TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Gabrielle Carteris, Tiffani Thiessen, Kathleen Robertson
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: CBS/Paramount

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: 10/4/90 – 5/17/2000
Season Air Dates: 7/12/94 – 5/24/95
DVD Box Set Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $39.99, Wal-Mart: $39.86
Episodes: All season five hour long episodes are included

Once upon a time Beverly Hills 90210 was a weekly part of my life. It used to be my favorite show. Admittedly, I was a teenager back then, but still it was one of those things that I couldn’t miss. These days I cannot recall finding a nighttime soap opera that compared to the drama and closet entertainment that 90210 provided. That being said, I did not watch the series from beginning to end. I was there at the beginning, but left regular viewing about the time that this season started. I would occasionally tune back in to see what the old gang was up to, but the addition of cult storylines and David (Brian Austin Green) becoming a smack-head was just too much for me.

This season is known for the change in cast, especially where the bitches of the show are concerned. Brenda (Shannen Doherty) has headed off to London and has not returned (Doherty was fired). With a free bitch spot to fill, Brenda’s spot was filled with Valerie Malone (Tiffani Thiessen, who at this time had an Amber in there somewhere). Like Doherty, she was meant to be the sexy, troublesome siren. I can’t feign particular attraction to either, though I see why some guys might like them.

Fans of Thiessen will love this season just because she is in it. I am not sure that was enough to do it for me, but there were some good moments here that reminded me of why I watched the show in the first place. Granted, this feels like a weakening shell of what the show used to be, but it still had a few redeeming moments. There were many episodes here that I watched for the first time. It’s certainly not the best of 90210, especially if you prefer Doherty over Thiessen, but you might still find this season to be enjoyable. I know that when I least expected it those old feelings crept back in and I found myself enjoying the show.

An important point to note. This season is not labled the complete fifth season for a reason. There have been numerous edits and much of the original music that aired on the show when it was on television is not present in this DVD set. The episodes are the same for the most part, but diehard fans will notice these changes.

The Beverly Hills 90210: The Fifth Season Plot
As with most seasons of 90210 there were plenty of episodes. Rather than hash over the basis of the show, which you probably know if you’re reading a review for the fifth season, I will just leave you with a brief synopsis of the episodes for this season of the show.

“What I Did on My Summer Vacation and Other Stories” – Dylan (Luke Perry) glides into town from a Mexican binge to discover that Brenda (Doherty) has decided not to return home from London. Valerie (Thiessen) has replaced Brenda as the bad girl.

“Under the Influence” – Donna (Tori Spelling) decides to become a Houston debutante, but Kelly (Jennie Garth) realizes what she is doing and why. Brandon (Jason Priestley) attempts to tell Dylan about him and Kelly, but can’t do it in Dylan’s current state. Nat spills the beans, Dylan plans to beat Brandon up, and Kelly ends up finding Dylan with a tramp as a result of his findings.

“A Clean Slate” – Josh (Joshua Beckett) gets car trouble and doesn’t show up for a campus speech, so his running mate, Brandon, is forced to take his place. When Brandon’s character is at stake because of something Josh once said, Brandon and some friends must wait while his fate hangs in the balance. Brandon watches as a friend dies in a car crash. Meanwhile, Clare (Kathleen Robertson) moves in with Kelly and Donna. Dylan is shocked to learn that the girl he slept with (Valerie) lives at casa Walsh.

“Life After Death” – Brandon can’t handle dealing with the death that he watched. Kelly, unable to support him, begins to think that the two are drifting apart. The presidency is contested, and even though Brandon doesn’t want the job, he fights for it for his late friend. Clare takes a liking to David (Austin Green) and Valerie splits her time between Steve (Ian Zering) and Dylan.

“Rave On” – Kelly thinks that something is up with Valerie, but Brandon wants to defend her. However, when Steve is able to get Nat (Joe E. Tata) to hand over the Peach Pit for a two night rave, and Kelly finds Valerie and Dylan making out, she runs to Steve to tell him what she discovered. Donna meets a new guy. Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris) is able to attend the rave thanks to the Walshes babysitting little Hannah. However, when mommy spies daddy, Jesse (Mark D. Espinoza) flirting with some girls at work, she becomes unsure if her marriage is going to work.

