Dallas Decoder

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ Takes a Ratings Dip

March 18, 2014 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Charlene Tilton, Dallas, Lifting the Veil, Linda Gray, Lucy Ewing, Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT

Gang’s all here

“Dallas” slipped in the ratings this week: “Lifting the Veil,” the latest episode, was seen by 1.78 million viewers on March 17. This is the TNT drama’s smallest audience yet. There’s a bright spot, however: The show drew 595,000 viewers in the advertiser-prized demographic of adults between ages 18 and 49, up from 512,000 viewers in this category one week earlier.

“Dallas” also continues to get a lift from DVR users who record the show and watch it a few days later. The previous episode, “Playing Chicken,” debuted to 1.99 million viewers on March 10, although when DVR users are counted, the audience increased to 2.7 million viewers. This haul includes 1.1 million adults between ages 25 and 54, a demographic that TNT targets, and 889,000 adults between ages 18 and 49.

“Dallas” is averaging about 2.1 million viewers on Monday nights this winter, down from 2.7 million last year. The show is essentially tied with the crime drama “Perception” as the second most-watched drama on TNT’s winter schedule. Only “Rizzoli & Isles,” which is averaging 3.9 million viewers on Tuesday nights, is more popular.

TNT will pull both “Rizzoli & Isles” and “Perception” from its schedule after tonight and bring them back in June, while “Dallas” will continue to show new episodes until mid-April and then take its long-planned midseason break. The second half of “Dallas’s” third season will begin Monday, August 18, TNT announced last week.

How About Some More Retail Therapy?

Buckle up

Since we told you about the Ewing Oil Company Store last month, the independent online retailer has added several new products, including its most exclusive offering yet: a J.R. belt buckle like the one John Ross inherited on “Dallas” a few episodes ago.

The bronze buckle, which measures 3 inches by 4 inches, features a rope twist border and a flowering field surrounding the “JR” initials. The price: $65.95. Stephen W. Phillips, who owns and operates the store, plans to sell 23 buckles in honor of Ewing 23, the oil field that famously blew up on the original series.

The buckles will ship in the summer, Phillips said. Each one will come with a Ewing Oil stock certificate, a J.R. Ewing business card and a replica of John Ross’s black credit card.

Other recent additions to the store’s inventory: new versions of the J.R. liquor decanters (each one named for one of his mistresses; we’re partial to the “Harwood” model), a Braddock County road sign and a Harris Ryland bake oven.

If the store adds green corsets to its lineup, we’ll let you know.

“Drill Bits,” a roundup of news about TNT’s “Dallas,” is published regularly. Share your comments below.

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Charlene Tilton, Lifting the Veil, Linda Gray, Playing Chicken, Stephen W. Phillips, Steve Kanaly, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Recap: ‘Lifting the Veil’

March 18, 2014 by Chris Baker 15 Comments

Dallas, Julie Gonzalo, Lifting the Veil, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

If only she knew

Here’s what happened in “Lifting the Veil,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode:

• John Ross blasted Emma. On the morning of his wedding to Pamela, John Ross (Josh Henderson) received a call from his secretary Candace (Jude Demorest), who told him Stanley Babcock, the railroad commissioner who denied his drilling permit, was willing to see him. John Ross dashed off to the meeting, but not before blasting Emma (Emma Bell) for spoiling Pamela’s plan to surprise him with sexy lingerie. “You may screw like a woman, but you act like an attention-starved little brat,” he said, leaving Emma seething.

• Harris and John Ross cut a deal. When John Ross arrived for his meeting with Babcock, he was surprised to find Harris (Mitch Pileggi) waiting for him instead. Harris offered him a deal: If John Ross agreed to return the top-secret Ryland files, Harris said he would help John Ross get his permit from Babcock. After some haggling, John Ross agreed to return only one item from Harris’s files: a flash drive that Harris covets above all else. After John Ross met with Emma and sweet-talked her into agreeing to give up the flash drive, he was summoned by Harris to an upscale brothel, where Babcock (Currie Graham) was indulging in his kinky fetishes with a prostitute dressed like a dog. John Ross interrupted Babcock and persuaded the humiliated man to give him the drilling permit.

