Dom is faced with his parent's mortality when he returns home to Ireland to visit his ailing father. Dom's visit has a rehabilitating affect on his father. Dom goes drinking with his sister, Barbara, and his cousin, Peter; they lose track of time and make up an unbelievable story to explain for their tardiness. The roommates note Jon's personality changes. They watch as a scared Jon competes in a country music competition at the Borderline Bar; he wins the first round.

As the New York cast envisions the future of their successors, Dom, Tami and Jon make their way across the country in a motor home. Heather predicts that someone will leave early. Dominic, one of the new blood, expects no problems at all. Dominic and Tami arrive in Owensboro to pick up Jon and are immediately taken aback by his very ""country"" lifestyle. Dominic is most amazed by Jon's popularity at a local club, where he sings ""Boot Scootin' Boogie."" Jon worries about Dom's drinking habits, while Dom is unnerved that Jon doesn't drink at all. Jon objects when Tami asks the Magic 8 Ball, ""Will Jon get laid?"" He is very uncomfortable discussing his sex life and says that he doesn't believe in sex before marriage. Jon talks about how his parents reacted to Tami and Dom and offend both of them. Jon backs off, trying to maintain some civility during the road trip.

Beth causes a huge rift in the tentative friendship among the roommates when she brings all of them, including Dominic--who initially does not want to go--to a party that she wasn't even invited to. The roommates are asked to leave and everyone blames Beth. Dominic criticizes her for humiliating them. This spat occurs after Dominic confronts Beth about bringing her cat into the house without permission. The friction between them lessens as they begin to truly talk with each other. Meanwhile, the relationship between David and Jon becomes strained as they begin to realize how different they are. An argument about the mess left on the porch leads to David physically attacking Jon, which Aaron breaks up.

Beth S.'s history is related through her discussions with her roommates and her mother's visit to the loft. Jon observes Beth S. on the phone with an ex-boyfriend and steps in when things get uncomfortable. On arrival, Beth S.'s mom cleans the house and fixes a typical Polish meal for the roommates. Jon discovers more about the relationship between Beth S. and her mom through a private dinner them. Glen and Beth S. bicker at dinner and Jon talks with Glen and Aaron about picking on Beth S. Aaron confronts Beth S. about the disrespect he has shown towards her, while she confronts Glen, who admits that their relationship needs work. Beth S. wins everyone's respect when she beats them all at paintball.

As Dominic, Tami and Jon continue their trip to Los Angeles, the differences among them become more evident. They discuss religion and Jon feels ganged up on, as if Tami and Dom are trying to make sound like a bigot. They continue to harass Jon, complaining about his driving. When they stop in Vegas, Jon feels like a fish out of water. As they near LA, a heated conversation ends when Jon calls Tami trash. Tami is offended by the comment and complains that she feels degraded. They finally arrive at the house and run around like little kids until the other roomies arrive. After meeting everyone and settling into the house, Dom, Tami and Jon decide to have a fresh start now that they are in LA.

The group chooses to go on a camping trip to Joshua Tree, which proves to be too rigorous, especially when their guides get lost. The trip turns out to be a bonding experience when the roommates band together to confront their leaders about their lack of direction. The rest of the trip turns out to be even more challenging when rain, unappetizing food, and rough conditions make the roommates long for the comfort of their Venice home. Beth is the victim of a simulated rescue and trusts Aaron to guide her to safety. When forced to rock climb, Tami divulges her pregnancy, to the surprise of her roommates. Tami, unsuccessful at the climb, lashes out at Aaron about his big ego upon her return to solid ground.

Beth A. moves in to replace Irene as the seventh roommate. Everyone reacts to the new Beth differently as they learn more and more about her life. Tami's initial discomfort with Beth A. increases when she learns that she is a lesbian. Glen's band, Perch, is transplanted from Philadelphia and moves into the house, to the dismay of the other roommates. Aaron, Jon and Glen play an April Fool's joke on Dom, they move his car and tell him it was towed. Jon plays dumb until forced to come clean to an angered Dom.

It's the last few days in the house and the gang takes over the production room in the loft. They find out how it feels to be on the other side of the cameras. Becky expresses how the Real World is a real as it gets. Andre feels he has had some great experiences. Kevin confesses how cynical he was in the beginning and how much he's learned from the other members of the cast. Norman confesses that he is not afraid anymore to express his sexuality. The whole cast says their last goodbyes to the Big Apple.

