Andrea Zuckerman is one of the main characters on Beverly Hills, 90210. She is portrayed by Gabrielle Carteris.
Character
Andrea is introduced as a dedicated high school student at West Beverly, who also serves as the editor of the West Beverly Blaze – the school newspaper. Engaging in a plethora of extra credit programmes and volunteering, the girl living out of district is set on reaching her goal of an academic scholarship to Yale University. Her close friendship with Brandon Walsh, although their relationship is never truly platonic, changes her course somewhat – for the better – as Andrea starts engaging in the high school social life and makes friends for life.
West Beverly
Andrea spends her time at West Beverly working toward academic stardom and has little time for anything – or one – else. The down-to-earth nature of the Minnesota twins has a deep effect on a number of students, but Andrea's lifestyle is immediately altered by Brandon Walsh's presence in her life. After initially assuming he is superficial, Brandon makes an effort to explain his behaviour to Andrea and accidentally learns of Andrea's family situation, with her living out of district and he is there for her[1], the two of them developing a close bond. While maintaining they're just friends, they have an undeniable chemistry, which neither seem willing to act upon for a year.
Andrea begins to lessen her at times intense black-and-white behaviour towards others and starts opening up to the possibility of making friends at her school. This starts with Brenda, when she wishes to do something fulfilling and Brandon sets her up with Andrea, the latter of whom works at a teen helpline. This brings Andrea closer to Brenda, although the two are very different, they find a way to work together to save a girl[2] and the experience brings about a bond that is furthered when Brenda invites Andrea over for a slumber party with the other girls[3]. Though socially awkward and frequently nerve-wracked that she won't be included, Andrea continues to take chances in her social life, ending up studying with Steve Sanders – and unexpectedly getting kissed[4]. She ultimately decides to attend the high school dance, which brings the group ever closer[5].
Andrea and Brandon in Home Again
When Jim announces the Walshes will be returning to Minnesota, Andrea tells Brandon they should sleep together, creating a lasting memento of their bond as he leaves. Their plans at the The Peach Pit are thwarted by Kelly (who knew about their plans) throwing the Walsh family a farewell party[6]. As Jim reconsiders and the family remains in Beverly Hills, Andrea and Brandon decide to remain friends[7].
Andrea becomes closer with Brenda and Donna during a summer drama class the three take. She and the drama teacher start a relationship, much to Brenda's dismay. It quickly dissolves as the guy has a girlfriend and treats Andrea badly, and Brenda comforts Andrea.
Andrea and Steve try to 'exchange... the egg' in U4EA
Andrea still has a crush on Brandon, which becomes evident when he starts dating Emily Valentine, but Brandon and Andrea never really become a couple. At one point, Emily invites the gang to an underground club, which turns out to be a junkie scene. Steve and Andrea go together and have a tough time figuring out where the location is.
Andrea and Grandma Rose in Down and Out of District in Beverly Hills
After she is awarded a price for her work on The Blaze and a reporter wants to interview Andrea's family at her house, Andrea panics regarding her situation with living out of district. Brandon and the gang help her out, although Andrea's grandmother Rose proves another obstacle as she is tough on Andrea and refuses to lie about Andrea's the situation. Fortunately, Andrea is not found out and can stay at West Beverly. She and her grandmother work out their issues as well.
Andrea rejects Brandon in Too Little, Too Late/Paris 75001
This year brings about momumental changes for Andrea, as she is somewhat demoted to co-editor on the Blaze with Brandon, gets in to Yale University and has her first serious boyfriend, Jay. Andrea and Jay start dating in the summer before her senior year, much to Brandon's dismay, who relays to Steve that Andrea may be the one for him – the girl who has been right in front of him the whole time. He tries to convince Andrea to break up with Jay and go out with Brandon, but Andrea is offended and hurt and rejects him. In spite of their conflict, they remain friends.
Andrea and Brandon in It's a Totally Happening Life
Later in the season, when Jay breaks up with Andrea via letter, Brandon is there again, consoling her (and himself to an extent, after Nikki breaks up with him) and Andrea is offended, thinking Brandon is using her as a rebound. The two again mend fences, but later revisit the idea of sleeping together on prom night. Even though Andrea and Brandon seem to both have great passion for each other and an equal friendship and partnership, they never start a relationship in the series. At times a self-conscious Andrea became confused as to what Gil Meyers' true wishes were in regards to her future. This, combined with her general admiration for him—along with her occasionally implied attraction—created an anxiety that she sometimes found hard to control. In the end, however, it was revealed that Mr. Meyers only wanted the best for Andrea and all the students, which led them to separate on good terms.
