Characters which should have been killed off

[stevew]

I chose Jack Ewing. With the return of Bobby and an entire season being wiped from existence I would have used Jack early in the return season to kill him off and his 5% in Ewing Oil being critical in a story arc.

I like it

None of the above.

Garrison should have stayed around longer as his presence at Southfork would have created an interesting dynamic.


I second that emotion!

I agree. If Garrison is going to show up after being assumed dead, bring with him a family and claim to South Fork. But it was the time of self contained episodes so I guess that’s the reason for quick on and quick off.

I would've preferred it if they had killed the Priscilla Presley iteration of Jenna Wade off.

The character seriously grated on me in season ten post Bobby's resurrection and her last few seasons. She also wasn't much better in season nine where I thought she was heading for a straitjacket. The character clearly exhibited a mental instability following Bobby's death but as this season was wrote off as a dream it's neither hear nor there any more.

I just felt the character was redundant once Bobby went back to Pam. Had Bobby gone back to Jenna following Victoria's departure it might've been worth keeping Jenna but since they paired her off with Ray that relationship was nothing but a huge bore with no chemistry between the actors. Jenna spent most of this time whining & feeling sorry for herself. Clearly she still had feelings for Bobby despite her constant whinging throughout season ten. She should've been the one in the car crashing into the tanker instead of poor Pam.

I agree post Lucas’s birth. Bobby takes in Charlie and of course Lucas. Now a single father of 3. Of course I had wanted him to be Charlie’s real father too, another Ewing girl. This would have made a difficult position for Christopher, in the middle.

 

[tommie]

Priscilla Presley was stunt casting simply because of her married name.

She wasn't a bad actress but then she wasn't a good one either.

I liked Priscilla in the Naked Gun movies, but she just wasn't (isn't? I haven't seen her act in decades) a very good dramatic actress. Maybe if they had made Jenna more light-hearted and comedic with PP she might've worked better and maybe provided a real foe to Bobby and Pam as he might want something more relaxed / carefree than high-strung Pam.

 

[Seaviewer]

I chose Jack Ewing. With the return of Bobby and an entire season being wiped from existence I would have used Jack early in the return season to kill him off and his 5% in Ewing Oil being critical in a story arc.

I changed my vote. That's an angle I never thought of. He was never heard from again anyway.

 

[stevew]

I liked Priscilla in the Naked Gun movies, but she just wasn't (isn't? I haven't seen her act in decades) a very good dramatic actress. Maybe if they had made Jenna more light-hearted and comedic with PP she might've worked better and maybe provided a real foe to Bobby and Pam as he might want something more relaxed / carefree than high-strung Pam.

I agree but I think more could have been made of the character if they kept him. I always like the extended family. Seemed more real to me that such would be out there.

 

[MarkDallasAddict]

I feel that Dallas killed off too many characters so I wouldn't have killed off any more of them. I was disappointed when Rebecca died in the plane crash (although it allowed Cliff to inherit her wealth - and Ken Kercheval did an amazing job of portraying Cliff's grief). I didn't like the fact that April was killed, nor the way it was done. Also there was such a lead in to Nicholas Pearce's background and identity, and then he was killed off almost pointlessly. Again I didn't like the fact that Jamie was killed off (once or twice) - I wish they hadn't done that. Kristen getting killed off was a mistake in my view, a waste of a brilliant enemy. I suppose if I had to kill off a character then it would have been Miss Ellie - not because I didn't like her (I loved her and Barbara BG) but the fact that her departure leaving the ranch seemed unrealistic - I'd much rather Miss Ellie and BBG stayed in the show, but if the actress had decided to leave then I think killing off the character would have been more realistic.

 

[Billy Wall]

I suppose if I had to kill off a character then it would have been Miss Ellie - not because I didn't like her (I loved her and Barbara BG) but the fact that her departure leaving the ranch seemed unrealistic - I'd much rather Miss Ellie and BBG stayed in the show, but if the actress had decided to leave then I think killing off the character would have been more realistic.