Tami and her Studs date Kenya try to cheat on the show, hoping to win the $600. When the other team wins, Tami and Kenya decide to part ways. Though opposites, Aaron and Dominic admit to an exclusive friendship that alienates the other roommates. They show little respect for Jon or Beth. Beth's ""drama queen"" personality is illustrated when she goes on and on about her petty problems. Some of the roomies think Jon is lazy and unmotivated, while he insists that it will just take time for him to adjust to L.A. Irene feels like Jon is getting picked on, and her friendship with Jon deepens as she brings him home with her for the weekend. Jon impresses her when he does an impromptu performance at the Western Connection.

Tension in the house erupts when David tries to pull the covers off Tami as a practical joke that goes sour. Tami retaliates, and she and David fight. Beth steps in and incites the argument, ultimately accusing David of rape. Tami threatens to press legal charges, while David tries to plead his case to the male roommates. Beth denies being the instigator, claiming she was the only one that came to Tami's defense. Tami leaves the house with a suitcase, uncomfortable sleeping there that night. Irene feels unsafe and thinks that the house needs to have a meeting without David to discuss the situation. Aaron doesn't think that David should have to leave, but Irene says she will leave if he doesn't. David watches the discussion upstairs on a monitor…

The housemates invite David to the meeting and ask that he leave the house. David argues that Beth was responsible for escalating the argument, and reminds everyone of the time Beth showed Tami Dom's underwear when he was drunk. He says he will leave if they want him to, but he thinks Beth should leave too. David's attempts to apologize get him nowhere and he ultimately agrees to leave. Aaron wonders how this will affect David's career. In retrospect, the roommates conclude that it was the right decision and David admits to having learned his lesson.

As Irene's wedding draws near, the roommates are faced with the change that her departure will bring. Irene deals with her last moments with her roommates as we learn more about her relationship with her fiance. Beth's friends finally bring her the anticipated ""Men of UCLA"" calendar, featuring Aaron. Beth sees an opportunity to play a practical joke, so she gets Jon and Glen to wallpaper the house with Aaron's calendar photos. An angered Aaron feels the heat and jokingly accuses them of rape. Irene's wedding day is a happy and yet sad time. As the roommates celebrate her happiness, they reflect on their own wedding wishes. Beth and Tami conclude that Jon has fallen in love with Irene and will miss her the most, as their bond was the strongest.

A movie producer expresses interest in Jon playing the lead in his movie. Following his meeting with the producers, Jon flies home to Owensboro for a visit. Jon is relieved to return to a place where he belongs as he is welcomed home by his family and a huge crowd at the airport. Jon tries to experience as much of his home as possible, while recognizing his place in California. Jon speaks at an assembly at Burns Middle School; once his routine at home, he sings at his mentor's establishment, Goldies. Jon sadly returns to LA and decides not to go with the movie role, but the producer has given away the role already. Meanwhile, Aaron introduces Dom to his lifestyle--school and surfing.

Cory and Pedro are the first roommates we meet as they both get on the train to San Francisco. Pedro tells Cory he's HIV-positive and worries about how the others will react. Puck gets arrested on a bench warrant. Rachel and Judd meet and take a shuttle to the loft. Pam and Mohammed arrive later. The group's professions are examined. They all introduce themselves, but realize that there is someone missing. Puck gets out of jail and arrives late. Room selection then begins, as everyone argues over the single, but Pam eventually wins. They all get together for a group dinner. Afterwards, while looking through his scrapbook, the roommates learn that Pedro is not just HIV-positive, but has AIDS. Rachel explains her distress over how living with Pedro will affect the roommates.

A new roommate, Glen, is selected out of the three candidates that were sent to the house. Aaron's attempts to organize the selection process are vetoed by the other roommates. Glen moves in and Jon gives him the inside information on his new roommates. Glen has his first fight when he argues with Dom following an Inspiral Carpets concert.

As the roommates anticipate the end of the show, everyone discusses the impact that the public's reaction will have on their lives. The roommates analyze the changes they've made and the changes they see in the others, especially Jon. Aaron endures a hectic finals week at school, but looks forward to a culmination of years of studying as he prepares to graduate. The roommates all attend his graduation ceremony. Dom and Aaron value the friendship they now share. The roomies predict where they'll be in five years. An attempted final group confessional ends as quickly as it started when the typical bickering breaks out. Tami says goodbye to her roommates in a tearful display of affection.

