‘90210’: Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll
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It was only a matter of time until ‘90210’ devoted an episode to sex. And with the curtain finally going up last night on West Beverly’s musical -- and that musical being the hormones-in-overdrive rocker ‘Spring Awakening’ -- the time, naturally, had arrived.
Like so many teen-drama heroines before her, Annie Wilson suddenly finds herself facing the is-this-or-isn’t-this-the-right-time-to-lose-my-virginity dilemma. Between making out with male lead Ty both onstage and off, the understudy (and eventual star, but more on that in a minute) comes to the conclusion that she does, on the plus side, like him. A lot. So what if just last week she was pondering a romance with Ethan? The girl’s clearly not in Kansas anymore.
Before Annie can make any decisions, though, nearly everyone in the ZIP Code must weigh in. Naomi, who proudly announces she and Ethan did it almost immediately, can’t believe her sheltered new classmate would consider not. As she puts it, “You’re friends, right? You should explore the benefits.” Mom Debbie is much more relaxed about the possibility than Cindy Walsh ever would’ve been. But Principal Dad Wilson, who caught Annie kissing Ty in the wings, is most definitely not cool with it. His “mistake” made him a teenage father (though he didn’t know it until just weeks ago when he returned to Beverly Hills). And then there’s Dixon. Annie’s brother is momentarily shocked when -- before heading off to the post-show party at the Roosevelt -- she hits him up for the condom he’s been carrying around in his wallet for four years. 1-- Four years? Is Dixon learning about the effectiveness of birth control from Principal Dad Wilson? And 2 -- Having characters acknowledge how creepy it is for a brother to give his sister his condom does not actually make it any less creepy. Were there no other options? Did Donna Martin’s speech to the PTA do absolutely no good?!
In the end, Annie decides not to hook up with Ty, at least for now. (In fact, the only peeps who do the deed are Naomi’s parents, and they’re now getting a divorce. So maybe it was a wise move.) Of course, she now believes the West Beverly player cheated on her since glassy-eyed Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) answered his hotel room door wrapped in a towel. I gotta say, I didn’t quite get why a sobbing Annie then stopped to fill in Ethan and Naomi, of all people, on what happened. Would she really turn to the guy she surely still has some feelings for and his girlfriend in a situation like that? On the other hand, the twist at the end with Adrianna was nifty. It turns out the actress was just acting when she purred all that nastiness. (“He didn’t tell you to meet him too, did he? Well, I’ll go tell him his next appointment is here.”) Probably because she was high. But most certainly because Annie got to perform her role in the musical. It may have been Brenda Walsh who made the call but, for now, Annie Wilson’s paying the price.
Is this just the beginning of a showdown between Annie and Adrianna? Were you surprised when Adrianna opened the shower curtain and Ty wasn’t there? And were there enough Brenda/Kelly scenes in this episode?
--Shawna Malcom