An American Dreams Nightmare

As the sophomore year of NBC's superlative American Dreams comes to a close (Sunday night at 8 pm/ET), viewers should brace themselves: Summer hiatus may bring as many changes to the series as the 1960s did to America. Here, executive producer Jonathan Prince tells TV Guide Online (almost) all about the season finale:

Meg and Sam might finally get together. Although thus far the era has made it impossible for the white American Bandstand dancer and her African-American friend to acknowledge, never mind act on, their feelings for one another, their moment could be coming. This fall, "Sam's going to college. In that world, away from East Catholic [High], so much more is possible," Prince says. "In fact, this week, you'll see a scene where someone at Penn actually mistakes Meg (Brittany Snow) and Sam (Arlen Escarpeta) for a couple... and of course, that lands on them strangely yet wonderfully."

JJ could die. Still stationed in Vietnam, the earnest soldier boy (Will Estes) will find himself "in the firefight of his life, trapped in a battle and unaware that a letter from [estranged fiancée] Beth (Rachel Boston) awaits him in his barracks — a letter that will give him the news that he's about to become a father." So he's going to be okay. He's got to be okay... right? "It would be so horrible for the Pryors [if he didn't come home]," Prince acknowledges, "but this was the time when so many families were losing their boys in Vietnam."

Religion takes center stage. "Jack (Tom Verica), Helen (Gail O'Grady) and Beth grapple with the role of the Catholic church in Jack's run for City Council, as well as Beth's decision to keep JJ's baby," Prince reveals. Plus, "Henry (Jonathan Adams) must help his brother's son, Nathan (Keith Robinson), deal with going to prison yet again — this time because his Muslim faith prevents him from fighting in the Vietnam War."