Critiques – Dallas Decoder

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 53 – ‘The Wheeler Dealer’

June 25, 2012 by Chris Baker 6 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Wheeler Dealer

J.R. Ewing here

With “The Wheeler Dealer,” “Dallas” continues tying up its third-season plot threads. The Ewings pay off the mortgage on Southfork, Kristin realizes she’ll never become J.R.’s wife, and Sue Ellen is back where she was a year ago: dreadfully unhappy and boozing herself into oblivion.

“The Wheeler Dealer” also offers a coda to the season’s biggest bombshell: Jock’s revelation that he was married to another woman before Miss Ellie became his wife.

The postscript begins when Ellie persuades Jock to visit the Colorado sanitarium where Amanda has lived for many years. (Trivia: The shot that concludes this scene, where Jim Davis and Barbara Bel Geddes gaze into each other’s eyes, inspired the “portrait” of Jock and Ellie seen on TNT’s “Dallas.”)

In “The Wheeler Dealer’s” most memorable sequence, Jock and Ellie, along with Bobby and Pam, visit the confused Amanda, who believes Bobby is Jock and that she’s still married to him. The saddest moment comes when 60-something Amanda girlishly twirls around to show off the “new” dress she wore to impress her husband. “I wanted to look so nice for you,” she says.

Lesley Woods is heartbreaking as Amanda, but the other actors in this scene shine, too. Jim Davis moves me when Jock gets tongue-tied as his frightened first wife recoils from him, while Patrick Duffy is wonderful as kind-hearted Bobby, who is put in the awkward position of having to pretend to be his own father. (More trivia: In 2006, Duffy played the son of Woods’ character on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”) I also love when Ellie, looking regal in her fur coat, gently puts her hand on Amanda’s shoulder and comforts her. What a terrific scene.

This episode’s other great moment: when Vaughn Leland, the banker who almost foreclosed on Southfork, tells J.R. he’s joining the deal with the cartel members who are buying Ewing Oil’s Asian wells. Leland doesn’t know the wells are about to be nationalized, so there’s something satisfying about knowing J.R. is about to stick it to the man who came close to evicting the Ewings.

I know I probably shouldn’t feel this way, but I bet I’m not alone. There’s probably a little wheeler-dealer in most “Dallas” fans.

Grade: B

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Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Jim Davis, Jock Ewing, Miss Ellie Ewing, Wheeler Dealer

Gaze gone by

‘THE WHEELER DEALER’

Season 3, Episode 24

Airdate: March 14, 1980

Audience: 21.1 million homes, ranking 6th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Barbara Searles

Director: Alexander Singer

Synopsis: J.R. gets an inside tip his Asian wells are going to be nationalized, so he unloads most of them on the cartel. Jock, Miss Ellie, Bobby and Pam visit Amanda, Jock’s first wife. Cliff learns Digger’s heirs are entitled to half the proceeds from the Ewing 23 oilfield. Sue Ellen goes on a bender. Alan and Kristin plot revenge against J.R.

Cast: Robert Ackerman (Wade Luce), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Stephanie Blackmore (Serena), Jeff Cooper (Dr. Simon Elby), Mary Crosby (Kristin Shepard), Sarah Cunningham (Maggie Monahan), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Ron Hayes (Hank Johnson), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Ed Kenney (Seth Stone), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jeanna Michaels (Connie), Dennis Patrick (Vaughn Leland), Randolph Powell (Alan Beam), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Geoffrey Scott (“Dusty”), Paul Sorensen (Andy Bradley), Don Starr (Jordan Lee), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Lesley Woods (Amanda Ewing)

“The Wheeler Dealer” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Ellie Saves the Day, Jim Davis, Lesley Woods, Sarah Cunningham, Wheeler Dealer

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 3 – ‘The Price You Pay’

June 21, 2012 by Chris Baker 7 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Price You Pay, TNT

Demon barber

“The Price You Pay” opens with TNT’s best “Dallas” scene yet: J.R. and John Ross’s encounter in the wood-paneled gentleman’s club, where father holds a straight razor to son’s neck and confronts him about his double-dealing in the plot to seize Southfork.

John Ross admits he was planning to betray J.R., and then J.R. offers a confession of his own. “I don’t blame you for trying to screw me,” he says. “I was never much of a father during your formative years. And I’d like to make up for that.” J.R. offers to teach John Ross about the oil business and extends a weathered hand toward the younger man, who hesitates before taking it. Father then pulls smiling son into a warm embrace.

This tense-then-tender moment, masterfully directed by Michael M. Robin, reveals the complexities that make “Dallas” great. Consider what’s happening here: J.R. and John Ross are essentially agreeing to work together to undermine Bobby, “Dallas’s” hero – yet Robin manages to turn it into a touching moment of father-son bonding. This is as good as any of the best scenes from the original “Dallas.”

The “shaving scene” establishes the theme of “The Price You Pay,” which shows how several Ewings are coming to grips with their pasts. Scriptwriter Bruce Rasmussen does a nice job reminding us of the internal forces that motivate J.R. and Bobby, while also fleshing out some of the younger characters.

