Though she actually started appearing before the departure of 90210’s other resident bitch, Valerie, it was clear to anyone with a brain that Gina was meant to serve as some replacement. And replace she did, going after some of the men Valerie herself once laid claim to: Dylan, Noah and David. Gina’s arrival–and involvement with Dylan–gave Kelly a new enemy and Donna another family member to fight with. Among Gina’s schemes: extortion, illegal businesses and workplace back-stabbing. Classic bitchery!
This couple probably sparks the most debate among fans because there is a whole slew of people that believe Kelly belongs with Brandon and Dylan belongs with Brenda. I am NOT one of those people. In fact, I believe Kelly and Dylan are…dare I say it…SOULMATES (Dylan even said that himself!). While the way their relationship started was less than ideal, in some ways it had a solid foundation: childhood experiences, growing friendship, common family problems, etc. Kelly and Dylan understood each other in a way that no other person was able to for either of them. And while I obviously enjoyed Kelly’s season 5 relationship with Brandon, I was overjoyed when Dylan had visions of he and Kelly together in an earlier life. After a multi-year break, it was hard not getting sucked back in during season 9 when Dylan returned to town and longed to be with Kelly, just as she had longed to be with him in season 3. The end of season 10, when they finally re-committed to each other in the series finale, was a logical progression and the best ending I could have asked for. (The new 90210 technically ruined that but I like to pretend that that doesn’t exist!) Major Kelly-Dylan moments mark some of my favorite episodes, the ones I consistently TiVo and rewatch. There’s no couple that’s ever meant more to me and I doubt there ever will be.
In my first post in this series, I hinted that there’s a pattern among all my all-time favorite couples. It’s hard to sum it up in just one word without an explanation so I will try to give both themes and reasons. First, the common words and phrases: unrequited love, the underdog, star-crossed lovers, destiny, etc. All these couples had something stopping them from being together at first, namely one-half of them was in another relationship. This new love, then, was forbidden-like. We all know what it’s like to want someone you can’t have and so it’s hard not to be drawn to stories like that. In the case of 90210 and Dawson’s Creek, I have to admit that I didn’t initially watch those series from the beginning so I didn’t have the chance to fall directly in love with Brenda/Dylan and Dawson/Joey as original viewers did. I think if Kelly/Dylan and Pacey/Joey was the first relationship they saw, they’d be a lot more accepting.
What’s also is interesting is the order I put these favorite couples in. While Kelly and Dylan ALWAYS top my list as my all-time favorite couple, pairs 2, 3 and 4 (Brelly, Joey and Pacey, Leyton) are very interchangeable depending on my mood, what episodes I’ve recently watched, etc. As I did the video research for Joey and Pacey, I sat for a while thinking if they should really go in the number 2 spot. And I wondered if I was shortchanging Leyton by putting them at number 3. Or was I just feeling especially connected to them right now because they’re still on the air in new episodes and they were the “last” (aka, most recent) couple I fell in love with? It sounds kind of lame to say those couples all tie for my number two position so I had to number it somehow. But in reality they are all my favorite, standing out above and beyond the dozens of other couples on these shows.
I’ve thought about doing a favorite quotes series but then I realized most of them–if not all–have been included in the clips used in this series. My favorite quotes, of course, often come from my favorite couples and their “best” moments. But if you want to know more about these couples and need specifics, check out my love triangles series, which gives a lot of the key episodes and key scenes for these couples.
Okay, enough with all this gooey love stuff. Next week, expect some tragedy!
Brandon and Kelly had chemistry right from the get-go in season one. For one reason or another, this wasn’t fully explored until the latter-half of season 4. Despite the various challenges they faced during their relationship, it was probably the most healthy, stable, normal and rational one either ever had. Part of the reason I think this relationship failed in the end is because Kelly and Brandon were ultimately the same person. Of course it didn’t start out that way when the show began, but their characters grew to be exactly the same, just in different genders. They were too similar for their own good. Now this doesn’t mean it wasn’t great when they were together. As I said before, in their times apart (Kelly wanting him, Brandon wanting her, etc.) I wanted nothing more than for them to get back together. But while their strong friendship is what helped their relationship succeed, that same best friendship almost limited the passion (even if it did sometimes increase the fun and the romance). Still, if I said I didn’t love every second of it, I’d be lying!
