"The Return" of DALLAS

Article first published as "The Return" of DALLAS on TheTVKing.

TNT's Dallas reboot began its third season this week with "The Return." Picking up twelve hours after season two ended, the characters and situations are pretty much static to how they were left. Which is fine because, on this show, no one is ever done with their secrets and betrayals. More come to light, some are furthered along, alliances begin to fray or shift, and we're right back into the soapy mess of Dallas.

The spectre of JR certainly hangs over the series and always will, long after JR and portrayer Larry Hagman's deaths. Sometimes this is obvious, such as a large picture of the deceased hanging at the offices of the newly-named Ewing Global, or frequent mentions of him in battles of wills between the cast. Other times are more subtle, such as we see a flash of JR in his son, John Ross' (Josh Henderson), face or belt buckle. JR will never be forgotten, he'll always be missed, but the show must go on, and so it does.

A large part of the newest chapter of the story involves the struggle over the future of Ewing Energies. John Ross secures a deal with Ryland Transportation after sleeping with Emma (Emma Bell), but her father, Harris (Mitch Pileggi), is soon out of jail, and so that arrangement surely won't last. John Ross also has a plan to raise come capital, but Bobby (Patrick Duffy) shoots it down, wanting to protect the land around Southfork. Then there's Cliff's (Ken Kercheval) proxy, who joins the meetings to prevent any big changes to the company. So it's a rocky situation that just gets more and more out of control as it goes on.

Because of the ever-shifting relationships and frequent surprises, one never knows in which direction Dallas will go. A lot happens throughout "The Return" to change things over and over again, with the preceding paragraph just mentioning a few of those. Drama drives the show, and there's plenty of that, with more constantly being thrown in to power the engine.

Elena (Jordana Brewster) is the biggest unknown this year. She is still pretending to be the sweet girl the Ewings know, but might she destroy them, having the inside knowledge and access? It seems she could be very dangerous if she really wants to be.

It does seem like "The Return" tries to set up a Bobby / John Ross dynamic that harkens back to the Bobby / JR relationship. It doesn't quite land, though. It may be that the two just are not equals, whether you think Bobby is too smart and experienced to fall for John Ross's stunts, or Bobby is too old to keep up with the younger John Ross' ruthlessness. I understand why Bobby is chosen for this role now, rather than Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe), who has his own story, and isn't currently rising to the level of the other two. But for any lasting chemistry to be established, Christopher will have to fill the Bobby spot in the pairing, rather than using Bobby himself.

Which is not an argument to take Duffy off the show. I really like his character. He just needs to be set up against someone other than John Ross. Maybe Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) could be a worthy foe for awhile? Or maybe the family could finally unite and go against only outside forces, like Ryland and Cliff? One thing is certain, whoever the enemy is will always change from week to week and season to season, so any of these arrangements would probably be temporary.

The boys often rule Dallas so it's nice to see the girls get a chance to shine. There's a fantastic scene in "The Return" where Emma, Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), Ann (Brenda Strong), and Sue Ellen are wedding planning. There's plenty of tension, as Pamela doesn't know that Emma is sleeping with John Ross, yet there's also some affection between the older women and the younger ones. This is a more subtle scene than the conflict the males often bring, but one appreciated nonetheless.

At times, "The Return" gets a little too soapy. Characters don't act as we expect them to. For instance, who would have thought that Elena would ever be able to go evil, no matter what happens? Or Bobby would get so darn angry over minor infractions, rather than building up to a fervor? I do feel like this has markedly gotten worse in the third season than in the previous two. But it's still an enjoyable show, and it has a ways to fall before I stop watching it.

Dallas airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.

Dallas Honors "Legacies"

The second season of TNT's Dallas draws to a close this week with two fresh hours, "Guilt By Association" and "Legacies." We finally find out what J.R.'s (Larry Hagman) master plan is, and, when the Ewings unite, Cliff (Ken Kercheval) and Harris (Mitch Pileggi) are taken down for good. Or are they?

