So I Did It.

[Bobby Southworth]

I was recently quarantined for 10 days, and I reluctantly decided to give season 14, a season I haven't watched as much one last chance. Unfortunately, as I anticipated, the verdict is still the same. Thumbs down. What a dreadful and ridiculous season. I couldn't bring myself to watch Conundrum again. When April is killed. the fact that Clayton simply comes back for business, and they decide it's best not to tell Miss Ellie about April at that time..."let her have some peace".. huh? This is so out of character. This to me is on par with the ridiculous way Pam was written out. Then, does it bother anyone how selfish Bobby is during this season. I understand April was killed because of the oil business, but why sell Ewing oil out from JR? Just get out of the oil business yourself, Bobby. Then, in the end when Clayton comes back again without Miss Ellie and hands the deed to Southfork to Bobby, after JR has lost Ewing oil because of Bobby, Bobby won't even share Southfork with him. To me, that's pretty crumby. This season obviously only took place because of money, and the fact they were contracted for one more season. It never should have happened. People remain in the credits the whole year who barely make an appearance, and we are stuck with the worst of the previous season characters, with Bobby, JR, and Cliff. Characters we care nothing about are dominating Southfork and Ewing Oil by the end. This was just sad. Oh, and don't even get me started on the snooze fest of an engagement between JR and Vanessa. If you watch this season, and then go back and watch the previous season, (season 13) it really makes you appreciate how much more like Dallas it still was.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

Thanks for watching Season 14 and giving your opinion. It certainly has a different feel to it than even Season 13. This season is nearly always near the bottom of most fans listings and for understandable reasons. Was there anything you liked about this season?

 

[Bobby Southworth]

I'm probably in the minority, but the kidnapping of April in Paris was done pretty well. Those episodes weren't bad, but I didn't like the end result. You couldn't help but feel bad for Bobby when even Jordan Lee was in on it. JR's last few episodes in the sanitarium weren't terrible. I'm sure most won't agree, but JR bonding with the other patients in the end showed us another side to him. I also liked it when he stuck it to Duke Carlisle for busting James in the card game.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

I'm sure most won't agree, but JR bonding with the other patients in the end showed us another side to him.

I liked that too and that is something the JR of 1978 would never have done. We also saw JR on horseback for the first time since Season 1/the mini series.

 

[Billy Wall]

JR lost Ewing Oil, not Bobby. And Clayton gave him his voting shares in Westar, I believe.

One of my biggest complaints with Bobby after April was killed is that he actually had the nerve to ask her mom is it alright to bury her in Paris and not bring her to the states.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

JR lost Ewing Oil, not Bobby. And Clayton gave him his voting shares in Westar, I believe.

I believe you are correct.

One of my biggest complaints with Bobby after April was killed is that he actually had the nerve to ask her mom is it alright to bury her in Paris and not bring her to the states.

That also infuriated Michelle hence her slapping him at the Oil Barons Club.

 

[Chris2]

I liked how they used Jordan Lee as part of Sheila’s scheme, and his death was probably the best twist/surprise of the season. Other than that, the season stinks, especially when Duffy’s son, a limited acting talent, showed up.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

The sense of family was gone because Barbara Bel Geddes wasn't in it. That's why the season didn't work.

 

[Sarah]

Oh, and don't even get me started on the snooze fest of an engagement between JR and Vanessa.

 

[DallasFanForever]

There are things about the final season I do like. I enjoyed having Susan Lucci on the show, but I think they missed the boat by not giving her at least one scene with Larry. April’s death was unexpected for me. As sad as it was I think it was well written but I did not like Jordan Lee’s role in that storyline. I felt the way they had him acting was way out of character. Obviously without Miss Ellie around this season doesn’t feel like Dallas. I can understand why people would say the asylum storyline made J.R. seem more human but I’m sorry, it just wasn’t the way I wanted to see the character. The humor was overdone, and although I did laugh at some of it comedy was never the reason I watched Dallas. It was obvious the end was near but I kept watching out of loyalty at this point.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

There are things about the final season I do like. I enjoyed having Susan Lucci on the show, but I think they missed the boat by not giving her at least one scene with Larry. April’s death was unexpected for me. As sad as it was I think it was well written but I did not like Jordan Lee’s role in that storyline. I felt the way they had him acting was way out of character. Obviously without Miss Ellie around this season doesn’t feel like Dallas. I can understand why people would say the asylum storyline made J.R. seem more human but I’m sorry, it just wasn’t the way I wanted to see the character. The humor was overdone, and although I did laugh at some of it comedy was never the reason I watched Dallas. It was obvious the end was near but I kept watching out of loyalty at this point.

