90210: Benefit of the Doubt

"I feel alive because of you"

The gang is working together to help save Raj's life, while they deal with money, trust, and romantic issues in their own. 

At the doctor Ivy and Raj find out he has not been responding to the treatment. The doctor suggest an experimental procedure that will not be covered by insurance. Raj refuses to ask people for money to pay for this treatment and wants to find another way. Ivy and her friends put on a benefit talent show for Raj and a family friend lends them a trip to a private island as a prize.

Naomi is reassuring herself that she was right to choose Max over Austin. She later goes by Austin and Dixon's apartment to pick up Annie's keys. He mocks her for dating a nerd while she overhears a girls in his shower. She lets him know that she is not jealous in the least bit before she leaves. Austin later brings her (Sally) to campus where she signs up to sing for the talent show. Naomi then decides to sign up to do an act with Max and pushes him to work hard to win this show. Max questions why she is so serious on winning but she tells him she is just competitive. Naomi and Max put on a magic show for the audience and Naomi throws in a bunch of extravagance to help them win the competition. Naomi is thrilled over winning but Max feels bad as he realizes she is into Austin. Max walks away from a devastated and emotional Naomi. Naomi goes to give Austin the trip to a private island for him and his girlfriend, now that Max dumped her. But he informs her that Sally is his cousin not his girlfriend and gives Naomi her trip back.

Silver has been staying with Naomi and avoiding Navid who is still at her apartment with his sister. She misses him but does not want to live with him while he's living a life of crime. While working for Marissa, Silver is distracted about Navid. Marissa sees the papers about Raj's benefit show and offers to make an appearance. Navid finds out that Leila has been talking to Darius all along and that he let his whole life fall a part for no reason. He goes to his uncle and ends their work relationship. While hosting the show, Silver runs into Navid who tells her about breaking ties with his uncle and being worried about what he is going to do next. Silver tells him that they will get through it together. At the show, Navid gets a call from his uncle threatening to go after Silver if Navid does not reconsider working with him. Marissa sees Silver worrying about Navid and tells her that she cannot make herself trust someone. Meanwhile Navid is confessing to the police but realizes he does not have enough evidence to put his uncle away. The cop tells him to work with his uncle again but not to tell anyone that he is working with the police, including Silver. Navid agrees in order to keep Silver safe.

Annie is struggling with financial problems due to the inheritance dilemma. She is now really in need of more escort jobs to fix her car and help with other money issues. Annie shows up for her dinner and is surprised to see that there is only one man (Patrick) as opposed to the big groups from before. She freaks out and leaves in a hurry.  The next day Bree tries to explain to Annie that she overreacted and informs her that Patrick still has her jacket and she needs to get it from him. She meets up with him again and he takes her on a helicopter ride to which she apprehensive about at first but still joins him after he tells her he wants to make her day better. Annie tells Patrick about her guilt over feeling sorry for herself when Raj is dying of cancer. Patrick works hard to make Annie feel better because she makes him feel alive. Annie kisses him but Patrick pushes her away out of fear she'll regret going any further. At the show, Annie sees an embrace with Ivy and Raj that reminds her of her moment with Patrick. Annie goes back to Patrick's room and asks to have a date without any of his money involved because she really likes him. After her night with Patrick, Annie finds out that he gave a huge donation to Ivy and Raj that helped pay for Raj's treatment.

At work, Liam is approached by an agent who wants to make him a model. He is determined to turn the offer down but she leaves him her card. Liam is happy to host the benefit for Raj but worries about getting money for his bar. He later decides to take up the offer to model. Liam feels humiliated during the shoot, only receives $200 and is informed that he will likely not get jobs if he doesn't lose his attitude. That night Liam gets a call from his agent saying she has a bigger check waiting for him. The agent meets him on the street to give him a check for $10,000 and show him a picture of his body in an ad up on a billboard.

Dixon has a radio gig and is stressing over this crucial part in his career. Adrianna is noticing a change in Dixon's behavior. Adrianna expresses her concern for Dixon and he accuses her of being jealous of his success. She relates to what he is going through but Dixon asks her to leave and laughs off her suggestions. At the show Dixon is feeling sick and feels bad about letting down Raj. Adrianna helps him by filling in and singing for the first time since her huge downfall earlier that year, to which the crowd cheers. The next day Adrianna confronts Dixon about his drug problems and tells him he needs help.

90210 really stepped up in this episode. Ivy and Raj have been the smallest part of every episode (and still were for this one) but their story was displayed well in this episode and it really showed how it affected each member of the group in one way or another. The ridiculous story with Liam and Jane my finally be over and hopefully never talked about ever again. Everyone seemed to be stepping up to the plate and even Navid and Silver seem to be getting more intersting. This episode gets a B+ with the only main complaint being that Ivy and Raj's plot was very episodic and seemed to be solved too quickly.