The thematic approach helps conceal “The Price You Pay’s” flaws, which begin with Linda Gray’s absence. I don’t like the fact that Sue Ellen is missing from this episode, but I’m not altogether surprised, either. The show seems to be struggling to find a meaningful place for Sue Ellen in the narrative. This needs to change.

“The Price You Pay’s” other weak spot: The scene where John Ross threatens to expose Miss Ellie’s stay in a mental institution after Jock’s death. This never happened on the original “Dallas.” Yes, Ellie struggled to accept the loss of her husband, but she never sought professional help, which became an important part of her storyline. I suppose the producers of this new “Dallas” could argue Ellie was somehow institutionalized off-screen, but this really doesn’t fit with the beloved character’s history.

I’m not going to dwell on this point because the rest of “The Price You Pay” is quite good. The confronting-your-past theme works well, particularly in the scene where Ann finds J.R. in the storage barn, flipping through an old family photo album. I realize J.R. is only there to root for evidence in his scheme to seize Southfork, but I also believe old age has made him genuinely introspective.

Consider “The Price You Pay” scene where J.R. tells John Ross, “I spent most of your childhood chasing after women I didn’t love and making deals that didn’t really matter. I will get Southfork back, because you shouldn’t have to pay for my sins.” It’s a revealing line, demonstrating how after all these years, J.R. is still driven by his desire to protect his son’s legacy.

The moment J.R. comes face to face with old enemy Cliff Barnes is also poignant. Larry Hagman and Ken Kercheval still have great chemistry together, even if their sniping feels less like the epic confrontations of yore and more like something from “Grumpy Old Men.” Only on “Dallas” could J.R.’s threat to dance on Cliff’s grave come off as sweetly sentimental.

“The Price You Pay’s” most heartfelt moment of all comes at the end of the episode, when Ann climbs into bed with Bobby and shares her suspicion J.R. staged the fight with John Ross over Ellie’s journal. “Honey,” Bobby says wearily, “the fact that J.R. did it, and that he thinks he can make me believe he didn’t do it, that’s just who he is. And who he will always be.”

It’s another good line, reminding us how Bobby, ultimately, is a tragic character. Even though his hair is now silver and he brings reading glasses to bed, he’s still his brother’s keeper. It’s the role Bobby is doomed to play.

Interestingly, “The Price You Pay’s” thematic approach isn’t limited to the older characters: Christopher is reminded of the old Barnes-Ewing feud when Cliff offers to invest in his alternative energy project.

Even though I’m having a hard time squaring the notion Cliff, a notorious cheapskate on the old show, is now a high-stakes gambler, I like what Kercheval does with his redefined role in this scene. It’s a nicely subdued performance, and as a “Dallas” diehard, I appreciate how Cliff references his sister when he warns Christopher about the Ewings (“Don’t let them destroy you like they did Pam.”).

Christopher’s own ghosts surface when he finds out about Bobby’s cancer and, in a moment of weakness, kisses Elena. Ever his father’s son, Christopher goes home to Rebecca, confesses his indiscretion and vows to put his past behind him. “That’s over now,” he tells her.

Don’t believe it, Rebecca. This is “Dallas,” where history tends to repeat – and sometimes rewrite – itself.

Grade: B

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Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Price You Pay, TNT

Still brother’s keeper

‘THE PRICE YOU PAY’

Season 1, Episode 3

Telecast: June 20, 2012

Writer: Bruce Rasmussen

Director: Michael M. Robin

Audience: 6.7 million viewers (including 4.8 million viewers on June 20, ranking 8th in the weekly cable ratings)

Synopsis: After J.R. confronts John Ross about his betrayal, they join forces and manipulate Bobby into finalizing Southfork’s sale. Christopher rejects his uncle Cliff Barnes’ offer to invest in his patent. Bobby tells Christopher about his cancer, briefly sending Christopher into Elena’s arms. Rebecca resists Tommy’s pressure to spy on Christopher. John Ross learns Rebecca sent the e-mail that broke up Christopher and Elena.

Cast: Carlos Bernard (Vicente Cano), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Brett Brock (Clyde Marshall), Sonny Carl Davis (Hirsch), Richard Dillard (Mitch Lobell), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Julie Gonzalo (Rebecca Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), John McIntosh (Dr. Bennett), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Faran Tahir (Frank), Leonor Varela (Marta del Sol)

“The Price You Pay” is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Bruce Rasmussen, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Michael M. Robin, Patrick Duffy, Price You Pay, TNT

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 52 – ‘Jock’s Trial, Part 2’

June 20, 2012 by Chris Baker 13 Comments

Dallas, Jim Davis, Jock Ewing, Jock's Trial Part 2

Rush to judgment

Digger dies at the end of “Jock’s Trial, Part 2,” and this is not an insignificant thing. The character appeared on “Dallas” just 14 times, but his shadow loomed large when he wasn’t around. After all, Digger’s name is included in the title of “Dallas’s” first episode, even though he shows up just once in that installment.

