TV.com

A job transfer moves the Walsh family from small town Minnesota to glamour-capital Beverly Hills. Talk about a culture shock... Twins Brandon and Brenda attend West Beverly High, and find that priorities are different here than in farm country. Brandon meets the school newspaper editor, Andrea, a hard-nosed, go-getter, with a bit of a secret. He also befriends Steve, a spoiled rich kid with a bad attitude. Meanwhile, Brenda makes friends with popular Kelly and fashionista Donna, and David and Scott roam the halls as freshmen.

Andrea hands Brandon an assignment to write an editorial on being a transfer student at West Beverly and later bonds with a young student who is being bullied. Brandon befriends Dylan McKay, a loner with a bad-boy attitude, unlike straitlaced Brandon.

Brenda feels the pressure of being the odd-man-out while shopping on Rodeo Drive with Kelly and Tiffany, and goes to the extreme to fit in with their group. The Walsh family decides to hire a maid.

Brandon gets a weekend visit from Sheryl, an old flame from back home. She is set to sleep in Brenda's room, but finds her way into Brandon's bed. Tensions mount afterwards, when she takes a liking to Dylan and his wealthy ways. Meanwhile, Brenda babysits for her handsome algebra teacher, and brings along Kelly and Donna for support and snooping.

Brandon decides to try out for the basketball team, but finds out that there is a lot of competition. Steve bitterly suspects that some of the more talented student athletes are brought into school from out of district for the sole purpose of winning games. Andrea looks into it for the Blaze, but most of the allegations turn out to be false. Brenda continues with drivers training and then loses Brandon's car when trying to rescue Kelly from a date.

When an unreasonable grading curve causes Brandon's grades to slip, he considers cheating which damages his new friendship with Andrea. Meanwhile, Brenda decides to dye her hair blonde to impress Dylan, but the result is anything but flattering.

A mother/daughter fashion show is taking place at West Beverly, and Kelly's hip and glamorous mother is set to emcee the chic event. Brenda is enthralled by Kelly's cool mom and is so embarassed by her own mother, that she fails to mention the event to Cindy. Meanwhile, Brandon suggests that Andrea enter the event, but she refuses, fearing her out-of-district status may be exposed.

The Walshes celebrate their seventeenth anniversary, but Cindy feels dissatisfied because Jim is neglecting her for his work. Sparks fly when she runs into Glen, an old flame with a passion for art. Brandon and Brenda take part in a college study on twins, but are distracted by their parents' marital problems. Meanwhile, David becomes the new campus deejay after Steve chokes during his tryout.

When Brenda decides to volunteer at a teen crisis hotline, Andrea questions the popular girl's motives. But Brenda's devotion is proven above reproach when she successfully counsels a date rape victim. Meanwhile, Brandon develops an interest in an older woman, all while dodging the advances of a freshman admirer.

Sparks fly when Brenda returns home to find Dylan in her shower, wearing nothing but a towel. He finds her embarassment endearing and the two go out on their first date, which worries Jim and annoys Brandon. Dylan's family problems bring the couple even closer, and they share an explosive first kiss. Meanwhile, Steve flirts with the speaker for a school assembly but backs off when he learns she has AIDS.

When Jim and Cindy leave town for a weekend, Brenda convinces Brandon to help her throw a small, intimate party. Unfortunately, things don't go quite as planned. The small gathering turns into a major rager, and before long Casa Walsh is trashed. Worse, Brandon is arrested when he gets into a drunk driving accident. Meanwhile, a drunken Kelly sleeps with Steve and Dylan reveals he is an alcoholic.

Brandon is surprised to learn that his latest paramour, a scholarly senior with Ivy League ambition, is also a teen mother. He enjoys playing 'house' for a few days with Melissa and baby Joey. But when Melissa is rejected from Harvard because they fear she can't handle the stress of full-time school and parenting, he realizes that the notion isn't as romantic as it seems. Meanwhile, Brenda and Kelly win a radio contest, but their prize isn't exactly front-row concert tickets...

Brenda organizes a 'girls only' party for herself, Kelly, Donna, and Andrea. An appearance by Amanda, a friend of Kelly's, causes tension between the group. David and Scott catch word of what's happening, and turn up, hoping to get some pictures of the girls, but they end up busted. Meanwhile, Steve and Brandon pick up two girls, who show their true colors when they drive off with Steve's car.

