REACTION: 9021OMG Episode 23
Monday’s “9021OMG” podcast covered “Spring Dance,” one of the best-known episodes of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” with the show’s creator himself, Darren Star.
“Spring Dance” is the 21st episode of the series and the penultimate of the first season. The plot revolves around — you guessed it! — the Spring Dance, where Kelly (Jennie Garth) is nominated for Spring Princess and goes with Brandon (Jason Priestley) as her date, Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Dylan (Luke Perry) take their relationship to the next level, and Ian Ziering gets his first emotional work as Steve.
Not only was this episode written by Star, but he also directed it too. For my recent look at teen drama characters losing their virginity, executive producer Charles Rosin shared with me the pushback they received over Brenda’s first time, noting:
“The backlash from this mutually agreed story point overwhelmed the excitement of Darren Star’s directorial debut — which captured our teen spirit and killed in the ratings — and would mark the escalation of a cultural war that that would set the tone for season 2.”
Rosin, Star, and FOX executive Sandy Grushow also discussed the controversy on the “Beverly Hills 90210 Show” podcast nearly a year ago. Now Jennie and Tori Spelling (Donna) had the opportunity to weigh in on the episode… with Star himself joining them.
9021OMG Episode 23, “Lucky Star”
Jennie: “What a show we have today. I’m really, really excited A, to talk about this episode from this week and B, we have a super-special guest. Before we talk about that, let’s talk about the exciting thing that’s going to come up soon.” Tori: “We have our next live event, you guys!” They want to “celebrate” finishing season 1 and have a “wrap party” — aka, another live podcast. It will be on April 26 at 8:00pm ET. And yes, they are again charging for tickets. What’s more is they’ve bumped the price of a VIP ticket (for a virtual meet and greet) up from $100 to $150. Tickets are on sale here.
Jennie promised “surprise guests,” saying, “They’re a surprise to even us. I have no idea who it’s going to be yet.” That’s always a good sign. Maybe they’ll announce a cast member again and then not deliver. She also vowed “games and fun and probably some technical difficulty.” Tori urged listeners to buy tickets AND buy their merch. She gushed about getting one of the shirts recently and said they may wear them for the event.
Jennie then announced “the one and only Darren Star is going to be coming on in a little bit to talk to us about the origination of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210.’” She added, “I kind of feel like God is coming. I’m nervous.” Tori called him the “big boss,” saying, “Without him, this show would not exist.” She mentioned how he went on to do “Melrose Place,” “Sex and the City,” “Younger,” and now “Emily in Paris,” deeming him a “god amongst gods.” Tori said they haven’t “seen him in so long,” calling it “years,” but Jennie said, “I saw him on a podcast.” What she didn’t say was that the podcast was the “Beverly Hills 90210 Show” podcast, when they held a “super show” in honor of the series’ 30th anniversary last October and reunited Star with a bulk of the original cast. So the refusal to actually acknowledge that that podcast exists continues.
Sisanie wanted to know if they are “nervous” around Darren and whether they feel like they “owe” him their careers. Jennie called him “the reason this show came to life. Him and Aaron worked together to make this what it is.” She referred to him as their “boss.” Tori said she was “always really shy around him” and was “nervous” to talk to him today. She wondered if he felt like he had to write for her because she was Aaron’s daughter, but credited him for giving her her first “big comedy” stuff with “Spring Dance.” Sisanie said Tori had a “big part in all of this” by suggesting actors to cast and insisted (with all her superfan wisdom) that Darren wouldn’t have cast her if he didn’t want to. Tori explained she wanted him to be “proud” of her and “approve” of her. Jennie thought he’s “proud” of all of them and “still really proud” of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” She added, “Just like for us, it has this amazing little part of our hearts that can never be taken away and I feel that from him too. That connection.”
