Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 200 — ‘Close Encounters’

November 18, 2015 by 17 Comments
Close Encounters, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman

Man of the hour

“Close Encounters,” the 200th hour of “Dallas,” is the kind of episode only this show could produce. Most of the action takes place at a Southfork charity rodeo, where the characters wheel, deal and confront each other over their various romantic entanglements — taking occasional breaks to climb into a saddle and test their calf-roping and barrel-racing skills. Sure, we’ve seen this kind of thing before on “Dallas,” but that doesn’t make it any less fun. If nothing else, “Close Encounters” demonstrates how the Ewings — after almost a decade on the air — had yet to wear out their welcome. Then again, did they ever?

Like the third-season classic “Rodeo,” the only other episode that depicts a Southfork rodeo, “Close Encounters” focuses on J.R. and Sue Ellen’s extramarital inclinations. He spends each episode sneaking around with a mistress (Kristin in “Rodeo,” Mandy in “Close Encounters”), while Sue Ellen finds herself being tempted by Dusty in both installments. The Sue Ellen of 1985 is much smarter and more confident than the 1979 version, however. She dictates the terms of her affair with Dusty in “Close Encounters” (it was the other way around in “Rodeo”), but her progress is also on display during her memorable confrontation with Mandy. In “Close Encounters’” best scene, Sue Ellen pulls the poor, disillusioned young woman aside and warns her that J.R. has a history of mistreating women, but Mandy refuses to listen. Finally, an exasperated Sue Ellen asks, “Isn’t it strange how the mistress always thinks she’s smarter than the wife? If she’s so smart, why is she the mistress?” The line is equal parts wisdom, compassion and bitchiness — and Linda Gray captures each nuance perfectly.

There’s much more to love about “Close Encounters”: Pam and Jenna’s awkwardly poignant exchange, which marks the first time the onetime rivals have seen each other since Bobby’s funeral; Miss Ellie’s “give ’em hell” pep talk to Sue Ellen before the latter participates in the barrel race (you can feel the affection between Gray and Barbara Bel Geddes here); and Angelica Nero’s gigantic, floppy pink hat, which is a look so bold, even Katherine Wentworth wouldn’t have dared it. There’s also the scene where Patricia defends her parenting skills to J.R. “There’s nothing wrong with the way Sue Ellen was brought up,” she says. Larry Hagman waits a beat before delivering J.R.’s retort: “No, just the way she turned out.”

Indeed, more than anything, I get a kick out of watching Hagman in episodes like this. J.R. is all smiles when he’s in the public spotlight at the rodeo, even though he’s privately seething over Patricia’s nosiness, Sue Ellen’s flirtation with Dusty and the fact that Cliff is buzzing around like a gnat, trying to horn in on his dealings with Angelica. And who doesn’t love this episode’s climactic scene, when J.R. — through gritted teeth — announces Dusty has won the coveted belt buckle that designates him as the rodeo’s best all-around cowboy? (Dusty was the winner in “Rodeo” too, although Jock Ewing presented the prize back then.)

“Close Encounters” also brings Ray and Donna’s pregnancy storyline to a close: She suffers a miscarriage after a caged bull causes her to take a spill. The expression on Susan Howard’s face when Donna falls says so much about the character’s fear, while Steve Kanaly does a nice job conveying Ray’s anguish in the hospital scenes. The episode also offers its share of curiosities: Why do the producers show Ray congratulating the taciturn adolescent Rocky on his victory in the rodeo’s junior competition? Is the point to demonstrate that Ray is good with children, thus making Donna’s miscarriage at the end of the episode seem even more tragic? Or was there some subplot involving Rocky that was left on the cutting-room floor? Why is this kid so mopey, after all?

In the same spirit, what should we make of the cameo by Mark White, the real-life Texas governor who appears at the beginning of the rodeo? Besides becoming the first person to play himself on “Dallas” (following appearances by Gerald and Betty Ford and Henry Kissinger in a 1983 “Dynasty” episode), White manages to deliver a hilariously brief speech when he greets the rodeo-goers thusly: “Thank you. Thank you. It’s really great to be with y’all up here today. Thank you.”

A politician who limits his public pronouncements to just 16 words? How did we not know this season was going to turn out to be a dream?

Grade: A

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Close Encounters, Dallas, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing

Changed woman

‘CLOSE ENCOUNTERS’

Season 9, Episode 9

Airdate: November 15, 1985

Audience: 19.8 million homes, ranking 9th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Hollace White and Stephanie Garman

Director: Corey Allen

Synopsis: Angelica decides to do business with Ewing Oil. Sue Ellen raises Mandy’s doubts about J.R. and resumes her romance with Dusty. Donna suffers a miscarriage after falling at the Ewing Rodeo.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Barbara Carrera (Angelica Nero), Gino De Mauro (Rocky), Jim Gough (Announcer), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Robert Harper (Doctor), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Deborah Rennard (Sly), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), Merete Van Kamp (Grace), Governor Mark White (Himself)

“Close Encounters” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 199 — ‘Quandary’

November 11, 2015 by 9 Comments
Dallas, Donna Krebbs, Quandary, Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly, Susan Howard

Courageous convictions

In “Quandary,” expectant parents Ray and Donna Krebbs deal with the news their child will be born with Down syndrome. Donna wants to have the baby, believing it would be wrong to terminate the pregnancy just because the child will be abnormal. Ray has strong feelings too: He candidly admits he isn’t ready to raise a child who is likely to have many health problems. By the end of the episode, though, Donna has brought her husband around to her way of thinking. Placing Ray’s hand on her belly, she tearfully says, “This baby was conceived in love — our love. How could it be anything but right?”

Like Sue Ellen’s efforts to get sober, Ray and Donna’s storyline feels like a deliberate attempt to inject more realism into “Dallas’s” ninth season. Fans who come to the series for escapist entertainment tend to be dismissive of these sorts of things, but I find a lot here to admire. Steve Kanaly and Susan Howard each deliver moving performances, and Joel J. Feigenbaum’s script is sensitive without ever resorting to schmaltz. There’s no doubt “Dallas” is trying to educate its audience — particularly in the scene where Donna’s doctor ticks off a list of Down syndrome statistics — but the story never becomes as heavy-handed as Miss Ellie’s third-season bout with breast cancer, “Dallas’s” other stab at so-called relevant storytelling.

Besides, it’s not like Feigenbaum doesn’t give us the usual wheeling and dealing too. After announcing her decision in the previous episode to take Bobby’s place at Ewing Oil, Pam shows up for work in “Quandary” and immediately clashes with J.R. She memorably cuts short his attempt to bully her by buzzing Phyllis and ordering “a cup of tea — a cup of herbal tea,” then quietly melts after he storms out of the room. Later, Pam is forced to crash a staff meeting when J.R. fails to invite her, which is a fun scene for a lot of reasons, especially since it confirms that J.R. and his secretaries are not, in fact, the only employees of this multi-billion-dollar corporation. I also like how J.R. and Cliff’s meetings with mysterious shipping executive Angelica Nero illustrate their differing styles: Cliff leaps at the opportunity to join forces with her, while J.R. plays it much cooler, wining and dining Angelica and even pretending to not mind when she orders mussels at La Champagne.

