Jordana Brewster – Dallas Decoder

Dallas Burning Questions: Season 2, Week 3

February 11, 2013 by Chris Baker 7 Comments

Will she get caught?

Here are the questions we’re pondering as we await tonight’s telecast of “False Confessions,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode.

• Is Harris dead? At the end of “Sins of the Father,” last week’s installment, Ann (Brenda Strong) learned Harris (Mitch Pileggi) couldn’t be prosecuted for kidnapping their daughter Emma (Emma Bell) and went to his home to confront him. When Harris taunted Ann, she pulled a handgun from her purse and shot him, leaving him bleeding on the floor. Since Pileggi was added to “Dallas’s” opening credits three weeks ago, it seems unlikely Harris will die. Then again, this is the new “Dallas,” where anything can happen and usually does. So who knows?

• What will happen to Ann? In a chat last week with Dallas Decoder and other bloggers, Strong said Ann was in “an altered state” when she plugged Harris. The trailer for tonight’s episode shows Bobby (Patrick Duffy) being arrested for the shooting. If Ann allows her husband to take the rap for a crime she committed, does that mean she’s still out of her mind?

• Will Pamela get caught? An update on “Dallas’s” other shooting storyline: After Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) gunned down Tommy last season, she turned to Frank (Faran Tahir) to dispose of the weapon and the body. Last week, the police discovered Tommy’s blood in Pamela’s old condo, and J.R. (Larry Hagman) urged Frank to expose her role in Tommy’s death. Will he?

• John Ross and Pamela: What will J.R. and Cliff say? Pamela believes she’ll snag a percentage of Ewing Energies during her divorce from Christopher, and she promised to share her piece of the company with her new lover/partner-in-crime John Ross (Josh Henderson). Meanwhile, John Ross seems to be falling for Pamela, unaware that J.R. is out to get her. Will John Ross be forced to choose between his father and his lover – and how will Cliff (Ken Kercheval) feel when he discovers his daughter has hooked up with J.R.’s son?

• Will Christopher and Elena learn the truth about John Ross? Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) is angling to win a lucrative contract to fuel the city’s municipal fleet, unaware that John Ross is trying to undermine him. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) has vowed to call in Elena’s loan if she doesn’t strike oil on the Henderson property. This prompted Elena to ask for drilling help from her brother Drew (Kuno Becker), who recently returned to town with a chip on his shoulder. What Elena doesn’t know: John Ross has bribed her foreman to sabotage the Henderson project. Will John Ross’s schemes succeed?

• Where’s Becky? When Pamela got frustrated with Tommy’s demanding sister Becky (Alex McKenna), she urged Frank to pay her off once and for all. Later, Becky didn’t show up for the court hearing where she was supposed to recant her false testimony against Christopher. Did Frank run Becky out of town – or did he make her disappear forever?

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: Alex McKenna, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, False Confessions, Faran Tahir, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Kuno Becker, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Sins of the Father, TNT

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 13 – ‘Sins of the Father’

February 6, 2013 by Chris Baker 30 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Sins of the Father, TNT

The master

Larry Hagman supplies “Sins of the Father” with its best moments, including the cool scene where J.R. pressures Frank to betray Cliff, as well as the surprisingly sentimental one where he vows to help Bobby get revenge against Ryland. But for once, Hagman isn’t the only great thing about the new “Dallas.” Every member of the ensemble shines in this episode, especially Brenda Strong, whose performances are pitch perfect. This is the first time I’ve cared about Ann’s storyline this season, and that’s mostly because Strong does such a beautiful job selling it.

Strong has always had the most thankless job on this show because Ann has been assigned a dual role previously occupied by two of the most beloved figures in the “Dallas” mythos. Not only has Ann succeeded Pam as Bobby’s wife, she’s also assumed Miss Ellie’s mantle as the first lady of Southfork. Now, in “Sins of the Father,” with all her secrets seemingly exposed, Ann finally begins to feel like her own woman. She repeatedly calls Harris a “son of a bitch,” lobs a few barbs at Judith, and then confesses to Emma her past addiction to tranquilizers. We’re not in Pam or Ellie territory anymore.

I applaud the “Dallas” writers for turning Ann into a flawed heroine, but Strong gets the credit for making the character so convincingly human. Ann’s tears during her reunion with Emma at the end of “Battle Lines,” the second-season premiere, seemed to exceed what the moment called for, but I never get that feeling watching her in “Sins of the Father.” Strong strikes the right balance between regret and resolve in this episode’s Ann/Emma scene, making me believe Ann is a woman who hasn’t forgotten her mistakes, even if she’s risen above them.

Strong is downright mesmerizing at the end of “Sins of the Father,” when Ann confronts Harris and shoots him. It’s unsettling to see Ann behave so coldly, although I can’t say the shooting shocked me since TNT’s second-season promos included a glimpse of her brandishing a gun. I also can’t help but notice how closely Ann’s shooting of Harris mirrors Pamela’s shooting of Tommy in last season’s “Family Business,” right down to the victim’s slow-motion fall to the floor. There’s one big difference, of course: Pamela’s shooting was an act of self-defense, while Ann shoots Harris in cold blood. How’s the show going to redeem her after this?

