Two outstanding cadets from the Virginia Military Institute--who also happen to be best friends--are cast for this season's Real World. Before joining the Institute, David overcame drugs and life on the streets of Boston. Nathan explains that he raised himself from the age of 15 after the death of his father. But Nathan also had some help from his girlfriend Stephanie--her family took him in like one of their own. Will this love relationship survive the separation? Nathan and David arrive on a wide pier in Seattle and explore their sprawling mansion Cute, earthy blond waif Rebecca knocks on the door. Then Janet, an Asian beauty with some family issues, shows up. Despite his girlfriend back home, Nathan is tempted, while Janet secretly thinks that Nate is a hottie. After a trolley ride together, petite, spunky Lindsay and African-American Stephen arrive at the house. Lindsay and Janet click immediately like long-lost friends. The final roomie arrives. She's got some curly, kinky hair an

Nate and Stephanie continue to have problems--she wants to quit school and join him, while Nathan suggests they temporarily break up. Meanwhile, in the exercise area, David pumps iron while Lindsay reads a sex manual and Rebecca reads a massage therapy book. David thinks the difference between them is clear: Lindsay is a sex demon and Rebecca is subtle. Stephen and Rebecca head out to explore the city. Nathan gives Janet a hand massage in the Jacuzzi, and it's clear there's something going on. Lindsay finds a page torn from a diary on the table that says, ""I wish they would have brought in more diverse people--not all upper white and college educated."" Lindsay shares the note with Nathan and Janet, and Nate guesses that Stephen wrote it. Now Nathan is upset; he thinks Stephen should just say what's on his mind. Later that afternoon, Nathan clues David in about the journal entry and David says he wrote it.

David and Rebecca are hanging out late at night, going for long walks, having dinner together. The two seem to be making a love connection. Meanwhile, Irene is stressed out and heads to the chiropractor's office. The roommates head over to headquarters for 107.7 The End--the hottest alternative rock radio station in Seattle--and meet Phil, the Programming Director. They'll start off as modulators, then get their own radio show.The next gloomy morning, the roomies head off for their first day of work. They learn they will be working an ""End session""--the band Cornershop will play in the studio for 16 lucky listeners. Irene mistakenly chats up the tech guys, thinking they're members of the band. Oops…Later in the week, the roomies conduct a station promotion during a concert at a local nightclub. Rebecca gets on stage to thank the crowd and suddenly breaks out singing. The crowd goes wild, and David seems to love her innocence.

The roomies must start at the bottom before they get their own radio show. Today, that means lugging equipment out of a sound studio and packing it in the location van. As Lindsay and Rebecca shove an enormous speaker into the hallway, they rip the door-frame to shreds. The staff at the sound studio explain that the roomies will have to repair the damage. There seems to be a lot sexual tension between Nathan and Irene--they both have the same sense of humor. When Nathan gets emotional about Stephanie, Irene is ready to give out the backrubs and tells him to stop worrying about Stephanie so much. Back in her own bedroom, Irene confesses to Janet that she has never had a boyfriend, but is close with tons of guys who are ""just friends."" Nathan confesses that he can see himself marrying Stephanie, and Irene says he's putting a lot of pressure on himself. The other roomies are starting to wonder about their sexual vibe…Nathan and Irene have goofy fights, rolling around the floor and

Nathan and Janet head out to buy Valentine's Day gifts for Stephanie. Janet reveals that her parents are angry because they didn't want her to take part in the show. Back at the pier, Stephen places a call to Natasha, his ex-girlfriend, because he's lonely. Irene receives a stuffed singing gorilla from Grandma, and the local florist tells Janet there's a delivery for her. A secret boyfriend?That night, Nathan and Stephen get into a fight when the taxi they've called is late. David steps in to defend Nate, and proves to Stephen that Nathan and David stick up for each other, no matter what. When the roomies arrive at the club, they hand out stickers to promote the station. Feeling like a third wheel, Stephen walks out during dinner later, and the tension lifts. On the phone with a friend, Stephen gets some good advice: Kill them with kindness. Nate and Stephen make up later that night.On Valentine's Day, the roomies assist as one of the DJs, Andy Savage, performs a marriage ceremony for

