Recap: Brenda is over at Dylan's house, and despite the pile of books and papers strewn across the living room table, the two are dry humping on the couch instead of studying. In mid dry hump, Brenda whines about her curfew, so Dylan advises her to just forget about her curfew...and while she's doing that she should consider coming to Baja with him this weekend. Brenda tries to explain to her slouchy beau that it's highly unlikely her parents will allow her to go to Mexico, but Dylan just looks confused and doesn't understand why she wouldn't be allowed to go to Mexico if she's allowed to come to his house all the time. It's probably the whole foreign country thing, Dylan. Dylan urges Brenda to ask her parents for permission to go to Baja and points out that they'd only be gone for a day and a half: Saturday morning to Sunday evening. She agrees to ask, and then tells him that she should be getting home so she can make her curfew...but instead, the two resume their dry humping and subsequently lose all track of time. The Walsh house. It's well past curfew by the time Brenda arrives home. She sneaks inside the house, but before she can make a break for the staircase, Papa Walsh flicks on the lights and ambles into the foyer with a grim look on his face and a blue bathrobe over his pajamas. He asks her what the point of a curfew is if she never follows it, and she retorts that she's been wondering the same thing herself. That's pretty cheeky talk for a girl who's about to ask for permission to spend the weekend in Mexico with her boyfriend. Papa Walsh makes it clear that he expects her to be home at a decent hour on school nights...and he also thinks she's spending too much time with Slouchy. Brenda argues that he's treating her like a child and doesn't get why missing her curfew is such a big deal. Papa Walsh tries to reason with her, saying that he really doesn't expect a whole lot from her. No shit. This softens Brenda's bitchitude and she asks/tells him, "I always do the right thing, don't I?" Um, no. You don't. But Papa Walsh seems to agree with her assertion because he bobs his head up and down. West Beverly High. Donna mumbles something to Kelly about bridesmaids dresses, but Kelly just gets prickly, as she now does any time anyone brings up anything wedding related. The two run into David, and he's excited about the hot wedding gift he just purchased for Mel and Jackie. It's a pair of diamond earrings; he explains that one earring is for Jackie, the other for Mel. When Donna points out that Mel doesn't even have a pierced ear, David assures her that he will, in fact, have a hole in his ear by the time the wedding rolls around. No one comes out and tells him this is a pretty dumb idea for a wedding gift, but it really is a pretty dumb idea for a wedding gift, particularly for two middle-aged people. As for Kelly, she's just generally irritated by the upcoming event and tells David and Donna that she's heard enough wedding talk and stomps off. Dylan meets up with Brenda at her locker and wants to know if she asked Papa Walsh about going to Baja for the weekend yet. She tells him she hasn't found the right time, so he suggests they join forces and ask together. Kelly appears and brings up the plans that she and Brenda had made to hang out and watch movies at her place all weekend. Brenda tells her they may have to do it another time, so Kelly starts bellyaching about how she needs an escape from having to hear all of the horrible wedding planning that's going on around her. Poor cherub. Brenda explains that Dylan invited her to go surfing in Baja with him for the weekend, so Kelly looks amused and asks if Mama and Papa Walsh are allowing her to go...and Dylan chimes in and snarks that Brenda hasn't even asked them yet. Kelly has grave doubts that Brenda will get permission to go to Baja, but she's also a good sport about Brenda possibly bailing out on their weekend plans so she can go surfing with her boyfriend. The Walsh house. Dylan is over for dinner so that he and Brenda can ask about Baja. Mama Walsh starts the pre-dinner chit-chat by saying that Jackie told her how unhappy Kelly seems about the upcoming wedding. Mama Walsh suggests to Brenda that while she's spending the weekend with Kelly, maybe she could do something to snap her friend out of her sulky misery, and this gives Brenda the perfect opening to tell her parents that she's not spending the weekend with Kelly after all - instead she's made plans to go to Baja with Dylan! Mama and Papa Walsh look shocked, then doubtful that this is something they could ever consent to. Papa Walsh goes so far as to refer to it as Brenda running off with her boyfriend to a foreign country. The two then excuse themselves so they can discuss it privately in the kitchen. Mama Walsh tells her husband they should let Brenda go, considering she's seventeen years old. Papa Walsh, however, doesn't like the idea at all. When everyone regroups at the dinner table, Dylan tells the Walshes about the motel he usually stays at whenever he's in Baja and how it's very clean and safe. He promises them there's nothing to worry about, and that he'll take good care of Brenda. Papa Walsh finally relents, but he makes Brenda