Appropriately, while Digger’s death produces several touching scenes in “Jock’s Trial, Part 2,” he isn’t present during the moment I find most poignant: when Cliff approaches Miss Ellie in the courtroom and tells her Digger is dying and asking for her.

No matter how often I see this scene, it always moves me. There’s something profound about the idea that no matter how hard the Barnes and Ewing children fight each other, their families are forever bound by the relationships their parents forged decades earlier.

The deathbed scene itself is also touching, particularly when Digger finally acknowledges Ellie was always “Jock’s girl.” How sad he wasn’t able to admit this until his final moments of life.

I’m also struck by how closely Digger’s death mirrors Bobby’s heart-wrenching deathbed scene at the end of the eighth season, right down to the sound of the flat-lining monitor. Keenan Wynn is quite good during Digger’s farewell, and so are the women at his side: Barbara Bel Geddes, Victoria Principal and the wonderful Sarah Cunningham, who plays Digger’s sister Maggie.

“Jock’s Trial, Part 2” is also elevated by its other guest stars, including Barry Corbin, who is perfectly cast as the perfectly named Fenton Washburn, Braddock’s big-bellied sheriff. I also like Nicolas Coster and Stephen Elliott as dueling lawyers Lyle Sloan and Scotty Demarest, although their courtroom theatrics aren’t quite as entertaining as those seen in the second-season episode “The Red File, Part 2.”

Of course, not everything about “Jock’s Trial, Part 2” works. The sepia-toned flashbacks are pretty campy, but I don’t dwell on them because the rest of this episode is so monumental. Digger had probably run his course on “Dallas,” but that doesn’t mean the character won’t be missed, even if he wasn’t around that much to begin with.

Grade: A

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Dead end

‘JOCK’S TRIAL, PART 2’

Season 3, Episode 23

Airdate: February 29, 1980

Audience: 20.7 million homes, ranking 6th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Arthur Bernard Lewis

Director: Irving J. Moore

Synopsis: Miss Ellie tells Matt she doesn’t love him. The state indicts Jock, but moments before Digger dies, Digger confesses he killed Hutch after discovering Hutch was sleeping with his wife. Digger also reveals Hutch was Pam’s biological father.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Kale Brown (reporter), Barry Corbin (Sheriff Fenton Washburn), Nicolas Coster (Assistant District Attorney Lyle Sloan), David Cryer (Professor Will Calder), Sarah Cunningham (Maggie Monahan), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Stephen Elliott (Scotty Demarest), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Susan Keller (reporter), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jeanna Michaels (Connie), William Munson (judge), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Don Porter (Matt Devlin), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing, Rebecca Barnes), Tom Spratley (Virgil Tuttle), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), William Watson (Hutch McKinney), Keenan Wynn (Digger Barnes), John Zaremba (Dr. Harlan Danvers)

“Jock’s Trial, Part 2” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Barry Corbin, Jock’s Trial Part 2, Keenan Wynn, Nicolas Coster, Red File Part 2, Sarah Cunningham, Stephen Elliott, Victoria Principal

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 51 – ‘Jock’s Trial, Part 1’

June 19, 2012 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Dallas, Jim Davis, Jock Ewing, Jock's Trial Part 1

Face of a killer?

“Jock’s Trial, Part 1” comes toward the conclusion of “Dallas’s” third season, and it very much feels like the beginning of an ending. By the time this episode’s closing credits roll, Digger is dying, Dusty is dead and those skeletal remains discovered on Southfork nine episodes ago have finally been identified.

Hutch McKinney’s 28-year-old murder dominates “Jock’s Trial, Part 1,” making the episode feel a bit like “CSI: Dallas.” Although Cliff is motivated by his suspicion the Ewings are implicated in the death, his investigative skills – including his embrace of forensics – turn out to be pretty sharp. Maybe Cliff has finally found his calling.

I also like how J.R. and Bobby, after spending much of this episode sniping at each other, stop squabbling and join forces the moment it looks like Jock might be fingered for Hutch’s murder. The Ewings are fun to watch when they’re at each other’s throats, but it’s also satisfying to see them circle the wagons when a family member is threatened. These are the moments I wish I was a Ewing.

“Jock’s Trial, Part 1” also offers a terrific scene between Bobby and Sue Ellen that showcases the nice chemistry between Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray. I love Duffy’s impassioned delivery when Bobby warns Sue Ellen against emulating J.R. “Don’t try and play his game,” Bobby says. “Honey, he’s too good at it.”

I’m less enthralled with Miss Ellie’s storyline here. Barbara Bel Geddes is wonderful as always, but Matt Devlin’s declaration that he’s fallen in love with Ellie – and that he knows she has feelings for him, too – seems rather sudden. I don’t object to having Ellie be tempted by another man, but wouldn’t it have made more sense if that man was Digger, a character with whom she already has a rich history?

