Official 90210 Thread

[Primrose_Empath]

Okay, okay. I'll admit that S1 / S2 Kelly is sorta tolerable (in tiny doses and small portions, of course). But what she ends up doing in S3 is always lingering in the back of my mind when I watch the the online "reruns". And due to that, I can never really ever fully bring myself to actually like her character.

Brenda and Brandon are treated so differently it's sickening. I love it whenever Brenda chews out her father because she's usually always right. Remember when Brenda first started sleeping with Dylan? The double standard was gross. Jim treats Brandon like his little star.

Couldn't have said it better myself. The double standard that Jimbo had with Brenda and Brandon just makes me want to gag at times. Here are couple of good examples:

• The S1 ep where Brenda and Brandon held a party at the house while Jim & Cindy were in Palm Springs and Brandon got totally plastered and Brenda didn't? Brandon was the one that wrecked Mondale (his car) and landed his butt in jail way before Brenda ever did in S4. But the kicker for me was that Jim's anger was focused more on Brenda for the destruction in the living room when she was trying to clean up and scrub the stains out of the carpet. Don't get me wrong. He was disappointed in Brandon, but he seemed so much calmer and fatherly with him, even though Brandon was the one that had committed the bigger offense by drinking underage and driving under the influence. Spare me.
  
  
• Brenda loses her viginity in a hotel room (not her bedroom like a certain twin brother), and gets caught kissing her injured ex (fully clothed might I add) on the couch. Jim's reaction? OMFG! It's the end of the world as we know it.
  
  There was a quote from Brenda about this that is absolutely perfect:
  
  "When Brandon did it, you just wanted to make sure he knew about birth control. But if I want to do it, my whole value system is on the line."
  
  
• And last but certainly not least, this zinger: Brandon hires a stripper while the parental units are out; lies to them through his teeth about who she really is when they run into her. When ol' Jim finds out the truth, all Brandon gets is a nudge-nudge, wink-wink instead of the tongue-lashing that he rightfully deserved.

On the flip side of the coin, at least Cindy was consistent on her upbringing with both children and I appluaded her for that. If she didn't like something, she stated it. And when she felt that Jim was going a bit overboard, as he was wont to do, she stepped in and let him know. If only he would've listened to her more often. And her helping Brenda get even with that "boss" of hers was pure gold. Way to go, Mom! *grins*

---

Got some more "fun reading" for you in the form of an article that was in yesterday's NY Times:

When Teenage Angst Had It's Own ZIP Code

Along with it are "outtakes" of the various interviews with the cast / crew of past and present 90210.

Darren Star: Creator -- 'Beverly Hills, 90210'

Charles Rosi: Executive Producer -- 'Beverly Hills, 90210'

Shannen -- aka "Brenda Walsh"

Jennie -- aka "Kelly Taylor"

Jason Priestley -- aka "Brandon Walsh"

James Eckhouse -- aka "Jim Walsh"

Carol Potter -- aka "Cindy Walsh"

Jeff Judah: Executive Producer -- '90210'

Gabe Sachs: Executive Producer -- '90210'

The Iconic Zip Code Returns Tomorrow Night...

[foxfire]

Thanks for the "fun reading"... I will admit to actually skipping over everyone else's extracts and just reading Shannen's.

There's a 90210 marathon on right now showing a bunch of random episodes from throughout the seasons. I've watched some of my own season 2 DVDs but I've turned them off for some season 3 and 4 episodes on that are on about right now... lol. (The one where Donna can't graduate is on right now)

Is it just me or did Kelly become the most dull person ever once she graduated high school? She cut her hair and all of a sudden only wore long skirts and sleeveless tops... I think it's surprising she was kept on the show considering she was around much more interesting characters like Donna, Clare and Valerie.

[foxfire]

BTW Primrose... I saw the episode where Steve starts a rumour about Brenda sleeping with the director of the school play when his girlfriend doesn't get the lead. Um... WTF?! Everyone pretty much jumps on Brenda and accuses her of doing something she didn't do. I see what you mean about everyone ganging up on Brenda... everyone except Dylan (surprisingly).

Here's a question for anyone familiar with the series as a whole. Who did you like Dylan best with? Personally I liked him with Toni (Antonia... the girl he ended up marrying but who ended up getting killed)

Also... has anyone else noticed that Valerie's gotten with (or tried to in Brandon's case) EVERY male lead on 90210?

[Primrose_Empath]

Thanks for the "fun reading"... I will admit to actually skipping over everyone else's extracts and just reading Shannen's.

You're more than welcome -- and there's nothing wrong with admitting that you skipped over the rest of 'em and just read Shannen's.

