Duke warns Brandon that he must pay off a $1500 debt by the end of the week. Brandon places a bet with a high school bookie and wins, but the guy cannot cover his bet. A desperate Brandon tries to rough him up. Nat realizes that Brandon is in trouble and pays Duke, but forces Brandon to promise that he will never place another bet. Kelly fears that she is losing her connection with Dylan. She becomes obsessed with her weight and starts taking diet pills. Dylan is hurt when Andrea requests an interview for the Blaze, but decides to write about his father to help deal with his pain. Andrea encourages Dylan's interest in writing and convinces Gil to let him enroll in AP English. David's producer ignores his hip-hop material and forces him to record a repetitive, syrupy ballad. David goes along with the producer's wishes, and gets dropped from his contract. Music: 'Jimmy Olsen's Blues' by the Spin Doctors; 'Midnight Rider' by The Allman Brothers Band, 'Shake Me, Wake Me' by The Four Tops.

Stone battles the Brooklyn D.A.'s office over prosecutorial jurisdiction in the case of a mentally handicapped man who confesses to the stabbing deaths of two women.