Linda Gray – Dallas Decoder

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘You’re a Cold and Insensitive Man’

January 23, 2013 by Chris Baker 9 Comments

Now he’s done it

In “Goodbye, Cliff Barnes,” “Dallas’s” fifth-season finale, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) is in the Southfork living room when Rebecca (Priscilla Pointer) arrives.

ELLIE: Rebecca, what a surprise.

REBECCA: This is not a social call, Ellie.

ELLIE: Rebecca, what’s the matter?

REBECCA: Maybe Digger was right. When I was married to him, I was too young or too stupid to realize it.

ELLIE: What are you talking about?

REBECCA: Digger never had a chance. Jock was too shrewd, too strong and too fast. And now it’s happening between J.R. and Cliff. It’s the same fight all over again.

ELLIE: Rebecca, will you please calm down and tell me what’s happened?

REBECCA: When I found out that Cliff was using Wentworth funds, I fired him. I think it’s time you did the same with J.R. He used Ewing funds to destroy my son. Cliff is in Dallas Memorial, in a coma.

J.R. and Sue Ellen (Larry Hagman, Linda Gray) enter.

SUE ELLEN: [Steps toward Rebecca] My God.

REBECCA: J.R. set him up. He lost everything. Last night, he tried to kill himself.

SUE ELLEN: No.

ELLIE: Rebecca, I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do.

REBECCA: I don’t want your help. I’m here to warn you: The Barnes-Ewing feud is still going on! It’s always been an uneven fight. The rich Ewings against the poor Barneses. Well, now it’s even. I swear I’ll break the Ewing family – and I have the money to do it. [Leaves]

SUE ELLEN: I have to go the hospital and see Cliff.

J.R.: [Grabs her arm] No, Sue Ellen.

SUE ELLEN: I have to! [Leaves]

ELLIE: [Steps toward J.R.] I want to hear it from you, J.R. Did Rebecca tell me the truth?

J.R.: Yes, she did.

ELLIE: And you drove Cliff to attempt suicide?

J.R.: How was I to know he was going to do a dumb thing like that?

ELLIE: You don’t care, do you?

J.R.: I told you before, Mama. I couldn’t stand the idea of him being with Sue Ellen. Now I didn’t force him to embezzle from Wentworth Tool and Die. I didn’t force him to get into a deal that he didn’t check and double check. If that man is dying, it’s because of his own greed. Not me.

ELLIE: You’re a cold and insensitive man, J.R. And I’m going to remove you as president of Ewing Oil just as soon as Bobby gets back.

J.R.: Well, you don’t know it yet, but you won’t be able to do that. I’m going to go find Sue Ellen and talk some sense into her. [Leaves]

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Goodbye Cliff Barnes, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Priscilla Pointer

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 103 – ‘Goodbye, Cliff Barnes’

January 23, 2013 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

Cliffhanger

“Goodbye, Cliff Barnes” leaves the title character’s fate up in the air after he tries to kill himself, making this the most literal of all “Dallas” cliffhangers. For a long time, I also considered it one of the show’s least satisfying season finales. Was there ever any doubt Cliff would survive?

I now realize that’s not the real question here. Cliff is merely a supporting player in the bigger story of “Dallas’s” fifth season: J.R.’s fight to reclaim Sue Ellen and John Ross. As the year draws to a close, everything is going his way – until Cliff, depressed over being beaten by J.R. yet again, overdoses on tranquilizers. Suddenly, J.R.’s grand plan to reunite his family looks like it’s going to collapse.

The final scene is telling. J.R. and a guilt-ridden Sue Ellen hover at the hospital bedside of the comatose Cliff. “If Cliff dies, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to marry you,” she says. Larry Hagman inhales, and as the frame freezes and the executive producer credit flashes, the image we’re left with isn’t Cliff with that tube coming out of his mouth; it’s a shot of an anxious – and possibly conscience-stricken – J.R.

You have to admit: This is a pretty nifty trick by the people who made the show. Cliff is the character who might be dying, but J.R. is the one we’re worried about. This cliffhanger is also the act of confident storytellers. Although “Dallas’s” ratings dropped during the 1981-82 season from the “Who Shot J.R.?”-inflated highs of the previous year, it was still the most popular show on television. The producers knew they didn’t need a gimmicky finale to keep the audience hooked.