Hers was not only the longest but also one of the most interesting of the bunch and I loved what she had to say about Charmed and her directing experiences.

As for Kelly's style drifting towards the 'blah' side once she graduated high school? I'll admit that I honestly never really paid much attention to that until you pointed it out. But she truely did become much less daring with her fashion once she set foot on the Cal. U. campus.

Why they kept her on the show for as long as they did is beyond me too. *shrug* But being the big-time Brenda fan that I am, I guess I'm not really qualified to make that analysis. However... maybe our resident Kelly fan would like to offer her input. *looks around for Assassin*

BTW Primrose... I saw the episode where Steve starts a rumour about Brenda sleeping with the director of the school play when his girlfriend doesn't get the lead. Um... WTH?! Everyone pretty much jumps on Brenda and accuses her of doing something she didn't do. I see what you mean about everyone ganging up on Brenda... everyone except Dylan (surprisingly).

*laughs* Your reaction to that particular turn of events in that epi was spot-on. It just floored me that Brenda's so-called "friends" turned on her so quickly and didn't even give her the benfit of the doubt in the matter. They just jumped on her case and automatically assumed the worst.

Hello, guys?? You've been friends for how long? You know that type of behavior would be completely out of character for Brenda -- and yet you choose to believe Steve's vicious rumor that was started out of envy b/c his girlfriend, Laura the Psycho, didn't get the part instead of believing the word of the girl who is supposedly your friend and who won the role fair and square?! *shakes head in frustration* With friends like that, who needs enemies?

Dylan was the one who really stuck by her side no matter what that season (except for the whole Stuart-engagement-debacle), and I honestly think he might've been the only true friend she had left in BH at the end since the rest of 'em (Brandon included at times) had a nasty habit of turning their backs on her -- although Donna usually tended to give Bren the benefit of the doubt too.

It's just so frustrating to see the writers / producers take out their feelings about Shannen on her character and try their darnedest to make us hate her. But what they didn't understand is that the true fans more often than not stick with their favorite no matter what. So if they were trying to make the Brenda fans hate her in S4, they failed miserably because we just felt for her all the more.

But now that my ranting and raving is done....

Tonight is the premiere!!!

Got your popcorn ready? 'Cause it's

The Wait Is Finally Over

[xoFeliciaFinleyxo]

Ohh man!!!! I think I missed the premier of 90210!

[Esmeralda]

Nope, it's on The CW right now!

And Shannen has yet to appear!

Strange watching it when I never watched the original, but I want to be able to watch Shannen...

[Assassin Witch]

*scratches head* Again, I've only seen a handful of eps years ago...so I don't remember much to say really anything. lol

[Assassin Witch]

She had two scenes this ep.

OKAY. I'm freaking out. Britt and I were watching the Peach Pit scene. I need opinions. IS BRANDON THE BABY DADDY? Does anyone else think Auntie Brenda is helping her nephew?

*blinks* Or is it just wishful thinking on my part?

[Primrose_Empath]

*smiles* Nope, I don't think it's wishful thinking on your part.

From what I deduced from the scene at the Peach Pit (which I can't get used to it being a coffee-bar-type place and not a diner), it sure sounds like Auntie Bren is helping out with her nephew.

And I loved the easiness that resonated between Shannen and Jennie in their scenes. All the high drama of the earlier years is finally water under the bridge, thank God. *sigh of relief*

[Assassin Witch]

*SQUEAL* YES! I think I'm getting one 'ship. I need it, what with GG, OTH, and SVU giving me a heart attack every other second. KB would make me feel so much better.

[The Original P3]

OMG I LOVED Brenda's entrance!!! That was like...EPIC!! The reunion scene...more than I could have asked for!! Brenda, Kelly and Nat all reunited!! And baby daddy HAS to be Brandon! Auntie Bren!! Hehe! I want a Brandon/Kelly reunion AND have a Brenda and Brandon moment again for old times sake! I soo miss those twins ...

Show itself...well...don't really care about it. I love Silver of course..but Annie is a little...well I don't know..um..un-interesting? Dixon is pretty awesome and gotta love the 24-hour drinking grandma.

But otherwise..I'll be back next week for Brenda!!! And of course I LOVE the line in the promo "This is Brenda Walsh"..I just kept thinking...DAMN RIGHT THAT'S BRENDA!! *SQUEEE!*

[foxfire]

Okay here's my review...

I absolutely loved the show. I really like Annie and that she's not like every other character in the sense that she doesn't appear to have one mean bone in her body. Dixon's pretty cool too...