Imagine how much more poignant Digger’s looming death would seem if Ellie had been flirting with him at the end of the third season instead of with Matt. The title “Jock’s Trial” would have taken on a whole other meaning.

Grade: B

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Hmmm

‘JOCK’S TRIAL, PART 1’

Season 3, Episode 22

Airdate: February 22, 1980

Audience: 17.5 million homes, ranking 16th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Arthur Bernard Lewis

Director: Irving J. Moore

Synopsis: Cliff, now an assistant district attorney, determines skeletal remains found on Southfork belong to onetime foreman Hutch McKinney, whom Jock fired decades earlier. After a bender, Digger is hospitalized. Dusty dies in a plane crash, sending Sue Ellen back to the bottle. Matt tells Miss Ellie he loves her. Jock is arrested for Hutch’s murder.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Christopher Coffey (Professor Greg Forrester), Jeff Cooper (Dr. Simon Elby), Barry Corbin (Sheriff Fenton Washburn), Nicolas Coster (Assistant District Attorney Lyle Sloan), Mary Crosby (Kristin Shepard), David Cryer (Professor Wilbur Calder), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Meg Gallagher (Louella), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Dennis Holahan (Tiny Voight), Al Hopson (Merdo Ferris), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Joan Lancaster (Linda Bradley), Joel Lawrence (Gene), Don Porter (Matt Devlin), Dan Priest (Newly), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Keenan Wynn (Digger Barnes)

“Jocks’ Trial, Part 1” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Jock’s Trial Part 1, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 50 – ‘Divorce, Ewing Style’

June 18, 2012 by Chris Baker 20 Comments

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Divorce Ewing Style, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Pam Ewing, Patrick Duffy, Sue Ellen Ewing

Domestic disturbance

“Divorce, Ewing Style” focuses on the collapse of J.R. and Sue Ellen’s marriage. It’s a heavy subject, but the preposterous plotting makes it hard to take things very seriously.

The episode gets off to a silly start when J.R. comes home from work and walks into the darkened Southfork foyer, only to have the lights suddenly turn on, revealing the rest of the Ewings and a handful of extras exclaiming, “Happy anniversary!” Surprise parties, a sitcom staple, feel out of place on a show like “Dallas.” Besides, who throws a surprise party to celebrate a wedding anniversary?

Sue Ellen and Kristin’s restaurant scene is another eye-roller. Leonard Katzman’s dialogue is nice – I love Sue Ellen’s line about “living mama’s dreams” – but the ending is downright absurd. Kristin’s plan is to “accidentally” spill a cocktail onto Sue Ellen’s dress so the Ewings will smell alcohol on her and suspect she’s resumed drinking – and the execution proves as absurd as the idea itself. When Kristin and Sue Ellen toast their renewed friendship, Mary Crosby extends her arm across the length of the table and pretty much pours her drink into Linda Gray’s lap. Is Sue Ellen really supposed to believe this is an accident?

Speaking of Kristin: Why is she so awful? The character is a villainess, so the audience isn’t required to like her, but it would be nice if her motivations were a little clearer. Unlike J.R., whose actions are rooted in his desperate need for Jock’s approval, it seems Kristin is bad simply because that’s what “Dallas” needs her to be. The plot dictates her character development, when it really should be the other way around.

“Divorce, Ewing Style” concludes with Sue Ellen showing Jock and Miss Ellie the reports her private detective compiled on J.R.’s affairs, but she doesn’t realize J.R. has switched the documents with “clean” versions. Sue Ellen is humiliated, and Jock, Ellie, Bobby and Pam are embarrassed for her. After watching this episode, I know how they feel.

Grade: C

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Marriage 101

‘DIVORCE, EWING STYLE’

Season 3, Episode 21

Airdate: February 15, 1980

Audience: 19.4 million homes, ranking 6th in the weekly ratings

Writer and Director: Leonard Katzman

Synopsis: J.R. discovers Sue Ellen has hired a private detective to follow him and pays the man to scrub his reports to her. With Kristin’s help, J.R. also convinces the family Sue Ellen has started drinking again, part of his plot to return her to the sanitarium. After J.R. has Alan fired, Alan invites Kristin to join forces with him against J.R. Miss Ellie finds herself charmed by Matt Devlin, a developer whose housing project she opposes.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Stephanie Blackmore (Serena), James L. Brown (Detective Harry McSween), Jeff Cooper (Dr. Simon Ellby), Barry Corbin (Sheriff Fenton Washburn), Mary Crosby (Kristin Shepard), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), John Christy Ewing (Tom Fuller), Meg Gallagher (Louella), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Jeanna Michaels (Connie), Don Porter (Matt Devlin), Randolph Powell (Alan Beam), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing)

“Divorce, Ewing Style” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and at iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Divorce Ewing Style, Leonard Katzman, Linda Gray, Mary Crosby

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 2 – ‘Hedging Your Bets’

June 15, 2012 by Chris Baker 21 Comments

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Hedging Your Bets, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Whole new ball

“Hedging Your Bets,” the second of the two episodes TNT telecast on “Dallas’s” opening night, was solidly entertaining, even if it wasn’t quite as satisfying as the first hour, “Changing of the Guard.” The story continued to take unexpected twists, but I found myself hoping things would slow down so the audience could get better acquainted – or reacquainted – with the characters.

