Beverly Hills, 90210
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Season One (1990-91)
Rate:
5 out of 5
Viewed:
3/26
3/26:
I didn't have to watch Beverly Hills, 90210, an extremely popular show that transformed Fox Channel in
the 90's, to know what it was like to go to a high school with the same atmosphere since I experienced that
for real (yeah...no joke).
Years later after it ended for good, I decided to watch the reruns and got caught up in everything. The show is
a rarity for having the most unlikeable characters ever. Notwithstanding Brandon Walsh's parents and several
others, I hate everybody, but the quality is still top-notch. A ranked list of the important characters is
provided at the end after my review of Season Ten.
However, make no mistake: Beverly Hills, 90210 would've never survived for so long without Luke Perry.
He's the number one star of the cast with a major, major "it" factor written all over his face. Overall, the
acting is absolutely impressive given what the ensemble had to work with in the face of the slow-developing
chemistry. So popular at their school, Kelly, Donna, and Steve were nearly friendless before the Walshes moved to
Beverly Hills? Ha! I don't think so.
Anyway, Season One has been enjoyable. Many of the episodes are compelling and fun to watch,
sometimes touching on explosive issues such as teenage sex, AIDS, breast cancer, alcoholism, and patricide.
That's why I think this one was much better than every teen show that appeared in the past decade except for
21 Jump Street. A big flaw is that almost nothing is carried over to
the next episode or to the future.
During this season's run, I've been noticing that Brandon Walsh averages a female per episode. That's crazy.
Honestly, I dislike him intensely because he is a cheat, a liar, and a drunk driver who could've killed
somebody. Prone to be easily pissed off, Brandon will take somebody's head off with the slightest provocation.
Worst of all, he acts like a saint with conscience yet is the biggest hypocrite ever walked on earth.
Brenda is easily the worst and most hated character of the show. She always has the flair
for the melodrama, no matter how small the situation is, and tries to take advantage of every opportunity
to make her parents feel worse by creating useless spats. Speaking of Jim and Cindy, I actually feel sorry
for them. Because of their ever-flowing leniency, they're so weak in asserting authority.
Here's my analysis for some of the following episodes:
Class of Beverly Hills: It's difficult to explain to anyone who hadn't seen all of the ten seasons
before going back to this very first episode because I remember every single relationship the principal
characters will have with each other in the long run. How little they knew at the time. Of
River's Edge and Tex fame, Tim Hunter is
the perfect director to start off Beverly Hills, 90210. The first inkling of who Brandon Walsh
really is begins here when he betrayed Marianne's confidence, and that's the hottest girl (the actress is
Leslie Bega) he has ever hooked up with. Ditto for Brenda the hypocite who's 16 stringing a 25-year-old guy
(played by Maxwell Caulfield of The Boys Next Door) along. Djimon
Hounsou plays the bouncer and will famously appear in Amistad seven years
later. A different mother is played for Kelly Taylor.
The Green Room: When Luke Perry made his first appearance, it completely changed the arc of
Beverly Hills, 90210 despite being slated to appear for one or two episodes. If not for him, there's no
way the show would've lasted for ten seasons. Calling Dylan McKay the James Dean of the 90's isn't an
overstatement. Funnily, Luke Perry auditioned for Ian Ziering's role, but it's impossible to see him as Steve
Sanders. Anyway, I was very surprised when he died of a stroke seven years ago at the age of 52, becoming the
first cast member of the high school class to do so. Shannen Doherty would be the second (cancer at 53 in 2024),
but it's no big loss, considering how much everybody hated her. Both were longtime heavy smokers.
Every Dream Has Its Price (Tag): *laughing* Noelle Parker is certainly semi-fat. Look at the baggy clothes
and the huge handbag she keeps hauling around to conceal her body. Anyway, she went on to give a terrific
performance as Amy Fisher in Lethal Lolita.
The First Time: The first of many temper tantrums for Saint Brandon. I'm surprised that Dylan stayed
friends with him after the punch.
One on One: Saint Brandon makes the basketball team and yet is never seen playing again in any
subsequent episode. Plus, he shows his true colors after watching some black guys dominate the court without
being reminded that he ain't that good at it. In the meantime, Brenda is so stupid.