I'm not too fond of all the other characters but by the finale Ethan's grown on me... and I can see that Naomi isn't just some dumb bitch. They've got something important planned for her.

OMG!! Brenda's entrance!! AWESOME!!! And I'm already thinking it's Brandon's son... EXCEPT is Brandon the kind of guy who would just leave his son in BH while he's over in Belize? I don't think so... maybe it's Dylan's. Hahaha. I'm hoping it's a different guy that way we can actually SEE the actor seeing as Kelly's exes' (Brandon and Dylan) actors said they wouldn't return.

Um... I'm sad they didn't do the regular theme song for the first episode because now I'm going to have to wait another week.

Next week looks like an epic episode considering it's the return of Jackie!! I'm so EXCITED!! And she's back on the booze which upsets me.

Don't know what else to say... I loved it.

[Primrose_Empath]

All I can say is "Welcome Back Brenda! We Missed You!" ;D

That entrance was completely classic and I'm so glad I've got it on tape, because I'm gonna watch it again and cheer just as loud as I did initially. It is so, so, so wonderful to see Bren back in the zip after all these years. It's about freakin' time! *applauds and cheers*

As for the show itself -- the new kids are going to take some time to grow on me. Silver seems pretty cool, Annie's got potential, and I like that Naomi is not all that she appears to be.

I'll give 'em a couple more eps to develop the characters, but for now -- Brenda is my main reason for watching and I'm already looking forward to next week, which looks to be an intriguing epi.

[Assassin Witch]

Guess it depends on what type of relationship KB have. Probably not romantic (at the moment), but maybe he works a bit and comes every once in a while. He knows Kelly can take care of Sammy, so he's not too worried. Especially with family close by. Granted, Grandma Jackie probably isn't the best, but Silver's around to help.

LOVE THE SISTER MOMENTS!

And Andrea's daughter? *SQUEAL*

But, I think it's possible...maybe..for it to be Brandon's..unless they're just being mean with their comments.

[foxfire]

I pretty much freaked out when Hanna appeared... I saw her from the back and I was like "God, she looks like Andrea from the back" and it turned out to be her daughter and I was like "OMG!!!!!!"

I'm liking that the show is balanced in the sense that there are two clear narratives: the students and the adults. I'm looking forward to this being a really fun series.

I'm kind of sad that there isn't an "Andrea" or a "Donna" on the show. I see Ethan is the "Dylan/Steve" character while Naomi appears to be lifted off of Buffy (she's like Cordelia magnified by ten)... and obviously Annie/Dixon are obviously Brenda/Brandon. I think Silver is the most original character in the show.

[Assassin Witch]

And she's allowed to be because her sister and brother are directly from the original show. So she can be herself and not a carbon copy of the old crew.

[Assassin Witch]

Yes. But we already knew she was gonna be here for a bit.

[Primrose_Empath]

So she can be herself and not a carbon copy of the old crew.

Good point Assassin. That's precisely what I like about Silver -- she's a totally original character and not a modernized (or semi-modernized) version of one of the orginal cast.

What totally made my viewing for the show was 1) Brenda's entrance and 2) the two scenes between her and Kelly. Those were the scenes that I was watching all night for and cheered the loudest for (along with seeing Shannen's name on the credits). My roommate and my little fluffy dog probably thought that I had totally flipped my lid when they heard the cheering and then saw me happily dancing around the living room.

The thing I particularly enjoyed about the first scene was that there was a sense of reconcilliation -- not only between the two characters, but also between the two actresses. It's like the bad blood (or supposed bad blood) faded into the past and was replaced with a fresh start. The two of them just seem to be so at ease with one another now. It's amazing what all those years can do, isn't it?

Like you Foxfire, I loved seeing Hannah too and grinned when she introduced herself on the announcements. It doesn't surprise me any that she seems to be following in Mom's footsteps with an interest in journalism.

---

Found another little treat for you guys...

In '90210,' it may be the same Brenda Walsh but it's a new Shannen Doherty

Taking time out of the spotlight for some 'soul-searching,' she tests the celebrity waters with a four-episode stint on the CW revival.

By Kate Aurthur, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 2, 2008

[/center]

TIME determines who our cultural touchstones are, and right now, time would like you to welcome back Shannen Doherty.

That she never really went away is beside the point. Because tonight, on the series premiere of the CW's "90210," viewers will see Doherty, 37, as Brenda Walsh for the first time since the actress' acrimonious departure from the original show in 1994. And this resurrection of Shannen / Brenda -- within the second coming of "90210" as a whole -- has brought about an almost profound catharsis among television fans that has overshadowed the rest of the fall season.

