Brandon returns to work for the summer at the Beverly Hills Beach Club to find that his parents are new members and Andrea is now working there as the child-care supervisor. Meanwhile, an increasingly devious Brenda defies her parents and continues to secretly see Dylan with help from Kelly and Donna. But Brenda is caught in the act when Jim and Cindy see her with Dylan at the beach club. Brenda reacts by running away to Dylan's house. Steve takes over Brandon's job at the Peach Pit on a bet that he can't hold down a job for a single week.

Brenda learns that living with Dylan isn't what she expected. Jim threatens to freeze Dylan's monthly payments from his trust fund on the grounds that by living with Brenda, he is unlawfully living with a minor. Meanwhile, Kelly and Donna plan a trip to Paris, but Kelly decides not to go, as she wants to stay and help care for her newborn baby sister. Jim, using a little influence and blackmail, convinces Brenda to go to Paris in Kelly's place, to get her away from Dylan. Brandon and Steve flirt with two twin girls at the beach club who later turn the tables on a thoughtless Steve when he plans a date swap. Andrea becomes close to a 10-year-old deaf boy in her day care group.

Brandon becomes jealous of Andrea's new boyfriend, Jay, who invites her to Houston with him for a Republican convention, while she tries to get Cameron, to join on her day care group outings. Dylan's father, Jack, asks to put in a good word for him at his parole hearing, and Kelly keeps Dylan some company while mending her broken heart over leaving Jake Hanson (see Melrose Place). Meanwhile, Brenda and Donna arrive in Paris and they get a less than dazzling welcome to the City of Light after meeting brash students, as well as eating at a local restaurant.

Brandon and Steve both flip over an attractive volleyball player, named Brooke Alexander, who is Steve's new volleyball partner. Kelly and Dylan start spending time together, becoming more attracted to one another. A new girl in town, named Nikki Witt, flirts with David who shows her his song writing talents. In Paris, a French photographer persuades Donna to start modeling for him, while Brenda tries to fit in more with the Paris crowd by taking up smoking.

Brandon, now dating Brooke, is troubled by the hard-luck story by a homeless man named Jack Canner. Dylan and Kelly teeter on the brink of a romantic affair. Steve pressures David to let him manage his music career after listening to David's demo tape. Andrea becomes alarmed when Cameron, her deaf student, goes missing. In Paris, Brenda pretends to be French to fit the assumption of a handsome American student named Rick who asks her for directions and becomes smitten with her.

Dylan and Kelly decide to keep their romantic liaison a secret when Brenda and Donna return from Paris. During a welcome-back party for Brenda and Donna, Brenda confides in a guilt-ridden Kelly that she sees that something has changed about Dylan while she was away. Meanwhile, Brandon discovers that Brooke is not the girl of his dreams after he sees little amusement in her repeated racist and stereotypical comments. Also, Steve finally lands a gig for David at the end-of-the-summer clambake at the beach club.

As the gang of West Beverly begins its senior year, Andrea accuses the new reading teacher and Blaze faculty advisor, Gil Meyers, of sexism when he names Brandon the new editor of the school paper. Meanwhile, David discovers that his summer fling Nikki, is a transfer sophomore student and Donna's new friend. Brenda and Steve become "senior buddies" to two freshmen who are Sue Scanlon, the late Scott's younger sister who has two personalities, and Herbert, an intellectual type. Also, Kelly continues to be uncomfortable and jealous about seeing Dylan with Brenda.

During SATs week, Brenda tries desperately to quit the smoking habit she picked up while in Paris. At the same time, she talks a little too openly to Beth Nielson, a tabloid-TV reporter, about life in Beverly Hills, who twists her story and her friendships. Meanwhile, Nikki turns her sights on Brandon and tries to win his affections. An academic shortcut tempts Steve when a West Beverly alumni, B.J. Harrison, offers him the master key to the school. Also, Dylan visits his father in prison again who gives him some advice on his future.

The gang must consider their future and meets with their guidance counselor, except for Kelly and Dylan who agree that college is not for everyone. Meanwhile, Jim and Cindy announce to Brenda and Brandon that they can afford a private college for only one of them. Also, Andrea has the same bad dreams involving walking a high-wire to get into her own college. Brandon and Nikki become even more close, and David walks in on Kelly at a bad moment.

After a West Beverly football game is canceled because of the gang violence at the opposing school, Brandon meets with Jordan Bonner, the class president from the rough South-Central school, who together they decide to make a stand by inviting some of the students from the school to a West Beverly High dance, being headed by Brenda and sponsored by Gil Meyers. Meanwhile, Kelly goes to meet with her long-absent father. Also, David gets a DJ gig at the dance and a groupie, who is Sue, much to Donna's jealousy.