They gave the “Spring Dance” airdate and the synopsis, which this week was word-for-word from the episode’s wiki page. They rightly said the episode was both written and directed by Darren. Tori called it a “big undertaking” and Jennie called it a “huge, huge episode.” She called The Rave-Ups, the band at the dance, “rad” and said she had a crush on one of the guys. That led Tori to quip how Jennie used to like musicians and now she likes golfers. Superfan Sisanie admitted she didn’t know Darren directed this episode “until we got our notes.” Just who is the poor, unfortunate soul putting these notes together for you each week, Sis? They should do a better job… and maybe you should do your own research instead of relying on a producer or a production assistant or an intern (or whoever it is).
Sisanie then called it “my favorite episode so far.” Jennie said it was like a “‘90s rom-com” or a John Hughes film. Tori was “crushing on” Jennie in the episode and liked her dancing. Jennie called it a “hugely memorable episode for all the fans, I think, and one of the episodes that was a defining moment, a defining episode for the show moving forward. It just defined what the group was about. Everyone had their things but we all came together.” Tori agreed, saying it established the “ensemble” and the “gang we’re going to now go forward with for the next 10 years.”
Jennie said she wanted to “break it down from the beginning” and go all the way through the episode. That would be something new since they are usually so scattered and bouncing around from topic to topic without having any kind of order to the discussion. Jennie called Steve “so horny” and wondered if spring makes guys “especially randy.” Sisanie called it “the theme of the episode because we know what happens with Dylan and Brenda.” They brought up how Sharon Case played Darla and how they had recently spoken to her for the podcast. They all called her hot and Jennie thought she “did Darla right.” They speculated Ian ad-libbed when he said he’d get a “minivan.”
Tori thought Brian’s voice, when he was announcing the spring princesses, was “higher than other episodes.” Jennie thought Brian had “some great stuff” in the episode. Jennie mocked how excited Kelly got over the nomination. Sisanie liked that Donna and Brenda were “supportive.” They started talking about the dress shopping and Tori brought up how Julia Roberts wears the same dress as Kelly and Brenda in Mystic Pizza. It’s actually not the same dress, just similar, but we know they’re never ones for getting the details right. Jennie said she’ll never forget the dress and liked how Brenda “made it her own.” Tori brought up the vegetable boutonnière and Jennie was totally flummoxed by it. But she did remember that they had to have a lot of them on set because it “kept wilting” during filming. Tori called it “chic” and “farm to tux.”
Superfan Sisanie said she “screamed” when Kelly and Brandon kissed at Casa Walsh. Jennie: “What about when they made out on the dance floor?!” Tori said Jason was “handsy” with Jennie during the house scene and Jennie said it was “very Jason and Jennie” in that moment. Jennie liked when Brenda said, “Kelly, I don’t give a damn.” Tori thought Shannen’s cheeks were “on point” and “gorgeous.”
Tori then brought up her own dress and Jennie said how they made a “copy” of it for “BH90210.” Tori wondered if the oversized dress was in the script like that and said they should ask Darren. Jennie called it a “Gone with the Wind situation.” Sisanie noted how Tori was all about comedy this episode and Tori said she “couldn’t have been happier” doing that. Jennie said it was “weird” Donna was going with Steve to the dance, but loved all the comedy moments. Tori recalled being insecure on the inside as she filmed those scenes but outwardly projecting confidence. She liked that Kelly stood up for Donna to Steve and they all agreed Steve was a “jerk” in this episode, though he had “reasons.”
That led them to start to talk about Steve’s adoption, but Tori interrupted to go back to the house scene and said she wanted to know if it was okay to repeat something from the show that’s not PC today. She said when they were doing the group photo, one of the lines about Donna’s dress was, “I think she’s hiding an army of midgets under there.” Jennie insisted “no one said that,” but Sisanie backed Tori up. Jennie then guessed it was an ad-lib.
Just have to note: So much for going through the episode from the top and in order because they’ve skipped over everything that happened at school with Andrea and Brandon, as well as Kelly asking Brandon to the dance, and the guys going shopping for their tuxedos. It’s like they wouldn’t know a linear structure if it hit them in the face.
