OMG: 9021CO-Host: It's Laura Leighton!

0:02 It's 90210-MG with Jenny Garth and friends. Thank you for doing this, Laura Layton. Oh my gosh, so fun. I'm really glad you're here with us. This is such a treat because you're on our show and I never even remembered that. I know. I mean, I was definitely a little blip. Sophie's more than a blip. she's kind of in my mind she's very um significant like what you're doing you're a bad girl you're like a new kind of val in town i.

0:38 Oh that's so funny that you see that that way i don't see that way also i definitely thought it was very bloopy you.

0:43 Already had been on malrose place and now you're on 90210 and i i am a fan of 90210 but i heard that you're on malrose place and i Didn't get to watch that, but now I'm like confused because it should have been the other way around. You should have been on 90210 first and then as this incredible character on Melrose Place that everybody recognizes you from, I'm sure.

1:08 It's equally confusing for me because I didn't watch 90210 either.

1:11 We were in the same boat.

1:12 It wasn't my idea to like do the show. I was just asked to do it. So like, okay. And like trying to understand like how I fit in or like why I'm there.

1:21 It was weird.

1:22 Yeah.

1:23 It was weird?

1:24 Yeah.

1:24 Oh, man. No, I understand. I mean, how is it weird? Tell everybody else.

1:30 Okay. Well, I mean, I think guesting as a rule is weird. Like, I don't know how much you've done of guesting.

1:38 A few, yeah.

1:40 You know, you're a series regular on a show. It feels like, okay, I belong here. Use my place.

1:45 I make sense.

1:45 Like, I know the people. I understand the groove.

1:48 I understand the vibe. And I fit in, right? Yeah, right. But that.

1:53 It's not the case when you're a guest, you're really a fish out of water and you're really going into somebody else's family and going, I'm just here for dinner, you know, and it's just, you kind of have to figure out the dynamics and the whatever. And you just kind of try to stay quiet and.

2:10 In the corner and like, not, not really. Yeah.

2:13 You kind of don't belong. So I definitely had that feeling.

2:16 I'm sorry. I feel badly that you felt that way. Oh, gosh.

2:19 It's not your fault at all.

2:21 It's the nature of guesting. It's not fun.

2:24 It's just the nature. I mean, you know, you do it on any show and it feels like, ah, how do I fit in?

2:30 Right. Yeah.

2:31 So it was definitely that. And then, you know, here's all these like strong girl, women. Energies.

2:37 People. And I'm like, eek. Oh, my goodness.

2:42 Yeah.

2:43 Wow. Wow.

2:45 It was fun to watch the episodes back because, of course, I couldn't remember anything either.

2:49 Right.

2:49 No. I had to watch the episodes of Sophie Burns just to reacquaint to see you today. And there was one scene in this particular episode where I felt like Sophie was at the other side of a firing squad.

3:04 It was a scene where.

3:06 You and Lindsay and Tori, I think, were all lined up in the fashion show and I asked you a question and all your heads turned to me and I'm like, eee. And I think I remember that distinct feeling.

3:19 Of feeling, oh, I am so... out of place well it worked for the scene I will say that hopefully it was it's because of the writing because you were saying something about Kelly's wedding dress and it felt really awkward to have you put in your opinion oh completely as your character Sophie I was like what you don't know anything Sophie.

3:41 So inappropriate and yet Kelly was so sweet about it really like Oh, yes. So we didn't necessarily deserve that sort of sweetness, but your character was very gentle.

3:53 Well, it's just because we've gotten to know each other since back in the day a little bit better and better as we've gotten older. And I always, always love popping in and seeing you in the same room. Yeah.

4:07 Yeah.

4:07 And getting to give you a hug and say, how are your kids? And how's your grandbaby and your husband? And you've just had... Everybody knows this probably, but I just think it's so cool that you're still married to Doug. I mean, I love that. Okay. So, okay.

4:24 I had a hard time. The timeline of these episodes, was this 1997, 1998?

4:28 98.

4:28 It was 98. Okay. So....

4:33 For perspective. Yes, please.

4:35 This episode that we're talking about was, we were shooting in July of 1998, then, correct?

4:42 Mm-hmm. Okay.

4:44 Yes. And I know this because I was married in 1998, so I was just married.

4:49 That was your year?

4:50 Oh, my God.

4:50 Yeah, I was just married in May. And you had met Doug on the set of Melrose Place. We had obviously met on the set of Melrose Place. And fell in love.

5:00 And we worked together for a number of years, and we really didn't. you know, begin a relationship until that show was over. And we sort of had discovered each other as humans, but not until we were done being coworkers.

5:13 Isn't that interesting? And so, yeah.

5:15 And cut to, we've been married for 28 years, but in July of 1998, I was shooting this episode. It was my birthday in July. And my marriage came with Two young girls, like the best thing ever is not only did I get a great husband, but I got two daughters immediately in the marriage. And so we had these two young girls. And on my birthday, I was working.

5:46 And Doug felt like, oh, you know what? I'm going to bring the girls to your work. And we'll bring you a little picnic lunch. And on your lunch break, we'll have a little lunch in your trailer and whatever. So they were on set while I was shooting this episode.

5:59 On our set?

6:00 Yes.

6:01 Oh my God.

6:02 Yes.

6:02 Wait, I kind of vaguely remember this, him and the two cutie pies. Yeah. Two tiny little blonde girls. Because it was like all blowing my mind. I was like, first of all, you two are married and now there's baby. Yeah. So they came to work with me.

6:21 On the day that I was shooting the scene, Sophie Burns comes to She has to go to the registrar and she's going to scam the student loan money and take the student loan money, but actually never attend college.

6:34 I have questions about that.

