Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 198 — ‘The Wind of Change’

November 4, 2015 by 9 Comments
Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow, Pam Ewing, Victoria Principal, Wind of Change

Keepers of the faith

Who doesn’t get chills at the end of “The Wind of Change”? Pam takes the podium at the Oil Baron’s Ball and delivers a stirring tribute to Bobby, then announces she’s decided to not sell Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell. As Pam exits the stage to applause, J.R. — who’s been desperately fighting Wendell’s takeover — rushes to his ex-sister-in-law’s side and praises her “wise and historic decision.” J.R. assumes Pam is going to sell the shares to him, but she quickly bursts his bubble. “I’m not selling at all,” she says. “From now on, it’s going to be you and me. I’ll see you at the office, partner.”

This is a great scene for a lot of reasons, beginning with the way it allows Pam to slide into Bobby’s old role as J.R.’s most effective antagonist. In one swoop, she manages to save J.R.’s bacon and ruin his day — just like Bobby used to do. The twist also carries more than a hint of destiny: Early plans for “Dallas” called for Bobby to be killed off at the end of the first season, leaving Pam as the spirited young widow, fighting for her place in the Ewing empire. Now Victoria Principal finally gets to play that character, except the conflict is far richer because the show has almost a decade’s worth of conflict between J.R. and Pam to draw upon.

Just as importantly, the Oil Baron’s Ball scene casts Pam in another role: as a kindred spirit to Miss Ellie. Earlier in “The Wind of Change,” Mama visits Pam and talks about how she used to dream of John Ross and Christopher growing up, side by side. “And then they’d finally start running the business together the way Jock used to — tough, honest,” Ellie says. “I had faith that they’d always do the right thing. I had faith.” It’s another nicely written monologue from Peter Dunne — delivered beautifully by Barbara Bel Geddes — and it lends extra poignancy to Pam’s big speech at the end of the episode. Her decision to hold onto the Ewing Oil shares doesn’t just mean Christopher will one day follow in Bobby’s footsteps; it also means Pam is poised to succeed Ellie as keeper of the Ewing faith.

‘I’m Pregnant Now!’

Dallas, Donna Krebbs, Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly, Susan Howard, Wind of Change

Into the fire

With its emphasis on family and legacy, “The Wind of Change” bears more than a passing resemblance to the third-season classic “Ellie Saves the Day,” another episode that found the Ewing empire on the brink of ending. Both episodes are filled with somber moments, although “The Wind of Change” takes the theme of dashed dreams one step further with a subplot about Ray and the pregnant Donna learning their child will be born with Down syndrome. The performances from Steve Kanaly and Susan Howard are believably anguished, especially in the scene where Ray suggests Donna abort the child. “You can get pregnant again,” he says. “I’m pregnant now!” she shouts. We’re used to the Krebbses keeping “Dallas” grounded, but never have their problems felt this real.

And yet “The Wind of Change” manages to be a fun episode too, doesn’t it? The scenes at the Oil Baron’s Ball are everything we’ve come to expect from these affairs. When J.R. isn’t smiling and pretending he’s not seething about Wendell’s takeover, he’s discreetly caressing mistress Mandy Winger’s arm — something his nosy mother-in-law, Patricia Shepard, doesn’t miss. The ball scenes also find mysterious newcomer Angelica Nero spying Jack across the crowded room (this is Barbara Carrera’s “Dallas” debut), Jamie tossing a cream pie in Cliff’s face and Sue Ellen’s triumphant return to the public eye after her latest sanitarium stay.

The latter scene is shot from Sue Ellen’s point of view, an example of the visual flair that was a hallmark of director Corey Allen, helming his first “Dallas” episode since the second season. In another “Wind of Change” scene, Allen shoots Priscilla Beaulieu Presley and Shalane McCall galloping across a Southfork field on horseback (shades of Jim Davis’s cattle drive scene in “Bypass,” Allen’s first “Dallas” episode), while a breakfast conversation between Ellie and Clayton is staged on the Southfork balcony, which offers such dramatic, sweeping views of the ranch, I’ll never understand why other directors didn’t use the setting more often. I also love the cross-cut editing between Ray and Donna’s argument over their child and Jack and Jenna’s conversation about what the Krebbses are enduring.

