90210: Yay or Nay?

So, I never watched Beverly Hills 90210. Thusly, I can't really say much about it in comparison to the original. I come to this with an unbiased eye. I mean, as unbiased as you can be after staying up past midnight to watch the premiere after it was preempted for lots of baseball.

It was...eh. Alright, I suppose. The people are pretty enough, even if they represent their stereotypes a bit too clearly. I mean, I'm willing to watch it until House and NCIS premiere. But let's face it: I love me some attractive doctors and snarky federal agents over mediocre teen drama. Unless it's Smallville. And that is just a terrible addiction that I need to get over.

Things to watch for:

1. Dustin Milligan as Ethan Ward. Really, Ethan is written as a complete douche. You first meet him as he's getting a blow job from a girl who is not his girlfriend. Next, he's lying to his lacrosse coach about who was responsible for a fight on the field. He's not pretty enough to get away for being a tool, so you're pretty sure you're never, ever going to like him because there's no way for him to bounce back. And then everything changes. He takes back his lie, gets called out on the cheating, and then has several pleasantly gooey-stomach-inducing scenes with the new Brenda, Annie. It's like Dustin finally takes control of a script that could only make people hate him and turns on the school-boy charm. The best part? When he asks Annie if they're friends at the pool, he's so pseudo-casually earnest. And then when he brings the pentapus they won at a fair two summers previous, only to see Annie macking on her theatre co-star...it was the only moment in the entire episode where I felt even the tiniest bit moved. He's going to be the Nathan Scott of the show, I'm sure: starts douche-y and ends up being one of your favorites through sheepish smiles and romantic gestures.

2. Ryan Eggold as Ryan Matthews. He's your typical cool, young, hip teacher. His delivery and charisma are entrancing. However, just like Ethan, he errs on the side of douche. He is overly judgmental about his students and says things that are waaay off-base that a teacher should never say, like calling out a student on her vapid lifestyle when she's actually struggling financially and is a drug addict. But again. The script is jerkier than the portrayal.
3. The school is the same one from Buffy.
4. Their school musical is Spring Awakening.
5. There is a strong parental storyline. Daddy Wilson has a adult son with the popular girl's mother! Will he contact him?

Okay. So the most of the things I liked are fairly shallow: men and entertainment associations. But that's because 90210 doesn't have the edginess of the elite society with their parties and their fashion like Gossip Girl or a strong initial premise like, well, any other show. "Two kids move to LA from Kansas" is pretty weak, especially if the storylines can no longer shock. But there is a potential for major drama, plus Shannon Doherty (or is that redundant?), so it's worth checking out before everything else premieres.