On the first day of school, Dylan makes a date with Emily Valentine, a new student who plays guitar and rides a motorcycle. She also makes a date with Brandon, and all of the guys seem quite taken with her. Emily offers to help Brenda, Kelly and Donna put together an act for the hello assembly. Dylan and Emily park at a spot overlooking the bluff and share a kiss. Brandon takes her to the same place the next night, and they also kiss. Brenda becomes extremely jealous and possessive after learning of Emily's involvement with Dylan. She accuses her of being a tramp, and treats her terribly at a barbecue at the Walsh house. Brenda apologizes to Emily and pleads with her to stay in the act, so that they have someone with talent. Brenda realizes that she still loves Dylan, and they get back together. Scott returns from his summer vacation in Oklahoma sporting a cowboy hat, with sudden interests in country music, fireworks and guns. David freaks out and decides to distance himself from Scott

Brandon and Brenda's cousin Bobby visits, as he is considering transferring to UCLA. He is a paraplegic, the result of a skiing accident three years earlier. Bobby and Kelly develop a mutual interest, but Brenda fears that Kelly will break her cousin's heart. Although Bobby is extremely well-adjusted, he feels uncomfortable when he attends a party with the gang. After seeing Kelly dance with another guy, Bobby becomes depressed and asks to leave. He squelches his relationship with Kelly because he believes that she would lose interest in him. Brandon confesses his guilt about the accident to Bobby, who insists that Brandon should not blame himself for daring him to take the fateful ski jump. Brenda finally passes her driver's test, but is afraid to get behind the wheel. Emily joins the school paper. David asks Donna for a date.

Music: ""Romantic"" by Karyn White (#1, 1991); ""Crazy"" by Seal (#7, 1991)

Brandon submits one of Andrea's articles to a high school journalism contest. She wins the contest, but panics because a school district representative wants to conduct a home interview. Andrea asks her grandmother to say that she lives with her, but Rose does not want to play along. The school district initiates an investigation because they suspect that Andrea lives out of district. Andrea moves in with Rose, but decides to give up her fight because she cannot stand to be in the middle of the long-running feud between her parents and grandmother. Rose decides to let Andrea stay and agrees to talk to her daughter-in-law. Steve gets a girlfriend through a ""chance encounter"" at the Peach Pit, but Kelly suspects that the girl is only interested in his bank account.

Music: ""Radio Song"" by R.E.M. featuring KRS-One; ""I'll Turn to Stone"" by The Four Tops; ""Shiny Happy People"" by R.E.M. featuring Kate Pierson (#10, 1991); ""Losing My Religion"" by R.E.M.

Brenda, Dylan, Steve, Donna and Kelly attend a Halloween party. Donna dresses as a mermaid; but her fins inhibit dancing, walking, and trips to the bathroom. Kelly's seductive costume catches the eye of a college student. She goes upstairs to talk with him, then becomes uncomfortable. The guy accuses her of leading him on and tries to rape her. Brenda and Donna enter in the nick of time, and Steve punches out the guy. Brandon stays home to hand out candy (actually raisins), but Emily comes to the door with her niece and nephew. Brandon joins them for trick-or-treating, but he and Emily get caught up in their conversation and temporarily lose the kids. David blows off the party and finds Scott hiding out in the bushes. They reminisce about the old days while waiting for an egg fight that never materializes.

Music: ""Romantic"" by Karyn White; ""Lily Was Here"" by Candy Dulfer and Dave Stewart; ""The Monster Mash"" by Bobby ""Boris"" Pickett (#1, 1962)

The students of West Beverly unearth a time capsule from 1941, and put together a capsule of their own. Mrs. Scanlon organizes a surprise party for Scott's birthday, and pushes David to round up the guests. Donna is the only person who wants to attend. Kelly, Steve, Brenda, Brandon and Emily reluctantly come to the party, but act like jerks and refuse to participate in the activities. David tries to save the party by getting everyone to dance, but Brandon and Emily sneak upstairs to make out in the bedroom of Scott's little brother. Mrs. Scanlon throws them out, and the others act really indignant and walk out on the party. Scott goes to his father's den to get matches for the cake, and finds a gun in a locked desk drawer. He tries to twirl it for David, but accidentally shoots himself in the stomach and dies. David's friends and teachers annoy him by constantly asking about his well-being, while Mrs. Scanlon keeps trying to give him Scott's belongings. Donna takes offense when David c

