Between the Lines and Behind the Scenes of "Dallas"
“Dallas” delivers the most delicious dialogue on television. Here are the best sound bites from “Denial, Anger, Acceptance,” this week’s episode.
What are your favorite lines from “Denial, Anger, Acceptance”? Share them below and read more “Say What?!”
These are her confessions
In “Denial, Anger, Acceptance,” a third-season “Dallas” episode, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), clad in a robe, enters the hospital waiting room. Bobby (Patrick Duffy), Ann (Brenda Strong) and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) see her and stand.
SUE ELLEN: I started the fire. [Bobby’s face drops]
ANN: [Stunned] What?
SUE ELLEN: I was drunk, and I came down to get more to drink. And then I remembered that John Ross had a bottle in his room. And I saw their wedding invitation, and I lit it on fire. And then I passed out. [Crying] I am so sorry I lied to all of you. [Looks at each of them] I’m an alcoholic — and I will be, until I die. [Sobs as Ann embraces her]
Burn, darlin’, burn?
Here are the questions we’re pondering as we await tonight’s telecast of “Denial, Anger, Acceptance,” the midseason premiere of TNT’s “Dallas”:
Who survived the Southfork fire — and who started it? In the previous episode, “Where There’s Smoke,” Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) received a video of John Ross and Emma (Josh Henderson, Emma Bell) having sex and lashed out at Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), who spent a lonely night at Southfork getting drunk. While Sue Ellen was passed out in John Ross and Pamela’s bedroom, an angry Bo (Donny Boaz) could be seen lurking inside the house, watching as fire swept through a room. Moments later, Bobby and Christopher (Patrick Duffy, Jesse Metcalfe) arrived home and raced inside, calling out for Ann and Sue Ellen — only to have part of the ceiling collapse on them. What happens next?
What will happen to John Ross, Pamela and Emma? After she attacked Sue Ellen, Pamela tracked down John Ross at a hotel, where she walked in on him cavorting with Emma, who was clad in her green corset. “Love what you’re wearing,” Pamela said before removing her raincoat and revealing that she was wearing her green corset too. Pamela then said, “May I join you?” The three of them began making out — and then Pamela started convulsing. As Emma dialed 911, John Ross discovered an empty pill bottle in his wife’s coat pocket and tried furiously to revive her. “Wake up, baby, wake up!” he pleaded. Why did Pamela initiate the threesome, and where does this troubled trio go from her?
What will happen between Ann and Harris? Before the fire, Bobby went ballistic when he discovered Ann (Brenda Strong) had withheld the truth about John Ross and Emma’s fling. Bobby told Ann that Emma is no longer welcome at Southfork, prompting her to turn to Harris (Mitch Pileggi) for help. After reminiscing about their marriage, Harris kissed Ann, but she turned and walked away — as a seething Judith (Judith Light) watched them from a window. What will Judith do next?
Where do Christopher and Heather go from here? The previous episode began with Heather (AnnaLynne McCord) discovering Bo kidnapped their son, Michael (Dallas Clark). With help from Sheriff Derrick (Akai Draco), Bobby, Christopher and Heather found Michael with Bo’s brother. Once mother and child were reunited, Christopher told Heather he’d like to get serious with her. Will she allow that to happen?
What’s Nicolas up to? Pamela didn’t know the video of John Ross and Emma was sent by Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace), who is secretly helping the Mexican drug cartel plot a takeover of Ewing Global. Elena (Jordana Brewster) also doesn’t know Nicolas’s true intentions and tried to back out of their plan to get revenge against the Ewings for cheating her father out of his land. Nicolas assured Elena that she isn’t wrong to seek revenge — and when she wasn’t looking, he punctured holes in her diaphragm before they had sex. Uh, what’s that about?
Where’s Drew? When Nicolas wasn’t sabotaging Elena’s birth control, he was receiving a surprise visit from the fugitive Drew (Kuno Becker), who asked for his help in striking back against the Ewings. Nicolas told Drew to be patient and allow his scheme with Elena to play out, but Drew didn’t want to hear it and ran away. Nicolas then called the drug lord Luis (Antonio Jaramillo) and told him to find Drew before he ruined their plans. What will happen if the cartel gets Drew before he gets to wherever he’s headed?