promise that she'll be careful about what she eats. He also tells her that he expects her to behave like a mature adult. You're funny, Jim. Brenda happily springs up to kiss her father then tells him she loves him, just as any spoiled rotten teenage girl who's gotten her own way would. Dylan remarks that the only thing left to do is for him to teach Brenda how to surf. Egads! Beach. Dylan and Brenda are disappointed to find that the local beach is closed due to bacteria in the bay, so it looks like the first surfing lesson will have to wait. They decide to go get some breakfast when a guy on a motorcycle suddenly rides by. Dylan exclaims that he can't believe it. It's Jake Hanson, the human link between Beverly Hills, 90210 and its trashy spin-off, Melrose Place. Jake is the guy who taught Dylan how to surf! And how to pick up girls! Dylan runs over to hug him, and the two quickly get caught up on their lives. He introduces his old friend to Brenda, and she mentions that the two of them are planning to go surfing in Baja over the weekend. Dylan then urges Jake to stop by the Peach Pit since he's there almost every night for dinner. Yeesh...I'm surprised his gut hasn't rotted out yet. The Peach Pit. Brenda and Dylan are dining as Brandon works the dinner shift. He advises his sister to learn at least a little Spanish before heading to Baja. Ahn-drea, who's seated at the counter, butts into the conversation and declares that she's always wanted to go to Baja...and Brenda and Dylan exchange looks of veiled horror and grit their teeth at the thought of Ahn-drea and her prattling motor mouth tagging along with them. Ahn-drea says how great it'd be if the whole gang went to Baja, like when they all went to Yosemite during the Camping Trip episode...though, as I recall, that trip was a disaster and not fun for anyone. Dylan responds with a curt no - haha! - and Brenda explains to the crestfallen dimwit that Dylan is trying to keep the trip romantic. Across the diner, Steve is expressing his disappointment to David and Donna that he's not allowed to bring a guest to Mel and Jackie's wedding. He then makes a bitchy crack about how Mel should pack light when he moves into Jackie's house, since it's obvious she likes weddings more than marriages. Meow, Steve. Donna defends Jackie's honor and insists that she's changed a lot. Jake Hanson enters the diner, and Nat greets him like a long lost brother. Dylan and Brenda saunter over to say hello, and Brenda introduces him to the gang (sans Kelly, who's not there). They all sit at a table together, and Jake regales everyone with bullshit stories about various jobs he never actually had...'cause in reality, he's in desperate need of some work so he can afford the rent for his Melrose Place apartment. Heh. When David informs him that his dad's fiance is looking for a house painter, he immediately perks up and says he's interested. Brenda then tells Dylan they need to go; apparently they have plans to watch The Grapes of Wrath at his house. Dylan's house. After watching the film, Brenda and Dylan fall into a deep sleep on the couch. By the time Dylan stirs and wakes Brenda, it's 4:00am. Brenda is freaked out about the late hour and orders Dylan to drive her home immediately. The Walsh house. Brenda sneaks inside and manages to tiptoe up the stairs before Papa Walsh hears her. He calls out her name and appears in the hallway, looking angry about the late/early morning hour...and he's not buying the excuse that she fell asleep. He lowers the boom and tells her that since she's not behaving like an adult, she can't be trusted to go to Mexico. When he tells Brenda she blew it, she stares into the darkness with a stricken look on her face. Jackie's house. Jackie, Mel, David, and Donna are going through the guest list for the wedding. Kelly's in the room too, but she's reading a magazine and is purposely staying disengaged from all the wedding talk. So far 167 guests have RSVPed. Donna sadly tells them they can subtract one person from that count, since her father has said if her mother is going then he's not going...and vice versa. Donna remarks how weird it is to hear about the planning of one wedding when her parents are on the verge of divorcing. Kelly suddenly interjects to make a random snarky comment about the wedding, then storms out of the room. Jackie looks troubled by her daughter's bad attitude, but Mel assures her that Kelly will come around eventually. Dress shop. Donna, Brenda, and Kelly are in fitting rooms, changing back into their clothes. Brenda's telling them how her trip to Mexico got nixed by Papa Walsh. Kelly asks if she'll still be able to come to her house to spend the weekend, which prompts Donna to suggest that Brenda could simply tell her parents that she's going to Kelly's house, and then sneak away to Baja with Dylan. Brenda doesn't like the idea of lying to her parents, but Donna assures her that she won't get caught if Kelly uses the foolproof "Brenda's in the shower and she'll call you right back" trick. The three finish dressing and emerge from their fitting rooms, each carrying a garment bag. Kelly's unsure she wants to be part of Brenda's deception, so Brenda pleads with her to go along