That’s interesting, but I think Clayton was much more likely to get killed/die off because his character had run its course.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I feel that Dallas killed off too many characters so I wouldn't have killed off any more of them. I was disappointed when Rebecca died in the plane crash (although it allowed Cliff to inherit her wealth - and Ken Kercheval did an amazing job of portraying Cliff's grief). I didn't like the fact that April was killed, nor the way it was done. Also there was such a lead in to Nicholas Pearce's background and identity, and then he was killed off almost pointlessly. Again I didn't like the fact that Jamie was killed off (once or twice) - I wish they hadn't done that. Kristen getting killed off was a mistake in my view, a waste of a brilliant enemy. I suppose if I had to kill off a character then it would have been Miss Ellie - not because I didn't like her (I loved her and Barbara BG) but the fact that her departure leaving the ranch seemed unrealistic - I'd much rather Miss Ellie and BBG stayed in the show, but if the actress had decided to leave then I think killing off the character would have been more realistic.

Very interesting points made! I didn’t like killing off Rebecca either but it did lead to some great drama; Pam taking Christopher and leaving Bobby, Cliff inheriting part of his mother’s fortune, Katherine’s return and her character becoming more important, etc.

I wasn’t really a big fan of Bobby and April together but I didn’t like her being killed off either. I had grown to like April and I just felt so bad for Bobby. Couldn’t this guy ever catch a break?

I never would’ve killed off Kristen as I felt the character still had a lot of value. She could’ve returned sporadically and raised some H for years.

I’m probably in the minority on this one but I liked Nicholas Pearce. He was my mother’s favorite Dallas character, which tells you what she knew about Dallas, but I liked his backstory and the family’s mob ties and the whole witness protection plot. I know it wasn’t something we were used to seeing on Dallas but I did find it interesting. I wouldn’t have killed him off after only one season, as I felt the character had some life left in him.

As for Jamie, I’m not a hater of hers like most are but I think killing her off was probably the right thing at the time. The character had run its course. I think killing a character twice is a good indication that they really don’t have anything for you to do.

I never even considered Miss Ellie being killed off but the more I think about it, the timing would’ve been right. The character was never seen again for one, and secondly the fallout from her death could’ve provided some much needed drama for the final season.

 

[Rove]

I didn’t like killing off Rebecca either but it did lead to some great drama

While it leads to good drama I think killing off Rebecca was short-sighted. Just as her character was becoming embroiled in the Barnes/Ewing fight and her confrontations with Miss Ellie, poor Rebecca was dispensed with. Such a waste when Rebecca's presence would have established 2 seats of power; the Ewing's and the Barnes. As Rebecca informs Miss Ellie, "The rich Ewing's against the poor Barnes's. Well now its even."

Keeping Rebecca could have heightened the drama. Her character is used to get between Clayton and Miss Ellie. This would have made JR smile. More so this would elevate Miss Ellie in a position of fighting multiple fronts; the escalating war between the Ewing and Barnes family and trying to secure her relationship with Clayton.

 

[MarkDallasAddict]

While it leads to good drama I think killing off Rebecca was short-sighted. Just as her character was becoming embroiled in the Barnes/Ewing fight and her confrontations with Miss Ellie, poor Rebecca was dispensed with. Such a waste when Rebecca's presence would have established 2 seats of power; the Ewing's and the Barnes. As Rebecca informs Miss Ellie, "The rich Ewing's against the poor Barnes's. Well now its even."

Keeping Rebecca could have heightened the drama. Her character is used to get between Clayton and Miss Ellie. This would have made JR smile. More so this would elevate Miss Ellie in a position of fighting multiple fronts; the escalating war between the Ewing and Barnes family and trying to secure her relationship with Clayton.

