When this series was good, it was GREAT

[Lastkidpicked]

Rewatching the series now, and here is where we are in the rewatch:

We are in the middle of Jock's will, and the contest for Ewing Oil. This is the meaty part of the series, where you really can't wait for the following episode so you can see what happens next.

One scene that really stuck out at me was when Bobby was setting up George Hicks by sending a prostitute to seduce him. Bobby even invites Pam out to the restaurant where this is taking place so Bobby has a cover and can watch and make sure the setup goes smoothly.

But Bobby knows this is wrong, and is struggling with it.

Pam is at the table with Bobby and is very concerned with the battle for Ewing Oil and concerned for Bobby. As she is expressing her concerns, Bobby is watching the setup of George Hicks.

It's almost as if Pam is quite literally the voice of Bobby's conscience.

Pam: I'm worried about you, Bobby. I'm worried about us. Cliff told me you forced the cartel to buy you out.
Bobby: It was a business deal, pure and simple
Pam: They said you pushed them to the wall
Bobby: Honey, I'm in business (notices the prostitute entering the room for the setup) I do what I have to do.
Pam: No matter who gets hurt?
Bobby: Nobody's going to get hurt
Pam: Everybody is going to get hurt.
Bobby: Let's just enjoy the evening. (watches the prostitute start in on George Hicks) Everything is going to be fine. . . It's going to be just fine.

In that scene, you can imagine that it's not Pam talking to Bobby, but his conscience talking to him. It's one of those scenes that makes you think, "Wow! This series is really good!"

Do you have a scene or an episode that makes you say, "That scene is really good!" or makes you look forward to the next episode so you can see what happens next?

 

[Toni]

Rewatching the series now, and here is where we are in the rewatch:

We are in the middle of Jock's will, and the contest for Ewing Oil. This is the meaty part of the series, where you really can't wait for the following episode so you can see what happens next.

One scene that really stuck out at me was when Bobby was setting up George Hicks by sending a prostitute to seduce him. Bobby even invites Pam out to the restaurant where this is taking place so Bobby has a cover and can watch and make sure the setup goes smoothly.

But Bobby knows this is wrong, and is struggling with it.

Pam is at the table with Bobby and is very concerned with the battle for Ewing Oil and concerned for Bobby. As she is expressing her concerns, Bobby is watching the setup of George Hicks.

It's almost as if Pam is quite literally the voice of Bobby's conscience.

Pam: I'm worried about you, Bobby. I'm worried about us. Cliff told me you forced the cartel to buy you out.
Bobby: It was a business deal, pure and simple
Pam: They said you pushed them to the wall
Bobby: Honey, I'm in business (notices the prostitute entering the room for the setup) I do what I have to do.
Pam: No matter who gets hurt?
Bobby: Nobody's going to get hurt
Pam: Everybody is going to get hurt.
Bobby: Let's just enjoy the evening. (watches the prostitute start in on George Hicks) Everything is going to be fine. . . It's going to be just fine.

In that scene, you can imagine that it's not Pam talking to Bobby, but his conscience talking to him. It's one of those scenes that makes you think, "Wow! This series is really good!"

Do you have a scene or an episode that makes you say, "That scene is really good!" or makes you look forward to the next episode so you can see what happens next?

I remember one very similar to this one, I think from the next episode ("Crash of 83") when Pam fights with Bobby right after him blackmailing Hicks. It happens in their bedroom and almost in the dark (for "Dallas" this means only three big lights!). Probably one of the, if not the, best acting of Victoria of the time she was still married to Bobby. He tells her what he did, then she makes him listen to her. And then Afton arrives with the news of Rebecca´s crash. It was the perfect buildup for the separation that came the following episode. IMHO.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

In that scene, you can imagine that it's not Pam talking to Bobby, but his conscience talking to him. It's one of those scenes that makes you think, "Wow! This series is really good!"

Do you have a scene or an episode that makes you say, "That scene is really good!" or makes you look forward to the next episode so you can see what happens next?

Great idea for a thread Last Kid! Finally someone makes a thread about something positive its of all the criticisms of Dallas that I think most of us tend to overdo from time to time...

Yes, the first scene to come to mind is the scene where a TV channel is covering the news and they retaking to JR who has just unveiled his reason for getting that variance to pump more oil. He's opened a line of discounts stations!

What a brilliant strategy for beating Bobby in the contest and winning control of Ewing Oil!

The scene after that, or at least a scene shortly after is of Bobby and Pam and it's a wonderful scene. it's from early enough in the contest to where Pam hasn't turned against Bobby yet and accused him of not being the man she married anymore. What Pam dos is with genuine concern she asks Bobby if he still thinks he can win. Bobby looks troubled when he answers. He tells Pam that there are things he knows how to do, things he hated doing, but he learned them and he learned them well. "I can get right down in the mud if I have to.." Pam responds: "Like JR." Bobby says: "No, not like JR. Like me."