“Quandary” also has fun with Cliff and Jamie in the scene where she hangs up on him — repeatedly — when he calls to apologize for their latest fight. I also appreciate how this episode shows Sue Ellen telling Dusty she needs to focus on the other relationships in her life before she resumes her romance with him. Isn’t it nice to see Linda Gray’s character becoming smarter and wiser? In the same spirit, I like how Pam and Mark’s relationship is maturing. He spends this episode feeling overshadowed by Bobby’s ghost, and then in the sexy final scene, Pam barges into Mark’s bedroom, kicks off her heels and climbs into bed with him. If that doesn’t prove she wants the guy, what does?

These relationships stand in contrast to J.R. and Mandy’s, which no longer rings true. After spending much of the previous season refusing to become J.R.’s mistress, Mandy has now surrendered all her principles, although the show hasn’t gotten around to telling us why. In “Quandary,” she even allows J.R. to buy her a love nest, which the couple “christens” by hopping into a bubble bath and sipping champagne. What happened to the strong, independent-minded woman who once threw a key in J.R.’s face when he tried to rent her an apartment? Did Mandy have a lobotomy when she left town a few episodes ago, or has she always been this vacuous? Could it be the air in those bubbles is a metaphor for the space between her ears?

Grade: B

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Dallas, Deborah Shelton, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Mandy Winger, Quandary

Bubble heads

‘QUANDARY’

Season 9, Episode 8

Airdate: November 8, 1985

Audience: 19.5 million homes, ranking 11th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Joel J. Feigenbaum

Director: Michael Preece

Synopsis: Ray and Donna decide to continue her pregnancy. Angelica uses Cliff as bait to lure J.R., although her real target is J.R. Jamie leaves Cliff over deceiving Pam, whose decision to work at Ewing Oil sparks backlash from J.R. and Mark. Sue Ellen tells Dusty she must decide what to do about her marriage. J.R. and Mandy resume their affair.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Barbara Carrera (Angelica Nero), Linda Gehringer (Ewing Oil employee), Lee Gideon (Carl), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Frances Lee McCain (Dr. Amy Rose), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Sherril Lynn Rettino (Jackie Dugan), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), Michael Skipper (Bill Crawford), Deborah Tranelli (Phyllis), Merete Van Kamp (Grace)

“Quandary” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 198 — ‘The Wind of Change’

November 4, 2015 by 9 Comments
Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow, Pam Ewing, Victoria Principal, Wind of Change

Keepers of the faith

Who doesn’t get chills at the end of “The Wind of Change”? Pam takes the podium at the Oil Baron’s Ball and delivers a stirring tribute to Bobby, then announces she’s decided to not sell Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell. As Pam exits the stage to applause, J.R. — who’s been desperately fighting Wendell’s takeover — rushes to his ex-sister-in-law’s side and praises her “wise and historic decision.” J.R. assumes Pam is going to sell the shares to him, but she quickly bursts his bubble. “I’m not selling at all,” she says. “From now on, it’s going to be you and me. I’ll see you at the office, partner.”

This is a great scene for a lot of reasons, beginning with the way it allows Pam to slide into Bobby’s old role as J.R.’s most effective antagonist. In one swoop, she manages to save J.R.’s bacon and ruin his day — just like Bobby used to do. The twist also carries more than a hint of destiny: Early plans for “Dallas” called for Bobby to be killed off at the end of the first season, leaving Pam as the spirited young widow, fighting for her place in the Ewing empire. Now Victoria Principal finally gets to play that character, except the conflict is far richer because the show has almost a decade’s worth of conflict between J.R. and Pam to draw upon.

Just as importantly, the Oil Baron’s Ball scene casts Pam in another role: as a kindred spirit to Miss Ellie. Earlier in “The Wind of Change,” Mama visits Pam and talks about how she used to dream of John Ross and Christopher growing up, side by side. “And then they’d finally start running the business together the way Jock used to — tough, honest,” Ellie says. “I had faith that they’d always do the right thing. I had faith.” It’s another nicely written monologue from Peter Dunne — delivered beautifully by Barbara Bel Geddes — and it lends extra poignancy to Pam’s big speech at the end of the episode. Her decision to hold onto the Ewing Oil shares doesn’t just mean Christopher will one day follow in Bobby’s footsteps; it also means Pam is poised to succeed Ellie as keeper of the Ewing faith.

‘I’m Pregnant Now!’

Dallas, Donna Krebbs, Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly, Susan Howard, Wind of Change

Into the fire

With its emphasis on family and legacy, “The Wind of Change” bears more than a passing resemblance to the third-season classic “Ellie Saves the Day,” another episode that found the Ewing empire on the brink of ending. Both episodes are filled with somber moments, although “The Wind of Change” takes the theme of dashed dreams one step further with a subplot about Ray and the pregnant Donna learning their child will be born with Down syndrome. The performances from Steve Kanaly and Susan Howard are believably anguished, especially in the scene where Ray suggests Donna abort the child. “You can get pregnant again,” he says. “I’m pregnant now!” she shouts. We’re used to the Krebbses keeping “Dallas” grounded, but never have their problems felt this real.

And yet “The Wind of Change” manages to be a fun episode too, doesn’t it? The scenes at the Oil Baron’s Ball are everything we’ve come to expect from these affairs. When J.R. isn’t smiling and pretending he’s not seething about Wendell’s takeover, he’s discreetly caressing mistress Mandy Winger’s arm — something his nosy mother-in-law, Patricia Shepard, doesn’t miss. The ball scenes also find mysterious newcomer Angelica Nero spying Jack across the crowded room (this is Barbara Carrera’s “Dallas” debut), Jamie tossing a cream pie in Cliff’s face and Sue Ellen’s triumphant return to the public eye after her latest sanitarium stay.

The latter scene is shot from Sue Ellen’s point of view, an example of the visual flair that was a hallmark of director Corey Allen, helming his first “Dallas” episode since the second season. In another “Wind of Change” scene, Allen shoots Priscilla Beaulieu Presley and Shalane McCall galloping across a Southfork field on horseback (shades of Jim Davis’s cattle drive scene in “Bypass,” Allen’s first “Dallas” episode), while a breakfast conversation between Ellie and Clayton is staged on the Southfork balcony, which offers such dramatic, sweeping views of the ranch, I’ll never understand why other directors didn’t use the setting more often. I also love the cross-cut editing between Ray and Donna’s argument over their child and Jack and Jenna’s conversation about what the Krebbses are enduring.

The other great artistic achievement in “The Wind of Change” belongs to costume designer Travilla, who outfitted the actresses in gowns that became iconic. The secrets behind the dresses are almost as interesting as what we saw on screen. According to a newspaper article quoted in Barbara Curran’s book, “Dallas: The Complete Story of the World’s Favorite Prime-Time Soap,” the beaded black gown worn by Bel Geddes weighed 20 pounds and cost $5,000, while Principal’s white dress weighed 30 pounds, making it hard for her to walk. As for Gray’s famous black dress? It was lined with plastic bags attached with safety pins.

Sue Ellen may be sober, but I guess she hasn’t completely left her bag lady days behind her. Who knew?

