Cast reactions to the dream

[Snarky Oracle!]

Katzman: There is no acceptable way to bring a character back who died. How do you do that unless you say.. ok, for a moment you have to go along with us for a moment. Speed is of the essence.

David Paulsen: It was absolutely perfect

"Speed is of the essence" shouldn't mean one 3-minute scene.

Paulsen is a company man and very aware of workplace politics and is careful with what he says. But had he been producing DALLAS by himself, he would never have used the dream explanation -- no matter what he says. There are reasons Paulsen wanted to leave DALLAS even before he got the offer to take over another show. (And likely reasons he didn't want to go back to DALLAS later).

David Jacobs says he would have used a different explanation and at the time told Lenny he thought the dream resolution was a terrible idea; Katzman supposedly challenged him to come up with another explanation, but I doubt Jacobs really tried: Katzman wanted to use it, not because "it's the only way to bring Bobby back" but because Katzman was dissing the interim writers and their admittedly-flawed plotlines.

The devil in me thinks it was a deliberate ploy by Katzman to put the fault on Pam thereby fans subconsciously blame Victoria because the hierarchy were annoyed she intended to leave the following season.

You're not alone.

The idea to dream away a full season and its cheap, sloppy execution were arguably at least as jeopardizing for the show's future than the dream season itself.

Don't forget what J.R. said shortly after he was shot: "I'm gonna cut Bobby out even if I have to destroy Ewing Oil to do it!" (or words to that effect). I don't know who wrote that line (or who's credited on screen for the episode) but it certainly seems to reflect Katzman's "that show is mine, goddamn it!" attitude about DALLAS.

... and nothing Peter Dunne ever did in the maudlin, soapy dream season was as bad as what Katzman did to DALLAS, certainly in the last two or three years of the program... So what's the point??

I love the 1986-87 season. But after 1988 or '89, it might have been nice had DALLAS obtained another show runner (like a Paulsen or somebody) with Katzman ailing and only able to function as an off-the-set consultant while he convalesced... but talk about yer dreams!

Reportedly, Kercheval and BBG didn't like the dream resolution either -- but they weren't verbal about it publicly. (BBG allegedly was angry at Larry for the fiasco). Not so with Susan Howard, who criticized the dream explanation in interviews. And Katzman must have indeed been pretty snarkily vengeful -- dressing her in black under the blazing Texas sun for the Southfork wedding and his having Donna stay in "the Arlington suite" while in Washington, D.C... And then she was fired and written out a year early, given that the Ewings' connections in Washington were necessary for another season.

Ah, politics.

I know people hate this idea, too, but the Federal Witness Protection Program scenario, explained cleverly in a single episode, was the only way they could do it. Not because it's great and unproblematic, but it's the only explanation that could occur in real life, improbably though it also may be.

If they used the dream, it logically had to be comatose Bobby's.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Reportedly, Kercheval and BBG didn't like the dream resolution either -- but they weren't verbal about it publicly.

These are the two members of the main cast I think of as having the strongest theatrical background. Since theatre involves establishing and maintaining a direct rapport with the audience, understanding their needs and giving them what they want, I now find myself wondering if this gave them a better perspective of the reaction this would get (obvious as it should have been to all concerned).

Isn't there a live performance ethos that, no matter what happens, you never insult your audience?

 

[Seaviewer]

I know people hate this idea, too, but the Federal Witness Protection Program scenario, explained cleverly in a single episode, was the only way they could do it. Not because it's great and unproblematic, but it's the only explanation that could occur in real life, improbably though it also may be.

I don't hate it. I just think it's unnecessary. Why would he be in the Program? What did he witness?

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

I don't hate it. I just think it's unnecessary. Why would he be in the Program? What did he witness?

and.. was the whole fake death thing a pre-planned super-risky setup with dozens of participants including Katherine, hospital staff, coroner, funeral people, etc etc.. or just crazy timing and the agents rushed to the hospital to nab a somehow not-dead Bobby after he ‘flatlined’ (and get hospital staff, etc. to go along with it, perhaps substituting a different body somehow?). And what could have been so important that Bobby would abandon his family for a year, assuming it was voluntary, ala the witness protection program?

