The BEST episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210
Every episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210!
This long-running drama dealt with the experiences of a group of young people in Beverly Hills, CA as they navigated high school, college and ultimately the real world. The series focused on their travails as they tried to maintain their friendship while dealing with romances, family and personal crises, tragedies and countless drug addictions.
#1 - Graduation Day (2)
Season 7 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/21/1997
Brandon stops Valerie from killing herself and agrees to let her stay at the house. They arrive at the graduation ceremony in time for Brandon to receive an award. Kelly believes that Val was faking her suicide attempt, and gives Brandon a hard time for going after her. Clare decides to move to Paris with her father, as she cannot imagine living a continent away from her only family. She asks Steve to come with her, but he turns her down. At the grad party, Brandon continually hassles Kelly to give her father another chance. She finally offers her forgiveness, only to learn that he is going to jail for embezzlement. Kelly decides to make a fresh start with Val. Steve and Valerie have a drunken fling during the party. Ryan develops a crush on Joy. Donna loses her virginity to David. Music: 'Lovefool' / 'Been It' performed by the Cardigans.
#2 - Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (1)
Season 4 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/25/1994
Brandon travels to Washington, D.C. to make a presentation for the task force. He considers giving in to the persistent Clare. Lucinda, in town for a meeting, shows up at the hotel; both women grope Brandon under the table during an important dinner. Kelly confesses her feelings for Brandon to Andrea and decides to surprise him. Roy offers Brenda the opportunity to spend the summer studying theater at the Royal Academy in London. Kevin and Suzanne get married. He and Dylan consider producing his project without outside assistance. Andrea gives birth to a 2 pound, 6 ounce daughter, Hannah. She and Jesse struggle to remain positive as Hannah fights to survive. Steve has a run-in with John Sears at the university carnival, and is hurt to learn that he is dating Celeste. Donna is jealous of the amount of attention Ariel devotes to David.
#3 - Truth and Consequences
Season 4 - Episode 29 - Aired 5/4/1994
Brenda wins the lead, much to the amazement of those who saw her audition. Steve starts a rumor that Brenda slept with Roy. Dylan is the only person who completely believes Brenda's denial. Laura causes Brenda to miss a rehearsal in an attempt to get her fired. When this fails, she asks Steve to injure Brenda. Roy kicks Laura out of the play. Steve and Brenda race to stop Laura from killing herself in the auditorium. Suzanne and Kevin get engaged, and Dylan learns more about Kevin's research. Kevin quits his job and decides to pitch the project to independent investors. Clare tries to tag along on Brandon's trip to Berkeley. Brandon tells the chancellor the truth about his daughter's behavior. Music: 'Free Ride' by The Edgar Winter Group, 'Lightning Strikes' by Lou Christie.
#4 - You Say It's Your Birthday (2)
Season 6 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/22/1996
Abandoned by their respective mates, Steve and Brandon go to a dockside bar, where they get into a brawl...and spot Colin.
#5 - Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (2)
Season 4 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/25/1994
Brandon and Kelly spend the day together. Brandon meets President Clinton. Dylan, Brenda, and Erica have a great time hanging out at the carnival. Brenda feels overshadowed by Brandon's success. Before leaving for London, Brenda stops by Dylan's house to profess her love. Kevin convinces Dylan to back out of the deal with Jim's investors. Kevin and Suzanne steal all of Dylan's money and flee to Brazil. Andrea heads for home, while Hannah remains hospitalized. David receives the chance to play keyboards during a Babyface performance. Donna catches him having sex and throws him out of the apartment. John continues to torment Steve at the carnival. Steve challenges John to a joust and will leave the KEG house if he loses. Brenda and Donna describe John's sordid past to Celeste, and the three ladies help Steve win by flashing John.