Even though Strong dominates “Sins of the Father,” this is a solid hour for all the “Dallas” women. For me, seeing Sue Ellen march into Ewing Energies and threaten to call in Elena’s loan was a little metaphysical: Suddenly it was the 1980s again and I was back in my parents’ living room, watching Sue Ellen square off against one of her rivals, except this time the fight was over her son, not J.R. The role of Mama Bear fits Linda Gray well, although I think this moment would’ve been more effective if Sue Ellen had taken it upon herself to go after Elena instead of being manipulated into it by John Ross. Regardless, I welcome the return of the take-no-prisoners Sue Ellen, and I’m thrilled to see her get involved with the family business. At long last, the new “Dallas” seems to have figured out how to put Gray’s gifts to good use.

As for Elena: How nice is it to see her do something besides moon over John Ross and/or Christopher? Jordana Brewster is an actress with tremendous poise and grace, and I’m glad the writers are turning Elena into such a smart, savvy businesswoman. She keeps her cool when Sue Ellen confronts her (Elena: “I’m not sure where all this anger is coming from, but if this is about something more personal, we should talk about it”), but Elena would be dull if she was perfect, and in “Sins of the Father” she isn’t. Brother Drew’s return rattles her, although I also feel the warmth between the characters during their heart-to-heart in the Southfork pasture. I hope the show will continue to develop Elena and Drew’s relationship with each other, as well as the one they share with mama Carmen. Between the three of them, Brewster, Kuno Becker (a promising addition to the show) and Marlene Forte have the potential to turn the Ramoses into a meaningful presence at Southfork.

Let’s also hear it for John Ross and Pamela. Their first scene in “Sins of the Father,” when they frolic in bed, arguing over who gets to be on top, is fun, and their repeated use of “Dallas’s” most enduring term of endearment – “darlin’” – is cute. On the other hand, John Ross’s worried expression over Pamela’s connection to Tommy’s death at the end of the episode feels a little out of place. I like the idea of him falling for Pamela, but isn’t it a little soon? For that matter, I also don’t buy the notion that the detective investigating Tommy’s death would call Christopher to the crime scene for a chit-chat (shouldn’t Christopher be a suspect too?), and I wonder if Harris would really be beyond punishment for kidnapping Emma. The criminal justice system on this show seems to be exist in another dimension.

Of course, every time “Dallas” offers head-scratchers like these, it usually cuts to something wonderful – like Hagman’s scenes. Director Jesse Bochco smartly shrouds Hagman and Faran Tahir in darkness during J.R.’s exchange with Frank, which makes it feel that much more mysterious. I also love how scriptwriter Bruce Rasmussen peppers J.R.’s dialogue with an extra dash of homey references (church socials, lapdogs), which allows Hagman to play off the suave Tahir. My gut tells me Frank isn’t long for this world, which is too bad because of all the new show’s villains, he’s the most menacing.

Hagman’s other highlight: the scene where Bobby asks J.R. to help him get revenge against Harris. Besides capitalizing on the chemistry between Hagman and Patrick Duffy, the scene also draws upon the deep familiarity between these characters. J.R.: “I’ve seen that look before. You go over there to get justice and you’re likely to beat him to death.” Bobby: “That’s why I need you. Help me find a way to bring him down.”

I wish the show had allowed the audience to savor the idea of J.R. and Bobby joining forces against a common enemy; instead, it cut to the scene of Ann shooting Harris, which kind of undermines any threat J.R. might pose. Then again, something tells me Mr. Ryland is going to be just fine (please note: Mitch Pileggi was added to this show’s opening credits two episodes ago), so J.R. might yet get his chance to stage his “masterpiece” against Harris. Rarely have I wanted to see anything more.

Grade: A

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Woman on the edge

‘SINS OF THE FATHER’

Season 2, Episode 3

Telecast: February 4, 2013

Writer: Bruce Rasmussen

Director: Jesse Bochco

Audience: 2.2 million viewers on February 4

Synopsis: When the police begin to suspect Pamela killed Tommy, J.R. urges Frank to betray her. After Christopher warns Becky she’s in danger, she receives a visit from Frank and disappears. At John Ross’s urging, Sue Ellen threatens to call in Elena’s loan, prompting Elena to turn to her estranged brother Drew for help striking oil. Ann tries to connect with Emma but is once again rejected. Bobby asks J.R. to help him get revenge against Harris, unaware Ann has shot him.

Cast: Amber Bartlett (Jill), Kuno Becker (Drew Ramos), Emma Bell (Emma Brown), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Marlene Forte (Carmen Ramos), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Rebecca Barnes), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Judith Light (Judith Ryland), Alex McKenna (Becky Sutter), Marcus M. Mauldin (Detective Ronnie Bota), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Mitch Pileggi (Harris Ryland), Matthew Posey (Bubba), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Faran Tahir (Frank Ashkani)

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

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT) Tagged With: Battle Lines, Brenda Strong, Bruce Rasmussen, Faran Tahir, Jesse Bochco, Jordana Brewster, Kuno Becker, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Marlene Forte, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Sins of the Father (2013), TNT

Dallas Burning Questions: Season 2, Week 2

February 4, 2013 by Chris Baker 31 Comments

Watch your back, honey

Here are the questions we’re pondering as we await tonight’s telecast of “Sins of the Father,” TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode.

• John Ross and Pamela: What’s next? At the end of “Venomous Creatures,” the second half of last week’s two-hour season premiere, Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) agreed to give John Ross (Josh Henderson) 70 percent of her share of Ewing Energies, once she wins a piece of the company during her divorce from Christopher. John Ross and Pamela then sealed their deal by having sex. So will these two remain enemies with benefits – or are they going to develop real feelings for each other?

