November 17, 2013
BH90210 6.30, Ray of Hope: Your Dreams Will Die If You Move to Pennsylvania
“This is my last chance to brood on the beach. Brooding in PA isn’t this picturesque”
Summary: Donna and David are officially on board with MZA, and their first video will be for a band that also recently signed. The band is coming into town, and Donna and David can meet them at their show venue, the After Dark (how convenient!). Their manager gushes over the band and how great the lead singer is. Then he drops the bomb: It’s Ray. Susan’s headed out of town for a newspaper conference, so Brandon will probably get into some kind of trouble in this episode. Not yet, though, since right now he’s just excited to watch TV with Steve (who’s laid up with his broken jaw).
Donna is reasonably panicked about working with Ray, as well as about how Joe will react. David advises her not to say anything to Joe. I’m sure that’ll end well. Dr. Martin gives Joe a checkup and clears him to go back to playing football. But Joe’s decided to go back home to Pennsylvania and coach high school ball. Donna has no idea, and Joe hasn’t figured out when to tell her. School’s over for the semester, but Kelly’s getting ready for summer school. She and Val are still coldly civil to each other.
Speaking of Valerie, she gets a visit from the bail bondsman she paid when she got Colin out of jail. He’s still MIA, and the bondsman is allowed to collect the bond from Nat, since Valerie mortgaged the club to pay him in the first place. Prince Carl brings Steve flowers (um…) and starts to join his and Brandon’s TV marathon, but Steve begs Carl to get Clare out of the house for a while (she’s bored and keeps bugging him). Brandon thinks it’s a bad idea for Steve to send his girlfriend off with another guy.
Colin reunites with Danny Five the dealer, who’s had the charges against him dropped. Colin wants to leave the country but doesn’t seem very concerned with disguising himself or keeping a low profile or even moving very quickly. He asks Danny Five for help, which is probably a horrible idea. Danny Five gives him a beeper and promises to page Colin when things are in place. Carl takes Clare to dinner and they talk about her mother, who apparently wanted them to get married one day (at least according to Carl).
Donna and David go to meet MZA, having told their manager that they know Ray, but not how. David wants to plead creative differences and end the arrangement right away. Ray, however, thinks the two of them are the right people to produce his video. Not only do they know him, but he likes their Powerman video. Donna’s still skeptical, but when she meets Ray’s fiancée, Wendy, she decides to tough it out. Now she’s all happy for Ray and the poor girl he’s marrying who might not have any idea what she’s in for.
Brandon and Steve’s marathon continues. They’re watching Aaron Spelling shows. Try not to choke on the meta. Valerie beats herself up for paying Colin’s bail, then tries to figure out where he might be. She wonders if he’s gotten in touch with his dealer. Brandon suggests that they look for him “at the corner of Crack and Eight Ball.” (Heh.) Valerie asks Brandon to ask Kelly to talk to Danny Five. (Got that?) Brandon tells her to be a big girl and ask Kelly herself.
Donna and Joe meet up, and she casually mentions that she’s producing Ray’s video. Joe’s not happy but won’t tell her not to continue the job. He does, however, accuse her of being disloyal. She insists that it’s just business. Brandon and Valerie find Kelly on campus and ask her to help them find Colin, pointing out that Nat could lose the diner. Carl has a day of music-listening planned for Steve, so they can pick a band to play at his birthday party.
Ray’s playing at the After Dark, and Brandon goes to visit him, pretending nothing bad ever happened and that they’ve always been friends. Ray thanks him for being the hero and making him drop the charges against Joe. Joe also comes to see Ray’s show, and after the first song, he takes Donna outside and tells her that he kept his mouth shut about Ray’s video because he hopes it’s the only one she makes for MZA. He tells her that his dream isn’t to play football anymore. He wants to go home and take Donna with him, if she’ll marry him.
Kelly, Brandon, and Valerie go to Danny Five’s house, where Kelly pretends that she’s looking for Colin because she wants to run off with him. Danny Five gives her Colin’s beeper number and sells her a gram of coke (to keep up her cover story), which Brandon demands when she leaves. Instead, she pours it in a trash can. At the beach apartment, Donna tells Clare about Joe’s proposal, which she didn’t respond to. She isn’t sure she’s ready to change her whole life and move across the country.
Clare confides that she’s been thinking a lot about her mom and what she wanted for Clare. She confirms that her mom told her she wanted Clare and Carl to end up together. Clare and Donna talk about fantasizing about their wedding days when they were kids, and how now they may actually be facing weddings and major life decisions. (I’m sure Clare never fantasized about marrying a guy like Steve.)
Kelly tries to page Colin, but he doesn’t respond. Brandon thinks he’s already left L.A. Valerie and Kelly bicker, and Brandon reminds them that they’re on the same side. He thinks they should call the police and let them take things from here. Suddenly Colin calls, and Kelly asks him to meet her (supposedly alone). He declares his love for her and says he needs her. Val has to listen to the whole thing on speakerphone.
The next day, Ray and his band get ready to head out on the road for their next show. He and Donna say pleasant goodbyes. Colin calls Kelly from the motel where he’s staying and arranges to meet up with her. She says she has a doctor’s appointment before she can meet him. Steve’s jaw is unwired, so our brief vacation from his constant talking is over. Carl’s time alone with Clare is probably over, too.
Kelly, Brandon, and Valerie go to Colin’s motel with the police, but instead of finding Colin, they find Danny Five. Kelly realizes that Colin knew she was setting him up. Valerie’s mad that they blew their only chance to get Colin – or, more to the point, that Kelly blew it. Donna and Joe go for a walk on the beach so she can take ten minutes to talk about her dreams and her family and her friends and blah, the point is she doesn’t want to go to Pennsylvania. He won’t stay in Beverly Hills, so they’re done. ‘Bye, Joe! Go be boring on the East Coast.
Thoughts: Where did Colin get money to pay Danny Five? And rent a motel room? And why isn’t he worried about someone recognizing him? Why won’t anyone address these super-important plot holes?
So…no one’s going to warn Wendy about Ray? Nice.
I didn’t notice it before, but Danny Five has a really nice house. I guess being a drug dealer in Beverly Hills would be pretty lucrative.
Did Joe graduate, or is he just dropping out of school? He’d better hope that coaching job works out.
November 10, 2013
BH90210 6.29, Ticket to Ride: Look Who’s Not Talking
It’s a scratch-off ticket, Brandon, not a scratch ‘n sniff ticket
Summary: Susan borrows some money from Brandon so she can buy a lottery ticket (which they apparently sell at the campus snack bar). Brandon does the scratching, which reveals that they won $5,000. They’re told to take the ticket to the California Lottery Office in Van Nuys. Elsewhere on campus, David, Donna, and Clare discuss forming a study group since they have finals coming up. Clare isn’t sure Steve will be able to tear himself away from Prince Carl long enough to participate.
Joe joins David and Donna as they discuss music and their work with MZA. Joe’s not jealous anymore, and is also excited about getting back into football. Colin and Valerie pack up his stuff, since he’s about to head off to prison for two years. She cries. I still don’t care about this plot. Kelly’s been staying with Jackie since her near-murder, but now she’s ready to go home to the beach apartment and start attending summer school. Colin calls but doesn’t say anything when Jackie answers the phone.
