The Empire State Strikes Back

The Empire State Strikes Back is the 19th episode of Season 5 on CW teen soap 90210.

Synopsis
OLLY MURS PERFORMS — Liam (Matt Lanter) and Navid (Michael Steger), in an effort to get teenage pro-surfer Cassie (guest star Marie Avgeropoulos) to be their first sponsored athlete, ask her favorite musician Olly Murs to do a special performance. Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) travels to New York to make a good impression on Jordan’s (guest star Robbie Jones) mother, Cheryl (guest star Robin Givens) with disastrous consequences. Annie (Shenae Grimes) decides to publicly say her novel is fiction but Dixon (Tristan Wilds) persuades her to tell the truth. Jessica Stroup and Jessica Lowndes also star.

Plot
The episode begins with Patrick telling Annie that he is married, adding that her revealing to world she is “Author X” will end his marriage. He as a result wants her to keep this fact under wraps, but Annie refuses, saying he can’t tell her what to do. On hearing her refuse, Patrick before walking away warns her that if she hurts his family, he too will come after hers. At Naomi’s, Jordan reveals to her that his mother is a judge and might soon be the Secretary of State. He says that his mother because of the position that she holds has a habit of scrutinizing people all the time.

He feels Naomi wouldn’t be able to handle his mother, which is why he isn’t sure if they should get into a relationship. He tells Naomi to think about what he said and then decide if she really wants to move forward. At Navid’s, Adrianna and him wake up in bed together. Moments later, Liam knocks on his door. Navid decides to distract Liam, so Adrianna can sneak out. While Liam is telling Navid about Cassie McCoy, a famous surfer, who Liam wants as the face of his company, Adrianna sneaks out unseen. At Dixon’s, Michaela tells Silver that she is really keen on taking part in a Spencer Blane concert. Spencer is a famous artist, who has announced that he is looking for upcoming artists to perform with him.

The concert is in two days, so Michaela wants to write a song, send it to Spencer and if he likes it, she could have a shot at stardom. Silver is reluctant because of the whole pregnancy thing, but allows her to go ahead because she feels Michaela would most probably not get selected. At Annie’s, Dixon arrives after receiving a text from her. She reveals to him, how she had last year worked as a hooker to pay his rehab bills. She also tells him about her book and Patrick’s threat. Dixon is really mad on hearing all this and storms out. At Mark’s restaurant, Silver arrives and tells him she is ready for a relationship. They decide to take a few days off and go on a date.

At Adrianna’s, Michaela tells her about Spencer’s concert and says she needs her help in writing the song. Michaela also urges her to not tell Silver that she is helping her because of how things presently are between her (Adrianna) and Silver. At a café, Liam and Navid have a talk with Cassie McCoy, the famous surfer. She is willing to become the face of Liam’s company if they can get her a private concert with Olly Murs, a British pop star, who she is a big fan of. At Naomi’s, she is going to New York to attend a fundraiser being hosted by Jordan’s mother, so she can impress her. She convinces Mark, Silver and Annie to join her. In New York, Naomi decides to buy Mark a tuxedo for Jordan’s mother’s fundraiser because he doesn’t have one and the clothes he is wearing just won’t do. At Liam’s, he and Dixon talk about the whole Annie issue.

Dixon can’t stop feeling guilty because of what Annie had to go through to pay for his rehab and now Patrick’s threat has made matters worse. After Adrianna, who knows Olly Murs’ drummer, agrees to help Navid get in touch with him, they talk about the other night that they spent together. They conclude that, they having a relationship would complicate things, so they mutually decide to never hook up. Although, it clearly appears they both want to. At the tuxedo store, when Naomi asks Mark to lie at the fundraiser, saying he never owned a food truck, but instead owns a chain of restaurants, it makes Mark really mad. He feels there is nothing wrong with, who he is, or what he does, so he refuses to play along and storms out.

At Patrick’s, he returns from work and is shocked to see Dixon waiting for him. Patrick takes Dixon aside, so his wife won’t hear their conversation. Dixon warns Patrick to not threaten Annie, saying Annie has her brother by her side now. At the fundraiser, Jordan introduces his mother to Naomi and she realizes Jordan wasn’t lying, when he said she could be more than a handful. After Michaela tells Adrianna she loves the changes Adrianna had made to her song, Michaela shocks her by adding that the song captures exactly, how she feels about Navid. At the fundraiser, during the auction, Naomi is brooding by herself because she has no family heirloom to donate for the auction and was taunted by Jordan’s mom for that reason. Suddenly, she sees Mark arrive on the stage and offer himself up for the auction.