#6 - Hello Life, Goodbye Beverly Hills
Season 5 - Episode 30 - Aired 5/17/1995
Dylan asks Kelly to join him on a trip around the world. Valerie sees the tickets in Kelly's room and tells Brandon. Brandon counters with a marriage proposal, and Kelly asks for time to think things over. She eventually rejects both men and proclaims, ""I choose me."" Andrea and Jesse prepare for their move to Connecticut. The gang surprises her by organizing a picnic lunch at West Beverly High (although Brandon and Dylan, still waiting for Kelly's decision, opt not to attend). Everyone meets Andrea and Jesse at the Peach Pit one last time to say goodbye. Ray lashes out at Donna for devoting time to her friends and studying for finals. He drags her away from Andrea's picnic and verbally berates her. Jim considers a possible move to Hong Kong as his company offers a promotion and substantial raise. He and Cindy decide to go through with the move. Music: 'I'll Stand by You' by the Pretenders (#16, 1994); 'Remember' by Harry Nilsson.
#7 - Speechless
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/18/1995
Valerie gets herself invited on a road trip with Kelly, Donna and Clare. David thanks Val for helping him through his hard times, and gives her a kiss. During the trip, Donna goads Val into admitting that she slept with Ray. The roommates resolve to stop talking to Valerie. The car breaks down, and the girls spend the night at a convent while awaiting repairs. They cannot speak after sundown. Donna forgives Valerie, who urges her not to forget about Ray's abusive behavior. Donna dumps Ray. Steve convinces Brandon to let a director film a movie at the Walsh house, without revealing that it is a porno. Susan is offended by the fiasco, but sleeps with Brandon anyway. Marchette doesn't show for a dinner engagement with Toni and Dylan. He arrives after Toni leaves the table and warns Dylan to stay away. Dylan and Marchette's bodyguard pull guns on each other. Marchette tells Toni that Dylan is using her. She refuses to believe Dylan's claim that her father killed Jack. Kelly meets Colin's art dealer, who seems to have more than business on her mind.
#8 - Chuckie's Back
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 12/12/1991
Chuck Wilson, Samantha Sanders' old sitcom co-star and Steve's childhood nemesis, transfers to West Beverly after being kicked out of private school. Steve is depressed when Kelly agrees to go to a dance with Chuck. Samantha orders Steve to be nice to Chuck in the hopes of persuading him to appear in a reunion movie. Chuck taunts Steve about being adopted, and reveals that he knew about the adoption nine years before Steve. Steve punches him, but takes all the blame for the fight so that Chuck will sign the movie deal. He is hurt that once again his mother has put her career ahead of him, and decides to search for his biological parents. Samantha backs out on the film after learning that her agent told Chuck about the adoption. Kelly stands up to Chuck and brings Steve to the dance, but a teacher kicks him out because he is suspended. Steve's friends see him off as he catches a bus to Albuquerque to search for his mother, Karen Brown. Everyone teases Donna about going to the dance with David, so she claims they are only friends. However, she kisses him in the middle of the dance floor and announces to everyone that she likes him. Music: 'Donna' by Ritchie Valens, 'Jingle Bell Rock' by Bobby Helms, 'Hey Donna' by Rhythm Syndicate, 'I Adore Mi Amor' by Color Me Badd, '2000 Miles' by the Pretenders.
#9 - Something in the Air
Season 3 - Episode 28 - Aired 5/12/1993
Donna is suspended, and must enroll in summer school before she can graduate. Felice refuses to appeal the ruling because she is worried about her own reputation. Donna changes her mind by reminding her that her husband and Donna forgave Felice for her past mistakes. Brandon is disgusted by the students' apathy, and Gil encourages him to take action on Donna's behalf. Brandon convinces the entire senior class to walk out on finals as a show of solidarity. Dylan doesn't want to participate because he has set his sights on making it into the University of California-Berkeley. The juniors join the protest after Brandon agrees to add the elimination of a proposed dress code to the demands. Everyone (including Dylan) walks out on finals and marches to Donna's hearing. They stand outside shouting, 'Donna Martin graduates!' Despite a plea from Felice and threats from the superintendent, hundreds of students enter the building. At the urging of a surprisingly reasonable board member, the school board votes to let Donna off with a minor penalty, allowing her to attend commencement and graduate with her friends. Music: 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' by Gene Vincent, 'Saturday in the Park' by Chicago.
