Julie Gonzalo – Dallas Decoder

Dallas Desserts: Valentine’s Day Edition

February 14, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

Like his famous daddy, doesn’t John Ross Ewing deserve to have his cake and eat it too?

The “Dallas” fans at Dallas Decoder and Cook In/Dine Out think so. We’ve created a Valentine’s Day sundae that’s as deliciously messy as John Ross’s love life.

Like our previous “Dallas Desserts,” this one is rich with symbolism: the brownie represents John Ross’s wife Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), the blondie represents his mistress Emma (Emma Bell), and the chocolate sauce is dark and smooth, just like John Ross (Josh Henderson) himself.

The rest of the ingredients allude to John Ross’s other relatives: The vanilla ice cream is as wholesome as Uncle Bobby (Patrick Duffy), while the chopped peanuts honor his nutty father-in-law, Cliff (Ken Kercheval).

You’ll find the recipe for this treat at Cook In/Dine Out, which is the handiwork of the Valentine in my life, my husband Andrew. Visit his site regularly for other amazing food-related content, and be sure to follow Cook In/Dine Out on Facebook and Twitter.

We hope you’ll share this treat with the special “Dallas” fan in your life. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Filed Under: Dallas Desserts, Features Tagged With: Emma Bell, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ Season 2 Arrives on DVD

February 11, 2014 by Chris Baker 6 Comments

Ann Ewing, Bobby Ewing, Brenda Strong, Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, Patrick Duffy, TNT

They’re here

“Dallas’s” second season arrives on DVD today, and not a moment too soon. Fans now have less than two weeks to catch up with the Ewings before TNT begins televising Season 3 on Monday, February 24. It’s a good thing many of us have a long weekend coming up. We’re going to need it.

The four-disc set, which sells for $39.98, includes all 15 second-season episodes, along with lots of extras. The highlights:

• An extended version of “J.R.’s Masterpiece.” The instant-classic funeral episode offers about six minutes of extra footage, including Ann’s eulogy, which is based on a conversation Brenda Strong had with Larry Hagman before he died.

The latter nugget is one of the tidbits you’ll hear from executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin on the audio commentary. Other revelations: Cidre and Patrick Duffy initially believed Bobby shouldn’t speak at the funeral, and the scene where the Ewings arrive in Nuevo Laredo to retrieve J.R.’s body was filmed at the Fort Worth stockyards.

• More than 15 deleted scenes. In one sequence, Bobby comes onto the Southfork patio and finds J.R. listening to his ex-wife being interviewed on the radio. Says J.R.: “You just missed it, Bob. Sue Ellen called me a philanderer — on the radio. I’m not saying I don’t deserve it. I’m just surprised she didn’t used a dirtier word.” You’ll also see Ann and Bobby discuss Christopher’s search for Pam. “I think that sometimes the past is best left alone. … I’d just hate for Pam to cause you or Christopher any more pain,” Ann says.

• Cast interviews. The cast’s panel discussion at last year’s Paley Fest television festival is included, along with a feature where the actors recall working with Hagman. (Robin’s tribute is especially moving.) Also included: an interview that Hagman recorded around the time the new “Dallas” debuted in 2012. In a particularly poignant moment, he praises his new co-stars and says, “We’ve got four wonderful young actors that are going to drag me through another 13 years. At least I hope to hell they will.”

As if the DVD isn’t enough, TNT also announced plans yesterday to televise every episode from “Dallas’s” first two years before Season 3 begins. The 25-hour marathon starts Sunday, February 23, at 8 p.m.

You dirty boy

Presenting Mr. Henderson

TNT set hearts aflutter last week when it shared sexy shots of Elena (Jordana Brewster), Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), John Ross (Josh Henderson) and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) on Facebook and Twitter and asked “Dallas” fans which character should be the “face” of the show’s third-season advertising campaign.

The winner: John Ross, whose image received 31,000 “likes” on Facebook and 360 “favorites” on Twitter. Something tells me his daddy would be awfully proud.

I’ve posted all four images on Dallas Decoder’s Facebook and Pinterest pages. Which one do you like best?

