Season 12 Awful

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

when people ask me what I consider to be 'Peak Dallas' (which as we all know happens quite often in polite conversation in the real, non-forum world), I always say something along the lines of "JR being dragged behind a horse plowing a field as Japhet and Boaz look on gleefully"

 

[Michelle Stevens]

when people ask me what I consider to be 'Peak Dallas' (which as we all know happens quite often in polite conversation in the real, non-forum world), I always say something along the lines of "JR being dragged behind a horse plowing a field as Japhet and Boaz look on gleefully"

I know why many people hate Haleyville but I did find this funny. I wish the Southfork gift shop would have had a nice hi-res photo of JR plowing the field. I would have bought that.

 

[mrpitkin]

I'm just up to the episode were Bobby turns into a one man army, dressed in black, and takes down Hughes and his mercenaries.

This isn't Dallas.

Hilariously bad

 

[Barbara Fan]

Im just up to the episode were Bobby turns into a one man army, dressed in black, and takes down Hughes and his mercenaries.

I always thought he was "the man from Milk Tray" and had swam through shark infested waters and climbed up rock cliffs to get to Carters place, but he didnt leave him a box of chocs

Yeah it was an awful plotline x

 

[southfork88]

Worst season ... ever.

 

[kenneth]

They should have gone further with Cally being so sex starved JR could not keep up and no longer needed mistresses.

 

[the-lost-son]

I have seen the last four seasons for the first and last time in a late 90s rerun, so I forgot many details. But I remember I could barely make it through then. Somewhere along the way any longterm-planning was tossed out of the window. Season finales were no longer constructed with a substantial build up like Ewing Inferno or SwanSong.
The longterm planning was new for me at that time when I started watching Dallas and it's the major reason why I was and am so fascinated by it. I only knew daytime soaps and self-contained series at that time.
If any longterm planning seems gone, I'll lose interest. So I quit FalconCrest after +/- 4 years (too many producer changes who didn't care what happened prior) and I never got into Dynasty (producers who assumedly never cared about much).

The first time on Dallas when it was irritating for me that "things just happened" with no real build-up was in S9 (DVD10) when JR&SueEllen reconciled out of the blue and after a few episodes in the new season JR wanted a divorce (out of the blue again).

In season 11 (DVD12) it's just normal that things just happen and don't have an impact in the long run.
I think that's why many here love Miss Ellie&Cliff's park scene - a decent build up, some sensible dialogue, grounded in the show's rich history. At that time these few minutes felt like a shooting star in a dark night.

 

[CeeCee72]

This was the true beginning of the end

Cally sucked big time, the part, the actress, the writing - all cringeworthy and that accent had me reaching for FWD or mute on a rewatch

JR and Cally was - shudder - truly awful and JR acting like some dirty old man with someone young enough t

Sue Ellens movie - who cares not me! and some of Sue Ellens hair styles that season were pretty awful and made her look hard

I found her hair in that season to be too extreme. Yes, it made her look hard - and old! I often wonder if it was done on purpose to contrast her with Cally.

 

[CeeCee72]

The first time on Dallas when it was irritating for me that "things just happened" with no real build-up was in S9 (DVD10) when JR&SueEllen reconciled out of the blue and after a few episodes in the new season JR wanted a divorce (out of the blue again).

I feel like that was a direct result of the dream season. Fans had seen the slow burn of JR and SE reconciling and were invested in the relationship again. Fans wanted them together. The writers couldn't go through a long drawn out, soul searching, slowly built reconciliation again, so BAM it just happened with no buildup or explanation.

Then, once they were back together and happily married, both characters became somewhat boring. SE running around taking care of her panties business (which no viewer cared about) and JR without the "tool" of seduction in business deals. So, BAM, the just broke them up with no buildup or explanation.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I found her hair in that season to be too extreme. Yes, it made her look hard - and old! I often wonder if it was done on purpose to contrast her with Cally.

She was 24 years older. I doubt Linda would have said, "Sure, make me look even older than Cally." But I do think the too-severe Vampira hairdo somehow fit Sue Ellen for her last season.

The family forgave her awfully quickly for shooting JR (I would have had her use a gardening tool, but I guess Katzman liked the firearm tradition) and their freezing out Sue Ellen would have more logically set up her final exit at the end of the season. (One person suggested Sue Ellen should have had John Ross kidnapped, whereupon she absconds to Europe with him).

But DALLAS was too sloppy and consequence-free by this point.

 

[CeeCee72]

She was 24 years older. I doubt Linda would have said, "Sure, make me look even older than Cally." But I do think the too-severe Vampira hairdo somehow fit Sue Ellen for her last season.

The family forgave her awfully quickly for shooting JR (I would have had her use a gardening tool, but I guess Katzman liked the firearm tradition) and their freezing out Sue Ellen would have more logically set up her final exit at the end of the season. (One person suggested Sue Ellen should have had John Ross kidnapped, whereupon she absconds to Europe with him).

