Dallas

J.R. lies close to death as the Ewing family reassembles to wait for news of his fate and the police search for clues and suspects in the shooting. All hope for J.R. to regain consciousness and the possibility that he will be able to shed some light on the identity of his assailant.

As J.R. undergoes his second operation, Bobby takes over Ewing Oil with Jock's blessing. Sue Ellen tries to combat the guilt that makes her believe she may have shot her husband in a drunken stupor as she unsuccessfully fights against the operation that could either let J.R. walk again or cost him his life. Alan Beam is brought back to Dallas by the police, Cliff Barnes is taken into custody, and Marilee Stone institutes a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Ewings. Lucy meets and is frustrated by a poor medical student who resists her advances.

J.R. fights to overcome the helplessness of his paralysis as Bobby finds that his efforts to run Ewing Oil are thwarted by J.R., even from his hospital bed. One thing that J.R. can't control is the fact that Miss Ellie finds the gun used to shoot her son and the evidence points to someone in the immediate family. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen tries to deal with her continuing nightmares that indicate that she is the one who shot her husband. Otherwise, J.R.'s power is felt throughout Dallas as Cliff Barnes gets suspended from his job and Bobby is frustrated in his efforts to run Ewing Oil.

Sue Ellen's fingerprints are identified on the gun that was used to shoot J.R. and she is arrested and jailed in the shooting of her husband. She is further devastated when the Ewings abandon her, leaving her to languish in jail. After bail is mysteriously posted from an unknown source, Sue Ellen seeks solace from her sister, Kristin. She also seeks answers to the extent of her guilt through hypnosis sessions with her psychiatrist, Dr. Ellby.

Bobby, Ewing Oil's new president, finds the power intoxicating, which promotes apprehension in both Pamela and J.R., but for different reasons. Bobby works hard to buy an oil refinery, something Jock has always wanted and which J.R. could never accomplish. When J.R. learns of his intentions he tries to sabotage Bobby's plan which leads to another inevitable clash between the two brothers.

The conflict between J.R. and Bobby escalates as Bobby refuses to step down as president of Ewing Oil. Jock finds himself helplessly caught in the middle of the conflict between his two sons because Bobby seems to be doing a better job than J.R. for Ewing Oil, even making a deal for Venezuelan oil to supply the new refinery. Meanwhile, Pam continues to search for her mother and Lucy tries to introduce Mitch to her friends with disastrous results.

The sinking of an oil tanker and the loss of 600,000 gallons of crude oil has J.R. delighted but to Bobby it's only a minor inconvenience until he discovers that the oil was not insured and the loss could total over $18,000,000 for Ewing Oil. At the ranch Ray greets a very unwelcome guest, his father, Amos Krebbs, whom he hasn't seen or heard from since he was 3 and who has some very disturbing news for the entire Ewing family.

An extortionist threatening to blow up Ewing 23 gives J.R. an opportunity to put a halt on his fading fortunes with the company and the family by out maneuvering Bobby. In the meantime, Ray has to come to grips with his new found identity and face the fact he may be losing Donna to Cliff Barnes.

Pamela Ewing believes she has at last found her mother, Lucy asks Mitch to marry her, and J.R. closes in on what he thinks is his brother's reckless running of Ewing Oil. The woman Pam thinks is her mother dashes all hopes of a reconciliation and Pam abandons her quest. In the meantime, Lucy and Mitch defy all of the built-in pitfalls to their romance and J.R. stumbles onto a scheme which he intends to use to put Bobby in trouble with their father.

J.R. encourages his father to consumate a business deal, fully aware that the venture will conflict with his brother's investment plans and leave Ewing Oil with a serious cash flow problem under Bobby's leadership. Meanwhile, Pam, feeling she places a poor second to her husband's work, receives the attention she is lacking from Bobby and Lucy makes an appointment which is unsettling to the Ewing clan.

J.R.'s attention to Lucy's future sister-in-law is almost enough to divert his intention of getting Bobby's job as head of Ewing Oil, but he is quick to capitalize on his brother's rash actions. Mitch's sister and mother arrive for the upcoming wedding and J.R. takes an immediate interest in the new arrivals, which worries Sue Ellen. Bobby finds himself in a tough position after he enters into an oil drilling agreement which will put the company back on good terms with the cartel, even though he knows that Jock has already invested its capital in land development. J.R. delights in the bind in which his brother has placed the company and investigates a scheme of his own to make Bobby look bad in their father's eyes.

Events at Lucy and Mitch's wedding at Southfork have far more impact on the Ewing family than is apparent to the assembled guests. Sue Ellen disocvers that J.R. is much too friendly with Mitch's sister and consequently makes her own play for an old boyfriend. J.R. is not as delighted as he expected to be when Bobby resigns as president of Ewing Oil and Miss Ellie shocks Jock by accusing him of behavior for which she can never forgive him.

