David Silver

[Bastet]

Ian asking the bodyguard “Hey, Costner, are you allowed to date the clients?” is the only part of this Jennie/Wyatt storyline I can stand.  And she did a modified version of that damn baby voice when getting sexy with him, so I had to check to see if my ears were bleeding.

I'm not into Ian and the writer, either, or really any of the romantic/sexual storylines other than Gabby not even being able to figure out what she's not ready for.  I mostly only like the friendships - or not - among the gang.

I enjoyed the scene where they rattled off all the people who hate them, and laughed out loud at “Siri, how many seasons of 90210 were there?”  The Ray thing meant nothing to me, because I didn’t watch then, but my friend laughed pretty hard.  And I thought the "who are you?" stuff between him and Shannen was funny.

I also liked Shannen's unruffled "okay, get in - I hope you're microchipped" reaction to finding a chicken by her car.

I can do without the oh, consent is so complicated in 2019 attitude, though.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Bastet

[AgentRXS]

I'm not feeling the Brian storyline at all because it hits too close to home to the situation with his real-life son with Vanessa Marcil.

On their list of enemies was "the whole cast of Saved By the Bell". Hee. I guess that's their way of referencing the Tiffani stuff without mentioning her by name.

"How Do You Talk to Angel?" is a forever cheesy nostalgic jam. Instantly transports me back to 1994 whenever I hear it.

This show is just the kind of mindless stupidity I need after a long day. I hope they do come back for another season.

[RachelKM]

I really enjoyed this episode.  Shannen was the absolute MVP for the night.  I cracked up her constant eating and her whole demeanor throughout.  "Siri, how many season of 90210 were there?" as well as her total unawareness of Jamie Walters were hilarious.  Also the "Go get 'em Jen" was nice.  I like the camaraderie they've established.

Also, Jason using the com to have someone open his door ... that was 7 feet away was funny.  Excellent shot framing as he said it.

I agree that it's ridiculous that Brian required absolutely no evidence that Zach is his kid. I like the story generally, but that aspect is dumb. Also, the story feels rushed.  It's likely a function of the short season.  But maybe this would have been better to have for a later season... assuming there is one.

DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE WRITER.  Ian is kind of adorable in it.  But, ugh.

ETA: I almost forgot, are they trying to pretend Brian is only 40? I could swear he said he was younger than Zach is (didn't he say 20?) when he was with the mom. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by RachelKM
Apparently I was real tired while typing.

[MsJamieDornan]

33 minutes ago, RachelKM said:

DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE WRITER

Agreed. And, she isn't a very good actress.

[DivaLasVegas82]

7 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I laughed a lot throughout this episode. Lots of great lines.

"There was a Season 6?" "Siri, how many seasons of 90210 were there?"

I loved Shannen's constant eating. 

JAMIE WALTERS!

I love that line. I also like Ian’s line when Jamie said playing Ray ruined his career, Ian asks, “Are you sure it wasn’t that song?” LoL

The reboot has gotten so many details from the original series right, but it annoyed when they kept saying Ray pushed Donna down the stairs in Season 6 when it happened at the season finale of Season 5. Ray was written off in Season 6 after a few episodes, and Donna started dating that football player Joe with the bad heart.

5 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

I'm not feeling the Brian storyline at all because it hits too close to home to the situation with his real-life son with Vanessa Marcil.

On their list of enemies was "the whole cast of Saved By the Bell". Hee. I guess that's their way of referencing the Tiffani stuff without mentioning her by name.

"How Do You Talk to Angel?" is a forever cheesy nostalgic jam. Instantly transports me back to 1994 whenever I hear it.

This show is just the kind of mindless stupidity I need after a long day. I hope they do come back for another season.

Tori was also on “Saved by the Bell.”

[Chaos Theory]

Although the show is not clever enough to do it well it is an interesting development to show how Hollywood is dealing with the MeToo movement as least in the short run.   People are still going to have sex and for people like Gabby and Ian who have been in long standing relationships to suddenly be handed these contracts must be disconcerting.   Especially Gabby who is still married and this could be used against her in a divorce.   I don’t really see a problem for Ian other then Pride.