Steve and Carl play racquetball and talk about Clare. Steve admits that the relationship isn’t completely serious, and he wants to do some more dating before he settles down. Brandon and Susan take their lottery victory tour to the Peach Pit, then decide to go to Van Nuys the next day to get their money. Colin calls Jackie’s place again, still not talking even when Kelly answers the phone. More blah blah blah from Colin and Valerie.
Clare is focused on studying, but Steve wants to hang out with Carl some more. She warns that Carl always goes after what he wants, full throttle, then gets bored. Also, the cufflinks he gave Steve aren’t that special, since he gives them to everyone. Kelly moves back into the apartment and tells Donna that Colin’s jail sentence starts the next day. She decides to call him to say goodbye. Donna supports that but encourages her to let go of him after that.
Kelly makes the call, but Valerie answers the phone and is snotty to her. Colin decides not to talk to his ex. Brandon and Susan try to study but are distracted by thoughts of their money and what they could do with it. They realize that neither of them has the ticket, so that’s not good. Steve and Clare go to dinner with Carl, who wants to throw Steve a party for his upcoming 21st birthday. He didn’t get a big bash for his own 21st, so he wants to give Steve the party he never had.
Joe and Donna play backgammon (swinging good times over at Joe’s place) while she listens to music. Then she ditches the game to take a conference call with David and someone from MZA. They’re invited to a party that Joe doesn’t seem excited to go to. But he can tell that Donna’s happy about MZA possible signing her and David for more videos, so he tells her to focus on her music for the rest of the evening.
After dinner, Clare tells Carl that he’s spoiling her and Steve, so he should stop spending so much money on them. She needs to go home since she has a final the next day, but the guys plan to go to a strip club. Clare warns Steve that Carl’s diplomatic credentials won’t keep them from getting arrested. Speaking of which, Colin’s on his way over to the police station to turn himself in and start his sentence.
Brandon and Susan retrace their steps to look for the lottery ticket, ending up searching the Peach Pit’s Dumpster. They don’t find the ticket, but Brandon does see what he thinks is a “live potato.” They start fighting, and Brandon decides it’s not worth all the trouble, so he’s out. Colin and Valerie go to the police station, where Valerie goes in to find Colin’s lawyer while he parks the car. He passes some inmates being transferred, and the reality of his future hits him. Valerie soon realizes that he’s not coming back.
Donna times Joe as he works on his speed, which is slightly up but not close to his personal best from last year. He takes out his frustration on Donna, who’s just trying to cheer him on. The police tell Valerie that Colin may turn himself in, and if he does, he needs to do it quickly. The longer he stays away, the worse his punishment will be. Valerie also has the bail bondsman she paid breathing down her neck. Colin’s lawyer advises her to find her boyfriend.
Donna, David, and Joe go to the MZA party at a club, where Joe gets recognized and David and Donna get talked up by their potential manager. Carl shows up at the beach apartment and gives Clare a necklace. He wants to take her and Steve out to check out a possible location for the birthday party. Clare talks to Steve on the phone as he runs around the Walshes’ house, doing laundry. While they’re talking, he falls down the stairs and lands on his face.
Joe’s uncomfortable at the club but doesn’t want to ask Donna to leave, since he knows how important the night is for her MZA career. David watches them dance and tries to keep his jealousy in check. Colin pops up at the beach apartment, telling Kelly he just needs a friend. She won’t let him in and declines to help him. She says she only called him to say goodbye. Colin asks if she still cares about him, and she says no, “not in that way.” He’s not sure what to do next, turn himself in or keep running. Kelly promises to keep his visit quiet, but she won’t give him any advice.
Steve has a broken jaw and has to have it wired shut, which means he can’t talk. (That’s probably his worst nightmare.) Carl offers to put him up in a hotel while he recuperates. Kelly visits Jackie and tells her that Colin stopped by instead of turning himself in to go to jail. She’s proud of herself for not getting involved in his drama. At the Walshes’, Valerie and Brandon play Who’s Having the Worst Time?, and really, Brandon losing a lottery ticket doesn’t compare to Valerie’s boyfriend going on the lam. She picks up a magazine and out falls the lottery ticket.
On campus, Joe tells Donna that even though things aren’t going great for him football-wise, that’s all people wanted to talk to him about at the club. He’s interested in finding out what else he can get out of life. He doesn’t have the same passion for football he used to have, and he’s not sure why. Susan apologizes to Brandon for their fight about the lottery ticket, saying she wishes they hadn’t bought it. He shows her that he found it and laments that they got so greedy. They decide to donate the money to a family who just lost their house in a fire.
Valerie goes to the beach apartment to ask if Kelly has seen or heard from Colin. Kelly says no, but Valerie sees through her defensive behavior and guesses that he came by to tell Kelly he loves her. She begs Kelly to help her, since she mortgaged the After Dark to pay his bail, and now might lose it. Kelly is unsympathetic.
Thoughts: Donna’s braids. I just…I can’t.
When Valerie’s the only person who can tolerate Colin, you know you’ve written your character into a corner.
Joe is Ray’s complete opposite. I think Donna’s surprised that her boyfriend isn’t forcing her to spend time only with him, or making her leave places she doesn’t want to leave yet.
November 3, 2013
BH90210 6.28, The Big Hurt: Save Me
Eh, I’ve seen crazier
Summary: Tara is STILL living at the beach apartment. Clare still hates her. Kelly asks her to feed her fish while she’s out for the day. Donna feels bad that they’re making Tara leave, especially since things have been kind of okay since she got Kelly’s haircut, but Kelly doesn’t want to back down. After the other girls have left, Tara overfeeds the fish, so I guess she’s really crazy, huh?
Colin is nervous to learn his fate after his lawyer meets with the district attorney. He and Valerie are told that if he pleads guilty, he’ll only have to serve six months in a halfway house. That is, if the judge accepts the offer in court the next day. Colin’s relieved and grateful that Valerie paid for him to get a better lawyer.
Clare’s friend, a prince, is coming to Beverly Hills for a visit, and Steve is excited to meet a royal. Clare has known Carl since childhood and doesn’t have fond memories of the spoiled brat. Brandon finds Tara in the Condor‘s darkroom, where she’s developing pictures of Kelly. She tries to make him think that Kelly’s still in love with him. Brandon quickly realizes that something’s off, then gets that confirmed when Tara tries to kiss him, saying she just wanted to see what it was like to be Kelly. Brandon and Susan agree that Tara’s crazy.
Steve and Clare go to her father’s house to meet Carl, who I guess is handsome. Brandon leaves Kelly a message saying he needs to talk to her about Tara’s behavior. David and Donna show their music video to Brandon, Susan, and Joe, so Joe gets to glower about half-naked Donna again. David walks out before it’s over, either because he doesn’t want anyone to see that he’s hot for Donna, or because he doesn’t want to watch Joe watch.
Susan likes the video because it makes Donna look like she has power. Joe just says it’s “professional-looking.” Donna calls him out for acting like she did something wrong. He tells her he’s worried that the video will wind up on TV and his family will see it. He also thinks she should be embarrassed because she’s being portrayed as a sex object. Donna asks what he wants her to do, but Joe says she’s already done plenty.