J.R. may have met his match in a high pressure public relations woman whom he hires to improve his tarnished image as he resumes the reins of Ewing Oil. The prospect of a national image as the All-American business man is attractive to J.R. but even more so is the provocative woman who proposes working to replace his horns with a halo. Meanwhile, J.R. is confused by Bobby's actions after giving up the presidency of the company, as is Pam, whom Sue Ellen discovers having a rendezvous with a male business associate. At Southfork, coolness prevails as Miss Ellie is unforgiving with Jock for his part in the recent events in the Ewing family.

J.R. takes steps to re-establish his power and increase his wealth, even if it means reshaping history and violating the laws of the land. His campaign for power puts J.R. further under the influence of Leslie Stewart, who, much to his frustration, keeps her new client at arm's length. He also goes ahead with his plans to topple the government which confiscated his foreign oil fields even though it could lead to prison if he is caught. Bobby's ambition to purchase a solar energy company again alienates him from Pam and Sue Ellen combats Leslie by resuming an old friendship with Clint Ogden. Cliff Barnes is disappointed by Donna Culver and Miss Ellie continues her resentment of Ray's influence with Jock.

J.R.'s conniving affects the lives of Bobby, Pam, Cliff, Donna, and Ray, but Sue Ellen is ignored as he refuses to acknowledge the fact that she is being followed. J.R.'s influence seems to have no bounds as he works to make sure that Cliff Barnes does not get chosen to run for public office. When his plans backfire and draw in Bobby and Pam he is even more pleased at what fortune has brought him, which even includes an implied promise from Leslie Stewart. In the meantime, Sue Ellen can't get anyone to believe that she is being followed and J.R. could not care less, so she takes matters into her own hands.

Luck seems to be following J.R. as his foreign coup brings the cartel back to Ewing Oil to please his father but Jock has his own surprise for the family. Romance is still alive but not all is well in the Ewing family as Donna Culver and Ray are reunited and plan to marry. Mitch discovers that Lucy has been lying to him and Sue Ellen is shocked to find Dusty Farlow still alive but unwilling to resume their old relationship.

Donna Culver becomes the new Mrs. Ewing as she and Ray marry. The newlyweds' happiness is not reflected in the rest of the Ewing family as the cold war between Jock and Miss Ellie escalates. Bobby forms a new alliance with Cliff Barnes but his growing jealousy over Pam compels him to a confrontation with Alex Ward. Lucy is happy to win the title of Miss Young Dallas which again makes Mitch feel inferior. And Leslie Stewart succeeds in driving a wedge between J.R. and the cartel to further her own ambitions.

J.R. succumbs to the cunning Leslie Stewart, who now knows she has the head of Ewing Oil right where she wants him. While Leslie reels in her catch, Bobby is caught in the middle of Jock and Miss Ellie's feud. He is put in the same uncomfortable position while taking his new place on the senate committee which will decide the future of Takapa. Pam enters a new phase in the relationship with her and Cliff's mother. Sue Ellen continues to seek comfort from Clint Ogden and the new "Young Miss Dallas" makes life very difficult for Mitch.

Discord haunts the head of the Ewing clan as Jock threatens to sell the company business if Miss Ellie divorces him. Jock and Ellie become even more estranged when they learn Bobby is on the senate committee investigating the Takapa development project. J.R. manipulates Jock into declaring he'd sell Ewing Oil if he and Ellie are divorced. Lucy's "Young Miss Dallas" career is actively driving a wedge into her marriage to Mitch. Cliff gets wind of J.R.'s involvement in the Asian Oil scam while Pam warns her mother about Cliff's motives. Clint urges Sue Ellen to divorce J.R.

Donna and Ray try to reconcile Jock and Miss Ellie but find there is more to their discontent than the Takapa project. Miss Ellie has consulted an attorney regarding divorce and J.R. accelerates his efforts to sell out Ewing Oil. Leslie Stewart's past performances are revealed when her ex-husband shows up in Dallas. Bobby stuns the senate hearings on Tapaka and the differences between Mitch and Lucy grow wider.

Jock and Miss Ellie's reconciliation results in a second honeymoon for them and the stalling of J.R.'s scheme to sell Ewing Oil. Westar Oil's Jeremy Wendell plots revenge on J.R. for reneging on their deal and Donna threatens J.R. after he sets up Ray for a falling out with the family. Sue Ellen meets Clint's wife and Leslie earns some accolades from her ex-husband for her manipulations of J.R.

Kristin Shepard returns to Southfork and reveals another scheme. Sue Ellen meets with Dusty again and Lucy moves out on Mitch. Cliff uses Westar's help in building evidence against J.R. and hands it over to Bobby's senate committee. J.R. consults a lawyer about custody of John Ross and Rebecca and Cliff meet at last.

In the season finale J.R. faces the possible loss of Ewing Oil and a jail sentence for his role in the Asian oil scandal. J.R. also has to deal with a blackmail scheme by Kristin Shepard and attempts by Sue Ellen to take John Ross away from him which lead up to a horrifying discovery by Cliff Barnes at Southfork.