Dallas Decoder

TNT’s Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘I Only Need One Hostage’

September 18, 2014 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

Antonio Jaramillo, Boxed In, Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, TNT

Last call

In “Boxed In,” a third-season “Dallas” episode, Harris (Mitch Pileggi) is with Judith (Judith Light) when she receives a call from Luis (Antonio Jaramillo), who is holding Emma (Emma Bell) in the basement of a Mexican “kill house.”

JUDITH: Hello, Luis.

LUIS: I just got a call from one of my men. It seems your trucks have been stopped at the border. Did you not think I was serious about my threat?

JUDITH: This is exactly what I was worried about in the first place. Moving more trucks across the border always meant more risk. I warned you this could happen! But I can fix it, if you’ll just give me a little more time.

LUIS: And I warned you what would happen if you didn’t do exactly as I asked. [Holds the phone in front of Emma, who whimpers] Say hello to your grandma.

EMMA: [Crying, speaking into the phone] I’m sorry, Grandma. This — it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry. [Luis cocks the gun and holds it to her temple. She gasps, cries.] Oh, God. Please don’t do that.

LUIS: [Into the phone] I only need one hostage. At this moment, I have two.

EMMA: Please don’t do this.

The gun fires off-screen. Upstairs in the Mexican house, Ann (Brenda Strong) bolts off the sofa and screams Emma’s name as one of the thugs struggles to hold her down. At the Ryland home, Judith collapses into Harris’s arms.

HARRIS: Damn you. Damn you.

Back at the Mexican house, Emma is alive. Luis fired the gun into the wall.

LUIS: Habla con tu abuela. [Holding the phone up to her face]

EMMA: I’m OK, I’m OK.

Luis flings her onto a mattress on the floor.

LUIS: [Into the phone] I want you to think about the emotion you just felt. And then imagine feeling it every day, for the rest of your life. You have one day to get the trucks moving.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (TNT), Features Tagged With: Antonio Jaramillo, Boxed In, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Judith Light, Mitch Pileggi, TNT

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 38 — ‘Boxed In’

September 18, 2014 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

Ann Ewing, Boxed In, Brenda Strong, Dallas, TNT

Mama’s here

No one who watches “Boxed In” will forget the scene where Ann, Harris and Judith are overcome with grief after hearing Luis fire the gun he’s been holding at Emma’s head. It’s the most harrowing moment I’ve witnessed on television since last year, when Walter White abducted his infant daughter while his wife kicked and screamed and tried in vain to stop him. Just as that sequence demonstrated how far “Breaking Bad’s” antihero had sunk, the moment of crisis on “Dallas” reveals new things about its characters, including the depth of Ann and Emma’s bond, Harris’s capacity for compassion and — the biggest surprise of all — the discovery that Judith Ryland is a human being. Who knew?

The “Boxed In” scene begins when Luis, who’s holding Ann and Emma hostage in a Mexican “kill house,” receives a phone call and learns the Rylands aren’t adequately honoring their deal with the drug cartel. Luis erupts in anger and yanks Emma off the sofa as Ann struggles to hold onto her. While another thug detains Ann, Luis drags Emma to the basement, where he dials Judith’s number with one hand and holds a gun to Emma’s head with the other. Luis and Judith exchange recriminations, he cocks his gun, Judith begs for mercy, Emma pleads for her life, and then: Bang! Ann screams and Judith collapses into Harris’s arms, and then we return to the basement, where we see Emma is still alive; Luis merely put a bullet in the wall.

Another “Dallas” fake-out? Yes, and what a relief. Besides delivering fresh insight into these characters, the sequence is an impressive technical achievement for director Rodney Charters. Consider the complexities: The scene involves five characters in three settings (Luis and Emma in the basement, Ann upstairs, Harris and Judith back in Dallas), and yet Charters manages to unite all of them in a single, terrifying moment. When I interviewed Charters recently, he told me this episode contained a scene he regards as one of his proudest “Dallas” achievements. I suspect this is the one he was referring to.