[GHScorpiosRule]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

I also liked Shannen's unruffled "okay, get in - I hope you're microchipped" reaction to finding a chicken by her car.

I believe it was a rooster.

Brian really really is a bad singer. 

I really enjoyed the scenes with Shannen and Brian, especially where he's confided in her about Zach.

So much 🙄🙄 at the writer suddenly being interested in Ian, after accusing him right and left and constantly that his comments to her were offensive because it was about her physical attributes. She's just annoying and awful.

I'm trying to understand if Tori is suddenly having a resurgence of feelings for Brian after nearly two decades, to explain her discomfort, anxiety about doing the bedroom scene. They hadn't dated for the entirety of the show. And that nonsense with the intimacy counselor? Give me a break. So ridiculous.

Christine totally wants the show to tank.

[angelusgirl]

2 hours ago, DivaLasVegas82 said:

. Ray was written off in Season 6 after a few episodes, and Donna started dating that football player Joe with the bad heart.

Ray was in almost half of season 6-14 of 32 episodes. But the incident in question was in season 5.

[desertflower]

10 hours ago, Ohmo said:

Speaking of references, someone needs to explain the reference to Shannen eating throughout the episode.  It must be a reference.

There seemed to be a lot of scenes in the original where she was eating....probably not that noticeable if you didn’t watch it over and over, but if you did (like me) there were some funny moments to discover. There was one where she was eating with her finger out of a peanut butter jar, and they leave for a ski trip and she is still carrying the peanut butter jar as they head out the door. Lol. I imagine there were some behind the scenes jokes about her eating so maybe that’s why they referenced it.

Oh my gosh, I love that Jamie Walters came back for this and that Shannen had no clue who he was. So funny. Although I think it would’ve been even funnier if he sang “Hold On”, since that was the one he sang over and over on the show. 

I loved Brian’s dream, too. I notice he sang the song that he did in the later seasons, not an early goofy song like Precious. That would’ve been gold. 

Oh! And I laughed out loud when Brian listed Vanilla Ice as an enemy, and when asked why he said “He knows.” Great delivery. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by desertflower

[Aileen]

6 hours ago, RachelKM said:

ETA: I almost forgot, are they trying to pretend Brian is only 40? I could swear he said he was young than Zach is (didn't he say 20?) when he was with her mom. 

THANK YOU! I paused the screen and started yelling at the TV at this point.

[tracyhmcd]

Glad to see Jamie Walters and enjoyed hearing his song.  I hope he gets a some new downloads and fans out of it.

[Sakura12]

There is something up with Brian's "son" because he was obsessively trying to get to know Brian and had all that stuff in his house, then when Brian figures it out he doesn't seem to care anymore. I hope either Shay or Brian are still investigating him. 

I'm so happy Shannen had more to do. I thought for a minute they were going to have Tori be jealous that Brian went to talk to Shannen instead of her. Does the cast know about their secret friendship now? I also think the Shannen always eating thing is a call back to them having had Brenda almost always eating in the background of scenes. I loved Shannen not knowing who Ray is. I guess that's there only reference to her only being on the show for 4 seasons. 

I have no idea what they are doing with the writer storyline. I'm glad the fake TMZ said she has zero credits to her name. So her getting all upset at them for her terrible script makes little sense. She's only there because the other writer slept with Jason's wife. 

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

I also liked Shannen's unruffled "okay, get in - I hope you're microchipped" reaction to finding a chicken by her car.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Rooster and the dog were trying to escape Tori's family. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by Sakura12

[seaELare]

I’m enjoying the hell out of this series and so hope they’re greenlighted for a second season with the premise being the continued effort to put an episode together while focusing on all the BTS stuff - which I find far more entertaining. 

Loved Brian’s dream. And even though I’m not 100% on the Zach storyline I’m happy that it was mostly a Brian-centric episode. 

I found the Shannen eating very funny; shades of Brad Pitt in Oceans 11 where he was eating in every scene. 

All the vendetta guessing was really funny but when Ian went in on Cheryl Burke ... yeah that was great.