California University
As season 4 began, Andrea, Kelly, Brenda, and Donna made an effort to pledge the Alpha Omega sorority. However, when Andrea was told by Leslie Sumner to downplay her Jewish heritage, Andrea got offended and dropped out of the running. Leslie later apologized, stating she herself was Jewish, and they made up, though Andrea did not return to sorority life.
Andrea forged a bond with Donna Martin when they shared with one another their decision to wait to have sex. Andrea eventually has sex with her RA, Dan Rubin, which becomes a part of the issue leading to a minor tiff between her and Donna. Andrea and Brenda find themselves on opposite sides when Brenda joins a group which attempts to free animals from a CU test lab. Andrea works at the facility and feels betrayed by Brenda since the lab doesn't actually harm animals in the first place. This season shows Andrea growing closer to the girls in the 90210 gang, with the famous Kelly/Brenda/Donna trio including Andrea, who was previously mainly close friends with just Brandon and Brenda. She forges her own strong bonds with both Donna and Kelly, which last throughout the show's run.
Soon after starting her relationship with Dan Rubin, Andrea meets Jesse Vasquez at Jim and Cindy Walsh's 20th anniversary party and the two click instantly. While still technically with Dan, Andrea begins a relationship with Jesse. She breaks up with Dan who, still in love with Andrea, makes racial comments toward Jesse. Dan eventually moves out of the dorm and Jesse and Andrea continue to date. This leads to the most controversial, and unexpected, storyline development in the character's history. Andrea Zuckerman, having slept with Jesse only once without protection, soon finds that she was pregnant.
This development was designed to coincide with Gabrielle Carteris's real life pregnancy, and allowed the issue of teen pregnancy to be explored fully by using one of the series' regulars, not to mention the most unlikely member of the group. After considering an abortion, Andrea eventually decides to keep the baby, which leads to a close connection with Kelly Taylor, who helps Andrea make her decision. Andrea marries Jesse in a civil ceremony (and in one of the few times that her family is shown) and, after a short pregnancy that ends in the premature delivery of their child, she gives birth to a daughter named Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez.
After months in the hospital, Andrea and Jesse are finally able to take the baby girl home. Andrea's early season 5 storylines were mostly limited to minor daycare issues, and the struggles she faced as a young mother trying to juggle a new marriage, child, and keeping up her always high marks in school. The early marriage and child story, while a high point for the character a season before, began alienating her from the gang, and Andrea's character was beginning to fade into the background.
Attempts were made during the second half of the season to inject some life into Andrea's waning story. She was thrust back into the political arena, sharing screen time once again with Brandon, a move designed to keep her more involved in campus life, and remind audiences of her once strong political passions. Her marriage was thrown into trouble when she and Jesse had difficulty getting past their religious differences; she being Jewish and he being Catholic. Later a complete physical makeover of the character was allowed; though she'd already shed the glasses a year before, Andrea's hair was suddenly blonde, and she was allowed to wear more fashion and body conscious wear, perhaps in an attempt to visually mesh her with the rest of the women on the canvas. All aspects of the once socially awkward, borderline "nerd" were now wiped clean.
Andrea is given another unexpected story when she begins to cheat on her husband with medical intern Peter Tucker, a man who tried to pick her up at the laundromat when he assumed she was little Hannah's babysitter, not her mother. She throws away the telephone number he gives her, but several episodes later, after running into him again at the laundromat, and with her marriage in serious trouble, she decides to finally call him. This begins a torrid affair, with the two sneaking around at work together, and later going as far as booking their own motel room for sex. Things come to a head for Andrea when she, along with Jesse, run into Peter and his wife Adrian, and they all end up having dinner together, at which time Andrea and Peter share a mutual fantasy that paints them as silver screen dance legends Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Andrea finally decides she is in love with Peter, and informs Peter that she plans to leave Jesse for him, and she expects him to do the same. Peter, taken aback, changes colors, and tells Andrea that he has no plans to leave his wife, and that he's happy with their "arrangement". Andrea, livid and devastated, ends the affair, and is comforted by friend Dylan McKay, who by chance had found out and confronted Andrea about the affair weeks earlier. Eventually both Andrea and Jesse confess to having an affair, he with a fellow law clerk while away on business, which seems to be the end of their year long marriage. But despite a mounting custody battle, and deeply hurt feelings, both decide that their family is worth them trying to find their way back to each other. Andrea also fulfilled a life-long goal when she was able to appear on Jeopardy! in the show's 5th season. It is suggested by the end of the episode that Andrea wins.