The “execution” scene is also a triumph for the five actors, beginning with Brenda Strong, whose scream after the gunshot is painfully real, and Mitch Pileggi, who quietly, movingly mutters “damn you” when Harris believes his daughter is dead. (Is he chastising Luis or himself)? Also impressive: Antonio Jaramillo, who goes from charming at the beginning of the episode to downright evil in this scene; Judith Light, who makes you feel her character’s anguish; and Emma Bell, who is heartbreaking at every turn. It’s especially touching to see Emma reach for Ann and call her “mom” when Luis pulls her into the basement, and I love Emma and Ann’s reunion after the ordeal, when Strong sits on the basement floor and rocks Bell in her arms. In an episode about the “Dallas” characters forming unlikely alliances, nothing can match the power of seeing Ann and Emma finally become mother and daughter.

Many other scenes in “Boxed In” are thrilling too, especially when Patrick Duffy’s character is involved. How can you not love seeing the cartel thug approach Luis and announce — somewhat nervously — that “Bobby Ewing is here.” For longtime “Dallas” fans, no four words could be more reassuring. Yes, Bobby’s scheme to win Ann and Emma’s release by bringing a train full of drugs into Texas makes his plot to frame Cliff Barnes for murder seem quaint, but no matter. Bobby will always be our hero, and Duffy has mastered the art of playing a good guy who’s also a badass. In “Boxed In’s” last scene, when Luis greets Bobby by pointing out how risky it is for him to come to the kill house, Duffy squints his eyes and coolly responds: “Well, you seem like a nice enough fella.” Could Eastwood have delivered that line any better?

I also like how Bobby deftly manipulates Luis, pressuring him to accept his drug train offer by playing on his insecurities. “You can continue to hold the women if you want, or you can be smart and show your boss that you were the one who could amass a giant fortune in one night,” Bobby says. Does he know Luis is envious over the favoritism shown toward Nicolas by the Mexican godfather El Pozolero? Or has experience taught Bobby that in any family-run business, there’s always a jealous brother lurking about? Duffy’s other great moment comes when Judith approaches Bobby on the airport tarmac, takes his hand, and says, “Emma is all I have. Thank you.” Duffy plays the moment beautifully, becoming a stand-in for the audience. He’s as surprised as we are to learn Judith is human.

“Boxed In” comes from scriptwriter Gail Gilchriest, whose previous third-season effort, “Playing Chicken,” also found Bobby saving the day. This time around, Gilchriest gives Pamela a heroic role too. She travels to Las Vegas and persuades Nasir, the sheik’s son, to give the Ewings a huge loan so they can buy up the divisions of their company being dumped by the cartel. Julie Gonzalo is wonderfully crisp in this scene, which contrasts nicely with Pamela’s previous Las Vegas visit, when she played the dutiful wife who hovered in the background while her husband was wheeling and dealing with the sheik. (One gripe: Why does Pamela tip her hand and tell John Ross she’s planning to take him for everything he’s worth? It reminds me of the time Sue Ellen revealed the details of her plan to divorce J.R., allowing him to undermine her efforts. In another Sue Ellen-esque move, Pamela sets up house inside Elena’s cottage, recalling all the times Linda Gray’s character moved across the hall from J.R. during their marital crises.)

There’s a lot more to like about “Boxed In,” including the cinematic scope in several shots and the episode’s skillful use of color, particularly the way the golden hues in the exterior Mexican shots contrast with the black and faded browns inside the kill house. I also love the handheld camerawork, which heightens the frenetic pacing and sense of urgency. And despite the heavy drama, this episode isn’t without its light touches, beginning with the scene where John Ross strides into Bobby’s den and finds none other than Harris Ryland standing there, helping the Ewings plot their rescue of Ann and Emma. You can hardly blame John Ross for being surprised; Harris never makes it past the driveway when he comes to Southfork.

I doubt the alliance between the Ewings and the Rylands will last, which is too bad in light of TNT’s promo this week for “Dallas’s” two-hour third-season finale. Now that we know the Ewings are about to experience another death in the family, they’re probably going to need all the friends they can get.

