Josh Richland tries to dig up dirt on Brandon for a newspaper article. Lucinda suggests that Brandon bring a date to task force functions to throw Josh off their trail. Brandon asks Kelly to accompany him to a party, with Dylan's permission. Kelly learns that Lucinda is struggling to obtain financing for her film, and introduces her to Dylan. Brenda joins Stuart for a weekend in Palm Springs, where he is to make a presentation to his father. They stop in the desert, but Brenda accidentally locks the keys in the car. Stuart continually lashes out at Brenda, especially after vandals break into his car when it is left overnight. Brenda finally becomes fed up and dumps Stuart. She calls Dylan for a ride home; during the drive, she confesses that she is still in love with him. David convinces Kelly to move back into the beach apartment.

Music: ""Me and Mrs. Jones"" by Billy Paul (#1, 1972); ""Into Your Arms"" by th

Brandon and Kelly attend a weekend retreat. The chancellor's teenage daughter Clare develops a crush on Brandon. Brandon confesses his affair with Lucinda to Kelly. Brandon and Kelly realize they must discontinue the charade after they share a passionate kiss. Lucinda invites Dylan to her house to view her film, and makes a pass at him. Donna and Brenda befriend a stray dog, which they name Rocky. They learn that the animal escaped from the university's research lab, and are afraid to return him. Brenda takes an interest in an animal rights group that is protesting the lab. Andrea, who works at the facility, argues that the lab is researching potential medical breakthroughs. She returns the dog safely to Donna. Andrea is furious when Steve lets Muntz use her room for a rendezvous with his girlfriend. She fears that the resident advisor will kick her out, but Steve makes amends by sleeping with the woman.

Music: ""Get Closer"" by Seals and Crofts (#6, 1976)

Acclaimed director Roy Randolph comes to C.U. to work on the campus production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Brenda plans to try out for the lead role, and Kelly helps her rehearse. Brenda encourages Kelly to audition for a small part, but Roy asks her to read for the lead. Steve coaches Laura for her audition in the hopes that she can finally catch a break. Clare aggressively pursues Brandon. She shows up at his house while his parents are out of town and handcuffs herself to his bed. Dylan tries to convince Erica to be more receptive to her mother's new boyfriend, Kevin. Dylan saves Kevin from being struck by a bus. Andrea receives a clean bill of health, but still fears that something is wrong with her pregnancy. David chastises Donna for refusing to discipline her puppy.

Music: ""On Broadway"" by George Benson (#7, 1978); ""Sweet Funky Thing"" by Eternal

Brenda accuses Kelly of betraying her and refuses to speak to her. Kelly's relationship with Dylan is strained by the situation with Brenda and Kelly's disdain for Suzanne and Erica. Kelly drops out of the auditions because she does not want to be an actress. She and Brenda make up and admit their mutual jealousy. After witnessing Laura's brilliant performance, a nervous Brenda tanks her audition. She shows up at Roy Randolph's house that night in search of another chance. Clare tricks Brandon into taking her to the senior prom. At the after-party, she flashes and dumps beer on some guys before giving them the room number. Brandon winds up getting into a fight, and helps Clare clean up the trashed hotel room. Andrea continues to worry about the baby as Jesse leaves for an out-of-town trip. She collapses in pain, and Donna rushes her to the hospital. The doctor orders Andrea to stay in bed for the remainder of the pregnancy. Dylan becomes interested in environmental chemist Kevin's plan

Brenda wins the lead, much to the amazement of those who saw her audition. Steve starts a rumor that Brenda slept with Roy. Dylan is the only person who completely believes Brenda's denial. Laura causes Brenda to miss a rehearsal in an attempt to get her fired. When this fails, she asks Steve to injure Brenda. Roy kicks Laura out of the play. Steve and Brenda race to stop Laura from killing herself in the auditorium. Suzanne and Kevin get engaged, and Dylan learns more about Kevin's research. Kevin quits his job and decides to pitch the project to independent investors. Clare tries to tag along on Brandon's trip to Berkeley. Brandon tells the chancellor the truth about his daughter's behavior.