Jennie: “So they go to the dance and all Dylan wants to do is get Brenda up in the bedroom to get freaky.” Jennie said she “didn’t feel it” when Dylan insisted to Brenda that he loved her and she wasn’t “just another notch on my belt.” Superfan Sisanie, on the other hand, “did feel it,” prompting Jennie to tell her, “You, Sis, are a diehard Brenda and Dylan fan. I can feel it.” Sisanie confirmed, “A little bit. Just from the very beginning. I don’t want to give it away for the people who haven’t seen it. But, you know, it gets dicey later.”
Tori: “Now we can go to your kiss with Brandon?” Jennie said not yet, because she wanted to talk about Brenda telling Dylan she was nervous and Dylan saying how they would be “enjoying each other.” Jennie’s reaction to that was “ew.” Superfan Sisanie: “Am I the only one that was into this?! I was so into this! I was like, ‘Yes! I believe everything you say! Let’s go upstairs!’” Tori said she was into it when she watched it while she was young, but not as much now. Jennie said she got more into it when they got into the hotel room. Tori said that “some of the lines didn’t feel like the Dylan I know,” prompting Sisanie to exclaim, “Why are you guys such haters on this?!” Jennie insisted they’re “not haters” and pointed out, “The name of this podcast is ‘OMG.’ These are just ‘OMG’ moments for us.” Sisanie said it was portraying the “fantasy” for high school girls, including herself, who went on to lose her virginity after the homecoming dance. Sisanie, “The dance really justified it for me.” Jennie quipped, “I feel so much closer to you now that I know where you lost your virginity. Thanks for sharing.” Sisanie had already shared this on a prior podcast, actually. Not surprised they didn’t remember.
Superfan Sisanie: “I think it was a big issue for the network at the time to show a 16-year-old losing their virginity.” Jennie: “I think they got a lot of heat after this episode. I mean, they had to have.” I like how they use phrases here like “I think.” It tells you a lot about what they ACTUALLY know and what they don’t.
Jennie finally invited Tori to comment on Kelly and Brandon’s kiss, with Tori telling her, “That was your first experience of him eating your face.” (Tori is one to talk, wow.) Jennie said it “looked like a good kiss” and she was “into it.” Tori was “really into it” and said she was “more into watching that juicy kiss than Brenda and Dylan. There was just so much chemistry.” Tori liked that Kelly actually looked like someone who just made out with someone versus looking perfect. Sisanie actually expected Jennie to remember how many takes of the kiss they did. She did not. But she knew it was a “good kiss.” Jennie lamented kissing actors with stubble. Tori brought up Brandon saying how he thinks of Kelly as a sister, noting, “I don’t think he’ll think that in seasons to come.” Jennie liked that Kelly was “denied” because it “made her more human.”
Jennie’s “favorite, favorite part” was the “very end,” when the camera pulled back as the group danced together. Jennie: “I sat there watching it last night by myself and it actually shook me up quite a bit because it was just one of those moments where I really remember standing next to Luke and just that connection was so strong at that point and it was such a moment for me and I was like, ‘Ah, I miss him.’” Tori said everyone has memorable moments like that because they were “each other’s best friends” and what we saw on camera was “real life.” Sisanie noted that they had filmed practically the whole season by this point, so it made sense that their relationships continued to build.
Tori “loved” Ian in the episode and seeing Steve’s “softer side.” She added, “This episode really had a balance of emotion and comedy.” Jennie thought it “humanized all the characters” and “made them so much more relatable.” Tori called Andrea’s chainsaw moment “hilarious.” They were thrown off by Andrea calling out to her mom when she lives with her grandmother. Apparently they didn’t remember that Andrea was still living at home at this point but using her grandmother’s address. She moved in with her later. Clearly they still need a fact-checker.
Sisanie then told them Darren was in the “waiting room,” so they took a break and came back with him. They all gushed over how everyone looked, as if we could see. Darren: “I saw you both for a second on that ‘90210’ thing we did a while ago.” Darren, be better than them. Use the name.