The other great artistic achievement in “The Wind of Change” belongs to costume designer Travilla, who outfitted the actresses in gowns that became iconic. The secrets behind the dresses are almost as interesting as what we saw on screen. According to a newspaper article quoted in Barbara Curran’s book, “Dallas: The Complete Story of the World’s Favorite Prime-Time Soap,” the beaded black gown worn by Bel Geddes weighed 20 pounds and cost $5,000, while Principal’s white dress weighed 30 pounds, making it hard for her to walk. As for Gray’s famous black dress? It was lined with plastic bags attached with safety pins.

Sue Ellen may be sober, but I guess she hasn’t completely left her bag lady days behind her. Who knew?

Grade: A+

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Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Wind of Change

Dallas deflation

‘THE WIND OF CHANGE’

Season 9, Episode 7

Airdate: November 1, 1985

Audience: 20.2 million homes, ranking 7th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Peter Dunne

Director: Corey Allen

Synopsis: At the Oil Baron’s Ball, Bobby is named Oilman of the Year, prompting Pam to change her mind about selling Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell. Sue Ellen leaves the sanitarium and moves in with her mother, while Mandy returns to Dallas and resumes her relationship with J.R. Ray and Donna learn their child will be born with Down syndrome.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Barbara Carrera (Angelica Nero), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Frances Lee McCain (Dr. Amy Rose), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Greg Michaels (Private eye), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Martha Scott (Patricia Shepard), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Karen Radcliffe (Barbara), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Carol Sanchez (Angela), sDeborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell), Don Starr (Jordan Lee)

“The Wind of Change” is available on DVD and at Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 197 — ‘Mothers’

October 28, 2015 by 17 Comments
Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, Martha Scott, Mothers, Patricia Shepard

Lives of mothers

“Mothers” brings back Patricia Shepard, who visits Southfork and is stunned to discover her daughter Sue Ellen is being treated for alcoholism. Patricia’s arrival allows “Dallas” to delve into Sue Ellen’s past, drawing a connection between her troubled childhood and the addiction that now overwhelms her. The episode also examines the prickly relationship between Miss Ellie and Patricia, two women who are united by the marriage of their children but who otherwise have very little in common. It all adds up to another hour that allows the women of Southfork to step into the spotlight. Just think: It took only nine seasons for them to get there.

This is an episode with many interesting moments, beginning with Sue Ellen’s visit to Dr. Gibson, a therapist at the sanitarium where she’s receiving treatment. Linda Gray’s dialogue reveals new information about her character — we learn Sue Ellen’s father was an alcoholic too — epitomizing new producer Peter Dunne’s determination to dig deeper into familiar figures like Sue Ellen Ewing. The Gibson character also is put to good use. She’s full of insight, refusing to allow Sue Ellen to blame other people for her problems. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. What matters is where you go from here,” Gibson says. The good doctor is played by Bibi Besch, a wonderful character actress who makes everything she appears in better. What a shame this is Gibson’s only “Dallas” appearance while Dr. Ellby — Sue Ellen’s creepy, glass-eyed therapist during the early seasons — logged 19 (!) episodes.

The scenes involving Ellie and Patricia reveal a lot too. Here are two women who couldn’t be more different. Earthy Ellie allows her children to make their own decisions — sometimes to a fault. In this episode, she wisely tells Ray he must make up his own mind about whether or not to sell his shares of Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell, but she also says nothing when J.R. causes a scene at breakfast, complaining about how his family is selling him out to Wendell. Contrast this with that master meddler, the status-obsessed Patricia. She pries J.R. for information about his marital life — even getting him to admit he’s had affairs (notably, she gives him a pass for this) — and later visits Sue Ellen and vows to “straighten out” her daughter’s marriage. When Sue Ellen points out that she’s always run third to J.R.’s work and his mistresses, Patricia snaps, “I didn’t raise my daughters to run third. I raised winners.” This lady is like Jock Ewing in a skirt, is she not?

Patricia and Ellie’s direct interaction tells us a lot too. Note how warmly Ellie greets Patricia when she arrives at Southfork. Only after Patricia has exited the scene do we learn the truth: “That woman’s never been anything but trouble,” Ellie tells Clayton. Mama is nothing if not a gracious hostess. It’s also worth noting that Patricia acts like she has no idea her daughter has a drinking problem, even though the Shepard matriarch’s most recent visit to the ranch came during the third season, right after Sue Ellen’s previous sanitarium stay. Perhaps this is an oversight on behalf of Dunne and the rest of the writing team, but it seems just as likely Patricia is suffering a classic case of denial. Consider what happens at the end of “Mothers,” when Patricia lashes out at Ellie. While Mama is talking about how Sue Ellen needs to learn to deal with her problems on her own, Patricia is focused on fixing her daughter’s marriage. Patricia simply has her own set of priorities.

