Dallas Decoder

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘I Want You Out of My Life for Good!’

January 28, 2015 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

Dallas, Hush Hush Sweet Jessie, Pam Ewing, Victoria Principal

Pam o’war

In “Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie,” a seventh-season “Dallas” episode, Katherine (Morgan Brittany) enters her bedroom, followed by Pam (Victoria Principal).

KATHERINE: Come on in, Pam. I was just dressing.

PAM: I want to talk to you about the letter.

KATHERINE: Letter? What letter? [Looks through her closet]

PAM: The letter that you read to Bobby. The letter from me to my attorney before we ever field for a divorce. The letter that said that I wanted to lead a different kind of life away from Bobby. The letter that I never wrote, Katherine.

KATHERINE: [Turns to face her] Now Pam, just a minute.

PAM: Did you write it? You did, didn’t you? [Katherine turns back to the closet.] Did you write it?

KATHERINE: Well, yes. J.R. forced me to. [Chooses an outfit, faces Pam] It was all his fault.

PAM: J.R. forced you? J.R. forced you to write a letter to break up me and Bobby?

KATHERINE: [Puts on a dress, smirks] That’s right.

PAM: You’re a liar.

KATHERINE: No, I’m not. You know how much he wanted the two of you divorced. And so did I. [Fastens a belt, smiles]

PAM: I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

KATHERINE: What difference does it make to you anyway? You left Bobby, didn’t you?

PAM: He was still my husband!

KATHERINE: But you walked out on him. [Walks toward her] You didn’t want him anymore, and I did. [Retrieves a scarf from the bed, drapes it around her neck] I fell in love with Bobby from the first time I saw him. And I’ve loved him ever since, Pam. And I’m going to have him too.

PAM: [Slaps her, sending a gasping Katherine onto the bed] Listen to me. You may be my sister, but I never want to see you again. I want you out of my life for good!

Katherine rubs her cheek and glares as Pam leaves.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Hush Hush Sweet Jessie, Morgan Brittany, Victoria Principal

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 160 — ‘Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie’

January 28, 2015 by Chris Baker 30 Comments

Alexis Smith, Dallas, Hush Hush Sweet Jessie, Lady Jessica Farlow Montford

How sweet she is

What do I love about the final scene in “Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie”? Oh, pretty much everything. The Ewings stand in the Southfork driveway, panicked because no one knows the whereabouts of Miss Ellie and Jessica, whose murderous past has finally come to light. Suddenly, Donna arrives in Ray’s pickup truck. She gets out, bloodied and shaken, and explains that she’s just come from the Krebbs’ home, where Jessica knocked her out, swiped one of Ray’s handguns, took Ellie and drove who-knows-where in Donna’s car. J.R. looks stricken. “We’ve got to find them,” he says. “Jessica has killed once. Who knows what she’ll do with Mama?” Duh-duh-duh!

Is this a moment of pure camp? Yes, of course. How could any scene that requires the audience to imagine Alexis Smith abducting Barbara Bel Geddes at gunpoint not be campy? And what about the way Donna announces her news? Shouldn’t she hop out of Ray’s truck and offer the most important facts first: “Hey, everyone, Jessica has kidnapped Miss Ellie!” Instead, Donna tells the story chronologically; this allows the episode to end with the dramatic revelation that Mama has been abducted, but it isn’t very realistic. There’s also this: After Larry Hagman delivers his “We’ve got to find them” line, we get a reaction shot from Howard Keel and Patrick Duffy, who stand side by side and turn their eyes to the camera in near perfect unison. It’s priceless.

And yet despite all this, the scene is undeniably thrilling. The most valuable actors are Hagman, who makes J.R.’s concern easy to believe, and Susan Howard, whose halting, anguished delivery is pitch-perfect. She gets a big assist from the brilliant composer Richard Lewis Warren, whose underscore lends urgency to the entire sequence. I especially love how there’s no music during most of Donna’s monologue until she recalls awakening after Jessica knocked her out. Warren slowly brings in the orchestra when Donna says, “And then when I came to … they were both gone.” By the time she gets to this line — “Ray, she took one of your guns!” — the music has swelled. Can any “Dallas” fan watch this part without getting goose bumps?