Grade: A+

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Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Wind of Change

Dallas deflation

‘THE WIND OF CHANGE’

Season 9, Episode 7

Airdate: November 1, 1985

Audience: 20.2 million homes, ranking 7th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Peter Dunne

Director: Corey Allen

Synopsis: At the Oil Baron’s Ball, Bobby is named Oilman of the Year, prompting Pam to change her mind about selling Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell. Sue Ellen leaves the sanitarium and moves in with her mother, while Mandy returns to Dallas and resumes her relationship with J.R. Ray and Donna learn their child will be born with Down syndrome.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Barbara Carrera (Angelica Nero), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Frances Lee McCain (Dr. Amy Rose), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Greg Michaels (Private eye), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Martha Scott (Patricia Shepard), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Karen Radcliffe (Barbara), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Carol Sanchez (Angela), sDeborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell), Don Starr (Jordan Lee)

“The Wind of Change” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 197 — ‘Mothers’

October 28, 2015 by 17 Comments
Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Martha Scott, Mothers, Patricia Shepard

Lives of mothers

“Mothers” brings back Patricia Shepard, who visits Southfork and is stunned to discover her daughter Sue Ellen is being treated for alcoholism. Patricia’s arrival allows “Dallas” to delve into Sue Ellen’s past, drawing a connection between her troubled childhood and the addiction that now overwhelms her. The episode also examines the prickly relationship between Miss Ellie and Patricia, two women who are united by the marriage of their children but who otherwise have very little in common. It all adds up to another hour that allows the women of Southfork to step into the spotlight. Just think: It took only nine seasons for them to get there.

This is an episode with many interesting moments, beginning with Sue Ellen’s visit to Dr. Gibson, a therapist at the sanitarium where she’s receiving treatment. Linda Gray’s dialogue reveals new information about her character — we learn Sue Ellen’s father was an alcoholic too — epitomizing new producer Peter Dunne’s determination to dig deeper into familiar figures like Sue Ellen Ewing. The Gibson character also is put to good use. She’s full of insight, refusing to allow Sue Ellen to blame other people for her problems. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. What matters is where you go from here,” Gibson says. The good doctor is played by Bibi Besch, a wonderful character actress who makes everything she appears in better. What a shame this is Gibson’s only “Dallas” appearance while Dr. Ellby — Sue Ellen’s creepy, glass-eyed therapist during the early seasons — logged 19 (!) episodes.

The scenes involving Ellie and Patricia reveal a lot too. Here are two women who couldn’t be more different. Earthy Ellie allows her children to make their own decisions — sometimes to a fault. In this episode, she wisely tells Ray he must make up his own mind about whether or not to sell his shares of Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell, but she also says nothing when J.R. causes a scene at breakfast, complaining about how his family is selling him out to Wendell. Contrast this with that master meddler, the status-obsessed Patricia. She pries J.R. for information about his marital life — even getting him to admit he’s had affairs (notably, she gives him a pass for this) — and later visits Sue Ellen and vows to “straighten out” her daughter’s marriage. When Sue Ellen points out that she’s always run third to J.R.’s work and his mistresses, Patricia snaps, “I didn’t raise my daughters to run third. I raised winners.” This lady is like Jock Ewing in a skirt, is she not?

Patricia and Ellie’s direct interaction tells us a lot too. Note how warmly Ellie greets Patricia when she arrives at Southfork. Only after Patricia has exited the scene do we learn the truth: “That woman’s never been anything but trouble,” Ellie tells Clayton. Mama is nothing if not a gracious hostess. It’s also worth noting that Patricia acts like she has no idea her daughter has a drinking problem, even though the Shepard matriarch’s most recent visit to the ranch came during the third season, right after Sue Ellen’s previous sanitarium stay. Perhaps this is an oversight on behalf of Dunne and the rest of the writing team, but it seems just as likely Patricia is suffering a classic case of denial. Consider what happens at the end of “Mothers,” when Patricia lashes out at Ellie. While Mama is talking about how Sue Ellen needs to learn to deal with her problems on her own, Patricia is focused on fixing her daughter’s marriage. Patricia simply has her own set of priorities.

There’s a lot more to like about “Mothers,” including the opening scene, when J.R. urges the Oil Baron’s Ball organizers to honor Bobby with the Oilman of the Year Award, as well as the final shot, when Mama overhears J.R. lamenting how he failed to keep the family business together. This episode also plants the seeds for storylines that will take on greater significance later in the season: Clayton takes a call from an associate who reports bad business news, Mark hires his friend Dr. Jerry Kenderson to run his research clinic, and Jack is followed by someone who keeps snapping photos of him. Does the stalker work for J.R.? Jeremy? Someone else? We won’t find out for several episodes, and even though the resolution ends up being disappointing, you can’t deny the mystery gets off to an intriguing start.

Mostly, though, “Mothers” belongs to the women, especially Barbara Bel Geddes and Martha Scott. Both actresses are class acts, and it’s fun to watch them go toe to toe with performances that are nuanced, subtle and above all, believable. These are the kinds of mature roles we rarely see on television today. Make no mistake: If Ellie and Patricia were characters on a contemporary soap opera like “Empire” or “Scandal,” they’d probably be reduced to trading cheap quips and dirty looks. Then again, what are the chances either of those shows would give meaningful roles to a couple of veteran actresses like Barbara Bel Geddes and Martha Scott?

Grade: B

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Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Miss Ellie Ewing, Mothers

Mama’s here

‘MOTHERS’

Season 9, Episode 6

Airdate: October 25, 1985

Audience: 19.5 million homes, ranking 8th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Hollace White and Stephanie Garman

Director: Michael Preece

Synopsis: Patricia Shepard, Sue Ellen’s mother, arrives and vows to repair her daughter’s marriage. Pam and Miss Ellie each decide to sell their shares of Ewing Oil to Wendell, but Ellie gets cold feet when she realizes it will devastate J.R. Mandy leaves town. Mark decides to fund a medical research institute and asks Jerry to run it.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Bibi Besch (Dr. Gibson), Donald Craig (Oil baron), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing Barnes), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Barry Jenner (Dr. Jerry Kenderson), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Hal Landon (Oil baron), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Karen Radcliffe (Barbara), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Carol Sanchez (Angela), Martha Scott (Patricia Shepard), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell)

“Mothers” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 196 — ‘Saving Grace’

October 21, 2015 by 22 Comments
Dallas, John Beck, Mark Graison, Pam Ewing, Saving Grace

Swoon song

No one will ever accuse Mark Graison of being an interesting character, but you can’t deny the man knows how to make a comeback. In “Saving Grace,” Mark re-enters Pam’s life and reveals he faked his death a year earlier to focus on finding a cure for his fatal disease. Yes, the explanation is absurd, but it’s not like we haven’t been through this kind of thing before (Dusty Farlow), and it’s not like we won’t go through it again (Bobby Ewing). Mark’s resurrection might be “Dallas’s” best return from the grave, though — or at least the one that does the least damage to the show’s credibility.

Much credit goes to the actors who must carry this storyline, beginning with John Beck. Some “Dallas” fans will never forgive Mark for pursuing Pam while she was still married to Bobby, but Beck’s confident charm is put to good use here. It helps him sell all the outlandish dialogue he has to deliver about secretive death-staging and international cure-seeking. Victoria Principal also hits the right notes, especially when Pam faints in Mark’s arms, then awakens and simultaneously bursts into tears and laughter. Principal also gets to utter a line that is wonderfully hilarious, but only in retrospect: “Tell me I’m not dreaming.”

