Pressured by Angela, Lance proposes to Melissa Agretti with the consolation in mind that they dislike one another and that he knows Melissa will reject his proposal. When she surprisingly accepts his offer, Lance is forced to go through with the ceremony. Melissa has her own cunning reasons for marrying Lance, aside from her father and Angela's scheme to merge Falcon Crest with the Agretti Vineyards. When Cole fumes about the arrangement, Melissa assures him that her marriage to Lance won't interfere with their relationship. Another wedding almost takes place as Vicky and Mario decide to elope, but they change their minds at the last minute. Lance discovers that Melissa is pregnant.

When Douglas is buried, Angela tries to keep Emma sedated to prevent her from testifying. Angela could lose Falcon Crest to Chase if his attorney can prove that Jason died under suspicious circumstances. When the coroner's inquest resumes, the D.A. mounts a circumstantial case that is easily rebutted by Philip when Emma is unable to testify. Defying her mother, Emma manages to escape from Falcon Crest and arrives to take the stand, confessing how she accidentally pushed Jason to his death while he fought with Turner Bates. The jury rules that Jason "died at the hands of another," thereby giving Chase control of Falcon Crest, but he magnanimously offers fifty percent of the vineyard to Angela. Though Angela detests the thought of sharing Falcon Crest with anyone, she has no choice and accepts. Another threat looms as Angela learns of Douglas's illegitimate son, Richard Channing, who has inherited fifty percent of The Globe.

Doctors give Melissa's premature baby, Joseph, who suffers from a host of health problems, a twenty percent chance of survival. Richard uses a lucrative job offer to entice Tony into securing Julia's agreement to sell off her interests in Falcon Crest and The New Globe. However, the plan backfires and Julia is devastated; Tony realizes Richard's job offer wasn't real. When Cole goes on the run to avoid facing trial for the murder of Carlo Agretti, Melissa agrees to a second autopsy of her father's body hoping it will help clear Cole. The autopsy reveals that the killer must have been right-handed, whereas Cole is left-handed, and the charges are therefore dropped.

At the Tuscany Valley Cemetery, a funeral is in progress that will drastically affect the lives of everyone at Falcon Crest. After admitting to the murder of Carlo Agretti, Julia pulls out a gun, critically wounds Chase and fatally wounds his mother Jacqueline. At Jacqueline's funeral, Chase's cousin, Dr. Michael Ranson, appears for the first time and is taken into the Gioberti household. At the prison, Julia fights Angie's attempts to help prove her innocence, believing prison is better than living under Angela's tyrannical control. Lance feverishly pursues Melissa, who is horrified that his mother murdered her father and who vows never to forgive any of the Channings. Back at the hospital, Chase finally comes out of his coma, only to discover that the bullet lodged in his spine has left him paralyzed.

As Angela's wedding day draws near, Julia prepares to murder her mother. The wedding ceremony begins as Julia, dressed in a nun's habit, heads towards the church. Chase notices her, but Julia manages to lock him in a closet. As he feverishly tries to work his way out, Julia misses her chance to shoot Angela and leaves for Falcon Crest and the wedding reception. As the reception begins, Julia, hiding upstairs, crouches at the railing and aims her gun at Angela. The sound of sirens distracts Angela, and she moves out of range. As Julia realizes she's lost her chance, Joseph comes to her. Chase bursts in with the police, warning Angela that Julia intends to kill her. Cole dashes upstairs to check on Joseph, but it is too late: Julia has taken the child hostage.