6:36 I mean, so, but, but we have a family like story that we've had forever since that day, because that day on set, we put the girls like behind the monitors and they were given like headphones and it was so cute. They're like, Oh, you know, they got to listen and they were in there and I had said, You have to be very quiet because they're recording and you have to be very quiet, but you get to watch and you get to listen. And so they're sitting in their little director's chairs and they're watching. And we were rehearsing the scene where Sophie walks in and she has to go up to the registrar and he says, your name? He asks my name and I say, Sophie Burns.

7:18 And I go to hand him my ID. And I hear off camera and behind me, Sophie Burns. And one of the girls was like, loudly, because she's got her headphones on, questioning, why is she saying her name is Sophie Burns? So it's one of our favorite stories about my daughter, Maddie, is that she just blurted that out and made the entire set laugh.

7:40 That's not her name. Why would they say that? I love her.

7:43 Yeah. And it's from the very scene that... We're actually, you know, doing the episode today.

7:47 Oh my God.

7:48 Okay, good.

7:48 Let's do it. I'm so excited to talk about this episode with you. Fresh perspective on what we have been doing for eight seasons here on OMG. And I love it. Okay. Would you, I'm going to, okay. So this is episode two. It's called Budget Cuts. And it aired in September 1998, September 23rd, actually. Okay, tell us the synopsis of this episode.

8:13 Okay, for this episode, Kelly turns to Brandon to save jobs at the clinic. Steve starts to realize Sophie's flirting is a gimmick. Valerie finds out her mom is engaged when she tries to tell the truth. Mrs. Malone becomes enraged. Brandon is sad after seeing Kelly in her wedding dress and Noah's father ends his life and now his son is a mess.

8:38 I mean, it's so much, but so.

8:43 Much like every end of every spectrum is sort of covered here.

8:49 Directed by Chip Chalmers and written by Laurie McCarthy. This episode I felt was a good one. I don't know. I'm feeling the momentum now as we're getting into season eight, which is so exciting. Because we were stuck.

9:03 Wait, this is season nine. Beginning of season nine.

9:05 You're right. I'm beginning to feel the momentum after being so stuck in season eight for so long of this fresh material starting to actually go places. And this is so fun for me because I think a lot of people felt like that. We've talked about it before. Season eight sucked. Yeah.

9:21 Did it?

9:22 Yeah. Well, that's what everyone said. And then I watched it for myself. And boy, it was a very long season. So many things happened. But in general, like overall, I kind of feel like it wasn't the best.

9:34 Huh. Yeah. I mean, I don't have any perspective. So I'm like an audience member here a little bit.

9:40 And a guest. I mean, I don't know if I've mentioned that. You're a guest. I'm just a guest. Yes, you're a guest. You are a guest co-host for the day.

9:46 I'm a blip of a guest in this season nine.

9:49 I feel like let's talk about the Kelly turns to Brandon to save jobs at the clinic. Let's start with that one. I kind of think I want to go through each character's situation in the episode so that I don't miss anything. Because it's hard when you're running this show all alone. Okay, so Kelly goes back to work.

10:11 Right away after, you know, this whole debacle, she's just gotten not married at the altar. I'm sorry. I know you've covered it already, but.

10:19 I still have.

10:20 I have still sort of... Do you have feelings? I do. Like, what the heck? Why are they... I mean, yeah.

10:26 And she's just like, okay, back to work. Yeah.

10:29 And that's so much.

10:31 And you guys were just like very... Business-like and professional and mature about your conscious uncoupling.

10:39 It's like, what are they doing? It's not so conscious, though, because they keep messing it up.

10:45 Oh, it's like, why are they doing it? They clearly should be together.

10:49 Yes, but by the end of this episode, I think it's pretty clear. There's a line in the sand that's not going to be crossed anymore. They're confusing. She's been told by her boss that she needs to cut back. And she has to fire Barbara. And I think that she's more upset that she has to fire Barbara than that she's probably going to lose a job eventually. But she goes to Brandon for help, which I'm right out of the gate. I'm like, no, don't do this. You know this is not going to be a good thing.

11:24 Well, it's just like her impulse is, again, another indication of what their relationship is. is. And the audience is going, yeah, of course, of course you go to Brandon because he's the guy and he's going to do the right thing and he's going to help you.

11:40 You guys should be together. But yeah, Kelly's such a good person here.

11:45 She's just so, she's.

11:48 I mean, she's got something that's keeping her on track, which is her job, thank God. So she, I feel like she sinks way back into it more than before probably, but Kelly and Brandon end up getting too close. She kisses him.

12:05 Can you blame her?

12:06 I mean, no. Because they should be together. I'm one of those fans that's screaming that at the TV. I cannot blame her for kissing her. But while she's doing it, I'm like, no, don't do this. Because you can tell he's kind of caught off guard by it. And it gives you those feelings of like, ooh, what's going to happen? Yeah.

12:24 It sort of made me mad, too, that he was like this is a person you were about to be married to. Like this shouldn't be so like, Ooh, you know?

12:33 Yeah. And then after that kiss, Brandon kind of takes that and thinks about it. And then he's like, okay, well, comes back to her doorstep. Let's go on a date. And Kelly says that she changed her mind again and she can't do that. So she's given the story to a different writer from the Chronicle. She's basically, she, made out with him, and then she scooped her story and gave it to someone else, which is kind of rude.

12:59 But I guess she's doing that to protect herself. Yeah.

13:02 It's all in the confusion of poor Kelly's trying to figure it out.

13:06 Yeah. So they're going to have a fundraiser, right? At the After Dark, of course, because that's where everything has to happen. Because conveniently, they have an After Dark. Mm-hmm. It sets right there.

13:25 Yeah.

13:26 And they're going to auction off Donna's fashion, which includes Kelly's wedding dress. Mm-hmm. Ouch.

13:35 Yeah.