Music: ""Free Ride"" by The Edgar Winter Group (#14, 1973)

Brenda receives rave reviews for her performance in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Dylan gives her a special present on opening night, and the two seem to have lingering feelings. Steve is reluctant to attend the play because of his rift with Brenda. Andrea learns that her baby may be born prematurely, and is forced to check into the hospital. She goes into labor. Donna tries to book singer Babyface for the campus Mardi Gras festival. David meets a record company employee who introduces him to a talented band. David declines an offer to join because the band members are drug users. Erica overhears Suzanne and Kevin discussing a move to South America, but they claim that she misunderstood. Dylan considers becoming Kevin's business partner. Kelly grows tired of Dylan's involvement with Suzanne, Erica and Kevin. She and Dylan decide to break up.

Music: ""Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"" b

Brandon travels to Washington, D.C. to make a presentation for the task force. He considers giving in to the persistent Clare. Lucinda, in town for a meeting, shows up at the hotel; both women grope Brandon under the table during an important dinner. Kelly confesses her feelings for Brandon to Andrea and decides to surprise him. Roy offers Brenda the opportunity to spend the summer studying theater at the Royal Academy in London. Kevin and Suzanne get married. He and Dylan consider producing his project without outside assistance. Andrea gives birth to a 2 pound, 6 ounce daughter, Hannah. She and Jesse struggle to remain positive as Hannah fights to survive. Steve has a run-in with John Sears at the university carnival, and is hurt to learn that he is dating Celeste. Donna is jealous of the amount of attention Ariel devotes to David.

Brandon has difficulty coming to grips with Josh's death. Kelly tries to support him, but fears that they are drifting apart. Alex tells Brandon that he is contesting his presidency. Brandon doesn't even want the job, but decides to fight for it after Josh's sister shows him a letter in which Josh spoke highly of Brandon and his ideals. Brandon gets Steve out of a jam when the cops break up a party at the KEG house. Clare takes a liking to David, unaware of his history with Donna. Donna objects when Felice sets her up with a friend's son, until he turns out to be the handsome and charming guy she had just met at a party. Donna declares that she is over David and agrees to help Clare and him with a video project. Valerie continues to spend her days with Steve and her nights with Dylan.

Music: ""All I Wanna Do"" by Sheryl Crow (#2, 1994)

Ferdinand Quintero, the president of Selanesia and a close friend of Clare's family, visits the campus to receive treatment for cancer. A student human rights group objects to his presence, and tells Brandon that Quintero has ordered the murders of thousands of citizens. After meeting a gardener who was tortured by the regime, Brandon agrees to serve Quintero with a subpeona. Steve, Kelly, Donna, Valerie, Griffin and Muntz plan to steal the mascot of rival Southern California University before the homecoming game. Donna does not show up, as she instead spends the day with Ray at his family pumpkin patch. Dylan fears that he and Valerie are becoming too close, so he cheats on her. Andrea meets a UCLA medical student at the laundromat. He believes that she is babysitting Hannah, and she doesn't tell him that she is married.

Music: ""I Want Candy"" by the Strangeloves (#11, 1965); ""My Light"" by Big Mountain (from the 90210: The College Years soundtrack)

The fire marshal shuts down the Peach Pit After Dark for violating capacity. Steve tries to talk Dylan and Nat into buying out the carpet store next door and converting it into a club. Valerie tells the Walshes about Dylan's financial problems, but he angrily refuses Jim's assistance. Steve and David go to Dylan's house in the morning to discuss business, and find a half-naked Valerie. Steve punches Dylan in the face. Kelly objects when Jackie signs up Erin and herself for a mother-daughter photo shoot. Cindy reminds Kelly that her mother is much more responsible than she was during her modeling days. Kelly admits that she is hurt that she wasn't asked to join them, and Jackie confesses that she feared being mistaken for a grandmother. David handcuffs himself to Clare's bed, unaware that she does not have the key. They must think fast when Clare's father pays a surprise visit. Griffin surprises Donna by whisking her away to Catalina, but she is offended when he assumes she will stay th