This left John Ross and Harris with nothing to do but wait around the brothel for Bum to retrieve the flash drive from Emma and bring it them. Harris killed the time by presenting John Ross with a wedding present: the “company” of two prostitutes who were all too eager to please John Ross. But before anything serious happened, Bum (Kevin Page) showed up with the flash drive and gave John Ross a stern look. “You’re flying mighty close to the sun with all this,” Bum said.

• Sue Ellen clashed with Afton — and John Ross. Back at the ranch, the wedding guests began arriving, including Lucy and Ray (Charlene Tilton, Steve Kanaly), who couldn’t help but notice John Ross was nowhere to be seen. Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) noticed too and grew increasingly anxious, while Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), upset over her son’s infidelity, took a nip from her flask. The tension finally erupted when Afton (Audrey Landers) turned to Sue Ellen and snapped, “All the despicable things J.R. did to you through the years. You’d think you’d have taught your son better than this.” Sue Ellen’s cutting response: “Just so you know, Afton, the most despicable thing J.R. ever did was you.” Poor Ann (Brenda Strong) had to referee.

But the drama was just beginning. Once John Ross arrived, Sue Ellen finally confronted him over his affair with Emma, but he told his mother the relationship was his business. Sue Ellen refused to back down and threatened to tell Pamela everything, but John Ross pointed out how his mother’s breath smelled of liquor and said, “You have looked the other way your whole life, Mama. One more time’s not going to hurt.”

• John Ross and Pamela exchanged vows. After Afton slapped John Ross on the back of his head for going AWOL, he urged Pamela to forgive him. “We are meant for each other. I know that with every cell of my being. OK? I’ll prove it to you. I just need you to give me the chance,” he said. She agreed and went through with the ceremony, but before the couple sped off in Ewing V for their honeymoon, John Ross let Bobby (Patrick Duffy) know that Babcock promised him the drilling permit. “I’ll give you credit, John Ross, you are more and more like your daddy every day. But he never drilled this ranch. And mark my words: neither will you,” Bobby said.

But Bobby wasn’t nearly as confident in private. After blasting Babcock over the phone, he turned to Sue Ellen and told her he doesn’t “have a move left” to stop John Ross from drilling. Sue Ellen’s response: “But I do.”

• Christopher and Elena continued to move on. In Mexico, Drew (Kuno Becker) overheard Christopher’s conversation with Lucia (Angélica Celaya), who confirmed that Nicolas isn’t her husband’s real name but said he has nothing to hide. Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) returned to Southfork and confronted Elena (Jordana Brewster), who said Nicolas is getting a divorce. “For someone who needed an annulment before marrying me, you seem pretty cavalier about playing around with a married man,” Christopher said. Elena’s response: “I’m not playing around. I’m playing him.”

Later, Christopher and Heather (AnnaLynne McCord) made love in the barn, while Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) assured a rattled Elena that his marriage is indeed over. But this turned out to be not so true: Lucia arrived in Dallas and blackmailed her estranged husband into reconciling with her. “The Ewings are determined to know who you really are. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll tell them what you owe and who you owe it to,” she said.

• Harris and Judith schemed. Harris’s precious flash drive turned out to contain encrypted CIA files; once the drive was back in his possession, he was summoned to the office of the madam who runs the brothel, who turned out to be … Judith (Judith Light). When she asked how Harris planned to get the rest of the files from John Ross, Harris showed her pictures of the prostitutes trying to seduce John Ross and told his mother one of the young women is only 16. Harris suggested he was going to frame John Ross by making it look he actually had sex with the girl, but Judith couldn’t fathom how her son would accomplish that. This is when Harris introduced his mother to his secret weapon: Candace, John Ross’s secretary, who has been secretly working for Harris all along.

What did you think of “Lifting the Veil”? Share your comments below and look for Dallas Decoder’s critique later this week.

Filed Under: Dallas Recaps, Features Tagged With: Angélica Celaya, Audrey Landers, Brenda Strong, Charlene Tilton, Currie Graham, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Jude Demorest, Julie Gonzalo, Kuno Becker, Lifting the Veil, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Steve Kanaly, TNT

Let’s Discuss ‘Dallas’! Join Our #DallasChat on March 18

March 17, 2014 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

Dallas, Judith Light, Judith Ryland, Lifting the Veil, TNT

Taking care of business

Did you enjoy “Lifting the Veil,” this week’s episode of TNT’s “Dallas”? Let’s discuss it during my next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Tuesday, March 18, from to 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Leave your suggested questions about “Lifting the Veil” in the comments section below, tweet them to me @DallasDecoder or post them to my Facebook page. I’ll choose one or more questions and ask them during our discussion.