The best scenes in “Hedging Your Bets” were set at the Cattle Baron’s Ball, which looked far cooler than the stuffy black-tie galas the Ewings attended on the old show. I loved how director Michael M. Robin opened this sequence: John Ross and J.R. arrived in a black Suburban while “I’m a Man,” a tune by Swedish rockers the Blue Van, boomed in the background. It was another reminder this isn’t daddy’s “Dallas.”

Inside the ballroom, J.R. – using a walker to gin up his family’s sympathy – made amends with Bobby. This scene, which was nicely written by Cynthia Cidre, allowed Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy to demonstrate how their chemistry remains unaltered by the passage of time.

I was particularly impressed with Hagman. He still has an uncanny knack for making the audience want to believe J.R., even when we know the character is lying. I long ago stopped trying to figure out the actor’s secrets and decided to just sit back and enjoy his performances. He amazes me.

J.R.’s long-awaited first scene with Sue Ellen was well written and performed, too. He ran into her at the ball, and even though it was probably the first time the characters had seen each other in years, Cidre didn’t go overboard with a big, emotional reunion. Still, while J.R.’s last line (“You’re still the prettiest girl at the ball”) was sweet, I wish Linda Gray had been given a little more to do here. She had just 18 words of dialogue, which felt a little insufficient.

On the other hand, I very much liked the scene where Sue Ellen loaned Elena the money she needs to buy the oil leases. Gray looked like she enjoyed showing off her character’s confidence and success. The role of mentor fits Sue Ellen well, although she shouldn’t be limited to serving as a cheerleader for other characters. Sue Ellen needs her own storyline, and I’m hopeful her looming gubernatorial run will give Gray an opportunity to strut her stuff.

The other highlight of “Hedging Your Bets:” the scene where Elena confronted John Ross over the e-mail that broke up her and Christopher two years earlier. Jordana Brewster beautifully expressed Elena’s confusion and outrage, but don’t overlook Josh Henderson, whose pained expression made me believe John Ross really cares for Elena.

This is important because as I wrote in my “Changing of the Guard” critique, I’m not quite sure what makes John Ross tick. Right now, it feels like he’s the antagonist because that’s what the plot demands, so John Ross’s relationship with Elena has the potential to make him a more dimensional character.

By the way, I’m really enjoying the scenes set in Elena’s little house on the Souhfork grounds. The shabby chic decor makes it feel like a real home, which is appropriate, since Brewster does such a good job making Elena feel like a real person.

In many ways, Elena’s home serves the same function Ray Krebbs’ rambler did on the original “Dallas.” This probably isn’t a coincidence. Like Ray, Elena is poised to become the “everyperson” who serves as the audience’s eyes and ears in the world of the Ewings. She might be the most pivotal character of all, at least among the younger players.

Finally, a word about Rebecca, the Ewing clan’s newest addition. Of the eight principal characters on TNT’s “Dallas,” she received the least development in “Changing of the Guard,” and after seeing “Hedging Your Bets,” I understand why. Rebecca is supposed to be enigmatic. In this episode, her cryptic conversation with her brother Tommy made it clear the siblings (they are siblings, right?) are up to something nefarious, although we don’t know what.

I welcome this. The mystery surrounding Rebecca and Tommy feels like it’s going to be crucial, and it deserves to unravel at its own pace. After all, if TNT’s “Dallas” is going to be around awhile – and I sure hope it will be – there’s no point in rushing through every storyline.

Grade: B

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Mailman?

‘HEDGING YOUR BETS’

Season 1, Episode 2

Telecast: June 13, 2012

Writer: Cynthia Cidre

Director: Michael M. Robin

Audience: 8.3 million viewers (including 6.9 million viewers on June 13, ranking 1st in the weekly cable ratings)

Synopsis: Bobby tells his wife Ann he has cancer and rejects Christopher’s plea to not sell Southfork. Elena breaks up with John Ross, who has sex with Marta and is extorted by Bobby’s duplicitous lawyer, Mitch Lobell, who is secretly aiding John Ross and J.R. in their plot to seize Southfork. John Ross’s mother Sue Ellen loans Elena money for her oil business and encounters ex-husband J.R., who wants to makes amends with her. Rebecca’s brother Tommy tells her she shouldn’t become too comfortable in her new role as Christopher’s wife. J.R. learns Marta is an imposter.