"Finally, My Side" reads the headline of the Doherty interview on the most recent US Weekly cover. "Jennie & Shannen: Reunited at Last!" is atop the Entertainment Weekly cover this week, above a photograph of Doherty and Jennie Garth, her once and again " Beverly Hills, 90210" costar. And Perez Hilton, the influential gossip blogger, who has been obsessed with Doherty's return to Brenda-ness before it even seemed possible, enthusiastically posted both magazine covers on his site.

In other words: In our fickle, you-want-a-piece-of-me, celebrity-fixated world, which is more interested in destruction than renewal, Doherty is riding high on a wave of sudden -- and unexpected -- good will.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel it," she said last week in her trailer on the "90210" set. "It definitely feels good. It also feels scary."

Why scary?

"Because of interviews like this."

Really. Why?

"Because who wants to talk about stuff they did 15 years ago?"

Some of us never get asked about stuff we did 15 years ago.

"Exactly."

The tempest template

The Shannen Doherty of the early '90s was the hot mess of Generation X, the archetype of famous girlie wreck. Hell-raising at clubs despite being underage; marrying the wrong guy after a five-minute courtship; fighting with her "90210" colleagues, and strangers too. Her spectacular behavior was memorably doled out by the pre-Internet celebrity press -- and a one-off 'zine, as well -- that created a template for a now familiar character in the gossip world.

While her predecessors' sins might have been relegated to the supermarket tabloid ghetto, Doherty's notoriety occurred at the moment when our relationship to celebrities -- particularly young ones -- was evolving into a sport where we follow continuous narratives. And, as a result, that relationship was becoming a lot more personal, opinionated, mean.

Janice Min, the editor of US Weekly, said: "Any of us who were condemning Shannen Doherty in the early '90s were probably conducting ourselves in similar ways oftentimes. It just so happened she was one of the first young stars to be doing it in front of the cameras."

And Henry Goldblatt, the deputy managing editor of Entertainment Weekly, said in a telephone interview, "In this world, Paris Hilton is a character, and Britney Spears is a character, and Lauren Conrad is a character. Shannen Doherty was the forerunner of that."

Both Min and Perez Hilton remember that young Doherty character and imagine what their places would have been in shaping her story. "If US Weekly had existed in the days of '90210,' she would have had the cover 52 weeks out of the year," Min said.

And Hilton? "I wish I had my blog then," he said. "She was a real, live car crash -- who was getting into accidents every night of the week."

Things seemed very different on the set of the 2.0 version of "90210," where Doherty was filming her third of the four episodes she has committed to (so far). She chatted with the cast and crew; she beamed when the director praised her for hitting her mark in take after take; she jokingly berated one of the show's executive producers, Gabe Sachs, while he was speaking with this reporter ("Seriously, Gabe, keep your mouth shut."). And she hugged -- yes, hugged -- a young cast member, Jessica Lowndes, after they completed a scene in which Lowndes' character had to sing a cappella in front of the famous, intimidating Brenda Walsh, back at West Beverly High to direct (hilariously) the libidinal "Spring Awakening."

And while interviewed in her trailer, Doherty was gratifyingly open, even when asked difficult questions about the stuff-from-15-years-ago.

But first, the present. Doherty got back into the "90210" world beginning when her friend and publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnik, called her after the CW announced it was picking up the show. Doherty said: "I don't know whether you know Leslie at all? She can be really pushy. I was like, 'Les, I'm so not doing "90210." ' She's like, 'You have to! For people like me, it's all about Brenda coming back.' This is a woman who can recite every line from '90210' -- it's pretty crazy."

Of course, the idea that Doherty-as-Brenda was an essential element to attract old fans to the new show was widely held. After having a fun dinner with Sachs -- and later being assured by him that the once prickly Brenda, a character that she had "started to hate" back in the day, could be reintroduced "in the right way," which was "without the drama" -- Doherty said yes to a test-run return.

By agreeing to such a high-profile gig, with such high expectations, Doherty has opened a door that she has assiduously tried to shut in recent years. But she's confident that the structure of her life has made her safe, she said. "What are they going to gossip about? I mean, honestly. I don't leave my house."

Time to reassess

Doherty's father has been sick since she was a kid; his illnesses reached a crisis point in the early '90s, and she blames her "acting out" then, in part, on her "just trying to escape." "He's had eight heart attacks, seven strokes, quintuple-bypass heart surgery," she said. "He has heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure. His kidneys recently failed him and now he's on dialysis." Her eyes brimmed with tears: After his last heart surgery, she said, his doctors told him they can't do any more to save his heart.