The roomies trek out to trip the light fantastic at a gay club. Janet and Lindsay are bumping and grinding on the dance floor, while a local drag queen takes a liking to David. They dance and end up kissing. David meets a handsome fellow named Harry at the gym. That night, Harry invites David to dinner and a Sonics game--along with Nate. Is this a date? David decides he wants to hang out with Harry, regardless of the man's intentions. Meanwhile, Stephen has befriended his own gay buddy. Just so happens his name is David also. (We'll refer to him as David Also, so you won't get confused.) They hang out, and David Also asks if Stephen is gay. Stephen says no, which surprises David Also. Back at the pier, Nathan and David wonder if Stephen might be gay. The girls say no way. But while Stephen is playing pool with Chris of Super Deluxe, Chris says that Aubbie, the roomies' boss at the radio station, is telling everyone that Stephen is gay. The next day, the phone is ringing--it's Harry, in

David takes a lonely stroll to a phone booth where he makes a call that includes the words, ""When you stole my heart, you stole my sexual desire. For the first time I'm giving my heart to another woman."" When David returns home, he refuses to answer questions about his whereabouts. After a shift at the radio station, David has a relaxing dinner with their boss, Aubbie. Could she be the mystery woman? The next day, David buys his lady a necklace, and the rest of the gang grows more curious. The roomies celebrate Irene's birthday with drinks, burgers, and a cake with ketchup. At a club later, Nate gets upset because he hasn't heard from Stephanie, and takes it out on Irene with some mean teasing. The two talk the next morning, and Irene blames the alcohol. He blames his girlfriend. David finally reveals his mystery woman--Kira, the casting director for The Real World. During an emotional phone call to David, she makes her feelings known:

The gang stocks up on snowboarding gear for their next work assignment. Irene wants to find some boys, but she's stressed because she's never boarded before. From snow to ice-packed seafood: David gets a new job. He gets up at the crack o' dawn to toss some tuna with the guys down at Pike Place Fish Market. Meanwhile, Kira's on her way to Seattle, and it'll be the first time they've seen each other since the show began. She's a little self-conscious; the lens is now aimed at her. The whole house welcomes her with open arms. The roomies wake up early and head to the slopes for radio duty. David's got his woman, though, so he sleeps in and ditches the duty. Aubbie is less than thrilled, and lets everyone else know just how she feels. After a day of brusies, falls, and split lips (Irene), the kids return to the house and Stephen tells David that Aubbie reported him to Phil, the head cheese at the station. Later that night, the kids and Kira curl discuss just how

Nathan, Rebecca, and Irene travel to R.E.I., an outdoor gear and clothing store, to discuss radio ads. They find out that R.E.I. is sending them to Nepal for some first-hand experience. At the house, the gang goes wild. Lindsay is ecstatic because her brother is coming to town. Lindsay explains, ""This kid is all I have. He and my mom. They're all I have in life."" Lindsay and Janet discuss their worries about the upcoming high altitude trip. Lindsay's brother picks a few tunes on his guitar while Lindsay reveals details about her father's death from colon cancer. Nathan requests for the brother to sing the tune he wrote about their father since Nathan was close to his own dad. At R.E.I., the cast stocks up on supplies for the trip, then get their shots. After a monstrously long plane ride, the gang arrives in Nepal. It's vibrant and colorful, with snake charmers and monkeys roaming the streets.

The stay in Nepal isn't all fun and games. The cast must produce six R.E.I. commercial spots for the radio. This means sampling the natural sounds of Nepal along with organizing a production plan, and Stephen takes control. Riding on mountain bikes, the cast peddles over beautiful vistas and through tiny villages. At dinner, in front of their courteous guests, Stephen initiates a verbal assault on Janet, criticizing her for wearing lots of makeup. Upon returning to her room, Janet hears Stephen chastise her through the wall of the adjacent room. She storms into his room and tells him to shut up. The group goes hiking, and Stephen is irritated by their apparent incompetence when it comes to the radio equipment. Rebecca feels changed by their experiences, and is in love with the beauty of the culture and the women. The next day, the cast finds themselves in a raft cruising down a breath-taking green river. At camp that evening, Stephen discovers his money is missing and angrily

