Diary of a teenage brat
“Runaway” is one of “Dallas’s” weakest episodes. Almost everything about it – the writing, the directing, the acting, the music – is bad.
The episode treats Lucy, who was so daring during “Dallas’s” first season, like just another bratty TV teenager. She spends the beginning of “Runaway” whining about how the Ewings are ignoring her. At one point, Jock sends her to her room.
Is this the same Lucy who was blackmailing her teacher and seducing Ray a few episodes ago?
“Dallas” clearly wants us to feel sorry for the poor little rich girl. John Parker, who scored the music for “Runaway,” punctuates each of Lucy’s outbursts with a cloying violin solo that becomes the character’s theme music in later episodes.
By the end of “Runaway’s” first act, Lucy has run away from Southfork and fled to the outskirts of Dallas, where she hooks up with armed robber Willie Gust.
Greg Evigan, who plays Willie, must have prepared for the role by watching Cooper Huckabee’s performance in “Winds of Vengeance.” Both actors seem to believe maniacal laughing is the best way to signal their characters’ villainy.
When Willie isn’t in hysterics, he’s waging a one-man war on Texas’s cash registers, leaving Lucy to cower in the passenger seat of his far-out custom van. But if she’s so afraid of him, why doesn’t she just hop out and run away?
Another mind boggler: How does frightened Lucy manage to deliver such a confident performance during the talent show Willie makes her enter?
“Dallas” creator David Jacobs has said the show’s producers were crunched for time when CBS renewed the series for a second season. According to him, the writers scrambled to produce scripts for the season’s first seven episodes, which were filmed in Texas during the summer of 1978.
“Runaway” is the last of these seven episodes, and you can tell. This feels like something cobbled together by people who were eager to get out from under the hot Texas sun.
Making matters worse: “Runaway” doesn’t end – it stops.
In the final scene, Miss Ellie announces Bobby is bringing Lucy home.
“There’s just one thing,” Jock says. “I was hoping to have a dance with my granddaughter.”
“Well,” Ellie responds, patting his arm. “What about tomorrow?”
Parker’s cloying violin music swells, the frame freezes, the credits flash – and we’re finally done with “Dallas’s” most prophetically titled episode.
Run away, indeed.
Grade: D
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Bonnie and Clod
‘RUNAWAY’
Season 2, Episode 7
Airdate: October 28, 1978
Audience: 12.8 million homes, ranking 35th in the weekly ratings
Writer: Worley Thorne
Director: Barry Crane
Synopsis: Lucy, feeling ignored, runs away and hitches a ride with an armed robber. Bobby tracks Lucy to Austin, where he rescues her and the robber is arrested.
Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Greg Evigan (Willie Gust), Jim Gough (Congressman Oates), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing)
“Runaway” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.
Dallas Decoder 
I remember this episode was pretty silly. Lucy’s behavior fits with what I said about her character earlier: that the show seemed to not know what to do with her sometimes.
Sigh. I agree.
I believe the word cringe worthy was coined with this episode in mind. Chris hit on everything that I was thinking as a rewatched this one last night. Evigan certainly overacts in the same vein as Huckabee.
On a larger scale just what is the point of this episode. Dallas is supposed to be about the intrigue of the oil industry. Except for brief moments in the Slade/Oaks subplot this episode barely recognizes there is a such thing as Ewing Oil. I’ve always felt Lucy is the most useless character in the show and much of that probably stems from this episode. Even when used right (and yes it happened on occasion) she did little to advance any of the major plots of the show. That to me is the definition of window dressing. Also to those who argue that Lucy and JR were once close I do give you this episode. If they ever were the chasing off in Gary and Val in the first season and Lucy’s learning about it here guarantees they’ll never be close again.
One thing this episode does establish beyond a shadow of a doubt is the location of Southfork. Cidre take noted of the envelop addressed to Lucy. Southfork is in Braddock Texas. Boy that envelop is a hoot. Not only is Southfork so important it doesn’t need a street address it doesn’t even need a zip code.
Noteable first: I believe this is the first time we see Bobby bribing his way throught a situation as we see him drop a lot of money as he tracks Lucy. I also find it amazing they way all of law enforcment in the state of Texas. It is only natural the Braddock and Dallas departments will have soft spots for the Ewings. But Waco is well over an hour from Dallas and we see their law enforcment all over JR’s car at that diner even though it was harmlessly parked there. Bobby also seems to have friends in San Antonio and Austin which are much further away yet. Wow that Ewing family is powerful.
Dan, it sounds like we’re in full agreement on “Runaway.” You said it best: What is the point of this episode? This is the only time I’ve given “Dallas” a “D.” My grading has gotten generous as I’ve critiqued more episodes, but I stand by the grade for this one.
C. B., Little Lucy would have been much better if a quality young actor had been cast to play her boyfriend/abductor. Charlene had little to work with here, especially in the van driving sequences!
This was a bad episode and deserved the D grade. This does not show CT talent as a actress it weakens it and since when does Lucy play the guitar and sing???????
I do like her choice of song, though. “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” is a great tune.
I agree with the general consensus, this episode is just awful. I always try to find a silver lining in every episode though, and it is interesting that we see Bobby throwing money around as he follows the trail.
I also find it hilarious that she takes JR’s car.
No one has mentioned the trivia yet: That really is Charlene Tilton singing, and apparently she released a single.