Kelly listens to Brandon’s message when she gets home, but she gets distracted by the fact that her fish are all dead. She accuses Tara of overfeeding them, then tells her she needs to move out tomorrow. Brandon worries that Valerie is so involved with Colin that he’ll take her down with him. Then he tells her that he thinks Tara keyed her car. Steve decides to skip his classes so he can hang out with his new bro, Carl. Carl also wants to hang out with both him and Clare later.
David edits the music video, telling Donna that he thinks it’s almost ready to be shown. Donna offers her own edits, which involve taking out some of her sexy shots. David thinks Joe made those decisions, and he doesn’t want to accept them. Donna tells him she’s feeling exploited. He still refuses to make the changes, pulling rank as director. She replies that they’re never going to work together again.
Tara tries to smooth things over with Kelly with a trip to the beach, desperate to make sure they’ll still be friends even after she moves out. Kelly assures her that they will. On her way out of the apartment, Tara runs into Brandon and tries to get him on her side. Instead, Brandon tries to convince Kelly to detach herself a little from Tara. Kelly’s already on board, planning to pack Tara’s things for her and have them in the car when Tara gets back.
Kelly snoops in Tara’s things and finds a stack of letters from her parents. Tara’s story has always been that she doesn’t know where her unsupportive parents are, but in reality, they want her to get in touch with them. Steve, Clare, and Carl hang out at the beach, and the guys are definitely buddies now. In court, Colin gets worried again because the DA opposing him isn’t the one his lawyer made the deal with.
Tara comes home to find Kelly waiting for her. She called Tara’s parents, who want her to come home. Tara flips out and says that she and Kelly can’t be friends anymore. Kelly should be grateful: Tara came on to Brandon for her and keyed Valerie’s car for her. Kelly starts to call Tara’s doctor, but Tara stops her by grabbing her gun and threatening to kill herself if Kelly doesn’t obey her orders.
The first order is for Kelly to drive Tara somewhere. Kelly tries to get Tara to talk about her family, but Tara won’t cooperate. In court, Colin pleads guilty, and the DA does come through with the recommendation of the six-month sentence. The judge, however, doesn’t approve of the deal. After all, Colin engaged in a high-speed chase and put police officers’ lives in danger. He’ll have to serve a minimum of two years in prison.
David and Donna take their video to a management company, MZA, that’s interested in signing them to a three-video contract. The agent just thinks the video needs more Donna. David agrees to add some of her footage back in and resubmit it tomorrow. Donna’s unhappy since he didn’t ask her opinion. David tells her that they need to go along or they’ll miss out on this great opportunity. Kelly and Tara drive to a cliff overlooking the beach, and Kelly tries to make a move to get away. Tara responds by hitting her with the gun and knocking her out.
Steve and Clare are back at Chancellor Arnold’s, where Carl offers his new best bro cufflinks with his royal crest. This plot is boring. Kelly regains consciousness and discovers that Tara has rigged the car so they’ll both die of carbon monoxide poisoning. Tara tries to convince her that she should want to die after all the pain she’s experienced in her life.
Colin is resigned to his fate, though Valerie notes that they can still file motions and appeals. She encourages him to use the week he has before he has to turn himself in to do fun stuff. Colin’s like, “I’ve never had fun, so why should I start now?” Valerie tries to tell him he’s strong. Steve shows off his cufflinks to Nat while Carl tells Clare that he’s planning to stay in town longer. This is the most boring potential love triangle ever.
Donna tells Joe that MZA wants her and David to undo all of the changes he wanted. Surprisingly, Joe now feels embarrassed for the way he acted, and admits that he was just jealous because David and Donna were spending time together. Donna assures him that there’s nothing to worry about. Joe tells her he wants her to feel free to live her own life.
Night falls, and Tara’s carbon-monoxide contraption starts to do its thing. Kelly tells Tara that she’s not mad, and is ready to die with her. But first, she’d really like it if Tara would untie her hands. As soon as Tara does, Kelly grabs the gun and frees herself from the car. She fires the gun a bunch of times to draw attention to her and Tara, then throws it away. Tara cries because Kelly lied to her.
Later that night, Tara lands in the psychiatric ward and Brandon goes to the hospital to check on Kelly. Kelly wants to get some closure with one last visit with Tara. She meets Tara’s mom, who’s very grateful for everything Kelly did for Tara. After all, Tara would have died if Kelly hadn’t saved both of them.
Thoughts: I guess Tara killed the fish because there was no bunny around to boil?
I really hope someone kept Aaron Spelling from watching the music-video footage.
Even with the gun, I think Kelly could take Tara.
October 27, 2013
BH90210 6.27, Strike the Match: The Last Person On Earth I Want to Be With
Is that really an appropriate outfit for a barren wasteland where you have to battle mutated demons to stay alive?
Summary: Tara’s still staying at the beach apartment, and Donna and Clare are sick of it. In fact, Clare’s so sick of it that she’s going to stay with Steve until Tara’s gone. She admits that Tara creeps her out a little. She and Donna tell Kelly that it’s time for Tara to get her own place. Kelly’s on Tara’s side, telling her she can stay even when Tara realizes that the other girls want her out. At CU, Steve bugs Brandon to tell Susan that he might take a summer job at a newspaper in Boston. Susan and Brandon are supposed to take a trip together, and the job would make Brandon have to cancel it.
David’s been hired to shoot a music video for some group called Powerman 5000. He’s nervous because he only has a short time to work before school’s over and Powerman goes on tour. Donna agrees to help out. Joe’s unhappy but pretends not to be. Tara and Kelly go to an NA meeting, and Tara tells the group that having a friend has made her life a ton better. Colin’s still working on the mural at the After Dark? Huh? Anyway, David runs into him there and they posture a little before David asks Valerie if he can use the club for the video shoot. Val tells Colin to behave himself.
Susan starts talking about how much she’s looking forward to her and Brandon’s summer trip (which sounds like a cross-country drive), so he finally mentions the job in Boston. He downplays it like he doesn’t plan on accepting it. Clare basically moves in with Steve, and things are really good between them right now, so that will definitely work out well. Tara decides that she wants a new hairstyle, so Kelly offers to get her an appointment at her salon. Then she pushes Tara to work on moving out of the beach apartment. Tara begs her not to kick her out.
The two run into Colin and Valerie outside the After Dark, and everyone is icily polite. As they leave, Kelly tells Tara that she hates Val. Tara reminds her that she’s better off with Colin, so Val can have him. Then she says she hates anyone Kelly hates, and she hopes Valerie dies. David and Donna work on the video, but so far they haven’t even agreed on a theme. Since the song is called “Strike the Match” (hey! Just like the episode title!), Donna suggests that they have all the band members strike lots of matches. Yeah, someone’s run out of ideas. She’s sick of David being mean to her and tells him he’s the last person on earth she wants to hang out with. David gets inspired.
Brandon, Susan, Steve, Clare, and Joe study at the Walshes’ house for the GRE, even though most of them are juniors. Susan admires Clare’s shawl, which is one of the few things she has that belonged to her late mother. Tara sneaks into Kelly’s room in the middle of the night and takes her keys. While David and Donna finalize plans for the video, Tara goes to Colin’s building and keys “Die Val” into the side of Valerie’s car.