I also appreciate how “Saving Grace” doesn’t shortchange Mark’s return. “Dallas” dispenses with Dusty and Bobby’s revivals with just a few lines, but this episode has several lengthy scenes where Mark explains the reason for faking his death (he didn’t want Pam to watch him die slowly), the state of his disease (in remission, not cured), and why he’s re-entering Pam’s life (because now that Bobby’s dead, she needs him). We also get to see other characters react to Mark’s return: J.R. is rattled but refuses to show it, while Cliff is speechless. (Ken Kercheval’s double-take is priceless in the fun scene where Mark surprises Cliff in the kitchen.) By the end of the hour, though, everyone has recovered from the shock: Pam and Mark are back together, and he’s vowing to put Ewing Oil out of business after hearing about J.R.’s scheme to send Pam on a wild goose chase for him during the previous season.

Indeed, “Saving Grace” marks the moment “Dallas” begins getting back to business as usual after Bobby’s death. J.R. is once again battling Jeremy Wendell, pursuing Mandy Winger and neglecting the needs of Sue Ellen, including hanging up on her therapist when he calls to suggest J.R. attend marriage counseling. (The hang-up occurs off-camera, unfortunately). These scenes are balanced with a series of exchanges that highlight the show’s renewed sense of warmth: Donna and Jenna go shopping for baby clothes, Ray playfully asks his wife if she’d like to “mess around,” Jack sweetly urges Jamie not to worry about him after someone breaks into his apartment and noses around.

Miss Ellie also shows a little love, of the tough variety, when she tells Dusty to steer clear of Sue Ellen while she’s trying to get sober. This is a good scene because it brings together two characters who don’t usually interact and reminds us that Ellie has a fifth “son”: Dusty, which is a relationship I tend to forget about. The dialogue is smart too, especially when Dusty says the idea of staying away from Sue Ellen “isn’t that simple” and Mama smiles and responds, “Let me simplify it for you.” I also like how director Nick Havinga stages the scene in a corner of the Southfork lawn, with the actors in the foreground and the house looming behind them. It makes me wish more scenes had been filmed at this angle.

Ellie is planting a tree when the scene begins, which marks the third or fourth time we’ve seen her gardening since Barbara Bel Geddes resumed her famous role a few episodes ago. Q-Less, a Dallas Decoder reader, recently pointed out the frequency of these planting scenes at the beginning of the ninth season, suggesting it symbolized how Bel Geddes was keeping the show grounded. I couldn’t agree more. Every time we see Ellie puttering around her garden, it’s as if “Dallas” is getting back to its roots. Keep digging, Mama.

Grade: B

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Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Dusty Farlow, Jared Martin, Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow, Saving Grace

Blood and soil

‘SAVING GRACE’

Season 9, Episode 5

Airdate: October 18, 1985

Audience: 19.2 million homes, ranking 9th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Joel J. Feigenbaum

Director: Nick Havinga

Synopsis: Mark tells Pam he faked his death to find a cure for his disease, which is now in remission. Jack resists Cliff’s pressure to sell to Wendell. Clayton orders J.R. to stop pressuring Miss Ellie, who tells Dusty to give Sue Ellen room to recover.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Burke Byrnes (Pete Adams), Alan Fudge (Dr. Lantry), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Carol Sanchez (Angela), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger)

“Saving Grace” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 195 — ‘Resurrection’

October 14, 2015 by 16 Comments
Dallas, Linda Gray, Resurrection, Sue Ellen Ewing

Looking glass

“Resurrection” brings Mark Graison back from the dead and Sue Ellen Ewing back from the brink. His revival is the more surprising of the two, although hers is more satisfying. In the episode before this one, Sue Ellen went through a harrowing detoxification after her drinking landed her on skid row. The audience never doubts she’ll get sober eventually — by now, Sue Ellen’s pattern of relapse and recovery is well established — so the question becomes whether she’ll learn anything from this latest fall off the wagon. “Resurrection” demonstrates Sue Ellen is capable of growth, although we also see how hard it is for her to break her old habits.

The hour begins with Sue Ellen in a familiar setting: The Ewings have once again committed her to a sanitarium, where they hope she’ll get the help she needs to deal with her alcoholism. Sue Ellen tells her doctor she wants to recover at home, and when he says she can be released only with J.R.’s consent, she replies, “So I’m in jail — and he has the key.” Once again, Sue Ellen is casting herself as her husband’s victim. Her sense of helplessness continues in the next scene, when Dusty sneaks into her room after bribing an orderly. She begs Dusty to take her away, and then weeps when he tells her that he only came to check on her.

But all is not lost. At the end of “Resurrection,” the smarmy orderly offers to sell Sue Ellen a bottle of vodka. “I don’t know if it’s your brand, but that doesn’t always matter, does it?” he sneers. We’ve been down this path before — during Sue Ellen’s second-season sanitarium stay, villainous Nurse Hatton used mouthwash bottles to smuggle booze to Sue Ellen — and for a moment, it looks like history is going to repeat itself. With the vodka bottle in the foreground, director Michael Preece holds the camera on Linda Gray’s face, where we watch Sue Ellen’s struggle play out for several agonizing seconds. Finally, she runs across the room, grabs the call button and pushes it. “Get out!” she shouts.

This is a triumphant moment, even after Sue Ellen collapses against the wall and cries. “I can do it. I know I can do it,” she says, then looks up and adds, “I just need help. Help me. Help me.” This might be the closest we ever get to a religious moment on “Dallas,” although that’s not why the scene touches me. Instead, I’m moved by Sue Ellen’s self-discovery: She’s realizing she has the capacity to change. It’s another spectacular performance from Gray, who has been handed the best material she’s received yet on “Dallas” and is making the most of it.

Mark’s return at the end of “Resurrection” doesn’t pack the same emotional punch — how could it? — but it’s nicely done nonetheless. Throughout the episode, Pam feels increasingly pressured as she weighs competing offers from J.R. and Jeremy Wendell to buy Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil. Pam also is being followed by a shady private-eye type who reports to an unseen figure in the back of a limousine. It’s hinted the private eye could work for either J.R. or Jeremy, but in the final scene, we learn the truth. The limo arrives at Pam’s house while she’s in the backyard, arguing on the phone with the chairman of Wentworth Industries. Frazzled, she slams down the receiver, breaks into tears and turns to leave — when she runs into Mark. Victoria Principal looks appropriately stunned and collapses into the arms of John Beck, making his first “Dallas” appearance in more than a year. (Just think: This is only the first of two “dead” lovers who’ll show up at Pam’s house before the season is over.)

Other “Resurrection” highlights include Barbara Bel Geddes, who continues to remind the audience how much she was missed during the preceding year, when Donna Reed was playing Mama. Bel Geddes exudes quiet authority each time she appears in this episode, whether Miss Ellie is entertaining Wendell’s offer to buy Ewing Oil over lunch at Les Saisons (a real Dallas restaurant that closed in 2001) or shocking J.R. by revealing that she’s actually thinking of selling. I also appreciate Dack Rambo, who continues to make Jack an interesting character: When he’s not counseling Charlie on her middle-school crushes, he’s assuring both J.R. and Cliff that he’ll side with them in the latest battle for Ewing Oil. There also are quite a few small touches that reflect this season’s renewed commitment to realism, including Ellie’s visit to a Southfork stable to check on an injured horse and Jenna helping Charlie with her Spanish homework at the kitchen table.

