The definitive ranking of 90210 seasons from worst to best

Season 1

Here’s the thing about first seasons: They’re either perfect or riddled with imperfections. To be fair, 90210 didn’t have a chance at debuting at the caliber it would ultimately deliver just one season later. As a reboot of one of television’s most popular teen dramas, there was an overwhelming sense that the new version needed to get it right and that it needed to honor the original. Well, that pressure didn’t lend to creating a fresh take on the Beverly Hills, 90210 brand.

Similarly to the original, the Wilson family moves to Beverly Hills from the Midwest (this time, Kansas) and receives the culture shock of a lifetime. Annie and Dixon enter this foreign territory and immediately infiltrate a fractured group of friends. For the first 24 episodes, the reboot played it safe as to not alienate the built-in fanbase and to create something worthy enough to stand up next to Gossip Girl. Season 1 was a solid start, but not the most exemplary of its greatness.

Sure, the first year featured its fair share of iconic moments. From a near X-rated sex scene in the pilot to the returns of Kelly, Brenda, and Donna, it didn’t get much more jaw-dropping or nostalgic. But all that nostalgia and shock factor didn’t separate it from the enormous shadow of its predecessor. It’s impossible to replicate a decade-long influential phenomenon, and once 90210 realized its place, it could finally settle into a sweet spot.