Beverly Hills, 90210 - Season 7, Episode 26

"So...how did Brandon react to being ordered to get back together with me?

"The Long Goodbye"
Original airdate: 4/16/1997

Episode summary: Brandon dumps Tracy so he can re-hook up with Kelly. Donna is distressed when she sees her mother hanging out with a former lover. Clare enters a talent show and surprises everyone with her lovely singing voice.

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Recap: Brandon escorts Tracy back to her dorm room after the two spend the evening at the movies. She remarks that he's been quiet all evening, then merrily chirps, "I'm so happy our relationship is back on track!" A tortured looking Brandon replies with, "I don't think we should see each other anymore" and Tracy pales and goes, "Are you serious?" and he's like, "Uh. Yeah." He tells her he's not as into this relationship as she deserves someone to be...and she asks him what that means, even though it sounds pretty self explanatory. He says he doesn't want to keep making the same mistake...and by mistake, he means remaining in a lacklustre relationship with her now that Kelly's back on the market. She asks him if the whole year has been a mistake, and he says no, but that he shouldn't have gotten involved with a co-worker - which is total BS, 'cause during most of Season 6 he dated Susan Keats, Condor editor, while he worked as a reporter. Tracy offers to quit CUTV, but Brandon urges her not to, then says it was dumb of him to screw up their friendship by doinking her. Tracy says she's not interested in being friends with the guy who just gave her the heave-ho, orders him to get out of her dorm room, and starts weeping.

Steve and Clare are on campus, working on the set decorations for the upcoming Alpha/KEG talent show. Steve urges Clare to loosen up and allow herself to be vulnerable (by entering the talent show)...and Clare appears to mull over this advice. Donna tells David she wants to invite her mom to the talent show festivities tomorrow night, then announces that she's off to her parents' place to check on her dad's post-stroke progress.


Tracy finds Valerie sitting in an outdoor cafe on campus and asks her if she knows. Valerie's like, "Know what?" so Tracy tells her that Brandon gave her the dumperoo last night...and she has no idea why. Valerie asks her if Kelly's name came up during the dumping, but Tracy shakes her head and says she doesn't think Kelly had anything directly to do with their breakup. Valerie cautions her not to believe Kelly's "sweet act" and says she's been waiting for a chance to make her move...then advises her not to give up so easily, and assures her that she and Brandon are great together. She says she's going to have a chat with Brandon, and Tracy wonders aloud if that's such a good idea, so Valerie assures her, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." (No good can possibly come of that.)


Brandon meets up with Kelly on campus and tells her he gave Tracy the dumperoo. He tells Kelly he's been unable to get her out of his mind ever since the night of the New Age concert...and she's like, "Me too!", so the two decide to spend some time together and re-explore the possibility of getting back together. Brandon says they should probably keep it quiet, 'cause he doesn't want to flaunt it in front of Tracy...and the two agree to meet up for a discreet dinner later. Kelly spots Valerie barreling toward them, so she wisely beats a hasty retreat. Valerie snarks at Brandon, "What are you doing?" then asks him if he's getting back together with Kelly. He's like, "Well, d'yuh" so she reminds him that Tracy loves him. He retorts, "But I'm not in love with her" and says she deserves better than a guy who only has lukewarm feelings for her, but Valerie's all, "Whatever" and warns him that Kelly will burn him.


Martin house. Donna shows her mom a brochure about the upcoming talent show festivities, but Felice says she's reluctant to leave Papa Martin alone for the evening. Donna says she already checked with him, and he said he wants his wife to get out of the house and have some fun. When Donna goes downstairs to check on her dad, Felice looks over the RSVP list for the talent show and notices that her lover from the Things To Do on a Rainy Day episode is on the list...and she smiles wistfully as she recalls the seedy afternoon delight they enjoyed at the Bel Age Hotel. 


Steve tells Clare he's proud of her for entering the talent show as a singer...then looks alarmed when he hears a demonstration of her horrific singing voice.


Beach house. Donna rehearses her bit for the talent show: she's playing a Canadian mountie with a wretched looking moustache. Kelly, meanwhile, receives a telegram from Dylan, stating that he wants her to meet him at LAX. The note reads, "Need to see you. Tell no one." Who the hell sends a telegram now that email and cell phones have been invented?


The Walsh house. Brandon is discussing the dumping of Tracy with Steve, saying he just couldn't fake it through that relationship anymore - but Steve has his own problems, namely being worried about Clare making a fool of herself singing at the talent show. Valerie arrives home and tells Brandon that Kelly will probably be late for the talent show, then says, "Traffic from LAX can be really hectic." Brandon asks her what the hell she's talking about, so she informs him that Kelly got a telegram from Dylan last night...then admits that she had a friend in New York send it. She did it to demonstrate to Brandon that Kelly isn't over Dylan, and that Brandon shouldn't squander his relationship with Tracy for someone who doesn't love him. Brandon insists that Kelly driving to LAX to see an old friend doesn't mean anything - so Valerie asks him if it's so innocent, why Kelly didn't tell him about it? She gives him a piece of paper with the flight information, but he crumples it up and snarkishly says he doesn't spy on his friends or devise loyalty tests. Valerie shrugs and says, "I hope Kelly is worth your trust" and as soon as she leaves the house, Brandon uncrumples the piece of paper with the flight number on it and stares down at it contemplatively.