Mostly, though, I appreciate how “Resurrection” helps keep alive the spirit of Bobby, which feels somewhat surprising in retrospect. I might have expected the show to move on quickly after Patrick Duffy’s departure, but four episodes after Bobby’s demise in “Swan Song,” his presence is still felt. In another great performance from Bel Geddes, Ellie visits Bobby’s grave and shares her struggle to hold the family together (echoes of Bobby’s memorable visit to Mama’s grave during the first season of TNT’s “Dallas”), while Larry Hagman and Principal have a poignant exchange in which their characters interrupt their bickering to confide how much they each miss Bobby. After all these years, J.R. and Pam finally have something in common.

“Resurrection” even shows Duffy: When Pam goes back to work at Barnes-Wentworth for the first time since the funeral, she takes a framed picture of Bobby off her desk and puts it in a drawer, only to remove it moments later. This episode’s best nod to Bobby, though, is also the slyest: When Jack is shown shopping for a new car in a luxury auto dealer’s showroom, he briefly inspects a red Mercedes convertible before moving on to a Lamborghini, and then a Porsche. Was this a subtle acknowledgment from the producers that — for all Jack’s strengths — he’s no Bobby Ewing?

Grade: A

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Dallas, John Beck, Mark Graison, Resurrection

Walking dead

‘RESURRECTION’

Season 9, Episode 4

Airdate: October 11, 1985

Audience: 18.7 million homes, ranking 6th in the weekly ratings

Writers: Hollace White and Stephanie Garman

Director: Michael Preece

Synopsis: Jeremy offers to buy Miss Ellie’s share of Ewing Oil, while Jack promises to back both J.R. and Cliff in the takeover fight. Sue Ellen rejects a sanitarium orderly’s offer to sneak her a drink. Pam is stunned when Mark returns.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Bever-Leigh Banfield (Nurse Curtis), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Alan Fudge (Dr. Lantry), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Laurence Haddon (Franklin Horner), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Rex Ryon (Orderly), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell), Woody Watson (Detective)

“Resurrection” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 194 — ‘Those Eyes’

October 7, 2015 by 19 Comments
Dallas, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, Those Eyes

Get a grip

In “Those Eyes,” the Ewings finally take off their blinders where Sue Ellen’s drinking is concerned. She lands in a detox ward at the beginning of the episode, and one by one, Miss Ellie, J.R. and the people who love her most come to realize how destructive her alcoholism has become. Sue Ellen realizes this too, although she remains powerless over her addiction. In a chilling scene, when Dusty visits her in the hospital, Sue Ellen begs him for a drink. “Oh, God, no, darling,” he says, explaining that more booze would kill her. Clutching his hands, she looks into his eyes and whispers, “Kill me.”

This is a moment of reckoning for Sue Ellen, and for “Dallas” itself. Too often, the writers have used Sue Ellen’s alcoholism as a crutch to lean on whenever the show needed something to complicate the character’s life. Witness Sue Ellen’s third-season relapse, which seemed to occur primarily so she’d have a reason to not remember her whereabouts during J.R.’s shooting. Now, in the ninth season, Sue Ellen’s drinking is no longer an afterthought — it’s one of the main storylines. By showing the character trembling her way through withdrawals, we have a better sense of what it means for her to be an addict. It’s much more meaningful than merely seeing her passed out in her bedroom next to an empty vodka bottle.

No one seems to appreciate this opportunity more than Linda Gray, whose performance here is nothing less than a tour de force. “Those Eyes” was filmed in an era when television actresses were eagerly shedding their glamorous wardrobes to demonstrate their acting bona fides — think of TV movie queens like Farrah Fawcett in “The Burning Bed” and Raquel Welch in “Right to Die” — but Gray goes further than any of her peers. She looks positively wasted in “Those Eyes,” wearing little makeup and allowing every hair to fall out of place. True to the episode’s title, Gray also uses her famously expressive eyes to draw the audience into her character’s fear and confusion, although nothing touches me more than the moment Dusty arrives at the hospital and Sue Ellen shields her face. It’s such a childlike gesture; as soon as I see it, my heart breaks.

Interestingly, Gray appears in just three scenes in this episode, which means we mostly see Sue Ellen’s descent through the eyes of the other Ewings. It begins when Miss Ellie bravely enters the detox ward and is horrified to discover the Jane Doe in bed No. 13 is her daughter-in-law. In the next scene, Ellie declares she wants to take Sue Ellen home — a typical reaction for the Ewings, who always believe they can handle problems on their own. The doctor forcefully explains that no one — not even the Ewing matriarch — is powerful enough to cure addiction. Later, Ellie tells J.R. he must help his wife. This isn’t unlike a scene that occurred between J.R. and his mother at the end of the second season, except the conversation in “Those Eyes” has an air of finality to it, as if the Ewings are taking her problem more seriously.

“Those Eyes” is one of the first “Dallas” scripts from Peter Dunne, a “Knots Landing” veteran who briefly replaced Leonard Katzman as the show’s behind-the-scenes creative force. The episode is a good example of the darker, more realistic tone Dunne brings to the ninth season. Think about it: One year before this episode aired, the Ewings were “coping” with Bobby’s post-shooting blindness, which miraculously cleared up after a few episodes. Sue Ellen’s struggle in “Those Eyes” feels a lot more grounded by comparison, don’t you think? Sure, there are still plenty of soapy moments, including J.R. and Dusty’s memorable fistfight at Sue Ellen’s bedside, and the camp factor isn’t muted completely. (How else to explain the screaming woman that Sue Ellen encounters on the floor of the jail cell?) For the most part, though, “Dallas” seems a little smarter now.

Dunne’s touch also can be felt in other areas of “Those Eyes,” including the scene where J.R. sweetly helps John Ross with his necktie and the subplot about Ray and Donna deciding to build a bigger house. The latter feels like another metaphor: Steve Kanaly and Susan Howard’s characters are growing as people, so why shouldn’t they have a bigger place to call home? I also like how this episode shows Ray and Jack becoming friends; as much as I love Patrick Duffy, Dack Rambo is doing a nice job filling some of blank spaces created by Bobby’s departure. Heck, I even find myself applauding Jenna’s decision in this episode to stick around Southfork. Maybe it’s because Priscilla Beaulieu Presley’s short bob makes her look more stylish than ever — or maybe it’s because the character no longer feels like a distraction now that one half of the Bobby/Pam coupling is gone — but “Those Eyes” actually makes Jenna seem tolerable.

If you find this revelation surprising, imagine how I feel. But what can I say? They don’t call this the dream season for nothing.

Grade: A

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Dallas, John Ross Ewing, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Omri Katz, Those Eyes

Ties that bind

‘THOSE EYES’

Season 9, Episode 3

Airdate: October 4, 1985

Audience: 20.4 million homes, ranking 3rd in the weekly ratings

Writer: Peter Dunne

Director: Nick Havinga

Synopsis: After the police find Sue Ellen, Miss Ellie persuades J.R. to commit her to a sanitarium. J.R. and Jeremy each set their sights on Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil. Ray and Donna begin planning to build a bigger home. Jenna decides to stay at Southfork.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Laurence Haddon (Franklin Horner), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Barnes), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Harlan Jordan (Sheriff Baldwin), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Gary Moody (Doctor), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Sherril Lynn Rettino (Jackie), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell), Don Starr (Jordan Lee), Norma Young (Sanitarium manager)

“Those Eyes” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 193 — ‘Rock Bottom’

September 30, 2015 by 7 Comments
Dallas, Linda Gray, Rock Bottom, Sue Ellen Ewing

Bottom’s up

“Dallas” fans will always remember Sue Ellen drinking with the bag lady and winos at the end of “Rock Bottom.” Like J.R.’s shooting and Bobby’s “death,” this is a scene that sticks with us for the right reasons. Step back and consider what happens here. A beautiful and wealthy woman, dressed in soiled designer clothing, is standing on skid row, guzzling a bottle of cheap wine. It has all the makings of something funny, or worse, campy. But it’s not. This is a moment of pure heartbreak, especially when you watch the whole episode and see how masterfully Linda Gray portrays Sue Ellen’s slow, steady, sad downfall.

