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Well, I have fundamental ideological problems with teenage social rituals that basically do nothing but exacerbate fears of total insecurity and inferiority over one's appearance while frenetically exploiting and, I must hasten to add, distorting, the feminine ideal[1]

Andrea Zuckerman is a principal character on Beverly Hills, 90210. She is portrayed by Gabrielle Carteris.

Character[]

Andrea is a dedicated high school student at West Beverly, who also serves as the editor of the West Beverly Blaze – the school newspaper. Engaging in a plethora of extra credit programmes and volunteering, the girl living out of district is set on reaching her goal of an academic scholarship to Yale University. Andrea is incredibly sweet and has a big heart; she is also a very logical person, which leads to her feeling socially awkward and therefore adopting a more shy nature when trying to talk to other students.

Her logical nature can leave her very blunt in her emotional expression, but she finds acceptance and a sense of self in her relationships with the gang. Her close friendship with Brandon Walsh, although their relationship is never truly platonic, changes her course somewhat – for the better – as Andrea starts engaging in the high school social life and makes friends for life.

West Beverly[]

sophomores

Andrea spends her time at West Beverly working toward academic stardom and has little time for anything – or one – else. The down-to-earth nature of the Minnesota twins has a deep effect on a number of students, but Andrea's lifestyle is immediately altered by Brandon Walsh's presence in her life. After initially assuming he is superficial, Brandon makes an effort to explain his behaviour to Andrea and accidentally learns of Andrea's family situation, with her living out of district and he is there for her[2], the two of them developing a close bond. While maintaining they're just friends, they have an undeniable chemistry, which neither seem willing to act upon for a year.

109brendrea

Brenda and Andrea at the Rap Line Center

Andrea begins to lessen her at times intense black-and-white behaviour towards others and starts opening up to the possibility of making friends at her school. This starts with Brenda, who Brandon encourages to include Andrea in a mother-daughter fashion show, hosted by Kelly's mother. While Brenda is reluctant at first, she quickly finds that they all get along well. Andrea provides a different perspective on Kelly's difficult home life when she tells Kelly that she considers her amazing, for leading the life she leads while taking on such an adult responsibility, which she shouldn't have to deal with. When Brenda later wishes to do something fulfilling in Beverly Hills, Brandon sets her up with Andrea, who works at a teen helpline.

Slumbercute

Andrea with the girls at Brenda's house

This brings Andrea closer to Brenda, although the two think they are very different people, they find that they actually have a lot in common when it comes to what's real in life. They work together to save a girl[3] and the experience brings about a bond that is furthered when Brenda invites Andrea over for a slumber party with the other girls[4], where Andrea also becomes closer to the other girls. Andrea and Kelly especially find new understanding for one another, allegedly two people on the opposite ends of the high school social strata spectrum. Though socially awkward and frequently nerve-wracked that she won't be included, Andrea continues to take chances in her social life, ending up studying with Steve Sanders – and unexpectedly they make out[5].

Andrea and Brandon continue to grow closer, both hesitant to act on their strong attraction to one another. This hesitancy results in them not going to the Spring Fling together and Brandon accepting Kelly's proposal to go as friends, which leaves Andrea incredibly jealous. After she has a Carrie-esque dream of bringing a chain saw to the dance to attack 'Spring Princess' Kelly, Andrea realises the dance does mean a great deal to her and decides to attend, finding that the group of friends is growing ever stronger and that she is very much an important part of it. Kelly gives Andrea her Spring Princess crown[1].

Ab

Andrea and Brandon get together

When Jim announces the Walshes will be returning to Minnesota, Andrea tells Brandon they should sleep together, creating a lasting memento of their bond as he leaves. Their plans at the Peach Pit are thwarted by Kelly (who knew about their plans) throwing the Walsh family a farewell party. Andrea and Brandon are startled, but also mutually backtrack their plans as if the intervention was a sign of sorts[6]. Due to the outpouring of love, Jim reconsiders and the Walshes remain in Beverly Hills.

summer '91[]

BrendaAndreaForgive

Andrea and Brenda's friendship grows stronger

The Blaze signs out for the summer with a meeting and cake at West Beverly, where Brandon tries to talk to Andrea about what happened between them. Brandon doesn't seem willing to immediately let go of what happened, but Andrea insists that it would be best if they just go back to being friends[7]. Andrea is tutoring kids over the summer and decides to enroll in a summer drama class, which Brenda and Donna also take. Andrea also approaches Brandon to become a big brother to a kid at the center where she tutors kids. When Brandon finds out his mother is abusive, he seeks out Andrea and together they help find Felix a solution. The drama class teacher, Chris Suiter, becomes romantically interested in Andrea, much to Brenda's chagrin, and they share a kiss.