If you’re new to #DallasChat, here’s how it works: For one hour, I tweet a series of 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 do you think of Judith Ryland’s latest antics on #DallasTNT? #DallasChat

A1. She gets crazier each week. I love it! #DallasTNT #DallasChat

Here are 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.

I promise you’ll have fun. Don’t miss it!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Josh Henderson, Lifting the Veil, TNT

The Dal-List: Classic ‘Dallas’s’ 8 Southfork Weddings, Ranked

March 17, 2014 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Lifting the Veil, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

The tradition continues

John Ross and Pamela (Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo) eloped on “Dallas” last season, but they’ll get a traditional Southfork wedding in “Lifting the Veil,” TNT’s latest episode. Here’s a list of the eight Southfork weddings seen on the original show, ranked in order of preference. (Also, check out my recent list of all the Ewings who had multiple weddings, including ceremonies that occurred off-camera.)

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

Wrong way, Bob

8. Bobby Ewing and Jenna Wade (1984). Yes, I know. Bobby and Jenna never got married. But they did have a Southfork wedding; she never bothered to show up. I suppose I should cut Jenna some slack since the reason she skipped out on the ceremony was because her slimy ex-husband, Renaldo Marchetta, kidnapped her and forced her to remarry him instead … but I say nuts to that! I don’t care if Naldo was holding a gun to Jenna’s head; how could she leave Bobby (Patrick Duffy) standing at the altar — especially when he looked so darned handsome in his gray morning coat and striped pants? The ceremony ended with Ray apologizing to the crowd after Bobby dashed off to find his runaway bride. Am I the only one who wishes he hadn’t located her?

Bobby Ewing, Charlene Tilton, Charlie Wade, Clayton Farlow, Dallas, Donna Krebbs, Donna Reed, Howard Keel, Jenna Wade, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Leigh McCloskey, Lucy Ewing, Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow, Dr. Mitch Cooper, Patrick Duffy, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Omri Katz, Ray Krebbs, Shalane McCall, Steve Kanaly, Sue Ellen Ewing, Susan Howard

Standing room only

7. Lucy Ewing and Mitch Cooper (1985). Lucy and Mitch’s second wedding was not nearly as grand as their first. It took place in the Southfork living room, which is probably better than the driveway, but nonetheless required the cast to squeeze into what looked like pretty tight quarters. This was Charlene Tilton’s final “Dallas” appearance for a while — the Coopers moved to Atlanta after the ceremony — and it was nice to see everyone give Lucy such a warm sendoff. Even J.R. got sentimental, telling his least-favorite niece, “Lucy, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really going to miss you, honey. It won’t be the same without you to fight with.” The best part, though: The ceremony inspired Bobby to dump Jenna and go back to Pam. Karma’s a bitch, darlin’.

Barbara Bel Geddes, Bobby Ewing, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Miss Ellie Ewing, Patrick Duffy

Mama’s boys

6. Miss Ellie Ewing and Clayton Farlow (1984). Ellie and Clayton had the healthiest marriage Southfork has ever seen — yes, even healthier than the one she had with Jock — and I’m sure they had a perfectly lovely wedding, but we don’t really know since “Dallas” never showed us the big event. We only saw Mama (Barbara Bel Geddes), looking so pretty in her purple suit, as she came down the stairs and joined Bobby and J.R. (Larry Hagman), who were supposed to walk her down the aisle. And then … cut to commercial! No shot of the crowd, no exchange of vows, no scenes of J.R. biting his tongue when the minister asked if anyone had objections. To make matters worse, when Ellie got back from her honeymoon, she looked like Donna Reed. (Nice lady, but not our Mama.)

April Stevens Ewing, Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Sheree J. Wilson

Welcome to the jungle

5. Bobby Ewing and April Stevens (1990). Here’s a ceremony I wish we hadn’t seen — not because I don’t like Bobby and April (Sheree J. Wilson) as a couple, but because the producers filmed their wedding on a soundstage instead of the “real” Southfork. The result: It’s like the Ewings have landed on one of the fake-looking planets the Enterprise crew used to visit on “Star Trek.” I mean, check out this picture. Why does Southfork look like a jungle? It was nice to see all the pre-wedding festivities, though, including Bobby’s bachelor party at the Oil Baron’s Club and April’s bridal shower in the Southfork living room. Although I can’t help but wonder: Why was the guest list at April’s shower dominated by Bobby’s family and the Ewing Oil secretaries? Didn’t the poor girl have any friends of her own?