Next Week's Episode: "It's the Great Masquerade, Naomi Clark"

90210: Party Politics

"You're alive"

Loads of secrets are being kept in the zip but it's no secret that they are determined to make a splash in the world of politics. The gang is taking an interest in the upcomming election and things are heating up.

Adrianna questions Jim about why he allowed everyone to think he was dead. He is not pleased to see Liam and Jane as a couple. Adrianna tells him that the two are in love and happy together. He begs Adrianna to keep his secret and let him stay dead. The next day Jane and Liam are discussing how things are finally going well for them when Jim shows up at Liam's bar. Jim jumps right back into his relationship with Jane and pretends to be unaware of Liam and Jane's relationship. Jane begs Liam not to tell before she leaves with Jim. When Adrianna returns she tells Liam that Jim was her "stalker" and that he knows about his relationship with Jane. Liam confronts Jim and the two get into a fight that ends in a pregnant Jane falling into a wall. Liam tells Jim that she's pregnant and they take her to the hospital. The doctors inform them that she suffered a concussion but the baby is fine. The two men talk things out and Liam pushes Jim to work things out with Jane and go back to the way things were before.

Naomi appears to be happy with Max but still lusting for and dreaming about Austin. Austin is asking Naomi to go away with him for more fun but she is set in sticking with Max. She is focusing on her sorority's mission to get the CU students voting. Max later tells Naomi about Austin's idea to have girls strip clothing as people register to vote. Naomi resists Austin's help but Max is excited about his idea. Naomi lashes out at Austin for using this to get close to her and he accuses her of using the situation to impress Max. Naomi throws a huge party at her house with the band Cobra Starship performing. Naomi gets into an argument with Austin and tries to throw him out but ends up getting locked out of her own property. She tries to get back in but she and Austin get stopped by the authorities and put into a van alone together. As they sweat in the van, the two begin to undress down to their underwear. Austin confesses that he is trying to break up her and Max because he has feelings for her. The two are about to kiss when Max and the security open up the van. She tells Max that nothing happened in the van but confesses her hook up with Austin before. She tells Max that she wants to be with him and feels nothing for Austin.

Navid and Silver are dealing with living together and having his little sister Leila who resents Silver and Navid for not letting her do what she wants. The two finally get time alone when Silver gets a call from Teddy who is ready to be picked up from the airport. The next night Silver prepares for her night alone with Navid and finds his bag of money he received from his uncle. She confronts Navid about the money and all his money he has been throwing around. He confesses the stolen car ring to Silver and explains that he is stuck in his situation. Silver walks away to take in everything he has told her. She comes back later to tell Navid that he and Leila can stay at her place while she stays with Naomi. She is not happy with the decisions he is making and cannot be with him right now.

Teddy later informs Silver that he had a summer romance but it's now over. Teddy tells Silver that his father has not been returning his calls since he left the message telling him that he is gay. Teddy later goes to see his conservative uncle who appears to be accepting of Teddy's sexual orientation. He then asks Teddy to support him in his run for congress. Meanwhile Silver is working with a political campaign after the success of her commercial. She then comes to the shock that the guy she is working with (Shane) is Teddy's romantic interest from Barcelona. Shane informs Teddy that his uncle is a homophobic conservative who is running against his candidate and that they cannot have a relationship if Teddy gets involved in his uncle's campaign. Silver is introduced to the candidate Marissa whom she will be working with. Teddy sees the situation as helping family instead of politics. Teddy later follows his uncle and stands with him on stage in support. Teddy explains to Shane that his uncle is his only family standing by him and he wants to return the favor. The two argue and Teddy berates Shane for trying to make him choose. Teddy informs him that he is willing to lose him to keep his family.

A very hyper Dixon is excited for his new track he has recorded and wants to spread it and get it popular. He later asks Adrianna to give his CD to the manager of Cobra Starship at Naomi's party., she informs him that she is not invited but he begs her to do him this favor. Things go well and the manager puts Dixon's music up on their website.

Annie is still struggling to stop Marla's family from contesting the will. She later helps out Silver and Navid by babysitting Leila, but it conflicts with her escorting with Bree. She resists but gives into Silver and Navid's pleas. She ends up bringing Leila along but does not inform her what the night is really about. Leila puts things together and confronts Annie about being an escort. Leila assures her that she will keep her secret and asks for a cut of the money.

 The writers are doing a great job with character interaction, plus everything finally seems organized and well constructed. The stories themselves however, are lacking in the entertaining department. The Jim/Liam/Jane story is probably one of the worst for the new 90210. None of the stories seemed to be doing enough to keep viewers tuned in throughout the episode. This episode gets a C- and it appears that so far the episodes just keep going down in quality this season. Next week does at least look quite promising.

Next Week's Episode: "Benefit of the Doubt"

90210: Let the Games Begin

"I'm saying I can handle it"

Things are getting competitive in the zip! The Greek games are about to begin, Liam struggles to control his business, Dixon goes down a bad path, and a shocking secret could change peoples lives.

