Brandon and Dean Trimble are caught in the middle of a conflict when several Jewish students, including Andrea, protest the scheduled campus appearance of a controversial, anti-Semitist, African-American orator, in which the demonstrations and near-riots disrupt Kelly's photo shoot for the magazine. Meanwhile, Donna plans a party for Ray's 25th birthday. In the hospital, Dylan spends the time talking with his mother Iris, while his drug dealer pays an unexpected visit and threatens him not to tell the police about their business.

Jim gets Brandon tickets to the Rolling Stones' Rose Bowl concert, but a hearing to determine the legality of his presidency is moved to the night of the concert. Jesse argues that Brandon is already the legitimate president, as he has been calling senate meetings to order; the challenge to the presidency is denied. Brandon takes Andrea to the concert. Kelly gets backstage access through the magazine, while braggart Steve has trouble getting in at all after a hippie steals his wallet. Ray and Donna work as vendors and see the show free of charge. David and Clare go to the concert even though they claim to hate the group, but have to turn to a scalper when Mel lets them down. Steve and his father force Dylan out of the Peach Pit After Dark. He agrees to sell his shares when Steve, Nat, and Willie (the cook) visit him in rehab. Dylan and Valerie agree to stop seeing each other, as he doesn't want to involve her in his problems. During group therapy, Dylan has a confrontation with Charley, an older man who likes to bully other patients instead of dealing with his own problems. Charley seeks Dylan's help to finally overcome his addiction.

Lenny becomes an outcast when he is suspected of the campus rape despite his protest of innocence which prompts him to ask Brandon to help him prove his innocence. At the same time, the real rapist stalks an unsuspecting Donna and violently attacks her in the beach apartment. Meanwhile, Dylan accidentally becomes privy to Andrea's affair with Peter when he sees them together at Charlie's motel. When Andrea decides to leave Jesse to be with Peter, he reveals that he doesn't share the same views as she. Elsewhere, Valerie asks Steve to help secure the rock group "The Flaming Lips" after she cancels Ray's bookings, and Donna wrongly blames David for Ray's departure after Valerie lies to her that David is the one responsible for Ray leaving town.

Hypnotic regression leads Dylan to a past life where he is Billy McCoy, a gun-slinging outlaw in the Wild West, until he meets an upper-class woman (in the form of Kelly) to redeem his outlaw ways. Meanwhile in the real world, while Kelly goes to New York with Steve to meet with modeling agencies, Valerie turns her sights on Brandon who is hoping to be re-elected student body president. But Brandon runs into all kinds of problems when news of college tuition for undergraduates will be increased, he is criticized for not looking after the students best interests. As a result, Brandon's political rival, Alex Diaz, enters the race as a new candidate and wins by a landslide.