Tanned. Rested. Ready.
Dallas Decoder is resuming its coverage of the original “Dallas” series, starting today. I’m picking up where I left off earlier this year — about two-thirds of the way through the seventh season. Look for a fresh episode critique and “Dallas Scene of the Day” transcript each Wednesday for the next few weeks.
These are the episodes that brought us Lady Jessica Montfort’s arrival, Peter Richards’ farewell, the Gold Canyon 340 imbroglio and the “Who Shot Bobby?” cliffhanger. I hope you’ll take the trip down memory lane and share your thoughts about these storylines, which debuted during the winter and spring of 1984.
I’ll continue writing about TNT’s “Dallas” too, including a final batch of “Dallas Parallels” posts. I also have some fun stuff planned on social media, so if you haven’t liked this site’s Facebook page or followed the Twitter feed, I hope you’ll do so.
As always, please know how much I appreciate everyone who reads Dallas Decoder and shares their love for “Dallas.” If you have ideas or other feedback, I encourage you to share them in the comments section below or by e-mailing me at dallasdecoder-at-gmail.com. I always love to hear from my fellow fans.
Thanks again, and welcome back to classic “Dallas”!
Dallas Decoder 
This is going back to the program’s infancy, but I was always a little perplexed by the Bobby-Pam-Ray Krebbs love triangle. She was Ray’s girl first, and things were apparently serious enough between them, not just a lighthearted fling. Then Bobby spots her, decides he MUST have her, and when she reciprocates his advances, poor schmuck farmhand Ray has to just accept it and get over it, and never for one second is Bobby portrayed as a bad guy in the whole thing. I suppose if the series hadn’t opened with Bobby and Pam returning from their honeymoon, the audience’s perception might have unfolded differently. And initially Ray was painted as somewhat of a dubious character, rolling in the hay with Jock’s granddaughter (not yet known to be Ray’s own niece, thankfully) and conspiring with JR to break up Bobby and Pam’s marriage.
And I still don’t know what was up with that episode in which an old friend/mentor of Bobby’s shows up and attempts to seduce Pam, while Bobby just sits in his room feeling resigned and helpless to stop it. His attitude was basically, I don’t want him to sleep with my wife, but he IS my friend, so it is what it is. Can you imagine this storyline today? It would never fly on any show. I need to see that thing again some day, lol.
Thanks Mac888. I think you’re referring to “Fallen Idol” from the second season. I don’t remember Bobby sitting in his room helpless. Guess I need to check out that episode again!
Excited
I’m glad!
Great idea to comment Dallas original serie, the best show I have ever seen, Elizabete.
I feel the same, Elizaabete. Thanks!
about time chris
I hope it’s worth the wait.
So glad to hear this Chris – we were only about half way through the excellent season 7 when last we heard from you. These episodes are very special to me because not only is season 7 so good, they are the first episodes I truly remember watching at the time they were originally shown – previous seasons were a little sketchy as I was only a little lad back then!
Here in the UK the Summer of 1984 was like 1980 all over again, only this time it was “who shot Bobby?” instead of JR!
Thanks, Paul. I hope you’ll share your memories of watching these episodes. I have a lot of fond memories of Season 7 too.
For all intent and purposes, if the New Dallas is truly dead and we are all moving focus back onto the original series, I might ask this question,…. Will Cidre ever release the intended scripts and/or write the fans an appropriate ending? If the answer is “NO”, than perhaps there could be the hope that there are plans for something in the future….
There is this little thing called the internet out there. One way or another that stuff will be revealed/leaked. We can count on that.
Not sure, Matt. I hope we find out what’s in those scripts too.
Thank you Chris!!! :O) YAAAAAYYYY!!! That has made my day. I love these that you write. Can’t wait for your Swan Song review when you get there next season! Bestest wishes and much gratitude to you :O)
Dan, thanks. “Swan Song” is a special episode to me. I look forward to writing that review.
I look forward to the Dallas TNT and CBS Dallas parallels. If Elena’s baby was John Ross’s maybe he would have been as unattached to the idea of the kid as JR was to Kristen’s baby.
Thanks, Garnet. “Dallas Parallels” will return soon. I’m always looking for suggestions for that column. I know you haven’t seen all of the original series, but if you have ideas for parallels, please send them my way.