Naomi is frustrated with Holly's status as Queen Bee and her position on head Greek council. She plans to beat her at the Greek games and take over her position. She then realizes Austin is her key to taking down the Kappa's at the games, as he was with the winning frat a couple of years ago. She attempts to seduce him but fails and comes clean that she needs his help. The two declare their hatred for each other and then end up kissing passionately and having sex. Austin shows up at the sorority's meeting to get everyone pumped for the competition. At night Naomi shares a passionate kiss with Austin that is seen by Holly which causes Holly to end things with Austin. Naomi then realizes that Austin was using her to anger Holly. Austin expects Naomi to be happy and she tries to cover up that she was growing feelings for him. Holly and Naomi go head to head in the games but Naomi loses focuses and falls when Holly points out Max whom she invited under the assumption that Holly was Naomi's friend. A heartbroken Naomi blames Annie for holing onto the note from Max. Max later chats with Naomi and informs her that he is going to Cal Tech to be close to her and he's tried to get in touch with her. She is hurt by getting her heartbroken by someone she got so close to. The two embrace and kiss after they confess how much they have missed each other. During the final game Annie helps throw the game and Naomi leads her house to victory. Zeta wins and Naomi is named the new head of Greek council. Austin later attempts to hook up with Naomi again and questions her relationship with Max. Austin acknowledges that Max sees the good, but he is happy to see the bad in Naomi. She almost gives in but pushes him away. She then basks in the glow of her victory.

Naomi later enlists Ivy to help her with the game in the surfing competition. Raj encourages her to go for it and have a good time. Ivy wins for Zeta Rho Pi. After she chats with a photographer who took pictures of her and wants to show Raj but finds Raj passed out. Raj assures her that he just got dehydrated but Ivy is worried for his health. Raj later berates her for always reminding him that he is sick. Ivy is pleased to see Raj energized enough to fight with her again.

Annie is stressed with trying to keep up with her training for the Greek games. She's also struggling with money while her sorority big sister Bree reminds her that she could make money if she joins her as an escort. Holly suggest that Annie apply for the Kappa scholarship, which would then keep her from playing in the volleyball game that she promised to throw for Naomi. Annie is kicked out of the Kappa's after she throws the game. But she later approaches Bree and asks to join her as an escort to which Bree happily welcomes her.

Navid's uncle brings him his cut from the stolen car money. Navid refuses to take it but his uncle will not accept it returned. Navid later uses the money to get Dixon studio time and make up for letting him down before. He continues to use his money to help the people he cares about and Silver is getting suspicious and wants to know what's going on but Navid still wants her out of it.

Dixon struggles to have energy and focus during his studio time and races out to take more of Austin's pills to help out but realizes he is out. He goes through Austin's bedroom but comes up empty handed. He later chats with Annie and the two discuss having to find their own solutions to their problems now that they are adults. The next day at the Greek games he approaches the party frat to get more ADHD medication, they direct him to the math department which is widely known for popping pills to focus on work. After getting his fix, Dixon returns to the studio to show off his energized performance.

Liam is looking for an apartment for him and Jane to live in now that she is expecting a baby. It's time for Jane to return to Alaska to get Jim's life insurance but Liam is not interested in taking Jim's money. She insists that she needs to get them the money. Silver uses the money she is getting from Navid to help Liam advertise his bar. Meanwhile Adrianna goes on her break to avoid Silver and is approached by a guy who begins questioning her about her boss, Liam. The commercial struggles with a drunk actress and Liam's poor acting skills. After cleaning up Adrianna sees the guy she met on the pier sneaking around outside, she tells Liam the next morning and worries that he is stalking her. Liam brings the police to deal with it but they don't have enough to go after the guy. Liam confesses to Jane that he's upset he cannot protect the people he cares about. Liam returns to his bar that night to see it's full thanks to Silver editing his commercial to look sexy and humorous. After Adrianna is cleaning up and looks at a picture of Liam, Jane and Jim. She is shocked to see that Jim is the man who was questioning her earlier. Jim shows up and asks Adrianna not to tell Liam and Jane that he is alive.

90210 wasted its big episode cliffhanger on its most boring story. While this will certainly shake things up, it is also very contrived and a soap cliche at it's best. This episode receives a C. The rest of the stories are progressing nicely but there was not as much excitement in this episode. We shall see if things look up for the zip next week.

Next Week's Episode: Party Politics

90210: Greek Tragedy

"You joined My Big Fat Greek Sorority?"

Tonight the gang is anxious for the Greek mixer coming up. People are making shocking choices, true colors are showing, and secrets are being revealed.