At the Walsh house, Clare heads off to school, asking Steve to do some of her laundry. Susan wonders if she has a place in Brandon’s future, and if she should include him in her own future plans. Brandon wrongly takes this as an ultimatum, like Susan’s saying that if he takes the job in Boston, they’re over. David and the band get ready for the video shoot at the After Dark, but the drummer’s girlfriend, who was supposed to star (as the last woman on earth) is a no-show. David assigns Donna to take her place.
Valerie finds Tara’s vandalism and freaks out that someone actually wants her dead. Tara goes to collect some of her things from a guy who was keeping them for it. Steve gets Clare’s laundry and realizes that he accidentally washed (and ruined) her mother’s shawl. Kelly and Tara stop by the video shoot, where Donna is now dressed like an apocalyptic hooker. Colin shows up to glare at David, I guess thinking he was behind the keying.
Valerie, however, thinks it was Kelly, and warns that she told the police about their rivalry. Before they can take it outside (to pull each other’s hair, I guess), they’re alerted to a fight in the After Dark. Colin and David are trying to pound on each other, but some guys keep them separated. Valerie announces that the shoot is over. Brandon meets with the guy who wants him at the Boston Globe, so we get to hear all about how awesome Brandon is. Now, though, the offer comes with the possibility of a job after Brandon graduates.
Kelly goes home angry about the Valerie situation and sorry that David has to be stuck in the middle. Tara talks about how she used to love photography, so Kelly offers to get her access to CU’s darkroom. Tara thinks Kelly and Brandon still have feelings for each other. She unpacks her things, which include a gun. The music video moves to a warehouse, and Donna dances in a way that would give Felice a heart attack if she saw her. Joe isn’t much happier to see his girlfriend practically naked and gyrating for her ex-boyfriend.
Brandon tells Susan about the job offer coming with his summer internship. Then he shows her what he calls the smallest ball of twine in the world, in preparation for their summer trip, when they’ll see the world’s largest one. He’s giving up the summer internship, which, I’m sorry, is a horrible idea. At the Walshes’ house, Steve reluctantly tells Clare that he ruined her mother’s shawl. She’s upset but knows that Steve wouldn’t do anything to hurt her intentionally. She thinks her mother would approve of her choice in boyfriends.
At the beach apartment, Kelly and Donna discuss Valerie’s keying; neither has any idea who was behind it. Tara returns from the salon with blond hair and Kelly’s hairstyle. Donna tells Kelly that Tara wants to be her. Apparently this hadn’t occurred to Kelly before. She needs to start paying attention.
Thoughts: There’s actually a group called Powerman 5000? Doesn’t that sound more like a rapper?
Steve has Brenda’s old room, and his walls are violently purple.
David, Colin, neither of you is the least bit intimidating.
It looks like after the apocalypse, we’ll all be wearing pleather bras and hot pants, so start working now to make sure you have an Armageddon-ready body!
October 20, 2013
BH90210 6.26, Flirting with Disaster: Blame Canada
You’re better off without ’em, girls
Summary: At the beach apartment, Tara listens to Kelly’s outgoing answering machine message multiple times. Because she’s crazy. When Kelly comes home from a date with Greg, Tara greets her excitedly. Because she’s crazy. Then she imitates Kelly’s answering machine message. Because she’s – well, you get it.
At the Peach Pit, Brandon, Susan, Steve, Clare, Donna, and Joe packs up for a spring break camping trip. After some driving, they take a pit stop and spot some women fixing a flat tire. The guys immediately become chivalrous. The girls are Canadian and also looking to camp out. The guys tell them where they’re going, and Joe blurts out that they have dates, disappointing Brandon and Steve.
A man shows up at Colin’s loft and introduces himself to Valerie as Colin’s father. He’s blind and cranky. Kelly and Tara hang out at the Peach Pit, discussing Kelly and Greg’s bowling date that night. Kelly invites Tara to tag along, but Tara doesn’t want to be a fifth wheel. David arrives and Kelly asks him to invite Tara on a bowling double date with her and Greg. She feels bad for leaving Tara at home every night while she goes out.
The campers arrive at their destination, and surprise, surprise, the Canadian girls are also there. The Beverly Hills girls are all, “Yeah, the guys belong to us.” Valerie tries to be a good hostess to Mr. Robbins, who tells her that he and Colin aren’t close. In fact, they haven’t seen each other in five years. Colin isn’t thrilled when he comes home to see his father there, but he doesn’t make him leave.
The Canadian girls can’t set up their tent, so the guys are chivalrous again. “They’ll be back,” Susan assures Donna. “Or they’ll be dead,” Clare adds. Tara thinks her date with David might lead to more, so she asks Kelly how many dates she waits before having sex. Kelly doesn’t answer, but says that she and Greg are just about there. When she leaves the room, Tara continues her rehearsals to become the new Kelly.
The double date goes well, though Tara makes Greg a little uncomfortable by being touchy-feely. The Canadian girls’ tent is missing pieces, it seems, so the guys spend all evening trying to help them while their girlfriends mope. The Beverly Hills girls invite the Canadian girls to share their tents, leaving the guys to fend for themselves. Joe thinks they should apologize, not like he has anything to lose since he wasn’t going to have sex anyway. Steve refuses.
Tara tells Greg that Kelly really likes him but isn’t ready for a new relationship. That leads him to cut the date short, though David’s the only one who thinks something’s off. Mr. Robbins tells Valerie about losing his sight in Vietnam; somehow this leads to a fight between Colin and his father. Colin tries to kick Mr. Robbins out, but Valerie feels bad for him and invites him to spend the night.
Greg takes Kelly and Tara home, then tells Kelly that he thinks they’re moving too quickly. She thinks he should have thought this through more before he ever asked her out. (Seriously.) Tara’s proud of herself. Brandon, Steve, and Joe spend the night in their minivan, then wake up to declare war on their girlfriends. They refuse to eat the breakfast the girls made and vow to feed themselves.
Kelly now thinks Greg might have been right about not rushing things. Tara pretends to be all supportive, then orders two bouquets of flowers. One is for Kelly, and the other is for Greg with a note from Kelly telling him not to call her. Valerie encourages Colin to tell Mr. Robbins that he’s going to jail, since he needs a support system. Colin thinks that’s a stupid idea – his father’s there for something, probably money, so he won’t care.
Valerie tries to broker a truce between father and son, since at least Colin’s father is still alive, but Colin wants to hash everything out right now. He demands to know why Mr. Robbins came to visit. Mr. Robbins explains that he knows about Colin’s legal problems and came to offer his support. Colin rejects it, so Mr. Robbins leaves. Valerie threatens to leave, too, if Colin doesn’t do something, so father and son make up. Wake me when this storyline is over.
Kelly goes to see Greg at the hospital, but he doesn’t want to talk to her. Steve, Joe, and Brandon try to fish for their breakfast, which doesn’t go well. The Canadian girls come across them and mention that their girlfriends have made some new friends. Specifically guy friends. Brandon tries to convince Steve and Joe not to go back to the campsite and chase the new guys away. That doesn’t work.
Tara does her fake-supportive thing again, playing dumb when Kelly gets her flowers and a note from “Greg” breaking things off. Colin, Mr. Robbins, blah. Colin will totally be okay! He just has to get through this difficult part of his life! Once Mr. Robbins goes back home, Colin and Valerie are boring some more. At the campsite, the guys spy on the girls, who didn’t actually befriend any guys. Everyone makes up. I beg for the last hour of my life back.