• Will Christopher learn the truth? Frank (Faran Tahir), Pamela’s rival at Barnes Global, secretly sent Tommy’s cell phone to Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe), who played its voice mail messages and discovered: a) Pamela threatened Tommy for pushing her too hard, and b) Tommy’s sister Becky (Alex McKenna) was part of the con against Christopher. Will Christopher discover Pamela killed Tommy and had her father’s henchmen dispose of the body?

• Is there more to Ann’s story? When Ann (Brenda Strong) was married to Harris (Mitch Pileggi), they had a daughter named Emma, who was kidnapped from her stroller at the Texas State Fair. After Harris told Ann he found Emma, Ann went to see the young woman, who coldly rejected her. Bobby (Patrick Duffy) did some digging and discovered Harris himself snatched Emma and sent her to Europe to live with his mother Judith (Judith Light). Clearly, there’s more to this story. Clue No. 1: After Emma (Emma Bell) rejected Ann, Ann began receiving injections from the Ewings’ family physician. Later, when Bobby met with Harris, Harris asked, “Did Ann ask you for a shot yet? Something to help take the edge off? That’s a slippery slope. Trust me, I’ve witnessed it firsthand.” Clue No. 2: When Bobby met Emma, he told her Harris “kidnapped you from your mother.” Emma’s cryptic response: “He saved me from my mother.” What’s really going on here?

• Should Elena be worried? After Elena (Jordana Brewster) scored a big deal for Ewing Energies, Bobby, Christopher and John Ross made her an equal partner in the company. Later, John Ross reminded J.R. (Larry Hagman) that all of Elena’s assets – including her Ewing Energies shares – are vulnerable until she repays Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) the money she borrowed from her for an earlier deal. Are J.R. and John Ross going to use Sue Ellen and Elena in their plot to take over the company?

• Are J.R. and Sue Ellen getting back together? Speaking of J.R. and Sue Ellen: After he got her off the hook with the prosecutor, J.R. showed up on her doorstep and received a sweet peck on the cheek. “If you can behave yourself, would you like to come in for some tea?” Sue Ellen asked. “I thought you’d never ask,” he said as he stepped inside. Did J.R. keep up his end of the bargain?

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: Alex McKenna, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Faran Tahir, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Sins of the Father (2013), TNT, Venomous Creatures

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ Returns, But Some Viewers Don’t

January 30, 2013 by Chris Baker 23 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT, Venomous Creatures

He showed up. Did you?

Mondays are a bitch: “Dallas” opened its second season in its new Monday time slot this week – and a lot of fans didn’t show up.

The two-hour premiere drew 2.98 million viewers on January 28. As the Hollywood Reporter pointed out, the numbers were down 58 percent from the series debut last summer and 32 percent from the first-season finale. Ouch.

There could be a couple of explanations for the decline. TNT showed “Dallas’s” first season during the summertime, when the competition on other channels tends to be lighter. This week’s premiere – which actually consisted of two one-hour episodes, “Battle Lines” and “Venomous Creatures,” that were telecast back-to-back – faced fresh episodes of “The Biggest Loser” and “The Bachelor” on the broadcast networks.

Also worth noting: “Dallas” was a hit with DVR users last year. The series averaged 4.2 million viewers on Wednesday nights, but once people who recorded the show and watched later were counted, “Dallas’s” weekly haul surged to 6.1 million viewers. Perhaps ratings for the second-season premiere will get a big boost once DVR users are included?

And don’t forget: “Dallas” has a history of bouncing back from ratings dips. Back in 1978, CBS moved the original “Dallas” to Saturday nights for its second season. ABC’s “Fantasy Island” crushed the show, prompting CBS to restore it to its original Sunday berth before shifting it to Fridays, where it remained for the rest of its run.

Say You Want a Resolution?

It’s no secret “Dallas’s” longtime fans are clamoring for the return of Pam, the classic show’s heroine, immortalized by Victoria Principal. And if fans can’t have Pam, they at least want to know what happened to the character, who fled Southfork in 1987.

We may soon get our wish.

Check out this tantalizing exchange from Jesse Metcalfe’s recent conference call with reporters and bloggers:

Reporter: Will we learn any more this season about what happened with Pam in the last 20 years, where she’s been and what happened with her and Christopher?

Metcalfe: Yes. Yes we will. Unfortunately I can’t tell you much more than that. I’m sorry.

OK, fellow Pam fans. Start salivating.

Dress Like ‘Dallas’

If you love the styles worn by the women of Southfork, you’re in luck: HSN has opened an online Dallas boutique featuring clothing and accessories inspired by Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), Ann (Brenda Strong), Elena (Jordana Brewster) and Rebecca (Julie Gonzalo). The show’s ace costume designer, Rachel Sage Kunin, selected the products in the collection.

Sorry, fellas. If you want to dress like John Ross or Christopher, you’re on your own.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Battle Lines (2013), Brenda Strong, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT, Venomous Creatures, Victoria Principal

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 12 – ‘Venomous Creatures’

January 30, 2013 by Chris Baker 43 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, TNT, Venomous Creatures

Changing course

The boldest thing about the new “Dallas” isn’t the salty language or randy sex scenes – it’s the show’s willingness to let J.R. grow as a character. Larry Hagman’s iconic villain threw audiences for a loop last year when he returned ownership of Southfork to Bobby, and he surprises us again in “Venomous Creatures” when he fights to keep Sue Ellen out of jail. No one expects “Dallas” to turn J.R. into a full-fledged hero before he heads into the sunset later this season, but you must admit: Every time he becomes a better man, this becomes a better show.