What “Dallas Burning Questions” are on your mind? Share your comments below and watch TNT’s “Dallas” tonight.
Look back
Did you promise yourself you’d spend the summer getting acquainted — or reacquainted — with TNT’s “Dallas”? Did you fail to keep this promise? Relax: You still have time. Grab your DVDs and downloads and have a marathon of your own this weekend. Here’s how to watch all 33 hours of the show before the third season resumes on Monday, August 18.
Friday, August 15
9 to 11 p.m. Kick off your marathon on Friday night at 9 o’clock — the holiest hour of the week for “Dallas” fans — with a double feature of the TNT’s show’s first two episodes: “Changing of the Guard” and “Hedging Your Bets.”
Can you watch the former without getting chills when J.R. (Larry Hagman) doffs his cowboy hat, flashes his grin and declares, “Bobby may not be stupid, but I’m a hell of a lot smarter”? Can you watch the latter without getting choked up when our hero tells Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) she’s “still the prettiest girl at the ball”? Me either.
First time for everything
Saturday, August 16
7 a.m. Rise and shine, darlins! With so much “Dallas” to watch today, there’ll be no sleeping in. Resume your marathon with “The Price You Pay,” in which Julie Gonzalo’s character receives a smartphone pic of her husband kissing another woman. Get used to it, honey.
8 a.m. Have breakfast with “The Last Hurrah,” in which John Ross (Josh Henderson) squirts Elena (Jordana Brewster) with his hose. Insert your own joke here.
9 a.m. Have you done your workout yet? Download “Truth and Consequences” to your mobile device and head to the gym. Mitch Pileggi’s debut as Harris Ryland is bound to get your heart racing.
10 a.m. Got errands to run? Chores to complete? You’ve got one hour. Make the most of it.
11 a.m. We learn jewelry makes Ann (Brenda Strong) cry in “The Enemy of My Enemy.” Then again, doesn’t everything?
Noon. Grab lunch while watching “Collateral Damage,” in which Vicente Cano (Carlos Bernard) wonders if John Ross: 1) is a good dancer, and 2) has any oil in his pipeline. OMG, Vicente was such a flirt!
1 p.m. Tommy (Callard Harris) plants a kiss on Rebecca in “No Good Deed” — which is almost as creepy as when Nicolas starts smooching Elena in Season 3.
2 p.m. Bloody monkeys, Johnny Cash and the redemption of J.R. Ewing. It’s “Family Business” — one of my favorite episodes of this show.
3 p.m. Carmen (Marlene Forte) gets one of the crummiest chores in “Dallas” history — returning Elena’s engagement ring to John Ross — in “Revelations.” Also: More Johnny Cash!
4 p.m. Have you taken a bathroom break yet? If not, take care of that now, and then hurry back to your TV or tablet to watch the second-season opener, “Battle Lines,” in which Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) learns his wife is really his cousin. Ick.
5 p.m. In “Venomous Creatures,” J.R. saves Sue Ellen from going to jail and Judith Light discovers a taste for “Dallas” scenery.
6 p.m. Drew (Kuno Becker) arrives in “Sins of the Father” — his hair won’t show up for several more episodes — and calls John Ross “J-Ro.” Thank heavens that didn’t catch on. Also: Ann shoots Harris!
7 p.m. Has your family seen you at all today? Why not take a break from the Ewings and go have dinner with them.
8 p.m. to midnight: The next four episodes are a murder-a-thon, so brace yourself. Frank (Faran Tahir) offs himself in “False Confessions,” Brenda Strong kills it during Ann’s testimony scene in “Trial and Error,” Vicente bites the dust in “Blame Game,” and then the saddest shot of all: the death of J.R. Ewing in “The Furious and the Fast.”
Midnight. The nice thing about a late-night viewing of “J.R.’s Masterpiece” is that no one else in your house is awake to see you bawling. Once you’ve dried your tears, catch some shut-eye. Tomorrow is going to be another big day.
