REACTION: 9021OMG Episode 5
Monday’s “9021OMG” had a lot of talk about kissing. That, of course, was probably to be expected given the episode they were discussing.
The fourth episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210” is called “The First Time” and is about Brandon’s, well, first time. And if you thought the pilot’s makeout session with Marianne was risqué, things obviously go to another level here when Sheryl, Brandon’s girlfriend in Minnesota, comes to visit. While he’s getting it on — and a brief triangle of sorts forms with Dylan — Brenda is crushing on her teacher whose kids she babysits.
The episode is the second to be written by the show’s creator, Darren Star, and the first to be directed by Bethany Rooney, who ultimately helmed more than a dozen episodes across the first eight seasons of the series. In fact, her last was the season 8 premiere. Rooney also directed episodes of nu90210, as well as “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill.”
After Donna was MIA from episode three, she was back in the mix here, and Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210) and Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills, 90210) naturally had lots to say… even though Sisanie twice complained they weren’t in the episode enough.
9021OMG Episode 5, “First Time and Hot for Teacher”
The podcast began with Tori saying “there’s good news and there’s good news.” The first good news was that 2020 is almost over. The second good news was that we’re into the holiday season.
Jennie said today was her daughter Lola’s 18th birthday, which means they recorded this on Sunday.
Tori said she felt “proud” of Jennie and called her a “really great mom.” She also remarked how crazy it is that they’ve gone from teens themselves to parents of teens all while remaining friends… and yet never knowing back then what life had in store for them.
Sisanie asked for the ages of their kids and they shared how Tori’s 9-year-old daughter Hattie is practically Jennie’s daughter because they’re so alike. It was cute.
Sisanie: “Do all the cast members have kids?” Google is your friend, Sis.
Tori and Jennie counted up all of the core eight’s children, excluding “furbabies,” and came up with 20. I don’t feel like doing the math to see if that’s correct.
Sisanie just learned through this exercise that Shannen doesn’t have kids.
I just don’t get why they’ve tried to sell Sisanie as a “superfan.” Why couldn’t they have just said she’s a casual viewer who is going to get a first-class education in all things “Beverly Hills, 90210” courtesy of Tori and Jennie? It’s insulting to real “superfans” when you keep calling her one and she doesn’t even know the most basic things.
Getting back to Shannen, Tori said how her kids loved her when they met during “BH90210” last year. “So she can unofficially be part of all our children’s lives,” she said.
Jennie thinks Tori is “so screwed” because her kids, who are close in age to one another, will be teens at the same time. Tori has been frightened since Jennie first told her that.
It was nearly 8 minutes before they transitioned to the episode at hand.
Jennie shared the air date of the episode and encouraged Tori to give a synopsis, which definitely wasn’t the original FOX-provided description.
Sisanie: “And you guys are barely in it! I needed more of each of you!”
Sisanie wanted to know if it’s Jennie’s bikini-clad body that the camera pans over in the opening credits. Jennie confirmed it’s not and said it appears to be the actress who played Tiffany in the preceding episode. Correct.
Jennie: “I’m just gonna go on record and say I think every episode should open on a shirtless Brandon.” Sisanie: “I agree. But then I feel creepy because he's supposed to be 16.”
Tori sees a theme: “You never knew it, but somewhere deep down, you’re in love with Jason Priestley.” Jennie: “How come you do this every time?” Tori: “I feel like this time around you’re Team Brandon.” Jennie: “I might be.” Sisanie rightfully pointed out, though, that they’re only four episodes in.
Jennie noted how these early episodes are focused on “the twins” and said she finds that “compelling.”
It was also pointed out that in the show, it’s circa November right now, just as it is for them watching in real life. (It’s actually December, but still.)
There was a tangent about earthquakes and who is and isn't scared of them, as well as who was in who’s bed during one particular earthquake in 1994. Sisanie wanted to know who the guys they were bedding were. Jennie said she didn’t remember, but Tori said “Nick and Dan.” Dan was Jennie’s first husband.
