90210 Recap: “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore”

Beverly Hills 90210, the show known for making a zip code famous, is back! In one of the most anticipated premieres of all summer, we were introduced to the new students that would walk the halls of the infamous West Beverly High. Move over Brenda and Kelly, there are new kids on the block!

“Well Annie, we are not in Kansas anymore.”

Of course our star family had to have moved from a good ole Midwestern town, only this time it wasn’t Minnesota. Harry Wilson, the new principal of West Beverly, and his wife Debbie, a hot shot photographer, moved back to Beverly Hills to care for Harry’s mother. Their two children Annie and Dixon, the sister and adopted brother duo, are transplanted from Kansas and are sure to find drama in the newly upgraded 90210.

Awe, the memories, Old Season vs. New Season, Walshes vs. Wilsons and Minnesota vs. Kansas, let the parallels unfold…..

On the first day of school, we meet Ethan, the star lacrosse player who also seems to be a former summer make-out partner of Annie. We then meet Naomi the rich spoiled girl throwing a Sweet Sixteen party only to be matched by those seen on MTV’s Super Sweet Sixteen. After learning that Naomi and Ethan are a star couple, we begin to feel the tension in the air. Annie catches Ethan cheating on Naomi, which is later exposed at the sweet sixteen bash. In the meantime Annie has plenty of opportunities to swoop in and flirt her way back into Ethan’s heart; and the love triangle is born. (Think Kelly+Dylan+Brenda)

Dixon tries out for the lacrosse team, but as the “Principal’s Son” his teammates aren’t too welcoming. So he enlists the help of his new friend Navid, the video game nerd and editor of the Blaze News, to help get the lacrosse team to like him. Navid is reminiscent of little David Silver, the tech-y disc-jockey.

And speaking of David Silver, enter Silver, or as the new cast knows her, Erin. That’s right, the love child between Kelly’s Mom and David’s dad is part of the new cast as the free-spirited girl, who is mortal enemies with Naomi and who later becomes best friends with our new lead Annie.

When Annie isn’t reminiscing about summers past with Ethan, or trying to console him during his obviously painful break-up from Naomi, she is off jet-setting to San Francisco with the lead of the school play and one of the most popular kids on campus, Ty.

The show may be taking place in 90210, but it is definitely a stretch from the landscape of the original series.

The Peach Pit is now a coffee house, jets replace the once outlandish porches, groundings consist of ‘no more coffee money’ and even the stars seem to have had a face lift! I don’t remember Jim and Cindy looking as good as the new Harry Wilson (Rob Estes) or Debbie Wilson (Lori Loughlin)! Even though the particulars have changed, the show is packed full of new gripping storylines for its new viewers.

And for the older generation, who are blessed enough, to remember the drama and catfights of the original, we have Brenda and Kelly as familiar faces. After they made their on air, overly-obvious, “its all in the past” speech, we find out that Kelly has taken on a new role of motherhood and a new position as a school counselor. We may even be in for some inter-office/school scandal between Kelly and one of the other teachers, Ryan.

Still, if all of this isn’t enough drama to keep you watching throughout the season, lets not forget to mention that Naomi’s mother, dropped quite the bombshell on Harry Wilson. It turns out they were former lovers and Naomi’s mother “kept” the child….. we may not know where that story line is heading, but it is definitely going to be (as in 90210 fashion) juicy and intriguing.

(Julie Secor is an aspiring writer and blogger, and you can read her weekly recaps of Gossip Girl and 90210 right here!)