Brenda and Dylan

Brenda & Dylan
Summer 1991
Characters	Brenda Walsh & Dylan McKay
First met	Higher Education
ROMANCE
Together	1st – Isn't It Romantic? to Beach Blanket Brandon 2nd – Wildfire to Destiny Rides Again 3rd – Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington: Part 2 to What I Did on My Summer Vacation and Other Stories 4th – Spring 1996
Reason(s)	1st – Brenda felt they were moving too fast 2nd – Brenda wanted to see other people and felt the relationship wasn't working anymore 3rd – They reconcile but Brenda stays in London 4th – Following Toni's death, Dylan leaves Beverly Hills and goes to be with Brenda. They live together in London
Post	Acrimonious at first, but Brenda supports Dylan when his father is killed. They almost get back together at the beginning of college (although Dylan is with Kelly), but Brenda insists they remain friends.
Rivals	Kelly Taylor
BACKSTAGE
Portrayed by	Shannen Doherty & Luke Perry

Template:Character QuoteBrenda & Dylan is a romance on FOX teen soap Beverly Hills, 90210, portrayed by Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry.

About

The story of Brenda and Dylan is an intense, passionate, whirlwind love – a deep and powerful connection between two young romantics. Their love inspired them and saved Dylan's life in his struggle with alcohol and parental abandonment. Eventually, they grew into a Romeo & Juliet story as Brenda's parents started a war against Dylan. This abandonment by his surrogate parents broke Dylan's heart and he drifted away from the Walshes towards something more simple, and broke Brenda's heart by cheating with her supposed best friend. Brenda eventually forgave them both, but she never stopped loving Dylan – and he never stopped loving her. Slowly, during their freshman year in college, they found their way back to each other and reconciled a week before Brenda moved to London. Dylan's loss of his money and Brenda combined broke him and his addiction resurfaced tenfold, but the support of his friends helped him get clean. After Toni died tragically, Dylan left Beverly Hills for good and went to the only home he had ever truly known – Brenda.

Beginnings

Brenda and Dylan first meet at the Walshes', and Brenda decides to dye her hair blonde as she thinks Dylan prefers blondes. Her hair comes out looking orange and, embarrassingly, she happens upon Dylan while out for a run in the neighbourhood, where he assures her that the hair color doesn't matter to him. This is the first time the two are seen flirting.

They don't really reconnect until Brenda tags along on a hangout with Brandon and Dylan, and when Brandon gets sick, Brenda and Dylan hang out alone. This is the episode where they actually end up kissing and embarking on possibly the most iconic relationship of the series. The same episode also sees the beginning divide of the Walsh household where Dylan is concerned, notably Jim's prejudices that Dylan is like his imprisoned father.

Brenda learns that Dylan is a recovering addict when Dylan helps Brandon, after the latter gets into a car accident while intoxicated. This does not seem to faze Brenda as she and Dylan continue their relationship throughout the remainder of the season. Aside from the common teen relationship hurdles, such as whether both Dylan and Brenda become attracted to other people while together and how they handle that, they also experience some true difficulties, such as when Brenda fears she has a malignant tumor.

A pivotal moment in their relationship occurs at the 1991 Spring Fling, when they sleep together for the first time. When Jim gets offered double the fees and a promotion back in Minnesota, he takes it and Dylan and Brenda are faced with separation. At the last moment, Jim decides against moving, after seeing the impact the presence of the Walsh family has had on their community.

Intensity and family

Brenda feels overwhelmed by the maturity of her relationship with Dylan after a pregnancy scare and decides to end things with him. Dylan is devastated and has a tough time following the break-up, but briefly reconciles with Brenda when he's injured and offered hospitality at the Walsh house. Brenda is adamant about her decision, though, and the couple does not get back together.

Dylan is tempted to drink again and does so on a group camping trip where he is very mean to Brenda as he feels rejected by her, while she tries to reassure him that they can be friends and that she is there for him. Brenda doesn't know Dylan is drinking again, but Brandon helps out his friend and Dylan's drinking is abated. Once the group starts up school again and enter their junior year, Dylan's attracted to a biker girl, who just transferred and they go on a date. Brenda is furious and lashes out at the girl for dating more than one guy. This provides a catalyst for Brenda to realise that she is still in love with Dylan and they get back together.

The couple are happily reunited, but hit a snag when Dylan begins drinking upon his estranged mother's arrival in town, and Brandon reluctantly admits to Brenda that Dylan was drinking on their camping trip. Brenda is frustrated and hurt that Dylan didn't confide in her, but adamant that she support and stand by him. Brenda also gives Iris McKay a talking to regarding her abandonment of her wayward son, and the two women eventually find common ground.

Songs

losing my religion | R.E.M.

Plays on the radio in Dylan's car when Brenda breaks up with him ("Beach Blanket Brandon")

wicked game | CHRIS ISAAK

Brenda and Dylan get back together ("Wildfire")

Quotes

❛

Brenda – What we've got is much more than just physical

Dylan – I'm not here because of that, I never was. I'm here because I love you

―Reconciling

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Trivia

• Luke Perry's favourite couple on the series is Brenda and Dylan
• Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry never dated off-screen
• Showrunner for 4 seasons and Executive Producer Charles Rosin would, had he and the original writing team done the series finale, have had Brenda and Dylan end up together
• Executive Producer Charles Rosin said this in a 2010 interview regarding Brenda and Dylan's Season 2 break-up:

"90210 was a show that not only celebrated girl-empowerment but had this wonderful character named Brenda Walsh [Shannen Doherty] who represented the notion that a teenager could be sexually active and not be careless, but actually a role model. Unfortunately, my first set of network executives did not see the world as I did. Someday I will write a long article about the censorship that occurred after Brenda lost her virginity at the Spring Dance to her boyfriend (who had been AIDS tested) because she was happy and not full of remorse."

• In a 2012 interview with Glamour, Doherty had this to say about the love triangle:

"I actually remember getting that storyline and being incredibly upset about it. And it wasn't because Brenda was losing Dylan. I thought that it was really wrong that we were putting that out there, that we were saying, 'Yes, it's okay for a best friend to fall in love with her best friend's boyfriend and cheat with him.' Where's loyalty, where's friendship?"

Photos

Brenda and Dylan/Gallery

Video

Beverly Hills, 90210 - All Better

Beverly Hills, 90210 - First Time

Beverly Hills, 90210 - Its Over