Jim and Cindy fly to London to spend Christmas with Brenda. Brandon stays in town with Kelly, who is reluctant to reveal her scars to him. Felice offers Ray $10,000 to stay away from Donna forever. Donna is mortified when Felice reveals that he accepted the check, but he had only taken it as evidence of her mother's actions. Ray and Donna use the money to send LuAnn on a cruise, as this has always been her dream. Dylan seeks the FBI's help in tracking down Kevin and Suzanne in Brazil. Christine tells him that the agency is too busy to assist him. She puts him in touch with a strange man named Jonesy, who will help him out in exchange for half of the money. Andrea and Jesse quarrel when Hannah does not enjoy her first Christmas. He claims that Andrea is to blame for her crying, ignoring the fact that Hannah is six months old and teething. The gang saves the day when it arrives dressed as Santas and elves, and Dylan meets Hannah for the first time. David feels slighted when Clare fails t

Dylan feigns an interest in Professor Finley's teachings in order to infiltrate the operation. He and Kelly get carried away and kiss after attending a wedding. Dylan discovers that Finley arranges romantic pairings to secure wealthy benefactors. He promises to donate all of his money if Finley can convince Kelly to take him back. Kelly tries to seduce Dylan, but refuses to believe his allegations about Finley. Brandon brings in one of Finley's former lieutenants to convince Kelly that the evolution is a fraud. Kelly leaves the group and reunites with Brandon, leaving Dylan heartbroken. Ray ends his fling with Valerie, although she doesn't seem to get the message. Andrea takes a researcher position at the hospital and spends most of her time fooling around with Peter.

Music: ""Hold On"" by Wilson Phillips (#1, 1990); ""House of Love"" by Amy Grant and Vince Gill (#37, 1995)

Jesse moves in with a reluctant Dylan and gets on his nerves. Valerie, unaware of Jesse's presence, drops by Dylan's house while babysitting Hannah. Jesse jumps to conclusions and assumes that Andrea is with Peter. Brandon and Clare become very competitive as they vie for a spot on College Jeopardy! Kelly invites Andrea to crash the duo's grudge match, and she wins easily. Andrea is shaken when Val tells her that Jesse was discussing the possibility of divorce. Brandon and Clare convince her to take her mind off things by trying out for Jeopardy! Dylan urges Jesse to stop being so defensive, and Jesse goes to the television studio with Hannah to ask Andrea for another chance. Andrea appears on the show and wins, and she and Jesse get back together. Donna has trouble getting in touch with Ray while he is on the road. Mel's reconciliation with Jackie gives David new hope of winning back Donna. When he learns that Donna is going to spend spring break in Portland with Ray, he decides to ta

Steve and David organize a hip-hop night at the club to boost the sagging gate receipts. David asks Willie's nephew Juwan, a talented DJ, to join him onstage. Steve backs out of the event because he is nervous about Juwan's criminal record (as if he should be one to pass judgment). Valerie tries to dodge a grimy Australian metal band that claims to have been booked. Although his tour is ending, Ray is unsure about returning to Los Angeles. Valerie goes to Reno to re-hire him, and claims to have changed her ways. While Val is gone, the Aussies crash the hip-hop night and trash the After Dark. Juwan and his friends are prepared to fight them, but decide to keep their cool. David and Clare get back together. Dylan allows Molly to hypnotize him and regresses to a past life as a hobo.

Music: ""It's Your Thing"" by the Isley Brothers (#2, 1969); ""Here and Now"" by Letters to Cleo; ""1-2-Threz,"" per

Colin and Susan leave for New York to spend Thanksgiving with their families. The gang decides to spend the holiday together, and David invites his mother to join them. She annoys Valerie with her constant advice about food preparation, but saves the day when Val accidentally sleeps in. Clare takes Steve to a faculty mixer, where he proves to be a big hit because of his ""people skills."" Donna gives a deposition that does not reflect favorably on Joe. As a birthday surprise, she arranges a visit from Steve Young. She also plans to sleep with Joe, but he reveals that he is a virgin and does not believe in pre-marital sex. Kelly hangs out at Brandon's house to watch videos, and spends the night in Steve's vacant room. Valerie jumps to conclusions when she comes home the next morning and sees Brandon and Kelly in an embrace.

