Ahh, high-school. Biological science classes which refuse to teach Evolution because ‘Darwin’s work is just a theory’, why yes, I did go to a Catholic School, however did you guess?
The nightly battle with a mountain of homework and trying to think up a valid excuse to get out of Math class and of course, the hardest part of all- being a gay teen, trying not to be too interested in the shower-rooms after Phys-Ed. Yes, High-School is a melting pot of Machiavellian manipulations. This month we bypass Grange Hill and Heartbreak High and head straight to the all new 90210 (Saturdays, Eleven- 8:30pm)
It’s third term… um… season… of 90210, various characters have come and gone, there’s been sex, pregnancy, murder, evil doppelgangers, drug use and blackmail. Characters have attempted to vie for our attention Jessica Stroup channelling Shannon Doherty as the show’s Queen Bitch, Silver, Melrose Place’s Rob Estes rockin’ the Botox as West Hollywood High’s Principal, but the most interesting development by far is in its portrayal of a gay teen.
I’m as surprised that a show created by the same people who made Doug Savant’s gay character Matt on Melrose Place so sexless for the show’s entire 7-year run could come up with a gay character that was not only well written but also has a genuinely moving character arc and is the most realistic depiction of a gay teen on a ‘young person’s drama’ since Jack McPhee on Dawson’s Creek.
We’ve obviously come a long way from the days of the original Beverly Hills 90210, where a gay teen only appeared once in an incredibly stereotypical storyline. The new 90210’s gay character Teddy Montgomery is a long way from the characters of yester-year and proves that GLBT representation on TV has evolved after all.
When we first met Teddy, played with admirable enthusiasm by Trevor Donovan, in season two of 90210, he was initially introduced as a love interest for Silver. Rumours quickly began circulating however that by the end of season two one of the three main male characters would be revealed to be gay.
Teddy outed himself, initially only to us, the audience, in suitable dramatic fashion by picking on West Hollywood’s openly gay student, Ian played by the sweet Kyle Riabko. The fight soon became the equivalent of pulling a little girl’s pigtails to show affection, as the taunts soon gave way to a steamy stairwell snog at a Luau. Of course, being a soap, the kiss was witnessed by a couple of the other characters, but although they let Teddy know that they knew he was playing for the other team, they kept his secret so that he could “come out at his own time and on his own terms.â€
Alas, Kyle Riabko could not return as Ian for the current season of 90210 due to scheduling conflicts, so his character was written out in typical soapie fashion. No, he wasn’t killed off or sent to Australia, rather, Teddy got a blackmail notice in his locker from someone wanting $50,000 in hush money or they’d out Teddy and Ian. Hoping to launch a pre-emptive strike (and also save $50,000), Teddy outs himself as dating Ian to his class- only to later discover that Ian himself is the blackmailer. Teddy breaks up with Ian, and Kyle Riabko leaves the series. Shame, he was cute.
Currently, Teddy looks to be working his way towards a relationship with Hispanic student Marco (Freddie Smith), who is extremely hot, but doesn’t have the same chemistry with Donovan that Riabko did.
Recent episodes, in which the gang are all graduating and getting ready for college have also seen Teddy reconnecting with a friend from his former High School whom he used to have a major crush on, Tripp. Tripp turns out to reciprocate Teddy’s long suppressed feelings, and so now two hot guys are hoping to see Teddy bare (sorry).
The romantic triangle between Teddy, Marco and Tripp has yet to be resolved, so we can look forward to plenty of homoerotic angst to come. Donovan’s portrayal of Teddy gets richer with every episode, and the show does not shy away from showing him being affectionate with other men. Donovan also mentioned that if a sex scene was scripted he would ‘go for it, no problem’. Fingers crossed, people!
Gavin Pitts
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