I think they put themselves in a true conundrum (years before Joel Grey came on the scene) with Duffy’s return and especially the way they did it via the shower scene… and there really wasn’t anything to do to keep things intact other than wiping everything out.

If not for the shower maybe they could have had Bobby wake up on his “deathbed” with the family still around (but looking different, significantly so in some cases) and the previous season could have been his near-death vision.

I guess they could have had “Bobby in the shower” be the extent of Pam’s dream (which is totally plausible - we’ve all had brief dreams about dead loved ones, right?) and kept the season 9 storylines, starting a mysterious creepy plotline that hinted at and slowly revealed that Bobby was still alive - in a coma, or taken away by the FBI/CIA or an evil international Angelica/Katherine/Willie Joe Garr cabal or something..

Now that I think of it more, they should have gone full-out with that and made it a crazy storyline going back to Jock being killed by the CIA or some foreign equivalent or something like that in South America…. Wes Parmalee/Ben Stivers/Wyatt Haines could have been involved somehow.

OK, screw it, I’ve changed my mind! (Not that Lenny/Lorimar could have pulled that off, but maybe we could send Vince Gilligan back in a time machine or they could have hired David Lynch or someone like that)

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I don't hate it. I just think it's unnecessary. Why would he be in the Program? What did he witness?

They could've filmed a few short scenes of Bobby thinking about Ben Stivers in flashback. I know he wasn't on the show in season eight but bear with me. Bobby get's flashbacks to Jim Davis as Jock too and can't understand why he'd be thinking of his Father since he passed away a few years ago. Then he discovers that Ben is his Father and has been in the witness protection program because the chopper crash in South America wasn't an accident after all and the Feds have been trying to keep Jock safe except now Bobby has somehow recognised him and there's a very real chance that he'll blow his cover. So Bobby's death at the hospital was staged.

Is that too convoluted?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I don't hate it. I just think it's unnecessary. Why would he be in the Program? What did he witness?

Well, I guess it's unnecessary for viewers who liked the dream resolution. But the details needed to explain the use of the Program are what writers provide.

It could also be used to explain the unconvincingly clunky Angelica Nero plotline with all its boringly endless complications: Nero was a high-end hit woman who had been hired anonymously by Katherine Wentworth through a shadowy maze of euro-asian assassins who never even knew Katherine was dead --- the goal was to kill Bobby and then other Ewings (which was probably the point of getting them out to Martinique, the ruse needed to kill them offshore). Blahblahblah.

Interpol learned of the plot and informed Miss Ellie or somebody in the family.

It's not perfect, obviously, but it could be addressed in a single episode and then dismissed.

As an aside, Ray and Donna lose custody of Tony due to his mercy-killing of Mickey, thus tearing apart the Krebbs' marriage -- but only after Donna realizes she's pregnant again.

Hearing that Pam and Mark got married the previous day, Bobby appears first to Jenna, her dulled-but-stunned reaction is to pull him into her bedroom where she rapes him off-camera. The next morning, Bobby learns that Mark Graison died on his wedding night, so Bobby goes to see Pam. Bobby returns to tell Jenna he can't marry her, but Jenna shortly learns she's pregnant.

Plus, the sale of the various parts of Ewing Oil to JR would be reversed by the court (there must be some legal precedent for that which Paulsen could find), causing Harve Smithfield to warn JR not to sue (because he'd probably lose) and to simply re-purchase the portions of the company he had weeks earlier. And that would present a greater risk of Wes Parmalee's scheme to take Ewing Oil since now, as Harve tells them, there's "now a public perception that Ewings execute the wills of family members they know aren't dead!"

Etcetera, etcetera...

No, it's not ideal. But it's the only thing to do which could almost happen... I mean, the use of the dream became the jump-the-shark moment of all time!

 

[Seaviewer]

Is that too convoluted?

Yes.

No, it's not ideal. But it's the only thing to do which could almost happen...