Leg up
Sunday, August 17
8 a.m. You did a hell of a job yesterday, “Dallas” fan. Your reward: You get to start your Sunday with the wonderfully wacky hodgepodge that is “Ewings Unite!” Miss Ellie disinherits Bobby from beyond the grave, Valene (Joan Van Ark) reveals she’s as loony as ever and Cliff becomes the most hated man in the history of “Dallas” fandom.
9 a.m. Audrey Landers shows she can slink around a corner better than anyone in “Guilt and Innocence.”
10 a.m. In “Let Me In,” Harris reveals his fondness for: 1) TV nature documentaries, 2) Almonds, and 3) Hunting Ramoses.
11 a.m. John Ross and Pamela get wet in “A Call to Arms.”
Noon. You know what goes good with a nice, leisurely Sunday brunch? Watching Bobby take that badass, slow-motion walk away from Cliff at the end of “Love and Family.”
1 p.m. Christopher discovers the mystery lady under the big hat is not his mama in “Guilt by Association.” It’s not Aunt Katherine either, sadly.
2 p.m. Kevin Page joins Mary Crosby as an answer to “Dallas’s” most famous trivia question in “Legacies.”
3 p.m. You might think this would be a good time to take a break, but you’d be wrong. The die is cast and there’s no turning back, so keep plugging away with the third-season episodes, beginning with “The Return,” in which J.R.’s belt buckle begins wearing John Ross. Also: Hello, Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace)!
4 p.m. Time for “Trust Me” a.k.a. “Judith’s Snow Day.”
5 p.m. In “Playing Chicken,” Professor Bobby Ewing teaches us about endangered wildlife.
6 p.m. “Lifting the Veil” is the episode that should’ve included Sue Ellen’s comparison of Emma (Emma Bell) to Kristin, but instead it’s the episode that gives us scenes of hookers in canine costumes.
7 p.m. Dinnertime! Enjoy a glass of J.R. Ewing Bourbon (surely you have some, right?) while watching “D.T.R.” After the episode, check your bottle and make sure Sue Ellen didn’t bug it.
8 p.m. Despite the title “Like Father, Like Son,” John Ross wants you to know that he is not his father! Also: Carter McKay has grandchildren!
9 p.m. Pamela rocks Stella McCartney in “Like a Bad Penny.”
10 p.m. It’s finally time for “Where There’s Smoke.” Southfork goes up in flames and you get to go down for a well-deserved rest. Don’t forget to watch “Dallas’s” midseason premiere Monday night!
What are your favorite “Dallas” episodes? Share your choices below and read more features from Dallas Decoder.
To honor Ken Kercheval’s performance on “Dallas,” Dallas Decoder and Cook In/Dine Out offer a Cliff Barnes-inspired “Dallas Drinks” cocktail. Enjoy!
Julie Gonzalo and Emma Bell donned Pamela and Emma’s green corsets again in “Dallas’s” midyear cliffhanger, but this time around, the question isn’t who wore it better — it’s who used the lingerie more effectively?
The corsets debuted earlier this season, when Pamela wore the sexy undergarment for John Ross on the night before their wedding. Little did she know Emma had worn an identical corset for him the previous evening, knowing it would spoil Pamela’s surprise. In “Where There’s Smoke,” this week’s episode, Pamela finally discovered John Ross and Emma’s affair and went to the Omni to interrupt their latest tryst. Emma had her corset on again, and as we soon discovered, Pamela was also wearing hers — part of a twisted plot to lure her husband and his mistress into a threesome before going into an overdose-fueled seizure on them.
Some fans feel the three-way sex scene was too graphic, but I was too busy pondering the symbolic value of the costumes: In the earlier episode, Emma wore her corset in a scheme to undermine John Ross and Pamela’s marriage; in “Where There’s Smoke,” Pamela wore hers in a scheme to ruin John Ross and Emma’s affair. Like J.R.’s wristwatch and Candace’s blue dress, it’s another example of how costumes play an important role in “Dallas’s” storytelling.
Two more looks in “Where There’s Smoke” caught my eye. Costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin smartly dressed Josh Henderson in another three-piece suit, which helped project John Ross’s sense of confidence when he finally met Judith Ryland. And even though many of us were heartbroken when Christopher shaved off his beard, the loss was eased a bit by seeing Jesse Metcalfe sport that nifty brown varsity jacket. Not only is the jacket stylish — the lettermen look is big in menswear this spring — but what could be a better accessory for all-American Christopher?
