J.R. is seriously wounded. At the hospital, the Ewing family awaits news, and the police search for clues and suspects. Sue Ellen has no memory of the previous evening. Cliff states his innocence to Pam. As J.R. recovers consciousness, all wait for him to reveal the name of the attacker.

Bobby agrees to run Ewing Oil in J.R.'s absence but only with Jock's support for his autonomy. Sue Ellen feels guilty that she may have shot J.R. in a drunken stupor. Bobby settles things with Marilee Stone. According to ballistics, Cliff is in the clear. Lucy meets a young medical student called Mitch Cooper. J.R. needs an operation on his spine if he ever hopes to walk again.

Sue Ellen is having recurrent nightmares about J.R.'s shooting, whilst the man himself fights to overcome the helplessness of his paralysis. Bobby finds that his efforts to run Ewing Oil are thwarted by J.R., even from his hospital bed. Kristin is being extra nice to Sue Ellen. Lucy continues to see Mitch. Jock finds J.R.s gun in his wardrobe - it's been fired twice.

Sue Ellen's fingerprints are identified on the gun that was used to shoot J.R. and she is arrested. Feeling abandoned by the family, her bail is posted by an unknown source and she seeks solace from Kristin. Bobby continues to find obstacles to him doing business. Dr Ellby puts Sue Ellen under hypnosis to try and remember what happened the night J.R. was shot. What she remembers solves the mystery of "Who Shot J.R."

Kristin gives the police J.R.s pack of lies, the case is closed, and she and is banished to California. J.R.s brush with death has not mellowed him, and he fights dirty to regain control of Ewing Oil. Bobby gives the order to reopen Ewing 23 but needs a refinery. He works hard to try and buy one but is thwarted at every turn.

J.R. and Bobby are in conflict over who is running Ewing Oil which puts Jock in the middle. J.R. makes some plans to make Bobby's' life very difficult. Pam continues to look for her mother. Lucy introduces Mitch, her new boyfriend, to her friends with embarrassing results. Bobby charters a huge tanker from Venezuela to supply his refinery with crude oil.

Bobby's oil tanker sinks with over 600,000 barrels and is not insured. Cliff is seeing Donna with a view to working for Dave's campaign. Bobby does some detective work and finds out how devious J.R.'s plan really is. Amos Krebbs, whom Ray hasn't seen or heard from since he was three, shows up at Southfork with some very disturbing news for the entire Ewing family.

Ray is adjusting to the previous episode's revelations, and his status as a Ewing. Cliff and Donna are an item, and Ray is disappointed when he finds out. An extortionist threatening to blow up Ewing 23 gives J.R. the opportunity to put a halt to his fading fortunes with the company and the family by out-manoeuvring Bobby.

Bobby is trying to recover the devastated Ewing 23 field, but J.R and Jock oppose his plan. Pam believes she has at last found her mother, but things are not as simple as they might seem. Cliff continues to support Dave Culver's career. Lucy proposes marriage to Mitch and J.R. stumbles into a scheme which he intends to use to put Bobby in trouble with Jock.

J.R. encourages Jock to invest in Punk's land project at Takapa Lake, fully aware that this will conflict with Bobby's plans to invest in Jordan Lee's deal. J.R and Sue Ellen are closer then ever. Jock is angry at having his actions questioned. Pam feeling a poor second to Bobby's work, receives the attention she is lacking from a business associate, Alex Ward.

J.R. is back to normal, sleeping with his secretary behind Sue Ellen's back. Bobby finds himself in a tough position after he enters an oil drilling agreement. Cliff and the Culvers set their argument out against the Takapa project to the Daughters of the Alamo. Mitch's sister, Afton, and their mother arrive for the upcoming wedding. J.R. takes an immediate interest in Afton, which worries Sue Ellen.

Gary and Valene fly in for the wedding. Bobby knows that dealing with Westar will mean a betrayal for some independents. At Lucy and Mitch's wedding, Sue Ellen makes a play for an old boyfriend, Clint Ogden, to get even for J.R.'s sleeping with Afton. Miss Ellie is upset over Ray "replacing" Gary. Bobby makes a final decision.