“Rock Bottom” begins with Sue Ellen returning to Southfork to be with her grief-stricken in-laws after Bobby’s funeral. Before she makes it to the front door, though, J.R. tells her no one wants to see her. (“You’re just a bad memory that doesn’t know when to go away.”) This is what triggers her devastating bender. She goes to a cocktail lounge, where the bartender cuts her off and a not-so-good-Samaritan steals her purse and car. Next, she winds up in an alley, where she meets the bag lady and runs away when the woman offers her a sip of her booze. Before we know it, Sue Ellen is waking up in a third-rate motel and realizing the strange man who lured her there has stolen her ring. Holding an empty vodka bottle, she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. “J.R.’s right. They’re all right,” she cries. “You are disgusting. I hate you!” Finally, she goes back to the alley. Once again, the bag lady offers her a sip. This time, Sue Ellen doesn’t refuse.

Through it all, Gray strikes each note perfectly. The script gives her surprisingly little dialogue, but she needs no words. Gray has always done much of her acting with her eyes, a skill that serves her especially well here. They telegraph Sue Ellen’s confusion when the creep takes off with her car, her fear when she’s harassed by a couple of lowlifes on skid row, her desperation when she begins gulping from the bag lady’s bottle. Gray’s eyes also register Sue Ellen’s shock when she realizes her ring is missing, which is a crucial moment in the episode. Throughout “Rock Bottom,” director Michael Preece cleverly uses Sue Ellen’s clothing and jewelry as a metaphor for her unraveling. First she loses her hat, then her blouse becomes torn and untucked. Finally, the ring disappears — and with it, so does Sue Ellen’s identity.

When I watched “Rock Bottom” with my family as a kid, I can remember my mom saying Sue Ellen’s decline seemed unbelievable. Surely a woman this rich and classy would never wind up on skid row. Perhaps it did seem outlandish 30 years ago, but I’m not sure that’s true today. We all know stories about young people from “good” families whose lives are wrecked by the horrors of addiction. Why couldn’t it happen to someone like Sue Ellen? Even if her situation is exaggerated, you have to admire Gray’s ability to make the emotions feel real. This performance seems even more impressive after reading Gray’s memoirs, “The Road to Happiness is Always Under Construction,” in which she recalls how much she enjoyed taking Sue Ellen into the gutter. “We had a ball in that alley,” she writes. Isn’t it amazing that something so dramatic for the audience was fun for the cast and crew to film?

Nothing else in “Rock Bottom” matches the power of Sue Ellen’s storyline, but there are many other good scenes. George O. Petrie, such a comforting figure as Harv Smithfield, does a nice job reading Bobby’s letter during the opening of the will. I also like the scene where Jack tries to befriend Charlie — now that Patrick Duffy is gone, you can see Dack Rambo’s character pivoting to the role of resident hero — as well as the scene where Donna tells Jenna she’s pregnant. Susan Howard makes her character seem both excited and nervous, while Priscilla Beaulieu Presley gets to be the voice of wisdom as Jenna counsels Donna on the joys of motherhood.

“Rock Bottom” also gives us the scene of Pam almost crashing her car on the highway — foreshadowing the fiery accident that will mark Victoria Principal’s exit from “Dallas” two seasons from now — along with a fun nod to the past: Desmond Dhooge, who plays Digger’s fellow barfly Harvey in “Digger’s Daughter,” reprises the role here, except now the character is one of the winos Sue Ellen meets in the alley. The other notable casting is Lou Diamond Phillips as a thug who harasses Sue Ellen on the sidewalk. This is one of Phillips’ first roles and he does a fine job, although the other ruffian — played by Sami Chester — gets the best line when he touches one Sue Ellen’s shoulder pads and says, “She looks like a Dallas Cowboy!”

This is the kind of line I probably missed in 1985. It makes me glad I now get to watch the show on DVD with the closed-captioning turned on — one more example of how Dallas” gets better with age.

Grade: A

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Dallas, Desmond Dhooge, Rock Bottom

Gang’s all here

‘ROCK BOTTOM’

Season 9, Episode 2

Airdate: September 27, 1985

Audience: 20.5 million homes, ranking 7th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Joel J. Feigenbaum

Director: Michael Preece

Synopsis: Sue Ellen goes on a devastating bender. Bobby’s will leaves his share of Ewing Oil to Christopher and appoints Pam administrator, unnerving J.R. Cliff tries to rally the cartel against J.R. Charlie rebuffs Jack’s attempt to befriend her.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Sami Chester (Thug), Desmond Dhooge (Harvey), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Lou Hancock (Bag lady), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jaren Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Lou Diamond Phillips (Thug), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), Paul Sorensen (Andy Bradley), Don Starr (Jordan Lee)

“Rock Bottom” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 192 — ‘The Family Ewing’

September 30, 2015 by 11 Comments
Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Family Ewing, Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow

Good grief

“The Family Ewing,” the first episode of “Dallas’s” ninth season, chronicles the immediate aftermath of Bobby’s death. Miss Ellie, sad but sturdy, tries to plan the funeral while holding her family together — a task complicated by J.R.’s anger, Sue Ellen’s drinking and lingering questions about why Bobby and Pam were together when he was killed. The pace is slower than usual, but this is one of the episode’s strengths. The show is giving the audience time to let the loss of Bobby sink in, allowing us to grieve alongside the characters. It’s another example of how “Dallas” makes us feel part of the world it creates.

Like “Swan Song,” the episode that kills off Patrick Duffy’s character, “The Family Ewing” offers a collection of scenes that became classics: John Ross comforting J.R. on the night Bobby dies; Pam trying to explain to Christopher why he’ll never see his daddy again; Ellie staking out Bobby’s burial plot near the tree house that Jock built him when he was a boy; the funeral itself, which culminates with J.R. gazing at Bobby’s casket, shedding a single tear and lamenting that he never told his brother how much he loved him. These moments were later wiped away by Pam’s dream, but that doesn’t make them any less moving now than when this episode debuted 30 years ago.

“The Family Ewing” isn’t altogether sentimental, of course. The first act gives us J.R.’s devastating takedown of Sue Ellen when she comes home, blissfully unaware that there’s been a death in the family. “You’re never around when anybody needs you. … All you ever think about is yourself,” he says. J.R. lashes out again when he runs into Ray and Gary, who has arrived from “Knots Landing” to attend the funeral. “I had one brother, and he’s dead. Nobody can ever replace him — least of all you two,” J.R. says. Both scenes are the “Dallas” equivalent of highway rubbernecking: We know Sue Ellen, Ray and Gary are all in for it, yet we dare not look away.