Let’s just hope the Ewings know a good dry cleaner; that jacket is going to be full of soot come August.
What were your favorite looks in “Where There’s Smoke”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”
“Dallas” delivers the most delicious dialogue on television. Here are the best sound bites from “Where There’s Smoke,” this week’s episode.
What are your favorite lines from “Where There’s Smoke”? Share them below and read more “Say What?!”
Oh, the humanity!
In “Where There’s Smoke,” a third-season “Dallas” episode, Ann and Harris (Brenda Strong, Mitch Pileggi) walk out of his house.
ANN: It’s crazy, everything that’s happened in that house, not to feel —
HARRIS: Repulsed?
ANN: [Sighs] Afraid. Every time I came here when I was young, even when things were good between us, I always felt so unsettled.
HARRIS: That’s called “my mother.” [Ann chuckles.] I’m sorry I was so weak, Annie.
ANN: Weak? Back then, you were the strongest man I knew.
HARRIS: Yeah, strong to you, maybe. But I let her control me too much. Listened to her too much. And it all went awry.
ANN: Well, it wasn’t just you. I was young and reckless. Running away from a life I didn’t want. You know, I think if I had paused for one second, I would’ve seen I was too young and too screwed up to think running off with anyone at 17 was a good idea.
HARRIS: I don’t know. I think we could’ve worked, Annie. I loved you. I just think we never had a chance. We should never have remained in this house, not with that woman living here. She destroys everything she ever touches. She destroyed the most important part of my life: You. [He kisses her. She lingers, then pulls away.]
ANN: I should go.
HARRIS: I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Annie. I’m sorry.
She walks away as Judith (Judith Light) watches from an upstairs window, seething.
Devil may call
Here’s what happened in “Where There’s Smoke,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode:
• Pamela learned the truth about John Ross and Emma. While John Ross (Josh Henderson) met with contractors to discuss adding a “master suite” for him and Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) at Southfork, she checked her phone and discovered the video that showed him having sex with Emma. Pamela told Sue Ellen and Ann (Linda Gray, Brenda Strong) about the video and was stunned to discover they already knew about the affair, so she angrily ordered them out of the room. But this was nothing compared to the reaction from Bobby (Patrick Duffy), who went ballistic when he discovered his wife had withheld the truth about John Ross and Emma’s fling. “What is it that’s so hardwired in you that you keep the most important events in your life secret from your husband?” Bobby shouted. He also told Ann that Emma was no longer welcome at Southfork. “Please tell your ex-husband he’s responsible for her safety from now on,” Bobby said.
• John Ross tangled with Judith. After Bum (Kevin Page) told John Ross that Candace (Jude Demorest) was a prostitute, John Ross realized Harris had been trying to use her to frame him. John Ross went to the brothel and told Judith (Judith Light) to call off her son. “I will do anything to protect my family,” John Ross said. As soon as he departed, Emma (Emma Bell) emerged from a secret passage in Judith’s office, where Judith warned her eavesdropping granddaughter that John Ross is only interested in Ryland Transport, not in Emma. Judith urged Emma to get revenge against her lover. “You have the pictures of John Ross with the 16-year-old — and you have the dress. Use them,” Judith said.
• Nicolas deceived Elena. Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) received a surprise visit from Drew (Kuno Becker), who asked for his help in striking back against the Ewings. Nicolas told Drew to be patient and allow his scheme with Elena to play out, but Drew didn’t want to hear it. “This is a blood feud that can only be settled with blood,” he said before running away. Nicolas called Luis (Antonio Jaramillo) and told him to find Drew before he ruined their plans. “I know I’m the one in debt, but it is the Ewing deal that puts the cartel much closer to overthrowing the Mexican government,” Nicolas said. He then went home to Elena (Jordana Brewster), who was beginning to realize her conspiracy against the Ewings was misguided. “Christopher never hurt my father. J.R. did. He’s dead,” Elena said. Nicolas assured her that they aren’t wrong to seek revenge — and when Elena wasn’t looking, he punctured holes in her diaphragm before they had sex.