This led Tori to talk about the abusive relationship she had with Nick. “It’s been very well-documented, possibly by me.” Yes, by you. In your own book.
Tori stressed how “horrible” the relationship was and how Jennie “tried to beat him up on many occasions” (which Jennie didn’t remember), but said Nick’s gotten his life together now and they ran into each other and he apologized. I’m sure he loves this being discussed on a podcast.
Tori then spoke about the differences between Jennie and Shannen as friends, saying how Jennie would speak out about guys mistreating her and be her "protector" while Shannen would keep quiet.
Tori then told the story she shared in one of her books about Luke punching Nick at her parents’ Christmas Eve party. She said the dynamic with Luke-Jason was similar to Jennie-Shannen, where Luke would also be vocal and take action like Jennie would.
“It was the only time that Luke and I didn’t talk for months,” Tori said. “I was devastated. Because at the end of the day, I had to go home with this guy.”
That said, she clarified Nick wasn’t physically abusive, just verbally. Again, I’m sure he’s thrilled this is being rehashed.
Jennie: “I guess Luke and I are just very protective of you.”
Also Jennie: “I just want to add I’ve never been invited to one of those Christmas Eve parties.”
Tori said she realized that as she was telling the story and swore that Shannen never was either, only Jason and Luke.
Sisanie: “We should get back to the episode, but we should take a break.” Yep, it’s now more than 17 minutes in and they’ve yet to get beyond the synopsis.
My reward for listening this long was yet another Hello Tushy ad.
Jennie and Sisanie were unsure whether Brandon was a virgin... even though the episode is literally called “The First Time.”
Tori thought it was “fun” that Brandon and Sheryl did it while his parents were in another room.
Jennie, however, didn’t and said she felt like she’s living Cindy’s life right now because she’s currently dealing with her kids hooking up in the house and has started letting boys in the bedroom.
"I’m so easy, I’m such a pushover,” Jennie said. Tori disagreed.
Jennie then told a story about Lola just having a guy over and how she tried to interrupt them by vacuuming. She was whispering as she shared this because her daughter was in the other room. Interjected Tori: “As you tell the story on a podcast.” Jennie didn’t think she’ll listen.
Given the above, Tori isn’t really one to talk about telling personal stories on podcasts…
Jennie on Brandon and Sheryl’s hookup: “The making out of it all was so graphic, so intense, I was like, ‘I’m uncomfortable.’” Tori: “I wasn’t! I was pretending I was under him!”
Tori: “I have a bone to pick with Jason. Jason’s an amazing actor, but I did not feel like that was his first time.”
Jennie agreed: “He was a little too good at it... He kind of set the bar. He kind of screwed all of us, the rest of the actors on the show, because he set the bar so high with the first makeout scene of the series, so that from then on out, we had to really put out. Not put out, but really give it our all in the kissing scenes.”
Sisanie: “As actors, are you supposed to use tongue when you kiss on camera?” Tori and Jennie agreed there’s no set rule and it depends on the actor you’re working with.
That said, Jennie commented, “Back in the day, when we were filming these shows, I think teenagers were a little more tongue-y perhaps... We were doing our jobs!”
Tori: “Let's be frank — we were in our formative years. We were teen and 20-something girls and boys having to make out with beautiful people. It was a really hard job.” That last part was a joke, obviously.
Jennie: “There was just so much tongue and spit-swapping.” Tori: “I kissed more onscreen than I did offscreen.” Jennie: “Absolutely.”
Tori took it personally if a guy didn’t use tongue while they were filming. Jennie, on the other hand, said, “I’m the kind of actor who prefers no tongue... Me personally, I could have chemistry with a doorknob. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Tori: “That was like your first marriage... Luke would've appreciated that comment and you know it.” I guess the implication was that Luke wasn’t feeling Jennie’s first marriage.
