Beverly Hills, 90210 (TV Series) The Child Is Father to the Man (1993) User Reviews

The Child Is Father to the Man (#3.22)

[ComedyFan2010 · 8/10 · 5 November 2015]

This episode is the aftermath of Dylan father's death. We see both his inner struggle and how people around try to make him feel better.

I felt the whole inner Dylan thing was a bit too much, but at the same time it was an easy way to show what exactly he was feeling and how he was about to start drinking again and not feeling well around the people around him. The whole thing that his dad was working for the right side in this case was a good surprise. As I said in another review, making him the bad guy was lazy.

Brenda was kind of making me sick in this episode. While I get that she was trying to be nice to him, it seemed like she was really trying to get into Kelly's place. Kelly having trouble to deal with him was also well shown to us, good acting and the call he gave her at the end was wonderful.

David relating to him with his experience when Scott died was also a great moment. Both what Dylan was expecting and what David said.

Fighting Our Conscience

[kovyhart · 10/10 · 30 August 2018]

In this episode, we see what Dylan (Luke Perry) has to go through after the death of his father, Jack McKay. Portrayed well by Josh Taylor throughout the season as a 'bad guy,' who the media is all over following his early release from prison, things aren't always what they seem to the outsiders including Jim Walsh (James Eckhouse), who has a interesting relationship with Brenda's (Shannen Doherty) ex-boyfriend due to his trust fund he had just signed off on to dissolve it in the previous episode.

The way Dylan battles his younger self, which is played extremely well by Perry, as his conscience, it's compelling to the viewer. A recovering alcoholic, his Dad's murder would be the perfect spot to set Dylan off. Similar to Jackie Taylor after finding out Mel Silver cheated on her. Her friend offered cocaine, but she had changed and wasn't going down that path again.

There are two parts that stand out. The first being Dylan using Brandon (Jason Priestley) to move the car so he can meet the informants which included a surprise in Christine, who agreed to marry Jack despite working for the FBI. It's almost like solving a mystery. Unfortunately, they couldn't prevent disaster. Something a pained Dylan makes very clear.

Him screaming at his conscience in the car is like relieving the tension. Letting out the frustration and sadness of losing his Dad after they finally were beginning to get close. As much as we don't know about him, he did convince his son to take the SAT and return to school when he was going through a rough patch with Brenda and Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth).

The second part I liked was a nervous David Silver, who's so well played by Brian Austin Green. After not being able to bring himself to tell his sleazy management record label that he couldn't focus on recording new tracks due to his friend grieving his Dad, he meets with them and reveals the truth. Then talks to Dylan and tells him that even though they're not close, he understands how he feels. It was David that went through a similar situation earlier in the season with former best friend Scott accidentally blowing himself away.

A good lesson is learned here. Dylan realizes it by the end. As Christine told him, he has to find a way to live without his Dad. It won't be easy. Moving on from losing someone you love never is.