CW
(Season 1, Episode 7)
“You remind me of my mom and my old soccer coach. Before the … unpleasantness.”
So I feel really awkward right now. Instead of just watching 90210 and just being kind of confused, I was actually really into this week’s episode. What can I say? It’s ridiculous, but this show is kind of growing on me.
This week we continue to deal with storylines briefly introduced in the pilot, when Naomi’s mom hires a detective to find the son she had with Harry in high school. Speaking of wayward babies, Annie and Ethan are sure to have several awkward, scrunchy-faced encounters when they’re paired up on that classic high school assignment that nobody I actually know actually had: taking care of the fake baby. Oh, and Adrianna’s freakishly glassy eyes are back as we deal with her increasing drug problem.
Ethan and Naomi are broken up once again, which leaves Ethan and his wig (okay, he’s probably not wearing a wig, but there is something seriously off about that kid’s hair) free to make googly eyes at Annie. I’m really not into this storyline, and I definitely groaned when they “happen to” get paired together for the taking care of the fake baby assignment. Luckily, the show doesn’t devote a whole lot of time to this cliched storyline, so we have plenty of time to devote to far more awkward ones, like Silver and Dixon’s relationship.
Silver is celebrating not only being left alone at Kelly’s house but her half birthday. She finds the best way to do both is by watching lots and lots of horror movies and smearing black paint on one of Kelly’s walls, which, what? Who does that? Anyway, after pointedly telling Dixon that “black is my favorite color,” he thinks he’s totally going to get some, so gets excited instead of completely creeped out. But, when you’ve got a teenage boy home alone with his girlfriend, it’s only normal that he’s going to be interested in things other than what she’s saying.
Unfortunately for poor Dixon, she’s more interested in a horror movie marathon than getting down and dirty. Dixon, not giving a crap about Rob Zombie or the movies he’s directed, falls asleep and misses curfew, which is exactly what happened to DJ in that episode of Full House when Steve got his own apartment. I wonder if Lori Loughlin pitched this.
Meanwhile, Adrianna is continuing her trip down the cocaine corridor that she started last week. This time, somebody actually notices, and Naomi tries to stage a mini intervention in the hallway. Of course, this happens at precisely the same time as the drug dogs show up, leading Naomi to take the drugs from Adrianna and ultimately take the rap.
I really like the way this whole thing went. I enjoy the fact that they’re making Adrianna’s mother crazier and more Dina Lohan-ish by the minute. Unlike a lot of “troubled teen turns to drugs” stories, I completely buy that this crazy stage mom is telling her sixteen-year-old daughter that the only reason they aren’t homeless is because she got a part in a slasher movie. There’s a great implication of, “so do whatever you have to do to make sure you don’t screw this up,” that works with Adrianna’s escalating dependency. Plus, the OD scene at the end, where she looked exactly like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction? That was pretty damn awesome, and the first time I’ve actually been surprised by and genuinely impressed with this show.
Other things of note:
– 90210 is getting all 21 Jump Street on us with the addition of Kim, the undercover narc. Once her cover is blown, do you think she and Ryan will end up getting together, perhaps (in)conveniently at the same time Kelly returns?
– I loved how Debbie’s “nobody puts Baby in a corner” joke fell miserably flat.
– How much do you want to bet that Harry’s secret son turns out to be somebody local and completely inappropriate? I, for one, hope it’s Ryan.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Oct 08, 2008 @ 12:07 EST5EDT
I love this show. It’s like a trashy novel I don’t want to put down. I admit it. I’m a 1st and 2nd generation 90210er. Eh, screw it. If people can watch all the reality crap with talentless people doing stupid crap, then I can certainly watch more talented people doing stupid crap.
I don’t think Ryan will be the son…for starters, he looks more than 22. And something tells me they will want to bring in someone really cool to make Dixon feel like the red-headed step child.
The Jump Street storyline was a relief, because I didn’t like the alternative.
I don’t buy the Dixon/Silver relationship at all. They really needed to let the characters be all over the place before they started pairing them off so soon. They have absolutely nothing in common other than a strange family life.
I hope Adriana is dead. I have wanted to punch her for weeks, and it’s frustrating that I have been unable to reach my hand in there and pop her one. I don’t care how awful her mother is (and she IS awful)…she doesn’t need to be such a bitch. Maybe she won’t be able to be a bitch any more.
Finally, from the moment she graced the screen, Naomi has been my favorite character and I really like where they have gone with her. She has a lot of substance. I can’t wait to see what happens next; she is a character that continues to surprise instead of following the preordained path.
i also really liked this episode, and btw the whole fake baby thing is going on right now at my school, of course im in marine biology and dont get one =[ but im hoping that they keep on this track and that the show doesn’t get cancelled, because then i’ll have nuthin to watch before fringe and its awesome giant floating words =]
I have a hard time watching this show. The original one was on when my kids were small and I was just out of high school. Now, my kids are in high school and it just doesn’t seem like this is a “normal” high school… but I am from a small town so I guess I wouldn’t know.
Although, the baby issue was funny, both my son and daughter had to do it. It certianly was an eye opener for them.