Of course, even though “Goodbye, Cliff Barnes” keeps the focus on Hagman, don’t overlook Ken Kerchval. He delivers his most moving performance since Cliff’s reunion with Rebecca at the end of the previous season. Kercheval is especially heartbreaking in the scene where Cliff begs Sue Ellen to take him back. “I know I can start over. I know I can build a new life if you’ll just believe in me and love me,” he says through sobs. This is why I love Kercheval: He’s never afraid to show us Cliff at his most pathetic. Kercheval is probably “Dallas’s” bravest actor.

Linda Gray does a beautiful job in this scene too. Tears streak her face when Sue Ellen rejects Cliff’s plea and tells him she has accepted J.R.’s marriage proposal. “Cliff, I don’t want to see you again. Please go,” she says. Bruce Broughton’s background music, which includes those exquisite strings, adds to this scene’s tragic spirit. (I also love Gray’s breathy delivery in the episode’s final moments. “If Cliff dies, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to marry you” is one of those bits of “Dallas” dialogue I like to go around quoting, not because it’s such a great line but because it’s so much fun to imitate Gray’s performance. Try it yourself sometime.)

Two other scenes in “Goodbye, Cliff Barnes” mine “Dallas’s” rich history. In the first, Cliff gets drunk in a dive bar, evoking memories of Digger’s debut in “Dallas’s” first episode. Later, Rebecca storms into Southfork, confronts Miss Ellie and points out how the Barnes men always seem to end up carrying torches for Ewing women. It’s a great moment not just because Barbara Bel Geddes and Priscilla Pointer are such fun to watch, but also because it’s nice to see their characters finally acknowledge the complicated history they share.

Other highlights: The glamorous shot of J.R. and Sue Ellen kissing after a night at the symphony. The fun scenes of Bobby and Pam chasing down clues about Christopher’s paternity in Los Angeles (even if Pam forgives Bobby a little too easily for initially lying about the child’s identity). Howard Keel’s nice performance in the scene where Clayton scuttles his plan to propose to Sue Ellen.

None of this makes “Goodbye, Cliff Barnes” the show’s best cliffhanger, but it’s certainly much better than I remembered. Then again, that’s turned out to be true for much of the fifth season. These episodes are three decades old, but they still manage to surprise me. It’s another reason “Dallas” is such a durable show.

Grade: B

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Dark of the moon

‘GOODBYE, CLIFF BARNES’

Season 5, Episode 26

Airdate: April 9, 1982

Audience: 27.9 million homes, ranking 1st in the weekly ratings

Writer: Arthur Bernard Lewis

Director: Irving J. Moore

Synopsis: Sue Ellen accepts J.R.’s marriage proposal and breaks the news to Cliff, who tries to kill himself by overdosing on tranquilizers. After Rebecca vows revenge, Miss Ellie promises to oust J.R. as Ewing Oil’s president. Bobby and Pam learn Farraday, not J.R., fathered Christopher. Lucy tells Muriel that Roger raped her.

Cast: Tyler Banks (John Ross Ewing), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Karlene Crockett (Muriel Gillis), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Phyllis Flax (Mrs. Chambers), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Bob Hoy (Detective Howard), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Audrey Landers (Afton Cooper), Priscilla Pointer (Rebecca Wentworth), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Cooper)

“Goodbye, Cliff Barnes” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Bruce Broughton, Goodbye Cliff Barnes, Howard Keel, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Priscilla Pointer

Oh, ‘Pioneers’! Soaps Tribute is a Sprint Down Memory Lane

January 21, 2013 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

Along came Polly

“There’s not a show on right now, at this moment, that isn’t soap,” Joan Van Ark declares during PBS’s “Pioneers of Television” tribute to the nighttime soap operas of the 1980s. She’s referring to the emergence of serialization as the dominant form of storytelling in prime time, and so she has a point. Carrie and Brody, Walt and Jesse, Don and Peggy. On television, no one’s story ends anymore.

This would seem to be the most enduring legacy of the ’80s soaps, but Van Ark’s trenchant observation is the closest “Pioneers” comes to addressing it. The 52-minute retrospective, which most PBS stations will air tomorrow night, recalls three shows – “Dallas,” “Dynasty” and “Knots Landing” (sorry “Falcon Crest” fans) – through the usual mix of talking heads and old clips. But with lots of ground to cover and so little time to do it, the interviews become sound bites and the clips become snips. This is a sprint down memory lane.