Aaron Allen’s “Venomous Creatures” script gives Hagman some of his richest material since the new “Dallas” began, and the actor makes the most of it. J.R.’s most revealing moment in this episode comes near the top of the hour, when he tries to buck up Sue Ellen after her electoral defeat. “The best decision you ever made was the day you walked away from me,” J.R. tells her before ticking off a list of her achievements since their divorce. When Sue Ellen informs him the state prosecutor wants to indict her in the bribery scandal, he offers to intervene on her behalf, but she refuses. “I broke the law, and I wouldn’t learn my lesson if I tried to squirm out of this,” she says. J.R.’s winking response: “That’s why you have me, darlin’. I never learn my lesson.”

You don’t have to be a fan of the original “Dallas” to appreciate what’s happening here, but it helps. J.R. Ewing, the scoundrel who once tossed his wife into a sanitarium, has become the savior who’s eager to fight for her freedom. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen him use his power to help someone else, nor is it the first demonstration of the love J.R. feels for Sue Ellen (who has experienced her own share of changes over the years). J.R. had moments like these on the old show too, but they occur more frequently now. This makes J.R. more sympathetic, but it also makes him more believable. It’s as if time and circumstance have humbled him, the way they would any man who has lived a life like his. No matter what J.R. says, he has learned a lesson or two.

By embracing J.R.’s softer side, “Dallas” is taking a creative risk. For almost 35 years, this has been the villain audiences love to hate. Do fans want to see him acting heroically? I hope so. If nothing else, J.R. and Sue Ellen’s “Venomous Creatures” scenes – including the infinitely sweet moment when he shows up on her doorstep and receives that peck on the cheek – allow the new show to capitalize on the radiant warmth between Hagman and Linda Gray. And does it really matter if J.R. is using his power for good or evil? Isn’t seeing him triumph the thing we enjoy most?

Besides, it’s not like all the devilry has been exorcised from this character. J.R. keeps Sue Ellen out of jail not by hiring an army of lawyers to defend her, but by blackmailing the prosecutor into letting her off the hook. “Venomous Creatures” also shows him urging John Ross to embrace his dark side, including that delicious scene before the opening credits when J.R. finds his embittered son watching Christopher and Elena canoodling in the Southfork driveway. “Love. Hate. Jealousy. Mix ’em up and they make a mean martini,” J.R. says.

Later, in my favorite scene from “Venomous Creatures,” J.R. reminds Julie Gonzalo’s character of his track record when it comes to ridding his family of women named Pamela Barnes. This is a wonderful homage to one of the all-time great “Dallas” rivalries, but it also offers another hint of how J.R. has changed. When he tells Pamela to stay away from Ewing Energies and she points out he isn’t “part of that company,” he responds: “No, but I’m part of that family.” Usually when J.R. claims he’s protecting the Ewings, he doesn’t mean it. This time, I believe he does.

Hagman supplies “Venomous Creatures” with most of its great moments, but not all of them. The sequence where John Ross storms off the elevator to get to Pamela is electric, evoking the famous “Body Heat” scene where William Hurt smashes the window to get to Kathleen Turner. Pairing J.R.’s son and Cliff’s daughter is inspired, and it doesn’t hurt that Josh Henderson and Julie Gonzalo have undeniable chemistry. I also love how director Steve Robin stages the beginning of the scene, with the two characters circling the room – never taking their eyes off each other – as they dicker over the terms of their alliance. Also: How great is it that Pamela is the one who summons John Ross back to the penthouse to, um, seal their deal?

More highlights: The crosscutting in the scenes between Sue Ellen and Ann at Southfork and J.R. and the prosecutor on the golf course is beautifully executed. I especially love when Sue Ellen compares being tempted by the glass of wine to the temptation to allow J.R. rescue her (“For the first time in his damn life, J.R. was the lesser of two evils”). Meanwhile, Jesse Metcalfe and Jordana Brewster continue to charm as super-couple-in-the-making Christopher and Elena, even if the outcome of his annulment hearing defies logic.

The other fun moment in “Venomous Creatures” is the introduction of Judith Light’s character, Judith Brown Ryland. In my interview last week with Allen, the “Venomous Creatures” scriptwriter, he predicted “Dallas” fans will love watching Light “swing for the fences” with this role. I don’t doubt it. Light is irresistibly watchable in her “Dallas” debut, but she’s not the only reason this scene works. Pay attention to Patrick Duffy, who keeps Bobby’s confrontation with Judith rooted in reality. Our hero’s indignation is righteous, but it’s also nicely measured.

It takes a great actor to hold his own against a scene-stealer like Light, but if anyone is up to the task, it’s Duffy. He’s certainly had plenty of practice.

Grade: A

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Swing!

‘VENOMOUS CREATURES’

Season 2, Episode 2

Telecast: January 28, 2013

Writer: Aaron Allen

Director: Steve Robin

Audience: 2.9 million viewers on January 28

Synopsis: Following Sue Ellen’s defeat in the gubernatorial race, the state prosecutor threatens to indict her, but J.R. blackmails him into letting her off the hook. After the Ewings agree to make Elena a full partner in Ewing Energies, Pamela and John Ross become lovers and form a secret alliance to snag a piece of Christopher’s share during the divorce. Christopher discovers Becky was part of Pamela and Tommy’s con. Bobby learns Emma was kidnapped by Harris and raised by his mother, Judith Brown Ryland.