Darren said he “loved” “BH90210” and everyone was “so good” in it. He was surprised to hear it was a “challenge” for them because it looked like “fun” to him. He was amazed that it was shot in Canada and not California because “you would never know.” He said the cast “looked amazing.” Tori said the the cast all “regressed to our younger selves” upon reuniting and Darren said he could “only imagine.”
Tori said she and her kids “love” “Emily in Paris,” which Jennie called “so fun to watch.” That led Darren to bring up when Donna went to Paris and Jennie asked what it was she had to eat (brains). Jennie said Darren makes shows that “transport you to another time where things are just better and easier and fantastic.”
Darren said Tori was like 15 when “Beverly Hills, 90210” came about. Tori wanted the details, so he explained how he wrote some teen movies, and Paul Stupin, with whom he had worked, was developing a show about Beverly Hills High and thought of him to write it. (Here is my 2010 interview with Paul, who went on to be an executive producer on “Dawson’s Creek.”) He then met with Aaron, “clicked” with him, and wrote the pilot. Darren thought the pilot was “amazing” while FOX was unsure… and then it “tested through the roof.” He confirmed Tori “recommended some actors,” including Jason and Shannen. Jennie teased Tori for not recommending her.
Darren said Aaron wasn’t “intimidating” and actually “made it really fun.” He called Aaron “creative” and was revealed Aaron himself was actually “nervous” at times. Tori wanted to know where the show’s title came from. Darren said Barry Diller came up with changing “Class of Beverly Hills” to “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which Darren thought was terrible. But Barry recognized that it was a show about more than high school. Jennie called this “the beauty of collaborating.” Tori wanted to know if Shannen and Jason did a chemistry read together, and Darren confirmed they did. Shannen was already cast and gave Jason her seal of approval. Darren confirmed Jason was the last role cast at the last minute.
Jennie wrongly said Darren directed the first episode before being corrected, that he directed “Spring Dance,” and she explained how that’s the episode they just rewatched and are discussing today. Darren recalled being “nervous” to do it and Tori called it a “big episode for your directorial debut.” He asked them if they’ve directed anything, but they didn’t seem to hear. (FWIW, Jennie is credited with directing two episodes of the show and Tori is credited with one, all loooooooong after Darren left). They told Darren their rom-com / John Hughes comparison, and he told them that his thinking with the series was that no one had done John Hughes movies for TV and that’s what he wanted to “capture.”
Darren confirmed his sister was the inspiration for Brenda and that Brandon was “most like” him, though “Jason made it more interesting than I was in high school.” Jennie asked if the pilot was intended to be a two-hour movie and Darren explained that he had only written movies up to that point and so he wrote it as such. Jennie marveled over it being cut to about 90 minutes and airing at that length.
Darren said they were “always on the verge of cancellation that first season,” and Tori asked, “Was that the truth?” No, Tori. He’s lying. He confirmed it “wasn’t a hit” and the episode order “dribbled in,” with Aaron urging the network to order more. Jennie: “What would’ve happened if they didn’t offer more? We wouldn’t be sitting here talking to each other.” Darren called it “good news / bad news” when they were invited to do the summer episodes. It meant the writers couldn’t have a hiatus. Darren revealed he ended up going on vacation with Charles and the Rosins so they could keep writing and figure out the next season.
Tori wanted to know “the story of the casting of Luke.” Darren explained that they needed a “bad boy” character after the pilot and developed Dylan, but he didn’t remember anyone auditioning besides Luke and thought he was “perfect.” Tori wanted to know why Luke wasn’t in all of the episodes of the first season, which was because he didn’t have a full-season deal. In his mind, though, Darren remembers Dylan being in a lot of it.
