Donna lands a job as a modeling assistant and flies to Hawaii for the photo shoot. The rest of the gang - David, Brandon, Valerie, and Steve -follow her there for an end-of-summer vacation, where Valerie meets and becomes smitten with a mysterious sailor, Noah Hunter, who tries to help Donna when the shoot goes wrong. Also, Brandon's former girlfriend from his senior college year, Tracy Gaylian, shows up to hang out with the group and to introduce her new boyfriend, Eric Anderson. Later, David lands in danger on a nature hike with the group, and Noah ends up saving him from injury.

While investigating Donna's story about working conditions at a sweatshop, Brandon discovers that Steve's father is involved, which brings up tension between Brandon and Steve over publishing the story. The events also throw off Steve's plans to take Carly and her son, Zack, to an amusement park. Meanwhile, David's financial problems with the After Dark worsen due to studio costs and Devin's racist remarks. Kelly still has partial amnesia when she is called to pick out her shooter from a police lineup. Valerie turns on her deviousness again when she begins stealing Donna's design clients for her own purposes. Val finds herself in a quandary over whether to be with Donna's new client, Cooper Hargrove, or with Noah, who wants to go back to Hawaii for a job.

Brandon's overprotection of Kelly after the drive-by shooter and his friend go free on a legal technicality alienates her to the point of anger. Meanwhile, Donna finally learns about Valerie's backstabbing and stealing all Donna's clients. Donna successfully plots revenge against Valerie when she sets up Cooper and Valerie on a dinner date at a fancy new restaurant where Noah also shows up after Donna anonymously sends him a message to meet Valerie there. A record executive makes a huge offer for David's band, but problems arise after Devin and his group surprises David with the racial material they plan for their debut at the After Dark. Steve continues to try to win Carly's affections by trying to help her keep her small house in order.