90210 Season 4 Premiere Photos: The CW Drama Leaves High School Behind

In real life, graduating from high school is an exciting time, especially when the prospect of college life and independence is on the horizon. But, for a TV show based around high school kids, the jump to college is treacherous, plot-wise. Will The CW’s 90210 be able to make the jump and maintain its viewership? The original series on which this current drama is based barely did.

Beverly Hills, 90210 stayed on the air far beyond its years at good old West Bev, but I don’t think many would try to argue that those post-adolescent years were good for the show or the characters. Chalk it up to Brenda’s departure if you will. I’m sure that had something to do with it. In the end, I think a lot of high school based shows suffer when the show grows up and is faced with the prospect of finding realistic ways of keeping all of the characters together and interesting at the same time. Without the structure of high school and the limitations put on the teens, due to varying degrees of parental involvement, 90210 could go the way of the original.

Perhaps I’m being pessimistic. This isn’t “my” 90210. There’s a new generation of teens and young adults tuning in to this chapter of the drama and perhaps they’ll enjoy the series’ post-high-school years much more than I enjoyed the originals’. If you’re among the viewers set to tune in to the Season 4 premiere (Tuesday, September 13th), below is The CW’s official description for the episode and further down are oodles of photos in the gallery.

WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER ONE OPENS — In the season four premiere, gang from Beverly Hills have graduated from high school.  Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) has spent the summer dealing with the shocking news of her pregnancy and quickly discovers she doesn’t have the status at college that she did in high school.  Annie (Shenae Grimes) receives some unexpected news that keeps her in town, while Liam (Matt Lanter) returns from his summer away ready to commit to Annie. 

Dixon (Tristan Wilds) finds himself without a roommate or a place to live, while an unexpected visitor tests Navid (Michael Steger) and Silver’s (Jessica Stroup) relationship after they move in together.  Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) comes back to town looking for redemption, which she soon learns will be hard to earn back.  Ivy (Gillian Zinser) and Raj (guest star Manish Dayal) struggle to deal with Raj’s health getting worse, while Teddy (Trevor Donovan) struggles with coming out to his family.  Elizabeth Allen directed the episode written by Patti Carr and Lara Olsen