Kelly, still stricken with amnesia, is finally released from the hospital and returns to the only home she can recall, which is her old beach front apartment. Meanwhile, Steve and Brandon secure a production manager, named Terri Spar, for their new newspaper agency, called the Beverly Beat, in order to meet a deadline. Donna's newest designs impress a manufacturer, whose workers she discovers toil in depressing conditions. David attempts to secure a new band for the After Dark and lets the lead singer, Devin, and his band crash at the beach front apartment. Carly reluctantly asks Steve to baby-sit for Zack as she goes out for the evening. Also, Valerie continues pursuing Noah who eventually tells her all about his lonely life and unwillingness to keep a relationship, while Valerie meets a guy interest, a wealthy heir named Cooper Hargrove.

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.

On Halloween, Brandon and Kelly put more excitement in rebuilding their relationship by having 'nooners' in the most bizarre places. Donna is hired by an eccentric widow who wants to organize a séance to contact her long-dead husband. David's continuing financial troubles with After Dark begin to take a toll on him and an unknowing Donna when the club is foreclosed for late rent payments. David continues to hide his problems from Donna. Steve continues to pursue Carly and asks her to a formal autumn banquet, where Valerie's two suitors, Cooper and Noah, finally cross paths when they meet each other face-to-face for the first time and neither enjoys it, prompting both Cooper and Noah to break up with her.

Brandon and Kelly are surprised when they find Erica Steele, Dylan's younger half-sister, working the streets. They turn to Pam, a social worker, to help them find Erica when she runs from them. Meanwhile, Steve is struck with uncertainty after he is mistaken as Zack's father. Life then takes an unexpected turn when a pregnant girlfriend from Steve's past claims that her unborn child is his. In a desperate attempt to hold onto After Dark, David meets with Everett Sands, a loan shark, and Donna finally learns about David's financial problems after she discovers that David has forged her signature on checks to pay club bills. After breaking up with Valerie, an angry and frustrated Noah lands in jail after a drunken barroom brawl. Brandon bails Noah out of jail. Noah then unloads his secret past to Brandon - of being heir to millions, from which he ran away because his family holds Noah responsible for the his fiancée's death 1 year ago, in a drunk driving crash.

After throwing David out of the beachfront apartment, Donna meets with Noah who takes her on sailing, then rescues a bankrupt David from his loan shark who wants a huge payback, with interest. Meanwhile, Erica runs away from Brandon and Kelly to go back to her pimp, Riggs. After a heated confrontation, Erica comes to her senses and helps Brandon write her life story for his newspaper, but Brandon soon finds himself in trouble when he refuses to reveal his source to an A.D.A. who wants to prosecute Erica's pimp. Carly persuades a reluctant Steve to take a paternity test to find out if Jodi, his former flame, is really pregnant with his baby.

Following Brandon's arrest, sparks fly between him and Kelly over his ongoing refusal to reveal the name of his source, until Erica proposes a way to help him entrap Riggs in a sting operation. Meanwhile, Valerie seeks to learn who anonymously helped David pay off his loan shark, and learns the truth about Noah and his wealthy background. At the same time, David's jealousy and pride get the worst out of him after he rejects help from Donna after a fire breaks out at After Dark. Steve & Jodi, then Steve & Rush, talk about paternity and if he is ready for fatherhood; Steve goes to Carly for comfort. Kelly volunteers for a new job at the free clinic and meets the volunteer doctor Monahan. Noah starts dating Donna after telling her about his wealthy family.

After parting ways with After Dark, David takes a retail job at a department store and continues to reject friendly overtures from Noah, who takes over ownership of After Dark. Meanwhile, Brandon hires Emma Bennett, an attractive young writer, for important articles at the Beverly Beat. Kelly questions the professionalism of Dr. Monahan after he makes a pass at her. Valerie lobbies Noah to let her manage the Peach Pit After Dark, much to Donna's suspicions and jealousy. Elsewhere, Steve and Carly search for time alone together, while Donna's mother disapproves of her dating Noah.

At Donna's urging, Kelly returns to modeling for a few days' shoot, and later calls Dr. Monahan on his alleged conduct. Meanwhile, David gets a new job at a car wash and tries to help a troubled, gay, teenage co-worker, Ben, who's tormented by their other co-workers and shunned by his conservative parents. Steve takes the stage on comedy night at the Peach Pit After Dark to impress Carly. Also, Brandon finds Emma - who's determined to bag him - almost irresistible, while an unsuspecting Kelly stands by. Valerie schemes with David to make Noah and Donna jealous by making it seem that they are having an affair, but it doesn't work due to David's lack of lying skills.

In the week before Christmas, an administrator asks Kelly to give a speech praising Dr. Monahan, which leaves her in a dilemma, knowing his true nature. Meanwhile, Donna reacts to Noah's lack of Christmas spirit due to his history. Carly's son, Zack, questions the existence of Santa Claus, and Steve sets out to prove that he's real, with a little help from Nat. At David's urging, a depressed Ben delivers gifts to his parents, and later he and Valerie help out a suicidal Ben. Emma refuses to back off from flirting with Brandon, and gives him a valuable watch as a Christmas present; he finally gives into her charms and has sex with her.