13:36 So Sophie points out, oh, Sophie, backstage, your character's like, I'll wear it. I think it would fit me. And everybody looks at you and is like, did you just speak?

13:46 Completely. Did you just speak from the firing squad of who are you?

13:52 And why are you so inappropriate? I kind of love that moment. It was fun. But Kelly ends up wearing the wedding dress and you, your character says, show him what he's missing. And so she parades out there in her dress. And she looks amazing in it. And people start bidding on it. The guy, the other writer guy who's kind of trying to get with Kelly instead of caring about the story.

14:18 Kind of. You mean totally.

14:19 Totally. Brandon knows about it. And so, of course, they're standing right next to each other in the bidding war starts happening. And I didn't know Brandon had $ 1, 000 to just kick around for it. He was not going to lose that battle. No. Yeah. I kind of liked it, you guys. I kind of was like, oh, he does love her. But then I realized, oh, it's not really love.

14:44 That's just for his ego.

14:45 And you questioned the thousand bucks.

14:47 Where did he get the money? Does he actually pay the money? I mean, he must have it. He's always buying rings and wedding things. He spent a lot of money on a wedding that didn't happen.

14:58 And remind me, what's his actual job?

15:00 He's a reporter at the Beverly Beat. It's a little tiny magazine that nobody really cares about.

15:05 Right.

15:06 All right.

15:06 So we should just set that aside. Yeah. His passive income or something. I don't know.

15:12 Really wasn't the point.

15:14 But he does get the guy off of her, which is what he really cared about. And then he admits it. He admits that he bid because he couldn't see her going on a date with someone else. He wasn't ready for that. And also really something really sweet. He says that he knows that one day she's going to walk down the aisle in a wedding dress like that with a guy that isn't him. That sort of bothered me.

15:45 Tell me. It sort of bothered me that he was saying so definitively. Like, these kids are young. We know this now. Like, the ages that these kids are are young. And so to say, okay— We love each other, and we almost got married, and then we got cold feet or whatever it is, and we're not getting married now.

16:06 But to say in this scene so soon after calling off this wedding, and maybe there's.

16:12 Something I don't know.

16:13 Because again, I'm just kind of like an interloper observer here for a little chunk of these episodes.

16:19 I haven't watched the whole thing.

16:20 But here was my take.

16:22 Here's why it bothered me.

16:23 It's like, how do you say at that time, we're never going? going to be together you're going to be with somebody.

16:31 Else yeah why not say like you never know where life will lead us right but at the same time like I feel like he has his perspective Kelly has her perspective and then whenever they get together they kind of lose sight of their individual perspectives and start to like read the other person and and then the feelings start to come back Or the anger comes back or whatever it is that the other person's feeling. It's just, it does feel unhealthy at this point.

17:02 It's very tug of war, like back forth. Now I'm pushing away. Now I'm pulling, but like it did. bother me that he said it like that.

17:10 One day you're going to be married to somebody like too soon, buddy. I just felt like it was a door shut. Like that's it. This storyline is not moving forward anymore. So if next episode comes around and these two are making out in the closet or something, I'm going to be pissed.

17:24 Well, I'm just, I'm just pissed that he said it.

17:26 And I, I, yeah, it was poopy. I know. I was, yeah, I agree. I'm one of the people that wanted to As a fan now watching it episode by episode, like, I want Kelly and Brandon to be together. But who knows what will come through the next door in the next episode.

17:40 Yep.

17:41 So that's TBD and very exciting, actually, to think about. Okay. Let's talk about Val. Okay. Whoa. Who first? What do you... How do you... Because she... We just start out on Val meeting mom's younger man, Carl Schmidt. Do you see, like... When he, she was so, okay.

18:04 So I had forgotten about the character of Val being so hard and so blunt and just so direct. And what she's dealing with is so dark. So dark.

18:20 And huge.

18:21 I mean, holy moly.

18:24 Yeah.

18:24 The, sexual abuse and that she, you know, didn't have the support of her mother and that she ended up killing. And I learned this in the episode as an audience member, because I don't recall it at all from being there.

18:39 I learned this and then, and then she's the one who killed her father.

18:43 Holy.

18:43 Right. Weight on her shoulders.

18:46 And then Michelle Phillips comes over with the new guy. And it's like, no, And her mother's like a wreck of a mother, like not there for her, like so much.

18:59 When you find out in this episode that her mom was like, her mom knew.

19:03 Yeah.

19:04 That this was happening. Her daughter was being sexually abused by her father, her husband. It blows your mind. But then you have to think, okay. stop yourself right now. Don't be judgmental. Don't make assumptions. Like there are a lot of people out there in these crazy situations in life. And I can't say like, how could she, but my instinct as a mom or as a daughter would be like, it's almost too much for me to even hear that she wasn't supportive or protective of her daughter. A hundred percent.

19:35 What the heck? What the heck?

19:37 And so much weight on Valerie's character. it completely explains who she is and why she's so scary. Because I also remember going, oh, that character's scary.

19:54 Yeah. Sinclair.

19:57 Yeah.

19:57 I mean, we've all enjoyed watching her be scary. And we've talked a lot about that on the show.

20:03 So good.

20:04 She's always been... The wrongdoer. She's always been trying to make trouble for everybody, and she'll learn a lesson, and then she'll keep doing it, and she'll learn another lesson, and she'll keep doing it. But we all know why now, why she's so damaged. Completely. Now maybe I want to root for her and hope that she gets better, but we'll see, because maybe she'll just go right back to her antics. I have a feeling they'll be with your character.

20:30 I think there'll be some antics. But I think Michelle Phillips does a really good job playing her mom. She is. She's a mess.

20:43 She's a mess. She's not present. She's not willing to engage. She's not even willing to listen to her daughter at this point. She wants to keep her head in the clouds and... go, oh, but I'm, this is, you know, I'm just trying to be happy and I have this new husband and you should be happy for me.

