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.

Hmm...what's going on with Julie and Eric? There is some obvious flirting between the two, but they don't seem to be doing anything about it. After Eric appears in a Jovan Musk commercial that gets him highlighted on television, the whole loft discusses nudity, pornography and whether or not Eric is just selling himself and his good looks to the highest bidder. Heather invites Julie and Eric to visit the studio where she is recording a song for her upcoming album, The System Sucks. It's clear from Heather's hard work and her producer's aggressiveness that the recording business is rough. The sexual tension between Julie and Eric continues as Julie makes her interest more obvious: harassing Eric on the phone, being overtly jealous when Eric talks about his girlfriend Missy, and, as Eric says, showing up in his bed one morning to talk about ""pancakes."" But Eric seems to be into her too--he even shows off for Julie at her hip-hop dance class. Julie is excited by Eric's efforts and his wil

Julie gets lost on her way to a new dance studio because she can't follow the directions that Eric gives her. While she is getting critiqued on her performance, Eric is getting naked with a female model at a fitness magazine shoot. When Eric and the model, Taryn, get a little hot and heavy during the shoot, the photographer encourages them. After the shoot, Taryn and Eric begin dating. But Eric is confused by the relationship, as their dates only consist of strange things like trying on ""rocker clothes"" (think leather chaps and sequins). Eric doesn't really understand what she sees in him. Andre's band, Reigndance, is practicing for an upcoming show when the cops show up and shut the rehearsal down. The band plans to perform anyway, and at Julie's urging, several of the roommates watch the show. Grateful for their support, Andre dedicates the song ""Redspot"" to his roommies.

Becky is in the studio recording her song, ""Mr. Sunshine."" It's clear she's looking for some action, as she cuddles with friend/producer Adam. Becky later dresses up for a party at the Limelight by putting Dixie cups in her bra. Heather is unnerved by Becky's overt sexual behavior, especially as Becky gets more out of control as the party rages on. A house meeting is called after Heather and Becky wake up Kevin by jumping in his bed after the party. Tension runs high as the roommates gang up on Eric and his visiting sister. Eric feels like nobody gives him a fair shot. Heather suggests he either live with it or go to a hotel. After the meeting, Kevin writes Eric a long letter about their relationship and the current conflicts. The roomies pass around and discuss the letter. Eric gets angrier about the letter as he waits for Kevin to return home. When Kevin does arrive, Eric verbally attacks him for being so passive-aggressive.

Kevin and Eric go outside to discuss their issues. The argument dies down as the two talk about stereotypes and their inherent differences. They shake hands. Kevin takes Morris, a teenage boy he is mentoring, to dinner and an art exhibit and talks to Morris about having a commitment to help others. Eric is also doing some community service as a probation requirement: He works in a basketball program for troubled kids. But he's got other things on his mind as he anxiously awaits Missy's arrival at the loft. Kevin and Eric become closer as they discuss Missy and Eric's relationship with her. Eric then cements the deal when he invites Kevin to a Knicks game, where the two meet Isaiah Thomas. Kevin gets a chance to peek into Eric's private life as he watches him interact with his dad, an NBA referee.

Julie and Kevin's brother/sister dynamic continues as they discuss sex, expectations and fantasies. The roommates, however, are a little bit miffed that Kevin is spending increasingly more time away from the loft, so they decide to play a little prank on him. They toss a bunch of personas in a hat and take on the characters, hoping to fool Kevin into thinking that things have changed while he has been away. Everyone gets into the game, especially Julie, who announces, ""I get to be a whore!"" Kevin returns to the loft, and overwhelmed by what he sees, rushes out of the house. His frightened roomies wonder if he's coming back.

The cast is worried about Kevin because no one knows where he went. Once he returns, they show him the video they made of the joke they played on him and he eventually forgives them. Later, Kevin confesses he considered quitting the show because he thought his roommates were so weird. Meanwhile, Heather constantly professes her love for Hornets basketball player Larry Johnson and says she plans to grab his ass if she ever meets him. Julie and Heather actually attend the Knicks-Hornets game, and Heather flirts incessantly with Larry Johnson afterwards. No booty-grabbing though--this show is strictly G-Rated. A package arrives, informing the ladies of the house that they will spend a week in Jamaica. Becky may need a vacation after the ugly argument she has with Kevin about racism in America.

The girls head off to Jamaica, Mon. They hit the beach to scope out the men, and they aren't too proud to beg for some lovin'. The guys are left at the loft in freezing cold New York and are forced to bond with each other. The girls do it all: water-ski, party and enjoy the rays. While relaxing in the spa, the girls picture the guys at home being bored and missing the girls. Back at home, Andre and Kevin head off to a night on the town and talk for the first time. They find themselves not as different from each other as they originally thought. Norman also is far from bored as he develops a relationship with Charles Perez, who he thinks may be the man of his dreams. Julie and Heather leave Jamaica a little disappointed by the available men. Becky, however, returns to NY with a new boyfriend in tow. But he's not from Jamaica; he's from the control room of the loft. Becky is getting it on with a Real World director.

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.

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.

Crying hysterically, Julie explains to Norman and Eric that she and Kevin had a fight about a phone call and that Kevin threw a candleholder at her. She is scared of Kevin, thinks he is a psycho, and never wants to be alone with him again. Kevin denies brandishing the candleholder and says that the fight wasn't his fault, because Julie was rude to him on the phone and may have cost him a job. Kevin needs to get some space, so he goes back to Jersey City and walks through his old neighborhood with his girlfriend. The time does him some good and he decides to return to the house to deal with the situation with Julie. They go outside and continue to argue about the fight and differences. After a lot of yelling and harsh words, they finally calm down and apologize to each other. To let it all go, Kevin and Eric throw a big birthday bash. But the fighting isn't over, as Heather tussles with a guest and the police arrive...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.