Music: ""Someone to Love"" by Jon B. featuring Babyface (#10, 1995)

Susan is nominated for a college journalism award for her story about a girl's decision to have an abortion. Brandon does not understand why Jonathan insists on flying in for the awards ceremony. Susan explains that she and Jonathan broke up over a difference of opinion regarding the story; this further confuses Brandon. Susan wins the award and bursts into tears during her speech. She confesses to Brandon that the story was about herself; devastated by her sister's death, she had a drunken encounter with Jonathan and wound up pregnant. Jonathan proposed to her, and was crushed when she chose to terminate the pregnancy. Jonathan offers Susan his forgiveness, although she still has doubts about her decision. Valerie arranges a meeting between Colin and a knowledgeable art buyer in the hopes of encouraging Colin to get clean and focus on his career. Unfortunately, the man purchases two works that Colin had painted while high. Kelly swears off cocaine, but cannot resist temptation for lon

Tara makes a pass at Brandon and purposely overfeeds Kelly's fish. Kelly orders her to move out. Kelly snoops in Tara's suitcase and discovers that she had lied when she claimed not to know her parents' whereabouts. Kelly enrages Tara by calling her parents. Tara holds Kelly at gunpoint and forces her to go for a drive up the coast. Kelly tries to escape when they pull over, but Tara knocks her out. She ties up Kelly, hooks a hose up to the car, and plans to kill Kelly and herself through carbon monoxide poisoning. Kelly tricks Tara into untying her, then gets the gun away. Tara is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and her mother thanks Kelly for saving her life. The judge nixes the deal between Colin's lawyer and the district attorney. Citing the fact that he endangered lives with his hazardous driving, he sentences Colin to two years in prison. Carl, a prince and longtime friend of Clare's family, comes for a visit. He makes friends with Steve and tries to prove that he is not the

Kelly and David take Jimmy to church to celebrate the Jewish New Year. Jimmy becomes very ill the next day and thanks Kelly for her friendship before dying. Donna gives a shy basketball player a makeover to help her get into the Alpha house. She is accepted, but decides to pledge a sorority that is not so elitist. Donna resigns as rush chairperson to protest the behavior of Alpha president Ellen. Steve leads a group of KEG pledges in a Spirit Day prank; they run through Chancellor Arnold's speech wearing nothing but shaving cream, only to have the sprinklers come on. The dean becomes furious when the incident is replayed on the CU News, as she considers it sexual harassment. Chancellor Arnold, with Mark's cooperation, orders Brandon to turn over the tape so that he can identify the offenders. He reluctantly gives the chancellor the tape, which is mysteriously blank. Tracy reveals that she erased the video with a magnet out of loyalty to Steve and Brandon. Kenny rents a love nest for hi

During an argument with Donna in the student union, David throws a tantrum and cuts his hand on a glass. He must see a psychiatrist after displaying hostile behavior toward the ER staff. Mel agrees with the doctor's recommendation that David be held 72 hours for observation. David is diagnosed with a mild form of manic depression. His mother comes to see him and advises him to moderate his behavior; he will not require medication if he seeks therapy and stops drinking. David thanks Donna for her support, and they decide to get back together. Steve faces plagiarism charges; Professor Randall, who assumed control of the independent study course after returning to C.U., recognized Brandon's writing. Randall still holds a vendetta against Brandon, and brings collusion charges against him. Kelly and Mark's plans for a romantic weekend getaway are foiled by a lost reservation. They finally secure a motel room, only to come down with food poisoning. The gang helps Willie build a house, which

Steve elects to plead guilty, leaving his punishment to the lenient Chancellor Arnold. Brandon refuses to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit, and faces a hearing and possible expulsion. Randall tries to prove that Brandon knew the contents of Steve's paper by pointing out that he handed it to Muntz for delivery. He also claims that Brandon let Steve cheat off his quizzes in freshman sociology. Steve digs through the fraternity files and proves that he flunked every sociology quiz. Brandon is cleared, and Professor Randall faces charges for forging his grade ledger and lying at the hearing. Kelly throws a surprise birthday party for Mark, although he would rather be left alone. He hates the party even more when everyone ignores him and flocks to Brandon. Felice objects to Donna's renewed relationship with David, which she considers unhealthy. Dr. Martin advises Donna to follow her heart. Music: ""What You Won't D