Ian looked great in the scene at the private club. Loved that gray cardi and shirt combo.  

What did Cheryl say? Full of class that one.

Edited September 5, 2019 by seaELare

[questionfear]

1 hour ago, desertflower said:

Oh! And I laughed out loud when Brian listed Vanilla Ice as an enemy, and when asked why he said “He knows.” Great delivery. 

Brian also listed "Ben Kenobi" and then "Anni Skywalker"...he legit was just tossing out random Star Wars names in the background. His comic timing is excellent. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

48 minutes ago, seaELare said:

I found the Shannen eating very funny; shades of Brad Pitt in Oceans 11 where he was eating in every scene. 

As others have stated, it's more shades of what Brenda did on the original show. So a *wink*wink* to the original.

[Whimsy]

11 hours ago, Ohmo said:

One forum that I hang around a lot is the Dateline forum.  It has been known to happen for police to hold a press conference in order to try and get a suspect to react.  What if we find out that Brian actually went to the cops about Zach.  To flush him out, the cops concocted some bogus story about the stalker being the "red dress" guy.  That and Brian "acting" like he cares about Zach gets Zach to let his guard down and get lazy with the water bottle.  Cops then swoop in to retrieve it.

Brian also made a point of changing things so that Zach is now working at the studio---away from Shay and his children.  I think Brian may be doing more acting than just the part of David Silver

I feel like that's really convoluted and unlikely.  I agree with others that maybe the firestarter was caught but not the stalker and that the cops think it's Zach.  I think Brian is being pretty honest in his feelings right now, but I am getting weird vibes from Zach now. 

I loved this episode.  The cast is really working well together as an ensemble.  Their interactions seem really natural and I love how everyone gets the chance to throw out funny asides.  

I LOVED Shannen in this one.  She was so funny.  I died when she asked Siri how many seasons of 90210 there were. 

I think the Wyatt/Jenny stuff this episode was to show how incompatible they are.  He loves golf, she's pretending to like it, etc.  I still think that (if there's a season 2) the relationship between Jenny and Jason will be explored more. 

I was immensely surprised that Emily and Gabby actually had sex.  She went from not sure, wanting to explore in a safe way through her character (therefore, no actual sexy times), etc to moving on to super-speed to sex with Emily?  I thought it would take a bit more time for her to work up to that. 

[KittenPokerCheater]

Did Shannon/Brenda eat all the time in the original run?  I'm not getting that joke.

Since both Shannon/Jamie didn't know each other's characters at all, I am hoping they'll hook up in (hopefully) season 2.  I can see comedy of them being a couple (he can save her from a fire) and still not remembering that he has any connection to the show.  

Their list of enemies was hilarious.

[Ohmo]

2 minutes ago, Whimsy said:

I feel like that's really convoluted and unlikely.  I agree with others that maybe the firestarter was caught but not the stalker and that the cops think it's Zach.  I think Brian is being pretty honest in his feelings right now, but I am getting weird vibes from Zach now. 

The weird vibes are one of the reasons that I think Zach may really be the stalker.  Also, going back to what we heard about his mother.  That she was an extra.  Being an extra could be tied to feeling that his mother was regarded as not being there.  Plus, the stalker mutilated all of the dolls.  Zach may resent the entire original cast for what he believes his mother endured as a result of getting pregnant.  There's also been this recurring theme that Brian put his acting career on hold for many years, so the idea that he's been acting this whole time along with being on the reboot would fit into that.

[angelusgirl]

6 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Did Shannon/Brenda eat all the time in the original run?  I'm not getting that joke.

Since both Shannon/Jamie didn't know each other's characters at all, I am hoping they'll hook up in (hopefully) season 2.  I can see comedy of them being a couple (he can save her from a fire) and still not remembering that he has any connection to the show.  

Their list of enemies was hilarious.

Shannen replied to a couple people on Instagram that it will be made clear next episode.  Maybe the character "Shannen" is pregnant?

