Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘Kristin is Dead’

Baby, come back

In “Missing Heir,” “Dallas’s” fifth-season opener, J.R. (Larry Hagman) visits the Southern Cross ranch, where he speaks to Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) outside.

J.R.: Sue Ellen, I have some bad news. I really don’t know how to start –

SUE ELLEN: [Angry] Just start, J.R.

J.R.: Something terrible has happened. I don’t know if you heard it on the radio or not.

SUE ELLEN: Is this another one of your tasteless tricks?

J.R.: No. [He looks away, then back at Sue Ellen.] Kristin’s dead.

SUE ELLEN: What?

J.R.: They found her on Southfork last night.

SUE ELLEN: No.

J.R.: I thought you’d want to know.

SUE ELLEN: [Increduously] I don’t believe it.

J.R.: Come on, I wouldn’t lie about a thing like this.

SUE ELLEN: You are capable of lying about almost anything.

J.R.: Kristin is dead. She was found floating in the pool last night on Southfork. The sheriff was there, the TV, the media, everything. It was awful.

SUE ELLEN: What happened?

J.R.: I don’t know.

SUE ELLEN: You. You’re the one who killed her.

J.R.: Of course I didn’t kill her.

SUE ELLEN: You and I both know that you had the perfect motive.

J.R.: I didn’t tell you this to hear a bunch of accusations.

SUE ELLEN: Her baby. What about her baby?

J.R.: All we ever had was Kristin’s word that there was a baby.

SUE ELLEN: But you paid her. You sent all those checks to California every month.

J.R.: I didn’t want a scandal. Especially the way things were with mama and daddy. I figured it was better to pay her than to call her bluff.

SUE ELLEN: I don’t know, J.R. [Voice cracking] I don’t know what to believe.

J.R.: Kristin is dead. There’s nothing we can do about that. [Moves closer] Sue Ellen, come on home. We’ll put all this behind us. Start all over again. Chances are there never was a child.

SUE ELLEN: [Begins walking away, then turns around] If you think that Kristin’s child was the only reason I left you, then you are wrong. Because you’re never going to get John Ross and I’m never going back to Southfork.

J.R.: [Angry] You really want the cowboy that bad?

SUE ELLEN: I love him.

J.R.: Well, you can have him, honey. But I swear you’re not going to keep my boy.