Bobby is letting Pam know that there is a side to him that she maybe hasn't seen before. There's a side to him that he developed while growing up in a very competitive family with a very strong father who always tried to get the best possible effort out of his sons. Jock always tried to make sure that his sons were actualizing their true potential, that they always gave 100% efforts. Bobby is telling Bobby JR isn't the only son of Jock who knows how to and is capable of playing hardball.

It's time for Bobby to become a harder, more aggressive man and Pam is wondering what that means for their marriage.

This was absolutely great, classic Dallas. The contest for Ewing Oil as stipulated by Jock's will is my absolute favorite Dallas storyline and thee are at least a dozen smaller storylines within that storyline. Those stories are excellent as well!

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

wow, Bobby straight-up channeling Sue Ellen here: “Everything is going to be fine. . . It's going to be just fine.”

 

[Bill Dilks]

I mentioned in another thread the scene where Elroy Askew turns down JR about joining his cartel. His performance was outstanding.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I remember one very similar to this one, I think from the next episode ("Crash of 83") when Pam fights with Bobby right after him blackmailing Hicks. It happens in their bedroom and almost in the dark (for "Dallas" this means only three big lights!). Probably one of the, if not the, best acting of Victoria of the time she was still married to Bobby.

He tells Pam that there are things he knows how to do, things he hated doing, but he learned them and he learned them well. "I can get right down in the mud if I have to.." Pam responds: "Like JR." Bobby says: "No, not like JR. Like me."

One thing that is brilliant about the writing is Bobby keeps telling himself that while he is resorting to dirty tricks, he is still different from J.R.

When Carl Daggett is updating Bobby on how the prostitute has been successful in seducing George Hicks, he tells Bobby "That is a classic move, Bobby. It works every time".

Bobby visibly flinches at this. He doesn't like being reminded that he is using the exact same tricks that J.R. has been using for years.

 

[Chris2]

I’ve posted this in other threads, but I think “Head of the Family” is outstanding the way it shows the Ewing brothers handling their grief over Jock’s death. And the way the show pivoted J.R.’s motivation for his actions was very clever. Other shows would have just had him continuing his bad deeds, even though his motivation to commit them was gone.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I've posted this in other threads, but I think “Head of the Family” is outstanding the way it shows the Ewing brothers handling their grief over Jock’s death. And the way the show pivoted J.R.’s motivation for his actions was very clever. Other shows would have just had him continuing his bad deeds, even though his motivation to commit them was gone.

You make a very good point here.

And Bobby's motivations pivoted after Jock's death as well.

There were many times before Jock's death when Bobby seemed willing to leave Ewing oil. After Jock's death Bobby fought harder than ever for Ewing Oil. During the contest set up by Jock's will, Pam suggested that Bobby give up the fight. Bobby said,

"You don't know what drove Jock Ewing, and I don't think you know what drives me!"

Echos of that famous Jock line, "I gave you power? . . ."

 

[Kenny Coyote]

You make a very good point here.

And Bobby's motivations pivoted after Jock's death as well.

There were many times before Jock's death when Bobby seemed willing to leave Ewing oil. After Jock's death Bobby fought harder than ever for Ewing Oil. During the contest set up by Jock's will, Pam suggested that Bobby give up the fight. Bobby said,

"You don't know what drove Jock Ewing, and I don't think you know what drives me!"

Echos of that famous Jock line, "I gave you power? . . ."

Bobby was right. Pam didn't understand what drove him. I think Jenna understood Bobby better in that aspect.

Pam had an idealized view of who Bobby was. When she did find out what drove Bobby, and that he had a very competitive side to him, she didn't like it. She wanted him to change to live up to her idealized vision of him by quitting the contest for Ewing Oil. That's what led to their breakup. When one person in a marriage wants the make the other change to become something they're not it usually doesn't end well.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

One scene which has always stayed with me since I first watched it is the scene where Keenan Wynn as Digger is dying in the hospital & he reveals that he was the one who shot Hutch McKinney & that Pam isn't his daughter. The performances from Wynn, Bel Geddes, Kercheval, Duffy & especially Principal are all top notch.

 

[pete lashmar]

There are so many magical moments that really stand out - some of my favourite ones (in no particular order) are -

The licorice scene with Cliff & Rebecca, it's just such a brilliantly emotional moment.

Pam learning that J.R sent her on the search for Mark -"J.R EWING!!!!!"- gets me every time.

Ellie at the reading of Jock's will "Oh no Jock!" - it just sets up the drama that will follow perfectly

VP's entire performance at the end of Swan Song - absolutely heartbreaking.

Ellie & Cliff in the park with the shoe box - again, a brilliantly emotional scene.

But when Dallas was good it was better than great, it was a monster roller coaster that swept you along and you gripped on for the ride of your life.

