On a Tough Night, ‘Dallas’ Takes a Hit in the Ratings

September 23, 2014 by 23 Comments
Ann Ewing, Bobby Ewing, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, Endame, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Brace yourself, Annie

“Dallas” wrapped up its season on one of the most competitive nights of the year — and it has the numbers to prove it.

The two-hour season finale debuted September 22 to approximately 1.72 million viewers, the show’s smallest Monday audience this year, according to Nielsen. This included 560,000 adults between ages 18 and 49, a group advertisers pay top dollar to reach.

“Dallas” fans and people who work on the show were hoping it would get a lift from the much-touted finale, in which TNT promised one of the show’s main characters would be killed off.

“Could the numbers have been better? Yes, but this was a tough night to end the season on,” said Marc Berman, editor of TV Media Insights, an industry news site.

The season finale consisted of two episodes, “Endgame” and “Brave New World,” that aired from 9 to 11 p.m. in most time zones. The competition included the season premieres of NBC’s “The Voice,” which averaged 12.7 million viewers from 8 to 10, and “The Blacklist,” which drew 12.5 million viewers from 10 to 11. The debut of the CBS crime drama “Scorpion” scored 14 million viewers from 9 to 10.

On cable, “Dallas’s” competition included ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” which averaged 13.3 million viewers throughout the evening.

“Dallas’s” September 22 audience is down about 8 percent from one week ago, when “Boxed In” debuted to 1.86 million viewers, including 540,000 viewers between ages 18 and 49. However, “Boxed In’s” total audience climbed to 2.8 million viewers when you count DVR users who recorded the episode and watched it within three days of its debut.

The other dramas on TNT’s late summer/early fall schedule aren’t faring better than “Dallas.” On September 17, the Wednesday entries “Legends” and “Franklin & Bash” drew 1.63 million and 1.52 million viewers, respectively.

Overall, “Dallas” averaged approximately 1.94 million viewers on Mondays this year, down from about 2.66 million viewers on Mondays during its second season and more than 4 million viewers during Season 1, when TNT showed it on Wednesdays.

The network hasn’t announced whether “Dallas” will be renewed for a fourth season, although executive producer Cynthia Cidre told Dallas Decoder last week that the show’s writers are cranking out scripts so the series will be ready to go into production if it’s picked up.

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

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TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Boxed In’

September 19, 2014 by 10 Comments

Antonio Jamarillo, Boxed In, Charles Yusko, Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Judith Ryland, Julie Gonzalo, Luis, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

Every outfit on “Dallas” tells a story, and so does every hairstyle. In “Boxed In,” this week’s episode, the characters’ tresses told us a lot about how they were coping with their latest crisis: the kidnapping of Ann and Emma.

Consider Judith, whose unkempt mane symbolized her emotional unraveling. Her hair was almost as wild as it was last year, when she wound up in the hospital after taking that nasty spill down the stairs. I admire Judith Light’s willingness to appear less than perfect on camera, but I also admire how “Dallas’s” brilliant hairstylist, Charles Yusko, uses Judith’s locks to serve the storyline. No matter what the writers give Judith to do, Yusko always manages to create the perfect look for her. One fan said it best the other night during #DallasChat: Judith’s hair has become a character of its own.

My favorite look this week belonged to Julie Gonzalo, who was striking in the scene where Pamela slyly persuades Nasir to loan the Ewings the money they need to buy the divisions of their company being liquidated by the cartel. Gonzalo’s bright red lipstick reflected the power and confidence she brought to this scene, and I love how her hair was pulled back in that no-nonsense ponytail.

In another clever touch, costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin dressed Gonzalo in a smart black-and-white suit — a nod to the black-and-white Stella McCartney dress Pamela wore during her trip Las Vegas earlier in the season. (Meanwhile, Josh Henderson’s hair seemed a little bigger than usual in “Boxed In’s” Las Vegas scene, just like it was during John Ross’s first encounter with Nasir.)

While we’re on this subject: Some of us out here in Fan Land feel like taking the “Dallas” writers to the woodshed after Luis (Antonio Jaramillo) attempted to charm Ann by taking a swipe at Harris. “I don’t see him deserving you,” Luis said. “Perhaps he was more handsome with hair.” Ouch! This is the second consecutive episode in which someone has made a wisecrack about Harris’s hair, or lack thereof. Last week, John Ross referred to him as “that bald bastard.”

C’mon, writers! How about a little sympathy for the follicly challenged members of your cast — and those of us watching at home?

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

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

September 18, 2014 by 1 Comment

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

Bobby Ewing, Boxed In, Dallas, Jacobo, Pete Partida, TNT

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

 

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

September 18, 2014 by 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: , , , , , ,

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

September 16, 2014 by 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.

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‘Which Ewing Dies?’ Here Are Three Possible Scenarios

September 16, 2014 by 116 Comments

Ann Ewing, Bobby Ewing, Brenda Strong, Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT, Which Ewing Dies

“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.

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

September 15, 2014 by 4 Comments
Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, TNT

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: , , ,

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

September 15, 2014 by 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?

Dallas, John Ross Ewing

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.

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman

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.

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy

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!

Dallas, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing

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.

Dallas, Pam Ewing, Victoria Principal

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.

Charlene Tilton, Dallas, Lucy Ewing

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.

April Ewing, Dallas, Sheree J. Wilson

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.”

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Dallas Burning Questions: Season 3, Week 13

September 15, 2014 by 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.

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‘Dallas’ Episode Titles, Airdates Posted

June 16, 2014 by 25 Comments
Dallas, Elena Ramos, Hurt, John Ross Ewing, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Julie Gonzalo, Nicolas Trevino, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

Who’ll get “Hurt”?

We don’t know what will happen during the second half of “Dallas’s” third season, but we do know what the episodes will be called and when we might see them:

• TNT posted the titles online last week. They are: “Denial, Anger, Acceptance” (Episode 34), “Dead Reckoning” (Episode 35), “Hurt” (Episode 36), “Victims of Love” (Episode 37), “Boxed In” (Episode 38), “Endgame” (Episode 39) and “Brave New World” (Episode 40).

• TNT hasn’t released airdates, except to say “Denial, Anger, Acceptance” will be shown Monday, August 18. According to IMDb, TNT will televise the remaining episodes on successive Mondays, with one exception: The last two episodes, “Endgame” and “Brave New World,” will each be shown September 22.

Nothing is official until TNT confirms it, of course. But if the airdates on IMDb are accurate, “Dallas” will wrap up its third year on what will probably be the first night of the 2014-15 television season, when the broadcast networks will be going all out to lure viewers. In other words: The competition will be tough.

Also, trivia buffs, take note: The original “Dallas” had an “End Game” (Bobby gets shot!) and a “Dead Reckoning” (Miss Ellie boots Clayton off Southfork!), while “The Sopranos” had a “Denial, Anger, Acceptance” (Meadow does speed!).

What do you hope to see when “Dallas” returns? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

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