Why didn't Patrick & VP leave together?

pete lashmar

pete lashmar

Telly Talk Addict
We know that Patrick wanted to leave and did, and we know VP had told Lorimar that she would be going after season 10, but what Lorimar should have done was discuss it with them both so they could leave at the same time.

Did VP ever tell PD when she wanted to go? Did PD discuss his leaving with VP?

Yes we know PD came back, but having them leave together, mirroring their very first scene as they drive away, would have been a perfect end for them.

PD could still have come back for deals etc when he decided to return to the show, but viewers would have had the happy ending they wanted.

No dreams, no schemes, just perfect.
 
the-lost-son

the-lost-son

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
I feel the same. Bobby/Pam were one of the show's foundations. Their Romeo/Juliet storyline spaning 8/9 years.
Shakespeare didn't write Romeo and Juliet Part II for a reason. They managed to portray this image of an everlasting love despite all interference in this sometimes toxic environment.

It's impossible to recreate that magic with one character left over. The audience felt that and that's why April and all the other love interests (including Jenna btw) are having a hard time here around.

Bobby&Pam leaving together is the only sensible thing to do on the one hand... but the another foundation of Dallas JR vs. Bobby (Cain vs. Able) would habe been closed as well consequently leaving the show more and more without its core.

VP was willing to appear in the last Dallas episode in 1991 if it would have been guaranteed to be the last episode. As constantly discussed over the years it was her right not to appear in TNT Dallas. But if the last two minutes of the show had been VP knocking at Southfork's door... that would have been awesome.

But if you stop watching after season 9 (DVD10) your version is the real one (in my mind at least).
 
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Sarah

Sarah

Moderator Emerita
Unless there was a solid friendship - which there wasn’t here - Patrick wouldn’t give up one of the best tv jobs in the world to leave with Victoria. He didn’t have that sort of loyalty to her - very few actors would do that for another. The only way it would work would be to write them both out at the same time with no wiggle room for return for either. Not having one hold the cards over the other, so to speak.
 
Jock's Ghost

Jock's Ghost

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Again, one of the multitude of better exits than what we got....
Katherine could have returned and been the Barnes version of JR, picking fights with him.
 
Laurie!

Laurie!

Telly Talk Fan
Sarah said:
Unless there was a solid friendship - which there wasn’t here - Patrick wouldn’t give up one of the best tv jobs in the world to leave with Victoria. He didn’t have that sort of loyalty to her - very few actors would do that for another. The only way it would work would be to write them both out at the same time with no wiggle room for return for either. Not having one hold the cards over the other, so to speak.
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What does friendship have to do with anything? Larry and Patrick were supposedly friends with Linda and they didn't leave when Linda was let go or even threaten to.
 
K

Karin

Moderator
Staff Member
I think if it's one thing Dallas lacks it's a good ending. Maybe in a way it's a blessing since if the show had been nicely resolved would we still be here 30 years later discussing it?

Maybe we would, maybe we wouldn't.

Anyway I do think it's a shame that Dallas, which was considered the most popular drama series in the world at one point in the 1980s didn't get a great ending. So maybe it would have been better if they had done like with Friends (1994-2004), decide on a time to go out on top before the original cast members left the show. Obviously I don't mean Jim Davis since his death was unavoidable and naturally Dallas couldn't end in 1981 as it did have a lot of life left in it at that point.
 
D

DallasFanForever

Telly Talk Supreme
It would’ve been nice if Bobby and Pam could’ve somehow been written out together hypothetically speaking. I would’ve loved to have seen them have their well deserved happy ending.

However, tragedy is a very real part of life. And part of the appeal of Bobby and Pam for me is that they were also a very tragic couple. Their chemistry at times was even better when they were apart in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer them together but I also feel that their tragic ending is part of who they are. The proverbial black cloud was always hanging over their heads when they were together, and Pam’s accident may sadly be what defines them. Every time they were so close to finally having their happy ending, something tore it away.
 
Barbara Fan

Barbara Fan

Admin
I wouldnt want them to leave together as Pam had some great storylines without Bobby, and the show survived (unlike Duffys film career which never got off the ground) but part of Dallas died when VP left as she was the link to the storylines of the Barnes Ewing Hisory, past, present and future

I absolutley loved Pam and Bobby together but I also loved Pam with Mark and enjoyed their wedding at end of s8 original dream season

Pam or I should say Victoria Principal told Terry Wogan in 1984 that she would fulfil the terms of her contract but wouldnt necessarily go on with the show - she also said she preferred early Pam who had a bit more fire. I also admire her for not accepting the mega bucks they offered her to stay and for sticking with her principals that she couldnt be bought by $$$$ and that her mind was made up

Patrick Duffy told Wogan in 1985 that he was out and wouldnt be coming back!!! But we know different............................;)
 
Billy Wall

Billy Wall

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Barbara Fan said:
I wouldnt want them to leave together as Pam had some great storylines without Bobby, and the show survived (unlike Duffys film career which never got off the ground) but part of Dallas died when VP left as she was the link to the storylines of the Barnes Ewing Hisory, past, present and future

I absolutley loved Pam and Bobby together but I also loved Pam with Mark and enjoyed their wedding at end of s8 original dream season

Pam or I should say Victoria Principal told Terry Wogan in 1984 that she would fulfil the terms of her contract but wouldnt necessarily go on with the show - she also said she preferred early Pam who had a bit more fire. I also admire her for not accepting the mega bucks they offered her to stay and for sticking with her principals that she couldnt be bought by $$$$ and that her mind was made up

Patrick Duffy told Wogan in 1985 that he was out and wouldnt be coming back!!! But we know different............................;)
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It seems as if some on here get mad at her for that. I respect her for sticking to her guns. And I agree, the early Pam was far more interesting.
 
Crimson

Crimson

Telly Talk Star
Billy Wall said:
It seems as if some on here get mad at her for that.
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Yeah I have often sensed an undercurrent of resentment towards VP for not being willing to spend the rest of her life endlessly talking about a job she did 4 decades ago. She did her job well for 9 years and then moved on with her life.

I don't think DALLAS fell apart because she left, but her timing was prescient; she bailed out just as the quality was about to drop off a cliff.
 
Sarah

Sarah

Moderator Emerita
Crimson said:
Yeah I have often sensed an undercurrent of resentment towards VP for not being willing to spend the rest of her life endlessly talking about a job she did 4 decades ago. She did her job well for 9 years and then moved on with her life.

I don't think DALLAS fell apart because she left, but her timing was prescient; she bailed out just as the quality was about to drop off a cliff.
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But it works both ways. The hatred and resentment shown to the main 3 because they DO choose to talk about it and because they stayed involved in Dallas is out of order. Most of the resentment is aimed at them as if they should have asked Victoria’s permission or something. It’s especially apparent when she isn’t invited to something and they attend. It’s really sad actually. I’ve never understood why if people have that much resentment to L L and P in particular, why they even bother hanging around once V leaves.
 
C

Chris2

Telly Talk Dream Maker
I wish we could have gotten writing for the early Pam married to the improved acting skills Victoria showed in her last few years on the show.
 
Laurie Marr

Laurie Marr

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Apart from that iconic arrival, cars were not kind to Bobby’s brood: he was killed by one and his wife and son met their end in one. And that’s quite apart from the car race episode of the TNT iteration. That plumbed hitherto unimaginable depths of horror…..
 
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
It's all to do with the actors individual contracts. It would be very unlikely for both Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal to leave the show together. :)
 
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