Naomi's trials from hazing have landed her cleaning up the campus and being taunted by the sorority girls who fooled her. Naomi is petitioning the administration to start her own sorority but is having trouble. She finds the nerdy Zeta Rho Pi sorority that is struggling to afford their charter. She offers to help them with expenses if they  allow her into the sorority. Naomi brings the girls to her mansion which will now be their sorority house. Naomi is ready to make the girls over and show them off at the Greek mixer. She informs Holly of her new role as president of Zeta Rho Pi, but Holly mocks her for joining the nerd sorority. Holly tricks Naomi into thinking the mixer is a toga party and the girls show up embarrassed by their outfits. Naomi pulls it off by having the girls escorted in style. Holly causes drama and turns the sorority on Naomi by telling them that Naomi changed them because they embarrassed her. Naomi apologizes for using them and offers to resign but informs them that she was proud to be one of them tonight. That night Naomi returns home to see the girls waiting for her in the kitchen. The girls forgive Naomi and appreciate that she helped them meet guys and have a great night. The girls request Naomi to stay on as their president and plot to get revenge on Holly for picking on them. Meanwhile Holly and the girls go through Annie's room and find the love letter from Max that Annie was holding onto. Holly plans to use it to bring down Naomi.

Annie is now broke due to the drama over the inheritance. Holly checks in on Annie and questions her friendship with Naomi. Annie pretends to only be acquaintances with Naomi. Annie is having trouble paying her dues and asks for an extension to pay it, Holly gives her a break and asks Annie to help them reserve a night at Liam's bar. Annie goes to his bar to ask him and Liam happily accepts to host it for them. While she's there, Annie asks if they can start their relationship over again and hopefully one day she can say "yes" to his proposal. But things turn awkward when she sees Jane come out of his back room. She finds out that Liam spent the summer with Jane while she was home missing him. Afterwards Annie's big sister Bree invites her to a dinner with wealthy friends who will pay for the meal. Annie has a great night at dinner but dreads going to the mixer at Liam's bar. Annie brings the guy from dinner and kisses him in front of Liam. At the end of the night Bree brings her half the money that the guys gave them. Annie realizes that she was tricked into being an escort for the night. Bree informs her that it's totally legal and a great way to make money. Annie is apprehensive but Bree tells her that the money covers more than just her dues for the sorority.

Liam and Jane have made love and are caught up in their romantic new relationship. Only he does not know that she is carrying around a pregnancy test. Adrianna later questions Liam about his relationship with Jane but he is not interested in being her friend, he only hired her as a favor to Dixon. Later Jane is upset to hear that Liam proposed to Annie last week. He tells her the whole story of their break up and everything that has happened since but she assures him that she cannot blame him for having a life before her. She realizes that their lives are complicated enough and tells him she is heading back to Alaska. Adrianna later tells Jane that she found the positive pregnancy test in the garbage. Jane does not feel right being with Liam while she's carrying her deceased husband's baby and makes Adrianna promise not to tell Liam. Adrianna later checks on Liam after he sees Annie kissing another guy, then she ends up confessing about Jane's pregnancy. He apologizes for being so harsh on Adrianna the day before. Liam later pulls Annie aside and tells her the story of what happened over the summer with Jim and Jane because he thinks she deserves to know the truth and admits that it was wrong to propose to her. She apologizes for trying to make him jealous. Liam tells her that he loves her even if it wasn't meant to be. Liam goes to find Jane and tells her that he wants her to stay in Beverly Hills and that he knows she's pregnant. Jane accepts his offer to try and make things work together.

Dixon is finally getting his music ready and wants to play it at Liam's bar opening in hopes he'll impress the producer Juice Randall. He asks Navid to get Juice Randall some free stage time at Shirazi studios to help impress him. Silver is Navid's right hand and helping him stay organized with his business. Navid's uncle is taking free stage time to make up for the money Navid owes him. Navid throws him out and assures him that he will get the money together soon. The studio gets a call from Justin Bieber's manager who needs their studio ASAP. Navid gets them to raise their offer and accepts because he needs the money. Though now he needs to bump Dixon's favor to make room for Bieber. He later gives his uncle his money and asks him to leave. He then finds out that instead of porn, his uncle is running a car theft ring out of his studio. His uncle informs him that if he tells the police then he'll get himself in trouble and let his family down again. Navid shows up at the Greek mixer and apologizes to Dixon because he messed up his chances to work with Juice Randall. Dixon gets violent and lashes out at Navid. That night Navid tells Silver that they should not work together will not tell her what is going on for her own safety.

Ivy is struggling with watching Raj go through his cancer. Ivy spends her days listening to her friends such as Naomi and Dixon complain about their lives. She has finally had enough when she stops by the Greek mixer and almost gets into a fight with sorority girls who are complaining about their problems. Silver stops the argument but Ivy does not want to talk about it with her. Silver bonds with her since her mother died from cancer two years ago. Ivy is tired of seeing everyone complain about little problems while her husband is going through cancer. Silver reminds her that once this is over, Ivy and Raj will never take life for granted and promises to be there whenever Ivy needs her.

