Top 10 Memorable Dylan McKay Moments
He truly was the James Dean of the nineties. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Dylan McKay Moments.
For this list, we’ll be looking into the most memorable and impactful moments from our resident Beverly Hills heart-throb as played by Luke Perry. Some of these entries contain major plot events, so a spoiler alert is in order.
#10: His First Appearance
"The Green Room’’
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Every character on this show has a memorable entrance, and Dylan McKay is no exception. When two jocks try to bully a freshman in one of the school classrooms, he appears seemingly out of nowhere and scares the pair off without breaking a sweat. This earns Dylan some instant admiration from Brandon, who tries to befriend him. Soon it becomes clear that there’s more to Dylan than meets the eye, such as his complex family dynamics and anger issues. The episode does a great job introducing Dylan’s character, as well as having him quickly win some sympathy from the audience, making us curious about what his journey would entail.
#9: Saving Erica
"Hazardous to Your Health’’
Always in the background of the series, Dylan’s inheritance becomes a major plotline in season four. A woman named Suzanne shows up, claiming her daughter Erica is related to Dylan. Hesitant at first, he eventually lets them into his life. That turns out to be a mistake, as it’s later revealed Suzanne and her boyfriend Kevin are trying to scam Dylan out of his money. After the plan succeeds, they flee to Brazil, taking Erica against her will. The betrayal causes Dylan to reach a low point, which lands him in a coma in season five. Dylan ultimately bounces back up and tracks down the schemers so that he can get his money back, as well as give Erica a better home, bringing him closure.
#8: The Finale
"Ode to Joy’’
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In the final episode of the show, the gang enters a new chapter of their lives. Dylan, having graduated from California University, seems to finally have his life back on track. The only thing missing is Kelly, who has just broken off her engagement to Matt because of her feelings for Dylan. The pair gives emotional speeches about love at David and Donna’s wedding. Afterwards, they share a kiss and a dance, hinting at a reconciliation, which is the perfect way to close off this beloved teen drama. We can’t resist a happy ending!
#7: His Return
"You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello’’
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After a three-season absence from the show, Dylan surprises the gang – and the audience – when he shows up on Thanksgiving. At first mysterious about the reason for his return, he reveals to Kelly that he simply missed his friends, especially her, hinting at lingering romantic feelings. His return can’t be at a better time since he’s the one who helps David to get rid of false statutory rape charges by talking to the girl who pressed them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Dylan to fall back into his old habits, which causes the group to encourage him to seek out help, yet again. While it’s frustrating to watch him struggle with substance abuse so much throughout the series, his eventual recovery is definitely worth it.
#6: His Father’s Death
"Dead End’’
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Dylan’s family life has always been lacking to say the least, with his father imprisoned, and his mother on the other side of the world. Once Jack gets out of jail, however, he makes a solid effort to fix the relationship with his son. It takes some time, but soon enough the two begin a new life together - on a yacht no less. What Jack fails to disclose is that he still has some very powerful enemies after him, and they plant a bomb in his car. Dylan witnesses the explosion and his devastation is bone-chilling. Even if seven seasons later it’s revealed Jack faked his death to go under witness protection, this moment leaves a huge impact in the series.
#5: "May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way’’
"Under the Influence’’
The events of season four cause Dylan to fall into what’s arguably his biggest downward spiral of self-destructive behavior. The last straw seems to be him finding out about Brandon and Kelly’s relationship. Dylan goes as far as crashing Donna’s debutante ball to yell at his friends, causing Donna’s mother to kick him out. Brandon goes over to Dylan’s house to check up on him, and tells him he needs to get himself together. Dylan lashes out further, yelling at Brandon that he has no right to judge him, or tell him how to deal with what happened. When Brandon says he’s pretty much the only friend Dylan has left, he responds in a careless manner, showing the audience the extent of his downfall.
#4: Going to Rehab
"Intervention’’
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Following Dylan’s destructive actions, the gang organize an intervention to talk him into going to rehab. Dylan reluctantly agrees, but runs away from the clinic after only a day with the help of Valerie Malone. However, his unwillingness to get justice on Suzanne and Kevin, combined with hateful and self-loathing attitude, makes her leave him. Things take a turn for the worse when Dylan gets high on heroin and drives off a cliff. Though it lands him in a life-threatening coma, he manages to wake up from it. The experience then forces him to attempt recovery, as well find his inner strength again, and is thus a major stepping stone in Dylan’s personal journey.
#3: His Break-Up with Brenda
"Beach Blanket Brandon’’
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After Dylan and Brenda sleep together at the Spring Dance (xref), everything seems to be perfect - that is, until Brenda reveals her period is late in the last moments of season one, ending it on a perfect cliffhanger. The first episode of season two deals with her pregnancy scare, which makes Brenda realize she’s not emotionally ready for a relationship. The pair end up on the beach in Dylan’s car listening to REM’s ‘Losing My Religion’, when Brenda breaks down and tells him she wants to break up. Dylan tries to change her mind to no avail, leaving them both devastated. While the couple share other intense scenes, this one is definitely an iconic TV moment.
#2: The Flower Pot Scene
"Isn’t It Romantic?’’
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We had to feature another entry from Dylan and Brenda’s relationship, and for good reason. The pair shamelessly flirt with one another for a few episodes until they finally agree to go out on a date with each other. Dylan takes Brenda back to his hotel room, where they run into Jack. After a heated argument between them, Dylan storms out, leaving Brenda to try talking some sense into him. The couple yells at each other, which triggers Dylan to smash a flower pot and causes Brenda to run off. Dylan catches up to her and starts crying, admitting the effect his father has on him. The two share an explosive, chemistry-fueled kiss, which totally has us sold on the pairing, despite the fight we just witnessed.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
His Speech to the Walsh Family
‘‘Home Again‘‘
Finding Out Brandon & Kelly Are Dating
‘‘Under the Influence‘‘
Embracing College
‘‘You Better Work"
His Last Moment with Brenda
"Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (2)’’
Choosing Kelly
"Back in the High Life Again’’
#1: Toni’s Death
"One Wedding and a Funeral’’
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The Dylan-Brenda-Kelly love triangle was a big focus in the gang’s high school years. In season six, however Dylan meets Toni, daughter of the mafia boss who was responsible for his father‘s death. At first he’s just using her, but Dylan genuinely falls in love with Toni, and even marries her. Enraged, Toni‘s father orders a hitman to kill Dylan before the couple can leave Beverly Hills. Tragically, because of a thunderstorm, the hitman mistakes Toni for Dylan when she takes her husband’s car, and shoots her, killing her instantly. Dylan getting there just minutes later and breaking down while holding Toni‘s body is one of the most devastating moments of the show. After the funeral, Dylan leaves town, drawing his character to a close on the show – at least for the time being.