Oh, what now?

4. Bobby and Pam Ewing (1986). Right before these nuptials began, tipsy Ray blabbed the big secret that Jenna was pregnant with Bobby’s child, which almost made Pam call the whole thing off. (Must Jenna ruin everything?) But then the ceremony began, and it was a hoot: As Cliff escorted Pam down the aisle, he warned her that she was “walking straight into hell.” Meanwhile, when best man J.R. reminded Bobby that it wasn’t too late to change his mind, Bobby threatened to kick J.R.’s butt, prompting the minister to shush them both. The best part: During the vows, we saw flashbacks to Bobby and Pam’s first ceremony, which occurred off-camera in 1978. Sure, the show muffed some details — Duffy’s jacket and Victoria Principal’s hair were all wrong — but it was still a nice touch.

Something blue

3. J.R. Ewing and Cally Harper (1989). This wedding was absolutely nuts, which is why I loved it. As soon as J.R. and Cally said “I do,” a big storm swept over Southfork, forcing everyone to spend the night at the ranch. Sue Ellen took the room across the hall from the newlyweds, Cliff bunked on the sofa, Carter McKay raided the refrigerator in the middle of the night and Lucy ran around filming everything with a camcorder that was as big as her. The most insane moment of all: Shirtless wacko Tommy McKay (played by the gloriously named J. Eddie Peck) — tried to put the moves on April — in little John Ross’s bedroom, no less! — and when she rebuffed him, he burst onto the balcony, smashed a bottle of booze against the wall and started screaming in the rain. I guess that was one way to cool off.

Altar girl

2. Lucy Ewing and Mitch Cooper (1981). The first Southfork wedding seen on “Dallas” was also filmed on the soundstage, so the show staged the ceremony on the driveway set since, you know, there was no lawn. Otherwise, the producers spared no expense, even bringing in Gary and Val, Lucy’s deadbeat parents from “Knots Landing,” to witness the nuptials. In fact, there were so many extras on the dance floor, I was afraid they were going to waltz right over Sue Ellen, who sat around flirting with snoozetastic Clint Ogden. I also loved when Jock and his sons ducked into the living room to conduct a little business on Lucy’s wedding day (shades of “The Godfather”), although the best part of all came when J.R. and Afton snuck off during the reception to have sex — in the bed he shared with Sue Ellen!

Cliff Barnes, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman

Back off, Barnes!

1. J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing (1982). Now this is everything a Southfork wedding should be. One year after J.R. and Sue Ellen were divorced, they got hitched again because, you know, why not? The wedding was so big, it couldn’t be contained to a single episode: Part 1 ended with the minister asking if anyone had objections to the couple’s remarriage, and even though everyone should’ve stood up, the only person who did was Cliff (Ken Kercheval). So did he interrupt the nuptials? Nah. At the beginning of Part 2, we realized he was just stretching his legs. The ceremony continued and then it was on to the reception, which was ruined when J.R. and Cliff started a brawl that began on the dance floor and ended in the swimming pool. Perfect! The only thing that would’ve made this more fun was if Jenna had gotten dunked too. (Oh, quit your moaning. You know she deserved it.)

What’s your favorite “Dallas” wedding? Share your comments below and read more “Dal-Lists.”

Filed Under: Dal-Lists, Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Charlene Tilton, J. Eddie Peck, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Knots Landing, Larry Hagman, Lifting the Veil, Patrick Duffy, Sheree J. Wilson, TNT, Victoria Principal

Dallas Burning Questions: Season 3, Week 4

March 17, 2014 by Chris Baker 7 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, Playing Chicken, TNT

Mama sees all

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

• What will Sue Ellen do about John Ross? In “Playing Chicken,” Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) continued to plan a traditional Southfork wedding for the recently eloped John Ross and Pamela (Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo), even though she harbored lingering doubts about her son’s fidelity to his bride. Sue Ellen told Ann (Brenda Strong) she feared John Ross was sleeping with Emma (Emma Bell); Ann then shared Sue Ellen’s suspicions with Harris (Mitch Pileggi) and asked him to help her reign in their daughter. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen met with Bum (Kevin Page) to determine if he told her the truth about John Ross being faithful to Pamela. After Sue Ellen laid a major guilt trip on Bum, he confessed everything. “I lied to you, Sue Ellen. You were right about John Ross and Emma. I’m sorry,” Bum said. Sue Ellen’s response: “Not nearly as sorry as I am.” How will she deal with the truth about her son?