The rest of “Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie” is almost as good. Smith is as over-the-top as ever when Jessica finally unravels in Ray and Donna’s kitchen, but Bel Geddes, with her believably bewildered expression, manages to keep the scene grounded. Meanwhile, Katherine proves she can wheel and deal with the best of them when she agrees to buy Cliff’s share of Wentworth Tool & Die at a bargain-basement price, and it’s great fun to see Morgan Brittany deliver lines like “Oil, oil, everywhere, and not a drop for Cliff.” Also, how can you not love the long-awaited moment when Pam confronts Katherine after learning she forged the letter that broke up her marriage to Bobby? The slap Pam delivers must be one of the most cathartic moments in “Dallas” history, and isn’t it nice to see Victoria Principal demonstrate some of the spark that once made her character so compelling?

“Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie” raises a few other questions that probably wouldn’t occur to anyone but “Dallas” devotees. Here’s one: At the beginning of the episode, Lucy speaks on the phone to Jackie, Cliff’s secretary. Is this the first, and perhaps only, time these two women interact? Here’s another: After J.R. confronts Clayton and Ray with Jessica’s diary in a Braddock parking lot, the three men hop into J.R.’s Mercedes and hightail it back to the ranch. Is this the first time we’ve seen J.R. and Ray share a ride since they palled around in the first-season episode “Winds of Vengeance”?

There’s also this: When the producers named this episode, they were surely offering a loving nod to the 1964 thriller “Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte,” which starred Bette Davis as a wealthy spinster driven mad by her scheming cousin, played by Olivia de Havilland. (Future “Dallas” star George Kennedy has a small role too.) The film, which received seven Oscar nominations, is now regarded by some as a camp classic. Did the “Dallas” producers know this episode would achieve a similar distinction?

Grade: A

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Through the looking glass

‘HUSH, HUSH, SWEET JESSIE’

Season 7, Episode 29

Airdate: May 11, 1984

Audience: 20.4 million homes, ranking 4th in the weekly ratings

Writer: David Paulsen

Director: Gwen Arner

Synopsis: Pam learns Mark knew he was dying and killed himself. Cliff reluctantly sells his share of Wentworth Tool & Die to Katherine, whom Pam slaps after she discovers Katherine’s role in ending her marriage to Bobby. Clayton tells Ray and Donna that Dusty is actually Jessica’s son. After J.R. uncovers evidence Jessica killed Clayton’s first wife, she kidnaps Miss Ellie.

Cast: Mary Armstrong (Louise), Christopher Atkins (Peter Richards), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Morgan Brittany (Katherine Wentworth), James L. Brown (Detective Harry McSween), Roseanna Christiansen (Teresa), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Eric Farlow (Christopher Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Audrey Landers (Afton Cooper), Bill Morey (Leo Wakefield), Charles Parks (Fred Robbins), Edmund Penney (doctor), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Sherril Lynn Rettino (Jackie Dugan), Alexis Smith (Lady Jessica Montfort), Don Starr (Jordan Lee), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), D.J. Zacker (Louis)

“Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie” 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: Alexis Smith, Barbara Bel Geddes, George Kennedy, Howard Keel, Hush Hush Sweet Jessie, Larry Hagman, Morgan Brittany, Patrick Duffy, Richard Lewis Warren, Susan Howard, Winds of Vengeance

Poll: Who is ‘Dallas’s’ Greatest Villainess?

January 26, 2015 by Chris Baker 6 Comments

“Dallas” has given us lots of great villainesses over the years. Time to choose your favorite!

Share your comments below and vote in Dallas Decoder’s other polls.

