‘Swan Song’: Making a ‘Dallas’ Classic

[Snarky Oracle!]

I think most would agree that the real problem with the "dream season" was not so much the season but the dream.

I think most would say it was both. Yes, explaining one year away as a dream -- in an artless, two minute scene -- was a huge, obvious mistake, leaving the audience feeling insulted. But the year which turned into a dream retroactively had soooooooooo many issues.

The first half of the dream season, after Bobby died, was decent -- new producers, slightly artsier, but acceptable. But the last-half of that season just turned in one, long, maudlin, drawn-out, bad soap-fest, the narrative clearly going nowhere.

 

[Frank Underwood]

I agree. For me, season 8 was probably the best post Jock season, until that final episode
JR, Bobby and Ray on the same side, against Cliff joined by Pam this time.
The introduction of Jason was interesting, and it provided a somewhat plausible scenario
for the new Ewing-Barnes feud.
It might have been even more interesting if Jason was alive and had the documents.
Jenilee Harrison was better than expected as Jamie

Many people like season 6, and it was indeed quite strong.
For me, the scenario of splitting the company in 2 is just too hard to believe,
It would be virtually impossible in the real world.

Dallas was #2 in the rankings in season 8
It would never again place in the top 10, except for the dream season #6.
Viewer point sin season 8 fell sightly from season 7, was still higher than season 6
and would never again reach the 20 million figure,, not even the 19 million figure.


When PD left, the damage was done.

Dallas (TV series) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm not a fan of long-lost relatives popping up years later, especially when they've never been mentioned before. Jason was even shoehorned into the foundation of Ewing Oil.

Also, if splitting Ewing Oil in 2 for a year is hard to believe, then surely a null and void document having the potential to split Ewing Oil into thirds is also hard to believe.

If Jock bought back Jason and Digger's shares from Wallace Windham, wouldn't that have been on record in Dallas? How else was Jock able to act as sole owner?

 

[Frank Underwood]

I think most would say it was both. Yes, explaining one year away as a dream -- in an artless, two minute scene -- was a huge, obvious mistake, leaving the audience feeling insulted. But the year which turned into a dream retroactively had soooooooooo many issues.

The first half of the dream season, after Bobby died, was decent -- new producers, slightly artsier, but acceptable. But the last-half of that season just turned in one, long, maudlin, drawn-out, bad soap-fest, the narrative clearly going nowhere.

My thoughts exactly. The dream season was experimental in a good way at the beginning, but it became nonsensical and drippy as it went on.

As a whole, I find it to be the weakest season up to that point. That said, turning it into a dream was like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Fortunately, once season 10 got past the ridiculous dream opener, it went on to become one of the better seasons (especially over the last two seasons IMO.)

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I'm not a fan of long-lost relatives popping up years later, especially when they've never been mentioned before. Jason was even shoehorned into the foundation of Ewing Oil.

Also, if splitting Ewing Oil in 2 for a year is hard to believe, then surely a null and void document having the potential to split Ewing Oil into thirds is also hard to believe.

If Jock bought back Jason and Digger's shares from Wallace Windham, wouldn't that have been on record in Dallas? How else was Jock able to act as sole owner?

Your points are valid. I am also not a fan of the long lost relation, and both scenarios seem implausible.

Having said that, Dallas did utilize the long lost relation when Garrison Southworth reappeared.
I never found that believable - the Ewings had the resources to locate him
unless... they didn't want to find him?
That episode makes no sense to me.

It is one reason I never cared much for the character of Miss Ellie
Her husband saved the ranch from foreclosure, built it into a success and she
wants to just give it away? JR was completely right to object
(shades of later when Miss Ellie gives half of SF to Clayton, disrespecting Jock
and creating a scenario that the Ewings have no claim on the property
if she predeceases Clayton)

Jason Ewing?
It might have been more convincing if the document was false
with Jason alive, Jamie in on it (didn't Jenna remark that Lucas Wade and Jason
hated each other when Jamie talked about them? Why was that never explored?)
and someone like Jeremy Wendell
manipulating the situation?