After a break, Jennie wanted to know if Darren likes to watch his work back. Darren said he hasn’t rewatched “Spring Dance,” but did rewatch “Slumber Party” and “Perfect Mom” recently on Hulu and enjoyed them both as “better than I remember them being.” Darren praised Ann Gillespie’s acting in “Perfect Mom” and said he even Googled her. Tori said rewatching the show now is “so relevant” and Jennie said they’re “fanning out, watching it as fans, somehow removing ourselves from it all.” Darren said even though he wrote those episodes, he didn’t remember what was coming up in them. Jennie noted her bad memory and how “Tori has to fill me in on everything,” but said rewatching “refreshes” her memory.
Tori wanted to know how “Melrose Place” came about. Jennie: “Wasn’t it the construction guy in the backyard?” Darren said the network first wanted a college spinoff, which he rejected, pointing out that the “Beverly Hills, 90210” characters would have to go to college themselves eventually. Having lived in a complex like “Melrose,” he “shoehorned it in” to “Beverly Hills, 90210,” admitting, “It wasn’t the most organic spinoff.” Darren pointed out that Kelly and Jake’s relationship “would not fly today” and would be consisted “statutory rape” because of how old he was. Jennie thought “so many of the stories wouldn’t work now.” Darren said “nobody said a word at that time” about Kelly and Jake being inappropriate. They also brought up how Brenda went for older men right from the pilot.
Jennie brought up the fashion component of Darren’s shows. Darren said Aaron was “very concerned” about the fashion while he himself didn’t care at first. Darren said Aaron had an “eye” for the fashion and understood the importance of hair, makeup, and wardrobe. It took time for Darren himself to learn that “people watch TV for the clothes” and the sets and other aspects. Tori said her dad would come home with Polaroids and wanted opinions on the outfits. Jennie said “Sex and the City” was “the show for fashion to watch and now ‘Emily in Paris.’” Darren called famed costume designer Patricia Field, with whom he worked on both “SATC” and “Paris,” a “genius.” He admitted he used to be afraid the clothing would overshadow the dialogue, but totally trusts her.
Jennie wanted to know if Darren ever “went to the darker side” and ever wanted to do things less “colorful.” Darren said he would “if the material was right” and he could “connect to it.” He said he likes science-fiction but not gore, though he loves thrillers and mysteries. He’s open to doing other things if he found the right project.
Tori wanted to go back to “SATC” and asked Darren which of the characters he would liken Kelly and Donna to. Darren said Kelly and Donna are “so different” and their own people that he doesn’t think of them “in comparison to other characters.” Then he joked, “I think you’re both Samantha.” Jennie was kind of taken aback because she’s not provocative like Samantha. She cracked, “Maybe Kelly was.” Tori said she thinks every person has a “side of every character” from “SATC” in them. Darren agreed with that. Tori then wanted to know who he would be. Jennie quipped, “Mr. Big.” Darren said Carrie, noting how they’re both writers. Jennie brought up filming “Emily in Paris” IN Paris and Darren said they are restarting production again in France in early May. Tori offered themselves up for cameos while Jennie was willing simply to hold Darren’s script for him. He told them to visit anytime. Tori: “We could do our podcast from there. We could do BTS.”
Darren pointed out that Lily Collins was on nu90210 and Jennie and Tori were shocked. Jennie: “The one with the young people? The one with the kids?” Yes, the one you appeared on for 20 episodes, as much as you try to deny it. Darren said Lily would be a good guest for them on the podcast. Tori wanted to know if he was approached when nu90210 was in the works and Darren confirmed — as I have said again and again — that he wasn’t. Darren speculated they didn’t want to pay him. Tori: “Yeah, we have issues with that one, even though Jen starred in it.” Tori, let’s not forget you were in two episodes too, one that even had “Donna” in the episode title. Tori: “The fact that they killed your mother off. That’s the thing that I didn’t like. That’s an original ‘90210’ character.” Darren: “They shouldn’t mess with that.” I mean, duh. Just read all about my problems with that and nu90210 here.