“Dallas” fans will appreciate the prominence given to Larry Hagman, who recorded his interview before his death last fall. We also get to hear from Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Charlene Tilton, although some of their stories and the scenes that accompany them will be all-too-familiar to “Dallas” diehards. Prepare to see Kristin pump J.R. full of lead for the umpteenth time, and to hear again how that bogus Irish Spring commercial provided the cover to film the dead Bobby’s reanimation in Pam’s shower. Isn’t it time to let the “Dallas” cast reminisce about something other than the show’s cliffhangers?

There are a few surprises. I had forgotten how Hagman’s role as a slick Texas businessman in the 1974 flick “Stardust” helped him slide into J.R.’s boots four years later. It’s also fun to see photos of the young, dreamy Hagman, and to hear him recall how he and Joan Collins dated as teenagers. Wisely, the “Pioneers” producers also give Hagman the last word, and his too-humble assessment of his performance as J.R. allows the program to end on a graceful, poignant note.

The most interesting moment overall comes when narrator Ryan Seacrest (yes, him) points out the ’80s soap were “among the whitest shows on television.” “Dynasty” is justly praised for casting Diahann Carroll in a starring role, and we’re reminded that “Knots Landing” once moved an African American family, the Williamses, onto the cul-de-sac, only to shift the characters to the backburner. Lynne Moody, who played Pat Williams, recalls how she grew frustrated with her lack of screen time and asked the “Knots Landing” producers to let her out of her contract. They agreed. Her tone suggests she regrets that decision a little now.

Unfortunately, “Pioneers” ignores the influence the soaps had on television’s depiction of women, which is probably the genre’s other significant legacy. Victoria Principal’s Pam Ewing was one of the medium’s first sexually liberated heroines, and “Dynasty” and “Knots Landing” deserve credit for showing women could be every bit as savvy as men in the world of big business. But “Pioneers” breezes past all that and instead gives us the usual blather about shoulder pads and catfights. At least we get to hear Michele Lee’s “Pollyanna speech” from “Knots Landing,” which feels more resonant today than it did two decades ago.

It might also have been nice if the producers had invited some of the stars of today’s prestige serials to comment on the ’80s soaps, the way Tina Fey paid tribute to Mary Tyler Moore and Lucille Ball during last week’s “Pioneers” tribute to comedic women. If nothing else, PBS should have let us hear from some of the stars of its own hit soap, “Downton Abbey.” After all, if it wasn’t for Bobby and Pam, would there be a Matthew and Mary?

Most PBS stations will broadcast “Pioneers of Television: Primetime Soaps” on Tuesday, January 22, at 8 p.m. Eastern. Watch the show, share your comments below and read more opinions from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: Opinion, Opinion Tagged With: Charlene Tilton, Joan Van Ark, Knots Landing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Lynne Moody, Michele Lee, Patrick Duffy, Victoria Principal

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘You’re a Ewing. Remember That.’

January 16, 2013 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

He’s right, you know

In “Dallas’s” fifth-season episode “The Investigation,” Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) opens her door and finds J.R. (Larry Hagman), who breezes into her living room.

J.R.: Sue Ellen, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.

SUE ELLEN: I know.

J.R.: Well, what’s the matter honey? What’s wrong?

SUE ELLEN: I just didn’t feel like talking to anybody. [Closes the door, walks past him, stops]

J.R.: Well, a lot of people have let you down lately. You leaned heavily on Clayton and he took off. And then there’s Cliff Barnes. [Chuckles] What can anybody say about Cliff Barnes?

SUE ELLEN: [Turns to face him] You know about Cliff?

J.R.: Yes.

SUE ELLEN: How?

J.R.: Well, it was an oil deal, honey. That’s my business. [Steps closer] Sue Ellen, listen to me. You belong with people who really care about you. And you’re going to be in trouble as long as you put your trust in outsiders.

SUE ELLEN: I don’t know, J.R. [Turns away]

J.R.: [Steps closer] You’re a Ewing. Remember that. I’ve hurt you so much in the past, and I’m sorry. I love you. You know that. We’re the same kind. We have our shortcomings, our faults. But we look at the world the same way. There are no two people that are meant for each other more than you and I.

SUE ELLEN: J.R., you’re confusing me.