207brandrea

Brandon hugs Andrea after Dylan saves his life

Andrea agrees to go on a date with him, but when he announces that he will staying in L.A. to teach at an all girls Private School, he further reveals that his hitherto unknown to Andrea, girlfriend, is packing up and leaving Chicago to live with him. Andrea is heartbroken and throws him out. Andrea goes to the Beverly Hills Beach Club end of the summer luau, where Brenda comforts her and the girls reconcile their friendship. The whole gang goes on a trip to Yosemite before the end of summer, but end up stuck in a cabin during a torrential downpour. Everyone gets on each other's nerves and starts discussing what is really important in life, when a newlywed couple next door involves the gang in their problems. Andrea argues that the meaning of life is love. After Dylan saves Brandon's life on a morning hike, unbeknownst to the group, Brandon's near-death experience reaction is to give Andrea a giant hug.

juniors[]

208andreabrandon

'Hello Day'

Starting her junior year, Andrea returns as the editor at The Blaze. Though she was adamant that she and Brandon should just stay friends, Andrea is visibly jealous when Brandon takes an interest in new girl Emily Valentine, who also starts working at the paper to be closer to Brandon. Although it's hard for Andrea to see Brandon with someone else, she never tells him how she really feels or changes her mind about wanting to be with him. They continue to be friends and Andrea attends the Walsh barbecue where Emily is invited, too. Later, she and Brandon watch the girls perform at 'Hello Day' together. Andrea continues to hang out with the gang, spending an evening at Casa Walsh with everyone and meeting the twins' cousin, Bobby. Brandon accidentally gets Andrea worried when he submits her work for a journalism competition and she wins, prompting an interviewer to want to visit her home, though she lives out of district.

Steveandrea

Steve cheers up Andrea

The girls help decorate Andrea's area of her grandmother's Beverly Hills apartment, although Andrea's grandmother Rose proves another obstacle as she is tough on Andrea and refuses to lie about the situation. Brandon is especially concerned, visiting multiple times and supporting Andrea emotionally throughout the crisis. Andrea has to move in permanently with her grandmother to stay at West Beverly and she agrees to do so when she and her grandmother work through their family issues. The experience ends up bonding Andrea further with the gang as they help her and celebrate her staying at West Beverly with a cake at The Pit, showing Andrea that she has made true friends at school.[8] Andrea and Brandon represent The Blaze in a school event to unearth a time capsule and later bury one themselves to mark the death of fellow student, Scott Scanlon.[9]

Egg

Andrea and Steve look for the club

Awhile after this tragic event, Emily invites the gang to a secret underground club, and Andrea hesitates to attend, eventually agreeing saying she can write about it, but really it's because she's feeling threatened by Emily. Steve and Andrea are both late and go together, having a tough time figuring out where the location is. Steve presses Andrea about being jealous of Brandon & Emily, and he encourages her to 'stop apologizing for who she is and get in the game', and Andrea reluctantly admits that she is insecure. Before Andrea can get the scoop on why the police are breaking up the party, she and Steve run into the drugged up Emily and Brandon. Brandon kisses Andrea and she freaks at his behaviour. The next day, Brandon confides in Andrea about how Emily spiked his drink and apologises to her for his behaviour. Andrea accepts and seems relieved that Emily and Brandon are over.[10]

Emily and Andrea generally have an adversarial relationship, with Emily well aware of Andrea's feelings for Brandon. Andrea is a friend to Brandon following the euphoria incident, but, despite Emily telling Andrea she and Brandon had sex, Andrea reaches out a hand in friendship to Emily when Emily feels left out of the group, an experience Andrea can relate to. Once Emily starts harassing Brandon, Andrea is the first to point out that there seems to be something going on with Emily and that she needs help rather than being rejected by everyone for her behaviour.[11] Andrea doesn't enjoy the holidays as she's Jewish, but her parents celebrate neither occasion. She spends her first Christmas ever at the Walsh household with everyone and happily takes her first ever turn at telling Santa what she wants for Christmas.[12] Andrea and Brandon's intense friendship continues as Andrea meets a celebrity ice skating champion whom she admires, but recoils upon realising Brandon is dating her.[13]