Higher Education: My previous comment about Brenda is obviously spot-on. Her hair was fine the entire
time, and she wanted to do something different to it? Ah, Saint Brandon the Hypocrite. Psst, kiddo...I never
cheated in high school. Anyway, I have a bizarre story about a history class I took in 8th grade: my teacher
would read aloud from a paper the questions and answers that would be on the test, which continued throughout the
year, and everything he said was exactly as expected without fail; needless to say, everybody got a 100%,
yet there were a couple who still failed, no matter what (they eventually dropped out of high school).
Perfect Mom: It's a strong performance by Jennie Garth. Brenda called herself stupid, shallow, and a fool.
Yeah...duh. Once again, a different mother for Donna. Andrea looks great in that dress; all she has to do is
remove the glasses.
The Gentle Art of Listening: I hate this episode. No high school student is ever qualified to handle
this sort of thing. Leave that to the professionals with graduate training which includes tons of field
experience. That being said, Brenda went too far. Also, it's a bothersome aspect about the show: a character
picks up something new for an episode but is never seen doing it again. By the way, remember the actress
who plays Lucy? It's Heather Hopper from Good Morning, Miss Bliss before it was renamed as
Saved by the Bell.
Isn't It Romantic?: This is a top ten episode in series history, featuring Luke Perry's breakthrough.
That's why all females fell in love with him. There's no comparison when it comes to Jason Priestley. Anyway, a
different actor plays the father for Dylan McKay. In the meantime, I like the "gotcha" aspect when Steve Sanders
tried to wine and dine Stacy Sloan before she came out with the truth in front of his class with a powerful speech.
B.Y.O.B.: Life eventually imitates art: Jason Priestley was busted for DUI in 1999. It's a sobering
moment when Dylan entered the room and said he's an alcoholic.
Slumber Party: The serious talk among girls predicted three outcomes: Andrea would sleep with Brandon,
Kelly would steal Dylan from Brenda, and Donna would develop serious problems.
Fame Is Where You Find It: That's a good performance by Marcy Kaplan as Lydia Leeds. What she said
would prove to be true for just about everybody on Beverly Hills, 90210. Ironically, Brandon Walsh
became far bigger than Lydia Leeds, and she had absolutely no idea. On the other hand, is Brenda so stupid
or what?
Stand (Up) and Deliver: Brenda...Sky is a loser, and you're already a loser. I was thinking, "Uh...money?"
This is the beginning of a possible relationship between Kelly and "Bran the Man." Jeez, what a narcissistic
campaign video. I would've voted for Michael Miller. Back to Sky, she's Carol Burnett's daughter, having died in
2002 at age 38 from lung and brain cancer due to smoking (and probably drug and alcohol abuse). It's very true
when Cindy said, "When you're a kid, you just wanna grow up. And when you're older, all you want to do is be a
kid again."
It's Only a Test: Eerily prophetic, isn't? Shannen Doherty would be diagnosed with breast cancer in
2015 and had a unilateral mastectomy the following year. It eventually spread to her bones and brain, resulting
in her death at age 53 (flipped from 35 in the story related about her character's mother's sister). All of that
happened from being a heavy smoker for over three decades. Ditto for Jason Priestley who's still alive, but his
face looks greatly aged by at least fifteen years. Now, that's interesting: Steve hitting on Andrea. What a
total mismatch. Oh, please...about the SATs. They mean nothing. Overall, this is one of the best episodes ever.
April is the Cruelest Month: Ooh...the rage in Matthew Perry's eyes as he wants to kill his father in this
terrific episode. A former nationally ranked junior tennis player in Canada, he could've stayed on as a member
of the principal cast, replacing the rarely-seen Douglas Emerson, but would go on to achieve ever-lasting fame
by starring in Friends. Anyway, it's too bad about his untimely death from drug overdose at age 54 in
2023. For an investigative reporter, Brandon should learn how to keep his mouth shut. What he did is a breach
of ethics. Speaking of SAT scores, there's absolutely no way Brenda got 1190. It should be somewhere in the 900s
with Kelly being 100 points behind and Steve by another 100. Brandon achieving the same score is ten points
closer to my prediction of 1200. Donna is the 600 type and therefore isn't college material because she's
duuuuumb. Andrea will get 1570 and be mad about it for not being perfect enough. Believe it or not, Dylan hits
1400; he has that right kind of intellect, getting an 800 on the verbal portion.
Spring Dance: I really have a problem with Brenda and Dylan having sex. They're just high school kids,
and their ages are supposed to be 16 and 17. It's easy to accept this because they look adult-like which explains
the true ages of Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry: 19 and 24, respectively. In general, high schoolers weren't
having sex because they're simply not mature to handle it emotionally.