California University. Donna spots Felice talking to a man and remarks aloud that he looks kinda familiar.


Valerie drops in on Tracy in her dorm room and gives her false hope by telling her that Brandon's starting to appreciate her more than he realizes.


Talent show! Everyone's backstage, getting ready to perform their acts. Steve tells David on the down-low that Clare's singing voice sucks...then goes over to where Clare is practicing her scales and tells her there's no shame in throwing in the towel before she's scheduled to perform. Clare refuses to back out at this late date and promises Steve she won't make a fool of herself. Meanwhile, Donna peeks out into the audience and notices that he mom is sitting with the same guy again...and she suddenly recalls that he's the man she once saw her mom having an affair with. David comes by and asks her whassup, and she tells him her mom has been hanging with the guy she doinked during the Things To Do on a Rainy Day episode.


LAX. Kelly is at the airport waiting for Dylan, but - no surprise - he doesn't emerge from the aircraft with the rest of the passengers. Brandon, meanwhile, is hiding behind a row of pay phones, spying on her and looking upset.


Talent show. Donna and Steve do their skit: a Canadian mountie (Donna) falls in love with a fair maiden (Steve). The audience laughs, applauds, and seems to enjoy watching the spectacle of Steve being romanced while decked out in ladies clothing.


The Peach Pit. Brandon tells Nat about Kelly driving to LAX to meet Dylan, and Nat says he's not sure it really means anything. Brandon points out that Kelly got all dressed up and kept the errand a secret from him, then glumly recalls that Dylan once told him that he and Kelly had a connection that no one else could understand. Ah yes, the "seminal link" - from Dylan's hypnotic Wild West regression fantasy. God that was a dumb episode.


Clare is introduced to perform "Devoted To You"...and on her first try she sings really off-key and looks as though she might cry. She regroups, tries again, and sings beautifully. Steve, along with everyone in the audience, is pleasantly surprised at her lovely singing voice.


CUTV. A pissed off looking Brandon is at the studio, working late. He calls the beach house and leaves a brusque message for Kelly, cancelling their dinner date. Tracy enters the office and looks startled to see Brandon there. She asks him if he's OK, and he goes, "Not really" so she starts massaging his shoulders. She says she misses having him as a friend and that they don't both have to be miserable. She leans in to kiss him, but he stops her and says it's not a good idea and firmly tells her it's over. She gets all pissy and calls him a bastard and says that when Kelly was occupied with someone else, it was convenient to have her to sleep with. Well, d'yuh. Brandon tells her that Kelly's probably in love with someone else, which is why he's in such a miserable mood right now, and Tracy smugly retorts, "Good. Now you hurt as much as I do."


After the talent show, Donna spots Felice with Warren and angrily mutters to David, "She's still with him." Steve, meanwhile, praises Clare for her awesome performance of "Devoted To You". She thanks him and tells him it was a tribute to her late mother, and that she's been waiting years to perform it.


Donna marches over to where Felice and Warren are standing and barks, "What do you think you're doing?!" She tells him she remembers that he was the guy who doinked her mother at the Bel Age all those years ago, mutters, "Disgusting!" and starts to storm off. Felice stops her and explains that Warren is a doctor, and that they were talking about Papa Martin's case. She tells Donna that since he won't be able to practice medicine anymore, they were discussing the possibility of him lecturing at the university. Donna sheepishly agrees that that sounds like a fabulous idea, and Felice excitedly heads home to share the good news with her husband.


The Walsh house. A grim looking Kelly drops by and asks Brandon why he stood her up for dinner. He tells her he left her a message at the beach house, cancelling their date, but she says she never received the message. Brandon tells her he was at LAX, watching her as she waited for Dylan...and that it's clear she's still in love with him, as evidenced by the fact that she got herself all dolled up. Kelly denies being in love with Slouchy, then explains that she went to meet him because he's a friend and he asked her to...and that she got all dressed up 'cause she was planning to head straight to the restaurant for their date. She then says she was planning to tell him (Brandon) the big news - she finally chooses him! - then shows him the engagement ring she wears around her neck 'cause she couldn't bear anyone else to have it. Brandon stares at it mutely, and when she urges him to say something, he croaks, "I love you" and the two start smooching in earnest.


Valerie's not going to be happy 'bout this. 

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