Emily invites everyone to join her at an underground club. The location is a secret; the gang must exchange an egg at a convenience store for this information. The others leave without Steve and Andrea, who end up going to the wrong store and embarrassing themselves. Kelly is mortified when David drinks an entire bottle of whiskey, but Donna dances with him and has a good time. Emily slips a drug called U4EA into Brandon's drink to get him to loosen up. He is too wasted to drive, and vandals trash his car when he leaves it at the club overnight. Brandon does not expose Emily's deed to his parents, but breaks up with her because he no longer trusts her.

Music: ""Hold on to Love"" by T'Pau

Emily refuses to accept the fact that Brandon no longer wants to see her. She slashes her own tires and pretends that her parents are out of town so that Brandon will invite her to stay over. She sneaks into his bedroom and tries to seduce him. After he makes it clear that he is not interested, she begins to make crank phone calls. Andrea discovers that Emily is the person who has been sending menacing letters to the school paper. Emily shows up at Brandon's house and douses the gang's homecoming float with gasoline. Brenda and Dylan find her sitting on the float with a lighter, but Brenda is able to calm her. Emily agrees to seek help. Brenda and Dylan attend cultural events because she fears they spend too much time making out.

Music: ""Baby I'm Yours"" by Barbara Lewis (#11, 1965)

Steve arrives in Albuquerque and tracks down his grandfather, a diner owner. Al explains that his daughter gave up Steve because she was very young and wanted him to have a good home. He sadly reveals that Karen died in a car accident. Steve leaves flowers at her grave, and convinces an eccentric Santa-like charter pilot to fly him home for Christmas. Cindy is depressed about her first Christmas in Beverly Hills. She invites the kids' friends and their families for Christmas Eve dinner, but everyone has other plans. Brandon visits Emily in a psychiatric hospital, where she is doing very well. Brenda begins work at an upscale clothing store. She feels bad when her boss throws out a cheerful old man dressed as Santa Claus. She stops the police from harassing him and invites him over for dinner. Dylan goes to see his father in prison, and talks with the same Santa. Jackie is furious when Mel backs out of Christmas Eve plans because his estranged wife asked him to come over with David. Sam

Emily flies back from Paris to attend a seminar at La Jolla. She asks Brandon to meet her at the airport, claiming to have just a four-hour layover. She actually has a week until the beginning of her seminar, but Brandon breaks her heart by revealing that he is dating Kelly. When he sees her back to her hotel room, they share a passionate kiss. Steve and Griffin organize a holiday rave at an abandoned house. Valerie helps them out in the hopes of getting back in Steve's good graces. David and Clare accidentally post the notice about the event on a computer bulletin board for lesbians, who constitute most of the guests. The house has very poor wiring and continually blows fuses. Griffin uses too much electricity, and the house catches on fire. Ray rescues Steve and Valerie, who were fooling around in one of the bedrooms. Kelly and a girl named Allison are trapped in a downstairs bathroom with no means of escape. The fire fighters try to reach them as they are engulfed by flames.

Music:

Kelly suffers burns on her wrist, ear, and the side of her neck. Allison's injuries are much more severe, but she maintains a positive attitude. Brandon is wracked with guilt because of his feelings for Emily. Kelly does not react well when she learns that Emily is still in town. She calls Dylan to discuss her insecurities, and Brandon visits him in search of advice. Kelly believes that Brandon is only staying with her out of guilt, but Emily eases her mind when she reveals that he expressed his love for Kelly before the fire. Griffin's father hires an accomplished attorney to keep Steve and Griffin out of jail. They receive probation and community service, and are forbidden from operating dance clubs or parties for two years. Steve is furious to learn of this provision, especially after he discovers that Griffin stole the keys to the house, rather than obtaining permission to use it for the rave. He physically attacks Griffin and orders him to leave the fraternity. Ray's perpetual bad