Grade: A

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good guy/badass

‘BOXED IN’

Season 3, Episode 13

Telecast: September 15, 2014

Audience: 1.86 million viewers on September 15

Writer: Gail Gilchriest

Director: Rodney Charters

Synopsis: When Harris tells Bobby that Ann and Emma are being held hostage, Bobby comes up with a plan to appease the cartel: He persuades his fellow railroad commissioners to approve an emergency training exercise that will allow the cartel to bring a trainload of drugs into Texas undetected. Bobby goes to Mexico to pitch the deal to Luis, who accepts the offer but says he’ll free only one of his hostages. Meanwhile, when the cartel begins selling off Ewing Global’s divisions, John Ross and Pamela join forces and persuade Nasir to loan them the money they need to purchase the divisions in exchange for a piece of the Arctic leases. After Nicolas confesses his cartel connection to Elena, Lucia receives the photographs her private eye snapped of Nicolas and Elena together. Later, Lucia agrees to tell Christopher where her husband and Elena are.

Cast: Deke Anderson (Bill Weathers), Emma Bell (Emma Ryland), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Angélica Celaya (Lucia Treviño), Eduardo DeLeon (Raoul), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Nicolas Treviño), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Antonio Jaramillo (Luis), Judith Light (Judith Ryland), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Gino Anthony Pesi (George Tatangelo), Mitch Pileggi (Harris Ryland), Pete Partida (Jacobo), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Steve Uzzell (Riley Shelton), Pej Vahdat (Nasir Ali)

“Boxed In” is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Antonio Jaramillo, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Gail Gilchriest, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Rodney Charters, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

‘Dallas’s’ Ratings Dip, But It’s Not All Bad News

September 16, 2014 by Chris Baker 52 Comments

Boxed In, Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, TNT

Captive audience

It’s a good news/bad news week where “Dallas’s” ratings are concerned.

First, the bad news: The TNT drama’s latest episode, “Boxed In,” debuted to 1.86 million viewers on September 15, according to Nielsen. The numbers are down 3.9 percent from the previous week, when “Victims of Love” debuted to 1.93 million viewers.

In the advertiser-prized category of adults between ages 18 and 49, “Boxed In” drew 540,000 viewers — essentially the same number “Victims of Love” grabbed a week ago.

As TNT presumably moves closer toward deciding the show’s future, this isn’t the direction fans were hoping to see the numbers go, is it?

On the other hand, the news isn’t altogether discouraging: When you count DVR users who recorded “Victims of Love” and watched it within three days of its debut, the episode’s audience climbed to 2.8 million viewers, up 3 percent from the boost the Labor Day episode, “Hurt,” received through DVR playback.

“Dallas” also got a boost last week on social media, where the series cracked a weekly ranking of television’s buzziest shows.

Overall, “Dallas” is averaging approximately 1.96 million viewers on Mondays this year — down about a quarter among total viewers and roughly 40 percent among the 18-to-49-year-old crowd.

This places the show toward the bottom of the pack in TNT’s lineup. The network’s most popular show remains “Rizzoli & Isles,” which averaged 5.24 million viewers on Tuesdays this year, while the lowest-rated shows are the Wednesday entries “Legends” (1.85 million viewers) and “Franklin & Bash” (1.25 million viewers).

Among 18-to-49-year-olds, “Dallas” outranks “Legends” and “Franklin & Bash,” as well as TNT’s freshmen legal drama “Murder in the First,” which the network renewed last week.

“Dallas” will conclude its season with two episodes, “Endgame” and “Brave New World,” on Monday, September 22 — when NBC’s “The Voice” and “The Blacklist” will open their new season.

TNT is touting the death of one of the Ewings during next week’s season finale and encouraging fans to offer their theories on social media using the hashtag #WhichEwingDies.

What do you think of “Dallas’s” latest ratings? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Boxed In, Brave New World, Endgame, Hurt, TNT, Victims of Love, Which Ewing Dies?

