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Dallas Top Ten Plots That Never Surfaced On The Show.

Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
perhaps a disguised Bobby, who had been secretly practicing his Spanish with Raoul and Teresa, would have posed as the opposition leader only to be 'assassinated', leading to a popular uprising
Wait wait wait, are you suggesting that he faked his own death so he could fake the death of a person he pretended to be?

That's...frighteningly brilliant. It's something Harris Ryland would do.
 

Taylor Bennett Jr.

Telly Talk Winner
Wait wait wait, are you suggesting that he faked his own death so he could fake the death of a person he pretended to be?

That's...frighteningly brilliant. It's something Harris Ryland would do.

yes, in fact, this might be all the proof we need to realize that the Bobby we thought was Bobby all along was really the Evil Bobby twin!
 

Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
yes, in fact, this might be all the proof we need to realize that the Bobby we thought was Bobby all along was really the Evil Bobby twin!
Well..maybe not all along - but what if they could retroactively "explain" him as season 7's Evil Twin Bobby? (the one who died on screen)
So, the real Bobby disappeared for some reason during season 7. Maybe after he was shot by Katherine?

I really like that idea. Using the evil twin to bring back the real Bobby.
 

Mustard

Telly Talk TV Fanatic
Nobody in the family knew... Okay, maybe one person.


Do people in comas dream? More plausible than what they did.

But then you're one of these the-dream-is-the-only-way people. As if it worked and everything was copacetic.

From a creative standpoint, it would have been better if they hadn't bothered with bringing Bobby back. I really enjoyed the dream season, but it could have been even better still from a creative standpoint if they had gotten Pam deeper embroiled in Ewing Oil against J.R. instead of stepping away from it altogether, and if they had had Jack involved at Ewing Oil as the middle moral force in being a more amoral and in control person compared to Bobby yet still largely opposed to J.R. by sentiment. By keeping Jack largely out of the Ewing Oil storylines, and getting Pam to step away from it, it didn't build great plot lines for the next 1-2 years the way it could have been done, but then they were planning on pressing the reset button back to Swansong anyway at some point late in the season. After the dream, there was all this "Dallas is a man's show" stuff going on, and Dack Rambo was a big political loser with his days on the show numbered despite his temporary bumping up to Main Starring status which painted a false picture of the real situation.

Shows develop over time by moving on into the future, and looking for new creativity. By bringing back Bobby from the dead, they were searching for a past that had become stale in the season where Bobby died, and killed off the new dynamics completely.
 
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Taylor Bennett Jr.

Telly Talk Winner
Well..maybe not all along - but what if they could retroactively "explain" him as season 7's Evil Twin Bobby? (the one who died on screen)
So, the real Bobby disappeared for some reason during season 7. Maybe after he was shot by Katherine?

I really like that idea. Using the evil twin to bring back the real Bobby.

Your idea probably makes more sense, but just imagine if Evil Bobby had secretly replaced Real Bobby right around the time Ray started taking Pam to the Ewing Barbecues. He could have been studying Bobby's mannerisms and the Ewing-Barnes backstory all along so that he could slip in, take his place unnoticed, and seduce Pam away in order to cause strife in the Ewing family, especially for the hated JR. Evil Bobby would have fairly quickly legitimately fallen in love with Pam because... well, who wouldn't - just look at her in the first season or so!

When Real Bobby came back after the now non-dream season, he would have had to explain to Pam that he didn't really love her, as the last he knew before taking off to be a CIA agent (codename: Bobby James Bond), she was dating Ray. A heartbroken and enraged Pam would have then stolen Ray back from Donna and become something of a villain herself, eventually teaming up with JR to get revenge against the Bobbys, both real and fake and dead and alive.
 

Seaviewer

Telly Talk Warrior
There was no need for a convoluted FBI scenario.

I still say there was ample time for the doctors to revive Bobby after the family left the hospital room. Bobby himself could have instructed them to keep it quiet until he was sure he would recover which would mean that none of the family knew and all the grieving was genuine.
 