“Homecoming” – When a close friend of Clare’s family visits the college for a cancer treatment, all hell breaks loose. It comes to light that the man, Ferdinand Quintero, has ordered the murder of thousand of the citizens of Selanesia. Dylan and Valerie are becoming too close for comfort so Dylan handles it the only way he can. Meanwhile, Andrea meets a med student and neglects to tell him that she is married.

“Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” – The Peach Pit After Dark is shut down for being too popular. Steve finds Valerie half naked in Dylan’s apartment when he goes to talk business with him. Kelly gets her feelings hurt when her mother plans a mommy-daughter day without her. David handcuffs himself to Clare’s bed only to find that she does not have the key.

“Things That Go Bang in the Night” – Valerie makes plans to move back to Buffalo, but learns that’s not an option because her mom is in the nut house. Brandon talks to Steve about Valerie though she is back to her old tricks in no time. Dylan is given drugs by a friend. It’s a crazy Halloween with Dylan shooting up in his living room and Brandon having to babysit him. Donna’s relationship troubles come to a head, though Ray (one of two current love interests) agrees to respect her virginity.

“Intervention” – The Walsh’s and others in the gang stage an intervention for Dylan. The only ones not invited are Clare and Valerie. Dylan goes to rehab, but ends up giving it up and doing heroin instead. Ray’s mother feels that he should take advantage of Donna’s wealth. Clare and David make a porno but are shocked to lean that the tape ends up in the hands of the Martins.

“The Dreams of Dylan McKay” – Dylan experiences some insane dreams and reoccuring nightmares. Dylan continues to spiral downhill, but tries to turn things around after a talk with his father. His mother is with him when he wakes up.

“Hate Is Just a Four-Letter Word” – The Black Student Union wants to have Roland Turner come to the university to speak, but the message that he gives off angers some of the other students. Brandon tries to moderate the feelings of the Black Student Union and the Jewish Student Union. All the while, Andrea says that Brandon is a sell out for not just canceling the event. Andrea is encouraged to go to the event and hear what the man has to say.

“Rock of Ages (a.k.a. The Voodoo That You Do So Well)” – Brandon gets tickets to the Rolling Stones’ Rose Bowl Concert from his dad and he decides to take Andrea with him. Kelly also arrives and gets backstage passes, though Steve has trouble getting in when someone steals his wallet. Ray and Donna also go to the show, but they decide to work there so they can see it for free. Dylan sells his shares in the Peach Pit after Dark and eventually breaks things off with Valerie, as he doesn’t want to involve her in his problems.

“Up in Flames” – Steve works with Griffin to put together a holiday rave at an empty house. Valerie offers her assistance hoping to get in with Steve again. Clare and David attempt to get some partygoers by posting the event on a computer bulletin board. Unfortunately, the board is for lesbians and that ends up being the main group at the party. That’s the last of the problems though because the old house they are in ends up catching on fire! Steve and Valerie are rescued by Ray, but Kelly is trapped downstairs in one of the bathrooms with no way to get out.

“Injustice for All” – Kelly thinks that Brandon pities her due to the injuries that she sustained in the fire. Dylan gets out of rehab and returns home. Steve is given his sentence and is completely unhappy with the outcome.

“Christmas Comes This Time Each Year” – Brandon decides to stay home with Kelly when his parents fly to London to spend the holiday with Brenda. Donna’s mother offers Ray $10,000 to stay away from Donna and he accepts. The gang swoops in to save the day when baby Hannah is not enjoying her first Christmas. They arrive dressed as Santas and elves to cheer things up. David gets upset when Clare lies about her relationship with him to her father.

“Sentenced to Life” – Steve manages to evade his community service, but realizes that he should consider appreciating what he has after meeting an old friend. Dylan ends up receiving probation for a drunk driving charge that he was facing. Andrea meets up with Peter again, who now knows that she is married, though that doesn’t seem to matter.