Cast: Amber Bartlett (Jill), Devin Bonnée (courier), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Akai Draco (Sheriff Derrick), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Barnes), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Jason Kravitz (Pamela’s lawyer), Judith Light (Judith Ryland), Alex McKenna (Becky Sutter), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Liz Mikel (Judge Rhonda Mason), Natalie Quintanilla (John Ross’s secretary), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Faran Tahir (Frank Ashkani), Todd Terry (State’s Attorney Peter Bedford)

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

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Aaron Allen, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Steve Robin, Venomous Creatures

Dallas Burning Questions: Season 2, Week 1

January 28, 2013 by Chris Baker 28 Comments

Flame on!

Here are the questions we’re pondering as we await tonight’s telecast of “Battle Lines” and “Venomous Creatures,” the first two episodes of “Dallas’s” second season:

• What’s Pamela’s plan? At the end of “Revelations,” the first-season finale, Rebecca (Julie Gonzalo) went to an airport hanger to meet with the mastermind behind her scheme against Christopher: her father … Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval)! Showrunner Cynthia Cidre has since confirmed Rebecca Sutter Ewing is really Pamela Rebecca Barnes, the daughter Cliff and Afton conceived during the original “Dallas’s” run. Pamela promised Cliff she wouldn’t lose focus, and as he boarded his jet, his henchman Frank (Faran Tahir) turned to Pamela and asked, “So what’s our first move, Miss Barnes?” Good question, Frank.

• Ewing Energies: How’s that working out? As the battle for Southfork ended, John Ross (Josh Henderson), Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) and Elena (Jordana Brewster) formed a startup with Bobby (Patrick Duffy): Ewing Energies. Things were going well until Elena discovered John Ross’s duplicities, broke off their engagement and resumed her romance with Christopher. Now that Christopher and Elena are back together, how awkward are things going to be around the Ewing Energies watercooler?

• What’s Ann’s secret? This was one of the few storylines that “Dallas” didn’t get around to wrapping up last season. Here’s what we know: Ann’s ex-husband Harris (Mitch Pileggi) knows what she’s hiding and gave Bobby an envelope with evidence that would supposedly reveal everything – but Bobby tossed the envelope into the Southfork fireplace. As it burned, we saw a photo of Ann (Brenda Strong) holding a child. Harris also sent Ann a locket that made her cry. What’s it all mean?

• Will Sue Ellen win the election? When John Ross was falsely accused of murder, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) blackmailed a medical examiner to alter the evidence against her son so he could get out of jail. Meanwhile, when Harris tried to blackmail Sue Ellen, Ann secretly recorded him confessing to his crimes and gave the recording to Sue Ellen. Will gubernatorial candidate Sue Ellen make it through the rest of the campaign with these secrets intact?

• More questions: Will anyone discover Pamela shot and killed Tommy, her accomplice in the scheme against Christopher? Is Tommy’s sister Becky (Alex McKenna) still trying to get ahold of him? And J.R. (Larry Hagman) was looking awfully sneaky when the season ended. What’s he up to?

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: Alex McKenna, Battle Lines (2013), Brenda Strong, Cynthia Cidre, Faran Tahir, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Revelations, TNT, Venomous Creatures

‘Dallas’s’ Second Season Gets Off to a Promising Start

January 25, 2013 by Chris Baker 20 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, TNT

Lessons learned

At one point during “Dallas’s” second-season premiere, J.R. offers Sue Ellen a sly grin and declares, “I never learn my lesson.” Maybe not, but the people who make “Dallas” seem to have learned theirs. This has been a good show from the beginning, but diehards like me couldn’t help but feel bothered by some of the historical flubs in the first-season plotlines (don’t get us started on those Southfork mineral rights) or the fact that our beloved Linda Gray was missing from two whole episodes.

Thankfully, those days appear to be over. The two-hour premiere, which TNT will telecast Monday, January 28, does a nice job giving “Dallas” devotees the stuff we crave. The first shot of the first scene is none other than Sue Ellen – a signal, I hope, that Gray will have a prominent role this year. The opener also offers the first Southfork swimming pool scene in 22 years, references to two long-unseen “Dallas” characters, and a fleeting-but-much-appreciated mention of an institution that was significant to the old show’s mythology. Someone’s been doing their homework.

Best of all, J.R. gets lots of screen time in the extended premiere, which is actually two one-hour episodes (“Battle Lines” and “Venomous Creatures”) that TNT will telecast back-to-back. Larry Hagman filmed a handful of episodes before his death last November, and in these first two hours, he’s as great as ever. Hagman’s scenes with Patrick Duffy will make you chuckle, while his exchanges with Gray will leave you reaching for the tissues. The magic is still there.

Of course, as much as I love watching my old favorites, it’s also good to see “Dallas” cultivating its next generation of stars. Josh Henderson has become a worthy heir to Hagman’s badassery, although he now has competition from an unexpected source: Julie Gonzalo, who is a hellion in heels as Cliff’s vengeful daughter. I’m also pleased to report the premiere gives Jordana Brewster some meaningful scenes. Brewster remains one of the best actors in this ensemble; she makes Elena feel like the kind of person you might know in real life, which – let’s face it – doesn’t always happen on shows like this. Henderson and Gonzalo might get the juicy lines, but Brewster and Jesse Metcalfe, her equally good leading man, keep “Dallas” grounded.

