Between the Lines and Behind the Scenes of "Dallas"
Jamie Ewing arrives and Katherine Wentworth departs in “Jamie.” Is this a fair trade? I’ll reserve judgment on Jamie’s end of the exchange until I’ve revisited more episodes that feature her character, but there’s no doubt in my mind Katherine is leaving at the right moment. A little camp goes a long way on “Dallas,” and […]
If Christopher’s search for Pam on TNT’s “Dallas” reminded you of Pam’s search for Rebecca on the original series, you’re not alone. There are several similarities between the two storylines — and also one big difference, reminding us how history never repeats itself exactly, even on “Dallas.” This one is kind of complicated, so let’s take it […]
Oh, how I wanted Victoria Principal to be under that hat. “Guilt by Association,” the “Dallas” episode that promised to reveal Pam Ewing’s fate, ends with Christopher spotting the woman he believes is his mother in the lobby of a Zurich bank. She’s wearing a wide-rimmed hat and walking alongside the doctor that Christopher believes […]
Few will forget the courtroom testimony that Ann (Brenda Strong) delivered at the end of “Trial and Error,” last week’s “Dallas” episode. Here’s a look at the Barneses’ and Ewings’ 10 most memorable monologues from the original series and its “Knots Landing” spinoff. 10. Miss Ellie’s lament. With the Ewing empire on the brink of […]
Last month, Dallas Decoder critiqued “The Search,” the episode where “Dallas” bids farewell to the great Jim Davis. Here’s a look at 15 memorable moments featuring the actor and his mighty character, Jock Ewing. 15. Naming John Ross. The Ewings are in a waiting room at Dallas Memorial Hospital, where Sue Ellen has gone into […]
Pam is the focus of “Executive Wife,” and in all her scenes, she wears purple. It starts off subtly – in Victoria Principal’s first appearance in this episode, Pam sports a purple belt with a blue pantsuit – but the color becomes more prominent as the story progresses. Perhaps the purple suggests Pam is emotionally […]
Rebecca (Priscilla Pointer) comes clean to Pam (Victoria Principal) in this 1981 publicity shot from “The Prodigal Mother,” a fourth-season “Dallas” episode.
In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “The Prodigal Mother,” Rebecca (Priscilla Pointer) approaches Pam (Victoria Principal) outside The Store and asks to walk with her. REBECCA: Years ago, I closed a door in my mind. I sealed off a part of my life. And I thought it would be sealed off forever. It almost was. I led […]
“The Prodigal Mother” reminds me of one of those “women’s pictures” from the 1950s. The episode marks the end of Pam’s search for her long-lost mother, and it’s as gorgeously soapy as anything Douglas Sirk directed. I love it. More than anything, “The Prodigal Mother” is distinguished by two big, memorable monologues. This is the […]
In the famous painting of Jock that hangs at Southfork (and later, Ewing Oil) after the character’s death, he wears his signature gold medallion. The lion’s head, which dangles on a chain around Jock’s neck, reminds the world of his role as father of the Ewing pride. When Jock was alive, sometimes his own family […]
