Best of enemies
“Barbecue,” the final entry in “Dallas’s” too-brief first season, is probably best remembered as the episode where J.R. accidentally causes a pregnant Pam to fall from the hayloft and lose her baby, but I think it’s notable for other reasons.
This is one of the few “Dallas” installments set during a single day. (“Winds of Vengeance,” the previous episode, is another.) “Barbecue” is also the first time Jock and Digger come face-to-face on the show, and seeing the characters together reminds us how smartly the producers cast the roles.
More than anyone else in the “Dallas” ensemble, Jim Davis and David Wayne look like their characters. Davis is as big as Texas. Wayne is small and pitiful. They are Jock and Digger.
I also love the actors’ use of body language in “Barbecue.” Watch closely when Jock and Digger walk to the bar to toast Pam’s pregnancy. Davis strides with effortless confidence; Wayne’s gait is slowly deliberate – exactly how we expect a broken man like Digger to make his way through the world.
But as much as I enjoy Jock and Digger’s scenes together, my favorite “Barbecue” moment is the gossipy exchange between the Ewings’ caterers, Tilly and Sam.
“How are things out there?” Tilly asks.
“Crazy,” Sam responds.
“Oh that ain’t no news. Tell me some news.”
“She’s on the nest – Digger’s girl.”
“Now that’s news.”
I’ve always believed Southfork’s servants represented untapped storytelling potential. Throughout “Dallas,” we see Teresa the maid and Raoul the butler hovering in background, but they’re more like props than people.
Turning the servants into real characters could have grounded “Dallas” a bit more, allowing them to become the audience’s eyes and ears in the world of the Ewings.
Tilly and Sam fill this role in “Barbecue,” but the characters are never seen again after this episode. Too bad. Aside from being a hoot, Tilly and Sam are also among the few African American faces to appear on “Dallas.”
The good news: TNT’s forthcoming “Dallas” revival is expected to offer more of a “Downton Abbey”-ish view of life at Southfork. One of the new characters will be Carmen Ramos, the Ewings’ cook, played by Marlene Forte.
Who knows? Maybe Teresa and Raoul or even Tilly and Sam will show up to give Carmen pointers on working for those darned Ewings.
Grade: B
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Please don’t go, girl
‘BARBECUE’
Season 1, Episode 5
Airdate: April 30, 1978
Audience: 15.9 million homes, ranking 11th in the weekly ratings
Writer: David Jacobs
Director: Robert Day
Synopsis: At the Ewing barbecue, Bobby and Pam announce her pregnancy, while Jock and Digger reignite their feud. J.R. insults Pam and when he tries to apologize, she falls and suffers a miscarriage. Bobby wants to leave Southfork, but Jock persuades him and Pam to stay.
Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), James Canning (Jimmy Monahan), Haskel Craver (Sam), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Irma P. Hall (Tilly), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jo McDonnell (Maureen), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), David Wayne (Digger Barnes)
“Barbecue” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com, iTunes and TNT.tv. Watch the episode and share your comments below.
Dallas Decoder 
It’s interesting to compare the two Diggers. They serve different functions to some extent, and I think they are cast well in that regard. This Digger, the more crotchety one, fits better in the context with his relationship with Jock; however, it’s hard for me to believe that Miss Ellie would have ever have been interested in this person. But the second Digger–the kinder, more respectable one–I can see that, which is fitting, since when the character shows up later, his relationship with Miss Ellie (as well as his children) is more prominent.
It’s hard for me to choose between David Wayne and Keenan Wynn, the two actors who play Digger. They each bring something different to the role but I agree: Wynn probably has better chemistry with Barbara Bel Geddes than Wayne.
I love your website, Chris! It’s great. I’ve read all of the reviews!
Please keep up the good work, there aren’t so many good website for Dallas out there.
Thanks and take care!
x Katherine
Thank you! I really appreciate your kind words. I’m having a lot of fun writing my episode critiques. I’m glad you enjoy reading them. Thank you again.
Its shame they killed off Digger too soon. Loved both actors who played Digger Barnes. Loved Jock’s talk with Pamela at the end.
Yep, me too. Loved Digger and loved that scene with Jock at the end.
I loved the 1st Digger’s actor better than Keenan Wynne’s. I don’t know why! As for Pamela being bought for only $100.00 like a slave that was outrageous! Have u notice C. B. that Elena’s mother the current Southfork servant in the new TNT series seems like a “real person” rather than a “shadow” like servants on the Classic DALLAS?!
Yes, it’s nice to see Carmen get more lines than poor Teresa ever did.
It was an accident but you wonder did JR unconsciously wanted Pam to lose the baby, I think so. I also wonder why they chose to have Pam lose another baby in Season 3, what was the reason behind that? I know they were comparing Bobby and Pam to Romeo & Juliette , but if they were smart they could have had a twist to the story and make them have a happy, love conquers story with the up and down trials. Then again it was men behind it , if it were women the story would have been different with more heart and compassion instead of cut and dry or black and white. Men do not know how to be in depth on relationships like women.
It had been oftenly said than after Davis’s death, producers change memory of Jock, making him falsely a saint.
But I watched yesterday this episode and the explaination of Jock seems to me very convincing and logical : He put his name on the official papers of the new company because he knew Digger would lost it (alcohol, gaming,etc.).
Then, Digger, blinded by his hate and his complex, fight with Jock and said he don’t want his part.
So, on this feud, Jock was right and Digger was wrong. It would have been interesting to have more talk scenes between Pam and Jock, making her convicted Jock was right. Her interaction with Cliff, later, would have been very interesting.
I wish David Wayne had continued to play Digger throughout the entire run of the character. There’s nothing wrong with Keenan Wynn but I just love David Wayne in the role. I guess I also feel like Wayne looks more like Cliff than Wynn does. He also seemed more bitter.
I agree, Angela. Thanks for your comments!
One side of this episode was overlooked. Miss Ellie takes Digger on a tour of the ranch…alone. We didnt hear very much of that conversation. I would have loved to tag along on more of that walk. When they did cut to her and Digger she said something that interested me- “I did what I had to do…” or something like that. Digger commenting that she married Jock so she could save her family’s land. She replied that her land meant everything to her. Miss Ellie had her own angle it seemed.