At the charred springhouse, the coroner, after inspecting a ring and bone fragments, positively identifies the remains as Julia's. In a note to Lance, Julia's last request is to have her ashes scattered in Italy. Angela asks the Channing and Gioberti families to travel to Italy in hopes that Julia's death can somehow reunite them. Richard is heartened to learn that Pamela may be alive in Europe. Melissa informs Lance that when he returns from Italy, she will have already moved out of Falcon Crest. Angela discovers that Melissa has filed for a divorce and is unable to have children. As everyone prepares to leave, Melissa pays one of the workers to stage an accident at the winery so that Cole will have to stay behind with her. As Chase inspects the airplane, he fails to recognize one of the cartel's men posing as a mechanic. As Angela, Philip, Lance, Emma, Richard, Maggie, Michael, Terry, Linda and Joseph take off in the plane with Chase as the pilot, the emergency buzzer sounds indicati

At first light, Melissa and Cole wait at the rescue base as the helicopters arrive with the survivors of the crashed plane. Angela disembarks, relaying the news that Philip Erikson is dead. The co-pilot and Michael Ranson were also killed in the crash. Richard insists that the cartel was responsible for the crash, while Chase maintains it was sabotage. Angela blames Chase and swears she will make him pay. At the hospital, Angela comforts Emma, and Cole watches over Linda, who is in critical condition. They talk of Joseph and their future together. As Linda professes her love to Cole, she dies in his arms. Terry, although distraught, realizes that she has received a sizable inheritance upon Michael Ranson's death. As members of the cartel meet in Buenos Aires, Johann, disappointed that the crash was not a total success, reveals that their ultimate goal is to reclaim a valuable Third Reich treasure, which lies buried in Falcon Crest property.

Maggie may be Lance's only hope to prove his innocence as she investigates his case for her story. She goes to Angela with the evidence in support of Lance, and to his amazement, Angela admits that she now believes his story and promises to help him by letting Greg Reardon defend him, provided that he stop seeing Lorraine. Lance and Lorraine part miserably, planning to reunite after he is acquitted. Charlotte is unsuccessful in retrieving Maggie's pearls from the pawnshop, and Maggie cries when she discovers them missing. From his surveillance room, Riebmann hears Angela's plans to make Lorraine her heir, and soon begins to court her. Cole and Chase discover a shocking plan to undermine their champagne production.

Angela's kidnapping brings her face to face with Julia at Riebmann's house, while Chase, Richard and Greg plan a mission to save her. They play into Riebmann's hands, gain control of the guards at his house and escape. Richard follows Riebmann into the old mineshaft where the treasure has been buried. As the mine begins to collapse, Chase, Pamela and Chao-Li stand by in horror. Richard manages to escape, but Gustav and Renee are buried with the treasure. Lorraine reveals to Lance that she is planning an abortion procedure to avoid further complicating his life, but Lance adamantly opposes the idea. Father Bob provides disappointing news for Melissa and Cole when he mentions that the annulment of her marriage to Lance could take up to two years. They decide to plan for a civil ceremony the following week.

At Falcon Crest, Lance is dumbfounded when he sees Julia appear on the stairs. Greg and Angela manage to persuade Judge Leeds to transfer Julia's sentence to a convent in Oregon. Meanwhile, Angela plans to buy Sam Giannini's estate. Richard meets Cassandra Wilder, who attracts both Richard and his advertising account for Francesca wine. Greg continues to pursue Melissa until the day of the wedding. Dr. Mitchell informs Melissa that her auto accident has rendered her unable to bear any more children and Melissa fails to build the courage to tell Cole, who wants more children. However, Cole learns this in the worst possible way, through Angela. Feeling that Melissa has deceived him, Cole decides at the last minute that he cannot go through with the wedding and abandons Melissa at the altar in tears.

Melissa confronts Angela when she realizes that Angela had provoked Cole into walking out on their wedding. Although Melissa tries to seek comfort with Greg, she cannot put Cole out of her mind. After arguing with Melissa, Cole swallows his pride, reunites with her and marries her in a meadow in a small private ceremony. Lance proposes to Lorraine and surprisingly receives Angela's support. Unfortunately, Judge Holder has denied a change of venue for Lance's trial. Before Lorraine has a chance to discuss her pregnancy and engagement with Richard, Angela deviously provides him with the information. In turn, Richard confronts Lorraine, who begs him to be happy for her. Instead, Richard throws her out of the house, telling her that, as far as he's concerned, she is dead.