#10 - Wedding Bell Blues
Season 2 - Episode 28 - Aired 5/7/1992
A furious Jim goes to the Mexican border to retrieve Brenda. Jim bans Dylan from the Walsh house. Jackie learns that Kelly covered for Brenda, and embarrasses her by yelling at her in front of Jake. Brenda and Kelly get into a shouting match at the wedding rehearsal because they are tired of listening to each other whine about their love lives. A pipe bursts in Jackie's house two days before the wedding. The Walshes agree to host the ceremony. Andrea believes she has been snubbed, but her mother eventually gives her the lost wedding invitation. Cindy tries to facilitate a truce between Dylan and Jim. They argue, and a hurt Dylan later rebuffs Jim's olive branch and drives off angrily. Jim orders Brenda to stay away from Dylan. Kelly and Steve agree that they should only be friends. Jake finishes his job and walks out of Kelly's life, but shows up at the wedding and admits his feelings for her. Music: 'Wedding Bell Blues' by The Fifth Dimension, 'Bye Bye Love' by the Everly Brothers.
#11 - Up in Flames
Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/30/1994
Emily flies back from Paris to attend a seminar at La Jolla. She asks Brandon to meet her at the airport, claiming to have just a four-hour layover. She actually has a week until the beginning of her seminar, but Brandon breaks her heart by revealing that he is dating Kelly. When he sees her back to her hotel room, they share a passionate kiss. Steve and Griffin organize a holiday rave at an abandoned house. Valerie helps them out in the hopes of getting back in Steve's good graces. David and Clare accidentally post the notice about the event on a computer bulletin board for lesbians, who constitute most of the guests. The house has very poor wiring and continually blows fuses. Griffin uses too much electricity, and the house catches on fire. Ray rescues Steve and Valerie, who were fooling around in one of the bedrooms. Kelly and a girl named Allison are trapped in a downstairs bathroom with no means of escape. The fire fighters try to reach them as they are engulfed by flames. Music: 'I'm Gonna Get You' by Bizarre Inc., 'Every Day of the Week' by Jade, 'The Comfort of Strangers' by Jamie Walters, 'Incense and Peppermints' by Strawberry Alarm Clock, 'What Your Love Means to Me' by Hi-Five.
#12 - Under the Influence
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/14/1994
Donna plans to take a semester off to become a debutante in Houston. Kelly realizes that Donna is hiding behind her mother to shield herself from David. Brandon tries to tell the drunken Dylan about Kelly and him but chickens out. Nat inadvertently reveals the truth to Dylan. He shows up at an affair organized by Felice and gets into a scuffle with Brandon. Kelly goes to Dylan's house to talk with him, but she finds him with a bimbo. Donna reconsiders becoming a debutante after her mother makes a big deal about her dancing with D'Shawn. Dylan apologizes to Donna and agrees to join her at registration, but never shows up. Andrea balks at entrusting Hannah to the campus day care center. Clare enrolls at California University (as a sophomore because of AP credit). Josh talks Brandon into being his running mate in the student body elections. Music: 'Donna' by Richie Valens, 'Make It Right' by Lisa Stansfield.
