After last week’s episode, a lot of you thought that Silver’s reckless behavior was due to bi-polar disorder. Well, it turns out you were right. After she punched out Mr. Matthews’ window and threw a wine bottle at him, she ended her reign of terror by playing chicken with a train bound for Kansas.
I don’t have a lot of personal experience with bi-polar disorder, but this doesn’t seem to have been handled in a very … subtle way. Maybe it’s the fact that 90210‘s multiple long hiatuses make it difficult to follow a narrative thread, but this illness really seemed to come out of nowhere.
Silver was perfectly even-keeled (in a sullen teenager kind of way), but as soon as Dixon says he loves her, she suddenly begins displaying manic depressive symptoms — symptoms that no one in her life has ever seen before. I’m not positive, but I don’t really think that’s how the disease works.
In any case, that’s how bi-polar disorder works on 90210: You freak out, get a tattoo, make some porn, and try your best to catch a midnight train to Kansas, because you’d rather live in his world than live without him in yours.
So Silver is in the hospital now and the entire ordeal has brought Matthews and Kelly closer together. No word on what ever happened to his 21 Jumpstreet lovah, but we did get a little sneak preview: Apparently Ryan Matthews is going to be a character on the new Melrose Place, so that window Silver punched through? That window is going to be on the new show.
When I was on TV Talk Radio this week, Shaun and I were talking about this and the potential to have Ryan and Kelly end up together, making Kelly Taylor as a Melrose Place denizen as well. Personally I kind of love the idea. 90210 had to scale back on showing the original castmembers, since the audience was focusing on them and not the “actual stars” of the show, but Melrose Place is right in Kelly Taylor’s age range, so why not?
What do you think? Would melding original castmembers of Melrose Place and 90210 along with the new characters make for an interesting show? Or would it just be a mess. Leave your thoughts below.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Apr 10, 2009 @ 11:30 EST5EDT
PLUS it was kelly who hooked up with jake and introduced us to melrose place to begin with!
I was going to say the same thing as Jaime!
Also, I didn’t really like this weeks episode, and if this is indicative of the new direction, I’ll probably pass on 90210. I did, however, laugh out loud at sesame balls.
Oh I think it would work 100% and maybe get me to watch Melrose Place. I was going to, but then I heard Ashlee Simpson got a part?? They can’t be serious with that.
Anyways, I think they did somewhat rush the Silver bi-polar storyline. But not as much as you think. When Annie & Ethan were all smoochy face a few months back, Silver thought it was gross and all that and was very down on the whole thing. Then her and Dixon broke up after the I Love You debacle. That was a “down” period. Then she got REAL happy and “up” and that was after the sexing. From there they did rush it a bit, in my opinion, but they did have some progression of the disease.
And technically, manic depression can be really volatile, super swings from incredibly upbeat and happy to psychotically down and low. Or, it can be a more moderate swing between even keeled happiness one minute and really bummed out depression the next. All depends on the person and the severity of the disease.
You know, while I wouldn’t mind seeing the Matt on MP, I don’t want his presence on 90210 to decrease. On the JG end, I don’t want her in the new MP at all. The new writers/producers seemed fearful of defaming Garth’s character. Old school Kelly always had an undercurrent of selfishness, even when ‘good.’ Although they revamped her post-Dougherty, she wasn’t as staid and goody goody as she is now. If they can’t make her a real character with difficulties and failures, I don’t want her there.
On Silver, I’m up in the air about her BPD. I think there were hints earlier in the show. And, symptoms do vary per person, but I hate when TV tends to focus on the uber-extreme i.e. Kelly’s 1-day bout with Bulimia. I also hate that the symptoms immediately disappear when addressed. So, my only plea for new 90210 is a bit more reality when addressing current issues.
There is NOTHING subtle about bipolar disorder.
sorry guys but just to correct you
bipolar is a disorder not a disease
some sufferers find the word disease offensive
it makes it seem like you can catch it
x