Alison Parker (Melrose Place)

Alison Parker, played by Courtney Thorne-Smith, is a character introduced in the second series of the Beverly Hills, 90210 continuity.

Complicated

Alison is a sensitive and bold woman who largely works in the advertising business. During her unseen college years, she developed a drinking problem that occasionally troubles her in the present.

When Alison needed a new roommate at the beginning of the series, she eventually found one in Billy Campbell—who she'd initially turned down. After Billy came to Alison's aid one night when a man from her job made unwelcome advances, the new roommates began growing closer. However, when Billy began dating her job superior, Amanda Woodward, Alison expressed discomfort and stated that the situation made her feel awkward.

Traumas

Alison eventually moved to Seattle with her boyfriend Keith Gray, but soon moved back after realizing that she preferred living in Los Angeles. She and Billy later began dating. When Keith returned for an extended visit, he was secretly a changed man who began stalking Alison from a distance. The truth eventually came out when he tried to rape her in his hotel room, though Alison managed to get away. Keith later returned to Seattle and fatally shot himself while apologizing over the phone. The experience left Alison quite jarred, but she began to recover with Billy's help.

Billy eventually proposed to her, and she accepted. Just before they could be married, however, she finally recalled the details of a memory that had been troubling her. Upon realizing that she'd been molested by her father as a child, Alison fled the ceremony following a private confrontation with her dad. After leaving town to stay with her sister, both discovered that their father had come looking for them. Billy, however, soon appeared and fended the man off. Alison and Billy then planned to elope, but she later cancelled while citing her unfinished personal business. After confronting her father at a party, she publically revealed his past crimes, denied his appeals for compassion, and left the scene.

Ups and downs

Alison's relationship with Billy entered an on-again, off-again phase in the times to come. Brooke Armstrong, a new employee at their workplace, later became interested in Billy and recognized Alison as a threat. She then manipulated Billy into thinking that Alison was no longer interested, and used her father's position in the company to have Alison transferred to Hong Kong. Alison accepted the transfer, but returned after discovering the extent of Brooke's actions. She ultimately failed to prevent Billy from marrying Brooke, and turned to alcohol afterwards. When Amanda Woodward was sick, Alison took her place as president of D&D Advertising, until Amanda and Brooke set her up to take several falls and she was demoted. While drinking, she ignored a warning to evacuate her apartment; a mentally unstable Kimberly Shaw had planted explosives in Melrose Place. Following the explosion, Alison was temporarily rendered blind. After recovering her sight, she began dating and eventually married Brooke's father Hayley. However, Hayley died in a boat accident soon afterwards. It was also revealed that he had secretly divorced Alison. While grieving, she began growing close to Billy again—who eventually left Brooke due to several problems in their relationship.

Alison later dated Jake Hanson, and eventually became pregnant. She soon miscarried, and learned that she couldn't have children. Her feelings for Jake eventually began to lessen, though they remained on friendly terms. When Jake's ex-girlfriend Colleen visited him with their son, Alison helped the three to become a family.

Departure and aftermath

Alison later left town, and was seen off by Billy. The two hugged and shared an affectionate kiss, acknowledging their longtime bond before saying goodbye.

A year later, it was revealed that Alison had adjustment problems in Atlanta and was in a rehab centre.