J.R.: [Puts his hand on her shoulder, turns her toward him] Don’t be confused. It’s time for you to come home. To Southfork. To your husband.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Investigation, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 101 – ‘The Investigation’

January 16, 2013 by Chris Baker 13 Comments

Reveling

By the end of “The Investigation,” Cliff’s world is collapsing around him. He’s lost Sue Ellen and his fortune. He’s also on the verge of losing his job, now that his mother knows he’s embezzled millions of dollars from the family business. This is when J.R. arrives at Cliff’s office to revel in his misery – and to reveal he engineered Cliff’s fall.

“How does it feel, Cliff?” J.R. asks. “A couple of days ago, you owned my oilfield. You were going to marry my wife. You were expecting a big gusher. Oh yeah, millionaire time – that’s what it was. And now you’re over your head in debt and the only property you own is a dry hole north of Lubbock.” Larry Hagman pauses here before delivering J.R.’s final verbal kick in the teeth. “You have succeeded in becoming the perfect failure,” he says with a chuckle. “I don’t believe it. I just don’t believe it.”

This is the most brutal takedown on “Dallas” yet. Heaven help me, I cheer the whole time I watch it.

Maybe I love the scene because Hagman and Ken Kercheval are so good in it. The glint in Hagman’s eye has never been brighter, while Kercheval shows nice restraint as poor, defeated Cliff. Or maybe I love the scene because – despite the sympathy I feel for Cliff – he kind of has it coming. Earlier in the fifth season, when the roles were reversed and J.R. was the one who had been backed into a corner, Cliff gloated over J.R.’s misfortune. He should have known better.

But ultimately, I think the main reason I enjoy seeing J.R. destroy Cliff is because the prize isn’t the usual cocktail of wealth, power and pride. It’s love. Since Jock’s death during the middle of the season, J.R. has been fighting to win back Sue Ellen and their son. Yes, his efforts created plenty of collateral damage: J.R. drove both Dusty and Clayton out of Sue Ellen’s life, he blackmailed Bobby, and now he’s ruined Cliff. But even though his methods are harsh, J.R. is fighting for a high purpose: reuniting his family. How can you begrudge him that?

This is why I also adore the wonderful scene that closes “The Investigation,” when J.R. visits Sue Ellen and tells her it’s time to come home. Hagman shows us J.R.’s sincere side for a change, and Linda Gray does a nice job conveying Sue Ellen’s confusion, but what I like best about this scene is scriptwriter Bruce Shelly’s dialogue. “You’re a Ewing. Remember that,” J.R. tells Sue Ellen. “I’ve hurt you so much in the past, and I’m sorry. I love you. You know that. We’re the same kind. We have our shortcomings, our faults. But we look at the world the same way. There are no two people that are meant for each other more than you and I.” Have truer words been spoken on this show?

I also have to hand it to director Irving J. Moore, who generates genuine suspense during Bobby and Pam’s rescue of Lucy. The sequence where Lucy, bound and gagged in the back room of Roger’s studio, struggles to knock over the lamp and signal for help is one of those moments where I find myself talking to my TV. (“Hurry Lucy!”)

Later, Charlene Tilton is given a nice showcase when Lucy and Mitch finally acknowledge it’s time to divorce. The characters admit they were always wrong for each other and agree the marriage’s failure is no one’s fault. Shelly’s dialogue is a little hokey (Lucy: “Sometimes love isn’t enough”), but Tilton delivers it with so much heart, I don’t mind. It’s a lovely performance.

The scene takes place in Lucy’s hospital room, so Tilton doesn’t wear a lot of makeup and her hair is straight. It brings to mind the teenaged Lucy we met when “Dallas” began. The contrast is striking: Even though Tilton looks more girlish than she’s appeared in years, her character has never seemed more grownup.

Grade: A

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Revealing

‘THE INVESTIGATION’

Season 5, Episode 24

Airdate: March 26, 1982

Audience: 28 million homes, ranking 1st in the weekly ratings

Writer: Bruce Shelly

Director: Irving J. Moore

Synopsis: Cliff is rebuffed by Sue Ellen and defeated by J.R., who reclaims the original Barnes-Ewing oilfield that Cliff took from him. Bobby learns Farraday was a drug dealer who was killed by his suppliers. Bobby and Pam rescue Lucy, who says goodbye to Mitch.