Look Who’s Talking

The “Dallas” cast will soon be making the talk-show rounds to promote the third-season premiere. Last week, the folks who operate Linda Gray’s Facebook page announced she’ll appear soon on NBC’s “Today,” CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight,” Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” and Katie Couric’s syndicated show.

Of course, if you can’t wait to hear the scoop on “Dallas,” check out the highlights from Gray’s recent conversation with Dallas Decoder and other bloggers.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Cynthia Cidre, J.R.’s Masterpiece, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Michael M. Robin, TNT

Tonight on #DallasChat: Pamela vs. Emma vs. Elena

February 3, 2014 by Chris Baker 1 Comment

Dallas, Elena Ramos, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

Three queens

You’re invited to join Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Monday, February 3, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time. The theme: “Pamela vs. Emma vs. Elena.”

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, and so your answers should do the same. Everyone is also encouraged to include the show’s official hashtag, #DallasTNT, in their #DallasChat tweets.

Here’s a sample exchange:

Q1. Does Pamela, Emma or Elena have better business sense? #DallasTNT #DallasChat

A1. Emma. Did you see how she negotiated with Bo McCabe for the painkillers? She’s tough! #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.

This is one #DallasChat you won’t want to miss. See you tonight!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Emma Bell, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, TNT

Dallas Parallels: Women on the Edge

January 29, 2014 by Chris Baker 12 Comments

Pam Ewing, the original “Dallas’s” heroine, and Pamela Barnes, her namesake niece on TNT’s sequel series, have more than a name in common. Both women marry into the Ewing family, both experience awkward introductions to life at Southfork, and their first encounters with J.R. are equally tense. Most notably, Pam and Pamela also suffer tragic miscarriages that send both of them to the edge — literally.

Pam’s quest to become a mother is a recurring theme of “Dallas’s early years. She and Bobby are overjoyed when they discover she’s pregnant at the end of the first season, but their parental dreams are dashed when Pam falls from the hayloft and suffers a miscarriage. She gets pregnant again at the beginning of Season 3, only to lose that child during another ranching mishap. Pam shifts her focus to her career, but when Sue Ellen leaves Southfork and takes John Ross with her at the beginning of Season 5, Pam’s memories of her miscarriages resurface.

Pam soon slips into a deep depression, alarming Bobby. At one point, he goes to visit his wife at The Store, the luxury retailer where she works, only to find her sitting in the baby department, holding a music box and lost in her thoughts. Then, in “The Sweet Smell of Revenge,” Pam goes to the roof of a tall building and contemplates jumping off. Bobby rescues her and brings her home to Southfork, where he urges her to get psychiatric help. “Honey, I’m worried about you,” he says.

Pamela has similar experiences on TNT’s “Dallas,” although the echoes are faint. Not long after she marries Christopher, the son that Bobby and Pam eventually adopted, Pamela becomes pregnant with twins. When Christopher discovers Pamela has been keeping some big secrets from him — namely, that she’s Cliff’s daughter and Christopher’s cousin — he divorces her, leaving her to take up with another one of his cousins, John Ross. Then the unthinkable happens: Cliff engineers the explosion of a Ewing Energies rig with Pamela and the Ewings aboard, causing her to lose her unborn children.

“Let Me In,” one of the new show’s second-season episodes, chronicles the emotional fallout from Pamela’s miscarriage. The hour opens with alternating shots of Christopher tearing down the nursery at Southfork while Pamela decorates the room she had set aside for the babies in her home. The montage ends with her sitting alone in the room, holding a stuffed animal and wearing a blank expression — not unlike Pam’s scene in The Store’s baby department. Later, John Ross comes to Pamela’s penthouse and finds her sitting on the balcony, entranced. She isn’t suicidal, but it nonetheless brings to mind Pam standing atop the tall building. (Indeed, “Let Me In” scriptwriter Aaron Allen has said he took inspiration for this scene not from “Dallas,” but from the 1985 film “St. Elmo’s Fire.”) In the next scene, John Ross brings Pamela inside and expresses his concern for her (“We are all worried about you”), just like Bobby did with Pam after her breakdown.

