TeenDramaWhore

I’ll be getting my copy sometime today.

Check back later for more details!

UPDATE

Barnes and Noble had Beverly Hills 90210: The Ninth Season for $59.99, which is a lot considering it’s the same price as some of the previous seasons but with less episodes.

The packing is a bit shoddier this time around. Gone is the actual “box” with several individual DVD sets inside. Instead there’s just a thin cardboard case that’s open on the top and bottom. Inside is a plastic case that duplicates the cover art and back art. I’ve already griped about the cover art but to recap: the original cast photo has been altered significantly. Vincent Young (Noah) has been removed and both Luke Perry (Dylan) and Vanessa Marcil (Gina) have been added. This is the second season where Young is a regular but not featured on the set’s cover. Similarly, Daniel Cosgrove (Matt) is regular this season but isn’t featured. In contrast, both Jason Priestley (Brandon) and Tiffani Amber Thiessen (Valerie) are included, even though they are only in 6 and 8 episodes of the season, respectively. The back does a much better job, including everyone (except Matt) in several smaller photos and I have to wonder why they didn’t just do something like that for the cover since there really isn’t a cast shot that fairly represents the season. (They did individual photos for the season 8 DVD, though that cover had its flaws, too.) But, of course, the photos on the back aren’t perfect either as at least one of the pictures is from season 8.

The description on the back reads: “The most shocking season yet! Just as Brandon Walsh and Val Malone are saying their good-byes to the gang, Dylan McKay, shielding a painful secret, returns to Beverly Hills and finds himself in trouble with newcomer Gina…So venture with Brandon (Jason Priestley), Kelly (Jennie Garth), Dylan (Luke Perry), Donna (Tori Spelling), David (Brian Austin Green), Steve (Ian Ziering), Val (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), Noah (Vincent Young), Janet (Lindsay Price), Matt (Daniel Cosgrove), and Gina (Vanessa Marcil) in all 26 jaw-dropping episodes of Season 9. With Noah’s drinking problem, Kelly’s absurd love triangle, and secrets and betrayal so thick you could cut them with a knife, Season 9 proves to be the most shocking yet.” As per usual, the description is misguided at best. They make it sound like Brandon and Val leave together when it’s actually two separate storylines in two separate episodes. (And why they insist on only referring to Valerie as simply Val is beyond me.) I can’t tell you what “painful secret” Dylan is “shielding” because there isn’t one. Not sure why Perry is given top billing after Priestley and Garth, considering in the opening credits Perry is last and is technically a “special guest star.” It’s an interesting choice to highlight Noah’s drinking issues since, while they are pretty big this season, they are emphasized quite a bit more in season 10, and you could’ve mentioned something with long-timers Steve, Donna or David instead. And it’s not clear what love triangle they’re referring to with Kelly (Kelly-Matt-Lauren? Matt-Kelly-Dylan?) but I’m not sure what’s so absurd about it. It’s also quite a big declaration to call this “the most shocking season.”

The package is significantly slimmer since all the DVDs are in one case now but that means we no longer treated to the photos of the cast that used grace each individual DVD case. There also isn’t a separate booklet episode guide; instead its embedded beneath the discs (there’s seven of them) and you have to remove some of them if you want to be able to read it. Among the errors or lapses in judgment: they point out–in case you didn’t know–Steve isn’t Japanese; they say “Kelly and Steve obtain a very valuable book” when it’s actually Matt, not Kelly; they say “a dentist uncovers Gina’s painful secret” instead of identifying the dentist as Mel; and they insinuate that Kelly and Dylan have cheated on their respective partners when actual “truth” that is “revealed” is that they, not Steve, saved a woman from a mugger. I can at least admit these aren’t nearly as bad as some of the blunders on the past sets.

There aren’t any special features but that’s no surprise as we haven’t had any since season 4.

The season 10 DVD has not yet been announced.