21:01 And I don't want to, I don't want to talk about the past. Like what? She's delusional. Completely delusional. But I like that for her. Yeah. Great. It was great.

21:10 And then that scene at the bar too, like where Val is like completely not having it with a new boyfriend being a cop. And she's like, So he's never killed anyone or whatever.

21:22 Right. Then she tells him, oh, you're just a speck in my universe. You're not even a speck in my universe. You're not even a blip on my radar. Nothing, a speck in my universe. Poor guy.

21:32 She's so, like, so much stronger and sort of above every character.

21:39 It doesn't matter if they're the adults in the room.

21:41 No.

21:41 Valerie is on top. I know. And it's fun. It's fun to watch. But when we met the mom's new boyfriend, I was like, okay, first of all, I know him. Oh, that face I know. I know that face. And then I did some research and I know that he played another character in the show, but that's not where I know him from. Where else do you know him from?

22:05 I don't know. I think he dated one of our crew members.

22:10 Oh, okay.

22:11 And I saw him around. That's completely reasonable.

22:16 And because after nine seasons, you know, you're bound to have some of that circling back around.

22:23 Yeah. Yeah. And I was happy to see him getting this bigger part. I was like, cool. This is great. If somebody out there knows how I know him, how I know this guy named Bruce, please tell me because I'm dying to know. Yeah.

22:43 There's going to be somebody who's going to know.

22:47 You know what, Bruce? Wait, I'm looking for your last name right now. Hold on. Call us. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. Where's your name?

22:54 Hold on.

22:56 Bruce. Okay. Bruce Thomas. If you're listening, call me. Tell me how I know you.

23:01 Yeah.

23:02 Or he might not want to be like, Oh no, I feel like it was a very, we had a nice friendship. But I just, I can't remember. And now the show's really confusing me with him playing two different characters on different seasons.

23:16 Yeah.

23:16 But anyway, I think he's great. He goes to meet up with Val one more time because he feels like he can help.

23:24 I think.

23:26 Yeah.

23:27 It's like the revelation about when she asks, did you ever kill anyone? He has to get it off his chest or something, right?

23:32 Mm-hmm.

23:33 But I felt that there was more there. Well- Not now.

23:37 I have a feeling there's going to be more.

23:40 Right? Because is she going to fall for her mom's boyfriend? Do you think? This is going to get bananas. Do you think?

23:47 I mean, you can sort of see that coming.

23:50 This is not 90210. This is Melrose Place shit right here. Okay. Completely.

23:56 I was across the board shocked at how big and heavy and dark the storylines were. And I thought that was Melrose Place. I feel like Melrose Place was about trauma in every direction and every character. But I'm seeing a ton of it in 90210 that I didn't realize at the time.

24:20 It wasn't like that before. There was always the trauma from their childhoods and that kind of coming up. And they're working through it in more of a healthy way, the main characters. But now... It's gone to the no health land, no healthy land.

24:37 These are big, big things to happen to these people. And a lot of them, I mean, we haven't even gotten to the other big trauma that's going to happen to another character in this episode.

24:48 But like, I feel like.

24:51 So much is happening to these young people.

24:54 I say that now as a late lady. Yeah, because we have such a different perspective now as we're older watching this and thinking, if that was my child or even just like, I can't believe what they made me do on that show. Oh, these poor kids. Do they even know how to have a fundraiser? I don't even know how they do anything with their lives after all the drama and trauma they've been through. They seem very competent in spite of it all. But I do sense that Val's going to want a piece of Bruce. It's common.

25:24 It's inevitable. Because he connected with her on a level of like, I've been there too. When I shot someone, the way I felt about it has haunted me for years. And I can relate to your pain.

25:38 But he was also saying like that thing that was like, she sort of questioned him.

25:43 Like, you did.

25:46 And he's like, hey, he was the guy who chose to be the bad guy. Mm-hmm. And it was his choice to be bad, his gun, and, you know, sort of, was it like stuff happens or whatever? But it was more like he chose it. And it was the little thing of like letting her off the hook for sort of what she needed to hear, whether he knew it or not.

26:13 Right.

26:15 He was saying that thing that's like, it's not, it wasn't my fault.

26:19 And she latches onto that. She needed to hear that. It wasn't her fault. That's so true, man. If he can help her get straight around this awful mess that's been hers to carry for all these years. And you can sort of see why she might feel drawn to him. Yeah.

26:37 I mean.

26:38 You're justifying it.

26:39 He's really cute.

26:41 And Tom has big dimples. He's your mom's boyfriend, but.

26:43 I can swear to you. Don't worry about that. This is your world, Val. Everybody's here for you. Alternate television universe. I liked it. Okay, let's talk now about David.

27:08 David. David.

27:10 First of all, when he's talking with Val, it's like the same conversation on repeat. And now he's become this like saged voice of advice about life for her. And I am not buying it. I'm sorry.

27:25 So is that not consistent with who he's been?

27:29 No.

27:30 He's not been the sage like adult in the room?

27:33 No.

27:34 He's been having all the problems.

27:36 Because I sort of took that away also. I was like, oh, and I literally, the word in my head about his character was sage. Like when, oh, he, I didn't realize he was such like the. You know, just sage, understanding guy with kind of all the answers, but in a way that is sort of, he was sort of impatient with everybody else who doesn't have the answers.

27:56 It's like, oh my gosh, it's all coming, like the character and the person are all blending into perspective for me. But also the writing just didn't seem like that character at all. That sounded like someone much older and wiser. Yeah.

28:10 He seemed very old and wise and figured it out guy.

28:13 Yeah. It was a little off character. But that was new. He's been doing it with Val and trying to help her, but also being impatient with her. You're so right.

28:21 Right. Like he's sort of over it.