“Sweating It Out” – Dylan and Brandon go on a road trip before Dylan faces his probation. They spend a good deal of time arguing about Kelly, but put their differences aside as much as they can to enjoy their trip. After a faux pas during a bathroom break, the two end up in a sweat lodge. Kelly and Valerie atend a seminar by Professor Patrick Finley. Valerie doesn’t agree with what is said and leaves, but Kelly stays because of the recent events that she has been through. Valerie begins to develop a crush on Ray.

“Hazardous to Your Health” – Dylan heads to Mexico to look for Kevin and Suzanne. Valerie is brought into help Dylan and manages to get Kevin to reveal the location of his bank account. Brandon is brought into the middle of a campus situation when followers of Professor Finley become furious that he is denied tenure. This affects Brandon and Kelly’s relationship, especially after he learns the reason that the tenure was denied.

“Little Monsters” – Kelly becomes one of Finley’s minions and withdraws from her friends. Brandon attempts to publicly support Finley in order to make Kelly happy. Despite Brandon’s endorsement, Finley is removed as a professor at the university. Finley recommends that Kelly break up with Brandon. Ray is offered a record contract, but Donna is immediately wary of the deal when she finds out that Ariel is the one handling the contract. Andrea worries about Hannah and how things will be with Jesse out of town. In his absense, Andrea and Peter go on a date and share a kiss.

“You Gotta Have Heart” – Kelly is pressured to end her relationship with Brandon, but cannot do it at first. Valerie moves into a luxury hotel. Donna finally goes to bed with Ray, but almost immediately after she breaks things off with him. Valerie works her magic attempting to get Ray back at her hotel room. Andrea and Jesse share an akward moment when they see Peter and his wife at the movies.

“Stormy Weather” – Dylan pretends to be interested in Professor Finley’s teachings so that he can get into the operation. Dylan and Kelly kiss and she even attempts to seduce him, though she refuses to believe that Finley is a bad guy. Kelly eventually leaves the group, thanks to Brandon and leaves Dylan heartbroken. Andrea ends up working at the hospital, but spends more time messing around with Peter instead.

“Alone at the Top” – Valerie attempts to force Ray into a relationship, but he decides to go on tour instead. Like Ray, Dylan also wants nothing to do with Valerie. Peter rents a special room for him and Andrea to have some private time. Brandon has to deal with criminal problems at the university when there are several thefts on campus and a girl gets raped in public during the day. David’s roommate is questioned about the crime.

“Love Hurts” – David’s roommate transfers to another school despite being cleared of the crime. David and Donna end up fighting thanks to Valerie’s meddling. However, he soon comes to the rescue when Donna is held at knifepoint as someone tries to rape her. Andrea plans to leave Jesse for Peter, though Peter lets her know that he is not interested in anything serious.

“Unreal World” – David and Clare plan a documentary for class that leads to their breakup and to David admitting that he still loves Donna. Valerie runs out of money and moves back into the Walsh home, eventually hooking back up with Dylan. Kelly gets drunk on some spiked watermelon and is shocked to learn that Jackie and Mel are moving in together.

“Double Jeopardy” – Jesse and Dylan become roommates and Jesse begins to drive Dylan crazy. Brandon and Clare fight for one spot on College Jeopardy. Andrea is shocked when Valerie informs her that Jesse may want a divorce. Dylan convinces Jesse to do the right thing and he asks Andrea for another chance. Donna goes to visit Ray for Spring Break and David tags along, hoping that she will wake up and choose him instead.

“A Song for My Mother” – Ray is not pleased to see David and David is shocked to learn that his mother has disappeared. Ray could care less about David’s mom, and goes as far as pushing Donna during a fit of rage. He ends up trying to make amends for his bad behavior by loaning David his truck. David later learns that his mom suffers from mental illness.

