Season 10

[Chase Gioberti]

Haven’t watched this since 1987. Three episodes in and it’s shaping up to be a disaster.

It’s like the writers thought the audience got hit on the head during the Dream season.

Everything the writers have the cast members say y is intended to club the audience over the head with a sledgehammer. There’s no shocking reveal because they’re screaming their intentions every week.

in case you hadn’t gotten the message that J.R. Is going to bomb the Saudis with the way everybody is telling him we need to do that, Jeremy Wendell basically says it out loud in episode 3.

Sue Ellen and Mandy - totally out of character, J.R. makes a big deal about some magazine photos at breakfast, in earshot of Sue Ellen. Gee, do you think she might use this to turn J.R. against Mandy?

And why, oh why, doesn’t down and out Jenna just choke slam idiot Pam when Pam shows up on her doorstep in her new slum? Did Pam think they were friends? Did they really need to clear things up? I hate her more each season.

I really, really wish they hadn’t screwed us with the dream season.

At least I don’t hate Jack as much as I did during the dream.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Except for the "I had a dream" opening scene, Season 10 is one of the best three or four years of the show. I'm looking forward to the remastering.

 

[Monzo]

In (West) Germany, Dallas was more successful in the mid-1980s than at the beginning. Seasons 8 & 9 aired back-to-back. When the shower scene aired, magazines had already mentioned the dream solution.

At that time, during the break between seasons 9 & 10, a TV magazine decided to recap the current episode from the USA on a weekly basis. I remember reading those recaps, thinking how bizarre it is (Jock alive?, Ray & Jenna a couple, JR starts a war in middle east?!?). Just from reading it seemed like season 10 was a dream and not season 9. When those episodes finally aired, it was better on tv than on paper.

Season 10 wasn't as good as every previous season, but still better than every subsequent season.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

In (West) Germany, Dallas was more successful in the mid-1980s than at the beginning. Seasons 8 & 9 aired back-to-back. When the shower scene aired, magazines had already mentioned the dream solution.

At that time, during the break between seasons 9 & 10, a TV magazine decided to recap the current episode from the USA on a weekly basis. I remember reading those recaps, thinking how bizarre it is (Jock alive?, Ray & Jenna a couple, JR starts a war in middle east?!?). Just from reading it seemed like season 10 was a dream and not season 9. When those episodes finally aired, it was better on tv than on paper.

Season 10 wasn't as good as every previous season, but still better than every subsequent season.

Season 10 (Bobby is alive) I think is a little underrated. I think that if the producers had continued the Jock is Alive story, it could have led to some great
stories. Jock retakes Ewing Oil, Bobby and JR compete with Jock, Cliff plays both sides against the middle, Jeremy Wendell exploits the
situation, and Miss Ellie would actually have a storyline

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Season Ten is one of my favourites. I absolutely love the Wes Parmalee Jock Ewing storyline.

Steve Forrest is one of my very favourite actors on the show. He has great screen presence just like the late Jim Davis.

 

[Rove]

I'm looking forward to the remastering.

Agreed.

 

[Chase Gioberti]

Ok, maybe it will get better after the first three episodes. The writing in the first three is pretty bad. Hopefully it gets better.

I remember teenage me thinking the end of the BD Calhoun storyline was pretty ridiculous.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

The Wes Parmalee plot is the epicenter of the entire fourteen season program -- it's simply what DALLAS was all about: the ghost of the patriarch's legacy making the Ewing family go all nuts and whatever.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Just as much-reviled guest character Wes Parmalee simply was the heart of DALLAS, demonstrating and exemplifying all the elements that defined that series, indeed much-reviled guest character Lady Ashley Mitchell, portrayed with dazzling incompetence by Ali Mac Graw, absolutely defines DYNASTY and all that that show is.

Wes Parmalee for DALLAS and Lady Ashley Mitchell for DYNASTY represent both series' undiluted zenith.