• What will Judith do about John Ross? When Harris told Judith (Judith Light) that Emma and John Ross are sleeping together, Judith was nonplussed. “Good for her. John Ross is a nice-looking young man,” she said. But Judith changed her tune when Harris told her John Ross now possesses Harris’s secret files, which he said contains “unflattering” information about her. She told Harris, “I’m sure we can find something to compromise young Mr. Ewing enough to convince him to return those files. And by ‘we,’ of course I mean ‘me.’” What should worry John Ross more — the fact that Judith thinks he’s cute or the fact she wants those files back?

• Will John Ross and Pamela say, “I do”? Emma seemed determined to undermine John Ross’s marriage. She buddied up to Pamela during a shopping spree and then ruined her plan to surprise John Ross with new lingerie: Emma bought the same outfit and wore it for John Ross first; when he saw Pamela wearing it, he was rattled and lost interest in having sex with his wife. Given all the turbulence in John Ross’s life, we wonder: Will his wedding to Pamela go off without a hitch?

• What will Elena and Nicolas do next? Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) tracked down Rhonda Simmons (Emily Kosloski), the woman whose testimony helped convict Cliff (Ken Kercheval) of J.R.’s “murder,” and offered her $25,000 to admit she lied, but Rhonda refused to betray the Ewings. Meanwhile, Elena (Jordana Brewster) came up empty-handed when she searched for surveillance video to prove Cliff’s gun was stolen from the firing range. The setbacks frustrated Elena, but Nicolas confessed his love for her and they had sex — unaware that Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) was digging into Nicolas’s past in Mexico, where he met a beautiful woman named Lucia (Angélica Celaya), who introduced herself as Nicolas’s wife. Should Elena continue to trust Nicolas — and should Christopher trust Lucia?

• What will the Ewings do about their business? John Ross blackmailed Bo (Donny Boaz) into joining his Southfork drilling venture by threatening to expose the ranch hand’s drug-dealing past. But John Ross’s scheming was for naught: Bobby (Patrick Duffy) shut down the project when he revealed the state would refuse to issue John Ross a drilling permit because the project endangered the lesser prairie chicken, a threatened species in Texas. If the Ewings can’t tap the oil under the ranch, how will they finance their Arctic drilling plans?

• Will our old favorites have much to do? John Ross and Pamela’s wedding will bring three stars from the original “Dallas” back to Southfork: Lucy (Charlene Tilton), Ray (Steve Kanaly) and Afton (Audrey Landers). When Kanaly spoke to Dallas Decoder before production on this episode began, he told us Ray and Lucy don’t have big roles in this episode, but suggested Afton will be featured more prominently. If nothing else, will we hear the divine Miss Cooper sing?

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: Angélica Celaya, Audrey Landers, Brenda Strong, Charlene Tilton, Emily Kosloski, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Kevin Page, Lifting the Veil, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Playing Chicken, Steve Kanaly, TNT

‘Dallas’ Gets a Summer Premiere Date

March 14, 2014 by Chris Baker 33 Comments

Rest up, darlin’

“Dallas’s” third season will continue through mid-April, and then the show will take a midseason break and return on Monday, August 18, TNT announced today.

The series is expected to run seven episodes during its “summer” run, which means the 15-hour season will probably wrap up in late September or early October. TNT will continue to show the series on Monday nights at 9 Eastern time.

TNT has long planned to break up “Dallas’s” season into two halves, much like AMC has done with series such as “Mad Men” and “The Walking Dead.”

The cable channel’s August lineup will also include “Legends,” a new FBI drama that will debut on Wednesday, August 20, followed by the season premiere of “Franklin & Bash” at 10 p.m. TNT’s most popular shows, including “Major Crimes” and “Rizzoli & Isles,” will show new episodes beginning in June.