Karin

Moderator
Staff Member
The more I read this thread I realize how brilliant I think the dream resolution really was! ;)

Sure there were some plot development I was sad to see go like:

- Sue Ellen hitting rock bottom and sobering up.
- JR and Sue Ellens reconciliation
- Donna and Ray patching up their marriage.
- Cliff and Jamie having a happy marriage
- Pam and JR working together at Ewing Oil

Yet on the plus side the dream resolution had this going for it:
- Bobby is alive
- Bobby and Pam are back together
- Ray and Donna had a healthy baby
- Lucas exists

The two last points are central for a next generation kind of show. It's a pity we never saw Lucas or Margaret on Dallas TNT
 
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Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
I still say there was ample time for the doctors to revive Bobby after the family left the hospital room. Bobby himself could have instructed them to keep it quiet until he was sure he would recover which would mean that none of the family knew and all the grieving was genuine.
And then Angelica could have kidnapped him! The hospital chief would have been too embarrassed to tell the Ewings about this blunder.

Later, Bobby could describe (in flashbacks) that he was in the same room as Angelica, Jack and JR - hidden under the sofa or something.
It's also revealed that Grace had raped him several times and that's why he feels so dirty and that's why the shower was his first priority.

Ha ha, we're smarter than DALLAS:hats:
 

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
There was no need for a convoluted FBI scenario.
Any explanation is going to be convoluted to a point. But a federal witness protection explanation could be brought up and dispensed with within a single episode.

Seaviewer said:
I still say there was ample time for the doctors to revive Bobby after the family left the hospital room. Bobby himself could have instructed them to keep it quiet until he was sure he would recover which would mean that none of the family knew and all the grieving was genuine.

The only other possible scenario.
 

Kenny Coyote

Telly Talk Star
I have an idea for a storyline (plot) that never aired on Dallas.

I believe the best time for it to take place would have been shortly after Miss Ellie married Clayton. At that time Clayton was trying to adjust to living in the home of Jock Ewing - the man who had saved Southfork from foreclosure, had loved there for over 40 years married to Ellie and had fathered 4 sons while living there. naturally Clayton was feeling kind of unsure if he could ever really fit in at Southfork and wished that Miss Ellie would have accepted his proposal that they buy a new home just for the two of them and would only see the rest of the Ewings when they invited them over or when Clayton and Miss Ellie got invited over to see the family. I'm choosing this time because it was a time when Clayton felt vulnerable.

The storyline goes like this: Jeremy Wendell would attempt an aggressive takeover or buyout of Farlow Refineries. We know Wendell went after many people but we never saw a storyline where Wendell and Clayton were at war. Bobby would realize that Clayton needed their help because West Star was just too big and powerful at that time for Clayton to fight off alone. Miss Ellie would be extremely grateful of course and so would Clayton, although he would have mixed feelings when JR pitched in as well. Miss Ellie would assure Clayton that JR was doing it to try to bury the hatchet with Clayton - which Miss Ellie would truly believe but the audience wouldn't know for sure if JR was joining in to sincerely help or of he had ulterior motives.

Together they would be holding off Wendell's attack but just barely. So Wendell sets up a private meeting with JR where he tells JR that he suspects JR doesn't appreciate an outsider having recently married Miss Ellie and living right at Southfork - "trying to take Jock's place" as Wendell would say. Wendell would offer a deal to JR: If JR would execute a plan Wendell would hand to JR to sabotage the Ewing-Farlow attempt at keeping West Star from acquiring Farlow Refineries, Wendell would give JR a huge amount of money. Wendell would tell JR that this might be the only way to get Clayton to the point where he'd feel humiliated enough that he'd leave Southfork for good and JR would appear to take the deal but we still wouldn't know for sure if he did or not.

The war would wage on with us being given some clues that would point to JR having accepted the deal. Week by week it would look more and more likely that JR was indeed sabotaging the effort to keep West Star at bay until finally when it appeared that Clayton was about to lose his company to West Star, JR would double cross Wendell and tell him that as much as he resented Clayton living at Southfork, that he'd never liked WestStar and JR double crossing Wendell was payback for every time West Star had ever done anything to hurt Ewing Oil. With that double cross by JR on Wendell, Farlow refineries would remain securely in Clayton's hands. They'd all go to The Oil baron;s Club to celebrate. Wendell would happen to be there and would tell JR that he'd made the biggest mistake of his life and that payback would be hell!
 
