'Beverly Hills, 90210' 25th-anniversary tribute: preferito characters 

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\'Beverly Hills, 90210\' 25th-anniversary tribute: Favorite characters

In honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of the show that shaped our youth, EW Community contributor Joanna Skrabala and I are teaming up to celebrate. On the fourth of each month between June and October, we’ll share a different

Beverly Hills, 90210 tribute, part 3: Best Couples

Beverly Hills, 90210 tribute, part 2: Superlatives

Beverly Hills, 90210 tribute, part 1: 25 reasons to watch

This month, we are honored to be joined by Lizzie and Kat, hosts of the popular

is a weekly podcast that’s going through every episode of the original

series. Behind-the-scenes interviews with the show’s executive producer, candid interviews, and two friends cracking each other up are in store for every episode. The podcast can be found on iTunes or at 90210blaze.tumblr.com. You can also see it recorded live on September 12 at the Nerdmelt Showroom in Los Angeles—with special guest Christine Elise discussing her time playing Emily Valentine (tickets are available here).

On to our lists! (It should be noted that Dylan McKay makes every list, because Dylan.)

Dylan McKay: Dylan may have been the bad-boy boyfriend with a drinking problem, but this intense surfer dude was always a super-cool work in progress. He sought justice for his father’s death; cooked up an elaborate scheme to rescue his kidnapped li’l sis; and even fell in love a few times. But perhaps my favorite Dylan moments were his bro-downs with Brandon. Whether it was a bit of important advice or a ridiculous high-five, we took comfort in knowing that Dylan was still just a young guy who needed his friends like everyone else.

I’ve said it before—Kelly suffered aplenty over

‘s 10-year run. And yet, for the most part, she remained a steadfastly decent person. My favorite (and first) memory of Kelly is in the season one episode “Perfect Mom.” For a girl who appeared to have everything, Kelly got more than she bargained for when the universe gave her Jackie Taylor for a mom. In this moment, the bitch switch flipped on Kelly, and she became a real person with real problems. #TeamKellyForever

Growing up isn’t easy when you’re a frat boy at heart—so Steve’s character evolution makes me feel like a proud mother. For a guy who used to only care about fast times at West Beverly High, Steve transitioned into one hell of a family man. First, he “played house” with Carly and her son—in a very heartfelt and adorable way—before marrying Janet and becoming a father himself. Those Steve Sanders family moments are what count in the end. And, of course, his totally rad beachwear.

For all the shade I throw at her, Brenda is still one of the best characters on

. Her spunk and spice often landed her in trouble with parents, friends, and the TV audience, but we always stuck around for more. Like Dylan, my favorite moments surround her friendship—with Kelly! There was a brief clash-free time while the two girls were waiting for Dylan’s decision—and Brenda and Kelly shared some good times (dating the “Princeton” guys) and harsh realities (at the spa with Kelly’s mom). For a brief second, we forgot about the boy drama and remembered why Brenda was the leading lady. (I’m rooting for you, Shannen.)

Honorable mentions: Alcoholic Sarah (aka Surfer Betty), the ever-teenage Nikki Witt (aka the original Audrey Griswold), and Brenda’s senior prom date, Tony (aka Sgt. Abraham)

Her love story with Dylan is what dreams are made of, and her flair for the dramatic is what made the show so epic in its early years. It’s hard to nail down a favorite Brenda moment, since the four years she was in the zip code are chock-full of great ones, but I’m going with her turn as “Laverne,” the incredibly skillful waitress Brenda morphs into when her good-for-nothing twin brother forces her into taking his shifts at the Peach Pit. Classic Brandon move; classic performance by Shannen Doherty.

Sexy, smart, brooding, kind, deep: Dylan McKay is the total package. Every moment Dylan was onscreen was a moment worth savoring. And that hair! The scene that encapsulates everything I love about Dylan, though, is in season two, episode two, when Brandon asks him a personal question. Dylan tells him that if he ever asks about his sex life again, Dylan gets to hit him. Dylan was always wise beyond his years, and his understanding of the private nature of sex and the respect women deserve made him even more appealing than he already was.

Joe Bradley, the California University quarterback who dated Donna in season six, is the MVP of non-series-regular significant others. Joe was handsome, kind, talented. And unlike her previous boyfriends, he didn’t give Donna a hard time about her choice to remain abstinent. Joe was a great catch for many reasons, but the fact that he took out Donna’s violent ex, Ray, on their first date is what tipped me off to the fact that he was a winner.