Season Two (1991-92)
Rate:
5 out of 5
Viewed:
4/26
4/26:
I have to hand it to everybody: the acting is tremendous as ever.
The genius of Beverly Hills, 90210, as evidenced by Season Two, is how well the cast has gotten together
given that everybody was disjointed to each other during the first year. I could ultimately feel it during
"Walsh Family Christmas," ranking among very best of the series. That's when the momentum finally
took off, making each subsequent episode highly addicting to watch.
Completely revamped is the intro. Yet I always laugh at the cheesy moment when Brandon is mock-punching Dylan,
easily opening the door of a parody. Then, there's an inappropriate behavior shown by Dylan when he sniffed
Donna's hair as Steve walked toward them. I mean, what will Brenda think of that?
Elsewhere, Tori Spelling's character has finally come to life by showing more depth as opposed to being useless
during Season One. Although hypocritical, Brandon has become a more tolerable character now. I
love how Vanilla Ice his hair looks; all he needs to do is apply a couple of razor cuts to the
sides and also the eyebrows. Ditto for Dylan at times.
By the way, I like the interviews in the DVD special features but must say Carol Potter fantasizing about
Luke Perry is creepy and disturbing. It just never entered my mind while watching these episodes.
Here's my analysis for some of the following episodes:
Beach Blanket Brandon: A failed pregnancy test led to the breakup?!? Mistake of the year.
Brenda is so stupid. Seriously, who would do that with Dylan McKay? Hello...Kelly Taylor! But that will
happen in the following season. Saint Brandon did Nat wrong...big time. I have to say Michael St. Gerard, who
plays the acting teacher, looks like Elvis Presley; in fact, he has appeared as him so many times.
Summer Storm: The breakup didn't last long, huh? Anyway, no mere mortal would ever turn down a girl
as smoking hot as Kelly Taylor unless he's gay. I remember David Lascher from Blossom. This is the final
time a different actor plays Dylan's father.
Anaconda: I'm surprised that Henry Thomas didn't fire Saint Brandon for lying to him and that Dylan
continued to be friends with Saint Brandon after being suspected for the umpteenth time of doing something wrong.
What's odd is that Brenda and Kelly are suntanning and yet their skin is mostly light, making them prime
candidates for skin cancer.
Play it Again, David: Saint Brandon handled the child abuse case well. Unfortunately, like everything
else, he'll forget about Felix. As Mel Silver, Matthew Laurance is a familiar face from
Eddie and the Cruisers. Some of the things Jackie said to him
will prove to be too true.
Pass, Not Pass: Oh, Brenda, just stop sucking up...you have a boyfriend, and his name is Dylan McKay. The
fraternization between Andrea and Mr. "Chris" Suitor is totally unethical, leading to possible statutory rape.
I still have a problem with Saint Brandon bailing out on Nat. When the Asian girl, a straight-A student at
Beverly Hills High, took over his job, she was getting little money compared to him, and he, who happened to
be white, got work at a very exclusive club that paid substantially more and thus felt proud that
he bought a car? Now he wants his old job back? Sheesh.
Wild Fire: Brenda, Brenda, Brenda...did you or not dump Dylan? This is the episode that single-handedly
solidified her position as the worst character in series history, beating Brandon in a landslide. What she said
to Emily is 100% out of line. Dylan can do whatever the hell he wants. By the way, Emily is the first heavy
by staying longer than usual to make an impact on everybody. No wonder that Christine Elise and Jason Priestley
became a couple in real life for five years. Ooh, a foreshadowing for Scott...to be continued.
Ashes to Ashes: John Shaft moves into the neighborhood, and all hell breaks loose because his family
is black! Anyway, it's a strong episode with terrific acting, especially from Eugene Byrd and Billy "Sly"
Williams. Got to love the moment when Robinson Ashe, III, put Brandon on the spot, exposing him for what he
truly was: a user. Unfortunately, the Ashes are never seen again.
Necessity Is a Mother: Dylan built up so much to make his mother to seem bad, but she turned out to be
pretty normal. The trouble with him is he's overly melodramatic and his problems aren't that serious compared
to many others. Iris nailed it when she said two things: Brenda's extremely negative aura and how she's wrong
for Dylan.