Ben Stivers/Wes Parmalee brought about a much-delayed crescendo to the disappearance of Jock Ewing, a man dead five years whose remains were never located. Once Parmalee appeared on the scene (and Pam woke up, her lengthy nap having been visually far more pristine than was her apparent return to consciousness -- which somehow made sense) the family and the city of Dallas were divided over his identity, their respective conclusions in the matter largely-based on what was useful to themselves... There was enough red herring tossed-out there by the writers, that the viewer could come to his or her own choices about whether Wes was actually a re-animated Jock Ewing or not, and even feel as if those decisions were self-evident... The audience was conflicted, just as were the Ewings, the actors apparently told different things about Wes' identity, his last-minute confession at the Southfork barbecue to Miss Ellie that he was a fraud nevertheless felt somehow inconclusive, and he disappeared into the mist like a myth in a way not-dissimilar to how Jock once evaporated.

Ultimately, it mattered not whether Wes was Jock. The impact on the family of the very possibilty, how the Ewing patriarch's memory continued to haunt these denizens of Braddock like a homeless Hamlet, was what it was all about.

The family briefly grumbled when Parmalee was gone, certain relatives swore revenge, and then the matter was dropped, never to be mentioned ever again for the program's remaining four years... Immense potential, tremendous brouhaha, and then --- nothing... it's over and gone in a low-resolution video blur like an ambivalent exhale.

A dream within a dream wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma and slathered with Miss Ellie's chili.

What did it all mean? We were never really sure. But it certainly got our attention and left us wanting more and yet less simultaneously.

A monumental mess as big as Texas.

And then there's DYNASTY's Lady Ashley Mitchell... Ashley's high society connections and pretentious references, her "mysterious" backstory, her bumblingly-delicious artificiality, her lack of a storyline despite being there for half a season, her minimalistic dialogue meant to be seductive and insightful and yet not at all, her muted lust for married men and her accepting and/or declining marriage proposals for no discernable reason in relationships no one can possibly believe, her dying graphically yet arbitrarily in a glamorous pile of the living dead. And, of course, she's named after a GWTW character/authoress (a movie the producers covet) which is both blatantly transparent yet so dumb as to achieve paradoxical obliqueness.

Lady Ashley Mitchell quite simply is DYNASTY. No other character quite taps into that vibe as purely and as sincerely in her insincerity.

Ali Mac Graw's casting as Lady Mitchell is at the absolute vortex of All That Is Dynasty --- she's fabulous but fabulously drab, enigmatically ambitious yet pointlessly unfocused; she has nothing to do but sashay around in oddly-macrame-doily couture wardrobe which is intended to convey an avant-garde breeziness and yet she's too stiff to execute that sashaying and chew caviar at the same time. And she's so very, very affected with every breath and gesture that it's virtually unfathomable.

She epitomizes all the series aims for, with exquisite success.

Ali Mac Graw said in an interview during the mid-'80s that her fantasy had always been "to dance for the czars." And I thought that said it all.

Perhaps Lady Ashley and Wes Parmalee were a romantic couple somewhere in some sudsy universe -- he, with his majestic brimstone, and she, stiltedly dissembling while perpetually attempting to sound coy... It has 'spin-off' written all over it. No one would watch it, of course, but that would almost be the point.

 

[Laurie Marr]

Snarky brilliantly summarises one of the reasons Season 10 is a favourite of mine - there are other reasons that I have detailed many times on this site over the years. It was in many respects the best constructed season of them all and the one that really could stand all by itself as a fitting conclusion to the Ewing saga.

 

[the-lost-son]

Season 9 (DVD10) is not my favorite despite the great Wes Parmalee storyline.
It was a much needed change to refocus on the Ewing family but from the very first moment everything starts to look so cheap.

It's not only the much discussed filming technique. It's the wardrobe, the hairstyles and most importantly the cinematography or art direction. (Pam shouldn't have gotten the news about Jenna's baby under a cheap doorway.)

