© (C) 2009 The CW Jennie Garth in 90210 - Season Two - "To Thine Own Self Be True"

Television:

TV Review: 90210 - SEASON TWO - 'To Thine Own Self Be True'

Not a lot has changed in this painful rehashing of last week's problems

Grade: C-
Stars: Rob Estes, Lori Loughlin, Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, AnnaLynne McCord, Ryan Eggold, Jessica Stroup, Michael Steger, Jessica Lowndes, Matt Lanter, Trevor Donovan, Gillian Zinser
Writer(s): Ben Dougan
Director: Mike Listo
Release Date: November 17, 2009
Rating: NR

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By JASON SWEARINGEN, News Editor
Published 11/18/2009

90210 was rather somber in tone this week, compared to the melodramatic mess that came before it. That doesn't say much though. Even at its most tame, melodrama is 90210's bread 'n butter.

In "To Thine Own Self Be True," we discover why the writer's voted to keep Silver's (Jessica Stroup) mom alive for just one last episode. In short, they wanted to provide a sense of closure between her and her other estranged daughter, Kelly (Jennie Garth).

If there was any part of the episode didn't feel like a complete waste of my time, it was seeing Kelly get to make amends with her mother Jackie (Ann Gillespie). Closure is exactly what the writers achieved when she passed away in the presence of her two daughters.

Beyond that, everything pretty much boils back down to petty teenage drama that won't matter to any of their lives come ten years.

The long-absent "Naomi (Annalynne McCord) trying to sleep her way into California University" plotline re-emerged this week, fully stocked with Naomi's usual dumb-as-a-brickisms. What does Liam see in her anyway?

She admits to her boy-toy Jaime (Travis Van Winkle) that she was only dating his roommate Richard (Jonathon Trent) to meet his mother and hopefully get into CU, which leads Jaime to magically grow a conscience and dump her because of how it's made his roommate "feel."

Because, you know, stealing your roommate's girlfriend is okay just as long as you're "true to your feelings."

After Naomi apologizes to Richard, Jaime decides to take her back, but now she's not interested because she too has grown a magical conscience and admits that she's still not over Liam (Matt Lanter)... and so the morality roller coaster continues.

Oh, and Naomi caught Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) using, but I find myself caring about that just as much as I care about the Jen (Sara Foster) and Mr. Matthews (Ryan Eggold) subplot. In other words, not one bit.

A plot that I still love to hate on, however, is Jasper (Zachary Ray Sherman) and Annie's (Shenae Grimes) relationship.

The unseperable duo decide to arrange a dinner with Annie's parent's, but Jasper arrives just as Dixon (Tristan Wilds) tells the everyone, for the zillionth time, that "Navid (Michael Steger) says Jasper's a drug dealer."

Could we get some new dirt on this guy, please? It's the same accusation every freaking week. Jasper's a drug dealer. Jasper's a drug dealer. Jasper's a drug dealer. Jasper's a drug dealer. We get it. How about, Jasper kicks kittens for sport? That's a ratings win for sure.

Dixon's little dinner preface pretty much ruins the evening. The Wilson's (Rob Estes & Lori Loughlin) remain quiet as Annie awkwardly calls Jasper a "genius," and Jasper continues to call Annie his inspiration, his inspiration, his inspiration. Once again, Jasper is a broken record.

After Jasper's gone home from the dinner, Annie's parents tell her that they don't want her seeing him anymore, because he's a complete creep and obviously Annie isn't smart enough to make the decision on her own.

Later, being the mild-mannered gentleman that he is, Jasper lunges at Navid, pushing him into a wall and - whoops! - down a flight of stairs, knocking him unconscious.

Listen, if you're going to be a dirtbag, the very least you can do is do it right and actually mean to push him down the stairs. Using gravity as your lackey just makes you look like that much more of a sissy.

Yes, I know what you're thinking "..but but, Jasper pushed him!" You're right, he did. Big deal. That's one step up from verbal abuse. He's still a sissy.

Reader Comments

Jason from iF Magazine sez....
@E.B. White - Ah, crud. Guilty as charged. Fixed and fixed.
11/18/2009 3:41:45 PM

E.B. White from Maine sez....
I think you should learn the correct use of apostrophes if you aspire to being a professional tv critic. (Hint: the word isn't "apostrophe's.")
11/18/2009 3:01:23 PM

chris from chicago sez....
I completely agree with you about Jasper.
11/18/2009 10:46:05 AM

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