The premiere also establishes the battle for Ewing Energies as the season’s main story arc and introduces us to the sleek Ewing Energies set, which looks absolutely nothing like the offices seen on the old show. (Please note: This isn’t a complaint.) A nifty subplot focuses on Christopher’s foray into racecar driving, and we also learn Ann’s dark secret, a storyline that has more than a few holes but nonetheless offers a nice showcase for Brenda Strong.

Other highlights include our first glimpse of the mysterious new character Emma Brown, played by Emma Bell, who was so memorable as the doomed Amy on “The Walking Dead.” (I wonder: Does Bell find zombies or Ewings more cannibalistic?) We also meet Harris Ryland’s mother Judith, played to the hilt by Judith Light. Yes, Light is only three years older than Mitch Pileggi, who plays Harris. It’s too early to know if audiences are going to buy this, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Light.

The real question is how “Dallas” will fare once it runs out of episodes featuring Hagman. This week, TV Guide reported the show will write out its star with a “Who Killed J.R.?” mystery that will echo the old “Dallas’s” most famous cliffhanger. Whether or not this idea is really brilliant or really lousy will depend on the execution, but it’s a good sign the show is bringing back so many favorites for J.R.’s funeral and memorial service. The guest list will include Deborah Shelton, who played J.R.’s longest-running (three seasons!) mistress Mandy, and Cathy Podewell, who portrayed his second wife Cally, along with four characters who require no explanation: Gary (Ted Shackleford), Lucy (Charlene Tilton), Ray (Steve Kanaly) and Cliff (Ken Kercheval).

This group includes some of “Dallas’s” most iconic figures. Watching them come together to mourn – or celebrate – the death of the biggest icon of all is bound to be great television. It will never satisfy all of “Dallas’s” hardcore fans, but you have to hand it to the people who make the show. At least they’re trying.

What do you want to see during “Dallas’s” second season? Share your comments below and read more opinions from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: Opinion, Opinion Tagged With: Battle Lines (2013), Brenda Strong, Cathy Podewell, Charlene Tilton, Deborah Shelton, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Steve Kanaly, Ted Shackelford, TNT, Venomous Creatures, Who Killed J.R.?, Who Shot J.R.?

The Dallas Decoder Quiz: First-Season Follies

January 7, 2013 by Chris Baker 26 Comments

Yes, we’re sure

TNT’s “Dallas” will begin its second season on Monday, January 28. Take this quiz to refresh your memory of Season 1. The correct answers appear at the end.

1. Which threesome controls the Southfork mineral rights?

a) J.R., Bobby and Gary

b) J.R., Bobby and Ray

c) John Ross, Christopher and Lucy

d) Jack, Janet and Chrissy

2. Which foursome owns Ewing Energies?

a) J.R., Bobby, John Ross and Christopher

b) Bobby, John Ross, Christopher and Elena

c) John Ross, Christopher, Elena and Cliff

d) John Ross, Christopher, Elena and Rebecca

3. Ann secretly recorded ex-husband Harris Ryland confessing to …

a) Counterfeiting

b) Money laundering

c) Murder

d) His commitment to a sanitarium in the early 1990s

Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Jesse Metcalfe, TNT

Wake up call

4. Christopher was shocked when he answered Tommy’s phone and heard whose voice?

a) John Ross

b) Cliff Barnes

c) Frank Ashkani, Cliff’s henchman

d) Becky Sutter, Tommy’s real sister

5. Christopher’s alternative energy technology relies on what natural resource?

a) Methane hydrate

b) Solar power

c) Wind power

d) Linda Gray’s fountain of youth

6. What did Bobby toss in the fireplace?

a) Ann’s locket

b) The Southfork deed

c) The envelope that Harris gave him

d) The painting hanging above it

7. What did Bobby tell Vicente Cano when he visited Southfork?

a) “Get the hell out of my house!”

b) “Help me put the living room and dining room back where they belong!”

c) “Help me birth this calf!”

d) “Wipe your feet!”

Dallas, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes, Rebecca Sutter Ewing, TNT

Daughter of the Alamo

8. Who is Rebecca’s father?

a) Harris Ryland

b) Carlos del Sol

c) Cliff Barnes

d) Tommy’s Uncle Fred

9. What was the real name of the woman who impersonated Marta del Sol?

a) Andrea Barrett

b) Verna Ellers

c) Veronica Martinez

d) Ben Stivers

10. Why did Marta descend from the high-rise balcony?

a) She thought it would be faster than taking the elevator.

b) She jumped.

c) She was pushed by Vicente’s henchmen.

d) She was spooked by Julie Gray’s ghost.

11. Before he died, Elena’s father worked in what industry?

a) Oil

b) Ranching

c) Trucking

d) Cosmetics

Dallas, Elena Ramos, Jordana Brewster, TNT

Debt in the family

12. Who loaned Elena the money to buy the Henderson oil leases?

a) Harris Ryland

b) Vicente Cano

c) Franklin Horner

d) Sue Ellen

13. Who is Clyde Marshall?

a) J.R.’s lawyer

b) Bobby’s lawyer

c) John Ross’s private eye

d) The Dallas County sheriff

14. What is the name of the medical examiner that Sue Ellen blackmailed?

a) Dr. Bruce Rasmussen

b) Dr. Varun Rasmussen

c) Dr. Peyton Hayslip

d) Dr. Mitchell Ackerman

15. What is the full name of Patrick Duffy’s character?

a) Bobby James Ewing – and don’t let anyone tell you differently

Answers: 1) a. 2) b. 3) b. 4) d. 5) a. 6) c. 7) a. 8) c. 9) c. 10) c. 11) a. 12) d. 13) c. 14) b. 15) a.