90210 cast members will sit on a special panel at this year’s Paley Festival in California.
Both Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills 90210) and Mischa Barton (Marissa, The O.C.) made headlines for participating in Fashion Week events.
Garth recently commented that it’s like 90210 will get a second season.
The CW Source is speculating whether Chad Michael Murray (Lucas, One Tree Hill) will return if the show goes on to a seventh season–and whether CMM tied the knot with fiance Kenzie Dalton, a former OTH extra.
TVGuide.com has a short article about Nick Lachey’s upcoming appearance on One Tree Hill, but it’s all information we already know.
Popbytes has a look at photo spread Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) did for Harper’s Bazaar.
In an interview with MTV, Zuzanna Szadkowski (Dorota, Gossip Girl) says the show is very popular in Poland, where she’s from–and that she’s rooting for Chuck and Blair!
While at a Fashion Week event, Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina, Gossip Girl) joked that she’s “dating the whole cast, girls included.”
There doesn’t seem to be a Watch with Kristin chat this week (probably because Monday was President’s Day) but hopefully more spoilers will come later in the week.
Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills 90210) would “love” to star in one of the upcoming Terminator movies.
Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) admits she was “nervous” to film her appearance on the new 90210.
Tori and Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills 9021o) participated in a charity show at New York’s Fashion Week. While there, they gave a short interview to TVGuide.com about their 90210 reunion.
EW.com has a promo clip of an upcoming Smallville episode which features Tori as a guest star. (So much Tori news today!)
Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) has been spotted at the mega fashion event, as have Jessica Stroup (Silver, 90210) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina, Gossip Girl).
Bevin Prince (Bevin, One Tree Hill) is one of the co-stars in a film coming out next month. (Read the article and see if you can find the Dawson’s Creek reference!)
Bravo is planning a real-life Gossip Girl series, about, well, rich kids in private school.
MTV named Chace Crawford (Nate, Gossip Girl) one of its 5 hottest single guys.
An article about random cross-over couples suggests pairing Chuck (Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl) with one of the Ugly Betty characters.
In a post completely unrelated to teen dramas, Gawker inadvertently included a great Ryan-Marissa (The O.C.) video.
One of the things 90210 uses for promotion is the ties it has to the original series, including featuring and mentioning original characters.
But those things end up being so unsatisfying because the show seems to do them half-assed (which isn’t surprising giving the LA Times piece from earlier this week). They mention or feature a character but don’t provide information for the new storyline to make sense with the old.
So the question is: why don’t they fill in the holes?
Example 1: Dylan is the father of Kelly’s son, Sammy, who was born sometime since 2000 but not after 2005. So when exactly did that happen? And why didn’t Kelly and Dylan marry when she got pregnant? And why did they split up?
Example 2: In the pilot episode, Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez was giving the morning news at West Bev. But since when does Hannah (and her parents, Andrea and Jesse) live in Beverly Hills and if they do, where are they? We haven’t seen Hannah since that first episode!
Example 3: Brandon, we’re told, is traveling the world, covering wars and like. Or so it seems. So he’s still a journalist? Where is he based out of? Is he married?
Example 5: According to spoilers/rumors, Donna is living in Japan with David but may move back to Beverly Hills–or at least returns to help Silver as she goes through a tough time. But didn’t Brenda say, early in the season, that she saw Donna and her “cute” baby? How, if they are living in Japan? And what happened to Now Wear This? (And Kelly’s PR firm?!) And how can Donna come/move back without David and their kid? And why would Donna come back to help Silver but David, her own brother, wouldn’t?
These bones that the writers throw to us end up being worth very little because they lack so much information. There isn’t a genuine effort to reward, respect or even keep viewers of the original.
