Crystal Clear

That's true about no-one being endgame.


I was equally sad about Steve and Clare, who didn't even get a proper break-up after 2 years of being together; she just walked off into the sunset. That was silly.


I think the writing staff changed almost every year on 90210 so by the seventh season, there were only a few originals left - most of the writers were completely new by season 8 and you can tell, because there's no connection between the characters who have been there since day one. David and Donna were stuck in the same relationship drama they'd had in high school, Steve was never allowed to grow up, Brandon was forced to cheat on his girlfriend who had nearly just died, and Kelly was different in nearly every season.


The ring storyline was handled well, I enjoyed the continuity of it from Season 5 to Season 7, and how it brought back memories for Brandon and Kelly even though he was dating (the very annoying) Tracy. The ring bound BK together and I LOVED that Kelly secretly bought it back even if she wasn't with Brandon at the time.

yulan

heyitsrachel

Was this in S9?

Crystal Clear

Yeah, I'd say it's that annoying string of S9 episodes before Jason leaves where they get the audience thinking that Kelly and Brandon are on the verge of reuniting

and then they pulled the wind out of our sails and said, "ha ha! Fooled you. Jason's leaving, get over it."

HipHopKingMike

What was JP thinking of? He only had less than 2 seasons to complete the 10 seasons.

This is what I would propose JP left temporarily....
Dylan comes back and gets back with Kelly (yes I don't like them at all but still)
Half way through S9, Brenda returns and the Bermuda triangle flares up once again.
Then in early S10, Brandon returns....BUT...with Emily Valentine and is engaged to her. A few triangles here and good old mess with Dylan/Brenda/Kelly, Brandon/Kelly/Dylan, Brandon/Emily/Kelly...it'll be fascinating especially Kelly really feeling it when Brandon and Emily are engaged to be married....Brandon and Emily was about to get married and then BOOM!!...and I think you know the rest

James26

Completely agree. After B/K, I seem to have the most affection for this pairing when it comes to the later years of the show.

This one I don't quite agree with. I thought that Steve matured significantly toward the end.

Fans will always be left to wonder what would have been if Jason hadn't left. But like Mike said, that's life.

Crystal Clear

Maybe he never felt as good about the show after Luke Perry left; the two of them have been best friends for a long time. But the irony is that Luke came back to replace him. And there's no proper excuse for Jason's early departure, I mean it caused Brandon and Kelly to be completely ruined as a couple and I'm absolutely positive that it was done because the writers were mad at Jason.


The sad thing is that Jason's departure guaranteed an absolute departure of the entire Walsh family, which takes away the whole point of the show. With all due respect to Jennie Garth, it was Jason and Shannen who were the actual original lead actors. So without them, what is the point?


I would have dealt better with a B/K break-up, if it was done in a more respectful way. They could have left the door open. Brandon could have left for his job, but told Kelly "I'll be back one day" or something. That would've been my ideal ending for them, not the awful fake wedding cop-out.



Any part of this is better than what we actually got.



What sucks is that he was really starting to mature but it was at a point where I didn't care about the show anymore. Seasons 9 and 10 basically don't exist to me, but yes, Steve was really growing up by Season 7

...Which only makes it worse that Clare just up and left him the way she did.

James26

I think the point is that it was never just about the Walsh clan.

IMO, the heart of the show wasn't one family. It was the group of friends that appear on the DVD covers. I did think it was pretty stunning when Brandon left, but it wasn't impossible to continue the series.

This reminds me a little of the current Star Wars controversy. Some people argue that the series shouldn't be all about the Skywalker family, or white male leads. In this article, the author cites "diverse characters who also deserve to have their story told."

I know that you and others were disappointed by S9 and S10. Personally, I was going through a change, and the show provided a nice constant for me.

msstock87

The non wedding I just felt it was so weird. It was awkward. Not a good moment at all.

heyitsrachel

I think when Jason first said that he was leaving, S8 was still in progress and he was hoping that the show wouldn't get renewed for a S9.

When S9 got renewed, he agreed to stay for a few episodes so that Brandon can be written off the show. At the time, the show was only renewed for S9. Then towards the end of S9, they renewed it for S10.

I think Jason didn't know it was going to last this long.

Crystal Clear

^ I actually agree with you that Jason was probably misinformed about the longevity of the show.

Still, it bothers me that he and Jennie didn't try and reason with the writers about the stupid wedding fake-out. It just made a mockery of the four years their characters had been in a relationship. Plus, Jennie still makes her negative feelings about B/K not ending up together evident years later, so it must have bothered her.


I respect your opinion But mine is that the show began with the intent of depicting ONE family, travelling from Minnesota to Beverly Hills, and dealing with the difficulties of adapting to a new life and meeting new people along the way. The Walshes were the gateway into the crazy lives of everyone else who they met in BH in the years they lived there. So, to me, the removal of the Walsh family from the show did a lot of damage, and pretty much took away the heart and purpose of the show. But again, this is just my opinion.



Agreed. It was badly written. It was so out-of-place with them just deciding at the last minute, "we have doubts, so let's not go through with this."

HipHopKingMike

I didn't know about Jason being misinformed nor Jennie still upset about not having the BK wedding. I'm pretty sure Jennie said good things about BK and DK.
Regarding the show, I kind of agree with both James and Gwen. Although the show is generally about kids growing up in Beverly Hills, however it is actually centered around The Walshes with Brandon and Brenda being the main leads of the show - the show can go on without them but it's not the same (unless you don't like the siblings). The whole purpose of this show is 2 MN kids and their parents adapting life in new surroundings with new friends plus the problems they will face throughout their time there

Crystal Clear

^ I don't think Jennie has ever directly addressed the subject of the wedding fake-out, but she has said in many interviews that she thinks Kelly and Brandon belonged together and that it upset her when Jason left the show. So I take that to assume that she didn't like the way they didn't get married.


And yes, in my view, the show lost its way when it diverted away from the Walsh family. But I still think that 10 seasons is too many, anyway. Look at Grey's Anatomy for an example of how bad the writers end up treating the main characters. I think 90210 was on the air for way too long and it showed in how the Kelly/Brandon relationship reached its peak at Season 7, then was taken for granted in Season 8 and beyond.

HipHopKingMike

8 seasons was enough - nothing should go beyond that.
I've heard Jennie praising BK a lot and yes I heard she was upset regarding Jason leaving but Jennie had said good things about DK too so I don't know which one she really supports? However, I think her heart says BK though

James26

I think that what you've stated is more fact than opinion. And I agree. It certainly did begin as a family drama, but it later became more of a teen drama, with equal focus on characters like Dylan, Kelly, Steve, and all their personal issues. This is why Jim and Cindy's exit didn't mark the end of the show.

I think that's why every DVD cover features the group, rather than the Walsh family. But this is just my take on the matter.

That would've been nice. It seems like actors start caring about stories after they leave a show.

David Duchovny couldn't wait to leave The X-Files toward the end of his run, but grew more sentimental about it later. Jason obviously wanted off this show, but later expressed regret over what it did to B/K.