Between the Lines and Behind the Scenes of "Dallas"
Bullets may not have had much effect on him (until the end, that is), but J.R. Ewing wasn’t invulnerable.
He was easily tempted by other women, he had trouble making ethical business decisions and his deep-seated jealousies often got the better of him.
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What was J.R.’s greatest weakness?
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J.R. Ewing achieved a lot of great things in life, but his methods were usually terrible.
Did the ends justify the means? Did the good outweigh the bad? Are you able to look past all of J.R.’s lying, cheating and scheming and find qualities in him that are commendable?
Your #DallasChat Daily questions: Do you admire J.R.? Why or why not?
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We all loved J.R. Ewing, even though he wasn’t exactly Mr. Nice Guy. During the course of the original “Dallas,” he lied, cheated and stabbed the backs of friend and foe alike. But what was his worst act of all?
Was it putting Sue Ellen in the sanitarium? Having an affair with Kristin? Driving Cliff to attempt suicide? Mortgaging Southfork without Jock and Miss Ellie’s knowledge? Forcing Holly and Laurel to have sex with him? Selling oil to Cuba? Trying to blow up the Middle East? Leading Pam on a wild goose chase to find the missing Mark? Bringing Lisa to Dallas to try to take Christopher away from Bobby? Taking that doomed hunting trip to Haleyville, Arkansas?
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What’s the worst thing J.R. ever did?
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Oh, John Ross! We all love you, but you’re such a naughty boy.
Since TNT’s “Dallas” debuted three seasons ago, John Ross has tried to cheat both J.R. and Bobby in the fight for Southfork and he’s been a constant thorn in Christopher’s side, including trying to sabotage the Ewing Energies racecar.
Among John Ross’s other crimes: deceiving Elena, blackmailing “Rebecca” into tricking a recovering addict into using drugs again, helping his family frame Cliff for murder, cheating on Pamela with Emma, and having Sue Ellen committed so he can gain control of her Ewing Global shares.
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What’s the worst thing John Ross has done so far?
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Triple threat
You’re invited to Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Monday, August 4, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time.
We’ll discuss three of the “Dallas” franchise’s most fascinating characters — John Ross Ewing Sr., John Ross Ewing Jr. and John Ross Ewing III — so our theme will be: “All Our J.R.s.”
If you have ideas for questions, leave them in the comments section below, tweet them to me @DallasDecoder or post them to my Facebook page. I may choose one or more questions and ask them during our discussion.
New to #DallasChat? Here’s how it works: For one hour, I tweet 10 questions to my fellow “Dallas” fans. Each question is numbered and includes the hashtag #DallasChat, so your answers should do the same. Please include the show’s official hashtag, #DallasTNT, in your tweets too.
Here’s a sample exchange:
Q1. Who’s a better businessman: Jock, J.R. or John Ross? #DallasTNT #DallasChat
A1. Sorry J.R. and John Ross, but I’ve got to go with Jock. After all, he started the Ewing empire from nothing! #Dallas TNT #DallasChat
Two tips:
I hope you can join the discussion. See you tonight!
As much as we all love “Dallas’s” opening credits, they aren’t without their quirks.
Linda Gray and Steve Kanaly weren’t added to the title sequence until the second season, while poor Ken Kercheval had to wait until Season 3 to get star billing. By the time the show was winding down, the credits had become a free-for-all: Lesley-Anne Down was added to the opening titles the moment she joined the show, even though hardly anyone remembers her character, Stephanie Rogers.
Meanwhile, actors who made lasting contributions to “Dallas” — including John Beck (Mark), Morgan Brittany (Katherine), Mary Crosby (Kristin), Jared Martin (Dusty), Deborah Shelton (Mandy) and William Smithers (Jeremy) — were never promoted to the title sequence. (This is just a sampling, of course. Feel free to name additional actors in your response.)
Your #DallasChat Daily question: Which “Dallas” actors deserved a spot in the opening credits?
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Dallas Decoder 