  

For a show like Dallas, the rules must constantly change, new secrets are continuously revealed, and the players that lose one battle will return for another stage in the war. Cliff and Harris are heavily involved with the Ewing family, and thus will probably get the chance to fight another day. If Dallas is renewed, which it has not been yet.

What J.R.'s murder comes down to is that no one could ever take down J.R. except J.R. himself. It's a brilliant twist. Many might believe Cliff is responsible right up until the moment Cliff is arrested, after which it quickly becomes obvious that he is not. Cliff is the only acceptable character who could commit the act, given his long history with J.R., but there is something deeply satisfying in J.R. being the one to sacrifice himself.

For one thing, this means that no one can best J.R. Part of the draw of Dallas is that J.R. must always continue. People can come after him again and again, and yet he always survives and gets his revenge. For anyone, even Cliff, to succeed in killing him would tarnish his "Legacies" just a bit, so it's good that J.R. is the instrument of his own destruction. The character, by necessity is gone, but that doesn't mean his influence is.

For another thing, J.R. orchestrating his own death is an act of love. It's also an act of vengeance, of course, getting even with Cliff for all that Cliff has done to the family. But it proves that J.R. cares about Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and John Ross (Josh Henderson) in that he uses his final days to help them. It's a true testament that there is a heart deep within J.R., which is how the character's death has been dealt with. We feel this in the scene by the graveside, where J.R.'s letter is read, and John Ross forgives Bum (Kevin Page) for pulling the trigger, at J.R.'s insistence. It's the best moment in the finale.

Not that the victory against Cliff is final. The Ewings have their reasons to let Cliff take the fall for something he didn't do, and his own daughter, Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), also hates him for killing her babies, so even should she learn the truth, she probably won't work to clear Cliff's name. These people are content to let Cliff rot.

However, Cliff reaches out to Elena (Jordana Brewster) after Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) abandons her. In Elena's grief, she is susceptible to Cliff's influence, believing that J.R. screwed her family. Whether J.R. is guilty or not is immaterial; Since Elena thinks that Christopher discarded her, even though he returns too late to confess his love, she may be willing to wage war against the Ewings. What she doesn't realize, or doesn't care about at this time, is that she will be Cliff's pawn in doing so.

Cliff, like J.R., is a very dangerous enemy. He doesn't mind betraying those he loves to get his way. For him, winning is a singular focus. It's why, should Dallas go on, he will rise again and have another crack at the Ewings. He simply has to.

Harris's fate is less certain. Emma (Emma Bell) has reason to hate her father, and reason to betray him. Harris isn't shown in "Guilt By Association" or "Legacies" to have anyone pulling for his side now. He has even run off his own mother (Judith Light). Alone and abandoned in jail, this could be the end of Harris's story. At least until Dallas needs an old foe to dust off in a couple of years, and then he is fair game.

The villain for now, though, is John Ross. When John Ross's mother, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), asks him to treat new wife Pamela right, he smirks, and promptly runs off to sleep with Emma. John Ross doesn't care about Pamela or Emma; he is using both to get what they want. But since they are both women with money and influence, he could wind up regretting his actions when they learn the truth, as they inevitably will, and take it out on the Ewing clan.

Could John Ross be a worthy successor to J.R.? Is there reason for Dallas to continue past "Legacies?" I think so on the second question, am less confident on the first. Henderson plays a great character in his own right, but no one will ever replace J.R. Dallas can still continue, forging a new path. As long as John Ross doesn't try to morph into his departed father completely. But there are still stories to tell involving Pamela and Emma in regards to John Ross, and I still am not sure that the elder Pamela Barnes is dead, which could make for another season of intrigue.

Dallas has aired all of its produced episodes, and now awaits news of renewal from TNT.