Cast: Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Brett Brock (Clyde Marshall), Richard Dillard (Mitch Lobell), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Marlene Forte (Carmen Ramos), Julie Gonzalo (Rebecca Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Castulo Guerra (Carlos del Sol), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Leanna Pareja (Marta Realidad), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Audrea Ulmer-Cowan (Candy), Leonor Varela (Marta del Sol)

“Hedging Your Bets” is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Changing of the Guard (2012), Cynthia Cidre, Hedging Your Bets, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Michael M. Robin, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 1 – ‘Changing of the Guard’

June 14, 2012 by Chris Baker 30 Comments

Changing of the Guard, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Leonor Varela, Marta del Sol

Gripping grin

TNT’s “Dallas” had two things to accomplish on opening night: hook today’s audiences on the Ewing saga and satisfy viewers who fondly remember the original series. I can’t speak for the newbies or my fellow fans, but the two-hour premiere exceeded my Southfork-sized expectations in every way. I loved it.

“Changing of the Guard,” the first of the two episodes TNT telecast last night, evoked the old “Dallas” spirit, if not the old “Dallas” style. The pace was faster, the music was modern (Adele!) and even though Larry Hagman remains “Dallas’s” most magnetic actor, his talents were used judiciously. He appeared just four times: once with Patrick Duffy and in three scenes with Josh Henderson. The stage is set to slowly insert J.R. into the lives of the other characters, which seems like a wise approach.

Still, with J.R. more or less waiting in the wings, I wish “Changing of the Guard” had given the audience more opportunities to get to know the younger characters. It wasn’t clear to me, for example, why John Ross is so determined to drill on Southfork, or why star-crossed lovers Christopher and Elena allowed an e-mail to break them up. (At least it wasn’t a text.)

But even if the characters’ motivations were murky, the actors were terrific. Henderson smolders as John Ross, and I was really impressed with Jesse Metcalfe and Jordana Brewster, particularly during Christopher’s wedding day confrontation with Elena. Metcalfe made his character’s heartbreak palpable – his quivering lip almost made me cry – and Brewster delivered her lines with real conviction, which is essential on a show like “Dallas.”

Other favorite “Changing of the Guard” moments: Bobby’s visit to the catatonic J.R. in the nursing home, where Duffy did a nice job delivering scriptwriter Cynthia Cidre’s beautifully written monologue; Linda Gray’s first appearance, when Sue Ellen oh-so-coolly zoomed into the Southfork driveway in her white Porsche; and the Southfork dinner scene, which was as entertaining as any of the Ewing meals from the original series.

The latter sequence, expertly directed by Michael M. Robin, was probably “Changing of the Guard’s” best homage to the original “Dallas,” but it certainly wasn’t the only one. I also liked the scene where Ann grabbed her gun and chased an intruder out of the house, recalling one of Miss Ellie’s most memorable moments from the old show, as well as John Ross’s encounter with Marta del Sol on the 50-year line at Cowboys Stadium, which seemed to be a hat tip to some of J.R.’s clandestine stadium meetings of the past.

It may have been unintentional, but “Changing of the Guard” also honored the “Dallas” spinoff “Knots Landing.” After John Ross and Christopher scuffled at the drill site, each character retreated to the arms of his leading lady, with the scenes edited together in a seamless series of quick cutaways – a style “Knots Landing” made one of its signatures.

Even though I would have preferred a little more character development and a little less narrative in “Changing of the Guard,” the plot twists were smartly executed. The second scene, when Bobby was diagnosed with cancer, was genuinely rattling. I appreciate the boldness of this storyline, but it worries me a little. The last time “Dallas” toyed with Bobby’s mortality, things didn’t work out so well. I hope Cidre, the new creative force behind TNT’s “Dallas,” knows what she’s doing here.

The revelation that J.R. is in cahoots with Marta was another jaw-dropper. I don’t mind admitting I got chills when J.R. flipped on his Stetson, flashed his devilish grin and declared, “Bobby may not be stupid, but I’m a hell of a lot smarter.” This was the moment I knew “Dallas” was really back.

Frankly – and this is a small quibble – I kind of wish “Changing of the Guard” had ended there. Instead, Cidre threw the audience for yet another loop in the final scene, when we learned John Ross and Marta are plotting to triple-cross J.R.

I suppose the goal here was to demonstrate how John Ross is even more devious than his daddy, but it felt like one twist too many. Then again, if Cidre wanted to make sure “Dallas” diehards like me hung around for “Hedging Your Bets,” opening night’s second hour, mission accomplished. I’ll post my review of that episode tomorrow.

Grade: A

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Heartbreak kids

‘CHANGING OF THE GUARD’

Season 1, Episode 1

Telecast: June 13, 2012

Writer: Cynthia Cidre

Director: Michael M. Robin

Audience: 8.3 million viewers (including 6.9 million viewers on June 13, ranking 1st in the weekly cable ratings)

Synopsis: Bobby Ewing is diagnosed with cancer but doesn’t tell his family. To finance his son Christopher’s alternative energy project, Bobby decides to sell Southfork, the family’s ranch, to land conservationist Marta del Sol, unaware she is in cahoots with Bobby’s devious brother J.R., who wants control of Southfork’s vast oil reserves. Unbeknownst to J.R., Marta is also plotting with his son John Ross, who wants to drill on the ranch, too. Christopher marries Rebecca Sutter, although he still pines for old flame Elena Ramos, who is now John Ross’s girlfriend and business partner.