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cardiff1984

Telly Talk Active Member
upload_2018-8-31_19-56-57.jpeg 9. The Evil Cliff Barnes Conspiracy Revealed (TNT New Dallas)





Cliff Barnes was arguably JR's Ewings Arch Nemesis. Some would often feel sorry for Cliff, from time to time, in the 14 season run of the original show, in which JR would knock Cliff down time and time again. Cliff however would show his cunning side, but would often be made to look a complete douchebag in the end and feel the wrath of lectures from his beloved sister, Pam, on numerous occasions. By the series end in 1991, Cliff did have some vengeance on JR - for 20 years at least.

The Dallas reboot reintroduced Cliff, in a completely different perspective. In fact he was a shadow of his former self. To make matters worse, he turned into an evil, psychotic, sociopath. With disregard to anyone and or to the past tense, that should have been concluded in the 1987-88 season.

In the original series, season 10 (season 11 DVD), Cliff finally accepted that Jock didn't cheat Digger out his share of the Oil, following a heart to heart with Ellie. The Barnes Ewing Feud was not as heated after that, until Cliff claimed Ewing Oil. But, now, for some unknown reason, Cliff now believes his father has still not been vindicated, nor has Cliff. But, Cliff not only sets his vengeful sights on JR, but Bobby and his adopted Nephew? Cliff even murdered his unborn grandchildren and for some conspired to steal Pam's money in helping build his new company.

Some Dallas fans may have liked new Cliff, some may not, but what about the majority? Isn't it bizarre that Cliff suddenly became as psychotic as he did? Or was there a slight hint, when he killed Johnny Dancer in the Final Season in 1991?

There are many possibilities that could have been revealed before TNT pulled the plug in 2014.


NEUROFIBROMATOSIS MADE CLIFF UNSTABLE.

A possible plot revelation would have been Pamela Rebecca (Cliff's daughter) recieving his medical files. She at first is not interested, but is reluctant to accept his doctors findings. Rebecca is shocked to learn that tumours have excelled within Cliff's Nervous system and has for sometime, which explains why Cliff has hit the flip switch. It soon dawns on Rebecca that the Neurofibromatosis is not only turning him dangerous, but slowly killing him. It also makes her realize, that if she ever got the same symptoms, it could do some damage to her too. Rebecca seeks advice from Bobby, who is shocked by this and would not hold it against Rebecca to reconcile with her father. Rebecca does reconcile with Cliff, before he passes away, with regret of his actions.


CLIFF HAD A DOPPELGANGER

The most farfetched of a revealing plot, behind the Mafia wannabe, is that Reboot Cliff, was not original Cliff.
At some point prior to 2012, original Cliff could have been abducted or killed and replaced by a doppelganger, who has had surgery to replicate Cliff in order to attack the Ewing family. Who would be behind such an outlandish conspiracy? (that's another story).


JUST POWER OBSESSION

Or Cliff is just all out evil. Maybe the power of running Ewing Oil since 1991, just wasn't enough. It got to his head so much, he toyed with the power and the people involved and it became so dangerous, that he lost all logic of what was right from wrong altogether in the worst way possible. This time he just didn't care who got hurt - or killed. He saw the Billion $$$ signs and that's all he cared about. His personality would have made Pamela Barnes Ewing wished she had been JR's sister, not his.


Cliff has appeared in all 16 seasons of Dallas, over 300 episodes, you could hate or love him, have a chuckle at how stupid he could be from time to time, or feel sorry for him on occasions. But could it have gotten so bad, he attacked even his own family members and conspired to commit murder? For what purpose? Only Cliff Barnes knows.
 

cardiff1984

Telly Talk Active Member
8. The Original Series To Have Decent Closure.







You got to admit, the original conclusion of the Dallas series didn't go down well. In fact, the 1990-91 season, was not going to be the final season at all. The producers and cast were hopeful for 1991-92 season to be their final push for a closing plot to the series. But, CBS had other ideas. The somewhat bizarre season 'finale' based on Frank Capras 1946 movie 'It's A Wonderful Life' , 'Conundrum,' was to be it's last and it was confirmed by the final scene, of which saw Bobby in the last scene, witnessing the possible suicide of his brother JR Ewing, which was never to be shown on screen.


