90210 Midseason Report

As originally reported in my preview video, I will be reviewing a different show every day this week....

Sorry about the late post, but I got stuck with various meetings and eating and such. For what it's worth, I missed the first two hours of Raw -- and it was actually an edition I was looking forward to seeing (Slammy Awards, new champions, and a fun host).

But, as promised, let's take a look at what we've seen so far from this second season of 90210, the CW 90's re-incarnation that seems to be working. In respect to those who may not be up-to-date, click the "Read More" link for my full review.

Overall, this has been a really enjoyable, very entertaining season. While I thought the first season was good, the show has improved by leaps and bounds. It's almost as if 90210 has become comfortable in its own skin.

And let me just say, that was one of the most phenomenal endings leading to a hiatus that I've seen in quite some time. Jasper's cold, straight face as he revealed to Annie that he's known that she was the one who killed her uncle was chilling and intriguing. How long has he known? How did he find out? And finally, how on earth will this story arc resolve itself without Annie going to prison?

I've also enjoyed the distance from last year's somewhat forced relationships. Scratch that. It's not that the specific relationships were forced, it's more that the characters as a whole were forced to be in relationships. It's as if they said, "Hey, we've got X amount of girls, X amount of guys....let's hitch 'em up!" without any real thought of whether they were compatible. Now they've stepped back and rethought which characters should be together. And of course, in some instances, those original relationships were the right ones -- and we're beginning to see those rebuilt.

Oh, and Silver is lovely. And I love her short hair.

That's not to say that this season is completely praise-worthy. First off, there has been A LOT of bitching, moaning, and complaining. For a long while, Dixon was completely unwatchable. And the fact that he lived in the same house as mopey mcgee Annie, it was just too much. But at least you could understand Annie's personality shift.

Along with that, I find these super chummy relationships a bit of a stretch, especially with the guys. On the original, it just worked because there was so much history. Sure, Steve and Dylan were completely different personalities, but you understood that they have a lifetime of friendship behind them. And their relationship continued to work because of their mutual friendship with Brandon. On this series, Dixon, Liam, and Teddy are ALL new kids on campus. What exactly drew them together? It just seems a little forced.

The girls are a bit better, but I still double take every now and then that Naomi and Silver are suddenly inseparable. I respect that they've rebuilt their relationship, but it just seems like a far stretch that Silver would completely forgive everything that Naomi had done to her (like, ya' know, tearing her family apart).

Overall, though, I'd suggest this show to anybody who enjoyed the original. The characters are finding their strides, and it's really become its own. For example, I really do see Silver as her own character, and not Kelly's little sister. I just hope Melrose Place is given the same opportunity.








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