• Ann and Harris grew closer. After incurring Bobby’s wrath, Ann showed up on Harris’s doorstep to let him know Emma will no longer be living at Southfork. Harris (Mitch Pileggi) and Ann reminisced about their marriage, and he told her he was sorry he let his mother come between them. Said Harris: “I loved you. I just think we never had a chance. We should never have remained in this house. Not with that woman living here. She destroys everything she ever touches. She destroyed the most important part of my life: you.” Harris then kissed Ann, but she turned and walked away — as a seething Judith watched them from an upstairs window.
• Christopher came to Heather’s rescue. After shaving off his beard, Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) told Heather (AnnaLynne McCord) he’d like to get serious with her — and then she found out Bo had taken Michael and disappeared. With help from Sheriff Derrick (Akai Draco), Bobby, Christopher and Heather found Michael (Dallas Clark) with Bo’s brother Reece (Steven Walters), who told them that Bo blames the Ewings for all his problems. “Bo’s headed back to Dallas. He’s coming for everyone at Southfork,” Reece said.
• Things got hot. While Emma summoned John Ross to a hotel room, Sue Ellen approached Pamela at Southfork and explained that she was only trying to protect her daughter-in-law from the kind of pain she suffered at J.R.’s hands. “I’m not you. I’m not a weak, sniveling drunk like you,” Pamela said. She then used her phone’s GPS capabilities to track down John Ross at the hotel, where she walked in on him and Emma, who was clad in the green corset. “Love what you’re wearing,” Pamela said before removing her raincoat and revealing that she was wearing her green corset too. To the surprise of John Ross, Emma and the audience, Pamela then said, “May I join you?” The three of them began making out — and then Pamela started convulsing. As Emma dialed 911, John Ross discovered a bottle of pills in Pamela’s coat pocket and tried furiously to revive his wife. “Wake up, baby, wake up!” he pleaded.
• … And then things got hotter. Back at the ranch, a drunk Sue Ellen slipped into John Ross and Pamela’s bedroom and knocked back some of their liquor before passing out. Outside, Bo (Donny Boaz) approached Southfork with a cigarette in his mouth; moments later, when a fire mysteriously began inside the house, Bo could be seen watching the flames sweep through a room. Finally, Bobby and Christopher arrived and raced into Southfork. Bobby called out for Sue Ellen and Ann — until part of the ceiling appeared to cave in on him and Christopher and the words “To Be Continued” flashed onto the screen.
What did you think of “Where There’s Smoke”? Share your comments below and look for Dallas Decoder’s critique later this week.
Here they go again
No one should be surprised to see Southfork go up in flames in “Where There’s Smoke,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode. The Ewings aren’t exactly the poster family for exercising care and caution around the house, are they? Here’s a look at the everyday, common sense practices they routinely ignore.
Don’t hit the snooze button
Lock your doors. It sounds so simple, and yet the Ewings never seem to grasp the importance of this one. When B.D. Calhoun (Hunter von Leer) tried to kill J.R., did he swarm Southfork with his band of gun-toting mercenaries-for-hire? Nope. Calhoun simply walked into the house in the middle of the night, climbed the stairs, slipped into J.R.’s room and left a ticking time bomb on the nightstand. Several years later, when Vicente Cano decided to hold the Ewings hostage in their living room, he too waltzed in through the front door. Sheesh! Look, Southfork doesn’t have that many entrances. Is it that hard to remember to lock them?
Looks right at home
Avoid fires. We can all agree open flames inside a home are almost never a good idea, right? So could someone please explain why J.R. (Larry Hagman) had all those candles burning at Southfork on the night Ray showed up to confront him over Mickey Trotter’s accident? I mean, it’s not like J.R. was trying to set a romantic mood for Sue Ellen, who was passed out drunk upstairs. Anyhow, J.R. and Ray got into a huge fistfight, the candles went crashing to the floor and before you knew it, the house was ablaze. Everyone escaped unharmed, although poor John Ross was so traumatized, he emerged from the tragedy looking like a different kid.
