Episode
Beverly Hills, 90210: Highwire
Overview
Brandon and Brenda are at each other's throats after their parents reveal that they can only send one child to an out-of-state college. Jim and Cindy decide to take a second mortgage so that they won't have to play favorites, but Brandon and Brenda each decide to apply to local California University. Brenda fears that she and Dylan are growing apart, while he and Kelly bond over their mutual ambivalence toward college. Andrea believes that Gil is discouraging her from applying to his alma mater (and her dream school), Yale. She has nightmares about Gil trying to knock her off a tightrope. Music: ""Venus"" by Shocking Blu
Details
- Series
- Beverly Hills, 90210
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 9
- Air date
- 1992-09-23
- Runtime
- 47 min
Episode context
Highwire is Episode 9 in Season 3 of Beverly Hills, 90210. It aired on 1992-09-23. The runtime is 47 min.
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Episode 8: The Back Story
Brenda, Donna, Kelly, Steve and David prepare to take the SAT. Brenda constantly argues with Kelly, and also gets into hot water with her parents when they learn that she has been smoking since the Paris trip. Beth Nielson, a young producer from the tabloid show Back Story, seeks Brenda's help in putting together a story about Beverly Hills teens. The piece is intended to correct misconceptions, but Beth's boss deems it boring. She re-edits the story in a way that makes it seem that Brenda insulted and spilled dirt about all her friends. Everyone stops talking to Brenda, but Beth (who has quit her job in a crisis of conscience) comes to her defense. Brandon is hesitant to ask out Nikki because she is just a sophomore. She gets on his nerves by following him everywhere, but they eventually kiss. Dylan decides to bypass the SAT to visit his father in prison. Jack warns Dylan to make provisions for his future, and convinces him to take the test at a nearby high school. A West Beverly grad
Episode 10: Home and Away
West Beverly's undefeated football team prepares for a showdown with powerhouse Shaw High. The school decides to forfeit after two Shaw students are shot to death by gang members during a game. Brandon is furious because the West Beverly student body cares more about the homecoming dance (coordinated by Brenda) than the shootings. He and Jordan Bonner, editor of the Shaw paper, run each other's editorials in their papers without school permission. Brandon invites the Shaw students to the dance, drawing the wrath of his friends and the administration. A fight nearly breaks out--partially due to the overzealous security guards--but Nikki and Donna defuse the situation by asking the Shaw guys to dance.
Music: ""Switch It Up,"" performed by Brian Austin Green; ""Let Me Be Yo
More episodes from this season
Episode 7: A Song of Myself
Brandon wants to quit the paper so that he can enjoy his senior year. Andrea enlists the help of new advisor and English teacher Gil Meyers to change his mind. Gil decides to have Brandon replace Andrea as editor. She accuses him of sexism and wants to resign. Gil resolves the dispute by making Andrea and Brandon co-editors. A depressed Kelly changes her entire schedule to avoid Brenda and Dylan. Brenda, Steve and Donna sign up to be ""senior buddies"" for freshmen and transfer students. Donna is paired with David's summer fling Nikki, who has moved from San Francisco. David is afraid to confess to Donna, but Nikki inadvertently breaks the news. Donna tests David's love by having Nikki pretend to come on to him. Nikki expresses an interest in Brandon. Steve winds up with geeky freshman Herbert, while Brenda tries to help Scott's troubled sister Sue.
Music: ""Live and Learn"" by Joe Public (#4, 1992); ""Wishing on a Star"" by the Cover Girls (#9, 1992)
Episode 11: A Presumption of Innocence
Gil is relieved of his duties after Sue charges him with sexual harassment. Andrea offers her friendship to Sue, while Brandon stands behind Gil. Gil quits without fighting the charges; he confesses to Andrea that a former student committed suicide when he rejected her advances, and he does not want to drive Sue over the edge. During a dinner with Andrea, Sue's uncle Henry badgers her into admitting that the allegations are fake; she had tried to kiss Gil. David and Donna visit Sue and find the eerily cheerful family holding a barbecue, with plans to move to Oklahoma. Fearing that Henry is becoming too close to her little sister, Sue reveals that her uncle molested her. Dylan picks up a bacterial infection from surfing in polluted waters. He wishes to support a clean water initiative, but can't vote because he failed to register before the deadline. Brandon seeks David's help in learning to dance, but cancels the lesson. He refuses to dance with Nikki at a club, then gets jealous when
Episode 6: Castles in the Sand
Andrea and the children nearly catch Dylan and Kelly sleeping on the beach. Kelly tells Dylan that they must forget their summer romance, but he doesn't want to do this. Brenda and Donna come home from Paris and are greeted with a party. Jim and Cindy agree to let Brenda resume her relationship with Dylan. Kelly tries to avoid Brenda and Dylan, and is annoyed when he continually inquires about her well-being. Brenda suspects that Dylan cheated on her. She confesses her fling with Rick, but they decide to move forward with their relationship. Brandon dumps Brooke because of her constant stereotypical comments about other races and religions. In danger of being fired as David's manager, Steve engages in bribery to get him a gig at the beach club's end-of-season dance.