Dallas' best seasons have a central theme like the fight for Ewing Oil or the mourning of Jock. Now we get a great Wes Parmalee storyline which is dropped after episode 14 without any repercussions. Everyone is acting like nothing happened afterwards.
The writing gets increasingly plot-driven, not character-driven anymore.
Prime example is Ray who is mooning over Jenna as Bobby's best man, Pam trying to buy her baby, Clayton attacking JR on the staircase, SueEllen intriguing against Mandy, Jamie dying off screen (without anyone mourning).
Above all we don't get any revelations anymore. Everyone starts to pronounce his/her intentions way before.

There are some plots which I always ast forward:
The B.D. Calhoun storyline is predictable, cheesy and still it lasts forever.
Donna phoning from Wasington all the time is boring.
And these normal people who bring down Ewing Oil are boring, too.

The idea of the Ewing's downfall as a central theme is really good but how great it could have been if Wes Parmalee shows up after a government deal to take Ewing Oil.

But the season had to be closed with a Pam's crash out of nowhere. Again plot- not character-driven.

 

[Laurie Marr]

“And these normal people who bring down Ewing Oil are boring, too.”

I respectfully disagree. It was precisely this plot line in the series that I found to be the most effective. It was rare on Dallas to get a glimpse of the material reality that lies behind all that abstract talk about oil deals and wheeling and dealing. I found it very subversive, dramatic and engaging.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Nice to see some love for the acting abilities of the late Steve Forrest.

He truly was a lovely actor and his tenure on Dallas as the Ewing patriarch returned from the dead was one of the more personal storylines which rocked the Ewing family to it's core.

For some of my colleagues on here who have pointed out why did they do this storyline and not take it anywhere to a satisfying conclusion there is of course a reason for that which is lost in the midst of time. Quite simply although the intentions for Ben/Wes was for him to actually be the Ewing patriarch, I think ultimately the storyline was teasing it's audience to gouge the reaction to having the Ewing patriarch back. As we now know reaction to the storyline was mixed but was mostly in the negative. Viewers didn't want another actor playing the role other than the late Jim Davis. So although both Ben and Wes were really intended to be Jock after all, the Producers ultimately reneged on making him the Ewing patriarch because of a backlash from some of the show's fans.

I've always thought it was a shame the way the storyline was abruptly brought to a close. Steve could've certainly given the role of Jock Ewing just as much gravitas as Jim Davis did but sadly it wasn't to be. Kudos to both actors for their roles on Dallas.

I'm really looking forward to see Dallas Season Ten all remastered and looking beautiful so I can see the late Steve Forrest giving his all as the Ewing patriarch returned from the dead.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

In (West) Germany, Dallas was more successful in the mid-1980s than at the beginning. Seasons 8 & 9 aired back-to-back. When the shower scene aired, magazines had already mentioned the dream solution.

At that time, during the break between seasons 9 & 10, a TV magazine decided to recap the current episode from the USA on a weekly basis. I remember reading those recaps, thinking how bizarre it is (Jock alive?, Ray & Jenna a couple, JR starts a war in middle east?!?). Just from reading it seemed like season 10 was a dream and not season 9. When those episodes finally aired, it was better on tv than on paper.

Season 10 wasn't as good as every previous season, but still better than every subsequent season.

I think Season Ten was the last great season of the show before it lost it's way.

Let's not forget that Season Ten was the final season for both Susan Howard and Victoria Principal.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Nice to see some love for the acting abilities of the late Steve Forrest.

He truly was a lovely actor and his tenure on Dallas as the Ewing patriarch returned from the dead was one of the more personal storylines which rocked the Ewing family to it's core.

For some of my colleagues on here who have pointed out why did they do this storyline and not take it anywhere to a satisfying conclusion there is of course a reason for that which is lost in the midst of time. Quite simply although the intentions for Ben/Wes was for him to actually be the Ewing patriarch, I think ultimately the storyline was teasing it's audience to gouge the reaction to having the Ewing patriarch back. As we now know reaction to the storyline was mixed but was mostly in the negative. Viewers didn't want another actor playing the role other than the late Jim Davis. So although both Ben and Wes were really intended to be Jock after all, the Producers ultimately reneged on making him the Ewing patriarch because of a backlash from some of the show's fans.