Cast: Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Richard Dillard (Mitch Lobell), Akai Draco (Sherriff), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Marlene Forte (Carmen Ramos), Julie Gonzalo (Rebecca Sutter), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Callard Harris (Tommy Sutter), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Linda Leonard (Mrs. Stanfill), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Matthew Posey (Earl), Ryan Rutledge (Dr. Bill Glaser), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Leonor Varela (Marta del Sol)

“Changing of the Guard” is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Changing of the Guard (2012), Cynthia Cidre, Hedging Your Bets, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Knots Landing, Larry Hagman, Michael M. Robin, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 49 – ‘Second Thoughts’

June 13, 2012 by Chris Baker 14 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Second Thoughts, Sue Ellen Ewing

Madam and sir

Early in “Second Thoughts,” we learn Lucy is studying “Madam Bovary,” and then the novel continually pops up throughout the rest of the episode. We see Lucy carry it on campus, read it in the living room and clutch it while lounging by the Southfork swimming pool.

The book’s prevalence suggests “Dallas” wants to compare its ingénue to Flaubert’s heroine, but it turns out the characters don’t have much in common.

For those like me who haven’t read “Madam Bovary,” “Second Thoughts” includes a helpful scene where one of Lucy’s classmates, Kettering (played by Christopher Skinner, Victoria Principal’s real-life husband at the time), describes the novel as the story of “how the provincial middle-class of 19th century France stifled a woman’s romantic dreams, which led her to despair and eventually suicide.”

Doesn’t sound much like Lucy, does it?

The Ewings routinely interfere in Lucy’s life, but I’m not sure they stifle her “romantic dreams.” In “Second Thoughts,” Jock arranges Alan’s promotion so Lucy won’t move away after she marries him, but this seems more controlling than stifling.

If the “Dallas” producers wanted to compare one of the show’s characters to Emma Bovary, they should’ve considered Sue Ellen. Both characters cheat on their husbands, both suffer from delusions of grandeur and both have a tendency to take to their beds when they’re ill.

In another Bovarian move, Sue Ellen spends “Second Thoughts” pretending to be a good wife to J.R. so when she eventually leaves him, she’ll be more likely to win custody of little John.

Unfortunately, Sue Ellen reveals her scheme to J.R. at the end of the episode. This is a really silly scene, recalling those cartoons where the evil mastermind divulges the details of his world-domination plot to the hero. It’s not the kind of twist we expect from an episode with such literary aspirations.

Grade: B

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Lit chick

‘SECOND THOUGHTS’

Season 3, Episode 20

Airdate: February 8, 1980

Audience: 23.7 million homes, ranking 1st in the weekly ratings

Writer: Linda Elstad

Director: Irving J. Moore

Synopsis: When Jock arranges for Alan to become a partner in Harv Smithfield’s law firm, J.R. tries to split up Alan and Lucy. J.R. needn’t bother: Lucy realizes she isn’t in love and breaks up with Alan, who also loses Betty Lou, his girlfriend on the side. Digger moves to Galveston. Sue Ellen pretends to be a good wife to J.R. in front of the Ewings.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Stephanie Blackmore (Serena), Christopher Coffey (Professor Greg Forrester), Karlene Crockett (Muriel Gillis), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Meg Gallagher (Louella), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Laura Johnson (Betty Lou Barker), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jeanna Michaels (Connie), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Randolph Powell (Alan Beam), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Robert Rockwell (Mitchell), Christopher Skinner (Kettering), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Keenan Wynn (Digger Barnes)

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

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Second Thoughts

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 48 – ‘Sue Ellen’s Choice’

June 12, 2012 by Chris Baker 15 Comments

Dallas, Dusty Farlow, Jared Martin, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, Sue Ellen's Choice

Choose, but either way you lose

In “Sue Ellen’s Choice,” our heroine wrestles with two options: She can leave J.R. for Dusty and lose custody of her son, or she can stay married and keep the baby. If other possibilities exist, “Dallas” doesn’t present them.

Sue Ellen ultimately chooses to stick with J.R., and I suppose we should admire her for sacrificing her romantic interests so she can remain a full-time mother to little John. Maybe Sue Ellen really loves Dusty as much as she claims, but she loves her son more, and that’s how it should be.

Besides, I’m not sure Dusty is right for Sue Ellen. I loved his introduction in “Rodeo,” an earlier third-season episode, but if there’s a good reason for his unquestioning devotion to her, “Dallas” hasn’t offered it. I find myself wondering: Does Dusty care for Sue Ellen as much as he claims, or does he want to take her and little John away from the Ewings to prove he’s more powerful than J.R.?

As for J.R., I’ll confess to feeling sorry for him when he enters the nursery in “Sue Ellen’s Choice” and tries to tell his wife about his day, only to have her dismiss him. After all the rotten things he’s done, I know I shouldn’t be willing to cut J.R. any slack, but I can’t help it. Deep down, J.R. loves Sue Ellen. How else to explain his envy in “Jenna’s Return,” when he begins to suspect Sue Ellen is having an affair?