with the ruse. Jackie enters the fitting room area and tells the girls that due to her pregnancy weight, she can no longer fit into her wedding dress...and since she has to wait around for the seamstress to take her expanding new dimensions, she asks Kelly to run home and give the new handyman his paycheck. Kelly agrees, but grouses about how the wedding is ruining her life. A fed up Jackie pulls her aside and tells her that she's getting tired of her sulky bitchitude. She's tried to be understanding, and even asked Kelly's best friends to be bridesmaids because she thought that would make her happy. Kelly gives her mother a sarcastic apology, and when Jackie demands a sincere one, Kelly walks out on her. Kelly's house. Jake is working in the backyard when Kelly walks over to him with a check in hand. When she notices how hot he is, she immediately becomes smitten. After they flirtatiously introduce themselves to each other, Jake probes about her mother's marriage. Kelly tells him it's her fourth marriage, and he quickly apologizes for getting too personal. But as Kelly hands him his check, she saucily tells him that she's A-OK with him getting personal with her. Mmm hmm.. The Peach Pit. Brenda tells Dylan that she really wants to go to Baja with him, but she isn't sure she can go through with the brazen deviousness of lying to her parents and telling them she's at Kelly's house. Dylan tells her to get the cajones to declare to her parents that she's going to Mexico and then go...but Brenda argues that her parents will kill her. Dylan urges her to take a stand against them treating her like a child, advice that suddenly gets her all riled up. She angrily declares that she deserves the same rights and privileges as Brandon...then says she's officially made up her mind. She's going to Mexico whether her parents like it or not. My guess is that they'll not like it. The Walsh house. It's the crack of dawn and Brenda is packing a bag. Brandon sleepily enters her room through their shared bathroom and asks her if she's running away. She tells him that she's going to Kelly's house for the weekend, but he doesn't buy that bullcack and says he knows she's really going to Baja with Dylan. Brenda pleads with him not to blow this for her, so he agrees to cover for her...but is doubtful she'll actually get away with it. Dylan quietly pulls up in the driveway to pick her up, and Brenda slips out of the house. Later that morning, Mama Walsh is surprised by how early Brenda left for "Kelly's house", and Papa Walsh is also puzzled by the early hour of his daughter's departure. These two Minnesota bumpkins truly are hopeless. Brandon then launches Operation Cover-up by telling his parents that Brenda had mentioned something about going to an early morning flea market, so Mama Walsh assumes that the two girls are looking for a wedding gift for Jackie and Mel. She wonders aloud what she and Papa Walsh should get for the happy couple, and when she says she'd like to call Brenda and Kelly for some possible suggestions, Brandon hastily tells her that they're probably still at the flea market...after which they're going to a movie. Mama Walsh decides she'll call over there later. Papa Walsh asks Brandon if he thinks he was too hard on Brenda, and Brandon's like, "Hell, no." But Papa Walsh second guesses his refusal to give his daughter a second chance and now thinks he should have allowed her to go to Baja. Oh the irony. Kelly's house. Jake is working in the backyard when Kelly flounces over to bring him a drink. She's dressed in a short skirt and cute top, and her hair has been carefully styled into a soft, bouncy 'do. Jake invites her to stay and help him with his carpentry so they can flirt with each other again. He asks her to hand him a level and she's like, "What the hell's a level?" She asks what he's building, and he tells her it's a wedding canopy that Jackie designed. Kelly grumbles that her mother is making way too big of a production out of her wedding - her fourth - but Jake disagrees and thinks that since Jackie's the bride (and signing his paychecks), she's entitled to have some fun. He tells Kelly, albeit in a diplomatic way, that she's acting like a spoiled brat and should focus on the positive things coming her way. Kelly does admit that she's overwhelmed at the thought of having a new stepfather, stepbrother, and baby all at the same time. Baja. Dylan and Brenda arrive at the motel in Baja. Dylan is surprised that Brenda actually took a stand and came on the trip, then gets annoyed when he learns that she lied to her parents and told them that she'd be spending the weekend at Kelly's house. She insists that everything's cool, but she's going to need to make a phone call soon...and they find a phone booth so she can call home. Brandon happens to answer and lets her know that their parents bought her lie. He also gives her a heads up that they think she went to a flea market that morning. He then asks Mama Walsh if she wants to talk to Brenda, but she declines. Hmm, that's weird - didn't Mama Walsh just say two scenes ago that she wanted to talk to Brenda about wedding gift ideas? Brenda giggles at how easy it is to scam her clueless parents. Brenda and