Beverly Hills, 90210 - Season 5, Episode 10

The fact that this is a heroin induced hallucination doesn't make watching it any less disturbing

"The Dreams of Dylan McKay"
Original airdate: 11/9/1994

Episode summary: After crashing his Porsche and slipping into a coma, Dylan has a series of tedious dream sequences that feature Suzanne, Kevin, Erica, Mrs. Teasley, and his drug dealer. Steve is dismayed when his dad shows up uninvited to a football tournament and takes it upon himself to coach the KEG team.

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Recap: A badly injured, unconscious Dylan is being treated by a team of paramedics at the scene of his accident. One of the firemen on site discovers evidence of heroin inside the Porsche and theorizes that the accident may have been a suicide attempt. Dylan is placed onto a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance, and transported to the nearest hospital.

At the hospital, an earnest young intern named Jaime is presenting Dylan's dismal physical condition to a team of residents. She reports that he's currently in a coma, and that heroin and cocaine were found in his system. One of the residents derisively refers to him as a junkie and tells the group that the patient next door is suffering from a far more interesting ailment, so they all leave to go check that out. Jamie is dismayed by the lack of interest in Druggie Dylan, but is encouraged by his steady breathing and rapid eye movement. She remarks to another doctor/nurse/whatever that he appears to be "in a heightened dream state". Arg. I really hate watching characters' extended dream sequences on TV shows. I didn't even like them in The Sopranos.


That said, here we go:


Dream sequence..
Mrs. Teasley, who plays a doctor in Dylan's dream sequences, tells Dylan he was in a coma and then asks him how he's doing. Suzanne and Kevin suddenly appear in the room, also dressed as doctors, and they want to give Dylan an injection. Dylan hears Erica's voice, begging him to help and save her, so he scrambles out of bed and runs out of his room and down the hallway...and then suddenly he's fully clothed and inside a tunnel, running toward railway tracks. He sees Erica kneeling in the middle of the tracks, calling out for help. As he tries to reach her, he runs past his drug dealer (who creepily winks at him), a homeless man begging for change...and then suddenly he's back in his hospital bed.


Football tournament. David is filming the KEGers play football...and Clare dumps all over the tournament, criticizing the players for wanting to win a trophy and the womenfolk for subjecting themselves to watching the men play. In response, David grumps that he's ready to stop filming and pack up. Writers: please give these two something to say or do that resembles a storyline. Rush Sanders arrives and admonishes Steve for not telling him about the tournament, and says he heard that it was in progress from a friend at the club. Rush then reminds him that in his day, his fraternity won the football tournament three years in a row. No one cares about your heyday, Rush. Live in the now.


The Walsh house. Mama Walsh admonishes Papa Walsh for losing his temper, which he denies doing, and explains that he simply told Valerie it's A-OK if she wants to die an agonizing death from emphysema...but she should still smoke outside. Mama Walsh says that while she agrees smoking is disgusting and unhealthy, she's sympathetic to Valerie, who's been through so much in the last few months. Papa Walsh retorts that he's less concerned with Valerie's emotional stability than he is with being forced to breathe in her second hand smoke...and as he's saying this, Valerie slips inside the house through the patio door. She tells Papa Walsh she's really sorry, and that she only started smoking after her father offed himself. Somehow I doubt that's true. Papa Walsh mutely nods, and she tells him that if her smoking is such a big deal she'll quit. Papa Walsh tells her not to quit on his account, but because she wants to live a long, healthy life. The phone rings, and Valerie answers it and tells the Walshes it's Iris McKay calling from Hawaii.


The Peach Pit. Brandon, Kelly, and Steve pull into the alley behind the diner...and Steve is grumbling about his dad showing up at the tournament. Kelly tells him that Rush is clearly using it as an opportunity to recapture his glory days of being the big man on campus...and Steve says he knows that, and is embarrassed for his dad. The three enter the diner and notice Nat and Ahn-drea having a serious conversation. Ahn-drea somberly informs the three that Dylan totaled his car and is in the hospital on life support.


Hospital. Jaime is updating Mama and Papa Walsh and Valerie on Dylan's condition. She tells them she's optimistic and doesn't think his coma will go on beyond this episode. The three go into his room, and Mama Walsh stands by his bedside and holds his hand...and Jaime assures them that Dylan can sense their presence.


Dream sequence..
Dylan and Valerie, who appear to be a happy couple, arrive at the Walsh house for Thanksgiving. Mama Walsh invites them in, and Dylan finds Papa Walsh in the dining room carving the turkey and gives him a hearty hello. Mama Walsh tells him the other guests are in the living room, so Dylan ambles over and finds Suzanne and Kevin watching football. He joins them, and Kevin talks about the fake company he never started, and how his work has been helpful in cleaning up the oceans. The doorbell rings, and Dylan answers it and comes face to face with his drug dealer, who's dressed/done up to look like Satan. Mockingly he tells Dylan, "You didn't think you were going to get away from me that easily, did you?" and then Dylan relives the explosion that "killed" his father.