How did you do? Share your score below and read more features from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: Features, Features Tagged With: Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Drill Bits: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Saddles Up for Season 2

October 9, 2012 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

Battle Lines, Bobby Ewing, Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Elena Ramos, Jesse Metcalfe, John Ross Ewing, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Mark your calendars

TNT’s “Dallas” won’t return with new episodes until January 28 – that’s 113 days from today, not that I’m obsessive enough to keep track of such things – but details about the second season are beginning to emerge:

• Casting. Yesterday, TV Line reported Judith Light will join the cast as “an authoritative and controlling battle-ax who will fight to the death to protect the people she loves.” Speculation is the recurring character, whose name hasn’t been announced, will be the mother of Brenda Strong’s Ann Ewing.

It seems Ann’s wing of the family tree is growing: In the summer, TNT announced plans to elevate first-season guest star Mitch Pileggi, who plays Ann’s ex-husband/punching bag Harris Ryland, to a regular cast member in Season 2. And in a recent Ultimate Dallas chat, showrunner Cynthia Cidre confirmed another new character – Emma Brown, played by “Walking Dead” actress Emma Bell – will be Ann’s daughter.

Still no word on who’ll portray Drew Ramos, Elena’s brother, who Cidre discussed in an August TV Guide interview.

• Storylines. In a press release last week, TNT revealed what we’ll see during the show’s two-hour season premiere:

Sue Ellen’s run for governor will be threatened by the secret that she bribed a medical examiner to help get John Ross off the hook for murder. Ryland will come to Ann claiming to have news about her daughter. Christopher will head to Des Moines to find the real Becky Sutter, while the woman he married will start to show her true colors as Cliff Barnes’ daughter. And J.R. will team up with John Ross to take over Sue Ellen’s loan to Elena and, in turn, gain total control over Christopher and John Ross’ new startup company, Ewing Energies.

Dallas, Enemy of My Enemy, Harris Ryland, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Sue Ellen Ewing

Back for more

Elsewhere, during a red carpet interview last month, Jesse Metcalfe said the second season will offer “some unexpected deaths” (egad!), while Patrick Duffy told TV Guide the aforementioned Becky Sutter will be “jumping into bed with people.”

Meanwhile, tweets from Texas, where production on the second season began two weeks ago, suggest Christopher and Elena (Metcalfe and Jordana Brewster) will have a Southfork swimming pool scene, while John Ross (Josh Henderson) and Christopher will be spending plenty of time at the nifty new offices of Ewing Energies.

Also: the Dallas Morning News spotted Strong and Henderson filming a scene at a Dallas art gallery, where Ann “commissioned a painting for her new offices,” as well as a sequence where one of the new characters takes a helicopter ride.

• Returning favorites. Dallas Decoder readers will recall Ken Kercheval recently told us he’ll appear in at least one second-season episode. There also have been reports Audrey Landers will reprise her role as Afton, the mother of Julie Gonzalo’s character, Pamela Rebecca Barnes. Cidre has also promised Linda Gray will be in all 15 second-season episodes.

Sue Ellen vs. Carrie

TNT will show “Dallas’s” second season on Monday nights at 9, where its competition will include the CW’s “The Carrie Diaries,” which is slated to take over “Gossip Girl’s” time slot in January. The “Sex and the City” prequel follows Carrie Bradshaw’s teenage years in the 1980s and stars hyphenate-phobic AnnaSophia Robb as the title character. In the Sue Ellen-vs.-Carrie showdown, our money is on Miss Texas.

‘Dallas’ on DVD

If you need a refresher on the first season of TNT’s “Dallas,” don’t worry: the DVD will go on sale beginning January 8 (that’s just 92 days from today – again, not that we’re keeping track).

Extras will include deleted scenes, audio commentary on the “Changing of the Guard” pilot, “Ewing Family Love Oak” and “Dressing Dallas” featurettes and a “Who Shot J.R.?” retrospective.

In addition, TNT will show episodes from “Dallas’s” first season during the weekend before Season 2 starts.

Cidre Speaks

In a new profile, Cidre tells the Hollywood Reporter the show that inspired her most when she was younger was “The Avengers,” while her guilty pleasure is “The People’s Court.”

The “Dallas” executive producer also reveals she doesn’t “love” writing. “It’s a language thing, it comes out backwards. I know exactly what I want to say, it’s just hard for me to find the words.”

Honey, we know the feeling.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Audrey Landers, Brenda Strong, Changing of the Guard (2012), Cynthia Cidre, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Dallas Parallels: Counterfeit Correspondence

September 21, 2012 by Chris Baker 14 Comments

In the most intense scene in “Changing of the Guard,” TNT’s first “Dallas” episode, Christopher angrily accuses Elena of exposing flaws in his methane hydrate project. She fires back by calling him out for dumping her – via e-mail! – on the day they were supposed to be married.

“I never sent you an e-mail!” Christopher exclaims. “I waited for you. For six hours! I thought you were dead, Elena. I was calling hospitals. I called Southfork. And when I finally got together with my father, he said you were in Mexico. And the next time I saw you, you had hooked up with John Ross!”

So begins one of the biggest mysteries of the new “Dallas’s” first season: Who sent the e-mail that broke up Christopher and Elena? The storyline produces more than a few twists, and as the Dallas Redone blog noted in June, it also evokes memories of another pair of star-crossed Southfork lovers who were kept apart by counterfeit correspondence.