28:24 Well, yeah. I mean, I think anybody would that's like there for her to cry on. She really takes advantage of and puts a lot, you know, on that person. And rightly so.

28:34 You need a therapist. You need a serious therapist. Like I can no longer be this person for you. I am not what you need. Please stop, you know, filling my ear over lunch.

28:46 Get a therapist. Get a therapist. So I feel like he's walking away from that now, which will probably have some fallout. But then that's probably why the fun, like kind of mysterious Sophie, you know, attracts his eye. Because she's not. Mysterious Sophie. Well, you are mysterious. Because to him, he doesn't know what you're all about. He keeps asking you, like, why are you here? What do you want to do?

29:13 I thought that was a profound question, too. Which one? That he asked, why are you here? Why are you here?

29:19 Yeah.

29:20 And you say, because I want to be famous.

29:22 Yeah.

29:23 And he said, how are you going to do that? He was really clear.

29:27 Like, what skills do you have to become famous?

29:29 And she's like, um, nothing really. Yeah.

29:33 But.

29:33 I thought it was so interesting. I know that in 1998, reality television... had started, sort of.

29:42 But I think the greater concept of being famous just for being you hadn't happened yet until, like, now we really know what that looks like. Yeah.

29:54 You were, you wanted to be an influencer before there were influencers. But like, how about that?

29:58 Their writers sort of had this idea.

30:00 Yeah. Just super prescient.

30:03 I thought like way ahead of, I noticed that all the time with both Melrose and 902 now that they're talking about really like topics that now you go, how did they have that in their mind in 1998?

30:20 Yeah, I mean, I guess the story of a girl straight off the farm coming to Hollywood thinking she's going to be the next big star, that's a tale. Classic trope, right? Yeah, long story. Yeah, it's been happening. But it does feel, now that we're able to really identify it differently, it does sort of feel like they were ahead of their times.

30:42 But honestly, it's been happening for so long.

30:46 Yeah.

30:46 Yeah.

30:46 But that they were able to put it into words. And I think that's kind of how this Sophie Burns story is going to sort of play out. I didn't watch ahead to exactly know, so I'm kind of like an audience member for it.

31:01 Isn't that fun?

31:02 I must have been on the day.

31:03 Because you have no idea what happened. I do not remember. Everyone gets so mad at me, Laura, for not remembering every single thing about the show. Thank you. Laura, everybody out there listening, please listen. Laura is... Has the same thing as I do.

31:18 Yeah.

31:18 It's really hard.

31:19 You did a million episodes and you have to be learning them and shooting them so quickly.

31:24 And so many people in and out of your life, like, Cast members, crew members, crew members, sisters, you know, people you meet at the grocery store, people you meet on tour. Like, there's so many people.

31:37 And I love this opportunity to go back and, like, get a glimpse of who.

31:43 We all were. Were. Handled that.

31:45 A lifetime ago. Yeah. It was a lifetime ago. Because I don't know about you. I mean, when I watch this, I'm like, who is that young person?

31:55 Like, it just seems like such a different version.

31:58 Of me and my life. So much has happened since then. But it's on camera.

32:04 It's recorded. But it's tricky because it's on camera, but you're playing the words that were written for you. Right, right, right. That's not happening. What was happening in your real life at that time? Are you able to say, okay, I can remember that's when I was... In your case, it's probably pretty memorable. You just got married. It was only memorable because we have this....

32:27 You know, funny family story of my little girl, you know, blurting out Sophie Burns. Yeah.

32:34 I love the way you say that. And she was so flummoxed.

32:37 Like, why would she say her name is so, that's clearly not her name, you know? And we just thought it was so funny because it just, that right after saying you need to be quiet and then she shouts it out with her headphones on and everybody.

32:48 Stops and laughs. And, but so the fact that this is.

32:52 The episode we're talking about from this like story that we've, carried through and you know she's 33 years old now and she has two kids of her own and they're my grandkids you know like it's it's this crazy thing it was a lifetime ago so to see it and have it bring up those memories is funny it's weird I mean it's weird yeah it's weird.

33:13 And it gives you a little glimpse of like wondering what was how was that young me handling all of this how is that young you at that moment settling into being a new mom of two little girls and just a new wife and still working as an actress. Like, you know, really your mind kind of gets blown when you think about the vastness of the reality that was happening. Yeah.

33:41 And so, and it also very much explains why I can't remember, like, you can't remember, how do I, how did I know Bruce again?

33:46 I don't really remember.

33:48 There's like this essence of, I think I knew him, but I'm not sure how. There's just, it's impossible to remember all the, there was something going on underneath. Oh, I remember feeling like, and it's like, it's funny now because, you know, I had all these scenes as Sophie with David, right? And then years later, Brian's kid played baseball, you know, in the same league that our kid played baseball. And Doug was, you know, whatever, running the baseball league or whatever.

34:18 Like you cross paths as human beings out, in the wild, but you have this shared history, history of like, it's not real characters and completely like, like a job, like characters, but like we knew each other. And then, but in the real world, we actually were, you know, sort of in the same sort of baseball universe for a number of years while the kids were little and youth baseball and stuff like that, like bizarre stuff or like elementary school.

34:47 Right.

34:48 You know, Jason, Jason, Jason's kids were at the same elementary school as ours and we knew each other there. But long after this other version of us worked together in our youth and childhood and then in our adulthood, we have real experiences of each other. Yeah.

35:06 And I have sort of like a disconnect from the real life Jenny experience. And in this moment in 1998 and 1990, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, I have a real disconnect because I was playing, like I had two worlds. I had the world where I went to work and did what I was supposed to do and fulfilled everybody's expectations and tried to be the best and get picked and, you know, all that pressure.