Thoughts: Mr. Robbins: “I heard that Colin’s doing really well out here.” Who the heck did you hear that from?”
Margo would laugh at Tara’s lameness but admire her for befriending Kelly before trying to replace her.
Steve, re: the tent: “We can’t get it up.” Susan: “I’ll bet.” Thank you, Susan, for making the joke I was pretending I’m too classy to make. (Actually, I would have gone with “that’s what she said,” which doesn’t really make sense.)
Brandon, your “sleeping in a van down by the river” also doesn’t make sense since there’s no river. If I liked you, I’d give you an A for effort, but I don’t like you, so just shut up.
Why does the show want so badly for me to care about Colin?
October 13, 2013
BH90210 6.25, Smashed: Our Idiot Brother
Yay, just who I wanted to see again
Summary: Tara’s about to be released from rehab, and Kelly wants to let her stay at the beach apartment. Donna and Clare are very reluctant, but Kelly says that she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. “She needs me,” she insists, which is really creepy when you think about it, since she and Tara have only known each other for a few weeks. At some other unspecified point in time, Clare’s with Steve at the Walshes’, talking about a party he’s throwing that night.
Valerie meets with Colin’s lawyer, who tells her that he has two options: plead guilty and serve time, or plead not guilty and risk a longer sentence. He thinks he can get Colin a pretty good deal with just a few months in a minimum-security facility and some community service. Val now has to convince Colin to agree to this. Kelly goes to get Tara and runs into Greg, who disapproves of her opening her home to Tara. He asks her on a date, but she’s already going to Steve’s party, so she invites Greg to come with her.
Valerie wants to bring Colin to the party, but Brandon doesn’t think it’s a good idea, since everyone hates him. He can’t stop her, though, since the party’s at the Walshes’ and she lives there, too. The male Sanderses eat at the Peach Pit, where Rush asks Steve to look after Austin and Ryan for the night while he goes out of time. Steve resists, since he’s having his party, but Rush doesn’t listen. At least they come with $200 from Rush.
At the beach apartment, Tara continues her slow journey to turn herself into Kelly. She drinks Clare’s juice, but if that’s what passes for drama there, the roommates should all be happy. Valerie tells Colin that he doesn’t have much of a choice about going to prison, but it won’t be nearly as bad as he thinks. She urges him to take the deal instead of going to trial. Colin reluctantly agrees. Valerie invites him to Steve’s party so they can try to enjoy the rest of their time together, but Colin’s worried that Kelly will make a scene.
Steve puts his brothers to work at the Walshes’ house in anticipation of a huge party. Brandon catches them trying to steal beer and stops them. He tells Steve that Valerie’s bringing Colin, but Steve doesn’t seem to care. Tara’s more worried about the possibility of drugs at the party, which is a nice detail. Kelly says they’ll keep each other out of trouble. Then Tara borrows the dress Kelly had planned to wear.
At CU, David tells Joe that he and Donna are working on a piece about the party for the school’s TV station. Donna and David note that they haven’t worked together for a while. Colin decides he doesn’t want to go to the party after all. Valerie thinks he’s still nervous about seeing Kelly, but it’s more that he doesn’t want to spend the whole night with people who think he’s scum. He wishes Valerie had a better understanding of what he’s facing.
Kelly loans Tara a necklace along with her dress, so now Tara is fully clothed in Kelly’s garb. Greg calls, and Tara’s surprised (and not all that happy) to learn that Kelly invited him to the party. She decides that she doesn’t want to go after all since she’ll be a fifth wheel. Kelly changes her mind. The party is already going, with a lot of dorky dancing and Steve in a vest. Susan sees Brandon and Kelly hugging and tries to keep from looking jealous. She tells Brandon that she likes all his friends, even though she was worried about Kelly when they first started dating.
Donna and David film some of the goings-on, educating the general population on how to play quarters. Ryan and Austin ask Muntz for beer, telling him that Steve said they could drink. Steve says they can do one round of shots, not realizing that the only think more annoying than Ryan and Austin would be Ryan and Austin with alcohol in them. Donna’s too busy to hang out with Joe, and he’s not happy about it.
Austin and Ryan snake some drinks from distracted partygoers while Donna finally realizes that Joe’s having a bad time. She asks Brandon to take over filming so she can dance with her boyfriend. Valerie and Colin arrive, and Brandon is amazingly polite. Ryan and Austin try to get back into Muntz’s drinking game, but even money won’t sway him. They steal booze instead. Colin runs into Kelly, and though she’s not exactly warm toward him, she lets him know that she cares what happens to him. Valerie is displeased, of course.
More drinking. Ryan and Austin are somehow not completely drunk yet. Muntz catches them picking up bottles, so they pretend they’re cleaning up. David and Steve know the kids are drunk, but Steve’s not concerned, since he also got drunk at that age. Greg arrives for some flirting, dancing, and making Tara jealous. Ryan starts feeling the effects of the alcohol and has to run outside to get sick. Austin finds him on the back porch, unconscious. Steve thinks he’s just passed out, but Greg (a med student) recognizes that he has alcohol poisoning and needs to go to the hospital to have his stomach pumped.
Now that the party’s over, Colin and Valerie go back to his place, where she confronts him for…having a pleasant conversation with Kelly, I guess. “I’m beginning to think you fall in love with any female body that keeps you afloat,” she says. He insists that he loves her for who she is, not because she’s taking care of him and paying for his lawyer. Val loves him, too, and has never risked so much for anyone else.
Rush is summoned to the hospital, and of course he yells at Steve for not keeping a better eye on Ryan. Greg takes Kelly and Tara home, and Tara spies while the lovebirds kiss good night. She’s so mad that she breaks the necklace Kelly loaned her. Back at the hospital, Ryan’s okay, so Rush feels free to yell at Steve some more. He wants his kids to look after each other, and Steve failed. (Yeah, but think about how much more failure there would have been if, say, Ryan had had to look after Steve.)
Austin’s still at the Walshes’, where Brandon and Susan are sobering him up with coffee. The only problem is that he’s now too caffeinated to sleep. Back at the hospital, Steve’s all, “I still love you, Ryan, even though you’re a huge idiot.” I guess it’s supposed to be touching because Steve’s calling him his brother now instead of his half brother, but really, the kid is a moron and I couldn’t care less.
Thoughts: Holy crap, Clare’s hair. It has big white streaks. It looks horrible.
So Kelly can date Greg, but he doesn’t think she should live with Tara? I don’t get it.
Why do a piece on the party for the TV station? “Hey, uncool people, here’s what the cool people did this weekend!”
I’m pretty sure Colin wears a velvet shirt to the party. Let me repeat that. COLIN WEARS A VELVET SHIRT.
Austin and Ryan drink everyone else’s drinks. They should probably check Ryan for mono while he’s in the hospital, because EW, GERMS.
Tell me, Rush, what is it about Steve that made you think he could be responsible in the first place?
September 29, 2013
BH90210 6.23, Leap of Faith: Drive It Like You Stole It
On the plus side, Colin got to be on TV
Summary: Kelly’s still in rehab, and is in a therapy session, discussing Colin. She has issues with men! I am shocked! She’s making peace with the person her father is, but she still finds herself drawn to Colin. At the Peach Pit, Steve exposits something about a savings bond and wanting to buy a motorcycle. Valerie stops in and reminds David how much he misses her. Clare thinks Steve should mention to David that Valerie and Colin seem to be getting something started.