Leading from the Heart: Kelly didn't do anything wrong. Bobby just overreacted and went too fast with her,
but that's well-done acting by Gordon Currie. Damn, Brenda sucks at driving.
Down and Out (of District) in Beverly Hills: Good going, Saint Brandon, for upending Andrea's life despite
knowing her residency situation. Of course, he isn't the least sorry about it. As for Steve, once a bonehead,
always a bonehead.
Halloween: What did Kelly expect after dressing provocatively and thus looking a lot closer to a stripper
than a witch? She's in high school, jeez. Donna is also guilty of the same thing. The first thought many guys
will have is rape.
The Next 50 Years: Well, 36 episodes in, and they finally did it by killing off Scott. That's because
he was never 90210 material. Nobody will mention him again except for a bit in Season Three because of
his younger sister Sue. The way he speaks his lines while in a state of near apoplexy is hard to watch. This
is the beginning of David's anger, forcing me to dislike him intensely. Donna should've stayed away from him
in the first place. How he treated Scott's mother in the room is pretty bad.
U4EA: Brandon is such a hypocrite after telling Emily off. He should look at his past first and realize
he had done a lot of stupid things. For starters, why go to a club? Just stay home and be a good, studious
student like millions of high schoolers. On the other hand, Dylan didn't handle the situation correctly. I
prefer him to argue with Brandon as much as possible and have him and Emily driven back to home by Brenda. What
if something idiotic happened that cost his life? Hence, Dylan should keep trying harder. In the meantime,
Andrea and Steve will make a nice couple if given the chance.
My Desperate Valentine: It's a strong episode and a very pivotal one. Brenda had a point when she
came up with some guesses about Emily. Clearly, she was psychotic prior to moving to Beverly Hills, and
Brandon had no idea of this. Also, Fatal Attraction was mentioned,
but really, Play Misty for Me was the originator although the other
one was modern at the time. Yet Emily made a good point about what's wrong: the clique consisting of Brandon,
Brenda, Kelly, Andrea, Dylan, Steve, Donna, and David. This will become an overriding theme for the next eight
seasons as in "once you want to marry a person, you must marry the group...like it or not." It's very
frustrating for a lot of characters who will appear. The funny part is, after Brandon saw his Mustang wrecked for
the second (or was it third?) time at the underground club, it's immediately fixed the next day by sitting on
the driveway. Mind explaining to me how did that happen?
Walsh Family Christmas: How about a picture of Steve's real mother? I want to see if there's a
resemblance. It's cool when they put the camera on the door for everybody to find out who the mystery guest is.
Josh Taylor finally appears as Dylan McKay's father; it's an intelligent pick, and we'll be seeing more of him
later.
A Competitive Edge: Oooooh...steroids. And people are outraged? Yeah, right. An open
secret in high school for decades, nobody ever does anything about it. Case in point, I knew a kid who won
a couple of state titles in wrestling, and he was taking steroids in all four years. To this day,
he's regularly picked among top ten high school wrestlers of the century from the southern portion of his state.
At least, he flamed out in the NCAAs and became totally bald, a common side effect of steroid abuse. Look at
Saint Brandon...let's not forget he was cheating in history class during last season which is practically the same
thing. Meanwhile, small fender bender equals whiplash? I don't think so, Brenda. As for her eventual departure from
the show, they should've staged a major fatal car accident, so we can all say, "See...you suck at driving!"
And Baby Makes Five: Nice going, Dylan. In case if you're wondering about the hairless line across Luke
Perry's right eyebrow, he received stitches on it after running into a soda machine at some bowling alley
during childhood.
Cardio-Funk: Who would want to cheat on Dylan McKay? It's high time for him to dump her. By the way,
Dylan's sponsor is played by John Densmore of the Doors. Seeing Surfer Betty again is nice, but she's quite
fragile at this point and needs help.
The Pit and the Pendulum: Remember in the summer that Saint Brandon deserted Nat because he wanted to
take a job at Beverly Hills Beach Club because it paid more than his job at the Peach Pit? Now, he's
really upset at Nat for selling out to the developers of a new mall. What the heck? It's
the same thing. I'm sure Saint Brandon wouldn't have cared if it happened to other stores in the area instead
of Nat's place. And High Pointe Center just gave up? Yeah suuuuuurrrre.
Meeting Mr. Pony: Just curious: suppose Brenda was shot to death, how long do you think Dylan and
Kelly will begin to hook up...around three months?