Tori: “You don’t want to talk about sexualizing someone, but the lines got blurred when we were young. It was the ‘90s. I didn’t know anything else. So that was how I gauged, was I attractive? Was I sexy? You craved that attention because that’s what you knew. We were on sets where we were wearing tight things and the boys — it was a different time — the boys would tell you how sexy you looked if you looked great... But I do have to say, for women there is a line. Okay, fine, I’ll say it, for me, I wanted the attention, so I wanted the cute boy to place his tongue in my mouth, but I didn’t want him to suck my face because then I was worried I wouldn’t look good on camera. We were always conscious of not too much [face-sucking] because it still has to be a pretty kiss. Girls are conscious of pretty kissing.”
Jennie: “Yes, there’s definitely an art form.”
Sisanie thought Aaron would be on set and Tori had to kiss in front her dad. She was surprised / relieved to find out he wasn’t there. My “superfan” point stands.
Tori did note that Aaron did come to set when David and Donna got married... but c’mon, it was also the last episode.
Jennie thought Tori was more self-conscious because she was young and less experienced. “You put a lot of your worth into how these guys treated you,” she said.
Jennie stressed that what happened in that “bubble” of the show wasn’t real life, but Tori felt the lines were “blurred.” She agreed with Sisanie likening it to her version of a high school and college experience.
Tori: “The friendships would continue when the cameras weren’t rolling, so the lines did cross periodically.”
Sisanie: “Are we unraveling more than we asked for? I’m okay with that.”
Jennie then changed the subject, saying “You know what this episode represented as well? Your new nose!” Tori: “I didn’t even notice her!”
Jennie didn’t actually notice a difference in Tori’s appearance, though, which just proved Tori’s point from last week that the surgery was unnecessary.
Sisanie again complained that they weren’t in the episode much, prompting Jennie to say, “We were there. We were there to support Brenda in the whole hot-for-teacher storyline.”
Tori: “What is this thing with Brenda always loving older men?” She pointed out that Brenda had an older love interest in the pilot and now here too (of course, here it was one-sided and in the pilot Jason didn’t know her real age).
Tori asked Sisanie the name of the actor who played Mr. Brody and wondered what he looks like now.
Jennie thought it was weird they went through his underwear drawer. Tori thought it was weird the teacher asked Brenda to babysit in the first place. “I just feel like it’s the wife job to find” the sitter, she said, going on to wonder if “schools would approve of that nowadays.”
Sisanie thought it was “kind of maybe foreshadowing that [Brenda] has daddy issues, I feel like, a little bit.”
Jennie responded, “But why? Jim, he’s seemingly such a good dad. He’s around and he’s present.”
Sisanie countered that it seems like Jim favors Brandon and lets him get away with more. True that.
Jennie went to the actual club Brandon and Sheryl went to. Sisanie thought it was just a set.
Tori wanted to see Jim make out with Cindy while Brandon and Sheryl got it on. Jennie: “You're a sicko!” Tori: “I’m not a sicko! I enjoyed the romance! They’re in their 40s. They probably have a good sex life.”
Tori thought Jim could’ve relieved Cindy’s stress. Jennie: “Maybe that’s how it works in your house.” Tori: “Clearly, I have five kids.”
Jennie thought no one would want to see that. Tori disagreed, especially “nowadays.” But Jennie further argued Jim and Cindy should’ve been “parenting” in that moment instead of getting it on as well.
When Brandon and Jim play basketball toward the end of the episode, Jennie was “so fixated on Jim’s hairiness. All the hair. There was hair on the front, there was hair on the sides, there was [hair] in the back. Here, there, everywhere. He was so furry.” She went on, “I wonder if he’s still that furry. We should call him and ask him.”
This led Sisanie to ask if they prefer hair on men’s bodies. Clearly, the answer was no.
And that led to a tangent about Jennie removing hair from Tori’s face (or body?) and how she should’ve done it for James back in the day.
Jennie objected to the dialogue toward the end when Sheryl tells Brandon what a good “lover” he was.