Significant Mother

Barbara Bel Geddes, Clayton Farlow, Dallas, Family Ewing, Howard Keel, Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow

Splendor in the grass

J.R.’s dark turn in this episode recalls the character’s earliest days, before he became a twinkly-eyed villain. Larry Hagman is unnervingly good, although my favorite performance here belongs to Barbara Bel Geddes, who returns to “Dallas” after a yearlong absence and reminds us all how much she’s been missed. Bel Geddes is so natural, I forget I’m watching an actress playing a role. Watch the scene where Clayton speaks to Ellie at the tree house. She talks fondly about raising Bobby, offering a soft chuckle when she remembers how he and Gary used to spend “hours and hours” in the tree house “doing I don’t know what.” (Hearing that line, it isn’t hard to imagine the Ewing brothers as kids, is it?) Moments later, after Clayton has mounted his horse to ride home, Ellie stands in the grass and begins to sob. You can feel her pain.

Ellie’s resiliency is equally touching. Consider the scene where she comes out of her bedroom and encounters Sue Ellen, who expresses her guilt about missing Bobby’s farewell. Ellie urges her daughter-in-law to deal with her drinking problem, which prompts Sue Ellen to insist she isn’t an alcoholic. This is when Bel Geddes puts her hands on Linda Gray’s shoulders, looks into her eyes and says, “Oh, Sue Ellen. Yes, you are.” Can you imagine Donna Reed delivering this line? As much as I appreciated Reed’s work on “Dallas” during the previous season, it’s thrilling to see Bel Geddes reclaim her role with such a stirring performance. When Mama takes the stick and jams it into the spot where she wants Bobby buried, it might as well be Bel Geddes marking her territory and reminding the world that “Dallas” is her show as much as anyone’s.

Exit Camelot

Dallas, Family Ewing, Pam Ewing, Victoria Principal

Widow theory

“The Family Ewing” isn’t without its share of curiosities. Was there no better way to end Dusty and Sue Ellen’s bar confrontation than by having him punch her in the face? And how does a single strike to the chin manage to render her unconscious? Also, when Gary calls Southfork, are you surprised that he doesn’t recognize Clayton’s voice? I always figured “Dallas” wanted us to believe Gary spoke to his family regularly, even if we didn’t see the conversations on screen. I guess that’s not the case. (Ted Shackelford’s character isn’t altogether out of the loop, though: He seems to know who Katherine Wentworth is, wondering how the fugitive villainess got to Dallas.) I also find it amusing that when the Ewings return home from the hospital at the beginning of the episode, the producers don’t even bother to put Ellie in a dress similar to the one Reed wore in her final scene in “Swan Song.” Even the colors are different.

This is the only choice by costume designer Travilla that deserves to be second-guessed, however. All the other outfits in this episode hit the mark — especially at the funeral, where Sue Ellen is dressed in a dark Valentino blouse and skirt (she’ll ruin both when she goes on a bender in the next episode) and Pam wears a black pillbox hat. I’ve always believed the latter was a conscious attempt to draw a parallel between Pam and Jackie Kennedy, a real-life heroine who cradled a dying husband in her arms. The comparison might raise eyebrows now, but when I think back to watching this episode as a kid, it really did feel like another Camelot had ended.

Grade: A+

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Dallas, Family Ewing, John Ross Ewing, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Omri Katz

Mourning son

‘THE FAMILY EWING’

Season 9, Episode 1

Airdate: September 27, 1985

Audience: 20.5 million homes, ranking 7th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Leonard Katzman

Director: Nick Havinga

Synopsis: The Ewings bury Bobby. Dusty tries to help Sue Ellen, whose drinking problem worsens. Ray and Donna reconcile. Pam doesn’t tell Miss Ellie that she and Bobby were planning to get together before he was killed.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Dolores Cantu (Doris), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Ted Shackelford (Gary Ewing), Deborah Tranelli (Phyllis), John Zaremba (Dr. Harlan Danvers)

“The Family Ewing” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 191 — ‘Swan Song’

September 18, 2015 by 33 Comments
Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Swan Song

Exit the hero

“Swan Song” is a masterpiece. This is the best “Dallas” episode ever made because it dares to set aside so many of the show’s conventions — wheeling, dealing, double-crossing — to focus on what matters most: the characters and their relationships. Mostly, “Swan Song” tells the story of Bobby and Pam’s long-awaited reunion, which is cut short when he sacrifices his life to save hers. It’s pure soap opera, yet the performances from Patrick Duffy, Victoria Principal and the other actors are so heartfelt, every emotion rings true. Even though it’s 30 years later, and even though Bobby’s death later turned out to be a dream, “Swan Song” still moves me.

Like “A House Divided,” the 1980 segment that kicked off the “Who Shot J.R.?” phenomenon, “Swan Song” deserves to be remembered as a watershed moment for “Dallas.” Not only was this supposed to be Duffy’s final appearance as Bobby, it also was intended as the last hurrah for producer Leonard Katzman, who wrote and directed the episode before departing to run his own show on another network. Both men eventually returned to Southfork, which would have been unthinkable when the cameras were rolling on this episode in March 1985. (I examine the backstage drama in a companion post, “‘Swan Song: Making a ‘Dallas’ Classic.”) Watching it today, you get the impression everyone involved wanted to send Duffy and Katzman off on a high note. Did they ever.

More than anything, “Swan Song” is remembered for two scenes: Bobby pushing Pam out of the path of the speeding car and his deathbed farewell to his family. Neither sequence would pack as much punch if weren’t for two earlier, quieter moments. First, Pam summons Bobby to her home to discuss their future. The couple has been divorced for years, and now he’s engaged to Jenna Wade, one of the show’s other long-suffering heroines. Bobby tells Pam he still loves her, but she says it will destroy Jenna if he doesn’t go through with the wedding. “As much as I love you, you have to marry her,” Pam says. It’s a line straight out of a Douglas Sirk movie, but it’s crucial to our understanding of Principal’s character — and Duffy’s, for that matter. Bobby and Pam have always been willing to sacrifice their own happiness to spare the feelings of others. That’s what makes them perfect for each other.

Later, Bobby returns to Pam’s home and tells her he’s decided it would be wrong to marry one woman when he’s in love with another. This is something the audience has known for a long time, but “Dallas” fans are always one step ahead of the characters in matters of the heart. Finally, Bobby asks the question Pam — and the audience — has longed to hear: “Will you … marry me … again?” Duffy delivers the line with a sweet, almost nervous enthusiasm, while Principal responds by simultaneously bursting into tears and laughter. The characters kiss, and she elegantly reaches behind her head to turn off the lamp. It’s “Swan Song’s” most romantic moment — until Katzman kills the mood by cutting to the scene outside, where the mysterious driver who’s been following Bobby silently pounds her fists onto the steering wheel.

End of the road

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Pam Ewing, Patrick Duffy, Swan Song, Victoria Principal

Scream queen

“Swan Song’s” climactic action sequence begins the morning after Bobby’s proposal. A landscaper arrives at Pam’s house and parks his vehicle next to Bobby’s (this will be important later), while inside, the happy couple are beginning to plan their future together. After carrying little Christopher downstairs to breakfast — eggs and toast, not that you need to be reminded — Pam walks Bobby outside. She tells him how bad she feels for Jenna. He reassures her they’re doing the right thing, kisses her goodbye and walks to his car. In the distance, the stalker starts her ignition. Through her windshield we see Pam run over to give Bobby one more kiss, and then the stalker’s car begins moving. The motion slows, our hearts race. Bobby spots the speeding car and shouts Pam’s name. As she turns, he pushes her out of the way, allowing the vehicle to strike him. He rolls over the hood, the roof, the trunk. When he finally hits pavement, we hear the thud.