The simplest thing is just to say that after the family left the room his heart flickered back, they revived him, and Bobby insisted that his family not be told until he was sure he would survive so they wouldn't have to watch him die twice. Improbable? Sure, but, in your words, it could almost happen.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I’ll never understand why they didn’t just do the old “presumed dead in a plane crash” thing instead. I know PD asked to die on camera but this could’ve saved everyone a lot of grief in the long run. This show did plane crashes to death (sorry, not the best choice of words) so what would’ve been the problem with one more?

And it would’ve perfectly tied into the fact that if you were a loved one of Pam’s you were probably better off not flying anywhere. Rebecca, Mark, Jock (okay, helicopter), and then Bobby would’ve made perfect sense. Yet one more aviation death to blame Pam for, leaving J.R. as the only plane crash survivor she knew. Of course they hated each other so his survival makes sense.

 

[LMLDallas78]

I wonder if the cast members would have the same reaction today? I wonder if their opinions on it have changed since the event.
Linda says now, " No matter what you do to bring someone back, you're going to get critised and when I was told it didn't exist (her drunk scenes etc) I said are you kidding me? Yes it did, it existed and I loved it!"

Patrick says, " it was the only "reasonable solution" and they couldn't bring in an evil twin or anything like that and he admitted it upset people and some viewers were lost. He was happy with it because the network agreed it as did Leonard and Larry. He compared it to the wizard of oz - it's a dream.

As the audience, I wonder if it would have been better if the stories of him coming back weren't leaked? Imagine if it was a massive shock to us when we see him in the shower. Could it of lessened the blow if we were so shocked by it and never had a clue it was coming?

 

[Rove]

Could it of lessened the blow if we were so shocked by it and never had a clue it was coming?

There is shock...but then we (the audience) were about to be punched in the face with the reality the previous season was just a dream. Perhaps it's not the return of Bobby - despite its weakness - but how quickly they dispensed with the previous seasons stories that peeved off viewers more.

 

[Mustard]

Victoria Principle - Even though she was featured a lot and the first half had potential the emerald storyline stank and I bet Victoria hated it. What was her working relationship like with John Beck? I think she’s said the season was a nightmare so I would assume she was happy for the dream and to have Patrick back.

I don't think Victoria Principal was particularly happy with the dream season, but I think she thought the effect on storylines by Patrick's/Bobby's return was bad, and more proof of what she saw as "Dallas in decline" since about 1984. As far as her relationship with John Beck goes, I get the impression that it was good, but John Beck did say that got on more with Linda Gray than Victoria Principal in one of his interviews.

So, I believe Victoria saw the dream season as not that good (I disagree there) but that Season 10 DVD was a big step back storyline wise for Pam on the whole, and probably confirmed to her that she should go.

Ken Kercheval - Cliff went from fighting for Ewing Oil to looking for Pam in South America and finding love with Jamie on the way. And then becoming a nice guy at the end. No idea what Ken’s opinion was but I would think he hated the dream year and wanted Cliff to be Vile to his wife and fighting with JR again.

I'm pretty sure that Ken Kercheval was very against the dream revelation. I seem to remember him saying it in an interview, and the change in Cliff (for the worse) was dramatic. Cliff in the dream season (Season 9 DVD) is probably the nicest that's he's been since the first 2-3 seasons of Dallas, but in Season 10 DVD he is worse than any other season.

 

[Mustard]

I’ll never understand why they didn’t just do the old “presumed dead in a plane crash” thing instead. I know PD asked to die on camera but this could’ve saved everyone a lot of grief in the long run. This show did plane crashes to death (sorry, not the best choice of words) so what would’ve been the problem with one more?

And it would’ve perfectly tied into the fact that if you were a loved one of Pam’s you were probably better off not flying anywhere. Rebecca, Mark, Jock (okay, helicopter), and then Bobby would’ve made perfect sense. Yet one more aviation death to blame Pam for, leaving J.R. as the only plane crash survivor she knew. Of course they hated each other so his survival makes sense.

Even that would have been a bit silly. It had already happened with Dusty Farlow, i.e. reported dead in a plane crash, only he was alive, then in a wheelchair probably for life but he got out of the chair, and then impotent for life but he overcame that too, even going back to rodeo.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Even that would have been a bit silly. It had already happened with Dusty Farlow, i.e. reported dead in a plane crash, only he was alive, then in a wheelchair probably for life but he got out of the chair, and then impotent for life but he overcame that too, even going back to rodeo.