Filed Under: Opinion, Polls Tagged With: Alexis Smith, Barbara Carrera, Judith Light, Mary Crosby, Morgan Brittany, Susan Lucci, TNT

No Rest for the Wicked During Tonight’s #DallasChat

January 26, 2015 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, Kristin Shepard, Mary Crosby, TNT

Double trouble

Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter will be Monday, January 26, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Our theme: “Witchy Women.” We’ll discuss Kristin Shepard, Emma Ryland and all the other great “Dallas” villainesses.

Here’s how #DallasChat works: During each hour-long discussion, I tweet 10 questions from my Twitter handle, @DallasDecoder. Fans respond to the questions and comment on each other’s answers, making each chat a fun group conversation.

Here’s a sample exchange:

Q1. Who is “Dallas’s” most dangerous villainess? #DallasChat

A1. Kristin gets my vote. She didn’t need a gun; she could shoot daggers with her eyes! #DallasChat

Here are three tips:

• Each #DallasChat question is numbered (Q1, Q2, etc.), so your responses should include the corresponding number (A1, A2, etc.).

• Include the hashtag #DallasChat in your tweets.

• During the discussion, enter #DallasChat in Twitter’s search field. This will help you watch the search results so you can follow the conversation. Click “All” to see all the related tweets.

I hope to see you tonight!

Got suggestions for #DallasChat questions? Leave them in the comments section below.

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Emma Bell, Mary Crosby, TNT

Dallas Parallels: Caught!

January 22, 2015 by Chris Baker 7 Comments

History repeats itself during “Dallas’s” third season when Pamela finds John Ross cheating with Emma. It’s not unlike the classic scene from the original show’s sixth year, when Sue Ellen walks in on J.R. in bed with Holly. There’s one major difference, of course: Sue Ellen flees the scene of J.R.’s crime in tears — unlike the smiling Pamela, who joins John Ross and his mistress in a shocking threesome.

Why do J.R. and John Ross cheat? Both men justify their extramarital activities by claiming they sleep around for business, and in J.R.’s case, it might be that cut and dry. He treats Holly as nothing more than a pawn in his quest to beat Bobby in the contest for control of Ewing Oil. Similarly, John Ross begins his affair with Emma to gain access to Ryland Transport’s shipping fleet, although he comes to genuinely care for Emma, even risking his life to rescue her when she’s kidnapped by the Mexican drug cartel.

No matter the reason for their behavior, J.R. and John Ross are both humbled by their actions. After Sue Ellen catches J.R. with Holly, she falls off the wagon and is almost killed while driving drunk. Meanwhile, Pamela’s discovery that John Ross is cheating prompts her to overdose on pills — an ill-conceived attempt at revenge that almost costs Pamela her life.

Two scenes show J.R. and John Ross coming face to face with the consequences of their choices. In the 1983 episode “Penultimate,” J.R. sits on Sue Ellen’s bed, apologizes and begs for forgiveness. It’s similar to the scene in the 2014 episode “Dead Reckoning,” when John Ross sits near Pamela’s hospital bed and makes a similar declaration. Larry Hagman and Josh Henderson’s performances are also similar: J.R. tells Sue Ellen he’s sorry and stumbles over his words (“I can’t, I can’t tell you how sorry I am”), then concludes by saying, “I truly love you.” John Ross also trips over his words (“I will, I will be different”) after telling Pamela, “Look, I love you, okay?”

It’s somewhat startling to hear J.R. and John Ross pour out their hearts like this. Both scenes leave “Dallas” fans wondering what’s more shocking: seeing these master manipulators caught with their pants down, or seeing them caught being human?

‘I Truly Love You’

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Penultimate

A game?

In “Penultimate,” a sixth-season “Dallas” episode, J.R. (Larry Hagman) enters his bedroom, where Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) sits in the bed.

SUE ELLEN: I waited up to talk to you.

J.R.: All right.

SUE ELLEN: I want you to explain to me why this nightmare happened.

J.R.: [Walks toward the bed] Sue Ellen, it was a terrible, terrible mistake.

SUE ELLEN: Mistake? If you wanted to be with other women, why didn’t you just go ahead and do it, instead of playing this silly charade?

