After rehashing the differences of 90's pop culture memories between 90's between 20-somethings and 30-somethings, I felt a deep sense of nostalgia. Someone mentioned Luke Parry and I flashed back to an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 I saw recently. Yes, the original, glorious, sometimes hokey original teen drama.
Something was so innocent, so perfect about those kids, its a quality that isn't there now in today's teen drama where everyone is texting and blackmailing. It was a much simpler time. Yes, those kids drove Ferrari's and probably had large, cumbersome early 90's versions of cell phones, but it wasn't the same.
The episode I saw recently was a classic: All-American Brandon Walsh falls for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. His parents agree to lie for her so she can attend their school, and of course he thinks the worst of her.
But in the end, it turns out she witnessed gang/mafia violence and was put in some kind of witness protection. She wasn't from the wrong side of the tracks, but the lived very far away, and alas it would never work out.
But the thing that really stood out to me in this episode was the look Brandon gave. He drove up to her in his classy station wagon, while she waited for the bus back to east L.A., and looked at her with a look that said: I'm just a harmless boy who has fallen in love with you in a few short hours, and I'll be heartbroken for a day or so (or into the opening of the next episode) after things don't work out, but always carry that secret pain inside.
In other words, he gave the "Careless Whisperer" look. You know the look I'm talking about, it says "I'm never gonna dance again . . . the way I danced with you."
Yes, I am referring to "Careless Whisper" a 1984 song by Wham!, and yes it can sound a bit corny. But the emotion in that song is real, as real as the emotion in those innocent, young Jason Priestly eyes. And boy could those other guys (Luke Perry in particular) pull of that heartbreaking stare. It's that emotion that rests at the pinnacle of the 90's teen drama. And those West Bev kids were great at this look. I miss those days.
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