[Earmuffs Mom]

I won't echo all of the highlights above but I will say even my husband, who has absorbed enough 90210 background noise over the years as I've randomly rewatched episodes, laughed out loud at the enemies list, how Shannen was so baffled at the Ray storyline, and how Shannen didn't know how long the show ran without her.  This was my favorite episode by far.  

[desertflower]

6 minutes ago, angelusgirl said:

Shannen replied to a couple people on Instagram that it will be made clear next episode.  Maybe the character "Shannen" is pregnant?

There probably is a specific reason she’s always eating but I will continue to believe it’s a little gift to the handful of us who remember her always eating peanut butter sandwiches in the original episodes. 😂

[angelusgirl]

2 minutes ago, desertflower said:

There probably is a specific reason she’s always eating but I will continue to believe it’s a little gift to the handful of us who remember her always eating peanut butter sandwiches in the original episodes. 😂

I guess. I was a pretty hardcore original viewer and even had all 10 seasons on VHS (with original commercials which were a hoot!) until my divorce  5 years ago made keeping a box that big and heavy impossible and I legitimately don't remember that being a big thing.  I sure do wish I still had those, the music rights issue killing so many episodes on Hulu drives me nuts

[Sakura12]

23 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Did Shannon/Brenda eat all the time in the original run?  I'm not getting that joke.

Brenda was almost always eating peanut butter or sandwiches in the background of scenes she didn't have any lines in. It wasn't a big thing just a thing to notice if you really watched what Brenda was doing. They may have another reason, she could've been fasting while on spiritual awakening and is now hungry. 

I loved that the rooster looked like it was waiting around by Shannen's car to get rescued and she opened her door to let him in.  

I liked the girls joking about the guys getting a little stiff in the sex scenes. I often wondered if male actors were ever embarrassed by that. 

I hope this show gets renewed, but with the ratings it's not likely. Maybe they should move it to Hulu and work that into the show. Streaming is where the money is right now. I'm also surprised they haven't made a joke about being a Disney show now. 

[Laurie4H]

10 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

"How Do You Talk to Angel?" is a forever cheesy nostalgic jam. Instantly transports me back to 1994 whenever I hear it.

1992.  I had to check because I remember being in HS when that song came out.   Graduated in 93.   His song “Hold On” was from 1994.  :))))

The dialogue is sometimes very contrived and Jenny and Tori can be annoying but I’m still enjoying it.  

[sistersledge]

Ian's "are you sure it was the song" had me rolling. 

I love this. Can't stand the writer, but I have a soft spot for Ian, he has always reminded me of "the one who got away" in life bc he looks like him. During 90210's original run, it was real-time so I always side-eye his love interests... even though in high school/college logic I didn't want to actually date him lol. 

[sara416]

I was so excited to see Jamie Walters! I tend to multi task when watching tv, so I didn't even see his name in the credits and was unspoiled until Tori fell down the stairs and said she knew who did it. I then had a big stupid grin on my face. What a good sport that guy is! I also loved the cast singing his song together. They looked like they were genuinely enjoying each other and having fun. 

Once again, I need some of the clothes from this episode. Tori's long pink duster is incredibly impractical for my life but I still want it. And Jenny's turquoise sweater when she was in the trailer watching golf...I need it. 

[missyb]

I find the show a good laugh with a dose of nostalgia. I mean honestly, I loved the first 4 years of 90210 . I looked forward to  Fox Wednesdays . And, I was not in the age demographic but I related to every storyline.

The non reboot is such a funny look at the actors remembering the show and what roles they had in it. Many of the storylines are just idle chatter to me. But the snark is a fun ride. 

I dont know if there is enough to bring it back but I am loving this show.

[Sakura12]

From the synopsis for next week it looks like they spoiled who Zach's mom is.

Spoiler

Denise Richards is guest starring. She played Kelly's cousin in one episode of Season 2. 

[memememe76]

This was a fun episode. From the start of the series, the best scenes involve the entire cast together, just snarking at each other. The actual plots don't mean a whole lot to me. 

[tennisgurl]

"Corey Feldman. The Surreal Life." Oh God, Surreal Life flashbacks! What even WAS that show? The whole enemies scene was hilarious, I was dying the entire time, so many great lines! "Vanilla Ice. He knows." "The entire cast of Saved By The Bell." 