Darren said he read about this in Variety while doing a different show for The CW. He was not happy about it. He was also “appalled” at first by the Lifetime biopic but then realized he just needed to “laugh” at it. He acknowledged the movie “captured a little bit of the beginning,” but he wasn’t sure where the info came from. Jennie thought it was “compiled” from all the books the cast has written. Tori said they could’ve come to them directly because what they depicted went “differently.” Jennie: “They could’ve fact-checked a little bit. That would’ve been nice.” WOW. Now that is the pot calling the kettle black.
Jennie wanted to know if Darren sees the world as “stylized” like he does in his writing. Darren said he always thinks what he writes is “realistic” and then people tell him it’s “stylized.” He thinks it’s most important that the characters have “emotional truth to them” because the shows are about “people talking” and “personal drama.” Jennie said she’s always asked why “Beverly Hills, 90210” struck a chord and the answer to her is that “it was this fantastic, amazing world that no one had ever seen before — Beverly Hills and that lifestyle — but it’s so much more about the characters and the integration of the characters and the relatability.” (Executive producer Larry Mollin, however, would argue — as he has — that the characters were supposed to be aspirational, not relatable.) Darren rejected the idea the show was “shallow” or “superficial” because the characters had “depth.” Darren said “anyone can shoot a show that looks great, but it’s really about the cast, the characters, the emotion — it all has to click, the writing and the cast. You have to get so lucky for it all to come together. It’s amazing when it does.” Darren said their show may not have worked if something was different with the cast. Jennie said she was getting “misty-eyed.”
Jennie brought up to Darren the group dancing together at the end of “Spring Dance” and how it “stirred something in me that I couldn’t deny” about the cast. Darren said they had “real camaraderie, that real connection, and it came through” on the screen. Jennie likened it to “lightning in a bottle.” Darren said he remembered that shot well, that it was so “exciting” to be working with a crane for it.
Jennie wanted to know if Darren had a favorite episode. He said he “loves” the “Donna Martin Graduates” episode. Tori: “Who knew?!” Darren said the ones that are top of mind for him are from the first few years because that’s when he was around. He expressed how much he loves “Spring Dance,” not just because he directed it, but because of the emotion and the comedy. He specifically brought up Tori’s dress and how “funny” she was. Tori thanked him for writing that for her. Darren called it a “little John Hughes movie” that “captured the ensemble.”
Tori gushed to Darren about Ian’s emotional scene with Jason and how Darren “directed him so beautifully.” Jennie called it “subtle.” Darren said he thought Ian was “great” in “BH90210” and said how “amazing” and “built” he looks today. Jennie: “Everyone’s held together pretty good.” Darren named Brian as well. Jennie joked that they’re doing their “best” for him and they have a “few more years in them.” They discussed reuniting in Los Angeles at some point.
Darren spoke a little bit about filming in France amid the pandemic, saying it’s “not fun, but worth doing.” Darren wanted to know how many episodes of the podcast they’ve done. Jennie said 21, which is, uh, not correct. “Spring Dance” is the 21st episode of the series, but this is the 23rd episode of “9021OMG.” Tori said how they’ve done “every episode since the beginning of the show,” as if making it 21 episodes into a show that has nearly 300 is a lot or something. Jennie said it’s been a “gift” to rewatch the series.
Darren wanted to know their favorites from what they’ve seen so far or ones that were surprisingly good or bad. Tori cracked, “That happened.” They brought up “Spring Training,” and how they “heard” but didn’t know if it was “true” that it was a last-minute script after the original plans with Brandon meeting a veteran were thrown out. Darren: “It was a fun episode.” Jennie: “It wasn’t our favorite.” Tori: “It felt different… It didn’t feel like ‘90210’ as much.’” Tori said her favorites are “the iconic ones” — “Slumber Party” and “Spring Dance.” Jennie’s favorite is the pilot because she “loved everything” about it. Darren agreed. (Just want to note that Charles doesn’t like the pilot much at all, as he’s expressed publicly, and thinks everything that came after is way different, so it’s interesting that Jennie — and to a lesser extent, Darren — love it so much.) Jennie said “Spring Dance” is a “close second” for being her favorite episode. Darren said he wanted to “reiterate” for all those listening how good Jennie and Tori look.