Yes very short sighted to have killed off Rebecca. If you look at shows like Dr Who or Star Trek they have enemies who come back periodically and move on, they never actually kill them off, but they are rested until they are needed again.

I like Priscilla Pointer too. I felt she was a very fine actress and was wonderful to see her picking up the baton in the Barnes Ewing feud.

 

[Chris2]

I think if Rebecca had really tried to get involved in the feud, JR would have made short work of her. Just a little bit of digging would have revealed that she never divorced Digger, making her marriage to Herbert Wentworth invalid. After that, does she really control all the Wentworth assets?

 

[Emelee]

Mandy could have been a great murder victim. Was it JR after she stole some documents from him and gave to the enemy? Was it Sue Ellen after a nasty catfight upon learning of her affair with JR? Two main characters as the main suspects.

 

[Barbara Fan]

With hindsight both Kristin and Rebecca were killed off too soon but at the time it made a great storyline for Dallas but there was certainly a few more storylines they could have both featured in

Same goes for Garrison Southworth, Id like to have seen him team up with Digger and be a thorn in Jock and JRs side. Instead he came home to die and it never merited a mention in the next episode.

 

[Billy Wall]

I think if Rebecca had really tried to get involved in the feud, JR would have made short work of her. Just a little bit of digging would have revealed that she never divorced Digger, making her marriage to Herbert Wentworth invalid. After that, does she really control all the Wentworth assets?

Yes, considering he undoubtedly left it to her in his will

 

[Chris2]

Yep, but if his will stated “to my wife Rebecca” and she wasn’t legally his wife, then that could have set up grounds a legal challenge. We’ve seen multi-million dollar estates tied up in court for lesser reasons.

 

[Billy Wall]

Yep, but if his will stated “to my wife Rebecca” and she wasn’t legally his wife, then that could have set up grounds a legal challenge. We’ve seen multi-million dollar estates tied up in court for lesser reasons.

From who, Katherine? It wouldn’t be JR.

 

[Chris2]

JR used Katherine to split up Bobby and Pam. I could see him using her to tie up Rebecca’s fortune. Especially if it meant hurting Cliff.

 

[Seaviewer]

Barbara BG) but the fact that her departure leaving the ranch seemed unrealistic -

Yes, going from an almost obsessive love of her land to being on permanent European tour was rather unbelievable.

I’m probably in the minority on this one but I liked Nicholas Pearce.

I liked Nicholas. The relationship was more mature than most of Sue Ellen's, and Don Lockwood was certainly no improvement.

 

[Rove]

JR used Katherine to split up Bobby and Pam. I could see him using her to tie up Rebecca’s fortune. Especially if it meant hurting Cliff.

I see your point. JR would have been at his manipulative best if he persuaded Katherine to fight for control of Wentworth Tool & Die. Katherine would then have to face the tough decision to go against her mother or keep Cliff from getting his grubby little hands on the company. Either way this would have heightened the drama involving Rebecca, Cliff, Afton, Pam, Katherine with JR pulling the strings. That would have been fun to watch.

 

[lbf522]

I agree that Ellie traveling Europe when she was obsessive over Southfork was not realistic and that killing her off would have been better. As for Clayton, first of all, he did not belong on Southfork. His arc did not last too long and he overstayed his welcome. He should have stayed on the Southern Cross.

JR finding out that Rebecca did not divorce Digger and that she and Herbert Wentworth were not legally married would have made for a great storyline.

 

[MarkDallasAddict]

With hindsight both Kristin and Rebecca were killed off too soon but at the time it made a great storyline for Dallas but there was certainly a few more storylines they could have both featured in

Same goes for Garrison Southworth, Id like to have seen him team up with Digger and be a thorn in Jock and JRs side. Instead he came home to die and it never merited a mention in the next episode.

Yes Garrison's death was very odd, and I wonder whether in later years the writers regretted killing him off too early as there could have been all sorts of fun to be had with him and his own family. I cannot recall now but was he buried at Southfork or was that not mentioned?