The question is: Will the parallels end here? On the original show, after Bobby and Pam adopt Christopher, she recovers her mojo, although her maternal struggles continue to haunt her. When Bobby briefly reunites with old flame Jenna Wade and impregnates her, Pam must learn to live with the fact that her husband will have a child with another woman.

Now that Pamela is married to the adulterous John Ross, we wonder: Will she soon find herself following in Aunt Pam’s footsteps yet again?

‘Honey, I’m Worried About You’

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Sweet Smell of Revenge

Let him help

In “The Sweet Smell of Revenge,” a fifth-season “Dallas” episode, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) sits in his bedroom reading a newspaper while Pam (Victoria Principal) sleeps on the bed.

PAM: [Awakens] Bobby?

BOBBY: Yeah, honey?

PAM: I’m sorry.

BOBBY: Oh, don’t worry. How do you feel?

PAM: [Pause] All right.

BOBBY: [Sets down his paper, moves to the bed and sits near her] Pam, we got to talk.

PAM: I know.

BOBBY: About you, about the future.

PAM: I know.

BOBBY: I spoke to Dr. Conrad. She said she already talked to you about voluntary commitment to Brooktree.

PAM: Yes, she did.

BOBBY: Well, she wanted to know how I felt, and I said I wanted what was best for you. She said that, at the present, she thinks that is the best. And with 24-hour-a-day care, you could overcome your problems a lot sooner.

PAM: Because you think I should be watched in case I try to kill myself again?

BOBBY: Pam, that’s not what I said.

PAM: But that’s what you meant.

BOBBY: Honey, I’m worried about you, and I care about you, and I don’t want what happened before to happen again. Now, if it’s going to be better — or safer — for you to be at Brooktree for a time, time enough to overcome this depression, then that’s what I want … for you. [Silence] Pam?

PAM: [Closes her eyes] I’m tired.

BOBBY: [Sighs] Well, you think about it, all right?

She nods.

‘We Are All Worried About You’

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Let Me In, TNT

Let him in

In “Let Me In,” a second-season “Dallas” episode, John Ross (Josh Henderson) finds Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) sitting on the balcony of her apartment, brings her back inside and sits with her on the sofa.

JOHN ROSS: Where’s Afton? I thought your mother was taking care of you.

PAMELA: [Looking away] I sent her home … last week.

JOHN ROSS: Why’d you lie to me? [Silence] I think you should not be alone right now, Pamela.

PAMELA: I don’t care.

JOHN ROSS: Where’s your father?

PAMELA: Somewhere, making some deal. He sent me flowers.

JOHN ROSS: When was the last time you ate?

PAMELA: [Looks at him] Why are you here?

JOHN ROSS: I’m here because we are all worried about you. And I ain’t going anywhere until I know that you’re okay.

PAMELA: You’ll be here a long time.

JOHN ROSS: I’m going to go make you some tea. [Rises and exits as she closes her eyes]

How do you feel about Pam and Pamela’s painful losses? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”

Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Aaron Allen, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Let Me In, Patrick Duffy, Sweet Smell of Revenge, Victoria Principal

More Details Released About ‘Dallas’s’ Third Season

January 24, 2014 by Chris Baker 12 Comments

Happy ending? Ha!

TNT released some more tidbits about “Dallas’s” third season today, including clues about the new characters and how they’ll fit into the storylines. If you don’t want to know what’s going to happen, stop reading now.

Here are the headlines:

• TNT is pretty vague about what the main characters will be up to, although the press materials state Harris (Mitch Pileggi) will struggle to “keep Emma in check while also mending fences with Ann.” The emphasis is ours.

• Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) is described as “determined to find a happy ending with her new husband, John Ross, and make a home for herself on Southfork Ranch.” Good luck with that, honey.

• According to TNT, Nicolas Trevino (Juan Pablo Di Pace) comes to Dallas to act as Cliff’s proxy in Ewing Global, but “it will soon come to light that Nicolas has his own agenda.” The materials also describe Nicolas as “an old childhood friend” whom Elena (Jordana Brewster) turns to in her quest for justice.

