Strange brew
In “Déjà Vu,” an eighth-season “Dallas” episode, J.R. (Larry Hagman) enters a seedy bar and sits at a table where Cliff (Ken Kercheval) awaits him.
J.R.: Your making money hasn’t improved your spending habits. Where’d you find this dive?
CLIFF: I didn’t want to pick anywhere we’d be noticed.
J.R.: Well, you got the right place.
WAITRESS: Help you?
J.R.: Yeah, a long neck, please. All right, what’s this meeting all about?
CLIFF: Your brother, my sister. I was really disappointed when Bobby’s wedding didn’t take place.
J.R.: Not as disappointed as I was.
CLIFF: Well, I figured that. You know, I don’t think either one of us wants to mix up our families again.
J.R.: I’m surprised to hear you’re worried about that. I saw the ad for Mark Graison that Pam put in the paper.
CLIFF: [Chuckles] Yeah, she’s looking for him all right. She’s checking a list of quack clinics all around the world thinking that he might still be alive trying to take some last-chance cure in one of those places. Well, what worries me is with her emotional state right now, and the way Bobby must be feeling, that they’re just liable to fall into each other’s arms again.
J.R.: I considered that myself. You got some sort of plan in mind?
CLIFF: Nope. Nope, not exactly. I just know I’m going to do everything I can to keep them apart — and I was hoping that you would do the same.
J.R.: [Pours his beer into a glass] Well, maybe this is the one time a Ewing and a Barnes ought to work together. [Cliff raises his glass.]
Watch this scene in “Déjà Vu,” available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes, and share your comments below.
Cliff never was a good brother!
I thought he had some good moments over the years.
I have to mention this error of the writers how did JR know in advance of this meeting about Mark’s illness when nobody besides Cliff, Pam, Katherine and Afton knew. Even Bobby did not know until later in “Bail Out” when Pam told him the real reason she was going to marry Mark, something is a miss!!!
Oh wow, I never noticed that. Good catch. Maybe J.R. was snooping into Mark’s business before the plane crash?
U take the good, u take the bad, “The Facts of Life.” As 4 J.R. & Cliff working together, its exactly what was needed to solve their troubles. Plus, it gives the fans another unexpected DALLAS twist!
Very true, R.J.!
Even this scene results in a double cross. Don’t forget at the very end of this season after JR thoroughly angers Pam by sending her on the Marc wild goose chase. He angers her so much she throws her wealth into Cliff’s JR vendetta. So JR finally encourages Pam to go back to Bobby hoping that would take her wealth out of Cliff’s fight.
No spoilers, Dan! (Kidding.)