Brandon and Susan are off to visit her parents; she tells him not to say anything about their recent skiing mishap. After all, they’ve already lost one daughter. Because this episode is all about visits with family members, Joe’s brother Hank is in town. Joe’s most likely going to be approved for the experimental operation Donna found out about. Hank doesn’t want him to have it, and he really doesn’t want Donna involved in the decision.
Susan and Brandon make it to San Diego, and things are exactly as you would expect during the first meeting between a boyfriend and his girlfriend’s parents. In rehab, Kelly loans Tara and her awful haircut a sweater. David visits, and Kelly tells him that after hearing about Tara’s problems, she feels a lot better about her own life. David shares the news that he went with Steve to buy a Harley (Clare doesn’t know about it yet). Kelly wants to know how Colin’s doing, but David hasn’t been in touch with him. He admits that Val has, though, and they’re dating. Kelly doesn’t like this news.
Brandon and the Keatses have paella for dinner – it was Susan’s sister’s favorite dish. Mrs. Keats wants to know how serious the couple is. Mr. Keats and Susan warn that she’s a Shakespeare scholar and might quiz him. Mrs. Keats is really just curious about their sleeping arrangements. Susan lies that they’re not having sex. In Beverly Hills, Colin assures Valerie that he’s in for a relationship, in case anyone cares.
In rehab, Kelly cares. She tells Tara that the news about Colin and Valerie makes her want to kill Val. Joe’s starting to doubt his decision to have the operation, thanks to Hank and his family. Hank was also a football player and had knee surgery that was supposed to allow him to keep playing, but it didn’t work. Donna accuses Joe of being afraid that he’ll become better than his brother. She thinks that’s how Hank wants it.
Mr. and Mrs. Keats have kept their late daughter’s room the same as when she lived there, and Susan finds it depressing. Mr. Keats tells her it’s her mother’s decision, and she shouldn’t say anything. Brandon wonders if Susan’s parents think she’s a virgin, but she says she told them about her abortion. He wishes she’d warned him in advance that she was going to lie about their sex life. They’re supposed to sleep in separate rooms, but they make plans to meet up later.
Steve takes Clare for a ride on his new bike, but it doesn’t take too long for her to get her fill. He wishes he’d known before he got the motorcycle that she wouldn’t be a fan. Brandon sneaks upstairs to see Susan, but the family’s Great Dane blocks his way. Brandon quotes Shakespeare to get him to relax. Colin and Valerie make relationshippy plans and put me to sleep. Then Colin gets a visit from Danny Five, who ruins Colin’s attempt at sobriety with a special Leap Day deal. In exchange, he wants a ride.
In San Diego, Mrs. Keats goes to wake up Susan and finds Brandon in her bed. And that’s why you always knock. (End J. Walter Weatherman voice.) Things get really awkward, and Mrs. Keats slams Susan for disrespecting her rules. Susan wants to know why her sister was allowed to sleep with a guy in the house. She adds that her sister’s room is practically a shrine, and her parents expect her to live up to their other daughter when they’re not the same person. Mrs. Keats admits to Brandon that she’s right. She needs to make sure she doesn’t lose another daughter.
Donna and Clare visit Kelly and hang out with her and Tara. They meet Greg, a doctor at the rehab center, and it looks like all the girls think he’s hot. (To be fair, he is.) Tara’s just happy to have some friends. Hank asks Donna to meet him so they can fight some more over whether or not Joe should have the operation. Donna repeats her speculation from earlier that Hank wants Joe to stop playing football so he can’t surpass Hank.
Steve and his horrible motorcycle-riding clothes meet Clare at the Peach Pit with her very own personalized helmet. It seems like he’s going to dump her if she doesn’t ride with him, but that can’t be right, can it? David criticizes Valerie for pouncing on Colin as soon as he was single. He warns that Colin will do the same thing to her that he did to Kelly. Steve, Clare, motorcycle, bleh. Brandon and Susan head home, bleh. Hank’s also on his way home, but before he leaves, he tells Joe that the family is going to stop trying to talk him out of having the operation.
Colin drives Danny to get some drugs, but the deal is interrupted by cops. Since Colin has drugs on him, he drives off. A police chase ensues. At the Peach Pit and the Walshes’ house, the gang watches the chase on TV, with no idea who the driver is. Steve finally recognizes Colin’s van. Kelly recognizes it, too, just as the cops surround Colin and end the chase. Tara thinks the van was stolen, and that was the reason for the chase. But as soon as Colin gets out and gets arrested, everyone sees it’s him.
Thoughts: I love how people keep mentioning it’s Leap Day, like that has anything to do with anything.
Mrs. Keats is played by Kathleen Noone – Ellie on Party of Five.
The Keatses’ Great Dane is named Hamlet. Heh. Get it?
Colin makes me want to use drugs.
September 22, 2013
BH90210 6.22, All This and Mary Too: World’s Most Boring Episode
Yes, David, you are the mack daddy, in your plaid flannel
Summary: Kelly’s drug problem is now public knowledge among the gang, and she’s in the hospital for rehab. David feels bad that he wasn’t there for her, but she points out that she shut everyone out. Colin visits and tells Kelly that he’s been clean for a week. He thinks they can stay clean together; she doesn’t need rehab. Kelly knows they’re bad for each other and need to break up. Methinks Colin’s week of sobriety isn’t going to last past the seven days.
David, Clare, and Susan go to the Walshes’ in preparation for a snowboarding trip with Brandon and Steve. This appears to be the first time David and Valerie have talked since their split. He thinks they can be friends, but she disagrees. She’s sitting out the snowboarding trip so they don’t have to spend time together. Susan’s competitive with Brandon, which is interesting, since he’s originally from a snow-filled state. I feel bad that David has to be the fifth wheel all weekend.
Jackie visits Kelly in rehab just as she’s getting a roommate named Tara. Jackie thinks this is a good thing for Kelly. The snowboarding members of the gang arrive at Mammoth Mountain, and now I feel bad for the couples, since it looks like David’s going to mope all weekend. Susan and Clare meet a girl named Mary who needs a place to stay, and they decide to fix him up with David. Kelly meets Tara and tries to comfort her when she cries.
Steve thinks a girl at the ski lodge is checking him out, but he’ll stick with Clare and set the girl up with David. This girl is also named Mary. (Fortunately, this one’s Australian, so it’s easy to tell them apart.) “I wish I had a friend like me,” Steve says. “So do I,” Brandon replies. Back in Beverly Hills, Donna sees a news report about a treatment that enables athletes with Joe’s heart condition to keep playing sports. She makes some phone calls, but Joe doesn’t think anyone can help him.
Susan’s still taunting Brandon about how she’s a better skier, and Clare and Steve probably shouldn’t let them go off alone, or Susan might not come back. Colin and Valerie wind up at the Peach Pit together, both suddenly single and without weekend plans. She invites him to the house for dinner. On the mountain, there is skiing and competition. In Beverly Hills, Colin’s bored and decides to go to the Walshes’ early. Then there’s more skiing, this time in a restricted area.
Donna visits Kelly (bringing her a toy parrot that imitates voices) and assures her that her behavior while she was using is forgiven. Tara accidentally interrupts their conversation and runs off. The toy parrot starts acting up, so Donna brings back the “damn bird” catchphrase. David’s feeling less mopey, just in time for him to meet both Marys. He doesn’t seem interested in either of them.