Despite Dallas being rebooted 21 years later, and thus revealing JR didn't take his life, some Dallas fans may have felt they needed earlier closure to the Dallas saga, considering the reboot was not as successful as the original show itself.

Conundrum was not your usual Dallas episode, in fact Dallas had gone downhill since Bobby returned in the shower. It seemed CBS had seen enough and cancelled it, to save the embarrassment of having more ridiculous plots to insult the shows legacy. But, had CBS given the green light for one more push, it may have given Dallas fans some satisfaction to a proper end to their beloved Texans.



THE 1991-92 SEASON.
The 1991-92 season could have been the series last. We could have seen JR find a way of doing some good in life, while still showing some of his cunning streak too to get back his fathers company. Plots could also lead to some many great come backs of previous loved characters such as Sue Ellen, Ray Krebbs, Lucy, Ellie and possibly even Pam. The final episode could have ended with how the Ewing's were at the beginning, with JR and Sue Ellen together, Bobby and possibly Pam together, Cliff and Afton reunited and JR back on top at Ewing Oil, but seeing him from a different perspective and seeing the end of the Barnes Ewing Feud forever.

BOBBY AND PAM CLOSURE
Considering the show was on it's last legs, Bobby and Pam never got their fairy tale ending. Victoria Principal was asked to reprise her role of Pam for 'Conundrum,' as a part of JR's journey through his non existence. VP agreed to do it, if it was guaranteed to be the last episode or if it gave closure to the Bobby and Pam saga. And what did they do? Couldn't give their guarantee. However, CBS made up their minds for them and it was a missed opportunity.

But, would Pam have been part of JR's dream?

Or could Bobby and Pam have had their own separate series finale to Conundrum/or possibly the series finale just based on Bobby and Pam, seeing as JR seemed defeated in the penultimate episode and we could have only heard the gunshot at the end of the series upon Bobby and possibly Pam's return to Southfork.



OTHER CONCLUSIONS. POSSIBLY SHOCKING! OR SURPRISE

Each season Cliff hanger or ending never had a happy one. What would have been the ultimate cliff hanger final freeze frame? And how would the audience have reacted? If the show had a better conclusion, would a Cliff hanger been appropriate? Or just decent closure?
 

Karin

Moderator
Staff Member
I really didn't like how the TNT show ruined Cliff's character. I wish he had gotten a better part and had some scenes with Afton too.

Then as for original Dallas. I agree that the ending was lame. I wish they had reunited Bobby and Pam.
 

cardiff1984

Telly Talk Active Member
7. Lucy Was Really JR's Daughter.







Lucy has never liked her uncle JR that much. To be honest I don't think she loved him much either. To learn that Valene (her mother) was manipulated into leaving Texas and vowed to never return, is a bitter pill to swallow. Plus, to having her father driven away from his place of birth and whilst being a chronic alcoholic at the same time, by her so called loving uncle, was many reasons she could never look up to the power hungry business man that JR was.

Seventeen years would go by, until Lucy finally got to see her mother and father again one more time, before briefly being driven away again. Valene and Gary would reunite once again a year later and of course start in their own spin off Knots Landing.

However, what if Knots Landing being the spin off to Dallas, had created a joint plot with it's predecessor, which involved a paternity involving Gary and JR and it revealing JR being the actual father to Lucy? Although this was never implied, but it may have made people wander, why JR was so against Lucy marrying Alan Beam and acting like the father , Gary never was. Why was it so important for JR, to kidnap Lucy away from Val? How come Jock or Ellie never questioned JR's motive for this? OK, Gary was a drunk, but not a psycho and both he and Valene could have had help bringing Lucy up.

The backstory could be one night, 17 years prior to 1978, Gary got drunk and stormed out on Val and she got with JR and they had a one night stand, resulting in Lucy. But, what if for unseen circumstances off screen Dallas, but On-screen KL, Val has an accident, which results in her visually remembering her one night stand with JR. It later creates one of the biggest plots Dallas and the revelation of the paternity sends shockwaves around the Ewing family fold and one of the biggest scandals in Texas. Ellie is broken and Val could claim JR raped her. This revelation could have also coincided with the who shot JR storyline. It could have been Lucy who had shot JR instead of Kristin.

