The 90210 cast gathered Saturday night for an event at Paley Fest - minus one Dustin Milligan.

Milligan’s good-looking jock character Ethan has been dismissed from the series in favor of bad boy Liam, played by Matt Lanter. Dustin Milligan is now gone from the set, having finished his last scenes with the show, but he’s not forgotten by his remaining former cast mates.

“I’m going to miss him terribly,” Shenae Grimes told reporters. “He is an amazing guy and an amazing actor.”

Grimes, who plays central character Annie Wilson, admitted that Ethan may not even get a good exit from West Beverly Hills High. The final episodes of the season offer no real closure for the jock, who will very simply fade away. “I don’t know exactly how they will explain it,” Grimes admits.

The departure of Dustin Milligan, who has been Annie’s love interest since the pilot episode, has sent a shockwave through fans. Ethan’s sweet boyfriend character has bee replaced by the much more rugged Liam, who’s much more of a reckless rule-breaker.

And I love it. 90210 has been screaming for a bad boy character from the very first day. Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) and Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) have both been bad girls, but there’s no male to play the role of devil’s advocate. What the show is missing, folks, is a Dylan McKay. The brother is already in place, Navid (Michael Steger) already has the sweet-guy thing down to a hilt and Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold) is in place for all the girls who like more grown-up men. The only thing missing is that little touch touch of wildness.

That’s where Liam (Matt Lanter) comes in - and it should make for a great second season.