What happens next is seared into the memories of “Dallas” fans. Pam — dressed in that beautiful white sweater and pants — crawls to Bobby, turns him over and rests his bloodied head on her lap. It’s not unlike Jackie Kennedy cradling her husband in the moments after his assassination. Our point of view switches to the stalker’s car, which has slammed into the landscaper’s truck. He rushes over, reaches inside and pulls off the woman’s blonde wig, which turns her head toward the camera. Katherine Wentworth’s eyes — lifeless, yet still crazed — stare back at us. We then return to Bobby and Pam, who emits a guttural scream. In my behind-the-scenes post, Duffy says the sound she produced made his ears ring. I believe it. Principal has ceased being an actress at this moment. She is Pam Ewing, clutching the hand of the man she loves as he lay dying.

‘It’s Bobby’

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Swan Song

Last call

If “Swan Song” had ended here, we’d still remember it as a great hour of television. But “Dallas” doesn’t let us off the hook that easily. The episode now shows us the characters finding out what’s happened to Bobby. Cliff is standing in his living room, arguing with his new wife Jamie and her brother Jack, when a radio bulletin announces the “bizarre turn of events” that’s caused Bobby to be rushed to the hospital. (This is the same radio voice that announced Bobby’s shooting at the beginning of this season, by the way.) When the newsman says the incident occurred at the home of “Mr. Ewing’s ex-wife,” Ken Kercheval closes his eyes and winces. The announcer may be puzzled by what’s happened, but Cliff knows.

Across town, J.R. is awakening in the home of his mistress, Mandy Winger. He’s decided to spend the day with her, so he calls Ewing Oil to let the secretaries know he won’t be coming into work. At the office, Phyllis is hunched over her desk, sobbing. Sly answers the phone and tells J.R. that everyone has been trying to reach him. He asks why she’s upset, but we don’t get to hear Deborah Rennard’s character break the news. Instead, Katzman holds the camera on Larry Hagman as J.R.’s face falls. In the background, we hear a few solemn notes of the “Dallas” theme. “It’s Bobby,” J.R. says as he puts down the phone, grabs his hat and rushes out the door.

This is one of the most powerful moments in the episode. Much credit goes to Hagman, whose reaction is flawless, and composer Lance Rubin, who was smart enough to use the theme music to signal the gravity of the situation. But don’t overlook Deborah Tranelli, the actress who plays Phyllis. More than anyone else in this episode, she serves as a stand-in for the audience. Bobby was Phyllis’s boss, but she also knew him the way we do — as a friend. Phyllis’s tears are ours. Without saying a word, Tranelli delivers one of “Swan Song’s” most haunting performances.

Death is but a dream

Dallas, Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly, Swan Song

Sob brother

The deathbed farewell is a familiar trope in drama, but the “Dallas” cast infuses Bobby’s goodbye with heart and grace. This was a company of actors who cared about each other and their work, and in this scene, it shows. Steve Kanaly’s sobbing is touching, and so is the single tear that streams down Hagman’s face. This also is one of Donna Reed’s best performances as Miss Ellie. Yes, Bobby’s death would have been even more memorable if it had featured Barbara Bel Geddes, but Reed looks believably stricken. Of course, nothing gets me like the moment Bobby’s monitor flat lines, jolting Pam. I don’t know if Principal did this instinctively or if she was following Katzman’s direction, but seeing Pam almost jump out of her skin makes the shock of Bobby’s death palpable. I also love what Principal does next, throwing back her head in quiet agony. It’s an exquisite performance.

Perhaps no one rises to the occasion, though, quite like Duffy. It would have been easy to overplay a scene like this, as we’ve all seen actors in other movies and TV shows do. But Duffy strikes every note perfectly, from his groggy greeting upon waking up (“Hey, Ray”) to the break in voice when he addresses Ellie (“Oh, Mama, I’m sorry”). Duffy brings to bear all the years he spent creating this character; if Bobby’s death feels like the loss of a real person, it’s because of the actor playing him. It’s also worth noting how smartly Katzman wrote this scene. He injects a little mystery into the exchange by having Bobby declare, “All that wasted time. We should have been married.” Is he speaking to Pam or Jenna? It seems clear now, but I can remember debating this with my mom in 1985. On the other hand, when Bobby says, “Be good to each other. Be a family,” do we have any doubt which Ewing that line is directed toward?

Never the same

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Swan Song

Bye, Bob

There’s much more to love about “Swan Song.” This episode also gives us one of the great bedroom fights between J.R. and Sue Ellen (“Joan of Arc would have been a drunk if she had been married to you”); another touching moment from Kanaly when Ray pleads with his estranged wife Donna to come back to him; and Lucy’s sentimental farewell to the Ewings after remarrying Mitch. “I’m going to miss you all. I’ll never be the same again,” she says. I have no doubt the line describes Charlene Tilton’s own sentiments as much as it does her character’s. (Although this was Tilton’s swan song too, she eventually returned, like Duffy and Katzman.)

And yet “Swan Song” isn’t flawless, is it? During the proposal scene, the shadows on Duffy’s face are distracting, Katherine’s wig and her tomato juice throwing scene are undeniably campy, and there’s at least one glaring continuity error: On the morning of the accident, we see Bobby putting on brown boots — but when he’s run over in the driveway a few minutes later, he’s wearing black shoes. The show also gives away quite a bit of the plot in the pre-credits roll, although I suppose that doesn’t matter now that we know how the story ends. Some fans also gripe that “Dallas” was foolish to kill off Bobby in the first place since Duffy ended up returning, but I admire the boldness of his death. Killing major characters is common on television today, but it didn’t happen so much in the 1980s. And let’s face it: “Dallas” handles Bobby’s demise much better than it did Jock’s, which dragged on far too long.

Does it matter that the most memorable parts of “Swan Song” later turned out to be one character’s dream? Not really. Yes, Bobby’s death has gone down in television history with an asterisk next to it, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the production and the amount of heart that went into honoring the character by giving him a meaningful sendoff. It brings to mind something I learned reading comic books as a kid: So what if this is an imaginary story. Aren’t they all?

Grade: A+

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Dallas, Pam Ewing, Swan Song, Victoria Principal

Death becomes her

‘SWAN SONG’

Season 8, Episode 30

Airdate: May 17, 1985

Audience: 23.3 million homes, ranking 1st in the weekly ratings

Writer and Director: Leonard Katzman

Synopsis: Sue Ellen asks Dusty to help her get sober. Donna tells Ray she’s pregnant. Cliff contemplates ending his marriage to Jamie. Lucy and Mitch are remarried. Bobby proposes to Pam and she accepts, but a vengeful Katherine mows him down in the driveway. At the hospital, Bobby bids farewell to his family before dying.

Cast: Mary Armstrong (Louise), Morgan Brittany (Katherine Wentworth), Roseanna Christensen (Teresa), Pat Colbert (Dora Mae), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Walker Edmiston (Parson Carson), Eric Farlow (Christopher Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Barnes), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Leigh McCloskey (Dr. Mitch Cooper), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Donna Reed (Miss Ellie Farlow), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Deborah Tranelli (Phyllis), David White (Mark)

“Swan Song” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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