Dallas draws its "Battle Lines"

Article first published as Dallas draws its "Battle Lines" on TheTVKing

TNT's Dallas is back this week with two new hours, "Battle Lines" and "Venomous Creatures." The installments continue the story begun last summer, with the new Ewing Energies launched, family members battle for the direction of the company, and some more secrets brought out into the open.

A pallor hangs over this season because most people know that Larry Hagman, who plays J.R., died mid-way through filming, meaning that his character won't be around much longer. J.R. really drives this program, and while lots of sentimental words have been said in the press recently, it is completely true that the show will be lacking something when he goes. Even while he stays on the fringes of the conflict, egging things on, he's still a driving factor, and no one else in the cast matches his energy and drawing power.

I think an attempt is being made to make John Ross (Josh Henderson) a fitting successor for J.R. Sadly, it's not completely working, at least not yet. Part of this is because there is already a swing towards him being a good guy in the summer run. And, in front of others, he is maintaining that nice persona. Yet, he's also being slimy, sneaking around behind backs to go around his relations. Yes, J.R. does the same thing, but without the history of J.R.'s treachery, John Ross's play for good still seems like it might be authentic. It's a shame that it's not, even if the series needs a villain.

Not that J.R. and John Ross are all bad. When Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) needs them, they go to her side in one of the best scenes in the rebooted series thus far. No one had better mess with their family without their permission.

The struggle for whether Ewing Energies should stay in oil or move to clean energy remains a linchpin of the series, and likely will for some time. It's a debate we have in society at large, too, so it's one that viewers will relate to.

I do find it interesting that the bad guys represent the oil side of things in Dallas. I don't think one can say the series promotes a liberal agenda (even should clean energy be politicized as "liberal," which I firmly feel it should not be), but there is definitely an old world vs. new world sensibility, and the heroes in this show are for progress, not maintaining outdated values. To be honest, given where Dallas is set, I would have expected the opposite.

I do think Ewing Energies is vulnerable to a take over by John Ross because Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) is distracted by his impending divorce proceedings with "Rebecca" (Julie Gonzalo). He is so focused on getting his unborn kids away from her that his methane projects are taking a back seat. And yet, he's not focused enough to realize that John Ross is making agreements with Rebecca, who looks to be setting Christopher up for a big fall, even though Christopher is highly suspicious of both her and John Ross separately. Surely Christopher will catch on soon, no?

Of course, even should the unthinkable happen and Rebecca gets all of Christopher's share of Ewing Energies in the divorce, her and John Ross's combined stock would only make up 50%. As long as Elena (Jordana Brewster) and Bobby (Patrick Duffy) keep their portions of the company secure, then John Ross cannot take it over.

Elena is totally invested in Ewing Energies, so I don't think she'll have any problems, but Bobby has a weakness that can be exploited. His wife, Ann (Brenda Strong), learns that her ex-husband, Harris (Mitch Pileggi, now a series regular), is the one behind the kidnapping of their daughter so long ago. Now Ann has now found her daughter, Emma (Emma Bell, also a series regular), used as a cruel pawn by Harrison, but Emma has been taught to hate Ann by the grandmother that raised her (Judith Light, Ugly Betty, Who's the Boss?).

Now, the reason this matters to Bobby is because he is a good and loving husband. Ann hasn't done anything wrong, as far as we know thus far. So should John Ross talk to Harris, they could easily use the Emma card to leverage Ann and, by extension, Bobby.

Emma is an interesting plot development, to be sure, but something has to stop her from being held over Ann's head for too much longer. She has already cost Sue Ellen her election, a sad development that I was disappointed not to see play out further, since Sue Ellen gets so little story as it is. But Emma cannot continue to be used as a weapon against the family all season. That would cripple them. It looks like Ann may just have to overcome her grief, at least until Emma finds out the truth about her father and grandmother.

Dallas returns true to form, continuing the soapy drama and mystery, moving the arcs along, with really solving anything. That's the way the fans like it, and so viewers should not be disappointed. At least until J.R. is gone, Dallas continues to deliver.

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