35:37 But then I had the real life Jenny who was quiet and terrified and insecure as shit and like struggling to like have relationships with guys that were felt balanced and friendships with women like there was so much going on totally totally every young person's like huge struggling world and and yet you were carrying all this like fake confidence and like playing these characters who, yeah, but the real, yeah, behind, yeah.

36:11 So that's why I have trouble remembering things. And also I've just, you know, I've had trouble digging it all, getting in there and weeding it all apart and finding the real me in the whole thing. And finding the moments where I wasn't the real me that I wanted to be in that moment or in that moment. And why in that moment, what was going on at home that caused me to be that way at work or vice versa? You know, it's just a really tangled web up in there, guys. Completely tangled.

36:42 And I don't know about you, but like I had done Melrose as sort of like the Vixen-y, troublemaking character, whatever. Of course. And then when Mr. Spelling asked me to come and play Sophie Burns, and then I'm, you know, sort of not not on the straight and narrow.

37:03 You know, and I'm a little, I'm really vixen-y sassy. I'm like, what is that?

37:07 Like, and it was so opposite of who I was as a person. Like super, I'm literally the girl from Iowa. I'm literally like the- You are.

37:17 The really- Non-assuming, sweet, kind.

37:21 Just like, like kind of.

37:24 Not, doesn't have an ulterior motive in her body. Did not have an edge at all. Yeah. No, no edges.

37:30 Yeah.

37:31 Did you feel like, wait, I don't, I don't want to play the same character, Mr. Spelling. Like, are you trying to typecast me right now?

37:37 How, you know, so I was, I mean, I was proud of like what I had done on Melrose, sort of that I convinced that I sold it, you know, like, oh, I really played this character and people bought it. Like, and they believed these attributes that we gave her, you know? And I just felt like that was real character for me.

37:56 It wasn't like, laura adjacent you know right like i think so many people will be on a show like this like trying to be as real as possible or like then that makes it almost be like they're playing just themselves adjacent but just with these circumstances and these lines of dialogue but.

38:17 For me i had like your character was so far yeah i.

38:21 Had like manner is stuff like that that was like sort of justified who she was or whatever that were so outside of me but it was like it was my acting.

38:29 Work, you know?

38:29 And so I remember feeling like really proud that I, that I sold that character and, and believe, but then I ended up being, well, that's what people, people want to see more of that and roles subsequently when the expectation is, well, you're going to play the vixen or the sass.

38:46 What about like after this, after 90210, did that happen to you?

38:49 I feel like there was, there was more of that, you know?

38:51 And I, I, I, I remembered feeling a little.

38:54 Confused by it because I would go into meetings like with producers or writers or whatever, like somebody's developing and we're talking about this. And I remember getting one piece of feedback that goes after the meeting, the feedback from the producers goes back to your agent and your agent either lets you know or not what that feedback was, you know, and sometimes it's not so great. And so I remember one piece of feedback point. And my agent actually told me, yeah, they thought you were kind of boring.

39:27 and they were expecting Sydney.

39:29 And I was like, oh my God, shoot. Yeah, no, I'm- I am boring.

39:37 Compared to that, yeah, I'm completely boring and they're not going to get that in the room if they're just meeting me like they if that's the.

39:46 Character they want me to play I can do that.

39:48 But it's like that's not who I'm gonna I guess that's.

39:51 A note to self like all the people that want to be an actor go in the room as the character don't even worry about being yourself yeah and it wasn't like.

39:59 An I wasn't auditioning for a character it was like we were having a conversation meeting it was like get to know you meeting and and like the real me was too boring.

40:07 I actually love that story oh Because that stings. And then you're like, wait, well, am I supposed to be me or not? I don't get this.

40:14 I was angry about that. I was like, okay, how about instead going, oh, that makes the fact that I believed her in this character even more. Because the real person is not that, you know. But that wasn't the takeaway. The takeaway was like, yeah, she's boring.

40:34 I know. Weird. There's so many layers of the onion inside of us. I don't know if it'll ever be all peeled, but I'm trying. So what about the fact that the big, you know, Donna has this fashion show. And yes, note, she did previously have major anxiety about going on stage modeling her fashion. But in this episode, she just pops right up there and is all about it.

41:08 And she's wearing something sassy and leopard and whatever.

41:12 Yeah, absolutely. She was perfectly fine with that, which doesn't track, but whatever. I just like pointing those things out because you're like, if I'm I didn't really see those things when I was reading the script because I wasn't really reading their parts. I was reading mine and making sure that that felt true and accurate. But when you see it as a viewer, you're like, wait a second. Yeah, it's fun to call it out. I thought I knew something about Donna, but no, I don't.

41:41 She, I mean, she is a very, like, sweet. Everything about Donna, correct me if I'm wrong, here's my observation from the limited... sample size I have of an audience member right now. The Donna character is very sweet.

41:57 Okay. That's it. Now, fill me in. What did I miss? No, her character was always written pure as snow, like a virgin.

42:08 Yes, right?

42:09 Yes.

42:11 Never a bad thought crossed her mind.

42:13 That's what struck me is that she was written as the very sweet, sweet, good girl, right?

42:19 Yeah.

42:20 Yeah.

42:21 But you're right. She came out on the runway. She owned it. Well, apparently the fashion show was a success because all is right in the world. The clinic is staying open.

42:39 Yeah.

42:40 However, Kelly says she's leaving. She's a giver. I don't know where she's going. And she doesn't either.

42:47 She's just very much a giver. Like, I just want to save the clinic, but not myself.

42:52 No.

42:52 What do you feel about David lying to Steve now? Because last episode, he was like, I'm not into that. Even in this episode, he's like, I'm not going to lie to my friend, Sophie.

43:01 Yeah.

43:02 And then he does. He did.

43:04 And I don't know if Sophie was just such a... She just wasn't letting him.

