Iden Toady Oh

Translated from a four-year-old's mangled, yet adorable, speak: 90210. As in, Beverly Hills 90210. As in, possibly the best. As in, absolutely. The. Best.

Yesterday, as we were watching together, Franco told me he loved the beloved original series as much as I do. Be still my heart. There's no way this can be true, but I admire his life goals. We stumbled upon Seasons Four and Five while unpacking our basement and are making our way through from that point. Right now, Dylan is hooking up with Jonesy to try and get his stolen fortune back, Kelly's joining the Evolution cult, Andrea's flirting with Doctor Peter, and Donna's a few episodes shy of getting thrown around by Ray Pruitt. Shit's about to get real -- as nighttime soap opera reality goes.

Some poor unfortunate souls have no idea of what I speak. I pity them. (In return, they might pity me. Whatever. Only one of us is right.) Much of my life has its reference points traced directly to this series. If not for these kids' unfortunate second sophomore year, we would have been on exactly the same plane in life. Graduating at the same time, going to college at the same time, discovering oversized flannels and Doc Martins at the same time, renting that beach house at the same time, going to rehab at the same time.... Okay, mostly.

One of the best decisions I ever made was skipping law school classes my first year because they conflicted with Kelly's Colin-induced drug haze and all the delightful downfall. These episodes are my FAVORITE. This fact can not be overstressed. Back in those days, before TIVO and on demand and DVD releases, you had to watch episodes rerun on TBS in the middle of the day like any self-respecting American or not at all. What classes did I skip? I have no idea. Did I miss anything useful? No. Do I to this day defend my choice? Hands down and absolutely. Nothing I learned (or didn't learn) could ever compare with the happiness I felt in those afternoons.

You might think I am being facetious or dramatic or both. However, for better or worse, I am dead serious in my commitment to this show. It made me incredibly happy every single week for many, many years. (Though, not at the end of it. Even my loyalty has its limits. Blech to the final two or so seasons.) When the DVD's came out and I re-watched it, I could relive all the memories -- both theirs and mine. I might have gotten nostalgic, looked at old photos of old people no longer in my life, and pined for a simpler time when I truly felt hopeful for the world around me. I may have drug out a few babydoll dresses from the recesses of my closet and worn them like it was 1995 all over again. (No, you shut up.)

I might have even been optimistic about the reboot a few years ago. (http://bloggingmywaytoabetterlife.blogspot.com/2008/09/guess-whos-back.html. One can dream.) However, my idealism apparently lives on. Even now, as I watch these crazy kids go through some serious craziness, I long for that time in my life when I thought our progressive ways would only go on and on, my own life would only get better and better, and all the world's problems would eventually be solved through, well, whatever. I didn't know then and I don't know now, but I believed more then than now.

But, I have a four-year-old counting on me to show him the way. Maybe 90210 isn't the best role model. Or maybe it definitely is not. I am okay with that. Just like my past, it's messy and dramatic and not entirely believable.

And I love it. And I would not trade a thing.