• Heather (AnnaLynne McCord), whose last name isn’t given, is described as “a no-nonsense, calls-it-like-she-sees-it ranch hand [who] was raised by a single father and four older brothers. After her oldest brother was killed during a tour in Iraq, she ran away and eloped with her high school sweetheart.”

• TNT calls Di Pace “a regular cast member,” while McCord is listed as a guest star, along with Ken Kercheval, Judith Light and Marlene Forte. Also receiving the “guest star” treatment: Kuno Becker, who joined the show last year as Elena’s brother Drew.

Remember: “Dallas’s” season premiere is Monday, February 24, at 9 p.m. Eastern. That’s one month from today, not that we’re counting every second or anything.

What do you think of the latest “Dallas” tidbits from TNT? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: AnnaLynne McCord, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Kuno Becker, Marlene Forte, Mitch Pileggi

Dallas Parallels: Hostage!

December 18, 2013 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

No two “Dallas” episodes invite comparison as much as “Winds of Vengeance” and “Blame Game.” Both segments — which debuted in 1978 and 2013, respectively — depict armed intruders invading Southfork and holding the Ewings hostage. The two storylines play on common themes, including stubborn pride and misguided justice, but the episodes also demonstrate the distinctions between the original “Dallas” and its TNT sequel.

In “Winds of Vengeance,” the old show’s fourth episode, blue-collar Luther Frick discovers his wife Wanda spent the night in a Waco motel with a wealthy stranger from out of town: J.R. Ewing. Frick and Wanda’s brother, Payton Allen, track J.R. to Southfork, where they hold him, Ray and the Ewing women at gunpoint in the living room as a hurricane bears down outside. Frick believes J.R. raped Wanda, so he vows to get “justice” for himself by having sex with Sue Ellen while Allen sets his sights on Lucy. At the last minute, Jock and Bobby arrive, punch out Frick and Allen and send the creeps on their way.

In “Blame Game,” one of TNT’s second-season “Dallas” episodes, slimy oilman Vicente Cano, who went to jail after tangling with J.R. and John Ross, escapes and marches into Southfork with a band of armed thugs. Cano believes the Ewings owe him the methane technology that Christopher developed, and so Cano and his gang hold the family hostage in the living room while Christopher retrieves his methane prototype from the office. When he returns and hands over the equipment, Cano grabs Elena and begins to make his escape, but her brother Drew arrives at the last minute and shoots Cano while Bobby and John Ross overpower the rest of his gang.

There are plenty of similarities here, beginning with the motivations of the villains. When Frick and Allen pull their guns on the Ewings, J.R. assumes they’re robbers and tells them they can have all the cash in the family safe. “We ain’t no thieves. We don’t want your money,” Frick says. Cano, in the meantime, believes Christopher’s methane technology will be lucrative, but profit isn’t his primary goal. When he bursts into Southfork, he slaps John Ross and says, “Did you think you could get away with turning me into the authorities and painting me as the one with dishonor?”

The two episodes also show how the bad guys humiliate the Ewings by exposing their secrets. In “Winds of Vengeance,” when Frick announces J.R. raped Wanda, he turns to Sue Ellen and asks, “You like him any better now, knowing what a hotshot lover-boy he is?” Sue Ellen’s response — “Him?” — causes Allen to laugh uproariously. Something similar happens in “Blame Game” when Cano tries to intimidate Christopher by threatening Pamela, only to realize John Ross’s ex-fiancée Elena has become the object of Christopher’s affection. “You Ewing boys share after all. I love it!” Cano exclaims.

There are also quite a few differences between the episodes. The hostage situation in “Winds of Vengeance” unfolds slowly, giving the actors plenty of time to explore the mental trauma their characters are experiencing by being held against their will. Linda Gray steals the show with her gutsy performance in the scene where Frick forces Sue Ellen to sing for him, but there are also examples of the Ewing women resisting their captors. In one scene, Sue Ellen smacks Allen and tells him not to touch her. Later, Allen tries to make Pam dance with him, but she fights back and screams, “I’ll kill you!”