221

Andrea's upset after Brandon's outburst

Andrea and Brandon work together to expose the use of steroids on the West Beverly track team, where Andrea puts herself in the line of fire from the jocks in order to shield Brandon from retribution.[14] She takes it upon herself to lead the fight against the school board's unrealistic sex-ed policy by distributing free condoms at West Beverly. She and Brandon get into a fight and he calls her a hypocrite because she's never had sex, which embarrasses and hurts Andrea. When everyone's going to demonstrate, except Kelly and Steve, Andrea lags behind. Kelly left her books at The Blaze and when she returns she notices that Andrea's upset. Kelly tries to talk to Andrea, who says that she feels hypocritical, but really it's because of Brandon. They have a conversation about Andrea wishing she'd have had sex already to avoid what she's feeling now, but Kelly tells her that she's lucky and 'the other side' of things isn't necessarily where one wants to live. Andrea asserts whether Kelly's ever been rejected and she says by one guy — Brandon. This makes Andrea feels better and their bond grows stronger from their conversation. Brandon later apologises to Andrea for his rude behaviour and they make amends.[15] They continue to be friends and spend time together, while Andrea's insecurity about whether or not she's really part of the gang abates.[16]

summer '92[]

303andrea

Summer camp counsellor at the Beach Club

The summer before her senior year, Andrea volunteers as a camp counsellor for kids at Beverly Hills Beach Club. Andrea starts dating former Blaze editor Jay Thurman, which everyone only learns when he shows up at the Pit for their date at the beginning of summer.[17] Andrea meets Cameron, a kid who's deaf, while working at the beach camp and convinces his hesitant mother to allow him into the camp, as Andrea knows sign language. He flourishes and his mother is incredibly grateful to Andrea. Meanwhile, Andrea and Jay become enamoured quickly and when Jay is leaving for Houston for the summer to attend the RNC, he asks Andrea to come with him. Andrea's ecstatic at the opportunity, but falters when Brandon (with ulterior motives) gives out to her for leaving Cameron behind, although Cameron's mother is very understanding and just grateful that her child could get that experience altogether.

Andreabye

Andrea rejects Brandon

Andrea's upset with Brandon, who tells her he really wants her to stay for him, because he'll miss her. Andrea's confused and Brandon kisses her, at which point her hurt becomes anger and she lashes out, saying he had his chance when she was single. Brandon attempts to change her mind anyway, but Andrea rejects him. He later apologises to her, saying he was in the wrong and she forgives him. All the same, Andrea decides she wants to stay at camp for Cameron. Jay and Andrea care about each other so much that they decide to start a long-distance relationship.[18] Andrea continues working with Cameron and watches Steve compete in the Beach Club's volleyball along with the gang.[19] Andrea teaches Cameron how to fly a kite and at one point loses him, but it turns out he was just in the bathroom. Though she worries about how good she is at looking out for Cameron, she calms down a bit after Cameron tells her to "mellow out".[20] As the summer's almost over, Cameron starts to act very possessive of Andrea and at one point runs off without telling her. Andrea freaks out and when she finds him at his mother's cabana, realises that she needs to talk to him. Andrea tells him that they'll always be friends and that he doesn't have to worry about losing her as a friend in his life after the summer. Andrea helps the kids win a sand castle competition at the Beach Club, where they make a Batmobile replica and win. Brenda and Donna return from Paris and Andrea attends a welcome home party at Casa Walsh.[21]

seniors[]

307andrea
Why is it we call a male assertive and a female pushy? Why is a guy tough and a girl a bitch? What would Walt Whitman say about that?
—Andrea tells Gil Meyers he's being sexist

