Expert: Crystal - 8/2/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi Crystal I have 2 questions about Dylan that I am hoping you can answer for me:
1. Why did Dylan choose Kelly over Brenda? Was it just because of the whole summer fling thing, or was it just because she was the only one who showed up to his dad's party?
2. Why does he think him and Kelly are "soul mates" ? I'm a huge Brenda and Dylan fan so these two questions have been bothering me for a while. Hope you can help me.

ANSWER: Hello Kaelyn,

The answers to your questions are really best left to the writers of the show. They are the only ones that truly know the answer to them. That answer is most likely something to do with storyline reasons or such. However, I'll be glad to give you my opinion on each one. The answer may be different if you asked another 90210 allexpert (be it they saw things differently, or a Kelly/Dylan fan, I'm a Brenda/Dylan fan like yourself). Saying that, here's my answers...

1. I think Dylan chose Kelly out of curiosity (being in an relationship with and having sex with her). They did not have sex during their summer fling, but they had become close with both possibly seeing each other in a new light. Also, Kelly's lack of rules and family ties made her seem like a better choice: she didn't have a father to breath down Dylan's neck and her mom was tied up with a newborn. I think Kelly being the only one to show up also factors in because it makes her seem like the only one that supports Dylan having a relationship with his father which he so desperately wanted. Kelly also reminds Dylan that Brenda wanted to come, but her dad wouldn't let her. That reminds Dylan about how being with Brenda will make him have to follow certain rules and such set by the Walsh parents.

2. Dylan first brings up the idea of him and Kelly being soulmates based on how they both had messed up childhoods with parents that had more important things to do than parenting them. Then in the 5th season, Dylan gets involved with a hypnotist while working on a screenplay with his friend Charlie (met in rehab) and during his hypnotic regression, he sees someone that looks like Kelly in his past life. In the past life, the Kelly figure was instrumental in helping getting past life Dylan's life on the right track. After seeing the past life Dylan's death, with Kelly as the last one he sees, Dylan wants answers. The hypnotist claims that time is elastic and that there's not much difference in the past and future. She tells Dylan that Kelly is his soulmate based on that. However, she doesn't touch on how the subconscious pictures people from our past or "past lives" to be people in our current life or represent parts of our own personalities and how anything during hypnosis can be all imagined and made up. It also was not told if she a licensed hypnotist, very important if a person is to "believe" or "heal" from that kind of therapy.

Everything I've read on soulmates hardly ever matched what was shown on 90210. Also, when Dylan meets Antonia Marchette, Dylan tells Kelly that he guesses that they have more than one soulmate (that fits what I've read). He has no problem telling Kelly his intentions to or marrying Antonia, even with Kelly supposedly being his soulmate. If you remember, he got Brandon to tell Brenda for him because he didn't think he'd be able to. Following Toni's death, he did not turn to Kelly for comfort, he left town ending up with Brenda. When he returned still bothered by Toni's death, he again didn't turn to Kelly, this time to drugs. Before Brenda left for London, when Dylan was having a hard time following his dad's "death", Brenda provided comfort, Kelly was unable to help him.

However, it's possible that Kelly and Dylan are soulmates, but not the romantic kind. Maybe they are meant to be in each other's lives. Anything more, Kelly and Dylan usually end up miserable, don't trust each other, and Dylan never once told Kelly he loved her to her face. (He did tell her "most beautiful or not, I still would have fallen in love with you" while looking away. I'm from the school that it could be a lie if you don't make eye contact. Just compare it to when he actually said "I love you" to Brenda.) Soulmates or not, Brenda and Dylan had the far richer, more loving relationship that could stand the test of time.

Hope this answered your question enough.

Take care,
Crystal

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

QUESTION: Thank you, that does answer my questions. Also maybe Dylan choose Kelly cause Brenda's dad didn't really approve of their relationship. What was it that Dylan got Brandon to tell Brenda for him because he didn't think he'd be able to?

Answer
Hello again,

Yes, Dylan was probably discouraged from choosing Brenda knowing that Jim didn't approve of Dylan & Brenda being together. However, near the end of the show's run it was revealed that Jackie (Kelly's mom) didn't care for Dylan either. She makes a comment about Kelly always having to clean up Dylan's messes in high school (however, in actuality, that job was carried out by the Walsh family).

Hope you don't mind the extra info there, on to your question...

Dylan got Brandon to tell Brenda about how he was getting married to Toni. He told Kelly at the same time he told everyone else.

Have a good day,
Crystal