This episode depicts trauma and alcoholism.
The Child Is Father To The Man is the 22nd episode of Season 3 of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Synopsis
The Walshes offer sanctuary to Dylan, who learns more about his father's parole, and struggles with urges to go back to old habits.
Starring
- Jason Priestley as Brandon Walsh
- Shannen Doherty as Brenda Walsh
- Jennie Garth as Kelly Taylor
- Ian Ziering as Steve Sanders
- Gabrielle Carteris as Andrea Zuckerman
- Luke Perry as Dylan McKay
- Brian Austin Green as David Silver
- Tori Spelling as Donna Martin
- Carol Potter as Cindy Walsh
- James Eckhouse as Jim Walsh
Recurring cast
- Joe E. Tata as Nat Bussichio
- Valerie Wildman as Christine Pettit
Guest starring
- Tim Anderson as Dylan's Inner Child
- Raymond O'Connor as Curtis Bray
- Stephen Rowe as Serge Menkin
- Miguel Pérez as Mel Borman
- Adam Tucker as Mike Nelson
Trivia
- Christine reveals herself to have been an undercover FBI agent and informs Dylan that his late father got out of prison to help the FBI by serving as bait for his past criminal contacts
- David manages to help Dylan feel understood by relaying his experience when Scott died tragically
- Dylan and Brenda work toward forgiveness
PRODUCTION NOTES
- Jessica Klein and Steve Wasserman lobbied for Brenda and Dylan to reunite in this episode. Showrunner Charles Rosin agreed, but due to Doherty being frequently late to set in this period, Rosin decided against it, which is why Dylan and Kelly continued to be a couple.[1]
- Dylan plays his 13-year-old self for the majority of the episode because Luke Perry felt that they were the best lines, in the original script to have been said by the 13-year-old actor who appears at the end
Music
- can't cry hard enough | WILLIAMS BROTHERS