43:10 Very sassy. Very flirty sassy. I loved it. She just was not letting him.

43:17 say no right and so she's definitely pulled him in but what I thought was really funny during the fashion show is when Steve and David are on the sidelines like talking to each other as Sophie's going down the runway right so the audience knows that David's kind of lying to Steve right Steve's over there still being like yeah so she's my girl right she's all mine yeah well I just thought it was so funny that they're like oh yeah she's a little naive like they what did they call they called her naive and sort of innocent or something I'm like oh no no that's not what.

43:56 I mean that's what they wanted the audience to believe they want Steve to believe that.

44:00 Right and I guess maybe that's how she was written I was like it's just not coming off that way because you're you're only you're seeing the whole picture now I guess I am but.

44:10 Like wowie I but Yeah.

44:12 Like, I guess, I guess there's something naive or innocent about like thinking you can.

44:17 Just come to LA and make it and become famous.

44:20 Like that's naive or whatever, but the rest of her behavior is not very naive.

44:24 Do you remember last week, the journal that you wrote in? I talked about this last week on the show because it was like, it was a list of how to become famous. Oh yeah. Yeah. And it was three points. One was, um, find a place to stay. Yep. Check.

44:38 Check.

44:39 Uh, Get money from college.

44:41 Check. Check.

44:42 I don't know how you did that.

44:43 Because it was an easy scam. I said, just write me a check.

44:46 And they said, OK. The little guy was like, yes, OK. Yeah, because that's how it happens. And now it just said, and then the third one was, be famous. Yep. Yep. I love that. That's it. That's what she thought it took. And she might be ahead of her time and totally right.

45:04 But no baby steps. Just get me right to the point.

45:06 Why overcomplicate things, really? Yeah. I don't need to know how to do it. Just do it. Just do it.

45:12 Yeah.

45:13 I like that, though. I don't know what's going to happen. But the big, oh, bad, bad moment in this show is, well, it's hard for me because in the beginning of the episode, I'm like, I don't care about Noah's family. I don't care anything about their relationship between him and his dad. I thought, great casting. This guy looks like he could be the dad of Noah.

45:36 Yeah.

45:37 But I didn't, I wasn't invested in it at all. And I don't think, and I'm only saying that as a person watching, like I didn't really, I didn't really grab onto the character of Noah as much as some might have, but I did not just like have the... inclination to invest in his family life. I was like, okay, I can handle this guy as a new part of the group and he's with Donna. It makes sense. And how long has he been around at this point? I think longer than you would think. But his character was kind of like nothing, nothing for a while and then it kind of started to be more and you're like, wait, why is that character starting to be more all of a sudden? It's been a bumpy ride for me with the Noah character. But then Him losing his dad.

46:24 Okay.

46:25 I mean, his whole storyline of, like, I got to help my dad. My dad's in trouble.

46:31 It's huge. Whatever.

46:32 I'm back with my dad, right?

46:33 Yeah.

46:33 But, I mean, I did not see it coming. I did not see it.

46:38 I didn't either. And yet, I should have because he was laying all the, he was saying all the things.

46:44 His dad, right? With the martini. Mm-hmm.

46:46 And then when he said words to live by. Mm-hmm. And I'm watching it as an audience member again.

46:51 You're like, uh-oh.

46:52 I didn't see it coming. And I had to go back and then really appreciate all the dialogue, breadcrumbs that he was dropping.

47:02 And then seeing them play ball, living out that tender moment. And the cynic in me is like, I don't care. But at the same time, I saw character development, which was cool. Then they do that. And also, who does that to a bunch of teenagers watching a TV show? Exactly. Why are you putting these thoughts and images in our minds?

47:26 And then the actor who needs to play this moment of having just walked away from his father and, you know, swiped the martini off the table and been frustrated with him to walk away to the elevator only to hear him shoot himself is incredible.

47:45 Just so awful. And I can't. It insists a lot. I mean, it's huge.

47:50 And I didn't see it coming.

47:51 I didn't see it coming.

47:52 For all the silly shenanigans that Sophie Burns is bopping her way down the road. Right.

47:58 We were distracted. It's such a juxtaposition. And also, and it's like, I didn't see it coming because we didn't have a bunch of pipe laid for his family dynamics. Some here and there. But it was always more about his relationship with Donna or then what he did with Val or then You know, all the shenanigans that happened to this point. But now just it got real real.

48:21 Really real and really awful. I don't know what's going to happen. I really have no idea. You don't? So you're not watching ahead. You're only watching as you go.

48:31 Because you're becoming an audience member.

48:34 Yeah. I'm in hook, line, and sinker and confused and questioning things. Yeah. And all I have to talk about it is to you and to our audience here, because no one else is watching the show with us unless you're re-watching this podcast, doing it with a podcast butt. oh my God, I can imagine if I was a real teenage, if I was a real person and I was watching it in 1998, I'd be like, oh my God, I need to talk to somebody about this.

49:00 Totally. Well, and thank God people were at the time because people were watching it in groups and watching it, you know, sort of as a social experience.

49:09 And then having like water cooler talk about it. Yeah.

49:12 No wonder, no wonder there was.

49:15 Water cooler talk. These are like huge, freaking did you can you believe.

49:18 What happened last night no I can't it's just every after every episode it has to be can you believe what happened.

49:27 But it's so good and then it's.

49:30 Just so different also like the lens through which you're looking now as not the 23 year.

49:37 Old right you know I don't yeah And then I look at that and I'm thinking, okay, so that's where my daughters are right now in their lives age-wise. Like, they're not dealing with any of this bullshit drama.

49:50 I mean, thank goodness, right?

49:52 There's just too much.

49:53 And on a weekly basis. If all of that just happened in a week of their lives.

