Jumping the Shark

As a connoisseur of fine TV, let me share with you a guiding principle that separates classic TV, like The OC, from the rest of the middling pack. It is maintaining continuity and credibility in regard to the core premise of the show. Let us call it the Ross and Rachel Principle. As we went through the dance of cast negotiations over renewal every year, there was one reassuring constant – that no matter when and how the show ended, Ross and Rachel would be together. I tolerated that whole Joey and Rachel thing with gritted teeth knowing that the writers would ultimately do the right thing. Same with The OC, Seth and Summer ended up back together. But for a second time, 90210 has eviscerated this concept. First it was the pairing of Dylan and Kelly at the end of the original run, and now it is the news that Dylan is the father of Dylan’s child. As any 90210-er would know, the show was about Dylan-Brenda which naturally meant Kelly was with Brandon. Just because Brenda’s alter ego, Shannen Doherty, ended up being a prima donna who loved to claw at her female co-workers and ultimately left the show so she could engage in a series of two week marriages does not give writers creative license to deviate from the premise of the show. There were other less invasive options – such as bringing in a new actress, such as Fran Dreschler, and pretending that we did not notice, or having Brenda appear in flashbacks and/or as a ghost. But no – the writers had to take the convenient way out and exchange partners like they were trading cards. Through their actions, they have imperiled their place in my top ten list of favorite shows.