Cast: Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Morgan Brittany (Katherine Wentworth), Jack Collins (Russell Slater), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Phyllis Flax (Mrs. Chambers), Jonathan Goldsmith (Joe Smith), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Bob Hoy (Detective Howard), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Arthur Malet (Forest), Leigh McCloskey (Dr. Mitch Cooper), Priscilla Pointer (Rebecca Wentworth), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dennis Redfield (Roger Larson), Tom Stern (Detective White), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), Deborah Tranelli (Phyllis)

“The Investigation” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Charlene Tilton, Investigation, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘Two Whole Families Are Involved’

January 9, 2013 by Chris Baker 7 Comments

Mama knows best

In “Dallas’s” fifth-season episode “Vengeance,” Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) sits in the living room of Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), who stands nearby.

ELLIE: I want to talk about you. And J.R. And Cliff Barnes.

SUE ELLEN: Miss Ellie, this is quite unlike you to question me about my personal life.

ELLIE: Normally I wouldn’t, but there’s a lot more at stake here than just your personal interest. Two whole families are involved.

SUE ELLEN: I really don’t understand. [Sits across from Ellie]

ELLIE: Well, I’m sure that you know what your seeing Cliff Barnes is doing to J.R.

SUE ELLEN: But that’s J.R.’s problem, not mine. We’re divorced now.

ELLIE: Yes, I know that. But J.R. and Cliff are already at each other’s throats. And it’s beginning to have its effect on too many people.

SUE ELLEN: Are you asking me to stop seeing Cliff?

ELLIE: [Smiles] No. No, I don’t have any right to do that – if you’re serious about him. Are you, Sue Ellen? Or are you using him to get back at J.R.?

SUE ELLEN: Miss Ellie, I really don’t think it’s any of your business.

ELLIE: This thing almost destroyed the three of you once before. Do you think you’re strong enough to handle it again?

SUE ELLEN: I don’t know, Miss Ellie. I really don’t know.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Linda Gray, Vengeance

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 99 – ‘Vengeance’

January 9, 2013 by Chris Baker 14 Comments

Caught in a bad romance

Cliff and Sue Ellen’s renewed romance dominates “Vengeance,” but we see their affair mostly through the eyes of the other “Dallas” characters. Miss Ellie cautions Sue Ellen about the relationship and later frets about the affair during a lunch date with J.R., while Cliff gets an earful from Rebecca. No one seems to believe these two are really in love, including Sue Ellen and Cliff themselves.

Ken Kercheval and Linda Gray share one scene in “Vengeance,” when Cliff dines at Sue Ellen’s townhouse and asks her to marry him. It isn’t much of a proposal. Cliff doesn’t offer her a ring, although he promises he’ll take care of her material needs. “I’m on the verge of one of the biggest deals of my life, and I’ll be able to support you very well indeed,” Cliff says. She tells him she’ll need time to think about it, but the anguished expression on Gray’s face lets us know her character’s heart has its answer already.

Cliff also seems to know he and Sue Ellen aren’t good for each other. I believe Cliff cares for Sue Ellen, but there’s little doubt the main reason he’s gotten involved with her again is because he knows how much it will upset J.R. Notice how defensive Cliff gets when Rebecca tells him she worries her son and J.R. will “destroy each other” over Sue Ellen. “Now wait a minute, I’m supposed to give up Sue Ellen because I’m afraid of a fight with J.R.?” Cliff asks. Kercheval is always fascinating to watch, but he does an especially nice job conveying Cliff’s self-denial here.

My other favorite “Vengeance” moments include Miss Ellie’s conversations with J.R. and Sue Ellen, as well as Bobby’s confrontation with Jeff Farraday. (The latter scene is cool mainly because it takes place in the hallway outside the Ewing Oil executive suites. Who knew the geology and engineering departments were right around the corner from J.R. and Bobby’s offices?)

I also like Ellie and Rebecca’s scene in the Southfork living room, although just once I’d like to see these women stop worrying about their adult children and spend a little time talking about themselves. Both characters were central figures in the beginning of the Barnes-Ewing feud; wouldn’t it be nice to see them reflect on the history they share as the wives of Jock and Digger?

The “Vengeance” scene where Roger slips into Lucy’s car and orders her to drive away is also nicely done. Composer Bruce Broughton’s background score is chilling, and Charlene Tilton looks terrified. Of course, I can’t help but wonder why the Ewings allowed Lucy to get involved with this creep in the first place. Maybe they were too busy meddling in Sue Ellen’s love life?