The time has finally come to discuss the on-air show, but who will be the DJs? At a meeting, everyone shows interest. Unfortunately, the show only calls for three DJs. The rest of the cast will be relegated to a producer and some field reporters. With three weeks to go until the first taping, the training begins. Along with learning the technical side of running a show, they're given the chance to lay their voices down on tape. Stephanie's coming to visit, and Nate can't wait to hold her. When she shows up, things get steamy in the hot tub, and Irene even catches them fooling around in the bathroom. Phil reviews their practice tapes. Turns out Lindsay's a ringer--she has extensive experience working for a college radio show. Stephanie observes Nathan rehearsing at the station, criticizing his every word. But Nate doesn't mind. Lindsay, David and Rebecca put in the extra hours behind the mic, trying desperately to hone their skills. It's clear that the girls are working a lot harder

The cast picks a name for their show: ""Dead Air."" The first show will be taped, but the pressure is still there. Rebecca gets to work as producer, running the board, and overseeing the overall show. The guys are relegated to hit the field and generate some material to edit, but they seem to think Rebecca is overstepping her duties. She confronts Nathan about the issue, and Stephen gets involved. Everyone becomes defensive and tensions rise. At the fish market, something's brewing between Janet and a worker named Justin. They go out for drinks in a swanky martini bar. When Janet shares the details of her excursion with the girls, they decide it's an official date--especially since they kissed. Janet thinks he's sweet, and Justin is obviously hooked. He gives David a flower to bring home to Janet. Janet's preoccupied with her sister, mother and grandmother, who are visiting. She feels the need to validate the entire Seattle experience. Via the phone, Janet asks Justin to give her a

David talks about his past in Boston, and how he escaped jail. David's friend Shannon comes to town. Stephen's mother is about to have a baby. David edits a bad interview at KNDD. Nathan and David get into a fight on an outing with Shannon. Stephen meets his uncle for the first time, and learns more about his father, and reads some revealing poetry to Rebecca. The girls accuse David of being a BS'er, and he is angry because of VMI's honor code. David is reprimanded at KNDD for lack of quality work. Stephen worries about his mother, but she has a successful delivery. David does a good interview, and feels better about his radio work.

Irene's been acting strange lately, and she sheds some light on her situation--she's sick. Irene is suffering from headaches, and it's affecting her work on the radio commercials. Problems surface as miscommunication occurs between Irene and Janet. Lindsay suspects that there's something about Irene's past that they just don't know. Irene takes a turn for the worse. During an interview, she can't suppress the tears: ""This is not something I want to be going through right now, you know what I mean? And I don't want to be talking about it I don't want to be sick right now."" Stephen is concerned and spends the night with Irene on the couch in case she needs anything. Production of the R.E.I. commercials progresses, but not without conceptual and technical problems. Stephen forgets to send the commercial script to Kelsey, the R.E.I. representative, and gets reprimanded. At the house, Irene furiously cleans the house. Janet thinks it's because she needs to feel stable. On one particular

Despite Irene's sickness, the show must go on, but at a production meeting for Dead Air, Irene's exhaustion forces her to leave. The other girls do their best to fully understand her condition, but they're confused by some of Irene's comments. Rebecca feels slighted that Irene would claim that no one was there for her. Basically, the girls feel Irene's put up a defensive wall, when all they want to do is help. Irene comments, ""Being sick is a real quick way to find out who's going to be your friend, and who's not."" Irene wants to use the phone to call her family, but Stephen's on the line, and the two exchange nasty words. Later, he confronts her and calls her a bitch. Irene blames her medication. Stephen and Nate discuss Irene's condition, and they're not sure how her disease is affecting her brain. Meanwhile, Irene breaks down crying to Rebecca. The following day, Irene attempts to sort it out with Stephen, but the conversation doesn't go as planned when he lashes out at her.