#13 - Senior Poll
Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 4/7/1993
Kelly stops attending her eating disorder group because the girls with more severe cases unnerve her. Kelly wins 'Most Beautiful' in the senior poll, while Dylan is ""Most Handsome."" Kelly suspects that everyone judges her entirely on her looks, and blows up at Dylan and Jackie. Dylan lets her read a section from his manuscript in which he describes his feelings for her. Brenda feels isolated from her classmates when she fails to win anything in the poll. She decides to apply to the University of Minnesota. Brandon and Steve take Jim and Cindy to a Lakers game because they can't get dates. They do not arrive until nearly halftime because of Brenda's big news and a traffic jam. Steve wins the chance to take a half court shot for $10,000, and makes the shot. He anonymously donates the money to the school to revive a summer camp for elementary school students. Music: 'Man on the Moon' by R.E.M., 'Humpin' Around' by Bobby Brown.
#14 - Isn't It Romantic?
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/3/1991
Brenda and Dylan continue their flirtation, and she accidentally catches him in the shower. They go out alone when Brandon has to stay home sick. Dylan loses his cool after a confrontation with his father. Brenda consoles him, and they end up kissing. Jim objects to the relationship because Dylan's father is considered ruthless and crooked. Brenda is prepared to go all the way, and is crushed when Dylan stands her up. He later explains that he had to move because his father skipped the country to avoid an indictment. Steve tries to make a pass at the speaker for a sex education assembly. She reveals that she has AIDS. Her speech prompts Brenda to slow things down with Dylan. Music: 'Lily Was Here' by Candy Dulfer and Dave Stewart, 'Doing the Do' by Betty Boo; 'She's Like the Wind' by Patrick Swayze.
#15 - My Desperate Valentine
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 11/21/1991
Emily refuses to accept the fact that Brandon no longer wants to see her. She slashes her own tires and pretends that her parents are out of town so that Brandon will invite her to stay over. She sneaks into his bedroom and tries to seduce him. After he makes it clear that he is not interested, she begins to make crank phone calls. Andrea discovers that Emily is the person who has been sending menacing letters to the school paper. Emily shows up at Brandon's house and douses the gang's homecoming float with gasoline. Brenda and Dylan find her sitting on the float with a lighter, but Brenda is able to calm her. Emily agrees to seek help. Brenda and Dylan attend cultural events because she fears they spend too much time making out. Music: 'Baby I'm Yours' by Barbara Lewis.
#16 - A Clean Slate
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/21/1994
Brandon must make a speech at the campus debates when Josh fails to show because of car trouble. He is such a success that the duo's campaign takes off. Alex Diaz, a student senator and manager of another campaign, tries to force them out of the race by threatening to expose an unpublished article in which Josh accused Brandon of taking tests for D'Shawn. Andrea fears that Brandon no longer values her opinion, but her advice proves crucial. D'Shawn defends Brandon's character at a Senate meeting. As they await the results from the Peach Pit, a nervous Josh decides to go for a ride. He crashes his car into a delivery truck and dies, as Brandon looks on in horror. Kelly tells Brandon that they won the election. Valerie digs for info on Dylan and begins hanging around the pool hall. After sleeping with Val, Dylan is stunned to learn that she lives at the Walsh house. Clare moves in with Kelly and Donna, who must find a way to curb her snoring. Music: 'Baby What You Want Me to Do' by Jimmy Reed, 'Low Rider' by War, 'I Just Want To Celebrate' by Rare Earth, 'Sleepwalk' by Santo and Johnny.
#17 - Pledging My Love
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/18/1996
Kelly and David take Jimmy to synagogue to celebrate the Jewish New Year. Jimmy becomes very ill the next day and thanks Kelly for her friendship before dying. Donna gives a shy basketball player a makeover to help her get into the Alpha house. She is accepted, but decides to pledge a sorority that is not so elitist. Donna resigns as rush chairperson to protest the behavior of Alpha president Ellen. Steve leads a group of KEG pledges in a Spirit Day prank; they run through Chancellor Arnold's speech wearing nothing but shaving cream, only to have the sprinklers come on. The dean becomes furious when the incident is replayed on the CU News, as she considers it sexual harassment. Chancellor Arnold, with Mark's cooperation, orders Brandon to turn over the tape so that he can identify the offenders. He reluctantly gives the chancellor the tape, which is mysteriously blank. Tracy reveals that she erased the video with a magnet out of loyalty to Steve and Brandon. Kenny rents a love nest for his liaisons with Valerie, then stands her up for a family outing. Brandon becomes suspicious of the duo's relationship. Music: 'Pick Up the Pieces' by Average White Band.