‘Which Ewing Dies?’ Here Are Three Possible Scenarios

September 16, 2014 by Chris Baker 116 Comments

“Dallas” has thrown viewers for a loop with the promo for next week’s two-hour season finale, which declares, “One Ewing will die!” Who will it be? I have no idea, but that won’t stop me from trying to figure it out. Here are three possibilities:

1. A “main” Ewing dies. In the promo, when the the looming death is announced, shots of five characters flash onto the screen: Bobby (Patrick Duffy), Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), John Ross (Josh Henderson), Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) and Ann (Brenda Strong).

It’s hard to believe “Dallas” will kill off any of these people, each of whom brings something valuable to the series. The “safest” Ewings would seem to be Bobby and Sue Ellen, two beloved figures from the original “Dallas,” and John Ross, who’s become a fan favorite on the new show. Ann has a loyal following too, and her character offers an important link to the Rylands, who are now prominent players in the “Dallas” universe.

By my reckoning, this leaves Christopher as the likeliest candidate to die among the five Ewings shown in the promo. Losing Metcalfe would be a shame since Christopher is “Dallas’s” most upstanding character, fulfilling the role Bobby once played on the original series. (Bobby is still a hero, but now that he’s running drugs for the cartel, he’s also a little morally compromised, don’t you think?)

On the other hand: TNT’s original concept for “Dallas” — John Ross and Christopher clashing in the foreground while J.R. and Bobby battle in the background — changed after Larry Hagman died. Increasingly, the central conflict within the Ewing family is the generational struggle between John Ross and Bobby, leaving Christopher an odd man out.

So if forced to guess which one of these Ewings might head to the Big Southfork in the Sky, I’ll go with Christopher — although make no mistake: I hope it doesn’t come to that.

2. Another main character dies. What if “Dallas” plans to kill off Pamela (Julie Gonzalo)? She’s still a Ewing via her marriage to John Ross, although she made a big deal of declaring herself a Barnes in “Boxed In,” this week’s episode. If you stretch the definition of “Ewing,” another candidate emerges: Emma (Emma Bell), stepdaughter to Bobby, stepsister to Christopher and stepcousin to John Ross. That’s about as close as you can get to being a Ewing without actually being one.

Or consider this: What if there’s a come-from-out-of-nowhere revelation that Harris or Judith (Mitch Pileggi, Judith Light) are Ewing kin? Or what if Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) turns out to be a bastard son of J.R.? Don’t roll your eyes. This is “Dallas” we’re talking about.

Nevertheless, my choice among this crop of candidates is Elena (Jordana Brewster). She isn’t a Ewing, but that doesn’t mean things won’t change during the course of the two-hour season finale. Suppose Christopher and Elena have a quickie wedding, only to have the happy occasion end tragically when she’s killed by the cartel? Not only would this be a shocking twist, it would also echo one of the most memorable moments from the original show’s later years: the murder of Bobby’s bride April (Sheree J. Wilson) during their Parisian honeymoon.

And just so we’re clear: I’m not one of the “Dallas” fans clamoring for the elimination of the Ramos family. I like Brewster, although I wonder where her character can go after she waged war against the Ewings this season. If Elena has reached the end of the line, will the show get rid of her by killing her off?

3. An off-screen Ewing dies. Just because the promo suggests a Ewing will die next week, we shouldn’t assume the victim will be someone from the TNT series. What if it’s a character from the original series? There are several choices among the extended family, including Lucy, Gary, Val and Cally, as well as Ray and James, who are Ewings by blood, if not name.

Here’s one potential scenario: We lose Gary, setting up a fight between Bobby and John Ross for his portion of the Southfork mineral rights. Another possibility: Suppose Ray dies off-screen — perish the thought! — paving the way for the show to introduce an adult version of Lucas, Bobby’s son, whom Ray and Jenna raised?

Indeed, if “Dallas” is going to kill off a character from the old show, the death will have to serve the storyline on the new series. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Something else to keep in mind: I’m the guy who figured Cliff really did kill J.R. What the hell do I know?

Who do you think will die? Share your theories below and read more posts on Dallas Decoder’s “Which Ewing Dies?” page.