Tami addresses the Outward Bound trip and the revelation of her pregnancy. She then tells the roommates that she has decided to terminate the pregnancy. Tami's announcement sparks various discussions between the roommates as they are forced to confront their own varied beliefs about abortion. Tami explains that she isn't ready to have children and despite her decision, Jon remains supportive. Tami's mother, while at first disappointed in her, goes with her to the clinic. Aaron's girlfriend, Erin, visits him at the loft and causes a bit of friction between Dom and Aaron as they both position themselves for her affections.

As the gang prepares for their trip to the pro-choice rally in D.C., Norman is falling head over heels for Charles. Charles doesn't seem quite as ready to make the same commitment. While the rest of the gang is at the rally, Julie finds a ""Reagan-Ville"" filled with homeless people. Julie makes a connection with one of the women in the makeshift community and ends up spending the night. The situation affects Julie deeply and the rest of the loftmates are impressed with Julie's openness to the situation.

Heather gets arrested and is questioned about her fight. Heather lets it be known that nobody can give her attitude, but she sure can give them a piece of her mind. After a little while, the police let her go and even ask her for an autograph. Heather and Eric fight like brother and sister in the loft. Her stubbornness mixed with Eric's thin skin lead to silly clashes on a regular basis. It all comes to a head when Heather and Eric wrestle through the loft like it's a WWF battle royal.

The roommates are at home saying good-bye to friends and family. They arrive at the Miami Beach house in pairs--Cynthia and Sarah, Flora and Joe, then Mike and Melissa. Dan arrives solo. The roommates explore the house; the girls vie over the upstairs bedroom. Joe and Sarah shock the roommates by jumping into the pool fully clothed.

It all begins with small-town country girl Julie and her family in Birmingham. Her family is nervous about the whole thing, but Julie is stoked about spending three months in the big city. The seven strangers arrive at the luxurious loft that they'll call home for the next three months. After introducing themselves, they explore the house and find a Love and Sex book. The sex discussion begins, focusing on innocent Julie and her virginity. At dinner, Kevin, Julie and Heather discuss prejudice and racism. Kevin is impressed with Julie's open attitude, considering where she grew up. In fact, Julie and her innocence and enthusiasm have already charmed everyone in the house.

The musically-oriented roommates stage an industry showcase at The Night Wind. Perch rehearses and performs despite the incomplete status of their songs. Dom arranges for the band he manages, Stik Kitty, to perform. The backup band that Jon sang with at the Western Connection plays with him at the showcase. Tami's attempt to railroad her band's placement in the showcase only draws bitterness from her roommates, illustrated through Glen's criticisms of the group's performance. The roommates all watch each other perform, as the showcase turns out to be a bonding experience for all.

The cast finds a white, ""alien-like"" dog on the street and name him Yoda. They want to keep the dog but decide to search for its owner. Becky and Andre say that the dog is just so ugly it's cute. Julie's mom comes for a visit and Julie plans to ""tire her out"" by doing the whole tourist scene in New York. They later get into a dispute about their relationship and debate on whether or not it is a good one. Andre's mom also comes for a visit and watches him play with his band.

The Real World New York cast reunites for the weekend as the second season is about to begin. Eric's success is a major bone of contention for the loftmates and he worries that there will be a lot of tension. The tension continues as Julie complains that Eric never returns her pages and that many of them have not stayed connected to each other. Becky and Norman, however, hang out on a regular basis. Norm even put together a Geo commercial with Heather, Julie and Andre. They discuss how people recognize them now and how many people assume that they were actors on a show rather than part of a documentary.

Tami and David's relationship is explored. Beth predicts that they will end up sleeping together. David offends Tami when an outing planned for her, David and Jon to spend some time together includes two of David's friends--right before they are supposed to go on a date. Tami cancels their date and they resolve to be just friends. Tami goes on Studs to expand her social life. David gets left behind on a group bowling night and goes with Tami and her date to the alley in a screaming rage. David and Dominic get into a verbal confrontation and Irene storms off in anger. A house meeting turns hostile when David gets defensive over his roommates' personal criticisms about his attitude.