J.R.: What charade?

SUE ELLEN: Our marriage, J.R. Why did you want me to marry you again? Why did you chase me like you did? Do you find some kind of perverse pleasure in hurting me?

J.R.: You know I don’t want to hurt you, Sue Ellen. [Sits on the bed]

SUE ELLEN: Then what is it? Is it the game? Is that what it’s all about, J.R.?

J.R.: What happened between Holly and —

SUE ELLEN: [Shouting] Stop it! Stop it! I don’t want to hear any more from you!

J.R.: Listen to me, please. I can’t, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about what happened. But I promise you it was a direct result of the battle for Ewing Oil. Winning the company means everything to me. When we got married, the second time, I vowed I would never hurt you again. But things got out of hand, Sue Ellen — and I don’t blame you for hating me. But I hope you can reach down in your heart and believe me when I say that I love you. [She closes her eyes and turns away.] I truly love you.

‘I Love You, Okay?’

Dallas, Dead Reckoning, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, TNT

An excuse?

In “Dead Reckoning,” a third-season “Dallas” episode, John Ross (Josh Henderson) enters the hospital room, where Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) sits in bed, waiting for him.

JOHN ROSS: I don’t want to be like this anymore. I don’t want to be the guy that … I don’t want to be the guy that could have done this to you. I know it’s going to be hard for me to convince you of that right now. All I can do is try to prove it to you, every single day of my life. [Sits on the bed] Pamela, I’m so sorry. For everything.

PAMELA: I didn’t call you in here so you can try to fix us, John Ross. I called you in here to tell you to stop sitting out there, because it’s over.

JOHN ROSS: Pamela, don’t say that.

PAMELA: Look, I spent my entire childhood trying to get my father to love me. And all I’ve done in my adult life was continue that pattern by falling for a man who would put greed and ambition before me. And just like with my father, I was willing to do anything to get you to love me, John Ross. But I see now: Our marriage was just an excuse to get my shares of Ewing Global. You didn’t put your mother away to get her help, but to push the IPO through. I see now that there will never enough success, enough money, to fill that hole where your heart should be.

JOHN ROSS: Pamela, please. Look, I love you, okay? I swear, from now on it’s going to be different, okay? [Voice cracks] I will be different. I will, I will be different for you. I’ll be different. I promise.

PAMELA: You ask me what I want. I want you to leave because our marriage is over.

Did J.R. and John Ross deserve forgiveness? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”

Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Dead Reckoning, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Penultimate, TNT

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘That’s What Brothers Are For’

January 21, 2015 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Love Stories, Patrick Duffy

Bro code

In “Love Stories,” a seventh-season “Dallas” episode, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) enters the Southfork living room, where J.R. (Larry Hagman) is fixing himself a drink.

BOBBY: Is there some reason you didn’t come into work today? I wanted to talk to you.

J.R.: And a good evening to you too, Bob. Want a drink?

BOBBY: No.

J.R.: That sounds serious. Something happen?

BOBBY: Katherine Wentworth.

J.R.: Yeah, what about her?

BOBBY: What’d you do to her?

J.R.: A gentleman never kisses and tells.

BOBBY: Does the same gentleman make tape recordings in bed?

J.R.: Did she say I did that?

BOBBY: She said that you blackmailed her with them, that you played them for me.

J.R.: I swear I’m beginning to think that whole Barnes-Wentworth clan is paranoid. [Turns to face him] Did I play a tape for you?

BOBBY: No, but she thinks you did. Why do you mess with people’s minds like that?

J.R.: Bob, do you care if I spend a couple of pleasant moments with Katherine?

BOBBY: I don’t give a damn what you do, as long as it doesn’t hurt other people.

J.R.: You mean Katherine? [Takes a sip]

BOBBY: I mean Sue Ellen too. What happens when she finds out?

J.R.: Well, I’m sure not going to tell her. And I don’t think you will either. Bob, it’s time we had a little brother to brother talk.