Angela reluctantly welcomes Father Christopher to the Tuscany Valley, knowing that he presents an added obstacle in her efforts to keep her wine empire intact. In his attempts to help Angela, Greg Reardon investigates Anna's past history, including her record of hospitalization. Richard Channing is the subject of further threats. Melissa is released from jail and returns home to find a disturbing situation between her husband and Robin. Lance finds solace in Terry's wiles. When Chase gets an unexpected windfall from Connie, Maggie questions her relationships at the time of the explosion.

In a frantic effort to save her empire, Angela Channing calls on the expertise, wealth and influence of an old friend, Peter Stavros. After Maggie questions Richard Channing about their relationship before the explosion, she moves to an isolated cabin to reassemble her life. Father Christopher takes interest in the vineyards' field workers, which antagonizes Melissa and distresses Angela. Melissa later has to turn to him when her home life proves unbearable. In a meeting with Cassandra and Anna, Peter Stavros makes them his first offer for the purchase of Falcon Crest. Angela is forced into telling Father Christopher the truth about his background.

When Chase tries to help Maggie regain her memory, she rebuffs his advances, reminding him that she doesn't remember him or their marriage. Peter Stavros asks Angela to marry him, but she can only think about saving Falcon Crest at the moment. As Father Christopher gets to know his family, Angela and Greg use him as proof that Anna had a motive to kill Dominic. Unnerved, Anna sneaks into Angela's bedroom and sets it ablaze. When Richard is shot at, he escapes injury because he wears a bulletproof vest. Jordan and Richard create a plan with Richard as the target that will draw out the assailant. Lance continues his reckless and despondent behavior.

When the manor house is torched, Lance saves Angela and Emma. Cassandra realizes her mother is the culprit in both fires. Because Maggie still suffers from amnesia, Chase suggests they renew their marriage vows with a second wedding. On the big day, Angela pours her own brand of vitriol on the ceremony by mentioning Chase's relationship with Connie Giannini. As Richard's would-be assassin tries again, he is caught. Father Christopher discovers some hard facts of life from Lance and Melissa. When Lance rescues a cocktail hostess, he learns that she is an aspiring singer and offers to help her career. Not realizing that Peter and Angela are intimately involved, Cassandra sells Falcon Crest to Peter.

Lance finances Apollonia's demo record and then takes her and her friends to Falcon Crest after an all-night recording session. When Lance's grandmother strongly disapproves of his involvement with Apollonia, he insists that she is his business partner. He then outwits Angela by reclaiming the publisher's position at The New Globe, which serves as the first step in obtaining his goals for Apollonia's career. When Maggie and Chase fight over Connie, it triggers old memories for Maggie, much to Angela's discomfort. Desperate for financing, Richard Channing takes a chance at his racetrack. Stavros blackmails Angela into agreeing to marry him. When Robin thwarts Melissa and Cole again, Melissa seeks solace with Father Christopher.

When Angela discovers that Lance has shifted from publisher to rock radio impresario, she expels him from the mansion. After an all-night tryst in Dwayne's truck, Emma returns home to Angela. Peter's attentions finally make an impression on Angela, and she begins to take his marriage proposal seriously. Although Richard Channing and Cassandra Wilder mistrust one another, they plan a new beginning. Melissa tries to tell Father Christopher about her feelings for him. In a plan to save their land, Chase and Maggie enlist the help of Sheriff Gilmore, Terry and Wicker.

Although Angela is reluctant to change her name to Stavros and relinquish running her wine empire to marry Peter, they finally set the date. Refusing to lose Dwayne, Emma asks him to marry her. Richard proposes to Cassandra, believing he can only trust her if they are married. Cole and Melissa agree to a church wedding, but the bride becomes distraught when Father Christopher must perform the ceremony. Greg's persistence pays off when Jordan agrees to a date with him. Maggie receives an advance check for a novel she doesn't remember writing. A man from Apollonia's past re-enters her life and his actions disturb Lance. Angela loses her court battle to override Lance's exchange with Richard for the radio station.