The only other possible explanation - records in the pre WW2 South and West
may have been incomplete, lost or otherwise inaccurate

It is a stretch, but it is a fictional narrative

 

[Frank Underwood]

Your points are valid. I am also not a fan of the long lost relation, and both scenarios seem implausible.

Having said that, Dallas did utilize the long lost relation when Garrison Southworth reappeared.
I never found that believable - the Ewings had the resources to locate him
unless... they didn't want to find him?
That episode makes no sense to me.

That happened early on, so it was easier for me to accept it.

Garrison didn't want to be found, and it was probably easier to go into hiding back then before everybody had a digital footprint.

It is one reason I never cared much for the character of Miss Ellie
Her husband saved the ranch from foreclosure, built it into a success and she
wants to just give it away? JR was completely right to object
(shades of later when Miss Ellie gives half of SF to Clayton, disrespecting Jock
and creating a scenario that the Ewings have no claim on the property
if she predeceases Clayton)

I understand where she was coming from, but I think she was misguided. It was JR's family home, Jock's money saved it, but Miss Ellie didn't like getting the ranch by default. I still like the character of Miss Ellie, although I don't always agree with her. I think Garrison deserved to forfeit his right to the ranch after letting the family think he was dead.

Jason Ewing?
It might have been more convincing if the document was false
with Jason alive, Jamie in on it (didn't Jenna remark that Lucas Wade and Jason
hated each other when Jamie talked about them? Why was that never explored?)
and someone like Jeremy Wendell
manipulating the situation?

The only other possible explanation - records in the pre WW2 South and West
may have been incomplete, lost or otherwise inaccurate

Yes, good point. I thought it was odd that Jenna's remark turned out to be such a throwaway line. It seemed like it was leading up to Jamie being dubious.

It is a stretch, but it is a fictional narrative

Yes, and you can poke holes in most fictional narratives if you try hard enough. Of course, one can generally look past that if the execution is done properly.

 

[Rove]

I'm not a fan of long-lost relatives popping up years later, especially when they've never been mentioned before.

I agree. If another Ewing was to be introduced it should have been Jason.

 

[Seaviewer]

Having said that, Dallas did utilize the long lost relation when Garrison Southworth reappeared.
I never found that believable - the Ewings had the resources to locate him
unless... they didn't want to find him?
That episode makes no sense to me.

Garrison was presumed dead, wasn't he? There would be no reason to look for him.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Garrison was presumed dead, wasn't he? There would be no reason to look for him.

Even if he was, the Ewings would want some confirmation

 

[Toni]

I'm not a fan of long-lost relatives popping up years later, especially when they've never been mentioned before. Jason was even shoehorned into the foundation of Ewing Oil.

Also, if splitting Ewing Oil in 2 for a year is hard to believe, then surely a null and void document having the potential to split Ewing Oil into thirds is also hard to believe.

If Jock bought back Jason and Digger's shares from Wallace Windham, wouldn't that have been on record in Dallas? How else was Jock able to act as sole owner?

If Sam Culver was Jock´s lawyer at the time, he probably put those documents in the sanitarium to be custodied by old wacko Jonas...

"Don´t worry Angela darling, I put Richard´s true birth certificate in Jonas´s sanitarium,
with some other trash. Nobody will ever know about those creaky papers..."​

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I agree. If another Ewing was to be introduced it should have been Jason.

I agree. I think the story line would have been better with both Jason and Jamie.

 

[xab]

Firing Charlene was just another collateral damage of male gaze, and we all know male chauvinism made Dallas. It seems women couldn't be not involved in anything but a love story. This is just lack of creativity. Lazy writing.

Lucy was a very strong character and she had all reasons to take JR down. The bastard stole her childhood, leading her to believe her dad and mom just got rid of her. THIS should have been another exciting vendetta. Why not pairing Miss Dallas Junior with Cliff ? She should have been one of the leading ladies. If not one of the baddies (just like she was in the pilot). But Dallas happened to be a male show. Too bad.

Fortunately, Linda Gray was strong enough not to be reduced to a drunk and unfit mother...