On the other hand, Lucy hardly knew Gary at all and only had a Vision of him as the father she always wanted for 17 years. Lucy has known JR all her life, but had only acted as her uncle, so he didn't bring shame to home to Ellie and Jock. Although Lucy would reconcile with her mother, could she love JR as her father and been Gary's niece instead? Would this have made Lucy more pivotal to the show, which would have made her stay beyond the 1984-85 season, before her return in 1988-1990?

Could you have imagined JR's reaction knowing that the photographer Roger raped his own daughter? I dared not to.

How about JR finding out Ray slept with his niece in '78?' Yikes!

Would there have been a rivalry between Lucy and John Ross later in life. Or a love hate relationship like Bobby and JR? Or would there have been friction between herself and James Beaumont?

How would her relationship with Pam go, considering JR hated her guts?

Cally and Lucy being good friends in the later seasons was nice. Would it had worked if that way, if Cally was Lucy's stepmother?


Was this a missed opportunity to give Lucy a bigger role to play?
 

Taylor Bennett Jr.

Telly Talk Winner
7. Lucy Was Really JR's Daughter.







Lucy has never liked her uncle JR that much. To be honest I don't think she loved him much either. To learn that Valene (her mother) was manipulated into leaving Texas and vowed to never return, is a bitter pill to swallow. Plus, to having her father driven away from his place of birth and whilst being a chronic alcoholic at the same time, by her so called loving uncle, was many reasons she could never look up to the power hungry business man that JR was.

Seventeen years would go by, until Lucy finally got to see her mother and father again one more time, before briefly being driven away again. Valene and Gary would reunite once again a year later and of course start in their own spin off Knots Landing.

However, what if Knots Landing being the spin off to Dallas, had created a joint plot with it's predecessor, which involved a paternity involving Gary and JR and it revealing JR being the actual father to Lucy? Although this was never implied, but it may have made people wander, why JR was so against Lucy marrying Alan Beam and acting like the father , Gary never was. Why was it so important for JR, to kidnap Lucy away from Val? How come Jock or Ellie never questioned JR's motive for this? OK, Gary was a drunk, but not a psycho and both he and Valene could have had help bringing Lucy up.

The backstory could be one night, 17 years prior to 1978, Gary got drunk and stormed out on Val and she got with JR and they had a one night stand, resulting in Lucy. But, what if for unseen circumstances off screen Dallas, but On-screen KL, Val has an accident, which results in her visually remembering her one night stand with JR. It later creates one of the biggest plots Dallas and the revelation of the paternity sends shockwaves around the Ewing family fold and one of the biggest scandals in Texas. Ellie is broken and Val could claim JR raped her. This revelation could have also coincided with the who shot JR storyline. It could have been Lucy who had shot JR instead of Kristin.

On the other hand, Lucy hardly knew Gary at all and only had a Vision of him as the father she always wanted for 17 years. Lucy has known JR all her life, but had only acted as her uncle, so he didn't bring shame to home to Ellie and Jock. Although Lucy would reconcile with her mother, could she love JR as her father and been Gary's niece instead? Would this have made Lucy more pivotal to the show, which would have made her stay beyond the 1984-85 season, before her return in 1988-1990?

Could you have imagined JR's reaction knowing that the photographer Roger raped his own daughter? I dared not to.

How about JR finding out Ray slept with his niece in '78?' Yikes!

Would there have been a rivalry between Lucy and John Ross later in life. Or a love hate relationship like Bobby and JR? Or would there have been friction between herself and James Beaumont?

How would her relationship with Pam go, considering JR hated her guts?

Cally and Lucy being good friends in the later seasons was nice. Would it had worked if that way, if Cally was Lucy's stepmother?


Was this a missed opportunity to give Lucy a bigger role to play?

here's a controversial one: in addition to having Lucy be JR's daughter, they could have had JR and Valene still share a dangerous attraction, which they'd occasionally satisfy passionately and covertly.
 
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