Jocks will & the battle for Ewing Oil was probably my favourite story of the entire run, it spawned so much from a simple will reading and really gave them all something to battle over.

 

[Swami]

Seasons 1 - 8 and early season 9 you are pretty much spoilt for choice, once Angelica Nero and her Eurovision Song Contest troupe arrived in season 9 they tarnished the rest of that season. Season 10 was a great season, with virtually all the main cast in situ.

The rot set it once Victoria (amongst others), and was exacerbated by the addition of newbies who knew as much about acting as my backside knows about snipe-shooting.

Swami

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Ellie at the reading of Jock's will "Oh no Jock!" - it just sets up the drama that will follow perfectly

And this scene is even more powerful on rewatch.

Knowing that the battle for Ewing oil will result in many people being killed, and even more lives destroyed.

When you hear Miss Ellie's, "Oh, no, Jock", don't you think of Mickey Trotter, Sue Ellen's car wreck, and Walt Driscoll's life being ruined?

This was a great part of the series. Where you would watch an episode and couldn't wait for the next one to find out what happens next.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

In the context it was such a powerful line, and, of course, even more so in hindsight.

This was my favorite season. Things had consequences and they mattered. For example, the look on SueEllen's face when she catches JR with Holly is heartbreaking because Ms. Gray played the scene so well. She looked really hurt. When JR speaks to her after the car accident, Mr. Hagman conveys JR's spark of humanity. JR truly seemed contrite. There are many other scenes as well throughout the season that are just as wonderful. The cast really did some excellent work.

After Bobby stepped out of the shower, the urgency was gone

 

[Lastkidpicked]

This was my favorite season. Things had consequences and they mattered. For example, the look on SueEllen's face when she catches JR with Holly is heartbreaking because Ms. Gray played the scene so well. She looked really hurt. When JR speaks to her after the car accident, Mr. Hagman conveys JR's spark of humanity. JR truly seemed contrite. There are many other scenes as well throughout the season that are just as wonderful. The cast really did some excellent work.

The acting from the main cast was so good that it is easy to overlook the acting from the supporting players.

Walt Driscol, played by Ben Piazza. Walt was one of the saddest casualties of the battle for Ewing Oil. All he wanted to do was find a way out for his wife after J.R. set up a fake traffic accident as a trap for her. By the end, Walt killed himself (echos of Seth Stone after J.R. bankrupted him).

Mickey Trotter, played by Timothy Patrick Murphy. His scenes are even more compelling when we re-watch, knowing that in real life, the actor died young.

And on a lighter note, Thornton McLeish, played by Kenneth Kimmins. He brought an uncorrupted, optimistic view to the feud. When he rushed into the office to explain that Bobby's wells had come in, he was like a little kid excitedly explaining a dog that followed him home. My favorite part is that everybody else is afraid of J.R., but in his excitement Thornton barely notices him:

"When Bobby invested with us we knew the oil wells would come in, and come in big! What we didn't know was when. And that was crucial to Bobby because of the contest he had with his brother. Hello J.R. Well, things looked pretty grim there for a while, but Bobby was instrumental in persuading Barnes-Wentworth to provide us with a special drill that would solve some problems we had. I want to give Bobby his check for $26 million. The drill bit worked and it was a gusher! We sold out to the majors and this is Bobby's share."

Those supporting players added a lot to this season.

 

[TJames03]

Rebecca’s death was a direct cause of Jock’s will, too.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Rebecca’s death was a direct cause of Jock’s will, too.

Yes. I loved how Jock's will had such far reaching effects. Everyone was affected. Even over on Knots Landing. Abby knew from JR Gary was going to inherit a fortune and planned accordingly.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

Yes. I loved how Jock's will had such far reaching effects. Everyone was affected. Even over on Knots Landing. Abby knew from JR Gary was going to inherit a fortune and planned accordingly.

there was a poll a couple of months ago about who the most important character in the series was, and even though it was a misinterpretation of the intent of the poll (the answer had to be JR or maybe Pam), I did a 'write-in' for Jock. As far as impact on the backstory (and future events), Jock was #1, with Digger and Ellie as #1-A. Until the silly last couple of years, maybe, he loomed over just about every major storyline, sometimes literally via the portrait.

 

[Mustard]

Bobby was dirtier than J.R. during the Battle for Ewing Oil. It was very hypocritical when Bobby was going crazy (along with Punk Anderson) about J.R.'s variance to pump out oil at full capacity. It's none of their business what J.R. was doing, as it was J.R.'s side of the business in the contest. And then late in the contest came Bobby and Ray's holier than thou act in regards to setting up Walt Driscroll by putting two loaded pistols in his briefcase before the big Cuban oil shipment, which started a catastrophic chain of events.

 

[Mustard]

Rebecca’s death was a direct cause of Jock’s will, too.

And the failure of Miss Ellie and Pam to break Jock's will.