 

[B.J. Ewing]

Two of the most outstanding scenes in Swan Song both involve Victoria Principle. First the driveway scene. That scream made the earth wobble on its axis. Then Victoria's reaction when we the hear heart monitor let out that beeeeeeeeeeeeep....signifying the death of a much beloved character. Victoria's perfectly timed reaction gets me everytime I review this episode.

But I'm left wondering just how powerful this scene would really have been if the rightful Miss Ellie was there. I would have loved to have seen Barbara Bel Geddes in this.

That's a good one. I never thought about Donna Reed standing a few feet away with Clayton. But you mentioning Barbara... I don't think I'd have accepted her doing that. I think after Bobby's words to Pam/Jenna, he should have called his Mama, reaching out for her. Barbara would have stepped forward, taking her son's hand and caressing his hair. "I love you all so much," Bobby'd say. And then he'd die, holding hands with his Mama, who'd start sobbing and lay her head on his chest.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Firing Charlene was just another collateral damage of male gaze, and we all know male chauvinism made Dallas. It seems women couldn't be not involved in anything but a love story. This is just lack of creativity. Lazy writing.

Lucy was a very strong character and she had all reasons to take JR down. The bastard stole her childhood, leading her to believe her dad and mom just got rid of her. THIS should have been another exciting vendetta. Why not pairing Miss Dallas Junior with Cliff ? She should have been one of the leading ladies. If not one of the baddies (just like she was in the pilot). But Dallas happened to be a male show. Too bad.

Fortunately, Linda Gray was strong enough not to be reduced to a drunk and unfit mother...

I think that may be overstating it.
Donna was certainly written as a strong, intelligent, accomplished d woman
Sue Ellen evolved over time, as you mentioned.
Rebecca Wentworth was a powerful businesswoman
Marilee Stone was a strong businesswoman, with a tendency to...have fun
Michelle Stevens gained Ewing Oil
Jamie had some strength as an adversary

I would say that your analysis is most applicable to Pam (who accumulated lots of unearned income, as JR rightly pointed out, and never earned
an entrepreneurial penny), Miss Ellie (who was only "powerful" when Jock and/or Clayton supported her),,
Jenna, Mandy and any umber of JR's ...acquaintances.

 

[LB-Colby]

Not all the characters must be strong.

 

[Toni]

In "Knots Landing´s" universe, it was Gary who Lucy blamed for the kidnapping, not J.R. Again, one of Jacobs´ deconstructions (as she did with J.R., Bobby and Kristin...), though it was J.R. who took that slap from Lucy at the end of "Reunion"... Lucy´s episode on KL sounded far-fetched and fan-ficcy (which probably is the same thing), and Charlene´s acting there didn´t help: she was better on "Dallas".

 

[RachelBixby]

I’ve always said there were three potential natural endings for Dallas.

1. If the show had ended with swan song it would have been the prefect ending. And bar the blip of the Donna Reed casting, we would have looked back at the series as more or less perfect from beginning to end. Plus the audience would have been left wondering where on earth the Ewing’s would have gone next.

2. Blast from the Past. So there may have been a dip in quality after Bobby’s death. But to end the series as a whole with Bobby returning in the shower would have been one of the greatest WTF moments in TV history (for the right reasons). The audience would have had to
Make their own conclusion as to what happened.

3. Fall of the house of Ewing. Maybe the most natural Ending? Ewing’s Oil has been destroyed, JR and Sue Ellen have finally found happiness, there’s a question mark over whether Ray and Donna are finished and Pam can finally have children. It just seems like an ending. And then a final twist of blowing up the heroine at the end

These are some great ideas! 1 and 2 especially compelling. To end with Swan Song is to end with Dallas's credibility intact and high quality but for most fans, it would also be a very depressing way to end the series. I know VP is right in saying Bobby/Pam were destined for a tragic ending but still hard to swallow. 2 strikes a balance - a memorable ending that does not ruin the show's credibility and is not depressing like 1. The ending would be hailed as genius like Newhart. Dallas would be known for two brilliant moves, Who Shot JR and ending of Bobby in the shower.