Andrea starts her senior year buoyant, but is angry when the new Blaze faculty advisor, Gil Meyers, suggests demoting Andrea to co-editor alongside Brandon. She accuses Gil of sexism and fights with Brandon, telling him he is less competent to run the paper than she, who has spent all her energy in her high school career working at making it a success. The situation makes Gil question his self-proclaimed feminism and fuels Brandon and Andrea's ever-growing belligerent sexual tension, but is ultimately resolved when everyone has a frank discussion about what they learned from the situation. Andrea agrees to be co-editor with Brandon and start fresh as a team their senior year.[22] Gil becomes a big part of Andrea's senior year, when she starts applying for her colleges and trepidatiously prepares to apply to Yale. Gil is an alumnus and Andrea cares a lot about what he thinks of her chances.[23]

316andrea

Andrea at the Alvarado Street School event

Andrea and Brenda team up to help freshman Sue Scanlon when she accuses Gil Meyers of sexual assault and with Donna's help, uncover that Sue was being abused by a man in her family.[24] Andrea's involved in a hit-and-run, which leaves her with a broken leg. Brandon is there for her and the gang all visit her at the hospital.[25] Andrea is quickly back at school and eagerly following an investigation into a break-in at school, unaware that Steve is the culprit. When Steve confesses, Andrea is hurt thinking he only spent time with and helped her to stay ahead of being found out, but Steve apologises for his general behaviour and says that is not the case at all.[26] As Christmas nears, Andrea gets her answer from Yale — she's been accepted! But she also gets a cowardly letter from Jay breaking up with her, crushing her acceptance joy. Brandon is livid on her behalf and, after being dumped himself, he and Andrea watch a film together and kiss. Andrea feels she's being used as a rebound, while Brandon accuses her of the same but they make up.[27]

317trio

Andrea with the guys, after stopping Padilla

Andrea attends hypnotherapy to remember who ran her over as it's haunting her and through a lucky coincidence, Brandon and Steve's drag racing leads them to a dangerous criminal who happens to be the the same guy. Along with Dylan, the guys help Andrea catch the perpetrator, leaving Andrea finally able to put the trauma of her accident behind her.[28] She and the girls go for a weekend spa where Andrea comically finds it hard to just... relax. Eventually, though, she starts enjoying herself.[29] Andrea discovers that Jordan has been accepted to Yale as well when she attends a mixer for future students. She feels out of place until running into him and they bond over their mutual outsider status among the rich. Jordan sends her a funny fax and Andrea thinks he's great.[30] They start dating and drop by the Peach Pit on their way to see Hoffa.[31] After Dylan's father dies tragically, Andrea, along with her friends, try and find the right way to be there for Dylan. She attends the funeral with everyone, but confesses at the wake at the Walsh House that she doesn't really know what to say to Dylan.[32] She comes up with the idea to have a profile on Dylan in The Blaze, which Brandon cautions her against. She visits Dylan and, although he balks at the idea, Dylan later tells her it might help him to write down what happened to him and he thanks Andrea for helping him.[33]

324pit

Andrea with Jordan, at Kelly's birthday

Along with her boyfriend, Jordan, Andrea attends Kelly's 18th birthday celebration at the Peach Pit.[34] When the senior polls roll around, Andrea is voted "Most Likely To Succeed", along with Brandon.[35] Andrea and the girls (and David) have fun at Magic Mountain for Senior Ditch Day, where Andrea and Donna bond over being fellow virgins as Andrea's scared of going on a rollercoaster, and they talk about what they imagine sex to be like.[36] Andrea and Jordan plan to attend her Senior Prom together, but he gets sick and Andrea calls Brandon in as a substitute. They have fun at Prom and Brandon asks Andrea to dance, although he doesn't dance. In spite of dating Jordan, Andrea and Brandon's visit to Tony Miller's vacant hotel room prompts her to suggest she and Brandon have a little fun.[37]

330andreagrad

Afterwards, Andrea's a bit embarrassed that Brandon put the kibosh on them going further, but realises she just feels like doing something wild, possibly after being so focused and diligent for so many years.[38] Naturally, Andrea is the Valedictorian of her year and she frets over her speech and whether she'll attend Yale. Brandon helps Andrea out, but Jordan later suggests to Brandon that Andrea's reconsidering Yale because of her feelings for him. Although this isn't true at all and Brandon has a bit of egg on his face[39], there is something between them that both of her boyfriends noticed, which is never resolved in spite of their three years going back and forth with an intense, sometimes romantic relationship. Andrea succeeds in making her speech organic, instead of worrying about its intellectual legacy. She graduates with honours from West Beverly and, alongside her friends, 'redecorates' the Hollywood sign to reflect their achievement.[40]

summer '93[]