Jennie: “What teen says ‘lover,’ first of all?” Tori: “What person at any age says ‘lover’? I don’t want anyone to ever tell me I’m a good lover.” Jennie: “That’s your new nickname now.”
Apart from the “lover” issue the and whole “sex while your parents are asleep,” Jennie said, “I was pro-Brandon and Sheryl. I thought they were really a cute couple. They looked like they went together and I wanted them to stay together.”
Sisanie: “She was too basic for me.” Tori: “Yeah. And no one likes a basic bitch.” Sisanie: “Especially in Beverly Hills. He could do better.”
Tori clarified she was kidding about the “basic bitch” comment, but said, “I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I felt like he was trying really hard and it was adorable and it just didn’t match up for me.”
Jennie argued, though, “Like they weren’t meant to be together forever, but I thought they looked cute together, like two cute Minnesota people.” Tori: “Except in no way, shape, or form does Jason Priestley look like a cute little Minnesota boy.”
Sisanie: “You know who looked like a stud in this episode? Mr. Dylan McKay.”
They all thought Dylan wore his pants really well and were upset about him getting punched in his precious face.
But Jennie didn’t buy that Dylan wasn’t interested in Sheryl and Tori didn’t buy that Sheryl wasn’t interested in him. Jennie: “When Dylan McKay comes knockin’…”
Tori said girls either want the “adorable and cute and sweet and the good guy or you want the dreamy, sexy, bad boy. There’s only one or the other. It’s black and white. It takes a really evolved teen, though, to go for that sweet good guy from jump.”
Jennie insisted she doesn’t have a type and is “kind of all over the place.” Tori disagreed, saying, “When I first met you, you liked musicians and bad boys. But now she definitely... she likes funny, cute."
Jennie didn’t want Tori to talk about a “phase” where she went against type but they discussed it anyway. Jennie said, “I know what you're referring to. He was sexy. He just didn't fit the visual... Oh my god, we have got to move on."
Sisanie: “Actually, we have to take a break. We can come back to this if you want, Jennie.” Jennie: “I’m good.”
So again we learned how Jennie slept with Harry Styles via the Calm app.
Jennie brought up the actor who played the little boy and how he was also in Sleepless in Seattle. “Cute as a bug he was,” she said, which was cute in and of itself.
Tori wanted to figure out how old he’d be today but couldn’t do the math. Jennie amusingly exclaimed, “Younger than you!”
Tori then offered, “Did you notice how Brandon was a butt-grabber? I don’t feel like he would’ve been a butt-grabber.” Jennie was confused by this, but Sisanie backed Tori up. Jennie: “Maybe she just had a really long back and his hand was on her back.”
Sisanie wanted to know if such movements would be written into the script. Tori said, “Jason took a liberty as an actor” and Jennie said no but that she’d appreciate the direction because otherwise it’s like, “What the eff do I do with my hands?”
Tori likened getting direction to a “porno shoot” and said she went to one once. Jennie: “Let's not... why were you there?” She explained it was a “friend of a friend” who “directs porn and it was woman-on-woman, but it’s very not sexy when you watch it because the whole time she is giving very explicit direction of ‘move your hand here.’ Not all gratuitous. Even like ‘hold her cheek, put your hand on her shoulder.’”
Jennie: “I don’t like this conversation. It’s making me uncomfortable.” Tori: “Oh good. Then it’s probably a good one.”
I wondered if any moms listen to this with their teen or pre-teen daughters.
Sisanie asked if they had any “‘9021-Oh no you didn’t!’ best lines from the episode.” That was a new phrasing and, I guess, a new segment they’ll be doing.
Sisanie’s choice: “That’s always been my problem: lots of protection but no one to protect.” Jennie: “Wow. That says a lot.” About Sisanie or Brandon…?
Jennie’s choice: “You’re gonna be a hunk, just like your daddy!”
Tori’s was Kelly alluding to indoor activities, which led her and Jennie both to agree that Kelly was very naughty.