My look at the Biggest Character Transformations continues…
LILY VAN DER WOODSEN (Gossip Girl)
Who She Was: Lily grew up on the West Coast, where she lived a life of privilege before being kicked out of boarding school and going to live with her sister in The Valley. She became a band “groupie,” which is where she met Rufus Humphrey, and was institutionalized for a short time. (Note: this all occurred off-screen, but some of it will be seen in the upcoming Gossip Girl spin-off!)
Who She Became: Lily returned to her privileged lifestyle, but this time on East Coast, where she married and divorced several times and became a socialite on the Upper East Side of New York City.
KELLY TAYLOR (Beverly Hills, 90210/90210)
Who She Was: The gang’s beautiful, popular, spoiled rich bitch who was obsessed with boys and shopping.
Who She Became: A major rewrite was noticeable by the end of season 3, where Kelly lost a lot of her shallowness. The seasons that followed had a more logical progression with Kelly maturing and taking life more seriously, particularly by pursuing a college degree in psychology and working for non-profit organizations. The 90210 spin-off rewrote the character once more, making Kelly a single parent and a high school guidance counselor.
RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!
I buy Kelly as the guidance counselor and Brenda being in town for a play. But how are they going to bring Donna back into the 90210 fold? — Jill MICKEY: Remember my idea? Well, let’s just say I wasn’t that far off — at least about the Japan part. But I can’t take credit for the Kelly-Donna scene in the lesbian bar; that’s all them.
E!Online has video of Tori Spelling (Donna) filming with Jennie Garth (Kelly) and Jessica Stroup (Silver) on the 90210 set. Nothing revealing. They also have semi-revealing scoop about Gossip Girl (but nothing new if you read the spoiler post from earlier today!).
Don’t usually post tabloid gossip but this is interesting, considering there’s been rumors for months: US Weekly has a photo of Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa, Gossip Girl) kissing. Or at least it seems to be Ed. Honestly not 100 percent sure it’s him.
But if you want to spot Chuck himself in real life (or someone like him), you should read this post from Jossip.
Or you can see Westwick at the upcoming Comic Con, where he’ll promote S. Darko. The film also stars James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill).
Maureen Ryan from The Chicago Tribune has a cool interview with Josh Schwartz on the role music will play in the Gossip Girl spin-off.
I don’t watch Big Love but apparently it improves upon what The O.C. got right in–and only in–the show’s first season. (For more on what The O.C. got right and then got wrong, as alluded to in the article, check out my own piece here!)
The Los Angeles Times published an excellent article yesterday on how the new 90210 isn’t living up to expectations. The best analysis I’ve seen by far!
Here’s a summary:
“‘90210’ is suffering a servere case of adolescent angst.”
American Idol’s return is affecting its audience, so the show will move to 9PM later this season–after a six-week break!
The show is doing well overseas but not in the U.S.
90210 can’t get out of Gossip Girl’s “shadow.”
“The series has floundered creatively and has no irresistible Dylan-Brenda couple to root for.”
The original series is the number one teen drama in history. I wholeheartedly agree with that. Even if I didn’t root for Brenda and Dylan. (And you can read about the show’s origins and how it defined the genre here!)
Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs have stopped writing for the show after having problems with the network (and they even seem regretful about signing on to the show at all) but they remain on board in other capacities for now. They won’t be back if there’s a season 2.
“‘I’m not as witty as [‘Gossip Girl’ executive producer] Josh Schwartz and I never will be,'”Judah says.
Dustin Milligan (Ethan) admits he’s unhappy Judah and Sachs’ plans weren’t followed. It’s one reason the storyline for Ethan to have an autistic brother didn’t play out.
New executive producer Rebecca Rand Kirshner Sinclair admits she needs time to “fix” things.
“Saving “90210” [is] a top priority, but it won’t be easy.”
Jennie Garth (Kelly) is signed on for one more episode. Tori Spelling (Donna) will have a “limited run.”
CW head honcho Dawn Ostroff is blaming the nostalgia factor for the show’s problems.
Despite all of the above, there most likely will be a season two.
TeenDramaWhore 