90210, "Lucky Strike": This is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules here.

Spoilers for episode three (or two, if you prefer) of "90210" coming right up. Also, feel free to comment on the "Privileged" pilot here, as I'm not going to do a separate post.

I'm glad I've been reading Rich Heldenfels' flashback reviews to the original "Beverly Hills 90210," because they reminds me just how closely the new "90210" is hewing to the original not only in terms of tone, but in its actual plots. "Lucky Strike" was a riff on the original's "Perfect Mom," where Brenda was embarrassed to have such square parents until an encounter with Kelly's coke-snorting mom Jackie convinced her to be grateful for being part of such a functional family. Not only did we get that story again, but they even brought Ann Gillespie out of semi-retirement so Jackie could serve as the cautionary tale for a new generation. Fan service, baby!

Overall, my opinion on the new show hasn't changed much. It's slightly smarter and quite a bit better-acted than the original, but otherwise it's been almost shockingly faithful to the spirit of its predecessor. And that's only going to be interesting for another week or two.

Hearing Tristan Wilds -- who, on "The Wire," played the son of a dope fiend -- give a monologue about growing up in homes where his parents and/or foster parents drank and used was an odd nod to his previous gig. On the one hand, it reminded me how great he was on "The Wire." On the other, it reminded me of what a step down in weight class this show is. (Though, to be fair, former "Wire" fans are even less the CW's target audience than hardcore "90210" 1.0 fans.)

What did everybody else think? How much longer are you going to stick with it?