The Jane and Liam story dragged the episode down a bit, but his interaction with Adrianna made the story more tolerable. It seems the new show runners are really trying to focus on individual relationships between characters instead of just throwing them together as one big group all the time. AnnaLynne McCord proved once again that she can do comedy as well as drama quite well. This episode gets an A-. The stories seemed to be more balanced out in this episode and it looks like they may have found a contender to be Naomi's rival in the zip!

Next Week's Episode: "Let the Games Begin"

90210: Rush Hour

"What the hell happened last night!?!"

The gang is still recovering from the events the night before. Everyone seems to be dealing with their own issues for the future: family, money, redemption, career, status, etc..

It's pledge week at CU and everyone is pissed at Naomi for having her party get busted and causing the dean to banned all student social events until next month. Naomi decides that she and Annie must now join a sorority, and she decides to go for the best one Kappa Lamda Ada. Naomi decides to divide and conquer which leads to one of sisters welcoming Annie while Naomi is shunned for her party fiasco. The president, Holly welcomes Naomi to the house and relates to her situation. Holly informs Naomi that she wants to bid her and be her big sister. The girls have to go through their initiation for pledge week. Annie's big sister is more than happy to help her with her simple task of kissing a statue. Naomi is confident as she walks across campus in her underwear but shocked when she is attacked with water balloons, however she does not let that stop her from pledging. She goes to Austin later to borrow his pig for her dinner with a farm animal. After he agrees she continues to insult him which leads to Austin suggesting she play opera, specifically Rossini, for his pig at dinner which leads to him jumping on her table. Naomi gets her final trial and questions why she is getting treated worse. Holly informs her that this is all to prepare her for her future as the next president of the sorority. Naomi's final challenge involves her swinging into the football practice in a mascot uniform. She falls and her mask comes off leading to the team recognizing her as the girl responsible for the team captain inhaling  marijuana from the party and not being able to play. The team pours sports drink all over her in revenge. That night at the ceremony Annie is welcomed into the sisterhood, but Naomi is not. Holly informs her that they were the other bidders for her house that she bought and she took the house that they wanted for their sorority for years and they were the ones who called the cops on her party. Naomi plots her revenge against Holly and informs Annie that she needs to stay in the sorority to be her mole on the inside.

Annie is spending more time with her new friend Jeremy on campus. He forgets his wallet and Annie has to pay for their coffees. Later Naomi suggests that Jeremy is just a gold digger after Annie's money. Annie jokes about it with Jeremy and tells him the story of meeting Marla that led to Marla leaving her the money. She later kisses Jeremy for her last trial to become a Kappa. She later goes to see Jeremy at his frat house where she finds out he is not a member. She later goes to meet her lawyer and finds out that Jeremy is Marla's grandson who was spying on her to get information. He blames her for not warning anyone that his grandmother was suicidal and plans to stop her from inheriting Marla's fortune.

Dixon is not happy that Adrianna is hanging around his place after her night with Austin. He is trying to focus on his meeting coming up with big producer Juice Randall. Austin returns home later to see that Adrianna is still there and has been making changes to the place. Dixon and Austin argue over who has to ask Adrianna to leave. Austin informs Dixon that he and Adrianna only made out and fell asleep. Austin then promises to sign a licence to help Liam sell alcohol if Dixon asks Adrianna to leave. Later Adrianna is ready to leave on her own and informs Dixon that she has been hanging around because of him, as he is the only person from the group who doesn't look at her like she's a monster. The two bond over their passion for music which leads to Dixon advising her to apply to be a waitress at Liam's bar. Liam does not like the idea at first but changes his mind. Later Austin gives Dixon his ADHD medication to stay alert and focused on his work but Dixon declines. Dixon struggles to stay awake to finish his music tracks and takes some of Austin's pills.

Liam comes to Dixon questioning what happened the night before that resulted in him buying the little bar he was at. Liam has now lost all his money and needs to figure out what to do next. Liam and Dixon go to meet the owner to get his money back. He is happy to take it back but reminds Liam of how much he wanted this place last night and how he was desperately trying to get over a woman named "Jane". Liam then decides to keep the bar. Dixon questions him but Liam won't share the details of what happened this past summer. Liam and Dixon are hanging out when Liam steps away and Jane (a girl he met in Alaska) shows up looking for him. Liam is shocked to see her and Dixon excuses himself. Jane tells Liam that he is the only person who knew her late husband Jim so she feels close to him. Liam informs Jane that Jim took his place at work while Liam was sleeping and that's when he got killed in the accident, so Liam blames himself. The next day Jane comes to tell Liam that she doesn't blame him and that she is staying in town for a while. Liam tells her that he only spent time with her because he felt bad but when he looks at her he is reminded of his guilt over Jim's death. After talking to Adrianna, Liam realizes he needs to face his guilt. He later goes to see Jane and talk about his feelings for her and the two end up kissing and heading into her room.