BOBBY: I think we just had it. [Turns to leave]

J.R.: No, no. I don’t mean about me. I mean about you.

BOBBY: And what makes you think you’re qualified?

J.R.: [Slowly circles Bobby] Well, I’m no saint, but I know one when I see one. Bobby, you go around telling everybody how to live their lives and setting up rules and regulations that only you can live up to.

BOBBY: You know, this is wonderful coming from you.

J.R.: Well, I’ve made some mistakes in my life, but not the kind of mistake you’re about to make.

BOBBY: And what mistake is that?

J.R.: Jenna Wade. She loves you, Bob. And so does her little girl. She’d make you a wonderful wife—if you’d just let her.

BOBBY: It’s none of your business.

J.R.: The hell it’s not. When Jenna jilted you, you made the tragic mistake of your life when you married Pam. But you’re free of her now. At least you ought to be. She’s marrying Mark Graison, and I think that’s best thing in the world for you.

BOBBY: You know, your concern for me is truly touching — if concern is what it is.

J.R.: Well, whatever my reasons, what I’m saying makes sense. You should have married Jenna a long time ago, Bob. You’ve known each other since you were kids. And she was more like us than Pam ever was. And she’s willing to wait for you, but she’s not going to wait forever. Now if I’m wrong, just tell me. [Walks toward Jock’s painting, faces it]

BOBBY: I’d love to. But for once, you may be right. I just wonder why you bother.

J.R.: Because I care. [Turns to face him] That’s what brothers are for. [Raises his glass] To love and marriage.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Larry Hagman, Love Stories, Patrick Duffy

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 159 — ‘Love Stories’

January 21, 2015 by Chris Baker 13 Comments

Dallas, John Beck, Love Stories, Mark Graison

Leaving his mark

I don’t remember how I felt about Mark Graison’s death when I saw “Love Stories” as a kid, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t move me now. John Beck’s character was never one of my favorites; his shameless pursuit of Pam while she was still married to Bobby was a turnoff during Mark’s earliest appearances, and then he never grew much once he got together with Pam. Mark was more plot device than person — just another detour on Romeo and Juliet’s road to reunion. Nevertheless, he receives the kind of graceful, dignified exit that eludes so many of “Dallas’s” most iconic figures. (Yes, Pam, I’m looking at you.)

Much of the power in Mark’s farewell lies in how quiet it is. At the end of the second act, Mark confronts his best friend and physician, Jerry Kenderson, about the mystery surrounding Pam’s surprise decision to marry him. “I got some questions that need answering. I think you’ve got the answers,” Mark tells Jerry. Cut to a darkened restaurant, where we find the two men sitting together as Mark absorbs the news that he’s dying. The stillness of this scene is striking: The dialogue is spare, there’s virtually no underscore and Beck and Barry Jenner deliver nicely measured performances. This could easily have been a maudlin moment, but it plays instead like something from real life — a sad conversation between two longtime friends.

We next see Mark toward the end of the episode, when he’s lying in bed with Pam. Now the tables have turned: For the first time since this storyline began, Mark has more information than his fiancée — he knows he has a terminal illness and that she’s marrying him out of obligation, if not pity. He keeps her blissfully in the dark, telling her how much he loves her, how happy she’s made him, how much he regrets the years they didn’t know each other. I would expect a scene like this to be sappy, but Beck’s delivery is so touchingly sincere, I get caught up in the moment. I can’t decide what’s sadder: Mark’s realization that he’s dying, or that his illness is the thing that finally won him the woman he loves. This is why the scene’s punctuation mark — when Mark silently slips out of the sleeping Pam’s room after giving her one last look — is so poignant. He’s not walking away so much as he’s freeing her. Finally, at the end of the episode, Pam is stunned to learn Mark’s plane has exploded, killing him. (Until he returns during the dream season, that is.)