49:58 Sometimes when they roll their eyes at me or think I'm extra or dramatic or whatever, I'm like, you don't know. You don't know what I've experienced both as a character on TV and in real life. I don't even want to blow your mind with it all. Just keep living your happy life. Yeah, exactly.

50:15 I mean, I will say I would not want to be... a 20 something or a teenager now, you know? And I don't know if that's just by virtue of having lived through it.

50:27 And like, of course I don't want to go back and do that again.

50:28 But, um, or if it's also to me, it's like the, so many things that have changed with the social media and the thing, like I would not want.

50:39 To have to navigate that being a teenager is hard enough.

50:42 Like I would not have to want to have.

50:43 To navigate that.

50:44 So I, I feel like, Like it's really hard to be a teenager with.

50:50 All the emotional stuff that's consistent. Like we lived through it. We had the same feelings. We had the same struggles. We had the same insecurities.

50:57 And yet they have all these other things on top of it. But do your kids say, I have one kid in particular who is like, I wish I lived when you did. I wish I was a teenager when you were. I wish I lived in the 90s. Ah, the 90s seemed so cool. Like I have kids who think it's really awesome and they wish for themselves that they had the sort of teenager-dom that we had.

51:23 I wish I did too. Those parts I wish I could go back and do again. And do your kids have that? Like, do they have a sense of that? oh, wow, mom.

51:32 I mean, even though they roll their eyes and think you're extra, do they ever also go, wow, mom, you were so lucky or that's so cool you got to live in the 90s and be this age in the 90s? Do they have that sense too?

51:44 I think that they don't really think of the minutia of the 90s. They think of what they've seen on TV or on their feeds. And that looks fun. Yeah, the image of it is kind of... But I don't think they really, really sat down and thought about it.

52:00 Yeah.

52:00 But it was great. Oh, my God. The 90s were actually the best. Because you could be sort of oblivious.

52:06 Yeah.

52:08 And just live your life.

52:10 We knew how to use maps. We knew how to use pay phones.

52:14 We knew how to do math.

52:15 We knew how to, yeah, do math.

52:19 Oh, my God. One other thing, a call out, just because of the sign of the times changing. David says something about their movie theater tickets used to be $ 8 a pop. when was that remember that yeah remember when you go to a movie for eight dollars yeah how did it how did it come to like a hundred dollars now it's a hundred dollar experience it is that's not fun to think about but sign of the times people sign of the.

52:50 Times yep um did you have any lines that you thought were funny.

52:54 Oh yeah um.

52:58 Let me look what what was yours Well, one of them stuck out as when, when Sophie was telling, she was making excuses to Steve and they're on the couch and she's making excuses of like why she was out late or whatever.

53:13 And then he's like, you know, I want us to go out. And she's like, yeah, yeah, we can go out, whatever, you know, like really, really, we're friends, we can go out.

53:21 And then, and then she finally has to say, no, I see, I have this ex-boyfriend and, you know, it's really, I'm, I'm still wrecked. And he goes, You seem fine.

53:34 You were pulling out all the stops to try to get out of that moment.

53:37 I just thought his line was great.

53:38 You seem fine. Because she did.

53:40 She seemed completely fine. Not wrecked.

53:42 She doesn't seem like a wreck. No. I had one, and it's when you said during the scene when David has jumped in nudie pants into the pool. I saw butt.

53:52 You did?

53:53 I saw his naked butt when he dove in. I'm pretty sure. I tried to zoom in, but it wasn't. Did you rewind, put your glasses.

53:58 On and make sure?

54:00 Because they were going skinny. They'd taken all their clothes off. They were going skinny. But anyway, he's like, are you coming in? And you say, you're just like sitting there looking off and you're like, it's just so great. I'm just, I'm already trying to remember it. Yeah. And I was like, what? Yeah. Yeah.

54:17 It's so great. I'm already trying to remember it.

54:20 Yeah.

54:20 That was a little flummoxing. I don't get it. Get in the pool, girl.

54:24 Right?

54:24 This is a naked man in that pool and you want him. What are you doing? Maybe it was in my contract.

54:29 I'm like, I'm not getting in the pool.

54:30 I'm not getting naked.

54:31 Enough of that. I'm done getting in the pool.

54:33 I would like to see his naked butt jumping in the pool. Go back.

54:37 Rewind it.

54:38 Freeze frame. I've loved having you here. Thank you so much.

54:43 So fun to see you.

54:44 Jumping in and doing this, it's kind of fun to go back, right? Especially with such shared histories. I really love it. Yeah, it is really fun to go back. And it's fun to go back together.

54:55 And I love that I got to have a moment on 90210, even though I just think it was a blip for little Sophie Burns.

55:03 Yeah, are you trying to remember it now? Was that premonition from Sophie saying, it's so good, I'm already trying to remember it?

55:10 I am already trying to remember, but you know what I can do? I can just watch the next episode and then I'll remember it even better.

55:16 Thank God. Forever in the world, we have these memories.

55:22 Okay.

55:22 So wait, I forgot to ask, what would you give this episode if you had to score it between one and 10?

55:27 Oh, I'd have nothing to compare it to really. But I thought it was a really good episode. Can I give it like a eight.

55:37 And a half? Right. That's what I was thinking.

55:39 I think it was a really good episode. And The fact that they can squeeze so much in on every end of the spectrum to a week's worth of their life, you know, it's great.

55:51 Yeah, it is. They did a great job. Eight and a half. I would say nine. I was thinking eight and a half, but now I want to say nine.

55:56 Yeah.

55:56 You convinced me. That's a high score right there.

55:59 I think it was a great episode.

56:02 Well, let's see what happens next week. We'll be watching episode three of season nine. It's called Dealer's Choice. And I will see you there next week.

56:11 Bye, everybody.

56:12 So fun. Bye, everybody. Thank you, Laura Layton. Thank you, Janie Garth.