Navid is worried because Leila hasn't come back yet after she ran out. Silver checks her Twitter and sees that seems to be fine wherever she is hiding. Navid later runs into Adrianna at Dixon's and tells her what's going on with Leila, she apologizes for the party and gives him advice on how to find his sister. He returns later and Silver tells him that Leila has stopped updating her Twitter feed. He later gets a video message from his sister saying she has been kidnapped, not to call the cops, and that they're demanding $50,000. Silver tries to tell him to relax, as she is still suspicious. Navid is angry at her for not being concerned and informs her that Adrianna cares more than she does. He accuses her of not understanding because her family is never around. Silver runs into Adrianna and shows her the video and Adrianna recognizes the building she is in as the nail salon they used to go to as friends. Adrianna expresses how horrible she feels for almost pushing Silver to suicide and informs her about her suicide attempt but Silver still doesn't trust her. Silver and Navid later find her having a good time and she confesses that she needed the ransom money so her and her 23 year old boyfriend could open their own tattoo parlor in New Mexico. Navid grabs his sister and storms out of the tattoo shop. That night Navid apologizes to Silver for getting angry with her and is surprised that she was willing to talk to Adrianna. Silver reflects on how her friends have always been her family and she cannot stand to lose anymore people. Silver informs Navid that he has no chance in keeping a teenage girl away from the guy she loves. Navid later goes to warn Leila's boyfriend but finds out that he wants $75,000 to stay away from her. He later has to ask his shady business "family" for help.

This episode was actually better than the premiere. The premiere seemed to be more wrapping up and moving on with the season 2 finale, whereas this episode seemed to mix the past with the present and future story lines. The episode gets a B+ and let's see if the episodes continue to get better.

Next Week's Episode: Greek Tragedy

Billy Ray Cyrus to Guest Star on 90210!

Another guest star for 90210! Billy Ray Cyrus will be playing Judd Ridge, the wealthy father of new character Austin! If you've been watching, he is the former owner of Naomi's new mansion. 

As we previously reported Kellie Pickler will be playing Austin's cousin on the show in an episode.

http://tvteendrama.blogspot.com/2011/08/90210-guest-star-kellie-pickler.html

90210 airs Tuesday nights on The CW!

Graduation 101

It's been a big year for the class of 2011 in the world of teen drama! West Beverly, Degrassi, and Grant all celebrated big graduations this year. Confessions, illness, proposals, everything you can imagine happens at these graduations.

For 90210, this marked the end of the high school chapter of the series. For Degrassi, this was a farewell to several of the main characters, and for The Secret Life it was a splitting up half the cast of high school and now out of high school.

Graduation is a big moment in the world of teen drama and has been used as a major plot device and story arc on nearly all long lasting teen dramas. It's a huge transitional step that can either boost or break a show. Critics have stated opinions that teen drama series' tend to "jump the shark" once they leave high school and move into the real world. Do any of you readers have opinions on whether or not a teen drama can be successful when taken out of high school? Shows like Degrassi have mastered the art of focusing on the school and following future generations of students. Then shows like Beverly Hills 90210 follow the main characters as they enter adulthood. Both attempts have been proven to be both successful and unsuccessful given the programs.

For now lets take a moment to remember some of the memories of teen drama graduations throughout the years!

Do you have a favorite? How do you feel about teen dramas leaving high school behind? How should a graduation episode be written?

Jersey Shore's Vinny to Guest on 90210!

And the guest stars just keep on coming! 90210 has been busy on bringing big names to the zip, only this time they are taking one to a different part of the country. Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino will appear in an episode where the gang heads to Las Vegas and he'll be playing poker with Liam.

90210 airs Tuesdays on The CW!

90210: Up In Smoke

"Fasten your seat belts"

Tonight premiered the fourth season of 90210!!! We are no longer seeing the halls of West Beverly and are once again entering the buildings at CU. Some of the kids are going to college, and some are jumping into careers and family.