Maybe it’s because I find Mark so heroic in this episode, but Bobby has rarely annoyed me as much as he does in “Love Stories.” His rejection of Katherine after she confesses her affair with J.R. feels unnecessarily brutal. Bobby is correct, of course, when he tells Katherine that her love for him is “sick,” but does he have to be so mean about it? J.R. hits the nail on the head later in the episode when he prefaces his advice for Bobby’s love life by pointing out his brother’s self-righteousness. “You go around telling everybody how to live their lives and setting up rules and regulations that only you can live up to,” J.R. says. This is at least the third time a “Dallas” character has made this point recently; in “Fools Rush In,” Jenna criticizes Bobby’s sanctimoniousness, while Sue Ellen suggests he’s inflexible. Will Bob ever take the hint?

There are some nice touches sprinkled throughout “Love Stories,” including another cute scene where Miss Ellie and Clayton plan their wedding, as well as a nice nod to “Dallas” history when Pam visits Cliff’s offshore oil rig and mentions how proud Digger would be of him. Mostly, though, this episode feels bogged down by storylines that are taking too long to peak. I’m especially bored with the mystery surrounding the death of Clayton’s first wife, which is being doled out to the audience in dribs and drabs. I suppose the show’s writers were hoping to raise doubts about Clayton’s innocence, but did anyone watching these episodes in 1984 believe he was guilty for even a minute?

This storyline yields one inspired moment in “Love Stories,” however. It happens when Jessica confides in J.R. by the Southfork swimming pool, telling him that Clayton inherited his wife’s trust fund after she perished in the fire at the Southern Cross. Jessica then storms off, leaving J.R. alone. Standing on the patio set, Larry Hagman slips his hands in his pockets, looks askance and stage whispers his character’s next line: “So he did torch it. Now the hell am I going to prove it?” It reminds me a little of Kevin Spacey addressing the audience on “House of Cards” — except I’ll take J.R. Ewing’s quick asides over Frank Underwood’s gimmicky fourth-wall assault any day of the week.

Grade: B

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aside effect

‘LOVE STORIES’

Season 7, Episode 28

Airdate: May 4, 1984

Audience: 19.9 million homes, ranking 2nd in the weekly ratings

Writer: Leonard Katzman

Director: Michael Preece

Synopsis: J.R. learns more details about Amy Farlow and pretends to help Peter, whom Sue Ellen bails out of jail. Jessica remains angry with Clayton for selling the Southern Cross. Jenna accepts a marriage proposal from Bobby, who rejects Katherine after she confesses her affair with J.R. When Katherine gets drunk and reveals Pam’s connection to Jerry, Mark confronts Jerry, learns he’s dying and slips out of his fiancée’s life. Pam is later shocked to learn Mark has died in a plane crash.

Cast: Christopher Atkins (Peter Richards), John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Morgan Brittany (Katherine Wentworth), James L. Brown (Detective Harry McSween), Roseanna Christiansen (Teresa), Pat Colbért (Dora Mae), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Brad Harris (Mason), 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), Bert Kramer (Peter’s lawyer), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Denny Miller (Max Flowers), Bill Morey (Leo Wakefield), Dennis Patrick (Vaughn Leland), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Sherril Lynn Rettino (Jackie Dugan), Alexis Smith (Lady Jessica Montfort), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Debisue Voorhees (waitress)

“Love Stories” 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: Barry Jenner, Fools Rush In, John Beck, Larry Hagman, Love Stories

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘You Have Too Damn Much Money’

January 14, 2015 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Turning Point

Mo’ money, mo’ problems

In “Turning Point,” a seventh-season “Dallas” episode, J.R. (Larry Hagman) sits on a bed, putting on his boots, while Katherine (Morgan Brittany) lies nearby, wrapped in a sheet.

J.R.: Well, that was definitely not terrific. A meeting with my tax accountant’s more exciting.

KATHERINE: Your disappointment has really shattered me.

J.R.: [Knotting his necktie] Well, you can relax, honey. I won’t be putting you through this sort of thing again. This is the last time I’ll be coming to your bed.

KATHERINE: [Snickers] I’d like to believe that.

J.R.: Oh, it’s true. It’s true. Too bad we couldn’t have gone out in a blaze of glory.