They also liked Dylan saying, “You better figure out who your friends are.” Jennie said no one could’ve said that like Luke and Tori said how Luke had such unique deliveries of lines.
Tori: “Can we go back to my boy for a second? How cute was little David Silver coming up to Brandon and pretending to know his life and telling him a story that went on so painfully long that I got nervous for him?”
Jennie agreed David was “so cute” and that Brian was “so good at physical comedy” in the “geek” role. Tori: “But I don’t think any geek looked as cute as he was. He was a little heartthrob playing a geek, which is obviously why the ‘geek’ status didn’t last very long.”
They continued to gush about Brian’s comedic skills, with Jennie saying, “He does the best Jim Carrey impression and it’s so good.”
Sisanie said they’re “gaining lots of popularity on this podcast. Who woulda thunk it?” This remark was based on emails apparently sent in by fans. Sisanie said she had “two good ones” to share for this installment.
The first one, from someone named Brad, asked whether the studio provided a car service to take the cast to the set in Van Nuys or if they had to drive themselves. Jennie: “I’ve been asked a lot of questions, but I’ve never been asked that question, Brad.” Tori: “That sounds like an insider question!” They wanted to know why he wanted to know and said it was something they would’ve never thought about in his shoes.
That said, they revealed they drove themselves and parked in their assigned spaces. This led Tori to bring up “double-ups,” when two episodes would be shot simultaneously, and she said a car service would be used then in case they were too tired to drive from the long days.
Brad also wanted to know if it was true they worked next to a “porno shoot.” This is true and has been talked about again... and again... and again over the years.
Who ever expected this week’s podcast to have a pornographic theme? Then again, one of the episode’s storylines was about sex. Then again, both times porn was discussed had nothing to do with the storyline in question.
The second email was from someone named Ylona, and the person basically said Luke and Jennie seemed more connected than Jason and Jennie and this fan didn’t like that Tori keeps teasing Jennie about supposedly having a thing for Jason.
Tori said she was only teasing Jennie because never until now did she ever hear Jennie have a sort of “girlie” response toward Brandon.
Sisanie asked point-blank, based on the email, “Was there a connection that Luke and Jennie had in real life and even rumored romantic feelings?”
Jennie hesitated and said, “Like most people, I shared a very strong connection with Luke and we worked closely together for years. Even after ‘90210’ we worked together and saw each other and our kids knew each other, so that connection was very deep and meaningful. That’s all I really wanna say about that.”
Tori then asked Jennie, “If you were to look at all the boys off-camera and be like, ‘There’s one that I find cute and if it were a different lifetime, maybe that’s the one I would flirt with,’ or we could do ‘Kiss, Marry, Kill,’ would you play that?" Jennie: “Do I have to?”
Jennie ultimately agreed to play, but protested, “I wouldn’t want to kill any of them. I can’t kill someone. How can you kill your brother?” So they decided on “Kiss, Marry, and Kick to the Curb,” but “not in a bad way because she loves them all.”
Jennie said she would kiss Dylan, only to be told she’s supposed to be answering based on the actors, not the characters. So she said she would kiss Luke, marry Jason or Ian, and then she’d have to kick Brian to the curb based on process of elimination.
Tori: “I’m going to go on record as her best friend and I’m going to say she would kiss Luke and she would marry Luke.”
Jennie didn't respond and Tori volunteered herself to play: “I guess Brian, Brian, Ian.”
"Ian’s like a brother to us,” Tori said, which made me wonder... are the others not?
Jennie worried she didn't answer the fan’s question well.
Tori said she played the game based on what she would say now and maybe she should’ve answered based on back then. Jennie said her answers wouldn’t be different, but Tori pointed out the 18-year-old version of herself obviously didn’t know Brian would one day be such a great father so maybe she would've said Jason back then for the “marry” option.
Sisanie: “So there’s that underlining Jason crush that Ylona’s talking about.” Jennie: “Yeah, maybe it’s you!”