Things to Do on a Rainy Day: Oh, nice...Color Me Badd. Whatever happened to them after the early 90's?
Mexican Standoff: Grant Snow...two words: Melrose Place.
Wedding Bell Blues: I'm on Jim's side, and he needs to stand firm, no matter what. Dylan is 100% wrong.
Utterly spoiled, he needs to grow up and realize that he's been acting like an entitled adult when in fact he's a
high school junior! Plus, the mess was started by him for like the fourth time or so, and Jim had
been very forgiving and lenient throughout. Thus, enough is enough. Forget Brenda...she's hopeless and,
most of all, stupid. Anyway, Jake Hanson won't return, leaving, at least in person, a totally undeveloped subplot
between him and Kelly. That may be the hottest guy she has ever been with in series history.
Season Three (1992-93)
Rate:
out of 5
Viewed:
4/26
4/26:
I had been confused many times during Season Two by thinking everybody, sans David, was a senior. It turns out
they were juniors for two years before finally moving up to the next grade for Season Three. That's very bizarre.
This means Brenda and Dylan began having sex while as sophomores. I can't imagine her parents taking that well.
Here's my analysis for some of the following episodes:
The Twins, the Trustee, and the Very Big Trip: This is the beginning of Dylan and Kelly. It's so comical
to watch Brenda feeling morose at the end. The stupid bitch deserved it.
Too Little, Too Late/Paris 75001: I can picture it: Donna invades Paris by sampling thousands of pastries
and gets fat as a result. Saint Brandon showed no interest in Andrea for the longest time and,
suddenly, is so, pulling off a cheap move to make her feel guilty about abandoning a "poor deaf boy" for an
internship with CNN in Houston? That's quite ridiculous of him, and the next episode, he's with a different
girl. Anyway, I've said it before and will say it again: Gabrielle Carteris looks better without glasses on.
Her signs are pretty good.
Sex, Lies and Volleyball/Photo Fini: Dylan McKay and Kelly Taylor...eat your heart out, Brenda. Donna is
chosen to be a model in Paris? *laughing* Comment dit-on "scam" in French? I bet $100 that nothing was ever
shot on location in Paris apart from stock footage.
Shooting Star/American in Paris: Oh, nice...Dean Cain. That's a hunk if there's ever one. But Wisconsin?
Yeah, right. He graduated from Princeton University, playing football for them. Forget Shannen Doherty. Dean
Cain will go on to have a relationship with an even hotter woman named Teri Hatcher in
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. In the meantime, somebody made a good reference to
An American in Paris by mentioning Leslie Caron.
Castles in the Sand: Contrary to what people say, Kelly didn't "steal" Dylan. He came on to her strongly.
I thought Brooke was fine, and she could do better than Saint Brandon.
A Song of Myself: I love the dejected look on Andrea's face. What an overachieving bitch. She can't be
monopolizing the top position year after year. Give somebody else a chance before s/he graduates. In ten years,
this stuff won't matter because it's just...high school! Given that I have seen every episode of
Beverly Hills, 90210, Gil Meyers, played by Mark Kiely, is the most memorable character apart from Emily
Valentine by making a strong impact.
The Back Story: Back Story or...Back Stab? Luv the video which isn't far from the truth.
Famous last words by Shannen Doherty: "A few measly puffs is not going to give me cancer." Um...it eventually
did, killing her. How hypocritical of Jason Priestley and Luke Perry for trying to make her stop because they're
also longtime smokers. Anyway, why is Brenda taking the SAT again? She got 1190 which is a pretty good score.
Dylan would take the test, but unfortunately, he ran into a snafu about it as you'll see later.
Highwire: I figured Andrea for a Yalie bitch. Check out the thin wire that she's holding on to. Some dream,
huh? Jim Walsh perfectly sums up Dylan's outlook of life as a lazy guy with no ambition for the real world which
will prove to be true. Kelly will do him better some seasons later by coming up with the greatest line ever.
Home and Away: What's this: a murder mystery? Although the episode got better over time, they should
please ditch the voice-over narration forever...it's so cheesy. I notice that Nicholle Tom is showing up more
often as Sue Scanlon. It's funny that she keeps stalking David given her outstanding telefilm called
Indecent Seduction about a real life case of a teacher committing
statutory rape with a high school girl. Speaking of the Shaw incident, I find it
ridiculous that the high school is threatened by these black students. I used to compete against them
for many years, going back to middle school, and didn't have any issue. This shows you how
white West Beverly Hills High is. Oh please, Brenda...who cares about your opinion? I remember Jordan
Bonner appearing in some episodes the following season; that's a good character.
