Watching 90210 is sequence, the show has struggled to handle serious issues well. So how can they manage killing off a character in a dramatic way? More importantly, how can they kill off a character that no one cares about?
This is where they episode does a great job. Scott's death happens fairly early on - I think at the end of the first act. Most of the remainder of the episode is taken up with David's conflicted emotions about this. David functions as a stand-in for the audience in this episode. He knows he's supposed to care about Scott's death, but honestly, Scott no longer was a big part of his life. This is also reflected in the school. Everyone pays lip service to Scott, but there's almost nothing about who he was, what he was like. Dylan has to be reminded who Scott was.
The audience isn't going to miss Scott. He was a dork in the worst sense - socially inept, but also fairly stupid. As David says in the episode - "Look, Scott accidentally shot himself in the stomach because he liked to play with guns." But David feels obligated to feel badly about the death. Instead, he feels... a sense of confusion. This is probably the most realistic way to handle a death of this type.
There are other aspects of this episode that are really pleasing. Donna and David move a little closer, and it plays beautifully. Donna is helpful to David, and acts as a friend. Her behavior isn't over the top. And David gets to move on from being a horndog punchline.
This is where they episode does a great job. Scott's death happens fairly early on - I think at the end of the first act. Most of the remainder of the episode is taken up with David's conflicted emotions about this. David functions as a stand-in for the audience in this episode. He knows he's supposed to care about Scott's death, but honestly, Scott no longer was a big part of his life. This is also reflected in the school. Everyone pays lip service to Scott, but there's almost nothing about who he was, what he was like. Dylan has to be reminded who Scott was.
The audience isn't going to miss Scott. He was a dork in the worst sense - socially inept, but also fairly stupid. As David says in the episode - "Look, Scott accidentally shot himself in the stomach because he liked to play with guns." But David feels obligated to feel badly about the death. Instead, he feels... a sense of confusion. This is probably the most realistic way to handle a death of this type.
There are other aspects of this episode that are really pleasing. Donna and David move a little closer, and it plays beautifully. Donna is helpful to David, and acts as a friend. Her behavior isn't over the top. And David gets to move on from being a horndog punchline.