The Walshes agree to let Carla, their maid's extremely intelligent niece, use their address to enroll at West Beverly High. Brandon falls hard for her and doesn't understand why everyone seems opposed to their relationship. Carla reveals that she witnessed a drive-by shooting that claimed the life of a four-year-old; she had moved in with Anna while waiting to testify, with protection from the D.A. Carla returns to her family after one of the killers confesses. Jim and Cindy organize a soiree for his new client, a sportswear designer. Dylan, Steve, and the girls receive free clothing. David wants MC Hammer to perform at the school dance.

The gang decide to go and enjoy Palm Springs Weekend. Brenda goes to meet Dylan at a hotel, but can't remember which one, and David leads Kelly and Donna into his vacant grandparents house... which isn't so vacant. Meanwhile, Brandon has to stay and work at The Peach Pit, and catches a young boy stealing from the cash register.

Brandon is rollerblading in the park while the television show Keep It Together is filming an episode. The producers seek him out as an emergency replacement for one of the extras. He hits it off with the star, Lydia Leeds, and is considered for a recurring role. However, Lydia is only using him to make her leading man/boyfriend jealous so that he will end his holdout. Brenda fills in for Brandon at the Peach Pit. She is in over her head until she adopts the persona of Laverne, a sassy, gum-chomping waitress. She quickly charms all of the customers with her wisecracks and lip-synch routines.

Andrea persuades Brandon to run for class president. Kelly seizes control of the campaign and encourages Brandon to capitalize on his looks and image. She even agrees to a date with David in exchange for his help producing a campaign video. Brandon decides that he isn't the best man for the job after talking with his bright and dedicated opponent. Brenda, feeling neglected by family and friends, begins hanging out at a coffeehouse. Sky, a performance artist, convinces Brenda to drop out of high school and get her GED so that she can "experience life." Brenda moves out of the Walsh house to apartment-sit for Sky. She learns that life as an artist is not as romantic as it seems, as Sky's utilities are turned off and her furniture is repossessed.

Everyone but Dylan is driven into a frenzy by the upcoming SATs. A completely panicked Andrea seeks help from Steve, who attended an expensive SAT prep course. During their study session, they end up kissing, and avoid each other for days. Kelly reads an article about breast health, so the girls take time out from studying for a self-exam. Brenda discovers a lump in her breast and must undergo a biopsy. Cindy and Brenda are haunted by memories of Cindy's sister Sheila, who died of breast cancer. Brandon cannot concentrate during his SAT, so he leaves during the exam to go to the hospital. (He and Brenda are to take a make-up test at a later date.) Brenda is relieved when she receives a clean bill of health.

Brandon interviews Roger Azarian for a senior profile in the Blaze. Roger is an outstanding student and athlete, but is overwhelmed by the legacy of his father; a self-made millionaire. Roger asks Brandon to read a screenplay that he has written. Brandon is disturbed by the autobiographical aspects of the script, as it ends with the lead character murdering his father. Brandon finds a gun in Roger's car and fears that he is going to kill his father. He tracks down the missing Roger in his poolhouse, where he is actually contemplating suicide. After receiving terrible SAT scores, Donna decides to become a "bad girl", skipping classes and taking up smoking. She is diagnosed with a learning disability that inhibits her test-taking skills. Brenda and Brandon receive identical scores on the SAT (1190).

A dog follows Brenda home from a jog. She tries desperately to find the animal a home so that she won't have to take it to a shelter. Brandon and Steve must take over Jim's Little League team after he injures his back during infield practice. Brandon is disgusted with the whole experience, particularly the undue influence of the league president (father of the star pitcher) and the players' attitudes. He arranges a practice game with Nat's team of underprivileged kids, where one of his players taunts the hapless second baseman. Brandon stomps off when Steve won't let him remove the boy from the lineup. He stays with the team out of loyalty to his father, but also helps Nat's squad. The fortunes of Nat's team begin to turn around when Andrea brings in a female superstar.

Brenda tries to convince Andrea to ask Brandon to the Spring Dance, but Kelly beats her to it. Steve reluctantly takes Donna, who wears an elaborate gown that impedes sitting or dancing. He ignores her, gets drunk, and lashes out at Brandon and Kelly. Kelly admits her crush on Brandon, and they kiss. However, he nixes a relationship because he thinks of her as a sister. Steve reveals that it is his birthday, and that he is especially sensitive about this after recently learning that he is adopted. He had confided in Kelly, but she forgot because she was caught up in her quest to become Spring Queen. Brenda and Dylan check into a hotel room upstairs, and she loses her virginity. While watching a horror movie, Andrea daydreams about chasing Kelly with a chainsaw. She decides to go to the dance alone. David wins a dance contest, and receives the right to dance with Spring Queen Kelly.