Bobby gets J.R. to give him control of Ewing 23 in return for his resignation and J.R. hires a high-pressure public relations woman named Leslie Stewart to improve his tarnished image. Pam is still getting little attention from Bobby and sees Alex Ward again. J.R. gets Afton a singing job. Sue Ellen discovers Pam having a rendezvous with Alex.

J.R.'s campaign for power puts him further under the influence of Leslie Stewart who, much to his frustration, keeps him at arm's length. The two sides of the Takapa project move forward in their plans. Alex makes a play for Pam. Sue Ellen sees Clint again. Miss Ellie expresses her anger to Jock. J.R. moves ahead with his plans to topple the southeast Asian government which confiscated his foreign oil wells.

J.R. uses his influence to make sure that Cliff Barnes does not get chosen for public office. Lucy is onto Afton's gold-digging. Pam makes her choice between Alex and Bobby. Donna and the officials approach Bobby about the Senate position, but Cliff is furious. Donna finishes with Cliff. Sue Ellen can't get anyone to believe that she is being followed, and J.R. couldn't care less, so she takes matters in her own hands.

J.R.'s successful involvement in the Asian coup brings the cartel back onside. Donna and Ray are reunited and plan to marry. Leslie tries to get J.R. to share his secrets with her, for her own reasons. Pam isn't happy with Bobby's campaign and again feels sidelined. Sue Ellen discovers that Dusty is alive but unwilling to resume their old relationship. Jock makes a shock announcement.

Miss Ellie is furious at Jock's move to incorporate Ray into the Ewing sons' trust fund. Bobby is elected to the State Senate. Leslie interferes with J.R's plans. Lucy bids to become "Miss Young Dallas". With Dusty behind her, Sue Ellen and Clint get closer. Donna and Ray are married at the courthouse. Bobby forms a new business alliance with Cliff Barnes, but his growing jealousy over Pam forces a confrontation with Alex Ward. Miss Ellie and Jock's cold war escalates.

Bobby find he's on the committee for the Takapa project, putting him between Jock and Miss Ellie. Pam and Cliff's mother, Rebecca, returns. Sue Ellen and Clint continue their affair. Leslie Stewart makes her move on J.R.

Mitch feels out of his depth, and undermined, by Lucy. Jock walks out on Miss Ellie. The scheming Leslie twists J.R. round her little finger. Clint tells Sue Ellen to divorce J.R. Cliff gets interesting information about the Asian coup. Jock threatens to sell the company if Miss Ellie divorces him, leading J.R. to make some plans with Jeremy Wendell.

Clint puts his feelings for Sue Ellen on the line. Donna and Ray try to reconcile Jock and Miss Ellie only to find their problems run deeper than the Takapa project. As J.R. accelerates his efforts to sell Ewing Oil to Westar, Leslie Stewart's ex-husband shows up in Dallas. Cliff learns Pam's secret, and meets up with Afton Cooper. Jock and Miss Ellie finally come head to head.

Jock and Miss Ellie's reconciliation results in a second honeymoon and the stalling of J.R.'s scheme to sell Ewing Oil. Punk has another land project for Ray, to the family's dismay. Leslie Stewart moves in on Westar. Sue Ellen agrees to meet Clint's wife, after which she makes a decision. Wendell is furious over J.R.'s change of mind and moves to take revenge.

Kristin Shepard returns from California to reveal another scheme. Cliff agrees to meet his mother. Sue Ellen meets Dusty again. Lucy moves out on Mitch. Cliff uses Westar's help to build a case against J.R. in connection with the southeast Asian coup, and hands the materials over to Bobby's Senate committee. Things heat up for J.R.

The pressure on J.R. and Ewing Oil increases. Sue Ellen and the Farlows make plans for her escape. Kristin demands more from J.R. Ray is offered a big deal by Punk, and makes a rash move. Leslie makes her move against J.R. with Westar. The committee make their judgement over Ewing Oil. Cliff makes a shock discovery at Southfork.