REACTION: 9021OMG Episode 6

Monday’s “9021OMG” podcast was particularly timely: The focus was one “One on One,” the same episode that was discussed on last week’s “Beverly Hills 90210 Show” podcast.

“One on One” is the fifth episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” It was the first episode of the series written by executive producer Charles Rosin and it was helmed by Artie Mandelberg. Fun fact: Mandelberg later produced the pilot of “Windfall,” which starred Luke Perry (Dylan, Beverly Hills, 90210). “Windfall” was created by Laurie McCarthy after she spent years writing and producing “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Anyway, in “One on One,” Brandon tries out for West Beverly’s varsity basketball team and stumbles upon what may be a scandal: Was one of the fellow athletes, who doesn’t live in the district, bused into West Bev just to improve the school’s sports standing? It’s the first time the show tackles race, but the seriousness of the storyline is balanced by a comedic plot in which Brenda tries — not for the first time — to get her driver’s license.

On the “Beverly Hills 90210 Show” podcast last Wednesday, Rosin discussed the making of this episode, along with five others from season one. But that’s not all. He also did an even deeper dive with a watch-along of “One on One” for the podcast’s Patreon subscribers. And that’s still not all. The podcast’s host Peter Ferriero and Rosin filmed an additional subscriber-only podcast with Joshua Karton, who played Brenda’s driving instructor, the aptly named Mr. Karton.

With all the behind-the-scenes details shared just days ago from Rosin’s perspective (as well as Karton’s), I was especially eager to hear what Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills, 90210) and Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210) had to say about this same episode.

9021OMG Episode 6, “Beverly Hills Flirt”

• The podcast started out with Sisanie declaring, “I’m just a superfan you guys invited into this podcast to kind of just ask the questions you won’t want to answer or bring up yourselves... an O.G. fan.” Yeah, okay, Sis.

• They revealed they were recording on Zoom. I’m still confused as to why they only release the video version in short, little Instagram clips. I could see the whole thing being a lot more enjoyable if we could see them.

• Tori didn’t know about Jennie’s first TikTok, which she posted to Instagram a few days ago. Tori: “You’re dead.” Jennie: “A, I can’t believe you don’t look at my Instagram. And b, everyone’s doing it.”

• Tori said she usually gives Jennie notes for improving her Instagram, but she had missed a few days.

• Jennie: “We’re talking about something way more important than TikTok today.” Tori: “No, no, no — answer first. I need to know what you did on TikTok. This goes against everything you stand for and believe in.”

• Jennie pushed back, saying she has “no problem with the TikTokers,” but Tori brought up a dispute they had about her (Tori) wearing a babydoll dress, seemingly to compare Jennie doing a youth trend (TikTok) with Tori wearing youthful clothing. Tori, mockingly: “Let the kids wear the clothing and I can’t revisit the ‘90s fashion.” Jennie: “I probably said you shouldn’t borrow your teenage daughter’s clothes.”

• That led to a tangent about their ‘90s clothing style and how they liked “twinning” with each other.

• Jennie eventually explained her TikTok video and Tori said she was very “proud” of her pal.

• Sisanie changed subjects by bringing up a DM from a fan about last week’s episode and how Mr. Brody’s wife was being snobby. Uh, who cares right now? Why waste time right now on an untimely question that has no relevance to the series going forward and was barely even relevant last week? Jennie even pointed out that she brought up the teacher’s wife last week (so it was redundant to discuss again) and Tori pointed out that the character was purposely snobby.

• Besides, Tori wanted to get back to the TikTok video and asked Jennie what song she played in it. Jennie: “Oh my goodness. What we need to do is talk about this week’s episode.” “Yeah, we gotta get through this because I’ve gotta look at this TikTok.”

• Jennie gave the episode title and air date, and Tori stressed, “One-on-one, as in basketball.” Thanks for explaining that, Tor.

• Jennie said Brenda got to be a really good driver by the end of the episode... which, uh, is not the case. In fact, Brenda again attempts to get her driver’s license in season 2. We’ll see if this podcast even gets that far.

• Tori thought it was funny Brenda and Brandon both had dream sequences in these early episodes.

• Jennie: “I really loved watching it now as just a viewer and watching how creative Brenda was in her imagination. She had such a vivid, active imagination and she was determined. I love the way she talks to herself too... She’s such a great character. I really never had a major appreciation because I was Team Kelly, obviously, all those years, but now watching it, I might be going to the Brenda side.”

  • To be fair, at this point in the series, you’re supposed to root for Brenda and Kelly isn’t very likeable. That changes.

