Expert: Carmen Curtis - 10/9/2007

Question
Hello Carmen! I have a few questions about season 5 for you to answer if you can.
1. We learn in the first episode that Valerie is from Buffalo but in the episode 'Intervention' Val tells Claire that she grew up across the street from Brenda and Brandon, which of course was in Minneapolis. So where is she from, Buffalo or Minneapolis, I'm confused?
2. Does Donna ever find out that Val has been sleeping with Ray on the side? I just saw the episode 'Stormy Weather' and was wondering.
3. Does the Brandon/Kelly/Dylan love triangle begin in the episode 'Stormy Weather'?
Your help is greatly appreciated. Sorry If I am being annoying. Thank you again.

Answer
Hi Kaelyn,
Valerie is technically from Minneapolis. At some point (it's not clear how old she was) she moved to Buffalo, where she stayed until she moved out to Bev. Hills. Donna does eventually find out that Val slept with Ray. In the episode "Speechless" (season 6) where the gals go on a road trip and wind up in a convent after their car breaks down, they have a truth-or-dare type conversation in the car. The girls chide Val for having had so many boyfriends and Donna demands to know what really happened between Val and Ray. Valerie admits that she slept with Ray twice, and Donna has to get out of the car to puke. Later in the episode, Donna breaks up with Ray for the last time. The Brandon/Kelly/Dylan love triangle probably starts in the episode at the start of season 5, "Under the Influence." That's when Dylan learns by accident from Nat that Brandon has been dating Kelly for the whole summer. He drunkenly crashes Donna's debutante fundraiser and calls Kelly and Brandon "Blondie and the Boyscout." The love triangle is directly addressed again in the Stormy Weather episode, since Kelly is torn between Dylan and Brandon. I guess it continues for the rest of the series in some ways. :)

Hope this helps,
Carmen