Bobby surprises Pam by asking her join him on a business trip to Las Vegas. During the trip they are shocked to find brother Gary working at the hotel they are staying at. Lucy has been busy as well. While at a cattle auction with Jock and Ray, she ditches out with Pam's cousin Jimmy, Ray is not pleased. It turns out Jimmy is just her drive, he takes her to the diner her mother is working at. Lucy has been secretly visiting Valene. As Lucy and Val catch up, Bobby talks a reluctant Gary into returning to Southfork for a visit. Pam understands his reasons not too, but Gary eventually agrees. When Bobby calls Ellie with the news, she gives a stern warning to both Jock and J.R. Jock is not pleased and J.R begins to plot Gary's downfall even before he returns.

J.R's efforts to rid the family of Gary...again, begin to work. J.R pretends to help his younger brother, by including him in some Ewing business. The venture, however, is with a company doomed for failure, and Gary begins to feel the stress. Valene realizes what J.R is up to, but is unable to stop it. Pam has trouble of her own. A drunken Digger showed up at Southfork, while recovering from his binge, he tell Pamela he will no longer acknowledge her as his daughter because she is married to a Ewing.

Jenna Wade, Bobby's former love, returns to his life. She is trouble, and she and her daughter need his help. Bobby believes her daughter, Charlie, might be his, but Jenna will not confirm. J.R sees this as an opportunity to rid Southfork of Pam, and encourages Jenna to go after Bobby.

Bobby questions his role at Ewing Oil, as J.R's way of doing business does not sit well with him. Jock does not support this, and confronts J.R. During the discussion, Jock suffers a heart attack. Bobby deals with his father's illness, by joining Ray working at Southfork. Jock knows J.R is not telling him everything, and wants Bobby back to keep things on the straight and narrow at Ewing Oil, the company he started. While in the hospital, Jock finds out he needs open heart surgery. All the Ewings are there to support the patriarch of the family.

Sue Ellen is fearful Pam will produce the next Ewing heir before her. Sue Ellen is desperate, and decides to adopt. When she encounters obstacles, she decides a quicker method is required, and goes to extremes with a 'black market' baby. This deal is going to cost Sue Ellen cash, and decides she should meet the mother. Sue Ellen forms a maternal relationship with Rita Briggs, the mother of the unborn child.

Ed Haynes shows up in Dallas, causing conflict in Bobby and Pam's marriage. Pam was married to Ed, something she failed to tell Bobby. J.R of course uses the opportunity to stick it, again, to Pam. Ed was in the Vietnam war when Pam got the divorce, and claimed he never got the divorce papers, and claims that he and Pam are still married.

It's Lucy Ewing's birthday. Sue Ellen is planning the music, Pam brings her home dresses, and J.R is planning the guest list. Lucy is not pleased. She tries to convince Grandaddy Jock to let her invite her mother. Jock says he does not want Valene on the Ranch given how she left the last time. Lucy tries to explain that J.R lied, and her mother never took the bribe J.R offered, but he stands firm. Lucy leaves Southfork in the middle of the night, taking a guitar, and J.R's car with her. Eventually she is picked up by a con man, Willie Guest, who includes Lucy in some of his thefts and scams.

Pam finds herself once again in the middle, between her brother and the Ewing family. Cliff Barnes is in a race for state senator, and the Ewings, especially J.R, are not happy. Pam puts her full support behind Cliff, but is tricked by J.R into giving damaging information away.

During a storm, the Ewing plane, with both J.R and Bobby on board, crashes. The news gets to Ellie first, who, worried about his heart condition, insists the news be kept from Jock. As J.R and Bobby fight for survival, the Ewing women contemplate life with them in it. Sue Ellen is worried her place at Southfork is not secure without a Ewing heir. She comes across Lucy trying to get in touch with Gary, and argues with the young girl. Lucy taunts back that Sue Ellen will never have Southork without a child of her own. Miss Ellie confronts a reporter who comes to Southfork, and Jock overhears and is furious that the news has been kept from him.

When J.R was feared dead in the plane crash, Sue Ellen turned to Cliff Barnes for support. The relationship progressed, and while J.R is away again, the affair goes further. Bobby and Pam's relationship is tested as well. He wants her to help with business, she wants to pursue business of her own at The Store. Sue Ellen finds out she is pregnant, and drops Cliff fast. J.R is suspicious of the pregnancy, given how suddenly it occurs after seven years of marriage.

Pam, Bobby and Lucy join Ray out for a night of country music. Ray has become serious about country singer Garnett McGee. When Jock leaves Ray some land on Southfork, he pops the question to Garnett. Lucy wants to follow Garnett's lead and become a country singer, but the family refuse to allow it. Garnett wants more than Ray can offer, and hooks up with J.R who puts together a music contract for her, with added benefits.

