'90210': Ade gets a duet, and Naomi gets duped

Family isn’t quite the haven it should be and Adrianna seems to have found her way back to boys in this episode of “90210.”

Naomi's sister schools her
I was really excited when Jen came back in the last episode. The show needed a good shot of torrid drama. And Jen didn’t disappoint. Not only did she scare the bejesus out of Naomi for most of the episode, she really lived up to Liam’s description of her as the “rattlesnake.” Just when Naomi thought she had ruined Jen’s marriage and thus her finances, Jen turned around and bit her.

I thought the writers really did a good job of turning the story back on Naomi when she thought she had won. Did you see that coming? I totally didn’t. Maybe I’ve gotten used to the series’ recent trend of ending story lines way too quickly. At any rate, Jen is here to stay, and she’s in charge of Naomi’s trust fund. It took the entire Surf Team’s help to beat Jen last time. I can’t wait to see what they come up with this time.

Liam’s father skips out on him
OK, now I totally saw this coming. If you don’t believe me, check out last week’s review. I was expecting (and hoping) Scott Patterson of “Gilmore Girls” was going to stick around a bit longer, though. But, nope. He took the collectible coins Liam stole from his stepfather and skipped town. I felt so bad for Liam, because it’s clear that he has probably given his father lots of chances at growing up. Now he’s older, and it won’t be so easy for him to forgive. Now there’s the little thing of the missing coins worth $15,000. I’m pretty sure his stepfather will find them missing, and, let’s face it, that boat he has been building all season isn’t going to help him very much in paying that back.

Then there’s his growing relationship with Annie. In this episode, Naomi was so wrapped up with fighting Jen off that she couldn’t be there for Liam when his father left. But Jasper-less Annie has lots of time on her hands, and they’re bonding over their respective messed-up families. I don’t know if I ultimately see (or would even like) Liam with Annie, but I’m sure it’s going to heat up soon, and Naomi isn’t going to like it.

Annie, of course, will replace Naomi’s old nemesis, Ivy. Like I said before, I like her with Dixon. He’s still really selfish and only cares about himself and his abandonment issues, but I’ve turned the corner with Ivy. The writers aren’t making her act like a guy anymore, and she doesn’t say "dude" with ridiculous hand expressions all the time. She’s actually coming off real. I can’t say the same for her mom, though. I hope they continue to keep Ivy from the embarrassing surfer girl cliches and continue letting her act naturally.

Teddy’s dad wants him to drop Silver
Well, good ol’ Ryan O’Neal is definitely filling the role of Teddy’s snarky father to a tee. Silver had every reason to be angry that Teddy didn’t tell his father about her. And although it seemed that she made a good impression on him at the party, Teddy’s father still wants him to drop her. I thought “90210” would go the typical route of having Teddy’s father dislike Silver. Instead, they went with him wanting Teddy to focus on his tennis career. So, it had nothing to do with Silver. It probably could have been anyone. What I love is that Teddy decided to go against his father’s orders. Plus, he told her he was in love with her. I said it before and I’ll say it again: They’re much more interesting as a couple then when they’re not. I just like the dynamics they both bring to the relationship. And when I say “dynamics,” I mean “issues.” That’s a good time. Now the question is: Will Teddy stand up to his father or will he lie about dating Silver?

Navid is all alone
Ade’s singing career is taking off, and it seems Navid missed the flight. Doesn’t Javier (Latin pop star, Diego Boneta) look like Navid’s hotter, younger brother? The fact that they both have the same haircut helps, I guess. I felt bad for Lila when Navid dumped her after realizing he’s still in love with Ade. But it was bound to happen at some point. Plus, earlier in the show after she put her hands over his eyes and they played the “guess who it is” game, they kissed each other on the cheek. On the cheek? When I saw that, I knew this relationship was over. Sayonara, last female guest star with the weird red hair! I know it was pretty sad when Navid overheard Ade with Javier, but he should have walked in there anyway and staked his claim! I’ve always liked Navid with Ade, so I’m going to root for them.

So, how do you feel about Ade’s little lesbian relationship? I thought it was handled really well while it was on, but now, in the aftermath, I’m wondering if it will be swept under the rug. I’m not sure that’s a responsible portrayal of sexuality. What are your thoughts?

Oh, my gosh! I almost forgot to mention Mr. Matthews in the role of “homeless man” this week! Wasn’t that the best scene ever? It was ridiculous. What totally boggled my mind was the fact that Ade is a recovering addict and Navid lived through that with her, yet they just let him walk off! Don’t you think that they should have helped him or made sure he got home safely? Navid yelling at him to get a cab as they run off to ride the carousel just didn’t cut it for me!

Harry watch
So, we didn’t get much from Harry and Debbie in this episode. They did admit that they’re having marital problems and that they’re seeing a marriage counselor. Dixon is too self-centered to be there for Annie, so she’s running off painting Liam’s boat with tears streaming down her cheeks. I still want a major catastrophe for Harry’s exit from the series. As of now, it just looks like he’s going to separate from Debbie, and his lie that saved Dixon from expulsion in the last episode will probably come back to haunt him. A bloody accident would be an awesome final scene for him. That may be asking too much.

What are your feelings on whether Annie and Liam should get together?

— Jethro Nededog (follow me on Twitter @TheRealJethro)

RELATED:

'90210': Dads are all the rage

'90210': Naomi and Ade are all broken up

'90210': Ade comes out, Naomi comes forward

Complete ‘90210’ coverage on Show Tracker

Upper photo: Diego Boneta as Javier and Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna Tate-Duncan on “90210.” Credit: Michael Desmond / The CW

Middle photo: From left, Trevor Donovan as Teddy, Jessica Stroup as Erin Silver, and Ryan O'Neal as Teddy’s dad on “90210.” Credit: Michael Desmond / The CW

Lower photo: From left, Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna Tate-Duncan, Michael Steger as Navid Shirazi, and Ryan Eggold as “homeless man” on “90210.” Credit: Michael Desmond / The CW

Comments

[angry reader]

this is not zap2that. or whatever that crap is you write elsewhere. this reads just like all your other stuff.

[Nicole]

Well, I don't think I've read your stuff on Zap2It, but this read just fine to me! I always read your 90210 recaps here, and always enjoy them.

I wanted to chime in (late) to agree 100% with your assessment of Ade's lesbian relationship. At the time that it was happening, I was really impressed with how they were handling it - they addressed it with sensitivity. However now that it seems that she's back to boys, with no mention of what that means (is she bi? was she merely experimenting? is she still confused?), it seems really irresponsible for a show that is geared to high school kids. I do hope that they don't just leave it the way it is - there should at least be a conversation between Ade and her friends about it.

You're hoping for a bloody end for Harry - I'd be okay if an asteroid wiped out that entire family. Seriously - they are way less interesting and far more annoying than the Walshes ever were. The show is centred around the family, but I really only care about all of the other characters. That was most certainly NOT the case with 90210 1.0. Maybe Jasper will burn their house to the ground and they'll all be so busy sniping at each other that they won't notice until it's too late (fingers crossed!).

[Jethro Nededog]

Nicole, I appreciate your kind comments and I'm so glad you're continuing the conversation on Ade's sexuality. With one more episode to go, I don't believe we'll hear much more on it. That's definitely a lost opportunity for "90210" to cap off what I thought was an excellent treatment of her lesbian storyline up until now.

Thanks, again, for joining me each week. - Jethro