For ten seasons the residents of Beverly Hills, 90210 climbed social ladders, stole each other’s boyfriends, and got an education to last them a lifetime. The series began as Brandon and Brenda Walsh adjusted from midwestern life to sunny California, but the cast of characters rotated in and out as the series progressed.
A few core relationships at the beginning of the show remained mostly intact throughout the series, despite a lot of breaking up and making up. Over the course of a decade, there were a lot of characters that coupled up. These are just the very best and the worst of the couples that the the show had to offer.
Best: Kelly And Dylan
Kelly showed an interest in Dylan early in the series, but the two didn’t actually get together until Dylan was already dating Brenda. Cheating isn’t exactly the foundation for a great relationship, but there was just something about these two that often had the audience rooting for them.
Though they both ended up with other people many times throughout the series, the 90210 sequel series showed that they eventually found their way back to one another and had a son.
Worst: Valerie And Noah
Valerie began season eight of Beverly Hills, 90210 pursuing male model Noah. She was initially attracted to him, but put off by his other line of work: fixing boats. Noah hid the fact that he was wealthy from her as a result.
Though the two eventually got together, Valerie cheated on Noah with someone she thought was a better match. Likewise, Noah wasn’t really ready for a relationship with her. He was still preoccupied with a girlfriend he’d lost in a car accident and had feelings for Donna. The two of them were never going to work out.
Best: Brenda And Dylan
They were truly the couple that started America’s obsession with the show. Brenda was a “good girl” from the Midwest who was in for a culture shock in Beverly Hills, California. What she found was a group of friends who spent more having fun than they did in class and a loner who made her think.
Brenda’s feelings for Dylan helped her grow up in a way that margaritas at a house party and smoking in Paris didn’t. Their experiences together allowed the teenagers to experience what an adult relationship would be like. If only Brenda hadn’t left the show so early, maybe the audience would have seen more of them together.
Worst: Brandon And Emily
Brandon was a serial monogamist on the show. Unlike most of his friends, he didn’t date around. His love interests had longer arcs that played into larger storylines. Emily was one of those.
Introduced as the opposite of his sunny California friends, Emily was a bit of a rebel. While the other women in Brandon’s life were in bright colors and flowered sundresses, Emily was in ripped jeans and leather jackets. She was a breath of fresh air at first, but she also happened to be unstable. When Brandon pulled away from her, Emily didn’t take no for an answer, becoming angry and volatile.
Best: Kelly And Brandon
Kelly and Brandon were the will-they-or-won’t-they couple for most of the show’s run. They were certainly a predictable pairing for fans when the series began to air.
As Brenda’s first frenemy in town, Kelly spent a lot of time with the Walsh siblings early in the show. She might have had her eye on Dylan, but her heart drifted to Brandon time and again. Brandon was the one usually there for her during the darker times in her life, and their love for one another had them walking down the aisle at one point.
Worst: Kelly And Colin
If Brandon was helpful when it came to pulling Kelly out of dark slumps, Colin was the opposite. Colin was actually responsible for putting her in one of them.