I am still suspicious of Brian's son, and the cop grabbing his water bottle just confirms that there is more going on with him than he is letting on. I mean, he went to all this trouble finding his father, but now is like "maybe its too late for you to be my dad". 

Jamie Walters! The whole story about how he played Donna's abusive boyfriend, and it basically ruined his career as an aspiring singer/actor because people didnt know how acting works I guess, is one story from the show that I did know about, so seeing him here was hilarious to me. I am really enjoying a lot of the meta fiction meets reality stuff, and this is the kind of meta that I enjoy the most. Guy seems like a good sport about everything, even with Ian snarking about him a bit. "Are you sure it wasnt the song?"

Nice to see Shannon integrated with the cast more, this show continues to be at its best when everyone is together.

Edited September 5, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Writing Wrongs]

I also loved the back and forth between Shannen and Tori about the dog.

"That's my dog. He's micro chipped."

"Are you sure?"

[juliet73]

This ep was pretty meh, IMO.  I did like when they were all rattling off their enemies.  And when Jennie sarcastically asks Tori what's wrong with her because she didn't want to use the stairs and Tori replies "Everything!"

11 hours ago, DivaLasVegas82 said:

I also like Ian’s line when Jamie said playing Ray ruined his career, Ian asks, “Are you sure it wasn’t that song?” LoL

That was funny too!

I'm disappointed how they used Jamie Walters though.  Him singing in the empty bar and the cast accusing him of a crime was a total slap in the face.  Considering the show and his fans ruined his career because they couldn't separate reality from fiction, it would have been nice to see Jamie portrayed as the hero he is in real life.  I wish he would have shown up to fight the fire and after it was put out, he starting singing "How Do You Talk To An Angel" as he's walking away and getting back on the truck.  

[juliet73]

5 hours ago, sara416 said:

Once again, I need some of the clothes from this episode. Tori's long pink duster is incredibly impractical for my life but I still want it. And Jenny's turquoise sweater when she was in the trailer watching golf...I need it. 

Tori's duster isn't listed, but Jennie's sweater is: 

https://wornontv.net/150282/

[kazza]

7 hours ago, sara416 said:

I was so excited to see Jamie Walters! I tend to multi task when watching tv, so I didn't even see his name in the credits and was unspoiled until Tori fell down the stairs and said she knew who did it. I then had a big stupid grin on my face. What a good sport that guy is! I also loved the cast singing his song together. They looked like they were genuinely enjoying each other and having fun. 

Once again, I need some of the clothes from this episode. Tori's long pink duster is incredibly impractical for my life but I still want it. And Jenny's turquoise sweater when she was in the trailer watching golf...I need it. 

It was a complete surprise to me, too, and I LOVED it! Ray Pruit (1 t, season 6) - LOL. It's scenes like this where the show really shines because it requires the viewer to have some history with the characters and the alleged real life drama to get it. It's so over the top - Jamie Walters, in an obscure bar still singing his 90s hit in the middle of the day. 

Tori and Jennie's wardrobes have been so on point. I would never wear Tori's outfits, but they're so crazy and unique that they're fun to see (on someone else). And Jennie's been in some absolutely beautiful tops. 

This show has just been so fun. I don't know how much of it is scripted vs ad hoc, but they're all killing it. 

Wyatt: "Tori, you should come over afterwards, we're having a bbq and my friend is bringing over some craft brewed beer."

Tori: "Ooh, I love crafting!"

[sara416]

1 hour ago, juliet73 said:

Tori's duster isn't listed, but Jennie's sweater is: 

https://wornontv.net/150282/

And for $550, it turns out that I don't need it after all. 

[Kdel1079]

Just came to say I was so glad for no Shay and more Shannen!! 

[Sakura12]

Jamie Walters was obviously okay to come back to play it this way so I don't have any issues with it. He's not an actor anymore anyway, like he said he has much more important job now saving lives as a Firefighter. 

Edited September 7, 2019 by Sakura12

[Megan]

What's the deal with Jennie and Cole Hauser?