Chase ignores his new grandchild until the baby needs an operation, then rallies to support Cole and Melissa. When Maggie's novel, ""Sudden Friends,"" debuts in The New Globe, Angela prepares to sue. After Chase loses the distributor for his wine, he makes an offer to Dwayne. Apollonia stars in a video and is offered a long tour, but Lance refuses to accompany her. Reardon stands by while J.J. Roberts announces his candidacy for election, much to Jordan's distress. Confused about his feelings for Melissa, Father Christopher wants to resign from the priesthood. Terry questions Richard Channing about her share of the profits from Tuscany Downs. After she orders a secret audit, she discovers Richard's skimming scheme and confronts him with her findings.

After Father Christopher moves into the mansion, Angela points out to Lance that it could significantly affect his inheritance if his half brother leaves the priesthood. Lance changes his mind about allowing Apollonia to go on tour without him, but reconsiders again when Father Christopher threatens his place in Angela's household. When Father Christopher tells Melissa that he is on leave from his duties, he crushes her expectations when he reminds her that she is a married woman. Robin's maternal instincts worry Cole and Melissa when they bring the baby home from the hospital. Emma provides Maggie a clue to the identity of the mysterious stranger in her book. Greg Reardon and Richard Channing each try to discover the secret in Jordan Roberts's life. Angela is curious about Peter Stavros's disappearance when she discovers he left his briefcase at Falcon Crest. Richard decides that marrying Terry will provoke Angela the most.

In an effort to bring tranquility to her family, Angela takes Julia home for a visit, but her efforts to have her daughter influence Father Christopher backfire when Julia defies her mother. A state-wide search for Robin and the baby, Hope, is fruitless, until Robin calls Maggie for money and reveals that the baby is not Cole's. When Richard Channing makes plans to bleed his new wife of her assets, he learns that Terry is not as gullible as he had thought. Dwayne wants to elope with Emma, who invites him to dinner with the family, much to Angela's displeasure. Richard tries to combine forces with Chase to crush Angela. Jordan has a confrontation with her father. Melissa reveals how much her family means to her to Father Christopher. However, Angela misunderstands when she discovers them together.

Angela marries Peter after discovering he took her $30 million to keep her from being prosecuted for arranging the hijacking of Chase's wine. Although Angela turns herself in to Sheriff Gilmore, she has to serve time in jail until the $50,000 bail can be paid. While Jordan seeks help for Maggie's problem but refuses to continue with her therapy, Jeff's appearance in the valley disturbs Maggie. Angela discovers that Peter has made her Richard Channing's partner in Tuscany Downs. Angela is not only dismayed to find that Dwayne has moved into her house, but also finds Lance and Jordan sharing a bed at Falcon Crest.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, aftershocks rock the region and the people of the Tuscany Valley struggle to cope with the loss of property and loved ones. Father Bob transforms his church into a field hospital for the earthquake victims and as an information center for concerned friends and relatives. As the death toll mounts in the valley, Maggie and Cole wait in a San Francisco hospital for the doctor's prognosis of Chase's gunshot wound.

As Chase hires a private detective to protect Maggie, he is unaware that his daughter also needs protection. Troubled by Kit's denunciation of Fixx, Lance fires Kit, while Angela plans to pit Lance against Fixx. Julia informs the family about an unexpected decision. Miss Jones falls for Richard's scheme and both fishermen think they have caught the big one. Richard also snares Angela to bail him out of their racetrack. Lance and Melissa return from their wedding and Fixx becomes suspicious of Kit's mysterious activities. Wainwright gets Vicky under his control.