401andrea

Andrea attends Brenda's farewell party

Jordan and Andrea seem to break up, as he is not present at graduation (although it may be simultaneous to his own). Likely, it didn't bode well that Jordan thought Andrea still had feelings for Brandon. All the same, Andrea doesn't mention Jordan and seems fairly happy, indicating that they broke up but that she's doing fine considering. Andrea spends the summer working as a camp counsellor at the Beverly Hills Beach Club summer camp again, like the previous year, only this time she is joined by Brenda and they spend the summer working together. Simultaneously, Andrea wrestles with whether to attend Yale or CU, but ultimately decides, for financial reasons, to give the Ivy League a miss and stay in Beverly Hills with the gang. As the summer comes to a close, she and Brenda have their last day as camp counsellors and join their friends at a Malibu beach house loaned to Steve, to give Brenda a proper goodbye party, as she's leaving for Minnesota.

Andrea gives Brenda a going away present, a muffler that she was gonna use for Yale, but isn't now, and tells Brenda that, she really admires her for going out on her own. Andrea parties with her friends and she and Brandon go night swimming in the ocean. The next day, Andrea decides to pay their old AP English teacher (and her crush) Gil Meyers a visit, as he lives nearby. Brandon teases her about it as she leaves. Reaching Gil's, he asks why she's not in New Haven and Andrea tells him that she's not going, at which Gil seems disappointed. Andrea leaves at his rude remarks, but he stops her telling her he was just teasing. The next day, however, she returns to see him and yells at him about his comments, until she realises that she's just overwrought by the weight of having to make this huge life decision. They make amends, but Andrea learns that Gil is engaged and seems disappointed.[41]

402andrea

Andrea talks to Dylan at the Peach Pit

Andrea's decision was also informed by her grandmother's being ill. Two days before college starts, Andrea hangs out at the Peach Pit, trying to practice giving insulin shots on an orange. Nat tells her about his experiences with medicine in the Navy and the pal around. Dylan comes in and gives Andrea a big hug. They sit and chat about stuff, with Andrea surprised that he doesn't know Kelly got an apartment. Andrea asks when Dylan's headed for Berkeley and he tells her he didn't get in. She tells him she's sorry, but he says it's okay, albeit not entirely convincingly. In turn, Dylan asks when she's headed to Yale and Andrea, smiling, remarks her surprise at how out of the loop Dylan is. Later on, Andrea, Brandon and Steve drop by the new beach apartment with pizza and drinks for an impromptu housewarming and they all party.[42]

California University[]

freshmen[]

Andrea starts college not getting a lot of her dream classes (like everyone else) on account of being a Freshman. On the upside, she's been showered with perks by the university as she chose them instead of Yale, and has her own dorm room and a computer. She checks out the student newspaper The Condor, where the editor, Josh Richland, knows of her credentials from West Beverly. All the incoming freshmen get an assignment as a sort of admissions test for joining the paper. Andrea's assigned to review the Peach Pit, which she considers a conflict of interest, but Josh doesn't have time for it. Andrea goes ahead with it the assignment, catching Nat on a bad day and feels forced to give the diner a dismal write-up. Ultimately, Andrea decides not to go through with it and gives up any chance of a place on the paper, stating she'll refocus her energy on being pre-med.[43]

The minute someone shows a little enthusiasm, the cynics of the world get nervous
—Andrea, to Dan

Andrea, Brenda, Kelly and Donna decide to collectively pledge sororities, and they all like the Alpha Omega sorority best. While there, a member named Leslie Sumner seeks out Andrea, as the two have a lot in common and urges Andrea to pick Alpha Omega House. When Andrea returns from pledging, Dan compliments her outfit and when Andrea tells him she's rushing, he's surprised and even more so when she mentions she's not strictly pledging Jewish sororities, deflecting Dan's assertion that the Greek system likes to stereotype people. The girls meet up at the Peach Pit to open their letters together and are all accepted to the next round of pledging Alpha House. Andrea goes to the introductory KEG party where she has fun with Steve and Kelly. Leslie talks with Andrea about cute guys and Leslie mentions she won't find a lot of Jewish guys at KEG parties and Andrea counters asking why that would be an issue.