Contrast this with the hostage situation in “Blame Game,” which comes at the end of that episode and is interspersed with scenes from Ann’s trial. This gives the segment a faster pace overall, but it also robs the hostage sequences of the tense, psychological vibe that “Winds of Vengeance” mined so effectively. “Blame Game” also offers no scenes of the women fighting back, and if there are sexual undertones to the story, they’re only hinted at: When Cano grabs Elena and heads for the helicopter waiting outside, he says he’s taking her as “an insurance policy,” then adds: “Who knows? Maybe we have something in common.”

On the other hand, “Blame Game” shows the Ewings interacting with each other while their captors are holding them at gunpoint, which is something we really don’t see in “Winds of Vengeance.” In one exchange, Sue Ellen sits with Bobby and laments his rivalry with J.R., calling it “a vicious cycle that our sons seem destined to continue.”

She’s probably correct that John Ross and Christopher are fated to fight each other, but if the Ewings want to break one of their other vicious cycles — their penchant for being taken hostage — there’s a simple solution: Hire some security guards, for goodness sakes. I mean, these people can afford it, right?

‘Bravery’s Going to Get Your Dead, Junior’

Dallas, Brian Dennehy, Luther Frick, Winds of Vengeance

Injustice

In “Winds of Vengeance,” a first-season “Dallas” episode, J.R. and Ray (Larry Hagman, Steve Kanaly) sit in chairs while Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), Pam (Victoria Principal) and Lucy (Charlene Tilton) sit on the sofa and the gun-wielding Frick and Allen (Brian Dennehy, Cooper Huckabee) hover nearby.

LUCY: What are you going to do with us?

ALLEN: We were going to get up a softball game, but the weather. …

J.R.: Look, fellas. If you’re here for anything to do with justice.

FRICK: Shut up.

ALLEN: We’ll prove it. [Motions to Sue Ellen] This is your wife, right?

J.R.: Yes.

ALLEN: [Walks toward her] Pretty.

He reaches for her. She smacks him away.

SUE ELLEN: Don’t touch me.

J.R. tries to get up. Frick holds him place.

FRICK: [Snickering] Now bravery’s going to get you dead, Junior.

ALLEN: [To Ray] Hey, you. You! You married?

RAY: No.

ALLEN: That gives us a choice.

FRICK: [To J.R.] Hey, you know I’m married too, mister. [Kneels beside him] Yeah. My wife’s name is Wanda. You know her?

J.R.: [Sheepish] No, I don’t know any Wandas.

FRICK: Well, you got a short memory.

J.R.: I just can’t remember anybody by the name of Wanda.

ALLEN: She says she knows you pretty good.

FRICK: You know, Wanda didn’t come home last night. Now me and her brother here, we went looking for her. And guess where we found her this morning? We found her in this old motel room. Her and her friend Mary Lou.

J.R.: So?

FRICK: So she said she had been kidnapped, right off the main street by two guys last night. She said they took them up to this motel room. They got them drunk. And then they raped them.

J.R.: Well, what does that got to do with me?

ALLEN: You were kind enough to leave a business card.

J.R.: Well, now a lot of people have got my business card.

FRICK: [To Sue Ellen] Well, missus, what do you think of ol’ J.R. Ewing now? Huh? [Silence] Yeah. Yeah, maybe I’m doing you a favor, huh? [Shouting] Huh? You like him any better now knowing what a hotshot lover-boy he is?

SUE ELLEN: Him?

ALLEN: [Laughing] Somebody’s got to take care of the little lady. Looks like you don’t.

He kisses her. She screams and pushes him away as Allen laughs.

‘Your Beautiful Wife and Children Will Not Escape Unscathed’

Blame Game, Carlos Bernard, Dallas, TNT, Vicente Cano

Dishonor

In “Blame Game,” a second-season “Dallas” episode, Cano (Carlos Bernard) stands in the Southfork living room and speaks to Bobby and Christopher (Patrick Duffy, Jesse Metcalfe), who is held by one of Cano’s thugs. John Ross (Josh Henderson), Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), Elena (Jordana Brewster) and Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) are seated around the room, surrounded by other members of Cano’s gang.