Hospital. The doctor asks the Walshes and Valerie to leave the room so that Dylan can get some rest.


Kelly and Brandon have arrived at the hospital, and Brandon checks his watch and says he has to leave for the football tournament in an hour...then contemplates if he really should be playing with Dylan in such bad shape. Kelly tells him not to do this to himself...and when Brandon reminds her about Josh's untimely death just a few weeks ago, she points out that Dylan is still alive and that they shouldn't bury him just yet. Brandon nods in agreement and goes off to find some water. Kelly spots Mama Walsh and Valerie and goes over to ask them how Dylan is doing, and if he's allowed any more visitors. When Mama Walsh wanders off to check with the doctor, Kelly asks Valerie what it's like in his hospital room. Valerie says she thought he could sense that she was there...but wonders if she made matters worse by visiting him, and then blames herself for the accident. Kelly tells her not to blame herself, that the accident was pretty much all Dylan's fault, and that everyone has bent over backwards to help him - meaning the intervention and finding him a place in rehab to dry himself out. Valerie asks her if she still loves Dylan...but before Kelly can answer, Mama Walsh returns and tells Kelly she can go in and see him.


Kelly enters Dylan's room for her allotted two minute visit. She calls him a bastard, and then sits at his side and takes his hand in hers.


Dream sequence..
Dylan recalls when he and Kelly swam in the hotel pool and he told her he was choosing her over Brenda. Suddenly it's their wedding day at the Walsh house, and Papa Walsh is walking Kelly down the "aisle" (stairs) toward Dylan.


In real life, Brandon enters the hospital room and canoodles Kelly from behind, which seems to alter the course of the dream sequence.


Back to the dream sequence..
Suddenly it's Brandon and Kelly who are about to be married, and Dylan looks visibly upset. Suzanne and Kevin are in attendance (but serve no purpose), and Papa Walsh informs Dylan that he's the best man and that he hopes he remembered to bring the rings. Valerie appears on the staircase in a ghastly, poofy '90s wedding gown and announces that she has the rings and flashes the gigantic diamond she's wearing on her ring finger. Papa Walsh escorts Valerie toward Dylan, who's chuckling, and Valerie tells him he can laugh at her all he wants - just as long as he marries her. When he calls her by her name, she snaps, "How many times do I have to tell you: I am not Valerie. I am Brenda. That's who I am, that's who I want to be" and as she's saying this, her voice morphs into a weird sounding male's voice. She adds, "I want to be Brenda, and I want to be your wife." Dylan looks understandably distressed, and then hears Erica's voice again, pleading for his help.


Tedious dream sequence loop..
Dylan is in the tunnel, running along the railway track. He sees the homeless man begging for change, encounters his drug dealer, who urges him to follow the light, and hears Erica's voice pleading with him to save her.


Dylan wakes up (not really, goddammit) and buzzes for the nurse...and a few seconds later, Mrs. Teasley, Suzanne, and Kevin enter the room. Suzanne tells him that if she knew stealing all his money would have caused him this much pain, she never would have done it...then says since they've already come this far, what choice is there? She violently rips out Dylan's IV, and the drug dealer is suddenly in the room, preparing a giant syringe. Mrs. Teasley remarks that he won't feel a thing.


The Peach Pit. Steve and Nat discuss Dylan's drinking and drugging woes, and then Steve asks Nat to consider letting him take over the After Dark nightclub. Ahn-drea, who's eavesdropping (as is her frequent tendency), marches over and snarks, "How can you be making business deals at a time like this?" Steve tells her they're just going over some contingencies, and this prompts her to let out a sardonic "humph", so then he snarks back, "What? Do I need permission to have a life?" Ahn-drea shoots him the stink-eye and self-righteously announces that she's off to the hospital to visit a friend, and storms off. Steve glances over at Nat and asks, "What's with her?" Seriously? When is Ahn-drea ever not judgmental or peevish about something that is in no way her business? Steve tells Nat that all the nightclub needs is some new investors, and that once they're in their new space (the going-out-of-business rug store next door), he can book live acts and triple their business. Nat isn't convinced and would much rather walk away from the whole nightclub scene...but gives Steve twelve hours to come up with the money to put into the renovations, or find an investor who's willing to pay for it. Steve agrees and then mutters that if he gets truly desperate, he can always hit up Rush.


Dream sequence..
Dylan unlocks his dad's car, gets into the driver's seat, and starts the engine. When it doesn't blow up, the drug dealer appears in the passenger seat and assures Dylan he doesn't want him to get hurt...then grins and says he has something else in mind - and suddenly the two are in a seedy pool hall, filled with women strolling around in flimsy lingerie. Dylan looks delighted when he realizes that he's doinked all of them...and Kelly appears in a black teddy, sits on his lap and coos, "But I was your favorite, wasn't I?" After they smooch, she tells him she wants them to take a shower together...but then Valerie suddenly appears, tells him she'll do anything he wants, and gives him a big smooch. She pushes him onto the pool table and then - ack!! - Donna mounts him and says, "Bet you didn't expect to see me here." OMG, no. She tells him she's been saving it all for him, and they start making out...and then mercifully she's replaced by Suzanne, and the drug dealer sticks his giant syringe in Dylan's arm. After that, Dylan is in the tunnel again, running along the railway track, trying desperate to save Erica, yadda yadda.