Music: ""Dancin'"" by Chris Isaak; ""Be My Love,"" performed by Brian Austin Green
Episode 12: Destiny Rides Again
Brenda runs into Rick at a video store, as he has transferred to UCLA. She goes out with him and continues to pretend that she is French. He is understanding when she finally reveals the truth. The SAT review board accuses Dylan of paying someone to take his test. He annoys Brenda by refusing to re-take the test. After Dylan confesses that he had a summer fling, Brenda suggests that they take a break from their relationship. He immediately visits Kelly to ask her out, and they kiss passionately. Steve learns that he tanked his SAT, and convinces computer expert Herbert to help him access the school's grade bank. They use the legacy key to break in, but have to flee when the security breach is detected. Brandon, Nikki, Donna and David are interviewed by Rosie O'Donnell at a televised AIDS benefit. Donna seeks her priest's advice about pre-marital sex. She tells David that she wants to wait at least another year. Andrea suffers two broken legs when she is struck by a hit-and-run driver.
Episode 5: Shooting Star/American in Paris
Kelly feels guilty about kissing Dylan and tries to avoid him. She goes to his house to admit her feelings, and they share a passionate kiss. They spend a lot of time together, but reconsider their actions when David catches them kissing. Kelly turns down Dylan's offer to camp out on the beach (the night before Brenda is to return), but eventually joins him for a romantic evening. Brenda meets Rick, a hunky college student from Wisconsin who believes that she is French.
Music: ""Precious"" by Brian Austin Green; ""Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover"" by Sophie B. Hawkins (#5
Episode 13: Rebel With a Cause
Kelly and Dylan go on a date, as Brenda insists that Dylan is free to see whomever he wishes. Brenda explodes when she and Rick run into Kelly and Dylan at a restaurant. Kelly denies that she is a bimbo and Brenda responds, "I was always told that if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck..." Kelly believes that Dylan is on the rebound, so she pushes him away. Brenda breaks up with Rick because they have little in common beyond their initial attraction. After the SAT board denies his appeal, a frustrated Dylan decides to leave town. Steve provides assistance to the wheelchair-bound Andrea in the hopes of curtailing her investigation of the computer break-in. Cindy suspects that Jim's beautiful new secretary is attracted to him, and Jim finds himself fantasizing about the woman.
Music: "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" by Betty Everett (#6, 1964); "Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis - #2, 1958), performed by James Eckhouse and Dean Cain
Episode 4: Sex, Lies and Volleyball/Photo Fini
Donna is struggling in the French immersion program, and feels left out because Brenda and her classmates can speak fluent French. Donna catches the eye of a photographer, who offers her a modeling job. A man tries to entice Donna into signing a two-year modeling contract, but he's just trying to get her into bed. Steve finds the perfect partner for the mixed doubles volleyball tournament. He is hurt when she rejects his romantic advances and pursues Brandon. Kelly and Dylan team up for the volleyball tournament, and also babysit Erin together. A visiting girl expresses an interest in David and his music. Kelly catches them making out, and tries to talk some sense into David. Kelly finds Dylan waiting in her cabin.
Music: ""Hot Little Summer Girl"" by Enuff Z' Nuff; ""Gimme Little Sign"" by Brenton Wood (#9, 1967); ""In the Summertime"" by Mungo Jerry (#3, 1970)
Episode 14: Wild Horses
Dylan's Porsche breaks down near a secluded ranch. The wealthy owner takes him in and wants him to stay permanently (as her boy toy). Dylan is disappointed when she sells her favorite horse, and decides not to live in an environment where everything is for sale. Brenda and Kelly make up. David fires Steve as manager after he is humiliated at a showcase because he had to go on without a sound check. Nikki is stunned when her ex-boyfriend Diesel's band performs a song he had written for her. Brandon cannot understand why Nikki is so taken with an abusive, boozing jerk. Nikki tries to leave when Diesel brings home another woman, so he hits her. Brandon punches out Diesel and takes Nikki home. The janitor warns Steve that he may have to turn him in to save himself.
Music: ""Switch It Up,"" performed by Brian Austin Gr
Episode 3: Too Little, Too Late/Paris 75001
Brenda and Donna have difficulty adjusting to life in France. Donna constantly complains about missing David, and Brenda soon begins to long for Dylan. They accidentally order brains at a restaurant, and Donna later spends an entire party eating pastries because she can't carry on a conversation in French. Andrea's boyfriend invites her to join him at the Republican Convention in Houston, where he is working for CNN. Brandon becomes jealous and kisses Andrea in an attempt to dissuade her from leaving. An outraged Andrea observes that Brandon is only interested in her because she has a boyfriend. Andrea decides to skip the convention because she is enjoying her work at the camp--especially with Cameron, a deaf boy whom she helped bring out of his shell. Jack goes up for parole, and asks Dylan to write a letter on his behalf. He reluctantly does this, but Jack's parole request is denied. Dylan and Kelly begin to flirt rather obviously.
Episode 15: The Kindness of Strangers
Brandon finds Jack Canner (the homeless vet he met at the beach club) rummaging through the dumpster behind the Peach Pit. He takes him home for Thanksgiving dinner, but Canner runs afoul of Jim, who accuses him of shirking his family responsibilities and hiding behind the flag. Brandon explains to Canner that Jim's father was a Marine; the two never spoke again after Jim refused to go to Vietnam. Canner helps repair a leaky roof, and Jim apologizes and urges him to reach out to his son. Jack McKay gets a furlough and spends Thanksgiving with Dylan. Jack insists on spending time with his girlfriend and gets on Dylan's case about dropping out. Jack's girlfriend, Christine, convinces Dylan to give his father another chance. Dylan returns to West Beverly and greets a surprised Brenda and Kelly with kisses. Steve and Samantha appear on a television show about celebrities, and Steve tells her on-camera that he has been expelled. Samantha stands up for Steve and gets his punishment reduced t