• Tori brought up a quiz that tells you which female character you are from the series and recounted how they took it last year while filming “BH90210.” Jennie found out she’s a Kelly and Tori was a Brenda. Jennie’s husband Dave was a Donna.

• As they started to get off topic again, Jennie said, “You love how I always try to keep it on track? I’m always the one.” Tori: “And I’ve got my head in the clouds.”

• Jennie noted this episode dealt with "pretty big social issues at the time. This was 30 years ago, but the fact is this is still a conversation we’re all still having and we will have until the end of time, unfortunately.” She was impressed that they were “already delving into systemic racism and the fallout in the school system” in only episode 5.

  • Reminder that this was filmed as episode 4, but then it was decided “The First Time” would air first.

• Tori asserted, “The show wasn’t just a teen show about a bunch of hot kids hooking up. It had substance. It had some meat to it. I’m so proud of that.”

  • I think that’s the bad wrap most teen dramas get. It drives me nuts, because such inaccurate criticism is typically from people who haven’t watched the series, or enough of them. Otherwise they’d know better.

• Tori went on to say that the show didn’t shy away from the “super controversial. No one was going for it and the show went for it... Taking us out of it, it was never appreciated for how forward it was... and doing stuff that had never been done before. It never got that acclaim.”

• Jennie agreed: “The show never really got called out [in a good way] for all the things we addressed and dealt with on primetime television with a very young cast and I thought we did some really great things. I was always happy to be a part of those PSAs that we would do at the end of the episodes if an episode was about something really heavy.” Tori: “You did a lot of these. They were mostly your character.”

• Tori pointed out how her dad was known for “jiggle TV” and that his work wasn’t taken seriously even when he did dramatic things. She insisted, “I guarantee if they had someone else’s name on it, they would’ve been like, ‘GROUNDBREAKING!’ and they weren’t. Kinda bums me out.”

• Jennie: “I was proud of this episode. How did you guys feel like it did with the message of the story? Did you feel like it was an honest portrayal of the situation?”

• Sisanie responded, “It’s hard to judge it now in 2020 because it was such a different time in 1990 when it came out. So I think for it’s time, I would say it was portrayed perfectly, but looking back at it now, no."

• Tori: “It drives the point a little hard.”

• Jennie: “It was clear to me that Steve is a big racist in this episode and Brandon became woke and he learned his lesson. But I think the guy that played James, the actor, his name was Tico Wells, he was really good.”

  • She brought up the scene in the library — in which James and Brandon get into their argument — ostensibly to compliment their acting, but she then switched gears to express how appalled she was that they were yelling in a library.

• Sisanie: “Before we get into the episode, we have to make an announcement.” Um, aren’t we already into the episode? Next week, she said, “We have a very special guest.”

• Jennie: “You guys, you’re going to be really excited when we tell you who’s coming on.” Tori: “It’s an OG cast member. One of our own. Our sister.” Jennie: “My favorite character. Gabrielle Carteris!”

  • Carteris was on the “Beverly Hills 90210 Show” podcast in August and again for the October “super show” timed to the series’ 30th anniversary.

• Tori: “It is fitting she is the first OG cast member to be on our podcast.” Jennie: “It is. ‘Cause she’s our girl.” “She is. She is our girl... We were scared to ask the others. We knew Gab would say yes. Let’s just be real.” Jennie: “That’s not true!”

  • In one of the previous podcasts, they admitted they didn’t really become close with Gabrielle until filming “BH90210.”

• Jennie: “This was a good episode for Andrea. I felt like she had some really good one-liners. Her character is just so consistent through the whole 10 years. She is what she is in the beginning and she is what she is in the end of the 10 years and in this episode, I feel like it’s really clear that Andrea was like the voice of the people. She was always fighting for equality and fighting for everyone to be heard, and now in real life, IRL, Gab is doing the same thing as the president of the Screen Actors Guild. It’s so weird how life kind of intimates art.”

• Tori brought up the West Beverly Blaze and said, “She was ‘Chief’ and now she is chief — she’s chief of all of us, which is amazing, because she fights for all of us daily.”

• Tori went on to say, “I gotta tell you, though, I was crushing on some of her looks in this episode... She was a hot babe. She is a hot babe. Gab’s in amazing shape and so beautiful.” Jennie commented, “She just looked put together.”

• “We weren’t in this episode too much, once again,” Tori said, going on to say Donna and Kelly were like the Bobbsey Twins in this episode.

  • Jim actually makes that comparison later in the season, but about Brenda and Kelly.

  • Kelly was actually in the episode a fair amount and figured into Brenda’s storyline.