Honorable mentions: Amanda “Crashed the Slumber Party” Peyser, Dr. John Martin (he put up with Felice!), Carly Reynolds

As a die-hard Brenda Walsh fan, it took me a little while to warm up to Valerie. But after she’d spent some time at Casa Walsh, it became clear she wasn’t just a replacement. Valerie was the quintessential villain, pitting herself against the beloved Kelly. (My disdain for Kelly certainly contributed to my admiration of Val.) What made Valerie so special, though, was her ability to remain vulnerable despite her dark side. My heart broke for Val in season six, episode 20, when her BFF, Ginger, came back to town and blackmailed her into destroying her relationship with David.

A moment that really stands out for me (in terms of what makes Dylan the dream guy that he is) is when he comforts Kelly after she is sexually assaulted in season two, episode 13, “Halloween.” Not only does he look so handsome dressed in costume as Clyde Barrow, but he even starts his speech by admitting that the last thing she needs at the moment might be advice from a man, then continues by explaining that any respectable man understands that “no means no.”

I have such a special place in my heart for Clare. The Chancellor’s daughter, she grew up in Europe, she’s fluent in French, and dreams about appearing on

But she’s also sort of crazy and kinky and wonderful, and an interesting character to have on television. In season five, episode seven, she and David are experimenting with handcuffs in bed, until her father arrives to take her out to dinner. Oops!

I’ve learned so much from teen girls on TV: Brenda Walsh, Angela Chase, Julie Taylor, Daria Morgendorffer … But as a young girl watching

, I was enthralled when, in season four, episode 17, “Thicker than Water,” Dylan’s half-sister Erica got her period for the first time. Not knowing what to do, Dylan takes Erica to Cindy Walsh, and congratulations are in order, though Erica hopes this development doesn’t make her go “boy crazy.” Unfortunately, she later becomes a prostitute.

On our podcast, we often talk about how Ian Ziering is just hitting his stride now, in his fifties—a happily married father, a Chippendale, and the star of the surprise hit movie series

. We see the seeds of this planted in season 10 with Steve Sanders, when he finally comes into his own as the husband to pregnant Janet Sosna. He hangs a poster of a penguin family in their home as a symbol of dedicated fatherhood. Cue the happy tears!

Honorable Mentions: Peach Pit Willie, Jackie Taylor (mid-coke), Jim Walsh’s shoulder hair

Despite nearly marrying Kelly, devotees of the series know that Emily Valentine was Brandon’s one true love. She arrived on the scene at the commencement of “junior” year, and later returned in seasons four and five. Picking one favorite Emily scene is like Sophie’s choice! I’d have to go with season two, episode 16: When Emily refuses to accept her breakup with Brandon, her behavior goes from zero to stalker status—culminating in Emily threatening to light the gang’s homecoming float ablaze.

Although Brandon is my least favorite character, two of his love interests made my top four! Perhaps that’s because both Emily and Lucinda are the self-assured women who most challenged Brando. Being married (to Brandon’s professor, no less!) didn’t deter Lucinda, a “cultural anthropologist,” from exploring the human mating ritual with Brandon. Her most aggressive move comes season four, when she shows up uninvited at Brandon’s Task Force retreat in D.C.—sporting a completely inappropriate, midriff-baring jacket.

I’m still single because I’ve spent my whole life holding out for Dylan McKay. Beneath that tortured, bad-boy exterior and fivehead lies the gentle heart of a man who is both an intellectual and a feminist. During one of his first scenes in the series (season one, episode two), Dylan ditches class—not to smoke a joint, but to catch up on

. Of Byron, Dylan says: “Mad, bad, and dangerous to know. That was him, and that’s me.”

It takes a singular woman to spawn the likes of Dylan, and Iris McKay does not disappoint. Although she lives in Hawaii, Iris perfectly embodies the all-natural, “enlightened” lifestyle that typifies L.A.’s elite. In her debut episode (season two, episode 10), Iris quotes Joni Mitchell and visits a “mind gym.” Despite initial reservations about Brenda’s “dark” aura, Iris (like me) believed Brenda was Dylan’s soulmate. My fave moment comes as Iris comforts Brenda post-breakup (season three, episode 20) and gifts her a healing crystal.

Honorable Mentions: LuAnn “Passed Out in Her Pantyhose” Pruit, Stuart “Gives Good Woo” Carson, Thespian Roy Randolph.

A social worker, mother, and avid television watcher, Tamar greatly enjoys analyzing and chatting about her favorite TV shows. She loves nothing more than good stories and great chemistry. Currently recapping Shameless, Rookie Blue, Friday Night Lights, and Forever. You can find her blogging about TV over at Tamar's TV Corner.

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