Naomi falls asleep on a plane and has a flashback to early that summer. Naomi and Max sit in the doctors office and contemplate being parents. They profess their love for each other and their determination to make things work. The doctor quickly informs them that it was a false positive. Max is joyful while Naomi begins to cry. Naomi then awakes and remembers what a bad memory it was. She later meets with the gang on the beach, and they celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of college. A now single Naomi hits on the captain of CU's football team to which he reminds her that she's now a freshman. She plans to buy a big party house and throw a big party to make a name for herself at CU. The girls go house shopping with Naomi who invites Annie, Ivy and Raj to move in with her. She finds the perfect house where she encounters a cowboy named Austin, the son of the man selling the house, but she mistakes him for a worker and offends him by threatening to get him fired if he stands in her way of buying the house. He causes his parents to up the price of the house and Naomi still purchases it. The next day she receives mail from Max but does not tell anyone. Ivy and Raj inform her that there is a pot garden at the guest house and she plans to use this to get Austin in trouble with his parents. At the party Naomi has everyone burn something that they wish to forget, but she is disappointed when a cop shows up after a noise complaint and orders her to put out the fire. Naomi has one last thing to burn before they put out the fire. Towards the end of the party she runs into a naked Austin who is bitter at her for getting him in trouble with his parents. The party comes to a halt when the police return since Naomi has not put out the fire. She sees Austin's pot and quickly throws it into the fire which causes it to  blow over all of the guest and the police. The cops arrest Naomi and walk her out of the party. She returns the next morning to see that Annie and Ivy found the letter from Max and they encourage her to read it. She begins to read it and confesses her false alarm pregnancy to her friends. She does not finish the letter and will not allow herself to be sad over getting her heart broken by Max. Annie saves the letter in case Naomi changes her mind someday.

Ivy and Raj are now living with Naomi and Ivy tries to get him to join in on Naomi's party. Raj is not feeling up to it but pushes Ivy to go without him as she has not left his side since the wedding and he does not want to drag he down. She returns later and tells him she had fun but her favorite part of the night is coming back to him.

Silver sees a picture of Adrianna from a magazine showing how she is trying to turn her life around and makes it clear that she hasn't forgiven her. Navid is excited to move in with Silver now that his family has moved to Switzerland. Now his sister shows up and wants to live in Beverly Hills with Navid so she can stay around her friends. Silver relates to Leila and welcomes her to their small home, however Leila is far from a friendly guest. Silver returns home the next day and thinks she has caught Leila with a boy, but is stunned when Adrianna walks out of her bathroom. Adrianna attempts to apologize but Silver throws her out. Silver stresses with trying to help Navid raise his bratty teenage sister. Navid is being annoyed by one of his father's old business associates who accuses Navid of ruining his family's life but Navid refuses to do the business that corrupted his father. At the party, Navid apologizes for the trouble he has caused her but Silver says that her problems are with Adrianna. Immediately after the two are shocked to see Adrianna show up at the party. Adrianna again attempts to apologize for switching her medications, trying to break up her and Navid, and ruining her chances at NYU. Silver informs her that she was about to commit suicide before Dixon tricked her into getting checked in, and she could be dead right now thanks to Adrianna. Silver informs Adrianna that she is "dead" to her and walks away.  The next day Navid berates Leila for befriending Adrianna and she lashes out at them. Silver offers to help her get through things as a small family but Leila apparently snuck out of the bathroom window.

Dixon has spent the summer as a DJ and had an amazing time but now finds out that Navid pranked him and caused him to be enrolled as a female and he is now living in the girls' dorm. Dixon is now homeless, but Navid

Annie sulks in the fact that she stayed home all summer in hopes that Liam would come back from her. Later she finds out that Marla's family is contesting the will and she might have to stay in Beverly Hills. She is shocked later when Liam shows up with an engagement ring. He tells her that he decided that he wants to be with her forever, but Annie is hurt that he never called her all summer. She tells him that she loves him but it's not enough. Liam stresses over finding a way to prove his love to Annie. At CU Annie meets an upperclassman named Jeremy who reminds her that sometimes when you lose things you want, you find things you didn't know you want. She then invites him to Naomi's party. At the party, Liam shows up with a huge romantic gesture and proposes to Annie in front of everyone but she turns him down. Annie wants to understand what could have happened to make him decide to be with her, but he leaves the party upset after being rejected. Liam drowns his sorrows in alcohol after the party. He wakes up the next morning to find that he purchased the little bar he was at while he was drunk.

Teddy is still preparing to come out to his father. He later chickens out and questions possibly writing him a letter instead. Silver pushes him to come out in person and do what is best for himself without being ashamed. As Teddy sits on an airplane the next day he leaves his father a message on his phone informing him that he is gay.

This episode was not as strong as the season 3 premiere but it gives a look into what we can expect from this season. It looks like they are all on journeys to grow up and find out what they want in life and love. It seemed like a bit of a lackluster decision to have Naomi with a false positive pregnancy. There was not as much excitement but we are left with many questions as to what happened over the summer, what is really going on now, and what will happen in their futures. This episode receives a B from us and here is to hoping that this will be an incredible season. Look for TV Teen Drama 101 to be doing recaps and reviews of every episode of 90210 this season!

Next Week's Episode: Rush Hour

90210 and Gossip Girl Spoilers!

Who is going to be a paid escort in your favorite zip? And who is getting married when the gang takes a trip to Vegas? On the other coast, how will Jenny be written off? And how will they celebrate the 100th episode?

90210 returns for it's fourth season on Tuesday September 13 and Gossip Girl returns Monday September 26 both on The CW!
http://www.tvline.com/2011/09/ask-ausiello-spoilers-on-glee-greys-anatomy-community/

Perez Hilton to Guest Star on 90210!