• Tori: “I did realize we coined something that’s an ‘in’ term right now that we said and this was 30 years ago.” She was referring to the scene in which the girls say “byeeee.” Tori commented, “That’s what the kids say now, but we did that 30 years ago. Whatever. We’re just such trendsetters, Jennifer Eve Garth.”

  • Let’s be clear: Rosin, as the writer of this episode, coined “byeeee” and he spoke about it on the aforementioned watch-along.

• Jennie: “Every time the show starts, I can’t get over for a few minutes the sick themesong. It’s so amazing.” Sisanie: “And so long. They don’t make intros like that anymore.” Tori said she won’t skip the intro: “When I hear that themesong, chills from head to toe. Am I such a dork?”

  • Pretty sure us fans get chills too!

• Sisanie again brought up the shot in the opening of the girl’s bikini body, remarking to Jennie, “I thought that was your body in the bikini this entire time, for 30 years.” So much for being a “superfan.”

• Tori: “That’s a lie because you’re young. So not for 30 years. But me, for 30 years. And I was there with her. [To Jennie] I thought for sure that was you. I always thought it was you... Your body’s better, actually. It was better. Wait, can we find that girl who posed for that?”

• Tori assumes even boys thought all these years that it was Jennie’s body. She tried to compare it to singers having someone come in to do the high notes for them and the public doesn’t know. “So there’s this girl that’s headless that had this body shot that boys went crazy for thinking it was Jennie Garth for 30 years and it was her and she couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t be like, ‘It was me!’ ‘They’d be like, ‘Yeah, sure, okay, prove it,’ and she can’t, and I would like to find that girl.”

• Jennie first suggested it was Marianne Moore from the pilot and then corrected herself and rightly said it was the actress who played Tiffany in the third episode, as she was wearing that bathing suit as she lay on the diving board in one of the scenes.

  • They also went over this exact thing in a prior podcast. And they say Jennie is the one with memory problems?!

• Sisanie: “I have a question for you guys. Why have intros shortened throughout the years? Why are they almost nonexistent now when it comes to TV shows?”

• Tori: “Because people want instant gratification and no one cares.” Jennie: “They want content.” Tori: “If ours came out today, you guys, it probably wouldn’t have the same staying power. People hear that and it takes them back to childhood memories.”

• Jennie: “Fun fact or a quiz question. Who was the composer of that themesong?”

• Sisanie, of course, doesn’t know. Tori: “I know because you wrote it in your notes you sent me. I got the CliffNotes from Jennie Garth!” It was John E. Davis. Tori: “I feel like he did all my dad’s shows or a lot of them. I always saw that name.”

  • It’s nice that Jennie takes notes while watching the episodes!

  • Davis does have credits on some other Spelling shows, like “Hart to Hart,” “The Love Boat,” “T.J. Hooker,” and “Dynasty.”

• Jennie thought it was “weird” that Kelly joined the Walshes for dinner “for no reason, no rhyme or reason.” Tori suggested there might’ve been a scene before the dinner that got cut, arguing, “They were sticklers back then about the story really tracking, like hammer-over-the-head tracking. So it is shocking that that happened and there wasn’t something to it.”

• Sisanie: “The flirtation between Kelly and Brandon, you see the first glimpse of something.”

• Tori: “But I gotta say, the Andrea-Brandon chemistry, it’s really good, you guys. I watched it, and was I just like [sighs] want her to get her golden boy. I wanted it to happen.” Jennie: “I know. I always wanted them to be together.” Tori: “I’m really sad it never happened. Like, you fucked it up!” Jennie: “That was not my fault!” Tori: “You came in and wooed Brandon off his feet. If it wasn’t for you, Kelly Taylor, I mean, Jennie Garth, Brandon and Andrea would’ve made it! They would’ve had a fighting chance!”

• Asked Sisanie the superfan: “Do they ever actually date, though?” Jennie: “I feel like there might’ve been some episodes or fantasy scenes... we’ll get to that, I guess.” Tori: “Didn’t she ask him, because he was going away, to lose her virginity to him?” Sisanie: “Oh my gosh, yes. I remember it was so awkward. I forgot about that for a sec.” Uh-huh. Sure, Sis.

• Tori said she felt “eh” about Andrea and Brandon back in the day, but now wants them together as she rewatches.

• Jennie: “One of my favorite parts of the show was when Brenda was doing her driver’s training behind the wheel with the guy and she’s driving and, I don’t know, it was so random, but all of a sudden they see Henry Winkler on the side of the road and she crashes. It just made me so happy to hear her say, ‘Oh my god, it is Henry Winkler!’”