Are you looking forward to new episodes of “Dallas” this summer? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Emma Bell, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Playing Chicken’

March 14, 2014 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

There were a lot of classic looks in “Playing Chicken,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode, including the long-sleeved blue dress that Linda Gray wore during Sue Ellen’s memorable lunch with Bum. Gray looks great no matter what you dress her in, but blue has always been one of her best colors. I also love how Sue Ellen’s blue-and-green dangly earrings complemented the dress. It was kind of hard to see them when the scene began, but as Sue Ellen and Bum’s conversation progressed — and it became clear she was playing him like a fiddle — the earrings seemed to reveal themselves more. They became an effective symbol for her below-the-radar manipulation of poor, well-meaning Bum.

The guys sported timeless looks in “Playing Chicken” too. John Ross spent much of this episode in western garb, including the dark blue denim shirt he wore in the scene where he learned about the plight of the lesser prairie chicken. It evoked the cowboy-hats-and-jeans getups that Josh Henderson sported during “Dallas’s” first season. I also loved the white shirt and khakis that Jesse Metcalfe wore in Christopher’s scenes in Mexico. The outfit was stylish yet practical; if I had to go sleuthing around the hot, dusty streets of Nuevo Laredo, this is probably what I’d wear.

Of course, “Playing Chicken” will probably be remembered for all the revealing outfits. No one showed more skin than Emma Bell’s Emma Ryland, who strutted around Southfork in that tangerine “monokini.” Like Sue Ellen’s earrings, the swimsuit can be seen as a symbol since it helped expose Emma’s determination to undermine John Ross and Pamela’s marriage. (By the way, in response to all the inquiries from fans, costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin tweeted the bathing suit came from Sauvage Swimwear.)

And then there were the dueling emerald green corsets worn by Bell and Julie Gonzalo’s Pamela Barnes Ewing. Yowza! Not since Sue Ellen dabbled in the lingerie business back in the 1980s have we seen such revealing undergarments on “Dallas.” This wasn’t just an excuse to put Bell and Gonzalo in skimpy underwear, either; now that we know Emma intentionally ruined Pamela’s surprise for John Ross, we have a whole new reason to despise her.

The question is: Who wore it best? I like the way Gonzalo settled this debate when TNT posed the question to viewers at the end of the episode. As Gonzalo tweeted, “Who wore it best?!? SCREW THAT. we BOTH did!”

Darlin’, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

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

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Playing Chicken, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT

Say What?! This Week’s Best Dallas Sound Bites

March 13, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

“Dallas” delivers the most delicious dialogue on television. Here are the best sound bites from “Playing Chicken,” this week’s episode.

What are your favorite lines from “Playing Chicken”? Share them below and read more “Say What?!”

Filed Under: Dallas Sound Bites, Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Ken Kercheval, Kevin Page, Patrick Duffy, Playing Chicken, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘He is Awful Cute, Though’

March 12, 2014 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Playing Chicken, TNT

Cock a doodle don’t

In “Playing Chicken,” a third-season “Dallas” episode, John Ross (Josh Henderson) speaks to a group of Southfork ranch hands as Bo (Donny Boaz) stands near him.

JOHN ROSS: Thank y’all for coming. First off, I want to say that I was wrong. My uncle was right. You start messing with a man’s livelihood, you make an enemy. I want to thank Bo here for helping you guys to know that I am not your enemy. And working with me, drilling oil, we’re all going to have a better livelihood. I can promise you that. All right, guys, let’s get this mess cleaned up.

BO: You heard the man. Let’s get to it.

As the crowd disperses, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) arrives in a pickup truck, gets out and approaches John Ross. He carries a cage covered with a blanket.

BOBBY: Well, good morning, John Ross.

JOHN ROSS: If you’re here to try to stop me again, Uncle Bobby, you can’t. We already settled that.

BOBBY: I know I can’t stop you, John Ross. But my little friend here certainly can. [He removes the blanket, revealing a bird inside the cage.]

JOHN ROSS: [Chuckles] A chicken?

BOBBY: Well, now, it’s not just a chicken. This is a lesser prairie chicken — a species native to this area, right here.

JOHN ROSS: Well, I have spent most of my life here on Southfork, and I’ve never even heard of a lesser prairie chicken. Nor have I seen one.