#18 - Dead End
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/10/1993
Jack and Dylan begin living on a yacht, where they are constantly kept under surveillance. Jim does not want to dissolve the trust, but finally gives his approval so that Dylan can have a new life with his father. Christine accepts Jack's marriage proposal. Dylan and Kelly sleep together. Jack tries to confess something to Dylan, but a man interrupts them and warns Jack that he is breaking their deal. A bomb is attached to Jack's car during the night. Dylan receives a phone call from Kelly just as he is about to move the car, so Jack agrees to do it. As Dylan hangs up, he turns to see the car explode. Jackie tells Kelly and David that she has to sell the house. She receives an offer, but decides to hold out for a while. Brandon accumulates a large gambling debt and receives an unpleasant visit from Duke. Andrea begins dating Jordan. Steve forgives David for firing him. Music: 'All the Way to Heaven' by Jody Watley; 'Tutti Frutti' by Little Richard.
#19 - Sentenced to Life
Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/4/1995
Steve succeeds in eluding his community service assignment at a retirement home but reconsiders after encountering Saul Howard, a famous actor who worked on Samantha's sitcom. Saul is a vibrant and funny man who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. Steve's friendship with Saul causes him to appreciate what he has and stop whining about his legal difficulties. Saul also encourages Steve to let go of his anger against Rush, as he relates his rocky relationship with the daughter he tragically lost. Dylan does not wish to contest the drunken driving charge against him, but Jesse urges him to plea bargain. He receives probation and a suspended license. Andrea has another meeting with Peter at the laundromat. They learn each other's marital status when Peter is on-call during Hannah's medical emergency, yet still seem attracted to one another. David and Clare take over as organizers of the Peach Pit: After Dark. Ray balks at an opening night gig; he confesses to Donna that he has stage fright. Kelly continues to mistrust Valerie, whose phone call later saves her from sleeping through their psychology final. Music: 'There Goes My Baby' by the Drifters, 'Drive Me' / 'I Know the Game* by Jamie Walters.
#20 - P.S. I Love You (2)
Season 5 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/24/1995
David tells Brandon about Kelly and Allison, and Brandon humiliates Kelly with his drunken ramblings. The police pull over Brandon and arrest him when a joint is found in Val's car. He clears the air with Kelly before heading home, and refuses another reconciliation attempt. After learning that Tom Rose knew his father, Dylan tries to contact Christine. Rose traces the call and takes Dylan up in a tram car, where his goons hold him over the edge. Dylan and Brandon end up sharing a bus ride home. Dylan plots to track down and kill his father's murderer. Brandon learns that the house has been sold, and he must move in two weeks. Ray knocks Donna down the stairs. She suffers an arm injury, and is unnerved when her mother suddenly gives Ray her approval. Valerie tells Donna that she saw Ray push her Steve discovers that his goddess is a man.
#21 - Aloha, Beverly Hills (2)
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/10/1997
Donna lands a job as a modeling assistant and flies to Hawaii for the photo shoot and the rest of the gang follows her there for an end-of-the-summer vacation, where Valerie meets and becomes smitten with a mysterious sailor, named Noah Hunter who tries to help Donna when the shoot goes bad.
