Due to her erratic behavior and alcoholism, Sue Ellen is sent to a sanitarium. When she is able to escape, Sue Ellen delivers her baby following a near-death experience. Meanwhile, Bobby begins to suspect that Cliff is the father of Sue Ellen's baby.
J.R. becomes worried when Sue Ellen begins to drink while she is pregnant. Lucy also begins to head down a path of self-destruction when she begins to take drugs after her engagement falls apart.
Ray falls for Donna McCullum and J.R. uses the fact that Donna is married to Senator Sam Culver in his plot to stop Cliff.
J.R. believes he can create a business dynasty when Lucy announces that she is engaged to the son of a Texas oil family.
J.R. finds the perfect opportunity to make Pam look bad after she becomes friends with a former call girl.
While Pamela is out of town, Kristin tries to seduce Bobby.
Pamela is convinced J.R. framed Cliff for Julie's death so Bobby sets out to find out what really caused Julie's death.
J.R. has Cliff arrested for murder when Julie is found dead.
Jock gets back together with Julie, his former secretary, who doesn't treat him nice because of his heart attack.
When J.R. strays from his marriage once again, Sue Ellen leaves Southfork to stay with her mother and sister.
Miss Ellie is beyond belief when her brother, Garrison, who has been presumed dead for several years, returns to Southfork very much alive.
When Bobby is kidnapped, J.R. and Ray come together to stage a rescue.
Guzzler, an old friend of Bobby's arrives in Dallas and the two decide to do business together by opening a shopping mall in Southfork. However, the rest of the Ewings are strongly against their plan.
A love triangle emerges when Ray decides to pop the question to Garnett McGee, a country singer, but she falls for J.R. when he lands her a recording contract.
Sue Ellen is devastated when after having an affair with Cliff, she learns she's pregnant and does not know who the father is.
Sue Ellen and Pamela fear the worst about their husbands when they receive news that the Ewing Oil plane has crashed.
J.R. tries to stop Cliff Barnes from running for state senate and gets help in doing so from Pamela.
It's Lucy's birthday, but after a fight with Jock, she runs away from home.
Pam is thrown for a loop when her ex-husband arrives in Dallas claiming they are still legally married. Upon hearing this, J.R. decides to use it to his advantage.
Worried about not being able to produce a Ewing heir before Pamela does, Sue Ellen decides to pursue illegal adoption.
Jock suffers a heart attack and must undergo bypass surgery to survive. Meanwhile, Bobby is sceptical of J.R.'s business ideas.
Jenna Wade, Bobby's ex-girlfriend, arrives in Dallas seeking Bobby's help. Meanwhile, J.R. hopes that Pam's jealousy will make her decide to leave Dallas.
JR is frustrated with Gary back, and even more so with the return of Val, but he soon gets his way, as JR often does.
The Ewing family is complete when Bobby and Pam find Gary, the long-lost third Ewing brother. But J.R. has other plans: Get Gary out of the house. Something happens to only strengthen the bond between the family and Gary, Lucy brings her mother back to Southfork
