Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 35 — ‘Dead Reckoning’

Losin’ it

“Dead Reckoning” is another episode about loss and how the “Dallas” characters cope with it. In this one, John Ross suffers the demise of his marriage to Pamela and his dream of “becoming” J.R., while Christopher bids farewell to his latest love and the Ramoses mourn Drew’s death. This is the TNT series’ strongest hour this season, elevated by graceful writing and direction and heartfelt performances from virtually everyone in the cast. More than anything, “Dead Reckoning” proves an old “Dallas” truism: This show is at its best when things for the Ewings are at their worst.

Like so many recent episodes, “Dead Reckoning” showcases Josh Henderson, beginning with the scene where John Ross stands with Bum in the charred remains of his Southfork bedroom and laments his efforts to emulate his father. Henderson makes his character’s regret feel genuine here, as well as in a later scene, when John Ross sits at Pamela’s hospital bedside and pleads with her to give their marriage another chance. It recalls a memorable moment from the original series, when J.R. sat on Sue Ellen’s bed, proclaimed his love and begged her to forgive him for his latest indiscretion. You have to wonder: Even when John Ross is vowing to be a better man, does he realize he’s still emulating J.R.?

Henderson’s delivery in the scene with Pamela deserves special attention. John Ross tells his wife he’ll be “different” four times in quick succession; at one point, Henderson allows his voice to crack and at another, he trips over his words. It’s almost as if John Ross is trying to convince himself he’s capable of changing as much as he’s trying to persuade Pamela. (It’s also a point of distinction between John Ross and the silver-tongued J.R., who was never at a loss for words and rarely showed vulnerability.) Julie Gonzalo is pitch perfect too: She makes Pamela seem hurt and angry, but not soap opera bitchy. The dialogue here is also revealing, especially when Pamela notes the similarities between her husband and her father. Talk about a cruel twist for John Ross: He’s spent much of his life modeling himself after J.R., only to learn the woman he loves considers him another Cliff.

Julia Cohen’s solid script also does a nice job drawing cross-generation parallels between Sue Ellen and Pamela. When Pamela tells Sue Ellen the doctor won’t discharge her until he’s convinced she’s not a danger to herself, Pamela rolls her eyes and says, “It’s ridiculous.” It’s a small moment, but the hint of uncertainty in Gonzalo’s voice lets us know Pamela is more vulnerable than she seems, recalling all the times Sue Ellen served as “Dallas’s” resident queen of denial.

Later, after the two women admit to each other how terrified they are by their recent near-death experiences, Pamela tells Sue Ellen she isn’t going to divorce John Ross because she doesn’t want him to snag her Ewing Global shares. Gray allows her character a subtle smile here, suggesting Sue Ellen feels torn. On the one hand, she undoubtedly feels obligated to support John Ross; on the other hand, Sue Ellen must admire Pamela’s determination not to allow a man to take advantage of her — even if that man is Sue Ellen’s own son.

The other great performance in “Dead Reckoning” comes from Marlene Forte, who gives me chills in the scene where Carmen sees Drew’s body in the morgue, collapses into Bobby’s arms and lets out a painful wail. Anyone who’s ever witnessed a mother lose a son knows how real this scene feels. Forte is also wonderful when Carmen receives Drew’s belongings and wonders why his St. Christopher’s medal isn’t among the possessions. There’s no doubt that medal is going to pop up again — recall that in the previous episode, Nicolas yanked off Drew’s necklace before he was executed — but it’s also a nice reminder of the importance of Carmen’s faith. It’s the kind of detail you don’t often get on a show like this.

I also love the quiet dignity Forte brings to the scene where Carmen stands over Drew’s casket and strokes his military uniform before leaning down and kissing him. The actress gets lots of support from Jordana Brewster, who makes Elena’s grief palpable, as well as Juan Pablo Di Pace, who looks positively stricken in Nicolas’s scenes with Elena and Carmen. It would be easy to overlook Patrick Duffy in these scenes, since Bobby does little more than stand around with the Ramoses as they deal with the fallout from Drew’s death, but isn’t it reassuring to see Bobby there? If nothing else, this episode reminds us how heroic Duffy’s character can be when he’s not yelling at John Ross or Ann.