There’s a lot more to like about “Mothers,” including the opening scene, when J.R. urges the Oil Baron’s Ball organizers to honor Bobby with the Oilman of the Year Award, as well as the final shot, when Mama overhears J.R. lamenting how he failed to keep the family business together. This episode also plants the seeds for storylines that will take on greater significance later in the season: Clayton takes a call from an associate who reports bad business news, Mark hires his friend Dr. Jerry Kenderson to run his research clinic, and Jack is followed by someone who keeps snapping photos of him. Does the stalker work for J.R.? Jeremy? Someone else? We won’t find out for several episodes, and even though the resolution ends up being disappointing, you can’t deny the mystery gets off to an intriguing start.

Mostly, though, “Mothers” belongs to the women, especially Barbara Bel Geddes and Martha Scott. Both actresses are class acts, and it’s fun to watch them go toe to toe with performances that are nuanced, subtle and above all, believable. These are the kinds of mature roles we rarely see on television today. Make no mistake: If Ellie and Patricia were characters on a contemporary soap opera like “Empire” or “Scandal,” they’d probably be reduced to trading cheap quips and dirty looks. Then again, what are the chances either of those shows would give meaningful roles to a couple of veteran actresses like Barbara Bel Geddes and Martha Scott?

Grade: B

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Barbara Bel Geddes, Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Miss Ellie Ewing, Mothers

Mama’s here

‘MOTHERS’

Season 9, Episode 6

Airdate: October 25, 1985

Audience: 19.5 million homes, ranking 8th in the weekly ratings

Writer: Hollace White and Stephanie Garman

Director: Michael Preece

Synopsis: Patricia Shepard, Sue Ellen’s mother, arrives and vows to repair her daughter’s marriage. Pam and Miss Ellie each decide to sell their shares of Ewing Oil to Wendell, but Ellie gets cold feet when she realizes it will devastate J.R. Mandy leaves town. Mark decides to fund a medical research institute and asks Jerry to run it.

Cast: John Beck (Mark Graison), Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Bibi Besch (Dr. Gibson), Donald Craig (Oil baron), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Ewing Barnes), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Barry Jenner (Dr. Jerry Kenderson), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Hal Landon (Oil baron), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Karen Radcliffe (Barbara), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Carol Sanchez (Angela), Martha Scott (Patricia Shepard), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell)

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

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Critique: ‘Dallas’ Episode 194 — ‘Those Eyes’

October 7, 2015 by 19 Comments
Dallas, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, Those Eyes

Get a grip

In “Those Eyes,” the Ewings finally take off their blinders where Sue Ellen’s drinking is concerned. She lands in a detox ward at the beginning of the episode, and one by one, Miss Ellie, J.R. and the people who love her most come to realize how destructive her alcoholism has become. Sue Ellen realizes this too, although she remains powerless over her addiction. In a chilling scene, when Dusty visits her in the hospital, Sue Ellen begs him for a drink. “Oh, God, no, darling,” he says, explaining that more booze would kill her. Clutching his hands, she looks into his eyes and whispers, “Kill me.”

This is a moment of reckoning for Sue Ellen, and for “Dallas” itself. Too often, the writers have used Sue Ellen’s alcoholism as a crutch to lean on whenever the show needed something to complicate the character’s life. Witness Sue Ellen’s third-season relapse, which seemed to occur primarily so she’d have a reason to not remember her whereabouts during J.R.’s shooting. Now, in the ninth season, Sue Ellen’s drinking is no longer an afterthought — it’s one of the main storylines. By showing the character trembling her way through withdrawals, we have a better sense of what it means for her to be an addict. It’s much more meaningful than merely seeing her passed out in her bedroom next to an empty vodka bottle.

No one seems to appreciate this opportunity more than Linda Gray, whose performance here is nothing less than a tour de force. “Those Eyes” was filmed in an era when television actresses were eagerly shedding their glamorous wardrobes to demonstrate their acting bona fides — think of TV movie queens like Farrah Fawcett in “The Burning Bed” and Raquel Welch in “Right to Die” — but Gray goes further than any of her peers. She looks positively wasted in “Those Eyes,” wearing little makeup and allowing every hair to fall out of place. True to the episode’s title, Gray also uses her famously expressive eyes to draw the audience into her character’s fear and confusion, although nothing touches me more than the moment Dusty arrives at the hospital and Sue Ellen shields her face. It’s such a childlike gesture; as soon as I see it, my heart breaks.