This zip is getting more guest stars than we can keep track of! Now comes word that Perez Hilton will be playing a cameo as himself!!! He'll be sharing scenes with Shenae Grimes (Annie).

90210 returns for it's fourth season on Tuesday September 13 on The CW.

90210 Extended Trailer for Season 4!

Last trailer wasn't long enough? Check out the new extended trailer for season 4 of 90210! Looks like loads of fun are to be had in America's favorite zip code.

90210 returns for it's fourth season on Tuesday September 13 on The CW!

90210 Updates 8/22/11

Want the scoop on what's going on in your favorite zip? Naomi's mansion is going to be seen a lot in season 4! Find out who will be living with her, and who will NOT be attending college with the gang.

http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/tvguide/article/Keck-s-Exclusives-90210-First-Look-2135163.php

Think enough guest stars are set to join the zip in season 4? Guess again! The band Cobra Starship will be playing in a special Rock the Vote episode! It looks like more politics in the zip, sound familiar to the fans of classic 90210 in the college years?

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/08/22/90210-cobra-starship-to-guest/

90210 returns for it's fourth season on Tuesday September 13 on The CW.



Ryan Rottman Joins 90210!

Looks like the population just keeps expanding for America's favorite zip code! Actor Ryan Rottman will be joining as Shane, a gay male who fights for equality. Possibly a new love interest for Trevor Donovan's Teddyr? Or maybe a replacement to fill as the gay character?

Many of you may remember him as Joey on TeenNick's Gigantic! Or as Ryder on an episode of Nickelodeon's Victorious. He also had a guest spot on ABC Family's Greek.

This year he has been rumored to be dating Victorious star, Victora Justice. He was also caught up in some DUI drama. But it looks like he'll be joining this teen drama in the fall!

90210 returns for it's fourth season Tuesday September 13 on The CW!

90210 Season 4 Promo!

The CW released it's first promo for the upcomming season of 90210! Who are you most excited to see return to the zip?

90210 returns Tuesday September 13 on The CW.

Sex and the City Prequel in the works.

Candace Bushnell wrote a book entitled "The Carrie Diaries" as a prequel to the hit series Sex and the City! It follows the life of a young Carrie Bradshaw before her years on the show. They are currently shopping around a series based on the book which may be picked up by The CW. No word on if this will be a teen drama rather than a teen comedy, but most reboots lately are taken in a more dramatic light. Though The CW has stated that they want to air more comedies.

Would you like to see The Carrie Diaries join 90210, Gossip Girl, The Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries on the young teen oriented network?

If it follows in what seems to be becoming a tradition for the network, maybe we'll see an actress from Degrassi in the lead role? (Shenae Grimes from 90210 and Nina Dobrev from Vampire Diaries both came from Degrassi). We could totally see a lighter-haired Annie Clark as a young Sarah Jessica Parker.

Should this project happen? Should happen on The CW? Should the franchise be left alone? What are your thoughts. If it's going to fall into the genre of teen drama then you better believe we'll be following this story!

90210 and Gossip Girl Spoilers!

Who is coming and going on Gossip Girl? What will happen with Chuck and Blair? Which 90210 character is getting a windfall?

Want to be spoiled?

http://tvovermind.zap2it.com/thecw/gossip-girl/gossip-girl-season-5-spoilers-characters-set-photo/85698

http://www.wetpaint.com/network/articles/exclusive-chaching-90210s-liam-court-gets-a-surprise-windfall-this-season

90210 returns Tuesday September 13 and Gossip Girl returns Monday September 26, both on The CW!

90210: Guest Star Kellie Pickler!!!

Last season they had two Kardashians, a Jonas, a couple of rappers. They already have Brandy set to guest star for a few episodes (see here). Nowformer  American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler is set to guest star on an episode of 90210 for season 4.

Kellie will play Sally, a cousin of new character Austin (portrayed by Justin Deeley).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/90210-books-american-idol-alum-222733

90210 returns Tuesday September 13 on The CW.

90210 Casting News 8/11/11

Actor Sean Wing is joining the teen drama this fall, he will be playing Nick a world traveler who falls for one of the girls. He may be a part of a new love triangle.

http://www.eonline.com/news/watch_with_kristin/90210_casting_scoop_theres_love/257233?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-tvnews&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_tvnews

Some may remmeber him as playing Levi, Violet's crazy adoptive brother in an episode of the new Melrose Place.

90210 returns for it's fourth season on Tuesday September 13, on The CW.

Brandy Guest Stars on 90210!

Another celebrity guest spot for 90210! Actress Brandy will be appearing as a politician running against Teddy's uncle. She will have interaction with Silver as well.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/90210-Brandy-Season4-1036099.aspx?rss=breakingnews

90210 returns Tuesday September 13 on The CW!