Andrea tries to get to the bottom of a sexual assault accusation against Gil Meyers brought forth by Sue's mother. David and Donna join in on the investigation and find out about Sue's real emotional troubles. Meanwhile, Brandon reluctantly agrees to go out dancing with Nikki, despite not knowing how to dance. Also, Dylan develops a bad cough due to surfing in polluted water.

Fate touches Brenda when her Paris beau, Rick, suddenly shows up, causing her to question her relationship with Dylan. Tragedy literally strikes Andrea when she's seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. Meanwhile, Donna considers becoming more intimate with David, but she feels guilty about thinking about the subject of sex. Nikki also gets tickets for the Rosie O'Donnell show about the topic of AIDS and gets Brandon, Donna and David to come with her. After Steve gets bad news regarding his low SAT score, he decides to take the risk and gets Herbert to help him hack into the school computer to change his grades.

Steve stays close to Andrea (now confined to a wheelchair with two broken legs) who is keeping on top of the Feds investigation of the school break in; He fears that she may find out his criminal secret. Steve gets more worried when the sleazy school janitor, Hutchins, demands more blackmail money to keep quiet about Steve's copy of the master key . Meanwhile, Brenda, now dating Rick, freaks out when she sees Dylan dating Kelly. Dylan gets bad news regarding his appeal over his SAT' score; His frustrated peaks and he hits the road. Jim's dull work life gets a lift by his new attractive secretary Dottie and Rick's admiration of his career.

After his car breaks down while on the road, Dylan finds comfort with Anne, a wealthy heiress living at a remote ranch in the mountains. Back in Beverly Hills, Brandon learns first-hand about Nikki's abusive past when her musician ex-boyfriend, Diesel, suddenly shows up and drags Nikki away. Donna helps repair Brenda and Kelly's damaged friendship. After Hutchins threatens to blow the whistle on Steve, Steve tries to talk Herbert into taking the wrap.

A rainy Thanksgiving brings uneasy get togetherness when Brandon brings over Jack Canner, the homeless man he tried to help out the previous summer, after Nikki leaves town to visit her parents in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Steve, now expelled from school, joins his mother for a TV shoot in Santa Barbara to some time break his bad news to her. But Samantha Sanders actually sticks up for Steve and gets him conditionally readmitted to West Beverly. Also, Dylan brings his father home for Thanksgiving and must cope with his presence and his new girlfriend Christine.

Mysterious angels cause a miracle that stops a bus and truck from colliding; Dylan is asked to be Santa Claus for a group of disadvantaged children

While serving his detention, Steve meets Joe, a trouble-making punk among the rough crowd who takes him and Brandon out that night to bet on hot-rod racing, despite Dylan's cautious warnings. Things take a turn when Brandon suspects the opposing driver as the hit-and-run driver that hit Andrea. Meanwhile, Brenda and Kelly go out on a blind double-date with two kids from Princeton (junior high school), and David gets radio competition from Donna in between his DJ work and relentless studying for early graduation.

Brenda, Kelly, and their mothers Cindy and Jackie, as well as Donna and Andrea enjoy a good life for the weekend at a posh health spa, until Brenda overhears a conversation about Kelly's stepdad's unfaithfulness to Jackie. Meanwhile, Jim questions his mid-life crisis with his secretary Dottie and a best-selling author on the subject. Dylan finds two separate fantasies about a future with Brenda and Kelly not fulfilling. Also, Brandon starts gambling on basketball games with Nat's bookmaker Duke.

Dylan's father, Jack, is finally released from prison to enjoy his son's company, and sets eyes on his trust fund. David doesn't know where he will live after his father moves out of Jackie's house. Meanwhile, Brandon's addiction to gambling intensifies when he starts using his own college money. Andrea decides on a new look for herself by her hair dying it red and trading her eyeglasses for contact lenses. But other than Donna, no one seems to notice Andrea's make over. Also, Dylan finally chooses Kelly over Brenda who is worsened after they tell her about their summer fling they had while she was in Paris.

Dylan's estranged mother, Iris, returns to Los Angles which resurrects old family hostilities for she doesn't trust Jack with handling Dylan's trust fund, as does Jim. Brandon continues gambling and splurges his winnings on skis and a new car stereo. Meanwhile, David and Steve meet with the eccentric Icon Records Company president Curtis Bray, who tells David that he will give him a recording deal only if he fires his personal manager Steve. Brenda spends the entire weekend in her bedroom moping about her lost relationship with Dylan, while dreaming evil dreams on doing physical harm to Kelly whom she unfairly blames for her and Dylan's breakup. Also, Andrea goes to a luncheon for Yale acceptances where meets her old friend Jordan Bonner.