Jennie was confused, though, by the fan alluding to Jason and Tori having a thing and Tori quietly said how she once “opened my big mouth and said something.” Jennie: “Oh, jeez.”
This is true and she’s underplaying it quite a bit. In 2015, Tori went on national television and pretty much said she and Jason slept together. It was during a special called “Tori Spelling: Celebrity Lie Detector” and it sparked a lot of press.
For his part, when asked about it, Jason said, “It’s nobody’s business.” I agree.
Sisanie: “Well, ladies, I think we covered a lot in today's episode.” Jennie: “Maybe too much.” Tori: “Now there’s no going back... I'm sweating so bad right now.”
I think this installment validated something quite a few of us have said: Why didn’t Jennie and Tori just do a “girl talk” podcast? They’re clearly most comfortable just shooting the shit and naturally going from topic to topic whether it’s related to the show or not. There’s nothing wrong with that — it just doesn’t make sense for a purported rewatch podcast.
The discussion of the actual episodes is such a tiny fraction of the hour-plus (with ads) that I’m just like, “Ugh, get on with it already!” Because if you tell me you’re doing a rewatch podcast, it’s episode-related content I’m going to want. If you tell me you’re doing, like, a best friends chat show, then obviously my expectations would be different.
All the talk about the cast’s kisses… certainly none of it surprised me as I think it was fairly well known that things took place on and off camera. Larry Mollin (executive producer, Beverly Hills, 90210) even discussed this with me in our 2010 interview, sharing what happened after they cast Tiffani for season 5.
“We liked Tiffani and we thought, ‘Oh, this is cute. I think she’s Brian’s girlfriend. He’ll love this!’ When we cast her, Brian was so upset! Oh my god, he felt betrayed! We were totally shocked and had no idea. But, then, of course, we realized why: because other people would be kissing and feeling up his girlfriend! That’s what the guys do. That’s their free shot. Luke’s a wonderful man and Jason is a wonderful man. But they are young guy actors on a show, which basically means they get to feel anybody up they want. And that’s just the way they are. I’ve got tons of outtakes of this stuff. That was just the fun of it. That’s just the way it was before sexual harassment became really a watch word in the industry. Young actresses just had to put up with that shit. I had seen that for years and years on shows. It was the way it went. Obviously if a girl didn’t like it, she could complain but most of them just put up with it and just expected it. The guys were just like that.”
Obviously, this interview — and obviously the production itself — was well before the #MeToo movement. I don’t think such behavior would fly today. But also, consider how much they discussed Jason’s appearance in this episode, whether he seemed experienced or not, Tori saying how she imagined it was her getting it on with him, etc. Talk about sexualizing someone!
Could you imagine the reaction if male celebrities were making those comments about their female counterparts? People would be outraged. (It’s not dissimilar to one of the controversies on this season of “The Bachelorette,” with fans pointing out that some of the activities the male contestants have had to do would never happen with female contestants on “The Bachelor.”) Furthermore, I also find it uncomfortable to talk about who kissed who and who liked who and who may still have a crush today because Jason is now married, Luke is gone, Ian and Brian are both going through divorces... it’s just inappropriate to me. I’m no prude, but I am politically (and morally / ethically) correct.
I even felt bad for Jennie’s daughter that she shared that story like she did. And should Tori be implying more about Jennie and Luke than Jennie herself is willing to say? I just feel like… let everyone speak for themselves. No one needs to reveal another person’s feelings, behavior, experiences, etc.
It was also definitely not appropriate to me that Tori rehashed her abusive relationship as she did, particularly she since gave his name and because she even acknowledged that he’s cleaned up his act and has apologized to her. She simply could’ve said she already discussed it in one of her books and out of respect for him and his privacy, she’s going to leave it at that.
But as this edition of “9021OMG” shows (as do the ones before it), Tori doesn’t have a filter. For better or worse. Which is why I can only imagine what’s in store next week...
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