He offers free cooking lessons to the highest bidder and after a bidding war, is sold for $20,000, which pleasantly surprises everyone including Jordan’s mother. Jordan’s sister walks up to Naomi after the auction and tells her, how impressed her mother was with Mark. She says her mother would like to talk to her (Naomi) now. At the Olly Murs concert that Liam and Navid have organized, they bring Cassie and she is stunned that they pulled it off. While she is enjoying the concert, she suddenly breaks down on seeing her ex there getting cozy with another girl. She tells them she and Derek, her ex, are both fans of Olly Murs, which is why she wanted the concert in the first place.

She was hoping she could get back with him at the concert, but is now devastated on realizing that won’t happen. Naomi is brought in for a private meeting with Jordan’s mother, who places a file on a table in front of them, which contains Naomi’s past police records. She tells a shocked Naomi that they need to talk about this. At the concert, Liam gets onstage with Cassie and kisses her, while calling her his girl, just so they can make Derek jealous. Liam’s plan works and Cassie is overjoyed. In New York, Mark and Silver spend some time romancing each other. At Navid’s, Adrianna arrives to tell him that she wants something to happen between them.

Before she can say anything though, he tells her they made the right decision in not getting into a relationship because it would really complicate things. She on hearing this leaves without telling Navid, how she really feels. After Jordan’s mother gives Naomi a really tough time by pointing out every mistake she has made in the past, Naomi lashes out, saying she has no regrets. Naomi adds that she only came to the fundraiser to get in her good graces, but now realizes that she made a big mistake. While she is storming out, Jordan enters and realizes something is really wrong. At a TV studio, Dixon arrives to meet Annie, who is about to give an interview, revealing that she is “Author X”. Before she steps in front of the camera, he assures her that she has his full support, which greatly relives her.

Later, while she is checking out of the hotel, Patrick comes to meet her. He is really agitated and says that because of her revelation the press is hounding him and his family. Annie has no remorse, she tells him that he deserves it and walks away. At Liam’s, Cassie, who had agreed to his endorsement deal, arrives and says her mom, who is also her manager, isn’t allowing her to go ahead. She tells him that the problem is Annie’s erotic novel, which also mentions him. At Dixon’s, after Michaela makes Silver and Dixon listen to her song, she tells them she would get to go on an all city tour if her song gets selected. Silver isn’t happy to hear this and says there is no way she can allow the woman carrying her child to go on a tour. Michaela is angry on hearing this and storms off. At Naomi’s, she returns home and sees Jordan waiting for her.

He tells her that he wants to date her despite what his mother thinks, saying his mother will just have to learn to live with it. While Adrianna is listening to Michaela’s song, she gets a call from her. Michaela tells her what Silver said, adding she has no other choice, but to listen to Silver until she delivers her baby. After hanging up, Adrianna sends Michaela’s song to Spencer, while saying to herself that she isn’t bound to listen to Silver unlike Michaela. At Mark’s restaurant, while Annie is celebrating the success of her book with, Mark, Naomi, Dixon and Silver, the cops arrive. They place Mark under arrest because cocaine was found in his baggage that was held up at the airport. The episode ends at this point.

Starring

 * Shenae Grimes as Annie Wilson
 * Tristan Wilds as Dixon Wilson
 * AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi Clark
 * Jessica Stroup as Erin Silver
 * Michael Steger as Navid Shirazi
 * Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna Tate-Duncan
 * Matt Lanter as Liam Court

Recurring

 * Charlie Weber as Mark
 * Lyndon Smith as Michaela
 * Robbie Jones as Jordan Welland

Guest Starring

 * Chris McKenna as Patrick Westhill
 * Keke Palmer as Elizabeth
 * Marie Avgeropoulos as Cassie McCoy
 * Robin Givens as  Cheryl
 * Nancy O'Dell as Herself
 * Olly Murs as Himself

Quotes

 * Annie – We're not just friends, we're a family. And nobody messes with my family


 * Naomi – I don't have to care what you or anyone else thinks, because I am good enough exactly as I am.


 * Silver – Naomi says jump, we hop a plane across the country


 * Naomi – Oh my God, throw that ticket away honey, we do not fly commercial!


 * Navid – Actually we're more of a 'Who Runs the World, Girls,' company.


 * Annie – I know it sounds really cliché, but telling the truth finally set me free of it all


 * Liam – I just feel like I'm being used by women at every turn

Music

 * Dark Doo Wop by Ms Mr
 * Waves of Loneliness by Jon Bellion
 * Troublemaker (feat. Flo Rida) by Olly Murs
 * Right Place Right Time by Olly Murs
 * Love to Get Used by Matt Pond
 * Panchito Blues II by PEACH KELLI POP
 * Live In This City by Dragonette
 * In the City by Caveman
 * The Last Time by Lyndon Smith
 * Block After Block by Matt & Kim