I've always thought it was a shame the way the storyline was abruptly brought to a close. Steve could've certainly given the role of Jock Ewing just as much gravitas as Jim Davis did but sadly it wasn't to be. Kudos to both actors for their roles on Dallas.

I'm really looking forward to see Dallas Season Ten all remastered and looking beautiful so I can see the late Steve Forrest giving his all as the Ewing patriarch returned from the dead.

Philip Capice and Peter Dunne may have intended Ben to be Jock, but Katzman and Paulsen didn't.

By the time the episodes where Wes began claiming to be Jock aired, they'd already finished filming them and Forrest was off to Canada to shoot a GUNSMOKE reunion movie, so their dropping the Parmalee plot wasn't due to negative reaction from the audience.

The ambivalent conclusion was probably intentional and, if anything, just made the story more effective.;

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Philip Capice and Peter Dunne may have intended Ben to be Jock, but Katzman and Paulsen didn't.

By the time the episodes where Wes began claiming to be Jock aired, they'd already finished filming them and Forrest was off to Canada to shoot a GUNSMOKE reunion movie, so their dropping the Parmalee plot wasn't due to negative reaction from the audience.

The ambivalent conclusion was probably intentional and, if anything, just made the story more effective.;

Completely wrong as usual but I might've known someone would pop up claiming this yet again!

All right , I can't submit any proof positive to substantiate it but then neither can you! I don't believe that statement issued from David Paulsen.

All I will say is that Wes Parmalee's X Ray's matched Jock's. If Wes was Wyatt Haines his X Ray's shouldn't have, therefore Wes Parmalee had to have been Jock Ewing all along.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Completely wrong as usual but I might've known someone would pop up claiming this yet again!

All right , I can't submit any proof positive to substantiate it but then neither can you! I don't believe that statement issued from David Paulsen.

All I will say is that Wes Parmalee's X Ray's matched Jock's. If Wes was Wyatt Haines his X Ray's shouldn't have, therefore Wes Parmalee had to have been Jock Ewing all along.

"Proof"? It's fiction.

There were two sets of producers working on the Ben/Wes storyline, and they didn't agree on many things -- and a fan's wishful thinking doesn't solidify anything.

The episodes where Wes began claiming to be Jock started airing in the States in October 1986, and they'd just finished up filming the plotline by then. So they couldn't have been reacting to viewer disapproval over it.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

"Proof"? It's fiction.

There were two sets of producers working on the Ben/Wes storyline, and they didn't agree on many things -- and a fan's wishful thinking doesn't solidify anything.

The episodes where Wes began claiming to be Jock started airing in the States in October 1986, and they'd just finished up filming the plotline by then. So they couldn't have been reacting to viewer disapproval over it.

Okay! Let's agree to disagree, you believe what you want & I'll believe the facts!

As I said, if Wes Parmalee was Wyatt Haines his X ray's should NOT have matched Jock Ewing's.

The fact that the X Ray's did match Jock's speaks volumes, I'm only sorry you can't see it.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Okay! Let's agree to disagree, you believe what you want & I'll believe the facts!

As I said, if Wes Parmalee was Wyatt Haines his X ray's should NOT have matched Jock Ewing's.

The fact that the X Ray's did match Jock's speaks volumes, I'm only sorry you can't see it.

But it's fiction. We're discussing the idea that Wes may or may not have been Jock --- and I kind of like to think he was.... but there are no "facts" other than what the writers presented to us, and various red-herring scenarios were also explained away (somewhat) so the viewers could make up their own minds.

This is DALLAS, not the Kennedy assassination -- and even that's up for debate.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

But it's fiction. We're discussing the idea that Wes may or may not have been Jock --- and I kind of like to think he was.... but there are no "facts" other than what the writers presented to us, and various red-herring scenarios were also explained away (somewhat) so the viewers could make up their own minds.

This is DALLAS, not the Kennedy assassination -- and even that's up for debate.

I'm fed up arguing with you, let's just drop it