  • Tori didn’t remember that. She said she was “distracted” during that moment of the episode. Okay…

• Jennie brought up Brenda’s bangs and noted how she and Shannen had different kinds of bangs. Tori: “There’s room for all kinds of bangs.” (That’s what she said. Yes, I went there.)

• Jennie: “Carol Potter is HFD.  She is an HFD for sure. She’s a hottie for days.” Tori: “You just said something that I’ve never heard.” (Me either.) Jennie: “Maybe it’s not even a thing [and] that’s just what my husband calls it in the house. I get all my youngster lingo from him.”

• Tori thought the f-word was in there and Jennie reminded her that her mom (Jennie’s mom) listens to this. “My mom does subscribe and comment and she gives us five stars, so thanks mom.”

• That led Sisanie to imply they want reviews: “We’re like Uber or Postmates.” Tori: “Tip your podcast hosts. They’re here all day. Just give ‘em five stars.”

• Sisanie: “There’s a few more things I want to get to in this episode, ladies, but we have to take a break.” Apart from the ads that kicked off the podcast, they didn’t have a break until nearly 25 minutes in, which was much later than the last few times. I appreciated that.

• Sisanie: “There was a little bit of peer pressure in this episode from Kelly Taylor to Brenda Walsh.” She asked Jennie and Tori, “Did you ever steal the car before getting your driver’s license?”

• Neither did. Tori noted security cameras would’ve caught her taking any of her family’s fancy cars. Sisanie did, though. “I thought for sure you two would’ve had a story.”

• Sisanie: “I feel like Jim is giving off helicopter and stage parent vibes.” She said it was “cringe-worthy” when Jim showed up to Brandon’s basketball tryouts. She then asked Jennie and Tori what their parenting styles are.

• Jennie: “I feel like I’m pretty involved. If that makes me a helicopter mom, okay.” She said her daughter Fiona calls her “Karen” a lot, and Sisanie and Tori insisted she isn’t a “Karen.”

• Tori said Jennie’s “a super-cool mom.” She noted, “You were Kelly Taylor. You were the ultimate cool girl on TV. So you can get away with a little more than the regimented, straight-off helicopter mom.”

• Jennie said she used to “feel like the cool young mom, but now I’m not that anymore. I’m just... mom.” They insisted she’s still cool.

• Tori: “Jennie and I, our parenting styles are complete opposites.” Jennie: “We are complete opposites across the board.” Tori: “I know! That’s becoming apparent week in and week out. I don’t know if this is gonna work.” Jennie: “This whole relationship? Should we just call it now?” Tori: “We had a good run! We had 30 years. We were best friends.”

• Jennie: “There is some reason we are yin and yang with each other and it just works. I am like a reclusive Midwestern girl and you, you love the spotlight and you’re from Beverly Hills. We’re complete opposites.”

• Tori denied she loves the spotlight and actually got a bit agitated. “I’m going to freak out on you right now... I spent the first half of my life being everything and anything everyone else wanted except myself. Now, let me live my life!”

• Jennie: “Babe, you live that life! Because you do it so well. But I couldn’t do what you do is my point... You are you and you’re completely different than me. Neither of which is good or bad or wrong or right. It’s just different.”

• Tori: “I don’t love the spotlight. Every actor loves the spotlight.” Jennie: “That’s not true.” Tori: “In a different way than you’re thinking.” Jennie: “I can definitely say I do not love the spotlight. It’s never been what I love.” Tori: “You should change professions. You should be something else then. It’s not too late. It’s never too late for a fresh start.”

• Jennie: “I did always want to be the grocery store checkout girl so I can go to that. That’s my dream job.” Tori: “Oddly enough... we have a Christmas movie in the works and that’s your job! Don’t feel bad for her right now. She’s getting her dream job.”

• Jennie: “What were we even talking about?”

• Sisanie wanted to know why what Jennie said got under Tori’s skin so badly.

• Tori responded, “There’s some key words that she says about me. Frankly, I’m getting riled up because it strikes a cord because it’s true... There’s something deep down, obviously." Tori questioned why Jennie doesn’t like when she dresses flashy. “Isn’t that okay if I like the finer things in life?”

• Jennie replied, “Yes! I’m not the person who’s judging of you. I’m your best friend. I’m never going to portray you or say anything negative about you. We’re just different... That’s what makes us such great friends, is that we both bring something completely different to each other’s table and that evens us out in an interesting way.”

• Tori said that for all their differences, there’s “something so connected and the same about us. Like if you were here with us in person and we were having this conversation and we were laughing, we would, like, finish each other’s sentences. We have the same humor.”

• Sisanie offered, “Maybe it’s this quarantine. You guys haven’t been able to see each other face to face, so I feel like you’re missing each other.”

