AboutCatherine Expertise I can answer literally every question that you have about "Beverly Hills, 90210." - especially regarding seasons 1-7. I have them all on tape as I have been recording this show since I was 9 years old. I know the lives of the characters inside and out - go ahead.. try me!
Experience I have been recording this show on VHS since I was nine years old. I have seen every episode at least ten times, sometimes more. In most cases (seasons 1-7 especially) I can quote entire scenes. I have every episode on tape and can easily point out differences between original broadcasts and the episodes on the DVDs.
Playinthesurf
Education/Credentials I am a graduate of Pepperdine University with a degree in business.
Question I am now watching Season 7 of 90210 and I can see this is where the show took a turn for the worse and perhaps it should have ended or better writers needed to be brought in.
The characters are pushed through the same dull plots and seem to want to escape. There is no character development.
Kelly trying to help Valerie during a fake pregnancy? uh...Valerie's boyfriend who never left his wife acts as though he didn't do anything wrong? Kelly saying she had a problem with drugs but it was mostly because of an old boyfriend? Hello? Brandon's new girlfriend who looks like Susan Keats but they are in a tv station not a newspaper this time. Brandon still wants Kelly....Kelly is still jealous. Ok, how long will they drag this out? Even Brandon and Kelly look bored with this plot. Donna is, once again, stalked. Steve and Claire fight and, once again Steve is in trouble for pranks. again...Everyone lives at the "Walsh House"...again or at the beach house...again.
Valerie still wants David. Donna still wants David. The gang is STILL at CU and unbelievably, they have breaks at the same time but never seem to be in classes or study.
I think it would have been for the show to end at Season 6. It was one of the better seasons. Most of the characters seem so stuck as they are still hung up on their past couplings.
Why didn't they just end it?
Answer Hi Lori,
This question is really a matter of opinion, so I don't really feel comfortable answering it as a so-called "expert." The ratings for 90210 were still relatively high during season 7, pulling in about an 8 share I believe, so it was still a good staple for Fox.
I personally love season 7 - it's one of my favorites. I always say that I like seasons 3,4,5, & 7 the best - I am not such a big fan of season 6. I don't like 6 as much because the characters feel slightly inauthentic to me, and the character range of Kelly going from easy-going and independent in season 4 to being completely self-centered early on and then a drug addict seems like a stretch to me. I also hate the Colin character, and Valerie is overly pleasant during this year. Nevertheless, I obviously love all of the seasons even with their flaws - some just more than others.
I think that the real demise doesn't even come in season 8 but in season 9 - which is by far my least favorite. I think it gets a little better in season 10, but 9 and to some extent 10, definitely bother me the most. As far as 7 goes, it makes sense for them to still be at CU in season 7 because they are there for 4 years (4,5,6,7), so I like that. I love Clare and Steve together, and I really think we get back to Kelly's true personality which is very reflective and self-aware. Whether intentional or not, the character of Kelly in season 7, to me, mirrors the Kelly character in season 3 - somewhat depressed and unsure of herself. She journals and keeps to herself for several episodes because she is sad about Brandon in a similar way that she is upset about Dylan in season 3 - whether this trait is annoying or not is up to you, but it feels very authentic to the character to me which I really appreciate.
I feel like there is also a sense that Kelly actually relates to Valerie in season 7 and that's why she doesn't like her - because she doesn't like qualities in Valerie that she sees in herself. Some of my favorite moments in the show are the ones when Kelly and Valerie bond over something and I think there are some good moments in season 7 including the abortion episode, the Christmas episode, and the Valentines day one. This season also brings us a more in-depth look into the character of Valerie - she had been victimized by her father which is probably causing her to be the attacker now that she has control over her life. I also like the introduction of Tom, and the rise and fall of Mark Reese when he competes with Brandon for the Dryer. We also get to find out more about Clare and see her emotional side when she sings in the talent show and when Dick dies (another storyline that I like).
To me, season 7 is more real and less soap opera. 6 feels more soap-ish to me as do 8,9, and 10. That's part of the reason why I completely agree with you on the annoyance of Donna being stalked yet again - the hostage episode is weird, and I hate the season premiere and the Mariah character... there are definitely some low points in the season which also include the joey fiasco, donna and david (a lot about Donna and David in this season annoys me - especially when they are morphed into WW II as Donna's grandparents and the whole thing with Cliff), the introduction of Joy (even though I like the rest of the Christmas episode) and the fact that Kelly's dad goes to jail and Valerie "invests" with him (what?), but all in all, I think it's pretty well done, and aside from the issues with Kelly's dad, I like season finale and seeing them graduate.
Touching on the graduation a little, I know that the Valerie suicide thing is lame, but I think there is some validation in it since it shows just how incredibly insecure and attention seeking Valerie really is. At her core, she needs someone to save her because she wasn't saved as a kid, and she creates situations to put herself in danger so that someone needs to come rescue her. I know I might be reading more into it than the writers intended, but whether a fluke or not, I think a lot of the character development feels very real on the show.
So anyway, this might not be the response you were looking for, but I see positives in all of the seasons - the series definitely doesn't have the same kind of flow, attention to detail, and continuity of a show like Party of Five for instance, but I think they did a pretty good job