Oh, of course! That was kind of the point I was trying to make. They had put themselves in such a predicament that no matter how they explained it off I think it would’ve been silly.

Perhaps, as has been pointed out, the witness protection plot may have been the way to go. It’s not the greatest idea I’ve ever heard but I’ve heard much worse also.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

If we were able to change the ending of Swan Song… Bobby still should have been in a car accident, but later in the day.

After hearing from his doctor that he’s fertile again (a steer wrestling accident at the 1984 Ewing Rodeo had put that in question), Bobby, racing home to Southfork in his red convertible, excitedly calls Pam to tell her the good news - “Hell, honey, you might be back on the nest already after our rapturous night of reunion passion!” …only to look up and see a gas tanker truck just feet away.

We all know the story from there. As the next season starts, Bobby’s in a full body cast, severely burned from head to toe. (he can still somehow write notes though)

One day, not long after seeing himself in the mirror for the first time since the accident, he disappears, leaving a note behind saying he’s too ugly and no longer has a glorious helmet of hair and what’s more, he’d heard Christopher had grown a foot, gotten all skinny and lost his adorable curls, so therefore he had no choice to run away.

But did he really leave on his own?

…or was it Katherine who spirited him away into the cold Texas night??

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

If we were able to change the ending of Swan Song… Bobby still should have been in a car accident, but later in the day.

After hearing from his doctor that he’s fertile again (a steer wrestling accident at the 1984 Ewing Rodeo had put that in question), Bobby, racing home to Southfork in his red convertible, excitedly calls Pam to tell her the good news - “Hell, honey, you might be back on the nest already after our rapturous night of reunion passion!” …only to look up and see a gas tanker truck just feet away.

We all know the story from there. As the next season starts, Bobby’s in a full body cast, severely burned from head to toe. (he can still somehow write notes though)

One day, not long after seeing himself in the mirror for the first time since the accident, he disappears, leaving a note behind saying he’s too ugly and no longer has a glorious helmet of hair and what’s more, he’d heard Christopher had grown a foot, gotten all skinny and lost his adorable curls, so therefore he had no choice to run away.

But did he really leave on his own?

…or was it Katherine who spirited him away into the cold Texas night??

It was probably Mark Graison.

GraisCo was a very powerful company.

 

[Grangehill1]

Logically the only way Bobby could have been revived without the dream scenario is that signs of life were spotted after he flat lined. But then why didn’t the hospital tell the family? Again, logically somebody would have had to be involved who didn’t want the family to know and who wanted Bobby’s resurrection to be kept a secret. JR wouldn’t have been involved or Cliff or Katherine as she was dead.
I’ve said it before but the only character with a motive was Mark Grayson. I would have thrown the nice guy Mark persona under the bus for the sake of reality. Jerry Kenderson was working at the hospital the night Bobby died and when he realised he was still alive, contacted Mark and they took him away (in a coma) to some remote clinic. Only Mark would have had the money and connections to do this. And more importantly the motive. The motive being Bobby is out of the way which would have cleared the way for Mark to return and be with Pam.
There’s no other character with such a motive. Mark being a ‘good guy’ would have kept Bobby alive in a coma in the clinic but would have been involved in not telling the family.

 

[the-lost-son]

Logically the only way Bobby could have been revived without the dream scenario is that signs of life were spotted after he flat lined. But then why didn’t the hospital tell the family? Again, logically somebody would have had to be involved who didn’t want the family to know and who wanted Bobby’s resurrection to be kept a secret. JR wouldn’t have been involved or Cliff or Katherine as she was dead.
I’ve said it before but the only character with a motive was Mark Grayson. I would have thrown the nice guy Mark persona under the bus for the sake of reality. Jerry Kenderson was working at the hospital the night Bobby died and when he realised he was still alive, contacted Mark and they took him away (in a coma) to some remote clinic. Only Mark would have had the money and connections to do this. And more importantly the motive. The motive being Bobby is out of the way which would have cleared the way for Mark to return and be with Pam.
There’s no other character with such a motive. Mark being a ‘good guy’ would have kept Bobby alive in a coma in the clinic but would have been involved in not telling the family.