#22 - Acting Out
Season 4 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/27/1994
Brenda accuses Kelly of betraying her and refuses to speak to her. Kelly's relationship with Dylan is strained by the situation with Brenda, and Kelly's disdain for Suzanne and Erica. Kelly drops out of the auditions because she does not want to be an actress. She and Brenda make up and admit their mutual jealousy. After witnessing Laura's brilliant performance, a nervous Brenda tanks her audition. She shows up at Roy Randolph's house that night in search of another chance. Clare tricks Brandon into taking her to the senior prom. At the after-party, she flashes and dumps beer on some guys before giving them the room number. Brandon winds up getting into a fight, and helps Clare clean up the trashed hotel room. Andrea continues to worry about the baby as Jesse leaves for an out-of-town trip. She collapses in pain, and Donna rushes her to the hospital. The doctor orders Andrea to stay in bed for the remainder of the pregnancy. Dylan becomes interested in environmental chemist Kevin's plan to clean the beaches. Music: 'Gimme Little Sign' by Brenton Wood, 'The Sign' by Ace of Base.
#23 - Take Back the Night
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/17/1993
Steve tells Laura that he cannot see her again because he has a girlfriend. During the activities for "Take Back the Night" week, she concludes that she was a victim of date-rape and plans to identify Steve at a campus rally. Kelly warns Steve, who adamantly proclaims his innocence. Steve confesses his indiscretion to Celeste, who promptly breaks up with him. Before Laura can speak at the rally, Kelly steps up to the microphone. She shares that she was nearly a victim of rape, then pointedly adds that there were other times when she regretted sleeping with a guy but had consented at the time. She identifies Steve as a hero for saving her from the rapist at the Halloween party. Steve apologizes for using Laura, who admits that she had done nothing to discourage him. Lucinda insists on openly flirting with Brandon, who wants nothing to do with her. D'Shawn threatens to tell Professor Randall that Brandon is sleeping with his wife unless he takes his midterm for him. Lucinda encourages Brandon to take the test, so he leaves town in frustration, hoping to connect with his ex-girlfriend, Emily Valentine. Dylan helps Brenda get caught up in their poetry class. John lashes out at Kelly when she refuses to sleep with him. Dylan throws a pie in John's face after the rally. Dan and Andrea debate feminist issues. Music: 'Heard It Through the Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye, 'Only You' by The Platters.
#24 - Mother's Day
Season 7 - Episode 29 - Aired 5/7/1997
Kelly learns that she is pregnant, and has difficulty breaking the news to her mother. Brandon is thrilled, but Kelly isn't sure that she wants the baby. Driscoll suggests that Valerie sell her shares in the club so that she has more money available for investment. Val makes a pass at David, prompting Donna to order him to end their working relationship. Valerie eagerly accepts David's buy-out offer. Clare is saddened by Mother's Day, so Steve tries to take her mind off things by going for a drive. Clare believes that her father cannot handle discussion of her mother, but Steve discovers that he was trying to spare Clare's feelings. He brings them together to reminisce. Music: 'Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)', 'For You I Will' performed by Monica.
#25 - Jobbed
Season 7 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/8/1997
Brandon and Mark vie for the prestigious Dryer scholarship. Mark appeases Kelly by providing Brandon with tips, although he believes that he is a shoo-in because of his wealth and connections. Brandon wins one of the two scholarships, while Mark gets nothing. Mark does not handle the news well. He skips a party for Brandon, then confronts Kelly in the Peach Pit parking lot. He orders her to stay away until she is willing to sleep with him, so she dumps him. Clare gets Steve an interview at the C.U. job fair, but his interviewer propositions him. Clare suspects that Steve invented the story to hide the fact that he blew the interview. The woman again comes on to Steve, unaware that her boss and Clare are listening nearby. Donna fills in for her father's ailing receptionist. Dr. Martin criticizes Donna for humoring talkative patients, but her listening skills later head off a potential disaster. Tom Miller, Valerie's old boyfriend from Buffalo, comes to town. Valerie offers him a job managing the club, despite David's objections. While watching her prom video, Val becomes unnerved by footage of her father. Music: 'Mony Mony' by Tommy James and the Shondells, 'Strange Way' by Firefall.