CHRISTOPHER: What do you want, Cano?

CANO: Only what I was promised. You’re going to call Ewing Energies and you’re going to send all your employees home for the day. [The thug releases Christopher.] And once the place is empty, my friend here is going to accompany you to your office, where you’re going to retrieve the plans to your methane patent and prototype that I was promised. [Slaps his right-hand man on the back.] Now, if you are not back here within one hour, your beautiful wife and children will not escape unscathed. [Cano stands over Pamela and strokes her hair, then yanks her head back against him.]

JOHN ROSS: [Rises] Let her go! [A thug pulls him down.]

CANO: Well, your cousin has to defend your wife? Oh, wait a minute. [Laughs] You Ewing boys share after all. [Slaps his hands together] I love it! Well, since this clearly where your heart lies, you have one hour to bring me the prototype. [Holds a gun to Elena’s head]

How do you think “Winds of Vengeance” and “Blame Game” compare to each other? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”

Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Blame Game, Brian Dennehy, Carlos Bernard, Charlene Tilton, Cooper Huckabee, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Steve Kanaly, TNT, Winds of Vengeance

Who Should Be Dallas Decoder’s Person of the Year?

December 9, 2013 by Chris Baker 20 Comments

Brenda Strong, Cynthia Cidre, Dallas, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Michael M. Robin, Patrick Duffy

Who’ll it be?

It’s almost time to announce Dallas Decoder’s Person of the Year, a designation I give to the individual — or individuals — I feel made the most important contribution to the “Dallas” franchise during the past 12 months.

In 2012, I chose Larry Hagman for the inaugural honor in recognition of his work during TNT’s first season of “Dallas.” This year’s award may go to another actor or someone from behind the scenes, or it could go to a group of people. (It’s a lot like Time magazine’s version, although mine is much more prestigious, don’t you think?)

Contenders include the “Dallas” VIPs pictured above: Executive Producer Michael M. Robin, Linda Gray, Jesse Metcalfe, Brenda Strong, Executive Producer Cynthia Cidre, Patrick Duffy, Josh Henderson, Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo.

Before I reveal my selection, I want to hear your choices. Share them in the comments section below, post them on Dallas Decoder’s Facebook page or tweet them to @DallasDecoder.

I’ll reveal Dallas Decoder’s Person of the Year for 2013 during my next #DallasChat on Monday, December 16. I hope to see you there.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Cynthia Cidre, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Michael M. Robin, Patrick Duffy, TNT

A Video Sneak Peek at ‘Dallas’s’ Third Season

December 4, 2013 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

TV Guide’s William Keck delivered another early Christmas present for “Dallas” fans today: a video that mixes snippets from the TNT show’s new season with clips from older episodes, all set to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

The video begins on a warm-and-fuzzy note, with a voiceover from John Ross (Josh Henderson), who says, “Whatever battles we face from here on, we fight together.” We also hear Bobby (Patrick Duffy) declare, “The Barnes/Ewing feud is over,” and then Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) says, “We’ve all worked so well together since J.R. died. I’d like to see that truce continue.”

Of course, this is “Dallas,” so things quickly go downhill from there. The new scenes show Elena (Jordana Brewster) firing a gun at a shooting range and hitting a male-shaped target in, um, a very sensitive spot; an angry Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) slamming his hand on a table; and Judith (Judith Light) hitting Harris (Mitch Pileggi) with a cane.

There are also new shots of John Ross and Christopher embracing in what appears to be the Southfork kitchen and workers erecting a “Ewing Global” sign in office space.

The older footage includes second-season shots of Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), Ann (Brenda Strong), Emma (Emma Bell), Drew (Kuno Becker) and Cliff (Ken Kercheval).

What do you think of “Dallas’s” holiday-themed Season 3 promo? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Kuno Becker, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy

‘Dallas’ Season 3: Let’s Speculate!

