The OG “Beverly Hills, 90210” is one of our top candidates for a satisfying binge super-session.
Where to Watch: Hulu, CBS All Access on Amazon Prime, CBS.com, Pop TV
Seasons: 10 Episodes: 293
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
“Beverly Hills, 90210” premiered on FOX on October 4, 1990, and became one of the most popular programs in the network’s history. The breakthrough show aired for 10 seasons (1990-2000), documenting the trials and tribulations of a group of friends from West Beverly High to college at California University and into early adulthood.
This series tackled a myriad of coming-of-age dramas and complex rivalries, often making real-world headlines for including controversial and socially relevant topics.
Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green give Tori Spelling a lift on a surfboard outside of the fictional Beverly Beach Club
It takes time for a show to build a legacy, and now, 30 years after it first debuted (and with an impressive 293-episode count), 90210 is ready to be rediscovered. ’90s kids will love the nostalgia, and newcomers have a new show to binge on!
90210 lives in its own self-contained 1990s world, for when you want to escape mentally from 2020.
Dedication to Luke Perry
Before we start talking about 90210, we would like to pay tribute to the late Luke Perry, who turned a two-episode guest stint into the iconic Dylan McKay.
Perry passed away from a severe stroke in March 2019 at the age of 52. 90210 fans worldwide mourned in unison: We mourned for Luke, for the work he has given us, and for the work we will never see.
The stroke occurred just one day after the announcement of the BH 90210 reboot. At the time of his death, Luke was not on the cast list due to commitments to his role as Fred Andrews in the popular teen series Riverdale, this generation’s answer to 90210.
Luke Perry turned the brooding, troubled addict Dylan McKay into an icon, not the other way around. This piece is in tribute to his memory. Thank you, Luke, for all that you have given to your fans.
Let’s Get Started…
If you are a fan of 90210, you know that despite its teeny-bop reputation, the writers created meticulously thought-out soap opera storylines. In fact, “Beverly Hills, 90210” was the first teen soap opera with a mature take on the teen experience. It was the first show to successfully experiment with the teen soap opera genre. Let’s give credit where credit is due: Without “90210”, you would never have had “Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars,” or even “Riverdale”.
Ten seasons and 292 episodes is a lot of material to get through. We have divided the show into three main categories:
The high school years (Seasons 1-3)
The college years (Seasons 4-7)
The post-grad years (Seasons 8-10)
These seasons are quite different stylistically, but at its heart, 90210 is a teen soap opera. The show reaches its flow during the third season, which runs through the college years. Seasons 8-10 may lack the magic of earlier seasons, but loyalists watch the show in its entirety.
CHARACTERS
Brandon Walsh
The Boy Scout with a heart of gold. Brandon serves as the moral compass of 90210. Brandon holds his friends up to ethical standards, which he ensures they follow by enacting his soul-piercing, steely blue-eyed gaze of disapproval. Brandon stands firmly behind his convictions and will challenge anyone if tested. Brandon fancies himself the moral compass to his misguided friends and takes this role seriously.
Brenda Walsh
In re-watching the series, we interpret the Brenda character (Shannen Doherty) very differently. Brenda is feisty and headstrong, but she is also perhaps the most moral character on the show.
DYLAN McKAY
Kelly Taylor
Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) is a deeply flawed character, which is what makes her fabulous to watch. Kelly is often accused of trying to steal Brenda’s life. Psychologically speaking, her motivations make sense—she was abandoned by her father and became a parentified child to temper her mother Jackie’s ’80s-style cocaine benders. Compared to her broken family, the Walshes’ tight-knit clan looked perfect. In the quest to fill the emptiness in her own life, she pushed her way into Brenda’s.
As the show matures, so does Kelly, and she has some redeemable moments. Are Dylan and Kelly soulmates? I think she is one of them. I believe that they are drawn to the drama that their pairing elicits. They like endless love triangles. Neither character could make up their minds because it served their interests to remain in limbo. Kelly is attracted to emotionally unavailable men. Dylan disappeared as often as her father. She came to expect this from the men in her life. Brandon was a dependable partner for her, but maybe too vanilla to keep her. Kelly is a character who thrives off of drama, and part of her enjoys crying herself to sleep over the elusive Dylan.
Donna Martin
Valerie Malone
Valerie’s character wins the award for the gangsta of the 90210. We wouldn’t mess with her. Played by Tiffani Amber Theissen, Valerie moves into Casa Walsh following the suicide of her father. Valerie brings a distinctive, more sinister (a.k.a. more campy fun) life into the series following Brenda’s departure. She is an utterly conniving replacement.
Unlike her new Beverly Hills trust fund friends, Valerie does not come from money. She spends most of her time trying to obtain it, legally or illegally. She is a hard worker and becomes the proprietor of Peach Pit After Dark, which she purchased with the money she earned to recover Dylan’s $8 million trust fund in Mexico. Money is the primary motivation of her character, but perhaps Valerie is not meant to be a member of the one percent. She survives on the fringes of it.
Valerie’s deviousness immediately puts her in contention with resident queen bee Kelly Taylor. Kelly does not like the competition from this intriguing new arrival. Nor does she trust her. Valerie’s high comes from scheming within the group, specifically at Kelly. The storylines between these two are fun to watch. It’s catty, campy fun. It is a game of chess between these two.
Steve Sanders
Ian Ziering is the comedic relief of this show. Did you know that his mother is Samantha Sanders? Steve’s curly mullet and patterned silk shirts in the early years made him an unexpected fashion icon—his wardrobe is now firmly in the “it’s so bad that it’s good” category.