Speaking of Jenna: Her two-part “return” comes to a rather unsatisfying conclusion in this episode. There’s a cool scene where Jenna confronts Pam and tells her she’ll take Bobby if Pam no longer wants him, but by the end of the hour, Jenna has disappeared.

Like Sue Ellen, I suppose Jenna makes a big decision, too – and her choice is to leave.

Grade: B

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Hello, I must be leaving

‘SUE ELLEN’S CHOICE’

Season 3, Episode 19

Airdate: February 1, 1980

Audience: 21.8 million homes, ranking 3rd in the weekly ratings

Writer: Camille Marchetta

Director: Leonard Katzman

Synopsis: Sue Ellen agrees to leave J.R. for Dusty, but when J.R. threatens to take their son from her, she decides to stay. After Bobby rejects Jenna’s advances, he and Pam agree to give their marriage one more chance. Donna asks Jock to talk to Ray, but when he declines, she tells Ray goodbye. Alan gives Lucy an engagement ring.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Mary Crosby (Kristin Shepard), Jim Davis (Jock Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Culver), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Jeanna Michaels (Connie), Randolph Powell (Alan Beam), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Francine Tacker (Jenna Wade), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing)

“Sue Ellen’s Choice” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Jenna’s Return, Rodeo, Sue Ellen’s Choice

Critique: ‘Knots Landing’ Episode 6 – ‘Home is For Healing’

June 11, 2012 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

Charlene Tilton, Dallas, Gary Ewing, Home is For Healing, Joan Van Ark, Knots Landing, Lucy Ewing, Ted Shackelford, Valene Ewing

Three if by sea

In “Home is For Healing,” Lucy finally discovers her parents have remarried and moved to Southern California. The moment of truth occurs off-screen, which is a bit unexpected since “Dallas” and “Knots Landing” each spent so long laying the groundwork for what was shaping up to be a Big Reveal.

But no matter. “Home is For Healing” is still a solid episode, thanks mostly to Rena Down’s script, which casts Gary, Valene and Lucy as a broken family that wants to put itself back together but can’t figure out how to do it.

I especially like Lucy in this setting. Her role here – the heiress trying to adjust to life in the ’burbs – is more interesting than what was happening with her at the time on “Dallas,” where Lucy was romancing Alan Beam just to spite J.R.

Charlene Tilton strikes the perfect balance in “Home is For Healing,” making us see Lucy as a young woman who still carries around the heart her parents broke when she was a little girl. Tilton makes Lucy seem vulnerable without being childish. It’s a great performance.

“Home is For Healing” also gets a big lift from Ted Shackelford, who brings brings a lot of heart to the scene where Gary owns up to his failures as a father.

This happens at the end of the episode, when Gary interrupts Val and Lucy’s stroll along the beach. In the midst of Gary’s big speech, he becomes tongue-tied and bows his head, as if he can’t find the words to convey his guilt and regret. In the episode’s DVD commentary, Shackelford laughs at this moment and says he paused because he couldn’t remember his next line. Whatever the reason, it works well because it makes us sympathetic toward Gary and eager to forgive him for his mistakes.

I also love when Lucy agrees to spend the rest of the week in Knots Landing and Gary invites her to run with him and Val in the ocean. Lucy is sweetly reticent – this North Texas landlubber fears the water will be too cold – but Gary doesn’t relent. “Come on, honey,” he says.

We know what Gary is really asking is for his daughter to give him and Val another chance to be parents, which is why it’s so moving when Lucy finally takes his hand and the three of them go frolicking through the surf. It’s a lovely ending to a lovely hour of television.

Grade: A

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Hi, neighbor

‘HOME IS FOR HEALING’

“Knots Landing” Season 1, Episode 6

Airdate: January 31, 1980

Audience: 15.5 million homes, ranking 38th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Rena Down

Director: Roger Young

Synopsis: When Lucy learns Gary and Val have remarried, Val persuades her to come to Knots Landing for a visit. Lucy and Val grow close, but Gary struggles to connect with his daughter. She decides to go home and Val agrees to accompany her, but Gary persuades Lucy to stay for the rest of the week.

Cast: Robert Brian Berger (Charlie), Tricia Boyer (Jill), Joseph Butcher (Terry), Breck Costin (Curt), James Houghton (Kenny Ward), Kim Lankford (Ginger Ward), Michele Lee (Karen Fairgate), Claudia Lonow (Diana Fairgate), Constance McCashin (Laura Avery), Christopher Murray (Les), Don Murray (Sid Fairgate), John Pleshette (Richard Avery), Ted Shackelford (Gary Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Louise Vallance (Sylvie), Joan Van Ark (Valene Ewing)

“Home is For Healing” is available on DVD. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Charlene Tilton, Home is For Healing, Knots Landing, Rena Down, Ted Shackelford