Brandon and Susan are so into their competition that they don’t realize they’ve skied into a very bad part of the mountain. Susan hurts her leg, conveniently just as a storm moves in. Valerie and Colin’s evening together begins, and they bore me by talking about the first time they met. On the mountain, David and Clare bore me by talking about the Marys. Brandon blames Susan for getting them stuck outside in a blizzard. At least she brought brandy with her.
At the beach apartment, Donna has dinner with her father and asks him about the procedure she heard about. Dr. Martin says it’s experimental and won’t be covered by insurance. It’s also a long shot that Joe would be able to get into the study. He thinks Donna should listen to Joe and stop pursuing the procedure. Donna refuses, so Dr. Martin quickly backs down and agrees to help her get in touch with the doctor running the study.
Colin and Valerie are boring some more, then finally start making out, which we all knew they would do eventually. On the mountain, search teams go out to find Brandon and Susan, but they might have to fend for themselves for the night. Tara has a nightmare, and Kelly bonds with her by talking about her own dreams. Brandon and Susan try to stay awake, even though having one of them die is the only thing that could make this episode even slightly interesting.
Donna and Joe go to church so Donna can pray that Joe will have the heart procedure. He thinks this is a dumb idea, but she reminds him that he’s always talking about his faith, so why not pray for his health? After she prays, Joe admits that that was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for him. The search teams are about to call things off for the night when one of them finds Susan and Brandon. Yay, anticlimaxes!
Valerie wakes up alone the next morning, which is a surprise, and agrees to have breakfast with Colin. Kelly and Tara go to an art-therapy class and learn more about each other. Tara’s originally from Colorado and ran away when she was 14. Her parents don’t know she’s in rehab, and she doesn’t know where they are. The ski trippers return to Beverly Hills and tell Nat that Silver hit it off with both Marys. In fact, he’s still with them on the mountain. I think we’re supposed to care.
Thoughts: Seriously, such a boring episode. NOTHING HAPPENED. I wanted someone to at least have a run-in with that monster from SkiFree.
Colin looks too good for a guy who supposedly just quit cocaine cold turkey.
I love how the gang says they’re going on a snowboarding trip, but no one actually snowboards. Just call it a ski trip, guys.
Brandon: “It’s a myth that alcohol is good for you when you’re cold.” Susan: “Yes, but if I drink enough, I won’t care anymore.” Heh.
September 17, 2013
BH90210 6.21, Bleeding Hearts: No Sex and the City
How shocking that Brandon is the hero here
Summary: Kelly’s supposed to meet Jackie at the Peach Pit, but Colin is about to meet with a dealer to get some cocaine. He reluctantly takes her to the diner, where Brandon and David are telling Jackie about Kelly’s addiction. Valerie and Susan discuss Jonathan and Brandon, so apparently Jonathan is freaking still in town. So is Ginger, and Valerie suggests that they get her to distract Jonathan from Susan. Jackie plans to confront Kelly, but Kelly bails on their lunch date to stick with Colin and meet his dealer, the inexplicably named Danny Five.
Alpha house is having a Valentine’s Day pajama party/sex-out, where people stay abstinent for 24 hours. Steve is on board, which Clare finds hilarious. She tells him she’s not signing the abstinence pledge. Meanwhile, Valerie takes Ginger to meet Jonathan. Clare has a bet going that Steve won’t stick to his pledge, and she plans to make it really difficult for him. (Maybe that’s why she’s slicing a cucumber?) Brandon finds it funny until Susan tells him she’s signing the pledge.
Colin and Kelly are partying with some other people at the loft when Donna brings over Kelly’s mail. She asks Kelly to come home and attend the Alpha party; she should be with her friends. Kelly insists that she’s already with her friends. David kicks off Valentine’s Day by bringing Valerie breakfast in bed (though he still lives in a dorm, so it’s not that great). He wrote her a poem and she got him a friendship bracelet because he’s the first person she’s dated who’s also been a friend.
While Joe and Donna and cutesy, Susan gets roses from Brandon and gives him signed letters from Woodward and Bernstein. Then she gets an even nicer bouquet of roses, and you get one guess as to who sent them. At the loft, everything’s slanted and all the drugs are gone. Colin calls Kelly for being selfish and using all the drugs, though she points out that she’s the one who paid for them. (Well, Bill did, but still.) He tells her that if she wants more, she’ll have to get them herself.
CU’s football coach tells Joe that he’s going to be replaced on the team – they can’t count on him because of his recent medical issues. Kelly goes back to Danny Five and does coke with him while the rest of the gang goes to the pajama party at the After Dark (it’s really just a regular night at the club, just with everyone in PJs). Clare continues to stoke Steve’s fire, and he finally puts on a blindfold so he can’t see how sexy she looks. Jonathan and Ginger show up together, and Valerie immediately thinks Ginger has something up her sleeve.
Kelly and Danny Five do coke and make out until he leaves to deal with another girl doing drugs in the house. Kelly quickly starts to leave, but a guy stops her to demand money for the drugs. She calls for Danny, but the other guy grabs her and forces her onto the couch. Kelly suggests that they drink some wine and calm down. When the bottle’s empty, she smashes it over his head and makes her escape.
The gang is interested in Ginger and Jonathan’s sudden friendship, which is apparently just for show to make the others wonder what they’re up to. Clare’s still messing with Steve’s mind, but he’s practically welcoming it now. Brandon thinks Jonathan’s using Ginger to make Susan jealous, but Susan thinks he’s only there to bug Brandon. It’s not working, since Brandon’s happy that Jonathan has someone else to annoy. Donna’s dateless since Joe’s moping in his dorm room, and she decides to go find him.
During a dance contest, Ginger pretends to hurt her ankle so Jonathan has to find a new partner. Of course, he picks Susan, because when I think of people who enjoy dancing, the first person I think of is Susan. She keeps saying no and he keeps bugging her, so she punches him. Now Brandon’s having a really good night. Ginger’s annoyed at Valerie for fixing her up with a guy who’s in love with someone else, and she threatens to try to poach David.
Nat tells Brandon that Kelly’s in trouble, so he and Susan take off. Valerie takes David to her office and tells him all about her and Ginger’s previous scam and Ginger’s blackmail. David thinks she should give Ginger the $50,000 she wants, but Valerie would rather send him over to sleep with Ginger. Meanwhile, Brandon and Susan find Kelly, who’s really shaken up.
Joe packs his things, telling Donna that he’s leaving school since he can’t play football anymore. She points out that they don’t even know how serious his condition is. She understands why the coach took Joe off the team, but they need to find out if Joe’s actually sick. He’s upset because all he’s ever wanted is to play football. Valerie goes home alone to her little poem.
Steve barely holds it together until the end of the sex-out, then pounces on Clare. She thinks she won the bet since she set the clock back 30 seconds. She’s actually lost, since he’d already set it forward a minute. They get to have sex with each other, so I’m not sure who the real winner and loser are.
Ginger’s preparing to leave town, since she got what she wanted. Val thinks that means she slept with David, but it turns out he told her he wouldn’t have sex with her because he loves Valerie. Ginger didn’t really want to sleep with him; she just wanted to make Val miserable. David can’t put up with Valerie’s shenanigans anymore, so they’re done. He does promise not to tell the rest of the gang about her scam with Ginger, though. He gives back the friendship bracelet.