Grade: B

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Drive, he said

‘VENGEANCE’

Season 5, Episode 22

Airdate: March 12, 1982

Audience: 27 million homes, ranking 1st in the weekly ratings

Writer: Howard Lakin

Director: Irving J. Moore

Synopsis: Cliff proposes to Sue Ellen, who tells him she needs time to think about it. J.R. spooks Clayton and sets up Cliff to take a huge financial fall. After Mitch tells Lucy their marriage is over, Roger abducts her. J.R. receives confirmation Christopher is Kristin’s son.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), James Brown (Harry McSween), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Tom Fuccello (Senator Dave Culver), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Art Hindle (Jeff Farraday), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Audrey Landers (Afton Cooper), Arthur Malet (Mr. Forest), Leigh McCloskey (Dr. Mitch Cooper), Gary Pagett (Murphy), Priscilla Pointer (Rebecca Wentworth), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dennis Redfield (Roger Larson), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Cooper), Ray Wise (Blair Sullivan)

“Vengeance” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Bruce Broughton, Charlene Tilton, Ken Kercheval, Linda Gray, Vengeance

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

Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 97 – ‘The Maelstrom’

January 2, 2013 by Chris Baker 13 Comments

Old habits

Oh, these Ewing women. How they confound me. Every time it seems like they’re about to find happiness on their own terms, they fall back into frustrating old patterns. This usually means falling back into the arms of men who are no good for them.

In “The Maelstrom,” after Sue Ellen puts the kibosh on reconciling with J.R., she sleeps with Cliff. You can’t blame Sue Ellen for being reluctant to get back together with her ex-husband, but why is she taking up with Cliff again? The last time these two had a fling, things didn’t go well: Sue Ellen wanted to leave J.R. for Cliff, but Cliff dumped her because he feared their affair would ruin his political career. Nice guy, huh? (If you haven’t watched the great scene in the second-season episode “For Love or Money” when Cliff breaks up with Sue Ellen, check it out. Linda Gray will break your heart.)

This time around, Sue Ellen is divorced and Cliff is out of politics, but they’re no better suited for each other now than they were then. It’s pretty clear Sue Ellen only wants Cliff because she knows it will make J.R. jealous. Witness “The Maelstrom” scene where she calls Cliff and, as J.R. listens, tells him how much she enjoyed spending the previous night with him. I also don’t believe for a second Cliff loves Sue Ellen. He’s chasing her for the same reason she’s chasing him: to upset J.R.

Lucy’s latest romance is odder still. Earlier in the fifth season, she sleeps with Roger, the photographer helping her get started in her modeling career, only to decide later she wants to keep their relationship strictly professional. Fair enough. But in “The Maelstrom,” obsessive Roger reveals the shrine to Lucy that he’s built inside his studio, which ought to send her scurrying from the room. Instead, Lucy and Roger fall into a passionate embrace and have sex. Huh?

The absurdity of it all makes “The Maelstrom” one of the season’s weakest entries, but the hour isn’t a total loss. Patrick Duffy, the episode’s director, delivers several clever shots. I especially like how he pans his camera above Charlene Tilton and Dennis Redfield during their love scene and zooms in on one of the glamour shots of Lucy plastering Roger’s wall. Sue Ellen’s shadowy arrival at Cliff’s apartment is also cool, and it’s nice to see Bobby and Ray branding cattle, even if the footage is recycled from the second-season episode “Bypass.”

Speaking of Ray: “The Maelstrom” scene where he breaks up with Bonnie is the episode’s highlight, thanks to sensitive performances from Steve Kanaly and Lindsay Bloom. This feels like a conversation between two people who’ve made bad choices but aren’t necessarily bad people. I also like when Donna calls home and speaks to Ray, who thanks her for sticking with him through his depression. The fact that Donna interrupts Ray while he’s shaving is significant since the stubble he’s worn since “The Search” had come to symbolize the dark cloud that enveloped him after Jock’s death.

J.R. and Katherine’s exchange in “The Maelstrom” also holds up well, and not just because this is the first time master villains Larry Hagman and Morgan Brittany appear together on “Dallas.” In the scene, Katherine, a local TV reporter (she does have a job, you know), is doing person-on-the-street interviews about the Dallas restaurant scene’s recessionary struggles when she comes across J.R., who says the economic downturn hasn’t affected his eating out habits. “My eating in habits haven’t changed much either,” he cracks.

Watching this scene recently, it occurred to me: Three decades after “The Maelstrom” was produced, people are once again watching their wallets when they go out to eat. Who knew an old “Dallas” episode could be so timely?