• They agreed. Jennie made it seem like they can’t catch up virtually, which is… weird.

• Sisanie: “I feel like this turned into quite the therapy session. I’m happy for you two. I feel like you needed it.” Jennie, sarcastically: “Thanks, Sisanie. Really glad we had this platform to do it on in private.”

• After a break, Jennie asked if they could talk about the episode’s fashion. Didn’t they do that already? With Gabrielle?

• Jennie loved Steve in his Lakers tank and Tori emphasized that Ian was “such the jock.” Jennie called him “babelicious,” prompting Tori to say, “Oh my god, you were in love with Ian Ziering. You wanted to have like a thousand of his babies.” Jennie: “You say that about everyone that I compliment.”

• Tori: “The show hadn’t completely taken off by episode 5." Uh, it hadn’t taken it off at all…

• Tori brought up the lines in this episode calling Brandon short and wondered if Jason was offended and didn’t want to do that part of the storyline. She cracked, “Jason Priestley should pay us for what we say weekly about him on this show. In fact, I’m gonna reach out,” but then went on rather seriously about the height thing, “It’s body shaming. What do you think he was thinking when he was filming this?”

  • I don’t really think calling someone short in relation to playing basketball equates to body shaming.

• Sisanie looked up Jason’s height and Jennie’s guess was right: 5’ 8’’. Tori “called bullshit,” saying, “Women take off 10 pounds from their actual body weight, men add two inches to their height. It’s just the way it goes.”

• Next week Sisanie wants to ask Gabrielle to confirm Andrea said in this episode that “Steve Sanders is a spoiled slut.” Jennie said that was indeed the line, but Sisanie and Tori thought it might’ve been “slug.”

• Everyone’s “homework” is to watch the next episode. Jennie: “Episode 6! I wonder what it’ll be about. I have no idea.” Tori: “I bet Jason Priestley will be in it with his dreamy blue eyes.”

• Sisanie was surprised to learn there is a such thing as A and B storylines and presumed they prefer A. Jennie said, “I don’t know. Storyline B can be really fun too.” Sisanie: “I don’t really know what you mean by it, but I guess we can dive into it next week.” Tori: “You never want Storyline C, which was me for, like, the entire first season.”

• As they wrapped up, Tori shouted, “5 stars, you guys! 5 stars!”

• They ended with — what else? — “Byeeee!”

So how awkward was Jennie and Tori’s “fight”? A little awkward. Obviously, it wasn’t totally serious, but it wasn’t totally in jest either. It also went on for a relatively long time in relation to the roughly 43-minute length of the podcast (including ads). I wonder if they regretted it after or just considered it part of their “shtick.”

As noted above, I was really curious to hear what Jennie and Tori would say about this episode since it was just discussed so in-depth by others involved with it just last week. Well, they didn’t really have any behind-the-scenes nuggets to offer about it, but since this is a rewatch podcast, I suppose just getting their present-day thoughts and reflections on the storylines are enough. (Is it, though? Especially when all the off-topic crap fills up so much of the hour? And this one wasn’t even an hour.)

What also struck me, and has for weeks now, is how they don’t reference the producers, writers, or director of each episode. Given that this episode was written by Rosin, the same man who produced the first five seasons, you’d think there would be some acknowledgement of his work.

Let’s also consider what they titled this installment: “Beverly Hills Flirt.” The iHeartRadio description states:

“This is the ‘90210’ episode where we begin to see a little flirt flirt between Kelly and Brandon and Jennie and Tori are spilling all! But, the real question is should Andrea and Brandon have been the couple that fell in love? The debate begins and we hope you weigh in. Plus, Jennie and Tori reveal the first guest from the original cast joining them next week.”

First off, you all should know my pet peeve by now: This wasn’t a “90210” episode. It was a “Beverly Hills, 90210” episode. Thanks to The CW spinoff, those are two different shows. Second, what was the plot of this episode again? Oh, that’s right — Brandon trying out for the basketball team and getting caught up in a possible scandal related to race and economic privilege. Brenda took driving lessons and “lost” Brandon’s car. The purported “flirting” between Kelly and Brandon was, what, 30 seconds total? You’d think — to put it in their parlance — that it was the A Storyline or something!

Yes, I realize that Jennie and Tori are going to be interested in Kelly- and Donna-centric things, and perhaps listeners are too. But let’s not be misleading about this episode, or any episode, for that matter. “One on One” was not in the slightest about flirting or a blossoming something with Kelly and Brandon. There’s plenty of that later, including in this very season. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, people. And let’s be real: Jennie and Tori didn’t even “spill all” on that, either. #weeklyrantover

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