The next day, she shares her worries over what Leslie was intimating with Dan, who says he told her the system was bad, and asserts that maybe it was her way of asking whether Andrea's willing to hide that she's Jewish if becoming an Alpha. Andrea decides to test it as the girls attend the last pledge event, where Andrea wears a Star of David necklace. After the ceremony, Leslie visits Andrea's dorm and reveals that she herself is Jewish, telling Andrea that she shouldn't have "flaunt" it. Andrea is insulted and throws Leslie out, saying she's done with Alpha House. The next day, Leslie seeks out Andrea and reveals that it was her own issues, not Alpha House, who welcome any religious beliefs, which Andrea dropping her pledge revealed to Leslie and they make amends. Andrea and Brenda agree that sorority life is not their thing, but the girls decide to form the 'Peach Pit sorority' where they hold meetings to check in with each other.[44]

406andreaz

Andrea in Dan's class

Andrea forged a bond with Donna Martin when they shared with one another their decision to wait to have sex. Andrea eventually has sex with her RA, Dan Rubin, which becomes a part of the issue leading to a minor tiff between her and Donna. Andrea and Brenda find themselves on opposite sides when Brenda joins a group which attempts to free animals from a CU test lab. Andrea works at the facility and feels betrayed by Brenda since the lab doesn't actually harm animals in the first place. This season shows Andrea growing closer to the girls in the 90210 gang, with the famous Kelly/Brenda/Donna trio including Andrea, who was previously mainly close friends with just Brandon and Brenda. She forges her own strong bonds with both Donna and Kelly, which last throughout the show's run.

Soon after starting her relationship with Dan Rubin, Andrea meets Jesse Vasquez at Jim and Cindy Walsh's 20th anniversary party and the two click instantly. While still technically with Dan, Andrea begins a relationship with Jesse. She breaks up with Dan who, still in love with Andrea, makes racial comments toward Jesse. Dan eventually moves out of the dorm and Jesse and Andrea continue to date. This leads to the most controversial, and unexpected, storyline development in the character's history. Andrea Zuckerman, having slept with Jesse only once without protection, soon finds that she was pregnant.

420wedding

Andrea and Jesse marry

This development was designed to coincide with Gabrielle Carteris's real life pregnancy, and allowed the issue of teen pregnancy to be explored fully by using one of the series' regulars, not to mention the most unlikely member of the group. After considering an abortion, Andrea eventually decides to keep the baby, which leads to a close connection with Kelly Taylor, who helps Andrea make her decision. Andrea marries Jesse in a civil ceremony (and in one of the few times that her family is shown) and, after a short pregnancy that ends in the premature delivery of their child, she gives birth to a daughter named Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez.

sophomores[]

After months in the hospital, Andrea and Jesse are finally able to take the baby girl home. Andrea's early season 5 storylines were mostly limited to minor daycare issues, and the struggles she faced as a young mother trying to juggle a new marriage, child, and keeping up her always high marks in college. The early marriage and child story, while a high point for the character a season before, began alienating her from the gang, and Andrea's character was beginning to fade into the background.

508zuckermans

Andrea with baby Hannah and Jesse at Halloween '94

Attempts were made during the second half of the season to inject some life into Andrea's waning story. She was thrust back into the political arena, sharing screen time once again with Brandon, a move designed to keep her more involved in campus life, and remind audiences of her once strong political passions. Her marriage was thrown into trouble when she and Jesse had difficulty getting past their religious differences; she being Jewish and he being Catholic. Later a complete physical makeover of the character was allowed; though she'd already shed the glasses a year before, Andrea's hair was suddenly blonde, and she was allowed to wear more fashion and body conscious wear, perhaps in an attempt to visually mesh her with the rest of the women on the canvas. All aspects of the once socially awkward, borderline "nerd" were now wiped clean.