KATHERINE: Yeah. Too bad.

J.R.: [Rises, begins putting on his watch] You see, when I came to you and wanted to buy those fields that Wentworth Industries owns, and you turned around and made the deal with Bobby, that just clinched it, honey.

KATHERINE: What difference does it make to you? Ewing ended up with the fields.

J.R.: [Buttons his shirt sleeves] Well, it made me realize how much wealth you control. You know, I always felt deep down that Jenna Wade was a better mate for Bobby than you. And now I know why.

KATHERINE: And I don’t suppose I can stop you from telling me.

J.R.: [Chuckles, puts on his jacket] You just have too damn much money, Katherine. Putting you together with Bobby could double his assets, maybe even triple them. And I don’t want him to have that much power.

KATHERINE: You don’t? Well, there’s nothing you can do about it.

J.R.: [Opens the door, turns to face her] Oh, I’ve already done it, honey. I played the tape for Bobby of you and me in bed. It’s all over, Katherine. He’ll never marry you.

KATHERINE: [Sits up, leans forward, looks stunned] I’ll kill you, J.R.!

He smiles, exits.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Larry Hagman, Morgan Brittany, Turning Point

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 158 — ‘Turning Point’

January 14, 2015 by Chris Baker 20 Comments

Dallas, Katherine Wentworth, Morgan Brittany, Turning Point

Poor little rich girl

Am I the only one who feels sorry for Katherine Wentworth in “Turning Point”? At the beginning of the episode, she’s elated when Bobby invites her on a tour of the property he bought from her father’s old company. After plotting for more than a year to make Bobby her own, it’s the strongest sign yet that Katherine might have a shot with him. Then, at the end of the hour, after J.R. makes Katherine sleep with him, he cruelly tells her that he played Bobby the sex tape J.R. made with Katherine earlier. “It’s all over. … He’ll never marry you,” J.R. says. Katherine’s devastation is matched only by her rage. “I’ll kill you, J.R.!” she screams.

I suppose I should feel like Katherine is getting what’s coming to her, and in a way, I do. After all, she did break up “Dallas’s” golden couple, Bobby and Pam. Yet I can’t bring myself to completely dislike the poor thing. Some of this has to do with Morgan Brittany, who makes Katherine seem so nice in her scenes with Bobby and Pam, I kind of believe her, even though I know the truth. But there’s also this: Who among us hasn’t been in Katherine’s shoes? At some point, haven’t we all harbored a secret crush on someone who we know, deep down, will never be ours? Perhaps this, more than Katherine’s big hats and camp appeal, is what makes her an icon to so many gay men in the “Dallas” audience. Bobby is like the unattainable straight guy we all fall for in high school or college.

The question is: Why isn’t Bobby interested in Katherine? Yes, I know he claims he can never think of her as anything but a friend, but come on! Katherine is breathtakingly beautiful — those eyes! that hair! — and as far as Bobby knows, she’s a sincere, caring person. She seems like a much better match for him than his current flame, Jenna Wade, who stopped being interesting the moment she hung up her apron at Billy Bob’s. While we’re on this subject, can someone explain why J.R. wouldn’t want Katherine as a sister-in-law? He says her money threatens him, but as long as he has that sex tape, he has leverage over her. In the long run, wouldn’t the ability to control a wife of Bobby Ewing be worth more to him than any threat posed by her wealth?

J.R.’s game is also off when it comes to Jessica, who drops cryptic hints about the mysterious death of Clayton’s first wife Amy throughout “Turning Point.” Finally, at the end of the episode, after Jessica and Clayton argue over his decision to sell the Farlows’ ranch, she stomps into Southfork and erupts in front of J.R. “Amy died so we could keep the Southern Cross, not sell it!” Jessica shouts. By now, shouldn’t it have dawned on J.R. that he’s in cahoots with a kook? At least our hero still has what it takes to stick it to Cliff Barnes. In “Turning Point’s” niftiest twist, we learn J.R. is secretly paying Cliff’s offshore drilling foreman, Max Flowers, to sabotage the project. J.R. also tricks Cliff into selling the Murphy and Kesey properties, a subplot that has the unusual effect of making me feel happy for J.R. and sorry for Cliff.