A Presumption of Innocence: Andrea sucks. I quickly developed a theory of possible molestation after
seeing Sue's uncle before being proven correct. He demonstrated definite qualities. I'm surprised to hear
Gil Meyers say that he had taught before. Well, he should've known one cardinal rule of teaching: never be
alone with a student in a classroom. That was a good connection of Dylan being sick with the ocean because
California is actually infamous for its contaminated beaches, especially in Los Angeles.
Destiny Rides Again: 70%? Yeah, right. The actual percentage of sexually active teenagers is much lower.
Rosie O'Donnell? Gross. At the time, she should've admitted to everybody of her true sexual orientation, but
that didn't happen until 2002. If Brenda didn't cheat on Dylan several times, break up with him twice,
and acted out so much, they would've stayed together. Therefore, enough is enough. Dylan has been patient for a
long time, and this is getting ridiculous.
Rebel with a Cause: This is my favorite recorded message of all time: "Hey, this is Dylan. You know the
drill. *beep*" Brenda, you broke up with him...duh.
Wild Horses: Who's the more mysterious person: Anne or Dylan? Saint Brandon getting jealous and
taking out Nikki's head...please. That's what I hate about him: he can be tolerable for a long stretch of
episodes and then undermines his likeability by going berserk over a trivial thing to show how righteous he is.
There goes same complaint by another girlfriend of his: the clique. Nikki also adds that everybody keeps
going to the same boring place: The Peach Pit. Anyway, it's nice to see David Arquette of
Scream fame. If his character drove the car that ran over Andrea, that would've
been an intriguing connection. *Patting Steve's back* It's okay, buddy...you can cry, but it still doesn't
change the fact that you've been unbelievably selfish all your life.
The Kindness of Strangers: That's a great piece of acting by Christine Belford. Her all-time best line
is: "I am Samantha Sanders, and you are my son. And I will not take this lying down." Valerie Wildman, an
extremely good-looking woman, appears for the first time as Christine Pettit; she's going to serve a huge
twist down the road. That's a nice thing Brandon did for the homeless guy, making it among better episodes
of the season.
It's a Totally Happening Life: It's an ingenious episode with a nice touch by having a conversation
between Clarence and Miriam that's in the spirit of
It's a Wonderful Life.
Back in the High Life Again: Who cares about Brenda? Uh...Andrea's hair doesn't look any different.
The Child Is Father to the Man: There are hardly any surprises in Beverly Hills, 90210,
and Christine revealing herself as an FBI agent is the biggest. Besides, their explanation about which side
Jack McKay was on doesn't fly with me because if that's true, then why dissolve Dylan's trust irrevocably?
Saint Brandon has two different license plates for his Mustang, huh?
Duke's Bad Boy: I wasn't going to say anything until now. The trouble with Saint Brandon is the
addictive personality of his. It doesn't matter what the drug is, he just can't control himself. Notice the
intensity of his temper tantrum? when things don't go his way? Kelly needs diet pills? That's crazy; she
already looks great.
Season Ten (1999-2000)
Rate:
out of 5
Viewed:
5/26
5/26:
Here's my analysis for some of the following episodes:
Most Likeable Characters (In That Order)
1. Jim and Cindy Walsh: They're the primary reason why Beverly Hills, 90210 was tolerable enough
for me to watch. Of course, all of the high school friends complimented the twins about them and wished they were
their parents instead. Meanwhile, Cindy doesn't deserve the ugly treatment from Brenda at times. At least,
Brandon is always respectful around his parents.
2. Nat Bussichio: He's a superb person. I've never thought negatively of him and don't mind eating at
his diner one day.
3. Kelly Taylor: At first, I thought Kelly was a bit stuck-up, but she grew to be the most likeable and
levelheaded character of the high school class. It's too bad about the rape incident. At any rate, she can
do a lot better than either Brandon or Dylan after being acquainted with their worst qualities.
4. Gil Meyers: An interesting character, he's a good guy overall, and I found his presence refreshing,
wishing he would stay on the show longer. I will always remember Mark Kiely for this.
