Beverly Hills 90210: 5 Couples That Are Perfect Together (& 5 That Make No Sense)

Every fan knows that Beverly Hills, 90210 wouldn’t be such a classic teen drama without the compelling relationships that the characters have with each other. From the main love triangle between Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth), Dylan McKay (Luke Perry), and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) to the other major couples, this show has no shortage of romance. It sometimes feels like the characters are so busy with their dating lives that they don’t have time for school or work.

But since matters of the heart are never simple, there are some pairs on Beverly Hills, 90210 that should never have started dating at all, just like there are others who are soulmates. Here are five couples that are perfect together on the teen show and five who make no sense.

10 Perfect: Brenda And Dylan

The love triangle between Kelly, Dylan, and Brenda is tricky because there are times when he seems like he belongs with each of them. But it’s fair to argue that Dylan and Brenda are one of the most perfect couples on the series.

They like each other immediately and have an epic relationship that is both enviable and also realistic. They struggle with their different levels of experience, as Dylan wants to become intimate right away and Brenda would rather wait. It’s also tough because she comes from a regular family and he’s a rich kid loner/drifter. Even though they break up and he dates Kelly, the story has always been that Dylan went to London to be with Brenda again, so it feels like they did end up together — at least before the 2019 reboot.

9 Make No Sense: Brandon And Emily

Emily Valentine (Christine Elise) is one of the troublemakers/”bad girls” on 90210, kind of like Valerie Malone (Tiffani Thiessen). She catches Brandon Walsh’s (Jason Priestley) eye at school and they start dating in the second season of the show.

This is a couple that makes no sense because there’s drama right from the start. Emily is also seeing Dylan, and that causes some bad blood between her and Brenda. That’s not the best way to begin a relationship. Emily is also perhaps the most dramatic character that 90210 has ever seen. She manipulates others and has an unhealthy attachment to Brandon that isn’t what real love is.

8 Perfect: Brandon And Kelly

Brandon is a much better match for Kelly than Dylan and these two are definitely one of the most perfect couples on Beverly Hills, 90210.

Dylan and Brenda are both pretty wild in nature and they work on that level. Kelly and Brandon, on the other hand, live their lives in a much more practical way. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, with Brandon being raised in a middle class household and Kelly coming from a ton of wealth, they’re both cautious about making big decisions and they want to do the right thing all the time. They were friends before dating, and although they don’t end up together, they still mean a lot to each other.

7 Make No Sense: Dylan And Valerie

When Valerie comes onto the scene, she’s clearly got a ton of secrets that she’s not sharing, and it seems like she wants to steal everyone’s boyfriends. She and Dylan have a brief relationship, but since she’s so manipulative and selfish, it doesn’t make any sense that he would be interested in her.

Sure, Dylan dates Valerie when he’s having the worst time of his life and struggling with drugs, but even so, it feels like he would be able to see right through this character. Dylan’s too smart to be with a con artist, which is basically what Valerie is.

6 Perfect: Jim And Cindy Walsh

Brenda and Brandon’s parents are another perfect couple on the show. At first, it might seem like they have a boring, cookie-cutter relationship, but they struggle with their new, fancy life in Beverly Hills since they’re much more modest in both money and taste when compared with their new neighbors and friends.

Jim and Cindy are always a comforting sight on the show and they know that every marriage has ups and downs. They love their kids and try their best to support them, which can be tough since Beverly Hills isn’t the world that they grew up in.

5 Make No Sense: Noah And Donna

It doesn’t make any sense for Donna Martin (Tori Spelling) to be in a relationship with anyone who isn’t David Silver (Brian Austin Green), her one true love. But Noah Hunter (Vincent Young) seems like a particularly strange love interest for her, and the couple makes no sense.

Donna realizes that Noah is bad news when he shares his story: his girlfriend Beth passed away because he was driving drunk and they got into a car crash. Noah shows up in the last few seasons of the show and never feels like a real part of the group. He just always feels a bit creepy.

4 Perfect: Janet And Steve

It seemed like Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering) was never going to get his own love story. He and Kelly used to date before the start of the series and he was pretty hung up on her for a while, but they were always better as friends.

Then came along Janet Sosna (Lindsay Price). While she wanted something casual in the beginning, they started becoming more serious. By the end of the series, they were married with a daughter and things were going really well for them. It was so great to see Steve fall in love.

3 Make No Sense: Brandon And Brooke

Brandon knows that Brooke Alexander (Alexandra Wilson) will never be the one for him when they start a relationship that is anything but a chill, fun summer romance.

Brooke is incredibly racist, and Brandon is disgusted to learn that about her. While the show was probably trying to make a point, it doesn’t make sense that Brandon would be interested in her in the first place.

2 Perfect: Donna And David

David and Donna just had to be on this list of perfect couples on Beverly Hills, 90210. They really grow up together and their problems are realistic and logical. They feel like a real couple who going through normal issues.

David can be kind of immature, like when he’s mad at Donna for wanting to wait to lose her virginity, but he gets over that and realizes that they’re meant to be. Besides that moment, David treats Donna very well and it’s always adorable to see them together.

1 Make No Sense: Donna And Ray

Donna dates Ray Pruit (Jamie Walters) and he’s the worst love interest that she could have since their relationship becomes a physically abusive one.

It’s frustrating to see Donna stay in the relationship, and besides the fact that this is an incredibly unhealthy and disturbing situation for her to be in, it’s strange that she wouldn’t have just stayed with David for the whole series. Thankfully, Donna gets away from Ray, and she and David are said to live happily ever after (even if the 2009 series 90210 says that they got divorced…which fans don’t want to think about).

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1738 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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