December 2, 2013 by Chris Baker 24 Comments

Uncovered

TV Guide’s ace columnist, William Keck, delivered a must-read preview of “Dallas’s” third season earlier today. Now it’s time for fans to fill in the blanks with their own theories about what we might see when TNT begins televising the new episodes on Monday, February 24.

• One of Keck’s most intriguing tidbits: The new season will feature a pregnancy storyline. Almost any of the show’s leading ladies could become expectant mothers, but my money is on Emma (Emma Bell). Imagine the complications that would ensue if John Ross (Josh Henderson) impregnates his wild-child mistress! Pamela is also a possibility, although would the producers force Julie Gonzalo to wear a padded tummy for a second season in a row? One out-there contender: Suppose Ann (Brenda Strong) delivered a late-in-life bundle of joy to Bobby (Patrick Duffy)?

• The new season will also include a shooting, a death and a wedding, Keck reports. I have no idea which characters might get shot and/or die, but the nuptials seem easy to figure out: After John Ross and Pamela’s quickie wedding in Las Vegas at the end of Season 2, aren’t they due for a lavish Southfork ceremony?

• According to Keck, Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe), who sports a beard in the Season 3 cast portrait that accompanies the TV Guide article, will meet his new love interest Heather (AnnaLynne McCord) when he stumbles upon her fighting with her ranch hand ex-husband. Again, this is pure speculation, but a recent tweet from the set suggests Donny Boaz, who appeared last season as Bo, the ranch hand who supplied Emma will pain pills, will be back next season. Could he be Heather’s ex?

• Keck tells us we’ll finally meet Joaquin, the mystery man Elena (Jordana Brewster) met in Mexico during the second-season finale. The article doesn’t mention who has been cast in this role, but I wonder: Will Nicolas Trevino, the new character played by Juan Pablo Di Pace, turn out to be Joaquin?

Consider this: On April 23, about a week after TNT showed the finale, the Elena character tweeted, “Can’t wait to introduce you all to my uncle Joaquin. He’s quite a character. And a potentially powerful ally.” This tweet is no longer in the character’s feed. Could this mean the producers’ vision of Joaquin has evolved from someone avuncular to someone younger like Di Pace?

• Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) will continue drinking in Season 3 after discovering John Ross is cheating on Pamela. According to Keck, “Sue Ellen’s struggle will climax in a midseason cliffhanger similar to one of the original series’ memorable season enders.” What could this mean? Is Sue Ellen going to wreck her car? Shoot someone? Make another movie?

• Keck reports Bobby might cheat on Ann, either with a “familiar face from the past (Priscilla Presley’s Jenna Wade?) or a lovely newcomer.” Nothing to add here, except this: !

• It looks like “Dallas” won’t forget Larry Hagman anytime soon. Showrunner Cynthia Cidre tells Keck, “We open with Bobby at the Ewing cemetery looking at the graves of J.R., Miss Ellie and Jock, saying, ‘I guess I’m the only one left now.’” The only question raised by this revelation: How many tissues will we need to get through that scene?

What do you think of the storylines previewed by TV Guide’s William Keck? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: AnnaLynne McCord, Brenda Strong, Cynthia Cidre, Donny Boaz, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Priscilla Presley, TNT

Dallas Parallels: Foxes in the Henhouse

November 6, 2013 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

It’s one of the new “Dallas’s” greatest moments: Soon after Rebecca Sutter Ewing reveals that she’s actually Pamela Rebecca Barnes, she receives a visit from J.R. Ewing. He vows to run her out of town, just like he did with her namesake aunt. Says J.R.: “You’re not the first Pam to fox her way into the henhouse. I’m 1 for 1 on flushing out Pamelas. And I plan on being 2 for 2.”

The scene, which appears in “Venomous Creatures” (Season 2, Episode 2), brings to mind one of the famous moments from the original “Dallas:” J.R.’s clash with Pam in “Digger’s Daughter” (Season 1, Episode 1). Like the 2013 version, the 1978 edition also ends with J.R. delivering an ominous threat: “I’m willing to spend some money now to avoid any inconvenience. But if you insist upon being driven away — which you surely will be — you’re going to come out of this without anything, honey.”