Excellent, the involvment of Jerry Kenderson is really creative.

Over the years I've read many alternative solutions and they were all better than the dream solution. I think Katzman's decision to make it all a dream was primarily chosen in order to not continue storylines of Capice. It would have required a little work but the season finale could be adjusted quite easily.

Katzman and his team once shot JR and "figured it out later". Where were these skills when the show needed them the most? In the last scene in S8 they should have just let Bobby wake up from a coma and figure it out later (not in the first 5 minutes and not in the first episode).

The following season's main plot should have been about who kept Bobby hidden for a full year with plenty of red herrings, scenarios and suspects:

- Mark Graison
- Lady Jessica getting back at Miss Ellie
- Anjelica Nero
- Jeremy Wendell
- Cliff Barnes (being incriminated by JR to drive a wedge between the Barneses)
- Jack Ewing who wanted to increase his influence in EwingOil abd needed Bobby out of the picture
- an illegitimate Wentworth offspring
abnd many more... (except Mrs. Scotfield)

In regards to hospital involvement, you can create any scenario:
Jerry Kenderson, Dr. Peter Richards, a relative of Edgar Randolph/Walt Driscoll/Alan Beam...

Was it somebody who wanted to hurt JR or Miss Ellie or Pam or Bobby or the full Ewing or Barnes family?

I don't really care which outcome would have been the one. Everything I read here was better than a dream. I would have loved to watch reunion scenes from Bobby with JR and Miss Ellie and after some time with Pam now married to Mark. I never expected 100% logic. The writers pulled off other scenarios quite successfully like splitting a company in two halves for a contest.

For good writers (which they had that season) writing Bobby's return for a full season would have been a field day.

 

[Grangehill1]

You know what, something I’ve only thought of is that the audience were really cheated of seeing other characters reactions to Bobby return.
EastEnders has brought back three characters from the dead - Den, Kathy and Cindy and the audience were rewarded with seeing how other characters reacted to their return. Whether their returns were successful or not it was right that characters were seen being shocked and confronting the returnees. This is something we were deprived on on Dallas.
With Mark Grayson’s return we were rewarded with him seeing Cliff again and JR again. We were denyed this with Bobby’s return which is probably just as bad as the dream explanation.

 

[the-lost-son]

You know what, something I’ve only thought of is that the audience were really cheated of seeing other characters reactions to Bobby return.
EastEnders has brought back three characters from the dead - Den, Kathy and Cindy and the audience were rewarded with seeing how other characters reacted to their return. Whether their returns were successful or not it was right that characters were seen being shocked and confronting the returnees. This is something we were deprived on on Dallas.
With Mark Grayson’s return we were rewarded with him seeing Cliff again and JR again. We were denyed this with Bobby’s return which is probably just as bad as the dream explanation.

Exactly. The ingredients for another chapter of Bobby&Pam were all there.
Pam now married to Mark and Bobby needing time to recover (maybe nursed by Jenna).

But no instead we got (after 3 years of separation and Swan Song) just a "none of that happened. It was all a dream." Keep moving folks, there is nothing to see.

I watch primetime soaps for family drama, returning characters and big emotions.
Eg. I loved how Julia returned in the vineyards at night on Falcon Crest and if I remember how great BBG was in the episode where JR's&Bobby's plane crashed, I feel it's a pity that we were deprived of many, unforgettable moments and scenes.

 

[Seaviewer]

I’ll never understand why they didn’t just do the old “presumed dead in a plane crash” thing instead.

In these scenarios I've always just gone with what we had. Yes, it would have been easier if they'd left themselves a way out but that's twenty-twenty hindsight.

Logically the only way Bobby could have been revived without the dream scenario is that signs of life were spotted after he flat lined. But then why didn’t the hospital tell the family? Again, logically somebody would have had to be involved who didn’t want the family to know and who wanted Bobby’s resurrection to be kept a secret.

I've called it Bobby's own decision but the involvement of a third party is a good idea. It would make things more believable by allowing him to remain unconscious for a prolonged period of time.