Grade: C

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Ready for her close up

‘THE MAELSTROM’

Season 5, Episode 20

Airdate: February 26, 1982

Audience: 30 million homes, ranking 1st in the weekly ratings

Writer: Will Lorin

Director: Patrick Duffy

Synopsis: Ray sobers up and bids Bonnie farewell. Sue Ellen sleeps with Cliff, upsetting J.R. J.R.’s lawyer informs him the child that Bobby and Pam are adopting might be J.R.’s son.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Ewing), Lindsay Bloom (Bonnie), Peter Brandon (Lowell Greer), Morgan Brittany (Katherine Wentworth), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Bruce French (Jerry Macon), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Art Hindle (Jeff Farraday), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Leigh McCloskey (Dr. Mitch Cooper), Pamela Murphy (Marie), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dennis Redfield (Roger Larson), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Joey Sheck (waiter), Don Starr (Jordan Lee), Charlene Tilton (Lucy Cooper), Deborah Tranelli (Phyllis), Ray Wise (Blair Sullivan)

“The Maelstrom” is available on DVD and at Amazon.com and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (Classic), Opinion Tagged With: Bypass, Charlene Tilton, Dennis Redfield, For Love or Money, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Lindsay Bloom, Maelstrom, Morgan Brittany, Patrick Duffy, Search, Steve Kanaly

Dallas Decoder’s Man of the Year: Larry Hagman

January 1, 2013 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

The man

A few days after Larry Hagman’s November 23 death, his son Preston told a television interviewer that his father’s work on TNT’s new “Dallas” series extended Hagman’s life during his struggle with cancer. I believe it. I also believe the relationship between star and show was mutually beneficial. “Dallas” kept Hagman alive, but he kept “Dallas” alive too.

Two thousand twelve was the year “Dallas” became a hit all over again, and no one was more responsible for its success than Larry Hagman. The actor long ago established J.R. Ewing as one of television’s most fascinating characters, but on TNT’s “Dallas,” Hagman made J.R. even more complex. In old age, J.R. was often downright demonic, but he could also be shockingly vulnerable and at times even sweet. It was the performance of Hagman’s career.

Critics loved it, finally giving Hagman the acclaim he deserved but didn’t receive during the original “Dallas’s” heyday. Viewers embraced J.R. too, including a new generation that discovered him for the first time. More than 8 million people watched TNT’s “Dallas” opener within a week of its June 13 debut. The full 10-hour season averaged 6.1 million weekly viewers. I’m convinced Hagman is what kept people coming back. Even in the episodes where J.R. only had a scene or two, Hagman’s presence loomed large. “Dallas” was still his show.

To be fair, the actor received plenty of support from the new “Dallas’s” creative team, which gave J.R. some of his best-ever material. (“Family Business,” the first season’s penultimate episode, written by Bruce Rasmussen and directed by Michael M. Robin, is one the finest hours of “Dallas” ever made.) Hagman also got a boost from longtime friends and costars Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray, with whom his chemistry remains unrivaled, as well as from Josh Henderson, who held his own against the actor and made John Ross a terrific partner in crime for J.R.

I’m naming Hagman Dallas Decoder’s first man of the year in recognition of his crucial contributions to the “Dallas” franchise in 2012. This won’t my last tribute to the actor, either. Before Hagman’s death, he completed a handful of episodes of the new “Dallas’s” second season, which TNT will begin showing Monday, January 28. Something tells me his final performances as J.R. will be every bit as good as what we saw in 2012.

My goal is to make my man or woman of the year selection an annual tradition. Twelve months from now, I hope to honor someone else who has made a Hagman-sized contribution to “Dallas.” And make no mistake: As much as I love Hagman and J.R., “Dallas” is bigger than both of them. The themes David Jacobs established when he created the Ewings 35 years ago – family, loyalty, ambition – are timeless. If the storytelling is good, the show can go on.

In thinking about “Dallas’s” future, I keep coming back to the classic scene from the fifth-season episode “Head of the Family.” J.R., depressed over Jock’s recent death, tells his youngest brother, “It’ll never be the same, Bob.” Bobby’s response: “Maybe it won’t. [But] if this family quits just because he’s gone, he didn’t leave us very much, did he?”

My guess is these words describe how many of us feel today. We know “Dallas” won’t be the same without J.R., but we also know how much the show meant to the great actor who portrayed him. Larry Hagman kept “Dallas” alive, and now it’s up to all of us – fans and the people who make the show alike – to continue the tradition. In the end, that might be the best tribute we can offer him.

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