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Jessica Stroup Dishes on 90210 Season Finale

Jessica Stroup spills secrets and where the show is headed next season

By Natalie Abrams May 19, 2009 5:05 PMTags
Jessica Stroup, 90210DARREN MICHAELS/THE CW

Before you even think about clicking into this item, ask yourself the following question: Do you want to know who kills someone in the season finale of 90210?

For the spoilerphobes, steer clear until you finish the episode tonight. However, if you're all for knowing what happens and where next season is taking us, Jessica Stroup spills all the juicy details below.

Even more importantly, if you've seen the episode already, grab your postprom party gear and get on in here!

This season, you go from fun yet cynical blogger to having bipolar disorder. How did it feel playing Silver this year?
This year was, for me, a journey. The journey that I took with Silver was one that I got to experience fully as myself as well. I've never played a character that I really respected and responded to as much as Silver. I just felt that she was such a smart, witty, strong girl who was turning into a woman. As the story went along and as we chose paths to try with her—to go down the love path, the parent path, the bipolar situation—I really saw her changing into an even stronger person. She started off with so many ideas and opinions, and she expressed them through a blog. People weren't afraid of her, but they knew that she was an outspoken person and not to piss her off. I think she really came into her own through discovering more of herself through having this disease. It's nowhere from being done. This season finishes out on so many levels as a cliffhanger, and a lot of her stuff, including the Dixon (Tristan Wilds) relationship, the Ethan (Dustin Milligan) relationship and her relationship with herself, with this disease, has really only just begun. The path that she's on, she's just now started to go on. I'm really excited to see where it goes next year, and I hope people can respond to what's happened with her.

Ethan and Dixon have a serious thrown-down in the finale. Now, especially with Dustin leaving the show, how is that going to affect Dixon and Silver's relationship next year?
I have talked to [executive producer] Rebecca [Rand Kirshner Sinclair], and I've talked to some of the writers. I'm curious to see where they're really going to go. I know that next year is going to start with a whole fresh start. The whole season is going to be different. Some storylines might just evolve and disappear—or just reappear. Ethan and Dixon, although they only met this past year and this is a brand-new friendship for them, they still became really good friends. It was never Ethan's intention to ruin that relationship. It just happened. He couldn't deny what his feelings are for her after letting them flourish while watching her at the prom. I'm curious to see where Ethan goes and what path they choose to take for him.

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We're wondering the same thing because Rebecca said to us before that Dustin is not going to be back next season at all, but she also said his leaving has nothing to do with the death. Do you think that's who Annie (Shenae Grimes) hits with her car? I know you can't say, but who do you think it is?
The funny thing is we all have theories. Every single of one of my castmates has a theory, and we have talked about it. We've gone through scenarios. I've said things like, "It's Ty! It's Brandon Walsh's dad!" We've said everything. We have no idea. I'm really curious as well. My pick, if I could pick who I think it could be, I think it would be interesting if it was Dixon, but not dying! I don't want anyone to die. I don't want it to be Dixon, but I think it would be a really interesting storyline for Annie to hit her brother and drive off drunkenly.

How do you think the death is going to affect everyone next year?
Of course it's going to change Annie inevitably. She's going to be a totally different character. As awful as it is with drunk driving, and playing that character was hard for Shenae, but I think she plays that really well. She has a whole other depth to her, a whole other side. I think next year is going to be amazing for her because she's going to go through a lot of changes with this character and down some really, really dark roads. I hope, at least, that it affects every one of us. I know that it's going to affect all the characters, but I hope it brings us back together at some point as a whole group. I really want that whole bonding. Besides Ethan who's going to be leaving obviously, I love playing that group bond. At some point next season, you're really going to start to see it all coming together, with us becoming stronger as a whole.

This is a pretty twisted finale for a first season show.
When I read it, I was like, "whoa." I did not see that coming at all.

For the fans who haven't seen the finale, what would you like to tell them or tease for them to get as many fans glued to the TV set tonight?
For me, I haven't seen it, and I am dying to see it. I read the script—I was there working on it—but to see the final product, and I know how amazing and how much work went into the finale. I think it's going to be amazing, and I hope everybody does watch it. It's going to be exciting.

Annie goes pretty crazy in the finale. It looks like she took a page from Silver. Did you give her any tips about that?
No, that's funny though. I'm excited to see what she did with it. She worked really hard and worked with some acting coaches and had fun with it.

By far, the Wilson parents accidentally getting high on pot brownies was probably one of the best parts.
Hilarious, right? That was one of my favorite parts. I thought it was hilarious. I wasn't there when they were shooting it, but I just desperately wanted to see Rob Estes doing that.

It came off very, very well.
I'm sure it did. I'm like, "What kind of research did you do for this?"

The kiss between you and Ethan is pretty hot. Of course, that comes naturally to you guys.
[Laughs] What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about. He's a good friend of mine.

I know you might be biased, but who is the better kisser? Tristan or Dustin?
That is never going to be answered. They are both great boys. They're both just different.

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You've had so many alums come on the show, between Tori Spelling, Shannen Doherty and, of course, Jennie Garth. Who would you like to see come on the show next season?
I really hope my other brother-ish person, David Silver, comes back. I actually met Brian Austin Green before I ever started shooting. I was with one of my best friends at a Coffee Bean, and he was sitting there on the phone. I had just gotten the part, and I was freaking out, thinking I have to go talk to him—I have to tell him I'm playing his baby sister. Of course, he thought, "Who is this crazy chick hovering over me while I'm on the phone." But he was supernice to me once I explained that I wasn't a crazy stalker. I think he's a great actor and is funny and hot, so why not come back?

You just said your show brother is hot.
I know. It could be a very weird situation for us.

When it comes down to it, are you for Silver and Dixon staying together next season?
I am for them taking the situation that comes up at prom and actually working through it. I don't want it to be something where they are just in the relationship, move on and are not friends anymore. I don't want them to be over it. I want it to be something they talk about—something that they both seriously and maturely think about and whether or not this is detrimental to the foundation they built as a relationship. Do I want them to stay together? I love their coupling as a whole, but I think there are a lot of other places they both can go individually. Whether or not they do that together, I don't know.

The season-one finale of 90210 airs tonight at 9 on the CW.