Football tournament. Steve arrives on the field, dismayed to find his father taking it upon himself to act as the coach of the KEG team. Rush makes a snarky comment about Steve's tardiness, and Steve snaps that he can coach the team by himself, then storms off. Brandon rushes over to him and urges him to make nice with his dad, and says he doesn't want his college memories to be tainted with the chronic bickering between him and Rush. Steve grumbles that he hates his father being part of the tournament, and Brandon reminds him that they're playing for themselves, not Rush. Steve agrees, the two do a weird finger handshake thing, and then run onto the field to join the rest of the team. Incidentally, why is Brandon playing football for a fraternity he's not even in?


Dream sequence..
Mrs. Teasley is holding a gun, and Suzanne and Kevin egg her on to shoot Dylan. Mrs. Teasley tells them she doesn't know what she's even doing there, since she has no beef with Dylan. She admonishes Suzanne and Kevin for ripping Dylan off and destroying his faith in mankind, and suddenly the drug dealer appears with a gun and pulls the trigger. Unfortunately, though, shooting in-coma Dylan does nothing to stop his relentless dream sequences.


Tedious dream sequence loop..
Dylan is in the tunnel, running along the railway track. He sees the homeless man begging for change, encounters his drug dealer, who urges him to follow the light, and hears Erica's voice pleading with him to save her.


David and Clare are strolling through the tunnel and talk about possibly using it as a location for their next video. They run into Dylan, give him a casual, "Hey", and then their voices blend into what they're actually saying in his real life hospital room: "He can't hear you. He's in a coma."


Dream sequence.. Suzanne, Kevin, and the drug dealer are all watching Dylan play pool. After he makes the winning shot, Kevin pins him down on the pool table, and the drug dealer gets his giant syringe ready. Clare and David are in the pool hall as well, observing all this, and Donna is dancing on a nearby table in a black rubber dress, smoking a cigarette and gyrating awkwardly. Suddenly, Clare mounts Dylan and kisses him, and Suzanne tells her to get lost, and they bicker for a little while...blah blah. Dylan then sees Erica being reflected back to him, and she stares at him beseechingly. When she starts shrieking, Dylan yells, "Noo!"


In his real life hospital bed, Dylan becomes visibly agitated.


Dream sequence..
Dylan relives driving over the cliff in his Porsche. In the hospital, his heart gives out, and the monitor he's hooked up to lets out the ominous sounding flatline beep. Suzanne, Kevin, and the drug dealer are suddenly in the room with him, and one of them turns off the life support machine. If only..


Football tournament. The score is 0-0 with 40 seconds left in the game when Papa Walsh arrives and greets Rush on the sidelines. He tells Rush about Dylan's overdose, and that he was just at the hospital, checking on him. Rush is surprised by the news, and tells him that Steve didn't mention anything about it...and Papa Walsh pontificates about how this type of misfortune makes one appreciate one's own healthy children - even a bonehead like Steve. Out on the field, the KEG teammates form a huddle and Steve suggests a play that Rush taught them. They all agree, and then we get slo-mo footage of Steve throwing the ball to Brandon, Brandon catching it, and making the touchdown. Yay! The crowd cheers, and Steve looks over at Rush, who gives him a happy fist bump.


Dream sequence..
Dylan unlocks his father's car, gets in, starts the engine, and it blows up. He's suddenly running along the railway track again to try to save Erica. He sees her kneeling on the tracks, and they both stretch their arms out to each other, but then she screams and disappears...and suddenly Jack is standing in front of him. The two hug, and Dylan starts crying and tells him he tried. Jack urges him to keep trying, that there's a purpose to life, and to trust himself, blah blah. And for the first time in this godawful, dreary episode, Dylan starts walking in the opposite direction of the light.


Hospital. A doctor informs Jaime that Dylan has finally stabilized and is out of the woods. Oh joy.


After the KEG team's win on the football field, Steve makes a toast to his dad and his winning play. Rush is surprised by the compliment, then tells everyone on the team they're champions. He makes a toast to Steve, who blurts out that he (Rush) is a nightclub owner. Rush is all "Wha-a?" and looks confused, and Steve tells him he'll explain it all later.


Hospital. Dylan finally wakes up from his heightened dream state and sees Iris sitting at his bedside. He asks her if this is real, and she assures him it is. After she rushes out to summon the doctor, Dylan sees Jack sitting on a chair in the corner, smiling at him - and this moment would have been far more poignant if we didn't know that Jack isn't actually dead. Jaime dashes inside the room and looks relieved and happy that her pet patient has made it...and then a weary looking Dylan flops his head back onto the pillow.  

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