The Walshes sign up for a neighborhood security patrol, but can't figure out how to work the alarm system. A wealthy African American family moves into the neighborhood. Brandon befriends freshman Robbie (who tries out for Blaze staff photographer), but gets into a car accident with his sister Charise. Charise commutes to her old school because she thinks that West Beverly is full of snobs. While Charise is having dinner with Brandon, her boyfriend Devo tries to visit her house and bring her flowers. He is harassed and beaten by the security patrol for no reason. Brandon wants to write a story about the incident, but initially receives little cooperation from Devo, Robbie and Charise.
This long-running drama dealt with the experiences of a group of young people in Beverly Hills, CA as they navigated high school, college and ultimately the real world. The series focused on their travails as they tried to maintain their friendship while dealing with romances, family and personal crises, tragedies and countless drug addictions.