Guess Who's Back?

Peg your pants and grab some hot pink spandex 'cause 90210 is back, baby! Last night, when I watched Kelly and Brenda reunite at The Peach Pit, I squealed like it was 1990 again! Only better!

Even with all the hype, I would not have predicted my own overzealous reaction. In fact, from the start I've been a bit concerned about West Beverly's legacy. Even after I knew certain all-stars would return, I've tried to keep the skepticism healthy, so as not to be overly disappointed by my wildest high expectations.

That all flew into the night faster than David Silver transformed himself from geek to, well, geek with a keyboard. About five minutes into the pilot, I knew I was hooked in a big way. Hannah Zuckerman-Vazquez does the news and Erin Silver is a bundle of broodish confusion? And did I mention Kelly AND Brenda? Where do I sign up?

Really, not much of those two hours forged new ground. Plagairism? Please, Brandon and Steve had that tussle with Mrs. Teasley years ago. Pill-poppers? Not only did Donna and David separately beat that demon, Steve got addicted to, and detoxed from, marijuana in one hour, including commercials. Illegitimate children? Hello, Gina!

To boot, it's all as preposterous this time around, too: the high-schoolers are way savvy and chic, even for a Spelling-inspired soap; the adults appear halfway brain-damaged, with hints of felonies to come, and everyone's air-brushed within an inch of their lives.

And...who cares? I ate it up and craved more. (Maybe not as much as I craved a DVD marathon with several choice girlfriends and too many cocktails, but...) Some of it certainly improved with time. I can assure you won't find porn productions or drunk grandmothers in the first go-round, though I sadly doubt this version will include a Valentine's Day 'Sex Out!' or anything comparable to "Donna Martin Graduates!"

And that's okay too. It all reminded me of my younger self, rushing home from dance class in high school to swoon over Brandon Walsh in my parents' living room. These new kids might not make such a deep impression on the current generation - there's far more from which to choose nowadays. But as for an out-and-out guilty pleasure? Nothing cheesier comes to mind.

And I'll take it. Sure, I can dream of a future where all the newbies are slowly shipped out and the old cast filters in to completely take over. But for now, I have scores of unanswered questions: Is Ethan the new Dylan sans sideburns? Are they going to move into the beach house anytime soon? Is Kelly's son Brandon's kid? Did Nat gain any social skills in the past decade?

It's cathartic to realize that as much as I've grown in eighteen years, I'll never outgrow 90210. The more things change, the more they absolutely stay the same - both in my zip code and that more famous one.