When David returns to the house and finds out that Stephen hit Irene, he gets angry. With a potentially dangerous confrontation between David and Stephen nearing, a necessary action is taken. The producers and directors of The Real World step in to help find a solution to a crisis. Aware that the meeting is taking place, Stephen is told that he crossed the line by slapping Irene, and that the others need to decide whether or not they want him to remain in the house. If they decide to let Stephen stay, he will have to attend therapy to deal with his anger. The cast is faced with a difficult decision: Should they kick Stephen out? They watch the footage of Stephen slapping Irene to determine the severity of his action. When the slap occurs, they're all shocked. After a discussion, they decide that Stephen stays, but he must receive therapy for his anger. Later that night, Stephen and David meet privately to come to terms with the situation and each other. Stephen apologizes for the

Lindsay and Janet take a class to prepare for skydiving and don't even pay attention. Back home, Lindsay gets a message from her close friend, Bill, who's like one of the family. David's planning to visit Kira, but they're uncertain about their future. Lindsay gets a phone call from her brother, who tells her that Bill killed himself. She breaks down and cries. Rebecca tires to comfort her, but Lindsay pulls away. The next few days pass slowly as Lindsay attempts to make sense of Bill's death. Janet wants to help her friend, but isn't sure what to do. Lindsay observes, ""The difference with Bill's death and my father's death is that Bill gave up. Bill quit...I'm angry, and I'm frustrated because he took his life."" She turns away when Nathan tries to hug her. David announces that his old pal, Anthony, is coming to visit. Anthony has been battling cancer for a few years, but at the present time, the disease is in remission. David's still having travel dilemmas with Kira, and that night

Rebecca has lunch with Ricardo, whose primary job is managing rap artist Sir-Mix-A-Lot. She discusses following through with her life long passion of music, and he suggests she do back-up vocals. If they like her work, they'll produce a song for her. Before she knows it, Rebecca is in a professional studio behind a microphone, laying down a vocal track for Mix-A-Lot. Nathan learns that he gest the coveted third DJ spot left open by Irene's departure, and he's psyched. When the two-year anniversary of Nathan and Stephanie rolls around, he heads to a bar to do a little drinking. He's upset because Stephanie hasn't called. He leaves the bar with a girl named Lisa, and they cuddle inside a car. It's unclear what happens next…later, Nathan starts crying and says he messed up everything with Stephanie. When Stephanie arrives for another visit, Nate decides not to tell her about Lisa--he doesn't want to spoil her visit. The two re-connect and express their love for each other.

The cast is challenged to The Real World/Road Rules Aqua Games Competition on a cold, rainy day at Lake Washington. Mark and Kit, from Road Rules 1, are hosting the games. The kids are competing for $3,000. In the first event, the Raft-O-Rama, the teams must build a raft and complete a course. Both teams end up cheating, and no points are awarded. Next event is Dueling Tubes, as they're dragged across the lake by a boat. It's Rebecca the ""sacrificial lamb"" vs. Kefla. The southern gentleman kicks her in the head and sends her flying. Next, David and Shayne battle on the open water, and David sends Shayne into the icy abyss. For the Blind-Folded Canoe, Chad and Susie face off against David and Lindsay. Blindfolded, the teams paddle out and retrieve inflatable animals, guided only by their teammates yelling from shore. The race is tight until Lindsay and David tip over. In Extreme Fishing, teams of three on jet skis head out onto the lake, scooping up silver and golden

The kids pack up and prepare to leave, and reflect on their experiences. Stephen is changed by his anger management sessions. When there's an altercation at a bar, he tries to talk his friend out of fighting. Nathan consoles an emotional Stephanie, who can't wait for Nate's return. On David's last day at the market, he engages in some ""fishy"" male bonding with his co-workers. As the kids broadcast the last Dead Air, Lindsay, is surprised that people are actually calling in, saying they will miss the show.Stephen and Oruba spend their last few days dating and talking often. Stephen knows Oruba is special, and over the phone, tries to talk her into having sex. She ends the conversation with an optimistic ""you never know."" On the last morning, Janet and Lindsay reflect on their friendship and the bond they have developed. After learning his lessons, Stephen says he would have been able to deal with Irene differently.

Clipshow featuring the best scenes from season 7 of The Real World, set in Seattle. Part 1.

Clipshow featuring the best scenes from season 7 of The Real World, set in Seattle. Part 2.