Kelly Taylor
| Kelly Taylor | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:KellyT90210.jpg Kelly, portrayed by Jennie Garth, matures from adolescence to adulthood | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Jennie Garth | ||||||||||
| First appearance | "Class of Beverly Hills" (Beverly Hills, 90210) | ||||||||||
| Created by | Darren Star | ||||||||||
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Kelly Taylor was, for the majority of the show's run, the lead female character of the American television drama Beverly Hills, 90210.[1] Portrayed by actress Jennie Garth, Kelly appears prominently in all but one of the four shows which compose the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. She was instrumental in launching the series' first spin-off, Melrose Place,[2] and returned in the third spin-off, 90210.[3]
A survivor of several challenges and perils, Kelly is depicted as a young woman who grows from self-absorbed teenage beginnings toward a more sensitive and mature adulthood. Along the way, she gains the romantic attentions of many, but begins to cherish a select few. Having appeared in the most series premieres, as well as the most episodes of any figure throughout the continuity,[4] she is the de facto main character of the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise.
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000)
Throughout the course of the first series, Kelly became—alongside Ian Ziering's Steve Sanders and Kathleen Robertson's Clare Arnold—one of the show's most developed characters. When introduced, Kelly was presented as a stereotypical spoiled type who placed high value on posh appearances.[5]
Eventually, Kelly was revealed to have a conscience during a summer romance with Dylan McKay, the boyfriend of her friend Brenda. Over the following years (particularly during her ascension to lead status after the departure of Shannen Doherty's Brenda) the writers made Kelly a more compassionate, down-to-earth character—partly through her interactions with pure-hearted boyfriend Brandon Walsh. Tori Spelling's Donna and Kathleen Robertson's Clare Arnold were among Kelly's best friends and roommates. Tiffani Thiessen's Valerie, who replaced Brenda, became Kelly's nemesis, but right before Valerie's departure, the two women formed a truce.[5]
Kelly faced many difficult issues and obstacles, often with the assistance of loved ones, including her difficult home life, being date-raped, using diet pills, being tricked into joining a cult, being caught in a fire, and temporarily becoming addicted to cocaine. In addition, she endured being shot, getting amnesia, shooting her rapist, going to rehab, being stalked and almost killed by a patient from rehab, becoming unexpectantly pregnant and having a miscarriage, and learning that it would be difficult, but not impossible, for her to have children because of a condition called endometriosis. In overcoming these obstacles, she was able to become a better person and help others.[5]
Kelly's two most prominent romantic relationships in the series were with Brandon and Dylan. In season 5, she was faced with making a choice between the two, as a result of Brandon proposing to her and Dylan confessing his love for her. However, she refused to do this and chose herself. However, in season 7, she finally chose Brandon. She nearly married Brandon, but the two decided that they were not ready to. At the show's conclusion, the matured Kelly had started her own PR firm and reunited romantically with Dylan.[5]
Melrose Place (1992)
For the launch of the new series Melrose Place, Jennie Garth made a five-episode special guest appearance in the show. During the final seven episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 season 2, Grant Show played his Melrose Place character Jake, who starts a relationship with Kelly which leads into the third season of Beverly Hills, 90210 and the early episodes of Melrose Place. During Kelly's appearances, she and Jake's relationship was largely on-and-off due to his discomfort with her youth. In the end after weeks of trying to break up with Kelly, Jake pretends to cheat on her, prompting her to dump him. Afterwards on both Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place, Kelly, Donna, Jake, and others made occasional comments concerning Kelly and Jake's brief love affair.
90210 (2008-)
In 2008, Kelly Taylor returned in the spin-off 90210, now working as a guidance counselor at her alma mater West Beverly Hills High School. It is revealed in the pilot episode that during the intervening years since Beverly Hills, 90210, Kelly has attained a Master's Degree and she also has a four-year-old son named Sammy. It is also revealed that West Beverly principal Harry Wilson was Kelly's neighbor growing up.
Kelly's tenuous relationship with her mother Jackie is continued in the series, particularly concerning her half-sister Erin Silver, a recurring character in the original series and a main character in the spinoff. She has also mended her friendship with Brenda Walsh; however, their relationship was briefly strained by Kelly and possibly Brenda's lingering feelings for former boyfriend Dylan McKay—who is revealed to be Sammy's father—as well as Brenda sleeping with Kelly's recently ex-boyfriend, Ryan Matthews, a teacher at West Beverly. Following Brenda's discovery that she could not have children, she and Kelly made amends once again.
References in other Jennie Garth works
- In a season 3 episode of What I Like About You ("Dangerous Liaisons") Val (played by Jennie Garth) and Todd (played by Luke Perry) flashed back to high school, where Todd spoke of his girlfriend, Brenda, who was away in Paris (a nod to Luke Perry's Beverly Hills, 90210 portrayal of Dylan McKay, and to Brenda Walsh going to Paris in season 3 of the show). Val also mentions that Brenda was her best friend (a nod to Jennie Garth portraying Kelly and to Kelly's friendship with Brenda). In the same episode, when Val is flashing back, a musical number very similar to the Beverly Hills, 90210 theme plays in the background.
- In a season 4 episode of What I Like About You ("The Perfect Date"), Charlie (played by Jason Priestley) mistakes Val (played by Jennie Garth) for being someone he knew when he was younger, as he asks her if they went to high school together (a nod to Garth's previous role as Kelly). When Val replies that she doesn't think so, Charlie asks her if she remembers that he was the editor of the school paper (a nod to Priestley's portrayal of Brandon) and that she was friends with his sister (a nod to Kelly's friendship with Brenda).
External links
- 90210pedia—a Wikia project
References
- ^ 'Beverly Hills, 90210' cast billing epguides.com. Retrieved on July 8, 2008
- ^ 'Melrose Place' episode summaries tv.com. Retrieved on July 13, 2008
- ^ '90210' episode summaries tv.com. Retrieved on January 24, 2009
- ^ Episode Appearances imdb.com. Retrieved on January 24, 2009
- ^ a b c d 'Beverly Hills, 90210' episode summaries tv.com. Retrieved on July 13, 2008