Filed Under: Features, Features Tagged With: Boxed In, Brave New World, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Endgame, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

Got Opinions on ‘Dallas’? Share Them During #DallasChat

September 15, 2014 by Chris Baker 4 Comments

Lighten up, Bob

You’re invited to Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Tuesday, September 16, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Our topics: “Boxed In,” the latest episode of TNT’s “Dallas,” and the “Which Ewing Dies?” mystery being touted during next week’s season finale.

If you have ideas for questions, leave them in the comments section below, tweet them to me @DallasDecoder or post them to my Facebook page. I may choose one or more questions and ask them during our discussion.

New to #DallasChat? Here’s how it works: For one hour, I tweet 10 questions to my fellow “Dallas” fans. Each question is numbered and includes the hashtag #DallasChat, so your answers should do the same. Please include the show’s official hashtag, #DallasTNT, in your tweets too.

Here’s a sample exchange:

Q1. What did you think of this week’s #DallasTNT episode? #DallasChat

A1. I liked it! #DallasTNT is always full of dramatic twists and turns, and this episode was no exception. #DallasChat

Two tips:

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.
Be sure to include #DallasChat in your tweets. This allows the other participants to see your contributions to the conversation.

If you have opinions about the show, share them with your fellow fans. See you September 16!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Boxed In, Patrick Duffy, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

The Dal-List: Classic ‘Dallas’s’ 13 Most Harrowing Kidnappings

September 15, 2014 by Chris Baker 6 Comments

Ann Ewing, Boxed In, Brenda Strong, Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, TNT

Your turn, Annie

The Ewings discover Ann and Emma (Brenda Strong, Emma Bell) have been kidnapped in “Boxed In,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode. Fortunately, our favorite TV family has plenty of experience dealing with this kind of thing. Here’s a look at the 13 most harrowing kidnappings from the original series.

Charlene Tilton, Dallas, Greg Evigan, Lucy Ewing, Willie Gust

Far out!

13. Lucy (1978). When the Ewings refused to let Valene come to Lucy’s birthday party, Lucy ran away from Southfork and hitched a ride with Willie Gust (Greg Evigan) — and who can blame her? Willie had the tightest jeans, the most feathery hair and the grooviest custom van in Texas, right down to the wall-to-wall fake-fur carpeting. Too bad Willie was also a lunatic who ended up taking Lucy (Charlene Tilton) on a cross-Texas crime spree. Bobby rescued her, of course, but we never found out what happened to Willie. Was he really as psychotic as he seemed? Or were those jeans merely cutting off the circulation to his brain?

J.R. Duncan

12. John Ross (1979). Hey, remember when Sue Ellen nipped a little too much from her “special bottle” of Scope, escaped from the sanitarium, wrecked her car and gave birth to John Ross? And remember how Priscilla Duncan (Sheila Larken) quietly snatched the baby from the hospital? And then remember how happy we all were when Pam figured out what happened and reunited J.R. and Sue Ellen with their son? Well, hindsight being what it is, am I the only one who now thinks John Ross might have been better off with Ms. Duncan? Sure, she was nuts, but think of all the daddy issues the kid would’ve avoided.

Who shut up J.R.?

11. J.R. Ex-mobster Joseph Lombardi wanted answers when his son Nick Pearce plunged to his death after tussling with J.R. (Larry Hagman) on a high-rise balcony, so Lombardi sent his goons after our hero. They bound and gagged J.R. and brought him to a cheap motel, where Lombardi grilled him about the night Nick died. J.R. insisted it was all an accident — and fortunately Sue Ellen confirmed his account, prompting Lombardi to release him. It was cool to see Hagman act opposite the great Joseph Campanella, and we have to give Lombardi props for stand up to ol’ J.R. But would I want to see him kidnapped again? Fahgettaboudit.

Cuff him if you can

10. Bobby. “Dallas” has given us a lot of credibility-stretching storylines over the years (cough, cough Haleyville), but you know what I’ll never believe? I’ll never believe that Bobby James Ewing (Patrick Duffy) — that strapping, hunk of Grade A Texas beefcake — could be outmuscled by the clowns who kidnapped him during the middle of the show’s second season. For goodness sakes, Bobby is the kind of guy who can take on a barroom full of drunk cowboys and walk away without a scratch. The only thing more ridiculous than seeing him abducted is seeing the Ewings turn to Cliff Barnes to rescue him!