Andrea is given another unexpected story when she begins to cheat on her husband with medical intern Peter Tucker, a man who tried to pick her up at the laundromat when he assumed she was little Hannah's babysitter, not her mother. She throws away the telephone number he gives her, but several episodes later, after running into him again at the laundromat, and with her marriage in serious trouble, she decides to finally call him. This begins a torrid affair, with the two sneaking around at work together, and later going as far as booking their own motel room for sex. Things come to a head for Andrea when she, along with Jesse, run into Peter and his wife Adrian, and they all end up having dinner together, at which time Andrea and Peter share a mutual fantasy that paints them as silver screen dance legends Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Andrea finally decides she is in love with Peter, and informs Peter that she plans to leave Jesse for him, and she expects him to do the same. Peter, taken aback, changes colors, and tells Andrea that he has no plans to leave his wife, and that he's happy with their "arrangement". Andrea, livid and devastated, ends the affair, and is comforted by friend Dylan McKay, who by chance had found out and confronted Andrea about the affair weeks earlier. Eventually both Andrea and Jesse confess to having an affair, he with a fellow law clerk while away on business, which seems to be the end of their year long marriage. But despite a mounting custody battle, and deeply hurt feelings, both decide that their family is worth them trying to find their way back to each other. Andrea also fulfilled a life-long goal when she was able to appear on Jeopardy! in the show's 5th season. It is suggested by the end of the episode that Andrea wins.

At the end of the season, Jesse received a clerkship at Yale Law School and Andrea decided to transfer to Yale as well to enter their pre-med program, a plot decision necessitated by Carteris' decision to leave the show. This represents a full circle arch with the character, who was shown to be pining after Yale ever since the high school years, and after she was actually admitted into the school but declined due to high tuition costs and an ailing grandmother at the time. After a tearful goodbye with her friends, she is shown finally driving off to her dreams, family in tow, as she remembers brighter days from high school.

Adulthood[]

827

Andrea at her 5-year high school reunion

Andrea comes back into town for Steve's 21st birthday party on the Queen Mary, which is thrown by Prince Carl (a childhood friend of Clare's). While showing photos of Hannah to Kelly, she reveals that Hannah is 2 years old and Jesse loves being at Yale.[45][46]

Andrea also returns for the gang's five-year high school reunion, where she caught up with those still in the area and met the new faces. However, all was not well back home, as she and Jesse were planning to divorce.[47] Andrea attends Donna and David's wedding, participating in Donna's bachelor party. She is divorced, but happy with her life[48].

Romances[]

Brandon Walsh

Main article: Brandon and Andrea
202brandrea

Brandon and Andrea never started a romance, but had a fiery, flirty relationship in high school while working together on The Blaze, with Andrea calling him 'Ace' and Brandon calling her 'Chief' (nicknames over time became affectionate terms of endearments). Andrea has a crush on Brandon during their high school years and is frequently jealous of his flavor-of-the-week girl, while Brandon gets jealous whenever Andrea is dating someone else - going so far as kissing her and telling her to break a date with her boyfriend. Despite their unresolved tension, they maintain and develop a close friendship and Andrea frequently refers to Brandon as her best friend and goes to him with her problems and vice versa. Brandon is one of the first people she confesses her pregnancy to in college and he supports her through her decision. Andrea also named Brandon the Godfather of her daughter, Hannah. Their strong bond remains after Andrea leaves Beverly Hills.

Dan Rubin

Andrea meets Dan when she starts college and moves into the dorms at CU. There's an immediate mutual attraction, although Andrea is hesitant as Dan is older and also a TA. Dan pursues Andrea, and they eventually start going out. After being together for a little while, Andrea feels they are too different and she simultaneously meets someone else. She ends things with Dan, which she finds difficult to do, and he doesn't take it well, becoming bitter over the break-up and leaving Marlowe Hall.

Jesse Vasquez

Andrea meets Jesse at the Walsh's 20th wedding anniversary. They start going out and then fall in love. They only have unprotected sex once, but Andrea discovers that she is pregnant with Jesse's baby, and they marry.

Peter Tucker

Andrea and Peter meet at a laundromat. Peter initially assumes Andrea is babysitting Hannah, but she tells him the truth once she learns he is married as well. Andrea starts seeing him because she is jealous of Jesse's female clients and lonely. Plus they are having marital issues due to their different religious beliefs. Dylan sees Andrea and Peter at the motel where they meet and confronts her about it. Andrea, embarrassed and demoralized, confides in Dylan and stops seeing Peter.