During the classic “Dallas’s” seventh season, baby Christopher’s newly separated parents, Bobby and Pam, were on the verge of reconciling when they encountered interference from another relative: Pam’s conniving half-sister Katherine, who forged a letter in which Pam told her lawyer she no longer wanted to be married to Bobby but would return to Southfork to avoid hurting him.

Katherine, hoping to snare her sister’s husband for herself, showed Bobby the letter, knowing it would prompt him to give Pam the divorce he believe she wanted. The ploy worked and Bobby and Pam were kept apart.

In “Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie,” the penultimate episode of “Dallas’s” seventh season, the truth finally came out. In a quiet, moving performance from Victoria Principal, Pam pours out her heart and tells her ex-husband she never wanted to end their marriage. The revelation confuses Bobby, who reminds Pam what she had written in the letter to her lawyer.

“What letter?” Pam asks.

The conversation is interrupted by a ringing telephone – symbolic, perhaps, of the bells going off in Pam’s mind. At the end of the episode, she confronts Katherine (played to wicked perfection by Morgan Brittany), who brazenly confesses to her forgery – prompting Pam to smack her so hard, Katherine falls onto a nearby bed.

Flash forward three decades: In “Truth and Consequences,” TNT’s fifth “Dallas” episode, after Christopher pulls Rebecca aside at the Ewing barbecue, she tells him Tommy sent the e-mail that broke up him and Elena – which leads to Christopher striking Tommy in front of the other guests.

Like Pam’s smackdown, Christopher’s punch offered a satisfying flash of catharsis for viewers who knew Tommy was secretly plotting against the Ewings. It also reminded us: The Ewing men may have a lot in common with their daddies, but sometimes they take after their mamas.

‘What Letter?’

What letter?

In “Hush, Hush, Sweet Jessie,” a seventh-season “Dallas” episode, Pam (Victoria Principal) stands at a window in her living room while Bobby (Patrick Duffy) rests on the arm of a sofa.

PAM: I laid awake most of the night, just thinking. Thinking about how sad everything is. There have been so many tragedies in the past couple of years. Mama’s dying. Now Mark’s dying. Our marriage breaking up. Sometimes I just can’t believe that we’re divorced. I don’t know, Bobby. We should have found some way to have made it work.

BOBBY: I don’t disagree with that.

PAM: I thought a lot about our splitting up. It wasn’t just your fault or the Ewings’ fault. A lot of it was my fault too. You don’t know this, but I came to Thanksgiving Square that day to tell you that I was ready to try again.

BOBBY: Try? Try what, getting back together?

PAM: Yes.

BOBBY: Well, that’s very strange. I was sure you didn’t want to.

PAM: Oh, Bobby, I wanted to. I always wanted to. I just didn’t know if I could. [Walks toward him, they sit together on the sofa] Anyway, before I could say anything, you told me that you were letting me go.

BOBBY: But that’s because of your letter.

PAM: What letter?

BOBBY: The letter that you wrote to your lawyer. Maybe it was a first draft or something. Maybe you didn’t even send it. But Katherine found it and read it to me. It wasn’t the easiest thing I ever listened to.

PAM: Do you remember what was in it?

BOBBY: You said you wanted out of the marriage. You didn’t want to divorce me. You were afraid it would hurt me. You were hoping that I’d let you go.

In the background, a telephone rings.

PAM: Katherine read you this letter?

BOBBY: Yes. And despite how I felt at the time, it made me realize you wanted a different life.

‘I Never Sent You an E-mail!’

What e-mail?

In “Changing of the Guard,” the first episode of TNT’s “Dallas,” Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) angrily leads Elena (Jordana Brewster) into a room at Southfork and slams the door behind them.

CHRISTOPHER: You couldn’t wait to tell him.

ELENA: What?

CHRISTOPHER: About the methane. The earthquake. Everything I told you in confidence, you told John Ross!

ELENA: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

CHRISTOPHER: [Grips her arms] Don’t lie to me!

ELENA: [Pushes him away] Let go.

CHRISTOPHER: Don’t lie to me!

ELENA: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

CHRISTOPHER: John Ross tried to blackmail me. He said he was going to tell my father everything.

ELENA: I didn’t tell him anything.

CHRISTOPHER: And what you did? What you did was for nothing. Because he doesn’t love you. He uses people. And you want to know what’s really sick? I trusted you again.

ELENA: [Slaps him] John Ross doesn’t love anyone but himself? You look in the mirror, Christopher. You listen to your own words. I will always love you. [Crying] But we are two different people, from two different circumstances. I hope you understand. Was I really so wrong for you?

CHRISTOPHER: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

ELENA: The e-mail you sent me. The day we were supposed to get married.

CHRISTOPHER: I never sent you an e-mail! I waited for you. For six hours! I thought you were dead, Elena. [Crying] I was calling hospitals. I called Southfork. And when I finally got together with my father, he said you were in Mexico. And the next time I saw you, you had hooked up with John Ross! So what was I supposed to think?

ELENA: You sent me an e-mail saying that we were a mistake.

CHRISTOPHER: What?

ELENA: I only went to Mexico because I couldn’t stand to be here. John

Ross found me. I thought I wasn’t good enough.

CHRISTOPHER: No. [Touches her face] No. Don’t ever say that.

What do you think of Pam and Christopher’s moments of truth? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”