After dissolving the trust fund, Dylan, Jack and Christine enjoy the good life together on a friend's yacht at Marina del Rey. But they are all under observation by unidentified men. Meanwhile, finances force Kelly's mother to put their house up for sale. Brenda, Donna and Cindy take a class in self-defense. Brandon continues gambling and starts losing money totaling $500 which makes Duke rather angry, but lets Brandon slide his losses. Andrea get invited on a date with Jordan. Also, David meets with Serge Menkin, his new recording manager, who insists that David record some different rhythm tracks.

After Jack is killed in a mob-related car-bombing, Dylan struggles with his inner self urging him back to old drinking habits before he learns the shocking truth about his father's parole and true colors from Christine who revealed to be FBI agent. Meanwhile, Kelly continues to be obsessed with losing weight and begins starving herself, while she becomes uncomfortable when Jim asks Dylan to stay at the Walsh house for a while to avoid reporters following his every move. Steve turns down giving any more recording advice to David who struggles with meeting with Curtis Bray and Serge Menkin for a recording session on the day of Jack McKay's funeral. Also, Brandon's losing streak continues as his betting continues.

Gambling addict Brandon multiplies his addition by hiring a school bookie, Jeff, in order to pay off $1,500 of losses to Duke who's now out to get Brandon. Meanwhile, David finally realizes the true nature of the music industry when Serge continues to ignore his hip-hop material and forces him to record a repetitive, syrupy ballad. David goes along with it, but Curtis Bray does not like the new tune and outright terminates David's recording contract. Finally seeing the egotistical, two-faced shark that Curtis Bray really is, and the self-serving hack Serge is, David leaves Icon Records and goes back to apologize to Steve for the way he treated him. Kelly's eating disorder worsens when she starts taking diet pills. Also, Andrea tries to ease Dylan's depression over his father's murder by asking him if she can do an editorial on him.

With the possible sale of the Taylor house, Kelly gives her mother and prospective buyers a hard time. David and Donna plan to throw Kelly a surprise 18th Birthday party at the Peach Pit. But things take a unexpected turn when the guests get an even bigger surprise from Kelly when she collapses due to an overdose of diet pills. Meanwhile, Steve badgers Brandon into joining him on a TV dating game show and Steve wins a date with an attractive girl named Celeste Lundey.

Voted the most beautiful senior at West Beverly, Kelly fears that no one's looking beneath her good surface, while she becomes hurt over Dylan not wanting to show her his finished editorial whom he shows to Andrea first. Meanwhile, Steve forgets he's dateless when he goes out with Brandon and his parents to a Lakers basketball game and is randomly chosen to win $10,000 for a half-court shot. Also, Brenda reconsiders her college choice of going back to Minnesota.

The Gang plans to go to Magic Mountain for Senior Ditch Day but plans change for Brandon, Dylan, and Steve when a Burt Reynolds fan club eats at The Peach Pit when Nat is sick. Everyone else heads to Magic Mountain.

Brenda and Brandon are dateless for the Senior Prom. A school announcement is made that any student caught at Senior Prom drinking, intoxicated or with illicit drugs will be suspended from school and prevented from graduating. Footballer Tony Miller asks Brenda to prom on the day of the event, and Andrea asks Brandon at the last moment after her date, Jordan Bonner, gets ill. Steve takes Celeste Lundey, while Dylan naturally goes with Kelly. Donna doesn't eat all day so that she will fit into her prom dress. She is hit harder by pre-prom champagne than the rest of the gang, appears to be drunk at prom, and ends up collapsing in front of Mrs Teasley.

Following a little advice from Gil Meyers, Brandon and the rest of Donna's friends join forces to help her in a major school protest when she is suspended from school and is threatened with not graduating for getting drunk on Senior Prom night.

With 24 hours until graduation, Andrea frets with Brandon over her coming valedictorian speech and her college choice of California University or Yale, as does Brenda with Minnesota. Meanwhile, Dylan gets a windfall when he inherits his trust fund worth $10 million, as well as another surprise visit from his eccentric mother Iris, while he reconsiders his college choice of Berkley or California University. On graduation day, David and Donna are the MCs at the Senior Breakfast gathering while Steve meets with the gang to create something to remember them by.

On the day of graduation, the gang thinks back about their most memorable moments from the past three years. Andrea delivers her commencement address and everyone celebrates. Dylan also has a mysterious encounter with his late father who advises him that he doesn't need to go to college to prove himself. Dylan instead asks Kelly to take a trip through Europe with him for the summer. Steve also decides to go to California University to be near his friends, while Brenda decides to to back to college in Minnesota. The night of graduation, they all meet in the Hollywood Hills near the big Hollywood sign to create their logo on the sign for the whole city to see to remember them for the years they had at West Beverly High School.