David seeks his father's help in winning over Felice. Mel and Jackie invite David, Donna and her parents over for dinner. Felice makes snide remarks about the pre-prom incident from four years earlier, the fact that Jackie and Mel are not married, and David's mental problems. A furious Donna refuses to come to her parents' house for Christmas. Felice apologizes to David and asks him to arrange a truce. Kelly's father fails to show for dinner, but a young woman arrives in his place. She stuns Kelly by revealing that she is her half-sister, Joy Taylor. Kelly is angry to learn that her mother hid the truth, and she and Joy become friends as they compare notes about their absentee father. Chancellor Arnold immediately hits it off with Samantha at his Christmas party, making Steve and Clare uncomfortable. The gang picks names from a hat to decide who will exchange gifts. Brandon and Tracy struggle with their gift selections, as neither wants to send the wrong message. While shopping for Kel

Rusty, a technician at the TV station, quits in anger after the police question him about Donna. Evan admits his feelings for Donna and confesses that he is the stalker. When she tells Brandon and Tracy, he pulls a gun and holds the entire staff hostage. He holds Donna at gunpoint and forces Brandon and Tracy to put him on the air. He eventually lets the others leave, but Brandon refuses to leave Donna. Donna tricks Evan into putting his gun down by feigning an interest in him. She kisses him, then kicks the gun away as the SWAT team moves in to arrest him. Val threatens to fire Tom unless he stops seeing Kelly. She apologizes, but he quits anyway. Kelly claims that she is not acting out of spite. Steve and Clare try to keep their parents from dating, as they are afraid of being left behind. They finally apologize after realizing how selfishly they have acted.

Tracy is in a snit over the fact that Brandon kept the engagement ring. She breaks up with him. Brandon and Kelly each confess their feelings to friends, but expect the other person to make a move. Tracy confronts Kelly, who admits that she still loves Brandon. Kelly tries to stop Brandon from returning the ring. He cannot bring himself to sell it, and runs into Kelly in the street. She believes that he has already sold it and pretends to support this decision. Brandon exchanges the ring to get a bracelet for Tracy, and Kelly buys the ring and sulks. Valerie tells her mother that her father repeatedly molested her. Abby refuses to accept this and slaps Val. Abby comes to grips with the truth and apologizes for not protecting Valerie. Val asks Tom to leave town, as his presence is a painful reminder of the abuse. Donna is torn between David and Cliff. Chloe makes a pass at David and annoys him with her rude remarks about Donna. Donna tries to reconcile with David, but storms out when Ch

Brandon has to take care of Kelly and Valerie, who are both laid up with the flu. The girls discuss the reasons for their feud, which supposedly dates back to a time when Kelly interrupted a make-out session between Valerie and Brandon. Val blames Kelly for costing her the love of her life, while Kelly insists that she gave Brandon her blessing to date Valerie. Valerie is contacted by Derek Driscoll, a representative from Mr. Taylor's firm. Val tells Brandon that Kelly is hiding the fact that she was accepted to Columbia's graduate school. Kelly declares that she is not leaving town, and decides that Brandon should throw Val out of the house. David convinces Donna to join him at his business meeting in New Orleans, even though she has a class presentation the next day. David thinks that he will score, but gets no further than usual. They oversleep, causing Donna to miss her presentation. Samantha ignores Chancellor Arnold during an evening honoring her sitcom, and eventually dumps him.

Kelly learns that she is pregnant, and has difficulty breaking the news to her mother. Brandon is thrilled, but Kelly isn't sure that she wants the baby. Driscoll suggests that Valerie sell her shares in the club so that she has more money available for investment. Val makes a pass at David, prompting Donna to order him to end their working relationship. Valerie eagerly accepts David's buy-out offer. Clare is saddened by Mother's Day, so Steve tries to take her mind off things by going for a drive. Clare believes that her father cannot handle discussion of her mother, but Steve discovers that he was trying to spare Clare's feelings. He brings them together to reminisce.

Music: ""Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)"" (#2, 1995) and ""For You I Will"" (#4, 1997), performed by Monica

Valerie becomes depressed when her mom, Jim and Cindy all fail to come to graduation. She tries to make amends with Kelly after overhearing her push Brandon to evict her. Val pleads with Steve to lobby Brandon on her behalf, but he still kicks her out. She checks into a motel across the street from the bluff where she once contemplated suicide. Brandon finds a suicide note and learns Val's probable location from David. Donna ponders taking her relationship with David to the next level. David helps Steve and Muntz with a senior prank. Kelly is furious when her father insists on attending her graduation. The gang receives invitations to a special grad party with a ""roaring '20s"" theme. Kelly's sister Joy confesses that Bill is responsible for the event.