At the end of the season, Jesse received a clerkship at Yale Law School and Andrea decided to transfer to Yale as well to enter their pre-med program, a plot decision necessitated by Carteris' decision to leave the show. This represents a full circle arch with the character, who was shown to be pining after Yale ever since the high school years, and after she was actually admitted into the school but declined due to high tuition costs and an ailing grandmother at the time. After a tearful goodbye with her friends, she is shown finally driving off to her dreams, family in tow, as she remembers brighter days from high school.
Adulthood
Andrea comes back into town for Steve's 21st birthday party on the Queen Mary, which is thrown by Prince Carl (a childhood friend of Clare's). While showing photos of Hannah to Kelly, she reveals that Hannah is 2 years old and Jesse loves being at Yale.[8][9]
Andrea also returns for the gang's five-year high school reunion, where she caught up with those still in the area and met the new faces. However, all was not well back home, as she and Jesse were planning to divorce.[10] Andrea attends Donna and David's wedding, participating in Donna's bachelor party. She is divorced, but happy with her life[11].
Romances
- Main article: Brandon and Andrea
Andrea and Brandon are two journalists finding their way through high school. Andrea beings to have feelings for Brandon but Brandon does not realize this until the Season 1 finale Home Again, where Andrea offers to have sex with him. Later on, Brandon doesn't realize that he has feelings for Andrea until it's too late when Andrea realizes that she has always been at Brandon beck and call doesn't want that relationship after all.
Andrea meets Dan when she starts college and moves into the dorms at CU. There's an immediate attraction and Dan pursues Andrea, and they eventually start going out.
Andrea meets Jesse at the Walsh's 20th wedding anniversary. They start going out and then fall in love. They only have unprotected sex once, but Andrea discovers that she is pregnant with Jesse's baby, and they marry.
Andrea and Peter meet at a laundromat. Peter initially assumes Andrea is babysitting Hannah, but she tells him the truth once she learns he is married as well. Andrea starts seeing him because she is jealous of Jesse's female clients and lonely. Plus they are having marital issues due to their different religious beliefs. Dylan sees Andrea and Peter at the motel where they meet and confronts her about it. Andrea, embarrassed and demoralized, confides in Dylan and stops seeing Peter.
Quotes
Template:Character Quote
Template:Character Quote
- I'm not biased, I'm just not interested
- – Perfect Mom
- No one knows you well enough to hate you
- – Stand (Up) and Deliver
- We all have the urge to kill our parents once in a while. It doesn't mean we do it
- – April Is The Cruelest Month
- Well, I have fundamental ideological problems with teenage social rituals that basically do nothing but exacerbate fear of total insecurity and inferiority over one's appearance while frenetically exploiting and I must add, distorting, the feminine ideal
- – Spring Dance
Trivia
- Andrea knows sign language.
- Gabrielle Carteris was 29 when she appeared as 16-year-old Andrea.
- Writer/producer Larry Mollin said of Carteris' pregnancy that the show DID NOT wish to pursue that storyline:
- We didn’t want to do a baby. Did not want to. We certainly didn’t do the Hunter Tylo thing where [Melrose Place] asked her to get an abortion but, you know, we didn’t want to go down that road. But she got pregnant and was having the baby and there was nothing we could do. [12]
- She left 90210 to host her own talk show.
Photos
Notes and references
- ↑ Class of Beverly Hills
- ↑ The Gentle Art of Listening
- ↑ Slumber Party
- ↑ It's Only a Test
- ↑ Spring Dance
- ↑ Home Again
- ↑ Beach Blanket Brandon
- ↑ You Say It's Your Birthday: Part 1
- ↑ You Say It's Your Birthday: Part 2
- ↑ Reunion
- ↑ Ode to Joy
- ↑ http://teendramawhore.com/2010/01/17/beverly-hills-90210-producer-talks-college-years-slams-new-90210/