Dylan go inside the motel to check in. Dylan calls out, "Rosalita!" and a middle-aged Mexican woman appears. She and Dylan greet each other warmly, and he introduces her to Brenda. Rosalita then has some kind of a brain fart and starts wondering aloud about another girl Dylan once brought to Mexico...someone named Stacy. Brenda instantly fumes at the mention of another girl and demands to know when Dylan brought this Stacy to Mexico. He tells her it was last summer...when she dumped him after her fake pregnancy scare. An oblivious Rosalita starts the process of checking them into their room, but Brenda snarls that they're not staying and storms out of the motel. Dyan chases after her like a hopeless lapdog. Kelly's house. Kelly is nuking some leftovers when she gets a call from Mama Walsh, asking if she and Brenda found anything good at the flea market. Even though no one thought to give Kelly a heads-up about the latest development in Operation Cover-up, she plays along and covers for Brenda. Mama Walsh then asks to speak to Brenda, so Kelly does some quick thinking and tells her that Brenda went out to get some Thai food, but that she'll be back soon. Baja. Dylan begs Brenda not to spoil their romantic weekend by being angry about Stacy, but Brenda bitchily declares that the weekend has already been ruined. Dylan tells her he wants to take her to a nice little cantina, but Brenda just sighs and tells him she "doesn't know anymore". The phone at the motel rings, and Rosalita answers it and tells Brenda that it's for her. It's Kelly, dutifully calling to let her know that she needs to call Mama Walsh right away. Kelly's house. Jake enters the kitchen and announces to Kelly that he's finished work for the day. He asks her if he can have a soda, and she gets him one out of the fridge. He asks her what she's doing home alone on a Saturday night, so she pretends to reluctantly admit that she doesn't have a boyfriend. She then invites him to stay for dinner and he accepts, adding that he's starving. When she's finished nuking the lasagna he remarks, "Smells great." Kelly assumes he's talking about the food, so the cheeky lad clarifies that he was referring to her body scent. The Walsh house. Brenda phones home, pretending that she's calling from Kelly's house. Mama Walsh asks her if she has any good ideas for a wedding present for Mel and Jackie and thinks maybe glassware might be the way to go. That settled, Mama Walsh asks what her evening plans are, so Brenda tells her that she and Kelly are going to eat the Thai food she pretended to buy and then rent a movie. Baja. Dylan asks Rosalita for two rooms, and this pleases his irate girlfriend. He then warns Brenda that she's not going to want to go to any of the local eateries by herself, and she barks back that maybe she does. Ah the joys of dating an infantile sourpuss. Kelly's house. Kelly and Jake are eating lasagna and chatting. He tells her he'll probably be finished his work project at their house in about a week. Kelly remarks that maybe it's a good thing her mother made such a production out of the wedding since it brought him into her life. He broaches the subject of Jackie's pregnancy and predicts that even though Kelly is being an obnoxious ingrate at the moment - he uses the phrase "tough cookie", which made me cringe - once the baby comes she'll be cooing and cuddling the little bundle like no one's business. The doorbell rings, and Kelly opens it to find Steve on her doorstep. He tells her he was driving by, saw her light on, and decided to drop in unannounced for no particular reason. She tells him it's not a good time, and the situation gets uncomfortable when Jake appears in the foyer. Kelly tells Steve that she made Jake some dinner after a long day's work, and after guffawing at the notion of Kelly cooking, Steve asks if there are any leftovers for him. She tells him the food's all gone, so Steve says he doesn't want to be in the way and then leaves, looking despondent. Kelly explains to Jake that she and Steve used to go out, but that they're just friends now...despite his persistent boner for her. The two then have a really awkward kiss, which is followed by another really awkward kiss. Jake abruptly says goodnight and that he'll see her in the morning, and as soon as he leaves, Kelly lets out an excited little squeal. Baja. Dylan and Brenda are eating dinner, but the mood is hostile. Brenda is still sulking about Stacy, and Dylan is getting fed up with all the sulking about Stacy. A local man playing a guitar comes around to serenade them with a Mexican rendition of Feelings. The song makes Dylan laugh, and this makes Brenda break down and laugh as well. Soon they're both laughing heartily at the poor man, and Dylan adds insult to injury when he starts belting out an English rendition of Feelings. Now that the frostiness between them has melted, Brenda apologizes for acting so cunty earlier. Dylan apologizes too, and they toast to a wonderful weekend in Mexico. The Peach Pit. Sad Sack Steve strides up to the counter and orders himself a chocolate and a vanilla in order to drown his sorrows. He whines to Brandon about how he used to be able to go to Kelly's house at any hour and get a