Superfan Sisanie didn’t play her usual game like she’s done with other guests. In fact, she didn’t say a single word the entire time Darren was on. It wasn’t clear if she was even still on the call. After Darren got off, Jennie and Tori said how “nervous” they were talking to their “creator, the man who made you.” Tori said she “reverted back” to how she would feel back in the day, fearful of saying anything to him and thinking he was forced to cast her. Jennie urged her to “let go” of those feelings. Jennie: “What a genuine, kind, down-to-earth human being with so much success.” Tori: “So humble. He doesn’t have to be humble. He’s a genius.” Jennie said it was “great to have his perspective because we were so young and green” in those early years and he was the “puppeteer” figuring it all out while they were on set.
Sisanie let us know she was still alive and on the call by saying it was “funny” that Darren was excited to use a crane for the episode. Jennie said she wanted to ask Darren if he’s gone on to direct on his other shows. Tori: “When we join him in Paris, we’ll ask him.” You know you can just check IMDb, right? No passport required. It’s also quite telling that they don’t realize he also directed another significant “Beverly Hills, 90210” episode — “A Walsh Family Christmas” in season 2. Sisanie liked that Darren gave “insight” on “Emily in Paris” restarting production, thinking it was some kind of exclusive.
Jennie said they should wrap it up. Sisanie: “Speaking of wrapping it up, wrap party!” Jennie: “Oh, yeah, wrap. Good one. Nice tie, Sis. I see how you did that.” Tori gave the details again and Jennie said, “We have to really try to make it like a wrap party. I don’t know how we’re going to pull that off. We gotta brainstorm.” Tori: “I’ll just make it like our original wrap party and I’ll get drunk and puke and you can hold my hair.” Jennie: “Get wasted and throw up in a garbage can somewhere and then it’ll be like a wrap party. There you go. We’re classy. We’re classy gals.” Jennie said next week is the season finale of season 1, “which is very exciting.” She added, “It’s been so much fun, but I’ll save that for next week.”
If you weren’t going to have Darren on at the start of “9021OMG” or for “Slumber Party,” this was the next best episode to choose. The interview was good enough. I’m happy for those who were hearing most of what he had to say for the first time. It didn’t really scratch any new ground for me. It’s also worth noting that while Darren was the creator of the show and this world and the characters, Charles was the showrunner and the one responsible for day-to-day decisions. And when “Melrose Place” debuted as “Beverly Hills, 90210” started its third season, Darren’s focused shifted to the spinoff. That’s why it’s kind of ridiculous to me for them to act like Darren was the “big boss,” as Tori put it. Maybe in theory, but he wasn’t in practice, and he had practically nothing to do with the show as the seasons went on. It was hilarious, though, that Superfan Sisanie didn’t speak at all during the discussion.
I have to admit that since I’m not a Brenda / Dylan fan (though there are moments, scenes, and episodes I like!), I got some smug satisfaction out of Jennie and Tori not loving their parts of “Spring Dance” when this episode is like gospel for Brenda / Dylan people. (I guess, to give a comparison, I would be dismayed as a Kelly / Dylan fan if they didn’t like the Kelly and Dylan of it all in “Senior Poll.”) Though it was referenced a few times, I think they did Ian / Steve a disservice by not delving into his emotional scenes further. It was weird that Tori kept bringing up Steve and Brandon’s scene but not Steve and Kelly’s. The Andrea-Brandon dynamic was given the short shrift too. They also broke their recent format of giving favorite fashion, favorite lines, and fan questions.
Yet they’re trying to squeeze money out of fans again with another live podcast. I guess I’m a sucker since I’ll be buying a ticket again, but it’s really only to write about it like last time. That this online event is two weeks away and they have no idea what they’re doing for it makes it even more clear that this isn’t really about the show or the fans. It’s just another cash grab. Perhaps that it’s happening, though, is proof that the podcast is going to continue beyond season 1. But when? Will there be a hiatus first? I could use a break.
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