Preparing to disappear, Kit, with Stafford advising her, lays the groundwork to make her fake suicide plausible and realizes that she will sever many important ties. Angela has a dinner party for Peter's birthday. Seeking help for her troubled marriage, Melissa looks in the wrong places. Maggie discovers that her baby may be born with problems and turns Chase away when he fails to understand her feelings. Meredith hires her former supervisor to rescue Erin Jones, while Angela offers Vicky a new job at the spa.

When Skyler's disappearance and apparent suicide casts a pall over the mansion, Peter blames himself for not recognizing her distress. Peter's guilt drives him away, but Skyler's tragedy makes Emma finally realize that Dwayne is gone forever, and Angela is at last able to comfort her daughter. Tony learns the truth about Skyler (Kit). When Richard's son is kidnapped, he feels lost. Chase faces the fact that, of the two people in the valley he most despises, Richard and Angela, one is taking flowers to his wife and the other is trying to get closer to his daughter. Lance calls for his father's help when Melissa has a nervous breakdown.

When Emma and Karlotti's church wedding concludes, Emma discovers how great her husband really is. As the couple stands up before Father Bob for their nuptials, Karlotti's reputation as a lover is enhanced. In her attempts to bring Lance back home, Angela humiliates Melissa in front of Lance, Richard and Dan. Maggie and Chase search for clues to find their baby in Boston. When Lance discovers Kit's whereabouts, he plans to intercept her in his quest to help his father. Wilkerson reports to Angela that he has Tony ""nailed to the wall."" Vickie and Eric return from their escapade.

Melissa's desperate attempts to keep the baby result in a car chase that ends when the car carrying her, Chase, Maggie, Richard and Dan plunges into San Francisco Bay. Angela discovers that her child, whom she previously believed to have died in childbirth, is alive and ready to return to haunt her. When Angela and Peter reconcile and she tries to buy Peter's freedom, Peter, facing murder charges, flees with Kit.

A French woman and a mercenary soldier from Chase's past intrude on the lives of Angela and Maggie and force them to face unpleasant consequences. Angela's wiles work on Chao-Li. Emma believes she is embarking on a new life as a businesswoman. After Lance moves in with Dina amid Melissa's accusations that he cares more for his car than he does for her, Melissa attempts to make peace with Lance.

When Maggie returns to the valley with Vickie and Eric, she learns that Richard and Liz have been traveling together. Eric realizes that his gambling debts are following him and that he must pay more than money to escape them. When Melissa starts to experience strange phenomena due to Angela's hired illusionist Foster Glenn, Melissa's world begins to fall apart. Emma's success as a columnist disturbs Angela, who goes to Father Bob for advice about her family.

In spite of Emma's well-laid plans for a beautiful affair, fate makes a travesty of Maggie and Richard's wedding day. After Maggie finds the perfect house, Richard agrees to have the wedding in the garden. Tempers erupt when Eric creates an unpleasant situation at Richard's bachelor party. When Melissa shows up at Maggie's bridal shower, the two finally reconcile. While Eric is able to perform an errand for Richard that could affect Maggie's future, Carly runs an errand for Angela, which does affect Melissa's future. Lance and Tony fight over Shannon.

The Justice Department is hardly all ears to Lance's plea for help in nailing Richard. An associate of the department, one Kathryn Anderson, offers her help. She makes an appointment to meet him with a lead on Richard. Lance shows up first and narrowly misses getting hit by a car. Kathryn is an employee of the thirteen. Rosemont instructs her on how to handle Lance Cumson. If she cannot scare Lance off Richard's case, Rosemont suggests that she may have to kill him. Angela takes Michael out to the toy store, but soon she discovers he's missing. An hour passes and Maggie appears. She berates Angela for losing her son. The store manager finds Michael in a back room; Garth has been hiding him in order to discredit Angela. Maggie leaves with Michael and Angela suspects foul play. Angela arrives home to find herself in the midst of a surprise party thrown by Carly, who has managed to invite most of Tuscany and then some. Angela is delighted and moved by her gesture, but the party mood chang