Bobby Ewing decides a new venture in is order. His old buddy Guzzler Bennett returns to Dallas, and wants Bobby to join him in the construction business. Hitch is, they want to build a shopping mall on a remote part of Southfork. Ellie wants no part of the idea, and J.R has that land in mind for future oil drilling. Guzzler's selfish ways also put a strain on Bobby's relationship with Pam.

Kidnappers going after J.R Ewing, end up taking Bobby instead. The kidnappers want to use Cliff Barnes as the go between, but J.R cannot stay out of it. J.R overhears Cliff setting up a time to do the switch and he and Ray try to save Bobby.

Ellie's brother Garrison, presumed dead, shockingly shows up at Southfork. Ellie, knowing the Ranch was supposed to be his, tells the family she will be giving Southfork to Garrison. The family is not happy and J.R, of course, insults Garrison, causing the old man, who does not want Southfork, to fight back.

Sue Ellen's mother and sister arrive in Dallas, and just in the nick of time. Sue Ellen catches J.R with another woman, and moves in with her family. She also hooks up again with Cliff for support. J.R is not happy, but finally decides he wants his wife home, even if the baby she is carrying is not his!

Jock is getting tired of being treated like an invalid. J.R uses his father's heart attack to keep him out of Ewing Oil. Ellie attempts to keep all stress out his life. When Julie Grey, Jock's former secretary, arrives back in Dallas, Jock is thrilled to spend a lot of time with her. She does not treat him like the family, and two renew their relationship. Discovering the friendship, and keen to keep Jock away from Julie, J.R. tells his mother. Ellie frets over how to to deal with the situation.

J.R is not happy that Cliff is back in public office. He attempts to use Julie to get info about Cliff. She is tired of J.R, and decides she will actually help Cliff. She calls him and leaves him a message that she will fill him in on all the Ewings' secrets. Cliff heads to Julie's but does not find her. After a run in with Ames and Garr from the cartel, Julie ends up falling from the roof of the building.

Pam is sure that J.R is framing Cliff, and leaves Bobby and Southfork. Bobby holds J.R responsible, and promises to get to the bottom of things. Bobby goes to see Cliff, to see if he can help. Cliff is not happy to see any of the Ewings, and tells Bobby the only thing that can help is if the real killers are caught. Bobby is on the trail, and finds a key in Cliff's mail which was sent from Julie before her death. The key leads Bobby to a pawn shop where he find a briefcase containing important information.

Cliff tries to get Ewing information out of Sue Ellen, but she is not interested in helping him. He then tries Pam, who is hurt and angry about being used by her brother in the Ewing/Barnes feud. Meanwhile, with Pam away from Southfork, Kristin makes a play for Bobby. Lucy sees right through Kristin, as does J.R, but he encourages the relationship.

J.R. needs to get rid of Ben Maxwell, Cliff's backer at the OLM. Meanwhile, whilst still separated from Bobby, Pam makes friends with a model from The Store, Leanne Rees. Leanne happens to be a former prostitute, and J.R smells a plan that could kill two birds with one stone. Using a combination of money and blackmail, he creates a photo opportunity in which Pam looks like she too is into the world's oldest profession.

J.R is thrilled when Lucy becomes engaged to Kit Mainwaring. It will mean a potential business merger with Mainwaring Oil, which would be beneficial to Ewing Oil, and J.R. Unfortunately, Kit Mainwaring is gay. He eventually confesses this to Bobby, and then to Lucy. Lucy is heartbroken, but stands by Kit, and holds the secret. Only she and Bobby know the truth. But, of course, J.R. knew all along.

Sam Culver is someone J.R thinks is important, but Sam's wife, Donna Culver, is fooling around with Ray Krebbs. Bobby and Pam run into them one night while out, and Pam is worried about Ray being hurt again. Ray is not concerned, he is in love with Donna, and not Pam, Lucy or J.R is going to get in the way.

Lucy's a wreck after her breakup with Kit, and turns to drugs. Sue Ellen's battle with the bottle continues, even whilst pregnant. Despite efforts from Ray and Bobby, Lucy keeps on using, and one day when the addict and the drunk are alone at Southfork, they have a meeting in which Sue Ellen ends up falling down the stairs.

Sue Ellen is not happy in the sanitarium. Bobby visits her, and thinks that Cliff is the father of the baby. J.R visits, which does not make Sue Ellen any happier. She bribes a nurse for alcohol, and escapes, only to end up in a car accident.