BOBBY: Well, that’s the point, boy. They’re rare. In fact, they’re endangered. The Sierra Club — you know who they are — well, they’re pressing for an investigation into whether or not fracking for oil right here on Southfork will endanger their very existence. Investigations like that take months. Hell, sometimes years. And the railroad commission just won’t issue a permit to drill until the fate of my little friend here is completely resolved. [Smiles] He is awful cute, though, isn’t he? Lesser prairie chicken.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (TNT), Features Tagged With: Josh Henderson, Patrick Duffy, Playing Chicken, TNT

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 28 — ‘Playing Chicken’

March 12, 2014 by Chris Baker 23 Comments

Bobby Ewing, Patrick Duffy, Playing Chicken, TNT

Always the winner

Bobby Ewing plays two games of chicken in “Playing Chicken,” and of course he wins both. First, Bobby uses — forgive me for this — fowl means to foil John Ross’s latest scheme to drill on Southfork. Later, when Nicolas tries to prove the Ewings framed Cliff for J.R.’s “murder,” Bobby faces off against the younger man and forces him to blink first. Both scenes are a kick, reminding us how essential Patrick Duffy is to “Dallas.” They also demonstrate Duffy’s versatility; no matter what the script calls for, this man always delivers — and he always looks damn cool doing it.

The scene with John Ross opens with Josh Henderson’s character giving his crew of ranch-hands-turned-roughnecks a pep talk when a cheerful Uncle Bobby shows up toting a cage with a big bird inside. Bobby proceeds to give his ambitious nephew a lesson on the plight of the “lesser prairie chicken,” explaining how it’s an endangered species whose presence on Southfork means the government will deny John Ross’s request for a drilling permit, lest he disturb the creature’s natural habitat. John Ross fumes; Bobby smiles. “He is awful cute, though, isn’t he?” Bobby asks, motioning toward the cage.

I love this scene mostly because it’s nice to see “Dallas” lighten up, but also because it recalls all the times Bobby bested J.R. with a wink and a grin. The role of happy warrior has always suited Duffy well, and his timing here is as sharp as ever. Everyone else seems to get into the spirit too: Henderson shows he can deadpan with the best of them, while director Jesse Bochco delivers a whimsical shot of John Ross from inside the chicken’s cage. (Shades of the “horse-cam” used to shoot Emma Bell last year.) Even composer Rob Cairns has a little fun with this scene; his underscore is noticeably jauntier than usual.

Bobby’s other big scene begins with Nicolas arriving in a darkened parking lot to meet Rhonda Simmons, the club hostess whose testimony helped convict Cliff. Nicolas believes Rhonda is going to turn against the Ewings; when he finds her standing near her car, he congratulates her and tells her she’s made “the right decision.” Suddenly, the passenger door opens and out steps … Bobby, who makes it clear Rhonda isn’t changing her story after all. This would be a triumphant moment no matter which Ewing had emerged from Rhonda’s car, but the fact that it’s Bobby makes it especially satisfying. He’s always been our white knight, and frankly he’s the only Ewing with the moral authority to make framing Cliff for murder seem like the right thing to do.

But even though Patrick Duffy is the indisputable man of the hour in “Playing Chicken,” Gail Gilchriest’s terrific script ensures no one gets shortchanged. It’s especially nice to see lots of scenes with the always wonderful Brenda Strong, whose character gets to demonstrate a little personal growth. When Sue Ellen confides in Ann her fears about John Ross and Emma, I expect Ann to dismiss the suggestion outright. Instead, she says, “I know I’ve been defensive about Emma’s behavior in the past. You were right about her drug use. Maybe you’re right this time too.” Strong always makes Ann feel like one of the grownups in the room, but the job is easier when she has smart writing like this to work with.

It’s also interesting to see Ann turn to Harris to help reign in Emma. I love Duffy and Strong together, but there’s also no denying the actress’s chemistry with Mitch Pileggi. Does this scene suggest Ann is softening toward her ex-husband? Or is the show merely using Ann to smooth Harris’s rough edges? During their conversation, Ann urges Harris to come clean to Emma about his connection to the CIA; he rejects that suggestion, but he nonetheless reveals a little humility: “I never meant to put the people that I love in danger, Annie. As awful as you think I am, I do love our daughter.” Who knew the “l” word was in Harris’s vocabulary? Also, notice how he says “the people that I love.” Does that include Ann?

