Expert: Crystal - 3/2/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hey Crystal.  Did Steve and Val sleep together in Season 5?  I think they may have in "Up in Flames" but I can't remember for sure.  Also, if Jason stayed on the show, do you think Brandon and Kelly would've gotten married in the Season 8 finale or would that storyline not have been done at all?  If they did get married, how do you think Dylan's return in Season 9 would've been handled?  Thanks.

ANSWER: Hello Karen,

Steve & Val: From what I remember about the episode "Up In Flames", Steve and Valerie were at least about to sleep together if they hadn't already. I say this because when Ray rescued them from the burning house, I think they were both half undressed. (memory is not clear about state of wardrobe, remember that they were found together)

Brandon & Kelly: If Jason stayed with the show & the storyline was still done, I see no reason that Brandon & Kelly would call off their wedding at the end of Season 8.

I remember articles at the time that made it pretty clear that the reason they didn't get married was due to Jason's decision to stick to his original decision to exit the show when it was renewed at the last minute for another season.

I see no reason to omit the wedding storyline if Jason had stayed, but I guess it's possible if the writers wanted to do something else instead, they could. Not that I have any idea what that something else could/would be.

If Brandon & Kelly married, there's no guarantee that Dylan would have been written back into the show. (While Luke was always welcome to return to the show, it seems that Aaron Spelling really wanted Luke to return once Jason wanted to exit. I guess the return of Dylan was to soften the blow of losing Brandon. Spelling also asked Shannen back, but she chose "Charmed" instead.) It's possible that they would have kept Dylan's story where he claimed he returned because of his feelings for Kelly. It's possible that they would have still done a love triangle between the three of them, even with Brandon & Kelly being married. Or it's possible that they would have omitted the part about Dylan having feelings for Kelly where he pursues her.

It's possible that with Brandon & Kelly married and Dylan returned, the writers may have told us what happened between Brenda & Dylan and they may have been reunited somehow.

I just don't see Dylan & Kelly ending up together at the end of the series if Brandon was an in-person option for Kelly.

Hope this answered your question.

Take care,
Crystal







---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Crystal.  I liked your explanation.  Another question.  Do you think the Emma storyline was done to help break up Brandon-Kelly and to facilitate Jason's departure from the show?  Or was Emma not connected to it since that storyline was a few months before the wedding episode?  Thanks again.

Answer
I don't know if the Emma storyline would have happened whether Jason stayed or not (only the writers know that). It seems like it would not have been needed if Jason was going to stay with the show. That's ignoring the fact that everyone thought Season 8 would be the last when Jason decided to leave at the beginning of the season (more details about that below).

Using that, it does seem like it was used to help break up Brandon & Kelly and to facilitate Jason's exit from the show. I think that it was just a lucky break for the show that they had a storyline to fall back on as a reason for Brandon & Kelly to break up.

However, it seems like the Emma storyline was thought up before everyone knew that the show was going to be renewed for a 9th season (my guess is they found out sometime in early 1998 that they were renewed, after the Emma storyline was already airing and had been written months before). It's intent could have just been a hurdle for Brandon & Kelly to work past and culminating with their marriage at the end of the season (what everyone thought was going to be a series finale).

So, it seems like the Emma storyline started out as possibly just a temporary hurdle for Brandon & Kelly's relationship, but by the show being renewed for Season 9 and Jason sticking to his decision to exit, it became connected to the reason they broke up permanently and his exit.

I hope that makes sense.

Take care,
Crystal