More similarities: In both scenes, J.R. refers to Cliff, although not by name. In “Digger’s Daughter,” he asks Pam, “Did your brother put you up to this, Miss Barnes?” In “Venomous Creatures,” he tells Pamela, “I’m just here to look my enemy in the eye. And since your daddy is about 2 feet shorter than I am, I guess you’ll have to do.” Also, marriage is a subtext of both scenes: The older episode begins soon after Bobby and Pam’s wedding, while the newer segment shows Christopher and Pamela facing off in divorce court.

More than anything, the two scenes showcase the genius of Larry Hagman. In “Digger’s Daughter,” Hagman is still getting to know his character, but he’s already figured out that playing J.R. will require a healthy dose of mischief. I love when Bobby interrupts J.R. and Pam’s conversation and reminds his older brother that “Mama don’t like business talk with supper on the table.” Hagman breaks into a wide grin as he delivers J.R.’s next line: “Well, you know Mama. She’s so old-fashioned.” By 2013, Hagman’s sense of humor was as sharp as ever. Witness his parting line to Frank, Pamela’s pseudo-brother/henchman: “How does it feel to be a poodle?”

I also admire how both of Hagman’s co-stars equate themselves in these scenes. Victoria Principal brims with righteous indignation when J.R. tries to buy off Pam; it’s an early display of the on-screen magic she and Hagman would perfect during the next decade. Julie Gonzalo displays a spark with the actor too, suggesting she would’ve become a worthy sparring partner. It’s a shame that promise will never be realized, but aren’t we lucky we got to see one last showdown between J.R. and a fox named Pamela?

‘You’re Going to Come Out of this Without Anything, Honey’

Dallas, Digger's Daughter, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman

A threat

In “Digger’s Daughter,” “Dallas’s” first episode, J.R. (Larry Hagman) shows Pam (Victoria Principal) around the Southfork grounds.

J.R.: Did your brother put you up to this, Miss Barnes?

Pam looks stunned.

J.R.: Well, I don’t think that’s an unusual question to ask, Miss Barnes.

PAM: [Angrily] Mrs. Ewing. Excuse me, please.

She begins to walk away. J.R. grabs her arm. She stops.

J.R.: Perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask what sort of settlement you’d require to annul this farce.

PAM: Let go of my arm.

J.R.: I’m willing to spend some money now to avoid any inconvenience. But if you insist upon being driven away — which you surely will be — you’re going to come out of this without anything, honey.

Bobby (Patrick Duffy) approaches.

BOBBY: Hi there. What’s going on?

J.R.: Oh, just talking a little business.

BOBBY: Mama don’t like business talk with supper on the table, J.R.

J.R.: [Chuckles] Well, you know Mama. She’s so old-fashioned.

BOBBY: [To Pam] Come on, honey. Let’s go.

J.R. smiles as he watches them walk away.

‘I’m 1 for 1 on Flushing Out Pamelas’

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

A promise

In “Venomous Creatures,” a second-season “Dallas” episode, J.R. visits Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) in the Barnes Global boardroom.

PAMELA: What are you doing here, J.R.?

J.R.: I’m just here to look my enemy in the eye. And since your daddy is about 2 feet shorter than I am, I guess you’ll have to do.

PAMELA: I must have done something right to deserve a visit from you.

J.R.: Congratulations on your win in court. Now divorce court, if you want some tips, I can offer you a few. I’m an expert authority.

PAMELA: I already have my experts.

J.R.: Oh, and if you’ve got it in your pretty little head to go after Ewing Energies in the divorce, you won’t be dealing with Christopher. You’ll be dealing with me.

PAMELA: You’re not a part of that company.

J.R.: No, no. But I’m part of that family. You’re not the first Pam to fox her way into the henhouse. I’m 1 for 1 on flushing out Pamelas. And I plan on being 2 for 2.

What do you think of J.R.’s clashes with Pam and Pamela? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”

Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Digger’s Daughter, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, TNT, Venomous Creatures, Victoria Principal