Conundrum? How else could you wrap up Dallas in it's final season?

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

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We all know that Conundrum was the season finale & the last ever episode of the series.

But how would you wrap up the show if you knew that the show was cancelled & wasn't coming back for another season?

I'm interested to know how you would all bring the continuing saga of Southfork Ranch to a final end.
 

Chris2

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I don’t love an overly happy, unrealistic ending (see “Good Times”). I think my finale would have three elements:
  1. JR gets his mojo back and vows to fight his way back to the top of the oil business.
  2. Pam returns to Bobby and they get their happy ending and go off to start their own life away with their son.
  3. Ellie and Clayton return to Southfork to live out their golden years in relative peace and quiet.
Maybe Bobby and Pam quietly remarry with just the family there, and you have a reason to bring back Lucy, Sue Ellen, Ray, and others for appearances. They don’t dominate the story but you get an update on their lives since we last saw them. And in the final scene you have Bobby and Pam drive off Southfork in his new red convertible Mercedes, with Christopher in the back, as a nice bookend to the first scene of the series.
 

MarkDallasAddict

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I don’t love an overly happy, unrealistic ending (see “Good Times”). I think my finale would have three elements:
  1. JR gets his mojo back and vows to fight his way back to the top of the oil business.
  2. Pam returns to Bobby and they get their happy ending and go off to start their own life away with their son.
  3. Ellie and Clayton return to Southfork to live out their golden years in relative peace and quiet.
Maybe Bobby and Pam quietly remarry with just the family there, and you have a reason to bring back Lucy, Sue Ellen, Ray, and others for appearances. They don’t dominate the story but you get an update on their lives since we last saw them. And in the final scene you have Bobby and Pam drive off Southfork in his new red convertible Mercedes, with Christopher in the back, as a nice bookend to the first scene of the series.
The idea of Pam, Bobby and Christopher getting back together and then driving off, mirroring the first episode, is a great idea. I think the show would need to go out with a bang though, so I'd have the phone ring and for Ellie to answer it saying they've found Jock! Well that's one idea anyway maybe too close to the Wes Parmerlee story.

I would have JR find out that James was not his son, or I would have killed off James - I just didn't think he fitted as JR's son.
 

stevew

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For me I would have happily wrapped up loose end and set up a return if only a return in the very far future.

At the point of the episode before the last episode, I think they would have had to say 6 months or even 6 years later to wrap up what we've just been seeing over the last years of down fall in 1 -2 hours.

First I'd have Bobby come to J.R. and tell him his investigators have found Pam and that he's going to be with her, she won't return to Texas (figuring VP would not return). He hands J.R. a folder and tells him, "That's the deed to South Fork, the house. I'm keeping the South Fork Cattle Company and the land, I've set that up in a foundation to protect it in perpetuity. As for the mineral rights, momma still owns those. Good by J.R."

J.R. would wish Bobby luck with Pam and see him off. Yes some people would probably think that it's contrived and too sappy for Bobby to leave like that - but to me it ties up a LOT of loose ends.

I'd focus on J.R. and that in the last 6 months or 6 years he turned everything around on his enemies and was consolidating his wealth and power in Ewing Industries which would include: Ewing Oil (oil production which has gobbled up Barnes Wentworth), West Star (transportation, refineries and gas stations, wholly acquired and taken private), and Wentworth Tool and Die (manufacturing of high tech drilling technology), Cattleman's Bank, etc. Put him at the very top of his game . Have everything in good shape, J.R. on top, two boys to follow in his foot steps, bring John Ross and Calley's son to South Fork. Make it almost as if his purpose for living has been accomplished - so what's to live for next.

I'd reveal that John Ross and Pamela know each other from boarding school, a very young girl with a very mad crush. And I'd reveal that Calley's son is a very smart boy in school while John Ross struggles.

I'd reveal that Cliff Barnes is the newly appointed Senator from Texas.

Then I'd show Venezuela and a mercenary team going in to fight in the jungle, coming across a De Le Vega drilling site, which they take control of. A helicopter lands and J.R. walks off and onto the platform. "This is what you were here to secure, daddy." He looks around. "Consider it secured."

An offer says, "We've nearly separated everything west of the Andes."

"Keep up the good work." JR pats his shoulder and survey's the site.

Then we hear that Jeremy Wendell has bought up the debt J.R.'s created and returning from prison reveals that McKay worked for him and that his company, Lone Star Investments, and that through his lawyers he intends to take a piece of Ewing Industries. J.R. taken by surprise tells them it'll be a cold day in hell, almost happy to have something to fight for again.