Quotes[]

There are better ways to get popular than advertising your sexual conquests
—Andrea to Brandon[src]
Why should I be deprived of a good education, just because I am geographically undesirable
—Andrea to Brandon[src]
I'm not biased, I'm just not interested
—Andrea on rich Beverly Hills[src]
No one knows you well enough to hate you
—Andrea's political advice[src]
Why is it we call a male assertive and a female pushy? Why is a guy tough and a girl a bitch? What would Walt Whitman say about that?
—Andrea to Gil[src]

Trivia[]

  • Andrea knows sign language and is fairly adept at Spanish[2]
  • She mentions having a sister one time, who is never seen nor mentioned again[49]

BACKSTAGE

  • The character is based on a friend of creator Darren Star, named Andrea King. King is a television writer and producer as well.[50]
  • The pronunciation of Andrea was added by Carteris, who based it on a very confrontational producer who told Carteris she would never work again if she called her Andrea (no ah) again. When Carteris auditioned for Andrea Zuckerman, she used the pronunciation, at which the producers corrected her, and then she corrected them saying that was the character.[51]
  • Robyn Lively turned down the part of Andrea[52]
  • Writer/producer Larry Mollin said of Carteris' pregnancy that the show DID NOT wish to pursue that storyline:
We didn’t want to do a baby. Did not want to. We certainly didn’t do the Hunter Tylo thing where [Melrose Place] asked her to get an abortion but, you know, we didn’t want to go down that road. But she got pregnant and was having the baby and there was nothing we could do [53]

Photos[]

Andrea Zuckerman/Gallery

Videos[]

Episodes[]

Andrea is a main character from seasons 1-5 and a special guest character in seasons 6, 8 and 10. Below are listed the episodes Andrea does not appear in as part of the cast, and the episodes in which she returns as a special guest.

SEASON 1 (2/22)
The 17-Year Itch (1.08)
One Man And A Baby (1.12)
SEASON 2 (1/28)
Anaconda (2.04)
SEASON 5 (4/32)
Who's Zoomin' Who? (5.07)
A Song For My Mother (5.26)
P.S. I Love You: Part 1 (5.31)
P.S. I Love You: Part 2 (5.32)

Special Guest[]

You Say It's Your Birthday: Part 1 (6.31)
You Say It's Your Birthday: Part 2 (6.32)
Reunion (8.27)
Ode to Joy (10.27)

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Spring Dance
  2. 2.0 2.1 Class of Beverly Hills
  3. The Gentle Art of Listening
  4. Slumber Party
  5. It's Only A Test
  6. Home Again
  7. Beach Blanket Brandon
  8. Down and Out of District in Beverly Hills
  9. The Next Fifty Years
  10. U4EA
  11. My Desperate Valentine
  12. A Walsh Family Christmas
  13. Fire and Ice
  14. A Competitive Edge
  15. Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout It
  16. Wedding Bell Blues
  17. Misery Loves Company
  18. Too Little, Too Late/Paris 75001
  19. Sex, Lies and Volleyball/Photo Fini
  20. Shooting Star/American in Paris
  21. Castles In The Sand
  22. A Song of Myself
  23. Highwire
  24. A Presumption of Innocence
  25. Destiny Rides Again
  26. Wild Horses
  27. It's A Totally Happening Life
  28. The Game Is Chicken
  29. Midlife... Now What?
  30. Parental Guidance Recommended
  31. Dead End
  32. The Child Is Father To The Man
  33. Duke's Bad Boy
  34. Perfectly Perfect
  35. Senior Poll
  36. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
  37. A Night To Remember
  38. Something In The Air
  39. Commencement: Part 1
  40. Commencement: Part 2
  41. So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
  42. The Girl From New York City
  43. The Little Fish
  44. Greek To Me
  45. You Say It's Your Birthday: Part 1
  46. You Say It's Your Birthday: Part 2
  47. Reunion
  48. Ode to Joy
  49. Pass, Not Pass
  50. Darren Star on casting "Beverly Hills, 90210" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG (April 2016)
  51. 9021OMG — Andrea Zuckerman is Here (December 2020)
  52. Lively Tweet. (November 2015)
  53. Exclusive: Beverly Hills 90210 Producer Talks College Years, Slams New 90210 (January 2010)
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