But DALLAS was too sloppy and consequence-free by this point.

As to the hair - you're right, it probably wasn't intentional and yes,I know SE was much older than Cally. Still the too dark, too straight, to severe style made Linda look much older than she was IMO. She looked fabulous in season 11, them BOOM, awful in season 12.

As to the family not freezing out SE, she got one stern talking to from Bobby with Lucy piping up to defend her. That was the only consequence she faced from the Ewings. Huge missed opportunity for drama there.

 

[Rove]

I think that's why many here love Miss Ellie&Cliff's park scene - a decent build up, some sensible dialogue, grounded in the show's rich history.

One of the few highlights in those last seasons. Watching Barbara Bel and Ken deliver their dialogue was like witnessing two brilliant actors on stage. Their delivery was perfection.

 

[Top Jimmy]

As to the hair - you're right, it probably wasn't intentional and yes,I know SE was much older than Cally. Still the too dark, too straight, to severe style made Linda look much older than she was IMO. She looked fabulous in season 11, them BOOM, awful in season 12.

As to the family not freezing out SE, she got one stern talking to from Bobby with Lucy piping up to defend her. That was the only consequence she faced from the Ewings. Huge missed opportunity for drama there.

Did Miss Ellie chastise Sue Ellen for shooting JR? I thought she did, but maybe that was my imagination. The beginning of the end was the aftermath of the shooting/Nicholas Pearce taking a plunge over the balcony, where JR was not seriously injured, and the police just shrugged their shoulders and dismissed any charges against Sue Ellen or JR. I didn't think too much of it when it originally aired, but Miss Ellie asking Bobby to take Cliff in as a partner was ridiculous in hindsight. Jock would have been rolling over in his grave if he knew that.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Did Miss Ellie chastise Sue Ellen for shooting JR? I thought she did, but maybe that was my imagination.

She did, but rather lamely. There were few repercussions anymore on DALLAS.

This should have created a major break -- especially as Telepictures made it known that they weren't going to pay Miss Gray for much longer.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I thought season 12 had some good points, and it was still better than 13 and 14.
The range war story - I liked it, for the most part.
It looked like Dallas, at least, and similar events may have happened thru the years when Jock and Ellie were young.
McKay and his family were legitimate adversaries to the Ewings,
although I preferred Jeremy Wendell.
Sue Ellen showed a lot of growth, development, and even empathy at the end when she withheld the movie.
Granted the show was in decline, but it was still worth watching

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I thought season 12 had some good points, and it was still better than 13 and 14.
The range war story - I liked it, for the most part.
It looked like Dallas, at least, and similar events may have happened thru the years when Jock and Ellie were young.
McKay and his family were legitimate adversaries to the Ewings,
although I preferred Jeremy Wendell.
Sue Ellen showed a lot of growth, development, and even empathy at the end when she withheld the movie.
Granted the show was in decline, but it was still worth watching

Yes, that's a major point of contention: which is worse?

Season 12, Season 13, Season 14, the dream season, WAR OF THE EWINGS, or nuDALLAS Season 2-A ... ??

 

[CeeCee72]

Yes, that's a major point of contention: which is worse?

Season 12, Season 13, Season 14, the dream season, WAR OF THE EWINGS, or nuDALLAS Season 2-A ... ??

For me, season 13 was the worst. Everyone was gone and the new characters were just awful.

I really loved some parts of the Dream Season and I could tolerate nuDallas because I knew it wasn't really Dallas

 

[xab]

The so called Range War should have been the cliffhanger, all storylines tied and leading to this climax.

Taking place in the first episodes, it was too rough, too violent, it went too far, all subsequently plots were doomed too flatline after that ... We went from "Apocalypse Now " to "The Ewings comedy hour" ...

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

The so called Range War should have been the cliffhanger, all storylines tied and leading to this climax.

Taking place in the first episodes, it was too rough, too violent, it went too far, all subsequently plots were doomed too flatline after that ... We went from "Apocalypse Now " to "The Ewings comedy hour" ...

I guess it happened early in the season because those were the Texas-location episodes... I want Ellie to really resist calling in the authorities, frustrating Clayton and the boys.

She seems to be trying to prevent discovery of whatever's buried out there in Section 40 (somethin' somethin' nazi treasure).

 

[CeeCee72]

I guess it happened early in the season because those were the Texas-location episodes... I want Ellie to really resist calling in the authorities, frustrating Clayton and the boys.

She seems to be trying to prevent discovery of whatever's buried out there in Section 40 (somethin' somethin' nazi treasure).

Ellie had a really bad habit of not calling the cops. Started way back in the miniseries when she didn't want to report those men that held the Ewing women hostage and subjected us all to Linda's singing.