Frustrated that he has been unable to prove that Senator Horton is a mole for The Thirteen, Richard leaves Washington for home with Maggie and Garth. As they cross that state border, two gunmen open fire on their limo. Garth's expert driving saves them. The limo is bullet-ridden and the passengers are not hurt, but in another part of town Rosemont and Gray Suit watch as Eric Stavros is pumped full of chemicals. The Thirteen is going to turn him into a killing machine. Angela comes home accompanied by Richard's security men. She's off again once she learns that Melissa and Lance are trapped in that underground bank vault in Hobart. At the drill site, Frank Agretti conducts the rescue mission. Underground, Melissa is delirious over her deed: Falcon Crest might actually belong to her. Above ground, several rescue workers resurface coughing up hydrogen sulfide fumes. Frank realizes his efforts may be in vain. Dan Fixx arrives and volunteers his help. Mr. Gray Suit shows up for his regular

As the Falcon Crest mansion is engulfed in flames, Lance plunges desperately into the inferno to try to save Melissa, who is trapped inside. The aftermath of the fire has surprising repercussions for the residents of Tuscany Valley. Meanwhile, Angela secretly arranges a meeting between Frank Agretti and his long-estranged son, Nick. Richard anxiously launches a search to discover who was behind the assassination of The Thirteen. In pursuit of an exclusive story, Emma obtains a job typing for a reclusive writer, R.D. Young, and soon meets his assistant, Cabot.

Angela's hands-on approach to Emma's forthcoming wedding may prove futile when the bride and groom call the festivities off. After Emma breaks the news to Angela that the wedding is off, her prospective bridegroom, R.D. Young, apologizes for his behavior and announces that the wedding is on schedule again. During the wedding rehearsals, Young's nervousness escalates and he convinces Emma to elope. After Pilar accepts Lance's apology about Cookie Nash, their romance resumes. Nick fails to persuade Ben to curtail his relations with the Cellini family, despite his warning that the family is dangerous. An unannounced visitor adds turmoil to Tuscany Valley.

As Angela's competency hearing proceeds, it becomes obvious that her case is weak, and Maggie's reputation begins to slide because of rumors about her relationship with Tommy. When Frank discovers that the feud between the Agrettis and the Giobertis had begun when the title to Falcon Crest changed hands during a crooked card game, he tries to convince Nick to let sleeping dogs lie. After selling some of her recently acquired Glenbraddoch stock to Lance, Pilar proposes to establish a trauma center in the Ortega name, with her terms including banishment for everyone involved in Gabriel's case. When the court declares Angela mentally incompetent, Angela rocks the court with a startling revelation.

Emma's old friend Charley arrives just in time for Maggie's funeral. Although Angela disapproves of Charley and changes her vacation plans, Emma stands by Charley despite Angela's interference. Michael Sharpe takes his revenge on Richard for his testimony against him by having Richard's children removed from his custody. Aware that Angela is trying to break up his relationship with Emma, Charley places a pillow over Angela's face and suffocates her.

Danny fights Sharpe's attempts to control his life and to make him break up with Sydney. After Sydney brings them back together, Lance and Pilar make plans to retake control of Falcon Crest. When Richard learns through Pilar that Genele was responsible for delivering his business secrets to Sharpe, he throws Genele out and attempts to reconcile with Lauren. Realizing that her brother's affection for her is more than just brotherly, Lauren decides she has to leave Sharpe's house.

As Richard and Lauren enjoy their wedding at the winery, Richard agrees to sell Falcon Crest back to Angela on the condition that half will go to his sons in the event of her death. Lance, however, will receive ten percent now and the remainder after Angela's death. As the wedding reception draws to a close, Angela recalls all the people who passed through Tuscany Valley during the last decade and toasts the future of Falcon Crest.