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On November 18, 1992, Shannen Doherty delivered one of the most brutal lines inBeverly Hills, 90210history.
You do remember Brenda Walsh, here?
she says to Kelly.
Remember she used to be your best friend?
Well, we all have our crosses to bear, Kelly retorts.
Or our legs to uncross, Brenda responds.
As soon as Doherty said the line, everyone in that room gasped.
Doherty, meanwhile, barely blinked.
The people who didnt root for Brenda said it wasbecauseshe was a bitch.
What those people didnt understand was that being a bitch was one of the best things about her.
Shes ruthless and all the more so because she doesnt seem to try that hard to get there.
In the manytributes to Doherty that followed her passing, her friends and colleagues alluded to that strength.
No one was a better protector of Brenda Walsh than Brenda Walsh herself.
I am not a bimbo, okay?
(Bimbo: a harsh word to use on broadcast television in the early 90s.)
Brenda, through tears, her fury barely contained, scoffs, Whatever you say, Kelly.
Her confidence turns the trite line into a power move.
When Brenda found out about those secrets, she did not hold back.
Kelly and Dylan patronize Brenda (I know this is hard for you, Bren.
but she swiftly recovers, her eyes narrowing into a furious glare.
and immediately barks out, Why should I believe you?
when they say no.
As I rewatch it now, its striking how well this scene is acted, especially by Doherty.
She punches right through the corniness of the dialogue to deliver something raw and real.