Nuts for breakfast
Know your houseguests. Is there a polite way to ask potential guests if they have a history of mental health issues? If so, please pass this tip along to the Ewings, who are constantly offering room and board to people who belong in an insane asylum, not the spare bedroom at Southfork. Over the years, the Ewings’ overnight guests have included Jessica Montfort (Alexis Smith), who ended up kidnapping Miss Ellie and stuffing her in the trunk of her car; sex-crazed drug dealer Tommy McKay, who practically tried to rape April Stevens in John Ross’s bed; and that dreadful Cousin Jamie, who wasn’t crazy but drove everyone else bonkers.
Oh, Donna
Don’t provoke the animals. Oh, look. Here’s dear, pregnant Pam, who gets in accidents the way other people catch colds. Pam can’t find her husband Bobby, so she’s decided to ride her horse out to the barn to look for him. Pam, given your condition, are you sure that’s a good idea? Oops, too late: Pam fell off the horse. Oh, no. What’s happening now? Is our buddy Ray (Steve Kanaly) trying to introduce his pregnant wife Donna (Susan Howard) to one of the Southfork bulls? Ray, given your wife’s condition, are you sure that’s a good idea? Oops, too late: The bull got spooked and tried to charge Donna, who’s been knocked out cold. Sigh.
Ka-booom!
Be a good neighbor. When you have a dispute with a neighbor, do you try to resolve it by talking things out? If so, you’re nothing like the Ewings, whose preferred approach to conflict resolution is to start blowing stuff up. Just ask Carter McKay. After he bought the ranch next to Southfork and got into a spat with the Ewings over water rights, they responded by stuffing McKay’s dam full of dynamite and blasting it to smithereens. This led to a war between the McKays and the Ewings — no, seriously, both families hired their own armies — which is surely a violation of the Braddock homeowners’ association bylaws.
Not now, Lucy
Beware of heights. Elevated spaces can be dangerous. We all know this, right? So why can’t the Ewings and their friends steer clear of them? Klutzy Pam fell from the hayloft — and suffered a miscarriage, no less. Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) and Clayton each tumbled down the stairs — although not at the same time, thank goodness. And when a couple of renegade oil barons began chasing secretary Julie Grey, she went to the roof of her building because … well, why not? Then there’s poor Kristin, who figured the Southfork balcony was the perfect place to try to blackmail the man she once pumped full of lead. We all know how well that turned out.
Killer fashions
Protect the kids. Do you see the tragedy that’s about to unfold in this picture? I’m not referring to the fact that little Christopher (Joshua Harris) is pulling Bobby’s gun out of the bedroom closet so he can play with it. Ewings love guns; that’s just a fact of life and nothing will ever change it. No, I’m talking about that L.A. Gear shoebox. Does this mean Pam wore L.A. Gears, the gaudiest sneakers known to man? You don’t suppose they were neon pink high-tops, do you? Look, I don’t care if it was the ’80s; how could Pam subject her family to those ugly shoes? For goodness sake, Pam, think of the children!
Way to make a splash
Don’t go near the water. You know what swimming pools are for? Swimming. They’re not the place to settle scores with Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) and they’re not the place to work out Ewing Oil business disputes. Of course, just try telling this to the Ewings, who are constantly shoving their enemies — and each other — into the Southfork pool. Everyone gets dunked — fully clothed and against their will — at one point or another. Or at least that’s what used to happen on “Dallas.” This might be the one area of household safety where the Ewings have learned their lesson, which is kind of a shame. I mean, where’s the fun in that?
What have they done now?
Get some insurance. Maybe the reason the Ewings aren’t more careful around the house is because they’ve got the best insurance policy ever: Bobby (Patrick Duffy). No matter what mishaps befall these people, they know good ol’ Bob will save the day. Southfork catches fire? Bobby will come along in the nick of time to make sure everyone gets out alive. Range war with McKay? Bobby will go Chuck Norris on his ass and single-handedly disarm his militia. That termite Cliff starts a pool fight? Well, Bobby won’t break up the scuffle, but he’ll make damn sure Barnes gets the beating he deserves. Bobby, this is why we love you. Never leave us, OK?
What have the Ewings taught you about household safety? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Decoder Guides.”
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