“Turning Point” has a few other highlights, including the cute scene where the Ewing women help Miss Ellie address her wedding invitations. Here’s how fascinated I am by the world this show creates: When Sue Ellen asks if “the Crenshaws” should be invited, I find myself wondering who these people are and how they know the Ewings. Ellie explains that one of the Crenshaws is the sister of another family friend, although I can’t make out the character’s name; it’s written in the subtitles as “Pat Bauer,” but it sounds to me like Barbara Bel Geddes says “Pat Powers,” which is the name of the fellow who palled around with Jock and Punk during a few fourth-season episodes. If I’m correct, then kudos to “Dallas” for bothering to mention a name that only the show’s most devoted loyalists would have recognized in 1984.

“Turning Point” has its share of oddities too. It’s a running joke that no one actually eats on this show, but the degree to which Linda Gray and Victoria Principal move their salads around their plates when Sue Ellen and Pam go to lunch is more amusing than usual. Also, why has Jackie, Cliff’s secretary, been replaced by “Susan” in this episode? Furthermore, isn’t funny to see Susan wear the white suit that Principal sported a few times during the fourth and fifth seasons? (My husband Andrew calls this Pam’s “Star Trek” dress because the jacket flap reminds him of the Enterprise crew’s movie uniforms.) Should we believe all the gals in the Barnes-Wentworth secretarial pool wear Pam’s hand-me-downs?

Perhaps more than anything, “Turning Point” is remembered among “Dallas” diehards as the final episode credited to cinematographer Bradford May, who gave the series such a rich, textured look. I’ve read varying accounts about why May didn’t work on the series after this season, but one thing is certain: “Dallas” will never look this good again.

Grade: B

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Wolf at the door

‘TURNING POINT’

Season 7, Episode 27

Airdate: April 13, 1984

Audience: 20.9 million homes, ranking 2nd in the weekly ratings

Writer: Arthur Bernard Lewis

Director: Gwen Arner

Synopsis: To finance his offshore oil project, Cliff is forced to sell valuable land, unaware that J.R. is the buyer. J.R. tells Katherine he played a tape of them having sex for Bobby and arranges for Peter to be arrested for drug possession. Jessica and Clayton argue over his decision to sell the Southern Cross. Pam and Mark continue their wedding plans.

Cast: Christopher Atkins (Peter Richards), John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Morgan Brittany (Katherine Wentworth), James L. Brown (Detective Harry McSween), Roseanna Christiansen (Teresa), Pat Colbért (Dora Mae), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Dana Halsted (Susan), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Audrey Landers (Afton Cooper), Donald May (Wes McDowall), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Denny Miller (Max Flowers), Dennis Patrick (Vaughn Leland), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Danone Simpson (Kendall), Alexis Smith (Lady Jessica Montford), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Deborah Tranelli (Phyllis), John Wyler (wedding planner)

“Turning Point” 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, Bradford May, Linda Gray, Morgan Brittany, Turning Point, Victoria Principal

‘Dallas’s’ Third-Season DVD is Now Available

January 13, 2015 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Ann Ewing, Bobby Ewing, Brenda Strong, Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Dallas: The Complete Third Season, Elena Ramos, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Patrick Duffy

They’re back

“Dallas: The Complete Third Season” arrives on DVD today. You can purchase the three-disc set from Amazon and other retailers.

Dallas Decoder shared an exclusive deleted scene from the DVD yesterday, along with a review of the extras and a poll on the third season’s best scene.

Also, if you were unable to join the DVD discussion during last night’s #DallasChat, visit Dallas Decoder’s Twitter page to read the my questions and the fans’ responses.

Happy viewing!

Will you buy “Dallas: The Complete Third Season”? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Patrick Duffy, TNT