Darlin’ detained

9. Sue Ellen. Oh, for the love of Pete. Sue Ellen, what have you gone and done now? Did you really allow that creep B.D. Calhoun to slip you a mickey so he could photograph himself with you and send the pictures to J.R.? Didn’t you learn not to trust strange men during Pam’s dream the previous season? Actually, even though Sue Ellen should have known better, this subplot marked the beginning of a turning point in her marriage: Once J.R. vanquished Calhoun, he felt so bad about what happened to his family, he finally kicked that Winger tramp to the curb. Hmmm. On second thought, maybe Sue Ellen knew what she was doing all along.

Welcome to the jungle

8. Pam. When an old back injury flared up during “Dallas’s” ninth season, Victoria Principal took a break from the show, leaving the writers scrambling to explain her absence. Their solution? Have Pam kidnapped by jungle mercenaries, of course! The subplot proves surprisingly effective, especially when we see Cliff’s determination to rescue his sister. (Their reunion after the bad guys release her is one of many great scenes between Principal and Ken Kercheval.) Looking back, I can’t help but wonder: Why couldn’t “Dallas” come up with a good storyline to explain Principal’s absence when she left the show for good two years later?

Dallas, Daniel Pilon, Jenna Wade, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley

Take her. Please.

7. Jenna. When Jenna (Priscilla Beaulieu Presley) fled Dallas on the day she was supposed to marry Bobby, she left behind a note that explained she had fallen in love with someone else and was running away. Except that wasn’t true: Jenna’s ex Renaldo Marchetta (Daniel Pilon) had kidnapped her and forced her to pen the letter to throw the Ewings off their trail. When this storyline aired during the winter and spring of 1985, I spent weeks on the edge of my seat, anxious to see how it would turn out. Little did I know things would end on such a tragic note, when Dreadful Jenna™ returned to Southfork. Oh, the humanity!

B.D. Calhoun, Dallas, Hunter von Leer, John Ross Ewing, Omri Katz

Captive audience

6. John Ross (1986). Here we go again. After B.D. Calhoun (Hunter von Leer) kidnapped and released Sue Ellen, he set his sights on John Ross (Omri Katz), J.R. and Sue Ellen’s son. Calhoun snatched the kid from a hotel pool in Los Angeles, where J.R. and Bobby sent their wives and boys to protect them from the threat Calhoun posed. The crazed mercenary forced little John Ross to make a hostage tape, which turned Sue Ellen into a blubbering mess when she watched it. Fear not, honey: The Ewing brothers eventually rescued John Ross, who would grow up to star alongside Emma Ryland in a much different kind of video.

Gagged, reeling

5. Lucy (1982). Well, what do you know? Lucy’s been kidnapped yet again. This time, the culprit is Roger Larson, the photographer who helped turn her into Texas’s tiniest top model. Unlike most of the other kidnappings on this list, Roger didn’t abduct Lucy for ransom or revenge — he was obsessed with her. He kept the Ewing heiress locked in a room plastered with the pictures he took of her. (Do stalkers do this in real life, or only on TV?) Bobby and Pam eventually rescued Lucy, but not before Pam told off Roger in one of Principal’s best scenes. Gee, like Sue Ellen, maybe Lucy should’ve gotten kidnapped more often too.

Joan Van Ark, Knots Landing, Valene Ewing

Feet first

4. Lucy (Early 1960s). Lucy’s first kidnapping is an integral part of “Dallas” lore. It’s mentioned in the first episode, when Lucy recalls how J.R.’s “old boys” snatched her from Valene’s arms when she was a baby and brought her to Southfork to be raised by Jock and Miss Ellie. We finally saw the kidnapping in a “Knots Landing” flashback, where we learned the ugly mess probably could’ve been prevented: No, I’m not referring to the fact that Lillimae refused to let Val (Joan Van Ark) into her shack when J.R.’s henchmen were chasing her. I’m talking about the fact Val was barefoot when she was trying to outrun them. Good grief, Val. Buy some shoes.

