90210 (2008) - Episode 1.2 Review & Spoiler

90210 debuted on the CW on 9/2/08 with two back to back episodes. The second episode is titled The Jet Set. 90210 is a continuation of the popular 90's TV show Beverly Hills 90210. Warning: My episode review also contains plot spoilers.

The episode opens with Annie telling her family over breakfast that her hometown boyfriend Jason broke up with her over the phone. Harry gets a call from the school. Apparently the school's rival lacrosse team from the Palisades has trashed the school hallway. Harry makes the West Beverly Hills High team promise not to get revenge, silly principal. Dixon figures out a great way to get revenge with tips from his grandma. Turns out Harry was quite the troublemaker in High School and orchestrated pigs being released on the opposing team's field. Dixon likes that idea and with the help Ethan and Navid, whose father is a porn producer so he just happens to have four pigs handy, they release the pigs in the Palisades' school.

Meanwhile, Annie is quickly getting over her break up with Jason by makes eyes with the star of the musical Ty Collins. He notices her too and asks her out. Ty is very smooth and flies her to San Francisco on his private jet. Of course Annie lies to her mom about where she is going and forgets to run an errand, which results in Granny getting into a car accident. Annie feels very guilty but not guilty enough to mention the plane ride to her parents.

Silver for some reason hates Naomi and makes snide comments at her whenever she gets the chance. Silver posts another harsh video on her website, this time making fun of Ethan cheating on Naomi. Naomi is of course upset that now everyone knows so she runs up to Ethan and slaps him. But instead of breaking up with him, she just cheats on him with George. Now they are even so everything should be good in her warped mind. Well Ethan has decided enough is enough and he breaks up with her for good.

Annie finds out the reason Silver hates Naomi when she notices they both have matching tattoos on the small of their backs. Turns out Naomi and Silver were best friends in eighth grade. Silver found out her father cheated on her mother with her mother's best friend but she didn't tell her mother because she was afraid the family would split. Well Silver told Naomi her secret and of course Naomi blabbed to everyone, Silver's mom found out and divorced her dad and so of course Silver blames it all on Naomi.

Ethan and Annie have chance to catch up on the good times they had two summers ago. Ethan remembers that summer fondly and he even kept a stuffed animal she won. After breaking up with Naomi, he goes to visit Annie to bring her the stuffed animal but he is disappointed when he sees her kissing Ty.

Shannon Doherty finally returns as Brenda Walsh. She visits Kelly and says she is going to be in town for a month. They catch up and the audience learns they remained friends throughout the years. Kelly is a single mom with a 4 ½ sold. A side story is that Ryan tries to ask Kelly out but he fumbles his words and she turns him down. Well he shows up to her house with flowers to apologize and they go out while Brenda happily baby-sits Sammie, Kelly's son.

Both Dixon and Annie get grounded for their respective lies to their parents but they aren't too upset with the groundings and they don't appear to regret their lies. They are quickly caught up with the temptations of Beverly Hills life. Harry and Debbie are a little worried and are willing to move back to Kansas if the temptations get to be too much.

I liked the episode ok enough. I think the first one was better. I was a little disappointed that they waited until the last moment to introduce Brenda. I am also not liking that the writers are making Naomi and Ethan sympathetic. Either make them hateable or likeable but not both. I like a clear villain and the show seems to be losing its villains.