Other highlights: Sue Ellen’s masterful manipulation of Bum, as well as the scene where he shows up on her doorstep and confesses his deception. I’m delighted “Dallas” is exploring the relationship between these characters, not just because they have such an opposites attract charm — the uptown lady and the downtown private eye — but also because Kevin Page might be the only actor on this show who comes close to matching Linda Gray’s soulfulness. I have no idea where Sue Ellen and Bum are headed, but whether they remain friends or become something more, I hope we keep seeing a lot of scenes between them.

I’m a little less enthralled with the romance that develops in “Playing Chicken” between Elena and Nicolas, especially since we’ve been told their characters grew up thinking of each other as siblings. On the other hand, I’m more impressed than ever with Juan Pablo Di Pace: Nicolas is so suave and charming in his first two “Dallas” appearances, but in “Playing Chicken,” there are times he seems downright sinister. At the end of this episode, we learn Nicolas has a wife — Angélica Celaya makes an intriguing debut as Lucia Treviño — and I have no doubt we’re going to learn he’s hiding even more.

I also like “Playing Chicken’s” scenes of Christopher sleuthing around Mexico, as well as the fun Gilchriest has with John Ross’s complicated love life. No one delivers oh-no-she-didn’t moments better than Bell: What makes us despise Emma Ryland more, when she accompanies Pamela on the shopping trip and brags about her lover’s sexual prowess, or when she shows up at John Ross’s office wearing the same emerald corset that Pamela is planning to surprise him with? Fans are directing a lot of venom at Bell’s character on social media these days, and I hope the actress is wearing it as a badge of honor. She’s doing a fantastic job making Emma a vixen we love to hate.

I’m also left pondering the scene where John Ross rejects Pamela’s romantic overtures. Is this an attack of conscience, or is he beginning to realize Emma is dangerous? Whatever the reason, John Ross’s personal entanglements are probably going to be the least of his worries. In “Playing Chicken’s” most chilling scene, Harris tells Judith that the files in his safe — which include “unflattering” information about her — are now in John Ross’s possession. Says Judith: “I’m sure we can find something to compromise young Mr. Ewing enough to convince him to return those files. And by ‘we,’ of course I mean ‘me.’” If you were John Ross, what would make your heart drop more — hearing Judith say she wants to “convince” you of something or hearing her earlier statement that she thinks you’re “a nice-looking young man.” Shudder.

More than anything, this episode demonstrates how “Dallas” is finding a new rhythm in its third season. The first hour, “The Return,” took its time establishing the year’s themes and plotlines; the second episode, “Trust Me,” delivered the twists and turns we’ve come to expect from the TNT series (Judith does coke! Harris is CIA!); and “Playing Chicken” slows down the action once more to allow the audience to catch its breath. If the pattern holds, does that mean the next installment will be another roller coaster? I wouldn’t bet against it, especially now that we know Judith Ryland has John Ross in her crosshairs. Let the battle of the “J.R.s” begin.

Grade: A

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Good at being bad

‘PLAYING CHICKEN’

Season 3, Episode 3

Telecast: March 10, 2014

Audience: 1.9 million viewers on March 10

Writer: Gail Gilchriest

Director: Jesse Bochco

Synopsis: Christopher investigates Nicolas in Mexico, where he meets Lucia, Nicolas’s wife. Bobby foils John Ross’s attempt to drill on Southfork and Nicolas’s attempt to turn Rhonda against the Ewings. Later, Nicolas reveals long-hidden feelings to Elena and they have sex. Bum admits to Sue Ellen that John Ross is sleeping with Emma. When Harris tells Judith that Emma gave damaging files about her to John Ross, Judith vows to “convince” John Ross to give back the documents. Bobby promises Ann he’ll keep her and Emma safe following Harris’s revelation that he’s working with the CIA to bring down the drug cartel.

Cast: Emma Bell (Emma Ryland), Donny Boaz (Bo McCabe), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Angélica Celaya (Lucia Treviño), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Nicolas Treviño), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Ewing), Currie Graham (Commissioner Stanley Babcock), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Emily Kosloski (Rhonda Simmons), Judith Light (Judith Ryland), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Scott Mullins (Nate), Kevin Page (Bum), Mitch Pileggi (Harris Ryland), Geoffrey Rivas (shopkeeper), Aaron Spivey-Sorrells (ranch hand), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Michael Swanner (Dewey Templeton)

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