In the years after "90210," Doherty did several million TV movies, the WB series "Charmed" and a few reality-show hosting gigs. A few years ago, when her father's kidneys failed, she took two years off. Having been raised a Southern Baptist -- she was born in Memphis, Tenn., and lived there until her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 7 -- she wanted to feel more closely connected to God, among other things. "I had some soul-searching to do," Doherty said. "Soul-searching about what it is that I really wanted to do with my life. And soul-searching about men because, to be honest, I had had just the worst track record ever."

At the time, she said, she was reeling from the dissolution of her relationship with Rick Salomon, whom she married in 2002, and who soon after became infamous for starring in and distributing his "1 Night in Paris" Hilton sex tape. "It ended up being very embarrassing for me, and humiliating and disgusting," Doherty said. "Like, how could somebody do that? How could somebody sell a tape?"

It was yet another moment when the public was allowed to question her judgment. "Way prior to that, I had already become a little bit of a recluse, and very private," she said. "It was embarrassing that people could look at me, and say: 'Again? She picked another one again?' "

See, she cares what you think. The Brenda (and Shannen) backlash, largely forgotten now in this cascade of nostalgia, caused wounds that are easily reopened. Probably because at the time, it seemed like an entire movement -- and was embodied in a single-issue 'zine called the I Hate Brenda Newsletter. It was an independently printed, widely quoted publication that cheerfully spat antipathy toward Brenda, but more toward Doherty herself, the star of an insanely popular show who was misbehaving in public.

"You're playing with somebody else's career, their feelings," Doherty said about how I Hate Brenda felt. "It's mean. And I don't want to come off sounding like a religious freak, but at some point we all answer to a higher power."

In a discussion via e-mail, Darby Romeo, the 'zine's co-creator, said she thought that the media stir I Hate Brenda caused tapped into a larger issue about our feelings toward celebrities and how they should behave. "When suddenly we were getting calls from hundreds of newspapers/radio/TV for what we considered a prank, yes, it was way beyond us, and it was really beyond our part in it," Romeo wrote.

If such a thing were to happen today, Doherty might not know about it -- she doesn't go on the Internet, she said. She knows who Perez Hilton is because she is one of the few stars for whom he has professed his devotion, and her friends have told her so. "There's a part of me that wants to meet him," she said. "I want to get, like, a T-shirt made that says, 'Perez Made Me Do It.' And get him a T-shirt that says, 'I Made Her Do It, Bitches.' "

Hilton, in an interview, said that he has written exactly one protest letter in his life, and it was to Fox when Doherty either quit or was fired from "90210," when he was in early high school.

But a gossip blogger's love is still a fickle thing. "I'd be really disappointed if she messed things up this time," he said, sounding almost circumspect. Then he raised his voice: "And angry! I would be angry at her!"

When told about that, Doherty agreed. "It would be so irresponsible of me to mess things up again," she said. "Because I feel like . . . " she groaned " . . . I feel like I have this weird responsibility. I pushed and I tested those boundaries and there's a reason why I've been given so many chances."

On the question of whether those chances will continue on "90210" in a more committed role, Sachs said, "We're going to try to do as many as possible. We love her!"

Doherty is hesitant. She has a show of her own she'd like to do, and optioned a book she wants to direct and produce. And, "I really, really, really have learned to value the downtime in my personal life," she said.

But perhaps most important, she wants to gauge the public reaction. "I kind of want to see how the audience responds first." Shy suddenly, Doherty looked down and said, "I don't want to overstay my welcome."[/size]

Source: Los Angeles Times[/quote]
I absolutely love that last line. She might have a tough exterior, but she's still very fragile on the inside.

[HollysFan]

I watched the show and thought I was gonna hate it....but I loved it! I loved seeing Kelly and Brenda back and interacting with each other. I'm curious as to who the father of Kelly's baby is...Brandon or Dylan maybe? I loved all the storylines. The new characters are great. The show may not become as good as the original but it's definitely close.

[jenna]

I managed to miss most of the premiere, and both of the Brenda scenes. Anyone know where I can watch it online?

I did get to watch it last night, though, and so far, it's pretty good. I have to say I felt so sorry for Naomi. I wasn't sure if that was possible from what I saw of her last week. And poor Silver, being too scared to go home.

I was reading through everyone's thoughts on Sammy's daddy. And after watching the show last night and seeing Sammy, I have another thought that nobody has mentioned. As soon as I saw Sammy, with his blonde curls, I immediately thought of Steve. Do you think he could be the baby? I don't know if he would abandon a baby, since he was adopted himself, and I know that at one point he got married. But on the other hand, he and Kelly were serious in high school (well, before the show started) and he did always love her, so I thought he might be the daddy.