CB
I have to ‘fess up to some role reversal here. The whole SaveDallas thing became a major eye-roller for me after a couple of weeks. My attitude was, let it go, folks. It’s yer own damn fault, not TNT’s, that a small handful of viewers simply isn’t good enough to keep the show going. Well, it is absolutely STILL yer own damn fault, not TNT’s, that our show was cancelled. I am not directing this at anyone who, like myself, watched or fired up the DVR for the Ewings faithfully each week. I am speaking to the wishy-washy viewer who didn’t know what he/she had til it was gone. And never mind the nonsense that it wasn’t marketed well enough. I saw plenty of promos, and how large a rock do you have to live under to not know there is a revival of an iconic TV show on the air?
That being said, none other than Linda Gray’s daughter has essentially confirmed that Netflix is still our potential salvation, and some formal decision will be coming down next month. I won’t say I’m greatly optimistic…I have to temper it with that annoying safeguard known as reality…but I’ll cling to hope until I’m told it is curtains for the Southfork clan!
And really in our favor ,… how many of the actors will be under contract to do something else full time? I do not think (no offense to him) that Henderson will be another lead right away. Part of me feels that costs were the big factor why there was no renewal, but the other was the bad press of Cidre and her team. To me, there might be hope in that a mini series would wrap her story lines up and a new team would incorporate their storylines, if this made for TV movie or mini series did well, the show might get picked up. I do not know the logistics of ownership, if Cidre was relieved, can you incorporate her creations?
I’d certainly give the show a second chance under a new creative team, though if there is anything to this Netflix rumor that would be an issue for me. I simply live in a rural area where streaming video is iffy depending on the day of the week so I don’t waste money on Netlix as a result…
As for ownership, I’m not privy to the terms of Cidre’s contract but typically a person in her position is a hired gun. Warner would be the owners of the intellectual property and could have another writer pick up any of her unresolved threads. It’s no different than Cidre giving closure to Pam or resurecting Tracey McKay.
I totally agree with everything you are saying Mac888. When Cidre made the announcement that the SaveDallas campaign had ended, I was immensely disappointed, but accepted that the door was firmly closed for now. But then when I read the twitter post from Linda Gray’s daughter I became cautiously optimistic. When I scanned some other websites…I also found other encouraging bits of information. A Dallas fan on Soap Chat received a response from Netflix when they asked about Dallas being picked up by them, and they said “All negotiations for streaming programs are taking place behind closed doors…stay tuned.” If this email response is credible, it seems positive. On the Dallas TNT Facebook page, a fan posted an email they received on November 26 from WB that stated “how much they love Dallas, and that they are dedicated to finding this important franchise a new home”. They also said they are in the process of taking over the Facebook page from TNT and will start adding new content. This was from Scott Rowe, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Communications for WB Television Group. If this is credible…it is the most positive indicator yet that the owners of the franchise still see potential in continuing the saga.
It also makes sense now why WB would not allow Cidre to released the completed scripts for season 4 as she had originally said she would if the series was not picked up. To me it may indicate that WB feel that they may still use some of this if the program does get picked up for a season 4.
I believe that Netflix is truly a viable option for Dallas, because it is really an international brand with broad appeal. It the series can be distributed via one singular streaming platform like Netflix…combined global viewership could produce substantial results. The SaveDallas campaign did definitely solidify that Dallas is still relevant, viable and has a large international fan base. I feel at this point, Netflix may actually be the perfect home for the series. Like other posters on this thread, I currently do not use Netflix…but guarantee that I would be signing up the second they announce they have picked up Dallas.
In closing, I think if WB and Netflix are in negotiations, it is being kept very quiet to avoid huge fan disappointment if a deal is not struck. I also feel that the campaign to SaveDallas is over as far as Cidre and the TNT production team are concerned because WB may be taking this opportunity to bring in a new show runner and perhaps retool the format a bit, to incorporate fan feedback from the TNT version and make a correction to the shows direction that would see it return more closely to its roots.
But I believe Cidre is a Warner employee. NOT TNT.
I don’t believe the ‘new’ Dallas is truly dead. Just “for now”.
Yes, I also believe “Dallas” will return one day, but probably not anytime soon.
I think tnt is wrong for not renewing Dallas tnt network you are unfair to dallas fans if your network can,t keep dallas going what good is tnt
I agree, Sheri. TNT was wrong. I wish the network would change its mind but I don’t think that’s going to happen.