“Squash It” – A hip hop night is planned at the Peach Pit After Dark and David and Juwan will be the ones on stage. Valerie has trouble with an Australian metal band that claims they were booked at the After Dark. When she goes out of town to re-sign Ray, the group trashes the place. David and Clare rekindle their relationship. Meanwhile, Dylan has a hypnotherapy session where he learns that in a past life he was a hobo. Brandon gets the honor of babysitting a 12 year old genius that may apply to the university.

“Girls on the Side” – Kelly thinks she will never look the way she once did, though Steve thinks that she should continue modeling. Kelly tries to visit Allison in the burn center, but is turned away, and soon learns that Allison is in love with her. Ray rolls back into town. David and Clare find out that Ray cheated on Donna, but they opt not to tell her. Jesse is offered an excellent job in Idaho, but turns it down for Andrea.

“The Real McCoy” – Dylan learns that beyond his life as a hobo, he also lived in the Wild West where he was a gunslinger. He believes Kelly is the one that settled him down back then. He feels that Kelly is his soulmate. Brandon runs for student body president again, though some feel that he does not look out for the interest of the students. Jesse is offered a teaching job at Yale and agrees to take it if Andrea can have a scholarship, which they agree.

“Hello Life, Goodbye Beverly Hills” – Dylan wants to take Kelly on a trip around the world. Brandon wants to marry her. Kelly decides to dump them both. Some of the gang surprise Andrea with a picnic lunch at the old high school. Everyone attends the final goodbye at the Peach Pit before Andrea leaves. Brandon’s parents decide to move to Hong Kong for a job promotion.

“P.S. I Love You Part 1″ – Jim and Cindy leave for Hong Kong. Kelly wants to get back with Brandon, but he finds it hard to handle the fact that she doesn’t want to marry him. Everyone heads to Palm Springs for an event. Donna is verbally abused by a very possessive Ray, Steve falls for a girl he keeps running into, and Brandon gets drunk and is tempted by the seduction of Valerie. Dylan learns that a mobster wants to invest in his movie project.

“P.S. I Love You Part 2″ – Brandon is arrested when he is caught driving around with Valerie’s drugs in his car. He gets out of jail and though he talks to Kelly they do not get back together. Dylan learns that the mobster, Tom Rose, knew his father. Tom is more than willing to let Dylan know who killed his father, but Dylan would have to die to find that information out. Brandon has two weeks to move out of his home as it has been sold. Ray becomes physically violent with Donna and knocks her down a flight of stairs. Steve learns that the hot chick is really a man.

Storyline/Plot: ★★½☆☆
Replayability: ★★★☆☆
Acting: ★★★½☆
Directing: ★★★☆☆

Audio/Visual:
Being 100% fair, I will say that Paramount and CBS could have done more here than they chose to do. The video quality is probably pretty similar to what was shown on television, with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio in full screen. The overall quality is a little bright for my liking and many of the colors tend to look washed out and blurry. It’s not the worst quality I have seen, but it is annoying that such a popular show received such a poor transfer.

Meanwhile the audio is about as plain as can be with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound. This is standard for television and in all honesty this probably didn’t need anything better then what it received. Things sounded fine, even if a little plain. I was not playing with my volume and didn’t have any issues with hearing the dialogue or music. Closed Captioning is available, as well as English, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.

Visual: ★★★☆☆
Audio: ★★★☆☆

Bonus Features:
I am not sure if I am surprised or not, but you would think that a nice selection of bonus features would be available for Beverly Hills 90210. Unfortunately, there is nothing available at all. The eight discs are all episodes and no special bonuses.

Bonus Features: ☆☆☆☆☆

Bottom Line:
Beverly Hills 90210: The Fifth Season is not the best season of this once popular show, but it’s safe to say that the worst is yet to come. Fans of the show will definitely want to pick this season up, as there are plenty of episodes worth revisiting. If you are new to the show you should start from the beginning before picking this set up. If you are hoping for a complete set with the absolute original episodes and some bonuses to go with them, you might have more to wait for because you won’t find it here. Otherwise, if you just want to check out some old episodes, even in edited form, this will work well.

Overall Rating: ★★½☆☆

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