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, Tyler Banks

Carry on

3. John Ross (1981). When Sue Ellen and John Ross went to live at the Southern Cross, J.R. was determined to get his boy back. He saw an opportunity when Sue Ellen took the child with her to Kristin’s funeral in New Mexico. Mother and son were gliding through a Love Field terminal when two of J.R.’s thugs approached. While one man distracted Sue Ellen, the other snatched the child. Suddenly, Dusty Farlow and a trio of Southern Cross cowboys swarmed the dude holding John Ross. “Give us the boy,” Dusty demanded — and of course the guy did. This might have been “Dallas’s” briefest abduction, but wasn’t it exciting!

Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Miss Ellie Ewing

Trunk show

2. Miss Ellie. Look everybody, Donna’s here! What’s wrong, Donna? You seem upset. What’s that, you say? Jessica called Dusty and told him Clayton’s wedding to Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) is off? And then Jessica knocked you out with the phone? And then she stole your car? And then she took Mama?! Geez, Donna, couldn’t you have given us that last bit of information first? No matter. Between Susan Howard’s pained delivery and Richard Lewis Warren’s tension-building score, the scene where the Ewings discover Mama has been abducted by loony tune Jessica is positively thrilling — even if Donna did bury the lede.

Grand theft auto

1. April. Every abduction on this list ends happily for the victim — except this one. The original “Dallas” kicked off its final season with the kidnapping of April (Sheree J. Wilson) during her Parisian honeymoon with Bobby. The storyline was a little complicated — the culprit was Hillary Taylor (Susan Lucci), a mystery woman who took April so she could assume her identity and make a big speech at an OPEC conference — and yet it was also a dramatic thrill ride. Fans expected Bobby to get his bride back by the time all was said and done — and so imagine our surprise when she was gunned down at the conference. It was a hell of a way to start the original show’s last season, telegraphing to the audience that this would be the year anything could happen on “Dallas” — and damn near did.

Which kidnapping did you find most harrowing on “Dallas”? Share your thoughts below and read more “Dal-Lists.”

Filed Under: Dal-Lists, Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Beddes, Boxed In, Brenda Strong, Charlene Tilton, Daniel Pilon, Emma Bell, Greg Evigan, Hunter von Leer, Joan Van Ark, Joseph Campanella, Ken Kercheval, Knots Landing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Omri Katz, Patrick Duffy, Priscilla Bealieu Presley, Richard Lewis Warren, Sheila Larken, Sheree J. Wilson, Susan Howard, TNT, Tyler Banks, Victoria Principal

Dallas Drinks: The Lucy

September 15, 2014 by Chris Baker 1 Comment

To honor Charlene Tilton’s performance on “Dallas,” Dallas Decoder and Cook In/Dine Out offer a Lucy-inspired “Dallas Drinks” cocktail. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Dallas Drinks, Features Tagged With: Charlene Tilton

Dallas Burning Questions: Season 3, Week 13

September 15, 2014 by Chris Baker 9 Comments

Boxed In, Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

Friends or enemies?

Here are the questions we’re pondering as we await tonight’s telecast of “Boxed In,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode:

What will happen to Ann and Emma? The previous episode, “Victims of Love,” ended with drug cartel honcho Luis (Antonio Jaramillo) visiting the Rylands, where he revealed: a) he killed Candace, b) he was holding Ann and Emma (Brenda Strong, Emma Bell) hostage, and c) he would kill Ann and Emma if Harris and Judith (Mitch Pileggi, Judith Light) don’t double their drug shipments. The previews for “Boxed In” show Bobby turning to Harris for help dealing with the cartel and being told Luis has Ann and Emma. Will the Ewings and the Rylands work together to save them?

Who’ll control Ewing Global? Why does Bobby need Harris’s help dealing with the cartel, you ask? Because in “Victims of Love,” Hunter McKay (Fran Kranz) took a majority stake in Ewing Global during its initial public offering. After Bobby learned Hunter is a puppet for Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) and the cartel, he turned to his old flame Tracey (Melinda Clarke) and asked her to try to persuade Hunter, her nephew, into snitching on the cartel. Unfortunately, when Bobby and Tracey arrived at Hunter’s apartment, they found his dead body hanging from the ceiling. Bobby and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) believe the cartel is behind Hunter’s “suicide.” If they’re right, can they prove it?