There’s much more to like about “Dead Reckoning,” which is also another technical achievement for this series. This episode was filmed in the winter, allowing Anton Cropper, a first-time “Dallas” director, to use the stark Texas landscapes to emphasize the sense of loss and despair. Cropper also delivers several nifty shots, including the cinematic opening scene, where Drew’s body is dumped at his father’s old drill site, as well as an Altman-esque moment where Sue Ellen, Bobby and Christopher move out of the frame in mid-conversation, revealing another exchange happening between Elena and Carmen. I also like the musical montage near the end of the episode, when we see the workers who must clean up all the messes these characters create: the funeral director who receives Drew’s uniform, the coroner piecing together evidence from his death, the fire marshal examining evidence from the Southfork fire. (In a similar spirit, Texas actress Cynthia Jackson’s small role as the no-nonsense nurse who refuses to be charmed by John Ross is easily one of this season’s best moments.)

Other highlights in “Dead Reckoning” include lovely turns from Jesse Metcalfe and AnnaLynne McCord, whose characters, Christopher and Heather, share a bittersweet farewell. I’m sorry to see “Dallas” say goodbye to McCord, as well as Donny Boaz, who plays Bo; the McCabes bring down-to-earth sincerity to “Dallas” at a time when the show can really use it, as evidenced by the increasingly silly drug cartel storyline and this episode’s odd, out-of-place scene where a tarted-up Emma meets with Luis, the cartel emissary. I’m more forgiving of Elena’s quest for revenge, although I can’t help but think how much more poignant her end-of-episode reunion with John Ross would seem if she wasn’t playing him to get her hands on J.R.’s letter.

Speaking of our late hero: I also can’t help but notice the parallels between this episode and “J.R.’s Masterpiece,” last year’s instant-classic salute to Larry Hagman’s iconic character. Both segments show us distraught family members going to a morgue to identify a dead loved one, as well as scenes where survivors receive beautifully written letters from the deceased (Emma in “Dead Reckoning,” Sue Ellen in “J.R.’s Masterpiece”), drunken hookups that begin on the Southfork lawn (John Ross and Elena, John Ross and Emma) and heroines knocking back glass after glass of booze (Elena, Sue Ellen). The two episodes also feature Harris’s unwelcome arrival at Southfork and shots of the Ewing cousins sitting together at the kitchen counter, drinking.

Is the show paying homage to itself, or are these similarities merely coincidental? Either way, this is probably the first time “Dallas” has come close to matching the emotional resonance of “J.R.’s Masterpiece.” Here’s hoping it won’t be the last.

Grade: A

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Mother’s day

‘DEAD RECKONING’

Season 3, Episode 10

Telecast: August 25, 2014

Audience: 1.84 million viewers on August 25

Writer: Julia Cohen

Director: Anton Cropper

Synopsis: The cartel makes it look like Drew shot himself, but when Carmen learns her son is dead, she refuses to believe he committed suicide. When the fire marshal’s investigation reveals Drew set the Southfork blaze, Elena tells Carmen how J.R. cheated the Ramoses, which prompts Carmen to tell Elena about the letter J.R. wrote before his death. Elena seduces a drunk John Ross and finds the letter, which outlines the scheme to frame Cliff. Pamela tells Sue Ellen she won’t divorce John Ross because she doesn’t want to lose her Ewing Global shares to him. Emma blames Harris for Drew’s death and tells Luis to put her father back in jail. Christopher pays for Bo to have spinal cord surgery in Israel and bids farewell to Heather, who makes plans to leave Dallas to be with her ex-husband and their son, Michael.

Cast: Kuno Becker (Drew Ramos), Emma Bell (Emma Ryland), Donny Boaz (Bo McCabe), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Dallas Clark (Michael McCabe), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Nicolas Treviño), Akai Draco (Sherriff Derrick), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), GiGi Erneta (Dr. Bosnar), DentonEverett (Dr. Levi Sussman), Marlene Forte (Carmen Ramos), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Cynthia Jackson (Nurse Harlan), Antonio Jaramillo (Luis), John McCalmont (Detective Marc Linnell), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Joe Nemmers (Lt. Bennett), Ben Panchasarp (medical examiner), Pete Partida (Jacobo), Mitch Pileggi (Harris Ryland), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Javier Andy Zavala Jr. (nurse)

“Dead Reckoning” is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.