5. Dylan McKay: This is a toughie. Dark, brooding, and intelligent, he's a jerk overall with major anger
issues. But make no mistake: Dylan is the most compelling and handsome, quickly becoming the number one
character of the show because he's so real. If not for him, I couldn't be persuaded enough to watch more episodes
early on. I just wish he would do better by making good choices, but drugs and alcohol sure got the best of him.
6. Nikki Witt: That's a cool, cool girl who's very flexible and open. I give her, played by Dana Barron,
props for dumping Saint Brandon; she's a better fit for David Silver who kept obsessing over having sex with
Donna for years and years.
7. Donna Martin: Although dumb, she's a good person who didn't deserve bad things that happened to her
many times. It's easy to see why she made for a vulnerable target. But my goodness...that hideous hair of hers
from Season Six to Ten. Just go back to being blonde, Donna.
8. Jackie Taylor: She's normal for a mother. I've had no issues with her and can see how she was
formerly a model.
9. Samantha Sanders: She (Christine Belford) definitely looks every bit of a TV star and very glamorous
one at that. Steve is lucky to have her as a mother; who cares if he's adopted?
10. Iris McKay: There's nothing wrong with her. She's a good person. Dylan simply exaggerated her
worst qualities. So what if she's into New Age stuff?
11. Mel Silver: Sure, Mel is a serial cheater, but he's a nice guy overall. I won't mind him doing
my teeth.
Neutral Characters
1. Jack McKay: Josh Taylor is always fun to watch whenever he appears. A big-time criminal, Jack McKay
may be gregarious, but let's not kid ourselves: he was trying to take advantage of Dylan (the FBI's explanation
afterwards is simply hard to believe), and the poor sap didn't realize it. I would find it funny if Dylan
suddenly lost of all of his money and was forced to get a 9-to-5 job.
2. Steve Sanders: A product of privileged life, Steve is a meathead with no thought for others but
himself. He has turned into a complete moron in the last four seasons. I suspect his true IQ is somewhere
between 80 and 90. Watch out, IRS...Steve is a future tax cheat.
3. Scott Scanlon: It was a mistake to include Douglas Emerson in the main cast. Sorry, man, but I will
give him credit for acting like so many high schoolers in real life. Obviously, he never worked in Hollywood
again.
4. Sue Scanlon: Played by Nicholle Tom, she's a very fragile and potentially dangerous girl who needs
professional help.
5. Emily Valentine: The first heavy in 90210 history, Emily is the cool girlfriend most guys would
like to have. However, she tried too hard with Brandon but had deep issues that ran beyond him and needed
psychiatric help. Nobody knew her well or long enough. That's why she fell apart quickly. Overall, I found
Christine Elise's performance very authentic, having known others like her, especially when it came to breakups.
Most Hated Characters (In That Order)
1. Brenda Walsh: There are so many candidates for the top spot, but she wins this one in a close contest.
So...congratulations, Brenda. Now, she can shed fake tears for a minute or two before starting a dumb argument.
An all-time fucking idiot, she's absolutely insufferable: always complaining about this and that, how nothing
was good enough for her, and the numerous fights with her parents who didn't deserve any of it. It was good
riddance when Shannen Doherty got the boot after Season Four although that took too long. Her immaturity
and irrational approach to different situations are simply breathtaking and unbelievable.
2. Felice Martin: I despise this woman and her holier-than-thou attitude so much. Whenever she showed up,
I wanted to jump into the screen right away and strangle her to death. She even cheated on her husband who
happened to be a pretty nice guy overall.
3. Brandon Walsh: If anyone looks up the meaning of "hypocrite" in a dictionary, he'll find a picture of
Brandon. Oh, these eyes...so righteous. I was never fooled for a second. That awful temper of his...I won't
be surprised if he decides to become a career politician.
4. David Silver: From a geek to a full-blown pervert to a wigger to a female beater, he's a complete fake
and the biggest loser of the show. His music sucks, too. Steve Sanders should've ignored David from day one.
Kelly was right all along from the beginning but got forced to become his stepsister due to their parents
getting a baby out of the blue.
5. Andrea Zuckerman: There are always at least five overachievers in every high school just like Andrea.
She's plain unlikeable, and it has nothing to do with her Jewishness. Whenever Andrea got mad with anyone, most
especially Brandon, I wanted the scene to end already because I couldn't stand listening to her. She should've
been cut out much earlier than Season Five. I hate how harsh Andrea was with Gil Meyers during the third season.