Interestingly, Gray appears in just three scenes in this episode, which means we mostly see Sue Ellen’s descent through the eyes of the other Ewings. It begins when Miss Ellie bravely enters the detox ward and is horrified to discover the Jane Doe in bed No. 13 is her daughter-in-law. In the next scene, Ellie declares she wants to take Sue Ellen home — a typical reaction for the Ewings, who always believe they can handle problems on their own. The doctor forcefully explains that no one — not even the Ewing matriarch — is powerful enough to cure addiction. Later, Ellie tells J.R. he must help his wife. This isn’t unlike a scene that occurred between J.R. and his mother at the end of the second season, except the conversation in “Those Eyes” has an air of finality to it, as if the Ewings are taking her problem more seriously.

“Those Eyes” is one of the first “Dallas” scripts from Peter Dunne, a “Knots Landing” veteran who briefly replaced Leonard Katzman as the show’s behind-the-scenes creative force. The episode is a good example of the darker, more realistic tone Dunne brings to the ninth season. Think about it: One year before this episode aired, the Ewings were “coping” with Bobby’s post-shooting blindness, which miraculously cleared up after a few episodes. Sue Ellen’s struggle in “Those Eyes” feels a lot more grounded by comparison, don’t you think? Sure, there are still plenty of soapy moments, including J.R. and Dusty’s memorable fistfight at Sue Ellen’s bedside, and the camp factor isn’t muted completely. (How else to explain the screaming woman that Sue Ellen encounters on the floor of the jail cell?) For the most part, though, “Dallas” seems a little smarter now.

Dunne’s touch also can be felt in other areas of “Those Eyes,” including the scene where J.R. sweetly helps John Ross with his necktie and the subplot about Ray and Donna deciding to build a bigger house. The latter feels like another metaphor: Steve Kanaly and Susan Howard’s characters are growing as people, so why shouldn’t they have a bigger place to call home? I also like how this episode shows Ray and Jack becoming friends; as much as I love Patrick Duffy, Dack Rambo is doing a nice job filling some of blank spaces created by Bobby’s departure. Heck, I even find myself applauding Jenna’s decision in this episode to stick around Southfork. Maybe it’s because Priscilla Beaulieu Presley’s short bob makes her look more stylish than ever — or maybe it’s because the character no longer feels like a distraction now that one half of the Bobby/Pam coupling is gone — but “Those Eyes” actually makes Jenna seem tolerable.

If you find this revelation surprising, imagine how I feel. But what can I say? They don’t call this the dream season for nothing.

Grade: A

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Dallas, John Ross Ewing, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Omri Katz, Those Eyes

Ties that bind

‘THOSE EYES’

Season 9, Episode 3

Airdate: October 4, 1985

Audience: 20.4 million homes, ranking 3rd in the weekly ratings

Writer: Peter Dunne

Director: Nick Havinga

Synopsis: After the police find Sue Ellen, Miss Ellie persuades J.R. to commit her to a sanitarium. J.R. and Jeremy each set their sights on Christopher’s share of Ewing Oil. Ray and Donna begin planning to build a bigger home. Jenna decides to stay at Southfork.

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie Farlow), Fern Fitzgerald (Marilee Stone), Tony Garcia (Raoul), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Laurence Haddon (Franklin Horner), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Joshua Harris (Christopher Ewing), Jenilee Harrison (Jamie Barnes), Susan Howard (Donna Krebbs), Harlan Jordan (Sheriff Baldwin), Steve Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), Omri Katz (John Ross Ewing), Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow), Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes), Jared Martin (Dusty Farlow), Shalane McCall (Charlie Wade), Gary Moody (Doctor), George O. Petrie (Harv Smithfield), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Jenna Wade), Victoria Principal (Pam Ewing), Dack Rambo (Jack Ewing), Debbie Rennard (Sly), Sherril Lynn Rettino (Jackie), Deborah Shelton (Mandy Winger), William Smithers (Jeremy Wendell), Don Starr (Jordan Lee), Norma Young (Sanitarium manager)

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

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