J.R. at South Fork with John Ross and his youngest son watches Lucy move into the cottage out back. Turns out Bobby left it to her as separate from the house. He mentions she won't be happy settling down in a small cottage in Texas after her jet set life and with all that money from the death of her second husband, that she should go off and spend it on clothes and makeup. Lucy says, "No, I'm right where I want to be." She winks at the boys with a big grin. "Because I have something that I know you'd love to get your hands on."

"What's that?"

"The foundation Bobby set up to take care of the the land of South Fork, he left me in charge of it."

"And what would I want with a bunch of cow pasture?"

Lucy smiles, "And grandma add the oil trust to the foundation, to do some good for the people of Texas."

"Momma's not gonna let you drill on her precious land."

Jeremey Wendell walks out of the cottage, "No J.R. but she isn't opposed to slant drilling from the McKay property or should I say, my property."

J.R. would be on the very top of his game, with his most wicked enemy out of jail and partnered with a wealthy Lucy to be a thorn in his side and his neighbor.

Lucy walks up toward the house and the pool saying, "So what are we having for dinner."

Jeremy starts to follow her. J.R. says, "Oh no, not you. You stay put." He then follows Lucy, "How about we make a deal for Ewing Oil to do the slant drilling from another piece of property. I've got the old Wade Ranch." - making a deal right up to the end.
 
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Sarah

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Sue Ellen would have walked in just as JR was about to shoot the gun (at himself), taken it off him, told him she was home and he would have fallen into her arms sobbing.

A wide shot above of all the original family coming home, with JR (minus his cardigan) and Sue Ellen coming downstairs to join them.

Everyone calmly looks at each other without speaking. They know.

The Ewings are back where they belong.

Zoom out to the front of Southfork - a star in her own right.

Cue the best theme tune ever.
 

Rove

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I just know how I’d written the final scene. JR has just won and he sits at an empty dining room table where it was once filled and realizes that there’s nobody their to tell of his victory because he literally drove everyone’s away.
I hate happily-ever-after endings. I do like your idea and it would be poetic to witness JR sitting alone in the dining room as it befits his character. After securing victory in getting back Ewing Oil he races to Southfork to inform Bobby of the good news. He walks into the living room and pours himself a Bourbon & Branch, looks up at the painting of Jock and tells his daddy, "I've done it. Real power is something you take." Teresa quietly walks into the scene.

Teresa. "Good evening Mr Ewing."
JR. "Teresa, let me pour you a drink. We have something to celebrate. By the way. Where is Bobby?"
Teresa. "No thank you Mr Ewing. Bobby asked to personally hand this letter to you. He also said both he and Christopher have left Southfork for the foreseeable future and is not sure when they will return, if ever. I've left a meal for you in the oven as Raul and I are off to Braddock to see a movie. Good night Mr Ewing."

JR: "Good night Teresa."

JR makes his way to the kitchen and returns to the living room table. Sitting quietly he begins to read the letter and his expression changes. A wry smile and this final words...

"That damn Barnes woman."

End scene.​
 
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the-lost-son

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My needs are very simple in that regard. Dallas was about the Ewings, the Barnes, Southfork, Ewing Oil.

So a last gathering at Southfork for a B-B-Q with many iconic characters as possible would be my ideal closing.

I can't remember much about the movies "JR returns" or "the early years". But both managed to give us the feeling that the story continues at Southfork (without any loose ends).

I would have liked the same for season 13 (DVD14).
 

Angela Channing

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Everyone returns to Southfork for Miss Ellie's death. Before she takes her final breath, she reveals that JR was the product of her affair with Digger Barnes (which was hinted at in the Early Years mini series).
 

stevew

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I just know how I’d written the final scene. JR has just won and he sits at an empty dining room table where it was once filled and realizes that there’s nobody their to tell of his victory because he literally drove everyone’s away.
EXCELLENT!
 

stevew

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I hate happily-ever-after endings. I do like your idea and it would be poetic to witness JR sitting alone in the dining room as it befits his character. After securing victory in getting back Ewing Oil he races to Southfork to inform Bobby of the good news. He walks into the living room and pours himself a Bourbon & Branch, looks up at the painting of Jock and tells his daddy, "I've done it. Real power is something you take." Teresa quietly walks into the scene.

Teresa. "Good evening Mr Ewing."
JR. "Teresa, let me pour you a drink. We have something to celebrate. By the way. Where is Bobby?"
Teresa. "No thank you Mr Ewing. Bobby asked to personally hand this letter to you. He also said both he and Christopher have left Southfork for the foreseeable future and is not sure when they will return, if ever. I've left a meal for you in the oven as Raul and I are off to Braddock to see a movie. Good night Mr Ewing."

JR: "Good night Teresa."

JR makes his way to the kitchen and returns to the living room table. Sitting quietly he begins to read the letter and his expression changes. A wry smile and this final words...

"That damn Barnes woman."

End scene.​
I love those last words.
 

Jabari Lamar

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