Kelly spent the night in the hospital with Brandon and Jackie by her side. She wonders how she got to where she is, saying she had everything and has lost it. She tells Brandon she still loves him. He doesn’t respond, but he agrees to stay with her.
Thoughts: This is really weird, but the guy playing Danny Five also played Bobby in “Leading from the Heart.”
I love the idea of Donna hosting a sex-out. “No sex for 24 hours? Well, it’ll be tough, but I think I can pull it off.”
David and Valerie were kind of cute, but there was no chemistry there, so I’m not too broken up about them…well, breaking up.
I’m impressed that Kelly can think on her feet so well when she’s high.
“Happy Valentine’s Day! Can I pimp you out?” Really, Val?
September 14, 2013
BH90210 6.20, Flying: Danger Zone
Unless that hand has drugs in it, she’s not touching it
Summary: The beach apartment residents are planning a garage sale, except they don’t have a garage. (Why don’t they have it at the Walshes’?) Kelly doesn’t feel well, and Valerie thinks it’s because she and Colin are having problems getting drugs. She’s actually wrong: Colin’s still using, but Kelly’s trying to quit. She’s not trying very hard, though, since she goes straight to Colin to ask for something to get her through the week.
Jonathan is still hanging around the Condor offices while on assignment in Beverly Hills, though he insists that he and Brandon have nothing to fight over. He even invites Brandon and any interested friends to come with him the next day for a biplane flight. Brandon declines, since the last thing he wants to do is sit in a confined space with Jonathan.
While looking for safety pins in Kelly’s room, Clare comes across the cocaine Kelly just got from Colin. She knows the amount could get Kelly in trouble with the police. Plus, since Donna and Clare live there, they could also get in trouble – and cocaine possession carries mandatory sentencing. Clare insists that Donna talk to Kelly about it.
Valerie goes through her clothes to find items for the non-garage sale, while David pretends to be helpful. Ginger LaMonica calls and announces that she’s coming to town tomorrow. Valerie refuses to have any contact with her and won’t even tell David who was on the phone. Steve thinks the guys should all go on the biplane with Jonathan, so now it looks like Brandon’s reconsidering.
Donna and Clare summon Kelly to the beach apartment, but she shows up with Colin and is definitely high. She thinks she’s in trouble because she’s not helping with the sale. Her roommates confront her over the coke, but of course Kelly denies that she’s using anything. Clare doesn’t believe her, so Kelly decides to take her ball and go home. And by “home,” I mean Colin’s place. And by “ball,” I mean drugs.
Joe’s been invited on the biplane flight with the other guys, though Donna’s nervous about his safety. She’s also upset that things with Kelly have gotten to where they are. At Colin’s, Kelly moves her stuff in and is told to help herself to coke whenever she wants. (Aww, Colin, you’re such a nice host.) The girls run the non-garage sale and talk about Kelly, though Valerie thinks they should be more discreet. And when Val thinks you should be discreet…
David shows up the sale, the only guy to skip the biplane flight. His decision to sit it out doesn’t help Donna feel better about Joe’s safety. Jonathan takes Brandon, Steve, and Joe to the airfield for a day of excitement and barrel roles and most likely some posturing between Jonathan and Brandon. Jonathan will be one of the pilots, and Brandon winds up in his plane while another pilot takes Joe up. Then the show fills a few minutes with stunt flying, because why else have this plot?
Donna and David talk about Kelly’s denial and the possibility of telling Jackie about her addiction. David isn’t sure, since when Mel found out about his drug use, it made him want to use more. If Kelly doesn’t want to get clean, what her friends say won’t matter. Back at the airfield, Brandon and Jonathan have bonded over doing guy stuff together. Joe gets out of his plane and promptly passes out. The guys decide to cut the day short. Joe asks Brandon not to tell anyone he fainted, especially Donna.
At the non-garage sale, we learn that Clare still has her blow-up boyfriend. Susan tells Valerie that she’s totally done with Jonathan, but she doesn’t mind having him around. Valerie tries to get her nervous about the fact that Brandon and Kelly are exes and still hang out. Ginger calls again, having found out from Nat that Valerie was at the beach apartment. She’s currently at the Walshes’ house and wants a place to stay in exchange for her silence about their previous scam.
Valerie tells David what Ginger’s up to and asks him to check her into a nice hotel. Ginger repays the favor by flirting with David and spending lots of Valerie’s money. Val swears David to secrecy about Ginger’s presence in Beverly Hills while she figures out how to get rid of her. At the Walshes’, Brandon downplays Joe’s condition, though Steve mentions his passing out to Clare. Clare tells Brandon to talk to Kelly, since she’s still using.
Instead of going out with Susan, Brandon heads to Colin’s, where Kelly’s scouring the place for drugs. (Turning on some lights might help. Or maybe they spent the money for their electricity bill on coke.) She tries to get him to leave, but he refuses, because it’s Brandon’s job to fix everyone and everything. He takes her for a drive while she insists she’s handling things. Also, they’re quitting. Kelly wants to go home to Colin, and when Brandon says he’s the problem, Kelly accuses him of not being able to deal with her being in a relationship with someone else.
Ginger goes on a shopping spree, charging her new clothes to the room Valerie got her. Valerie reminds her that she’s already given her money, as part of their agreement that Ginger stay out of Beverly Hills. Ginger starts talking about staying in town, moving in with Valerie, and stealing David. Old Valerie would have scratched her eyes out, but new Valerie just asks her to leave. Ginger agrees, if Val pays her $50,000.
Of course, Valerie balks, but Ginger threatens to play the gang a recording of her and Valerie talking about their scam. Val’s just tired of this whole thing and barely puts up a fight. Ginger tells her she wants what Val has – a nice life with nice friends. Valerie only tells her to rethink her plans and be out of the room by noon the next day.
Brandon stops at a payphone to tell Susan he’ll be late for their date. While his back’s turned, Kelly drives off in his car. Susan has Jonathan on her other line, and he tells her that he overheard Brandon talking about going to see Kelly. Susan decides to go to dinner with Jonathan instead. Ginger calls Valerie to announce her new terms: She’ll leave Beverly Hills as soon as she’s gotten a night with David.
Donna’s learned that Joe passed out after the flight and asks him to go see her father again. He agrees to, though he’s still insisting that he’s fine. She gets him to admit that he’s scared. Kelly goes to the beach apartment to get more of her things, telling Donna to tell Brandon that if he kidnaps her again, she’ll call the police. Donna wants Kelly to stay, but Kelly’s sick of having to answer to her friends for her behavior. She says she’s outgrown the apartment. Donna wonders if that means Kelly’s outgrown her, too.
Thoughts: Jonathan, re: a biplane flight: “It’s more fun with a bunch of guys.” Um…
Clare and Valerie both changed their hair. Thumbs down on both. Well, Clare’s cut looks okay, but she has streaks that just make me cringe.
Clare and Donna put tape over their bookcases and label them “not for sale,” and put signs on their doors that say “do not enter.” Smart, but I still don’t get why they don’t have the sale at the Walshes’. Why would you want a bunch of strangers in your apartment all day?
'90s Flashback 