Where does Pamela go from here? Pamela blamed John Ross (Josh Henderson) for the Ewing Global IPO debacle, telling him he had ruined her father’s company. With encouragement from Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), Pamela also went to Mexico to visit Cliff (Ken Kercheval), where she let him know she wasn’t going to get him out of prison. Instead, Pamela gave Cliff the deed that Elena (Jordana Brewster) secured in her bargain with Bobby, then bid her father farewell. Will she see him again? Will we?

Who is photographing Nicolas and Elena? Nicolas whisked Elena away to a cabin in the woods, unaware that a mysterious figure was photographing their every move. Meanwhile, after the Ewings confirmed Nicolas’s true identity and his connection to the cartel, Christopher called Elena and left her a voice mail urging her to get away from her boyfriend, unaware that Nicolas intercepted the message. In the “Boxed In” trailer, Elena is seen confronting Nicolas, telling him she knows he “used” her to pay his debt to the cartel. Is it over for these two?

What “Dallas Burning Questions” are on your mind? Share your comments below and watch TNT’s “Dallas” tonight.

Filed Under: Dallas Burning Questions, Features Tagged With: Antonio Jaramillo, Boxed In, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Fran Kranz, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, TNT, Victims of Love

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Victims of Love’

September 12, 2014 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

The Ewings took their company public in “Victims of Love,” and with the whole world watching — even Wolf Blitzer was tracking their every move — each member of the family suited up for success.

“Dallas’s” ace costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin dressed the Ewings in outfits that fit their characters perfectly: Bobby (Patrick Duffy), the silver-haired patriarch, donned a gray suit with a conservative-yet-stylish striped necktie; Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), who recently gave herself a fresh start by sobering up, looked stunning in all white; and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe), “Dallas’s” most upstanding character these days, went with all solids — a blue suit and a gray shirt, accented by a tie that bore a subtle pattern of dots. Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) was relatively subdued in her dark pants and sweater, but she doesn’t have much to celebrate these days, does she?

Then there’s John Ross (Josh Henderson), for whom business suits have become a symbol of power and ambition, much like they were for his daddy on the original “Dallas.” The Ewing Global IPO was the biggest gamble yet for Henderson’s character, who has been trying to make his mark in the world since the new “Dallas” began. Appropriately, Kunin dressed John Ross in a blue pinstriped suit and navy tie — a bold look for a bold character. Also, notice how he’s the only Ewing man to wear a pocket square in this episode; it’s another small detail that signals his determination to stand out from the rest of his family.

There’s symbolism in the outfits worn by the other characters involved in the IPO too. Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace), the corporate raider with blood on his hands, wore a crimson tie with his perfectly tailored suit. Meanwhile, Hunter (Fran Kranz), the videogame entrepreneur who shocked everyone when he seized control of Ewing Global, subverted traditional business styles the way so many techies do in real life: He wore a collared dress shirt under a T-shirt bearing his company’s logo (“Git It”), a tweedy jacket and bright blue pants. Later, when the Ewing cousins confronted Hunter about his takeover of their company, Hunter wore a gray sweatshirt — a sly nod, perhaps, to one of the world’s most famous corporate wunderkinds: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

“Victims of Love” also gave us two memorable coats: Ann’s twirly number (it’s the second cool outer garment worn by Brenda Strong’s character in recent weeks), and Judith’s gold coat. Like the red power suit Judith Light wore in publicity stills for this episode (that scene was apparently left on the cutting room floor), the gold was a fitting symbol for Madam Ryland, a character whose brazenness knows no bounds.

It’s also another example of how Judith has become one of “Dallas’s” most fashionable characters. I suspect a lot of fans aren’t just tuning in each week to see what she’ll say and do next; they also want to see what she’s wearing.

What were your favorite looks in “Victims of Love”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”