doink on demand, but tonight she had Jake there. Brandon half-heartedly tries to comfort him by assuring him that when Jake breaks her heart, which is inevitable, she'll probably come crying to him. Steve no longer wants to play the role of chump, so Brandon swiftly shifts gears and tells him that that's good. He encourages Steve to finally move on from his prepubescent crush so that he (Brandon) doesn't have to keep hearing the same mopey shit over and over again. But Steve then backpedals and bellyaches about how he can't move on because he's still in love with Kelly. Kelly's house. Mel and Jackie return home from Lamaze class. Mel says he found it educational, but Jackie thinks the class was boring. Kelly giggles at their banter, and Jackie is stunned to see her daughter in a rare good mood. They hug goodnight, and while she's doing that, the baby kicks. Kelly is moved and gives her mother another hug. Baja. Dylan and Brenda are dancing the night away and having a wonderful time. She tells him she'll never forget this night, and the two of them suck face for what seems like a really looooong time. After surfing the following day, Brenda marvels at how warm and clean the water in Mexico is. She's also smugly pleased with herself 'cause she was able to stand on her surfboard for several seconds. Dylan panders to her by telling her she was great, and they kiss again. However, the time has come for them to say "Adios, Mexico" and head back to the States. U.S./Mexico border. Dylan is asked to pull over as part of a random check, and the border patrol officer asks to see his ID. Dylan hands over his driver's license and invites the officer to search his car if he wants. The officer says that's not necessary, but asks to see Brenda's ID. For some reason, the idiot didn't think to bring along any ID...despite the fact that she was knowingly crossing an international border. The officer explains that because of a recent INS crackdown, there are a lot of strict regulations, so he's required to ask for some form of ID. Brenda pleads with him to allow them to go through because she has to get home, but the officer says he can't do it...and when he finds out she's under eighteen, he informs her that she'll need to arrange for a legal guardian to come to the border with her birth certificate to prove that she's an American citizen. He then ominously suggests that maybe she's not really an American citizen, but Brenda assures him she is...but that if they call her father she'll be one dead American citizen. Regardless, it looks like she has no choice but to call Papa Walsh and wait for the shit to hit the fan. Awesome! Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
11 Comments
MTCIII65
3/22/2019 06:57:36 am
Great recap - this one overall is right up there in my book as it signals Dylan and Brenda/Mother-Father Walsh triangle heating up in earnest.
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Jess
6/21/2019 12:47:06 pm
Say what you will about 90210, but Melrose Place was a goddamn television masterpiece.
Reply
Isabel K. French
6/21/2019 12:48:49 pm
It's definitely somethin'. I started Melrose recaps a few weeks ago. It's a fun continuation for those who finish reading all about 90210.
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Myriam
9/27/2020 09:52:18 am
I just started watching MP! First time ever watching. Do you guys know if it’s important to watch the two series in the order in which the episodes aired? Like, are there any crossovers (aside from the Jake-Kelly storyline) between the 2 shows, or you pretty much watch them on their own?
Jenny
9/5/2019 06:31:18 pm
I love this recap!!! It was hilarious and informative! Thank you!
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Chelsea
9/15/2019 10:59:04 pm
Thank you for these. There are a bunch of missing season 2 episodes on Hulu, and I’m trying to binge watch! Your recaps helped me not be totally lost.
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Myriam
12/11/2019 03:14:44 pm
How on earth did Brenda manage to cross the border from the US to Mexico without any kind of ID? Usually, you need to present it both ways... unless things were really casual at borders crossing in the early 1990s?!
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Genie
12/11/2019 08:36:43 pm
Actually, I’ve vacationed in Mexico several times, and every time the border people didn’t seem all that interested in looking at incoming visitors’ passports or ID. It’s so much harder to get back into the States. And Brenda should have known that and figured out her ID before leaving the country, the dumbbell.
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Myriam
12/12/2019 08:00:09 pm
Oh interesting! I've never crossed that border, but that's a good point. But ya, she should have definitely known that she would need it to get her ass back in the US!
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Sonya
12/6/2020 10:29:51 am
"Brenda argues that he's treating her like a child and doesn't get why missing her curfew is such a big deal"
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Tia
3/8/2021 11:44:52 am
“No, don’t bother, we’re not staying!”
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