While Jim and Cindy celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary, Cindy finds herself attracted to photographer Glen, her old college boyfriend and matchmaker, which resurrects old jealousies from Jim. Meanwhile, Brenda and Brandon participate in a study on twins in America. Also, David is determined to become the new DJ on West Beverly High's radio station and after the dim-witted Scott blows his spot, Donna overplays her part, and Steve gets stage fright.

As Brandon interviews Roger, the school's tennis star, he discovers that Roger's golden-boy appearance hides deeper demons. When the gang gets their SAT scores back, Donna becomes deflated by her low SAT score, which reveals her learning disability.

After Brandon inadvertently tips the school to Andrea's non-district residency after her success in a new article competition, she must move into her grandmother's apartment to prove she lives within district to avoid expulsion from West Beverly. But Andrea's problems only get worse when her grandmother tells her that she will not lie if questioned about Andrea's residence. Meanwhile, no one can convince Steve that his new girlfriend, Christine, is a gold-digger out to get his money.

On Scott's 16th birthday, his mother gives Donna and David the responsibility of rounding up people for his birthday party to save it from being a social disaster.

Andrea fights with the school board to lead a campaign to have condoms distributed at West Beverly. But not all of the gang and their parents are happy about it since Donna's uptight, influential, and fiercely conservative mother, Felice, is opposed to any sex education in schools and has the PTA rally around her for her own self-serving support. Meanwhile, Brenda writes a term paper about her experiences with her pregnancy scare, which upsets Dylan who feels his privacy should be kept private. Also, David wants to plan a special evening with Donna.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

When Dylan is put in a coma after a car accident while driving under the influence of heroin, bizarre near-death dreams he has mirror his fight for life which involve his drug dealer, his high school principal Mrs. Teasley, Kevin, Suzanne, Erica, Valerie, the Walshes, and his own long-dead father, Jack. Meanwhile, Steve is bothered by the appearance of his annoying and overbearing father, Rush, at a flag-football tournament as part of the KEG sports weekend.

Dylan makes summer plans for a trip around the world with Kelly while Brandon counters with a marriage proposal, forcing her to make a decision. Donna tries to cope with Ray's growing hostility as they confront their differences. Meanwhile, Andrea and Jesse go through a tearful going away party at West Beverly high school before leaving town to go to Yale. Also, Jim gets a promotion which means moving to Hong Kong.

Carl hosts Steve's weekend long 21st birthday bash on the ship Queen Mary in Long Beach, where the music group "The Goo Goo Dolls" entertains. Carl then asks Steve a favor: to have a chance with Clare who he has had a crush on. David and Donna grow more intimate while their producer Erik, makes a move on Donna and other women as well. Andrea Zuckerman arrives in town to have fun at Steve's party, and Nat brings Joan along who keeps feeling unwell. Meanwhile, Valerie hires an FBI agent, named Richard Ballen, to find Colin who's in the area trying to get access on a ship to take him to South America. Also, Susan tells Brandon that she has decided to leave town to accept a job offer at a newspaper company in Washington D.C. which makes him wonder if he has a future with Susan after all.

Dylan McKay arrives back in town and tries to help everyone with their share of problems as he tries to explain to Kelly why he had decided to come back to Beverly Hills. David hires Matt as his lawyer as he deals with the situation with Denise after her wealthy and powerful conservative parents have him arrested and charged with statutory rape. But Matt has his share of problems financially when his lack of clients prevent him from making his rent and business payments. Meanwhile, Steve's visiting mother, Samantha, angrily tells him that she doesn't like his newspaper's tabloid slant, while Steve counters with his unhappiness over her dating a much younger new suitor. Gina (whom is revealed here to be even more twisted and deranged than Valerie, Sophie or any other woman) sets out to prevent Noah and Donna from reconciling so she can have Noah all for herself. Also, Kelly and her mother, Jackie, clash over her ailing grandfather's wishes to die in peace.

David and Donna announce their engagement in which all of their friends rush to give them the perfect wedding with Donna's mother, Felice, and Kelly's mother, Jackie, taking over the arrangements and Nat catering for the ceremony and agreeing to escort Donna down the church aisle. Meanwhile, Steve asks Janet to help him form their own publishing company so they both can have time for baby Maddie. Noah returns to Ellen and tells her that he has decided to give their relationship a second chance. At Donna's pre-wedding party, Kelly, Janet, Felice and Jackie are in attendance as well as friends from their past who include West Beverly High principal Mrs. Yvonne Teasley, as well as Andrea Zuckerman and even Valerie Malone. At David's bachelor party, Steve, Noah, Dylan, Nat, and David's father Mel attend the gathering as well as Steve's stepbrother Ryan and former KEG fraternity brother Munz, except for Brandon Walsh who sends his regards to everyone via videotape. The day of the wedding goes without a hitch and at the end, Matt shows up briefly to tell Kelly that he has decided to move back to New York, and she goes back to try to renew her relationship with Dylan.