It was sad the way most of the cast departed the show in this season. I kept hoping Barbara Bel Geddes, Linda Gray and Victoria Principal would come back. Sadly only Linda did in the alternative timeline in Conundrum. I wanted them to come back properly. I also hoped Steve Forrest as Jock might show up too. Sadly the show ended with JR about to shoot himself.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I dont think you could pay me tho watch the final series of Dallas which I call 13 as an original fan at the time

It was Dallas in name only, it had no heart and no soul and there was nothing memorable about it - proof that Larry and Patrick wre NOT Dallas and it was an ensemble show. By then they were phoning in their lines for a fat fee (and at the expense of losing great cast members)

I remember very little about it

other than

April died in paris - break open the champagne and celebrate that one, good riddence Miss Insipid
It had something to do with Jordan Lee - Go Jordan, I always liked you!
Nepotism continued to reign in Dallas and Pat Ds son appeared on a bike (same as Lindas daughter with little / no acting experience!)
Joel Gray appeared in a grey cardigan and red eyes and there was a bang at SF

A very sad end and cast to a once great show, relagated to a sun 3pm slot on BBC and beaten in the ratings by snooker and John Wayne films

I bought the DVD years ago, its still in the cellophane! same as 1-2 of TNT, didnt waste my money on 3!

 

[Barbara Fan]

What a dreadful and ridiculous season.

Absolutely - I have never wathced it again since initial screening and I have no real memory of characters, plots and storylines, Like Pam I hope I dreamt it was all a lie!

 

[Sarah]

I believe you are correct.

That also infuriated Michelle hence her slapping him at the Oil Barons Club.

It is beyond weird to think, as I get older, that I would ever bury a loved one in a different country and fly home without them. You’d want to stay with them the whole way, for their final journey no matter how difficult it was. I really liked April and just found that heartbreaking that she was left alone and buried by a French minister who Bobby probably had no idea what they were saying. It doesn’t make sense either that Amy would allow Bobby to bury her daughter so far away and never see her body.

 

[Karin]

I agree with you Sarah. I can't see myself ever wanting to bury a loved one in a foreign country. When you lose someone it is important to have a funeral to get a proper ending and some closure. So I totally think Bobby deserved that slap from Michelle!

 

[Grangehill1]

I hated season 14 when it first aired on BBC 1 in 1991. I watched it again as part of a rewatch about 5 years ago and was pleasantly surprised. Knowing roughly what was going to happen and watching it at a heightened pace I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone says.

The time frame of the first 4 episodes is truly bizarre. Events that are meant to take place over a few days took a month to reach screens originally. In fact the pacing of the entire season is off. Watching the first few very quickly helps.
Cally is pregnant and also gives birth in a very strange time frame

Theres a lot wrong. The final episode is dire. The penultimate episode actually functions as more or a final episode so you might as well stop watching there.

But there’s an air of finality about the whole thing. A sense of winding down. South fork becoming emptier and emptier. There’s an air of doom. I can’t quite explain it.

it’s not perfect and nowhere near as rewatchable as the early years but once every 10 or years or so I might watch again.

its sooooooo much better than the truly appalling season 11

 

[ChrisEwing2003]

My favorite episode of the season is Fathers and Sons and Fathers and Sons. I thought iwas good seeing the cattle drive as that wasn't done on the series for a while. Bobby was always happiest doing ranching stuff for Southfork.

 

[Seaviewer]

Clayton gave him his voting shares in Westar, I believe.

That may have been the single most ridiculous thing in the entire season. It was always obvious that the voting rights were worthless without the shares themselves. It was a nice surprise seeing Dusty again, but the outcome of the vote could be seen coming a mile off.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

April should've been brought home.

That Bobby decided to bury her in Paris is a black mark against him.

However we really shouldn't be surprised because of the outlandish storylines in this final season.

The writers clearly didn't care any more. They ramped the violence quotient up. Perhaps they hoped Dallas would survive to another season. It didn't but that's largely down to the direction this season was took in, as well as the lame final episode Conundrum. Leonard Katzman was well past his prime by this stage, for Dallas to go on it really needed a new Executive Producer but by this season it was clearly too late to save the show.

I hated season 14 when it first aired on BBC 1 in 1991. I watched it again as part of a rewatch about 5 years ago and was pleasantly surprised. Knowing roughly what was going to happen and watching it at a heightened pace I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone says.

The time frame of the first 4 episodes is truly bizarre. Events that are meant to take place over a few days took a month to reach screens originally. In fact the pacing of the entire season is off. Watching the first few very quickly helps.
Cally is pregnant and also gives birth in a very strange time frame

Theres a lot wrong. The final episode is dire. The penultimate episode actually functions as more or a final episode so you might as well stop watching there.

But there’s an air of finality about the whole thing. A sense of winding down. South fork becoming emptier and emptier. There’s an air of doom. I can’t quite explain it.

it’s not perfect and nowhere near as rewatchable as the early years but once every 10 or years or so I might watch again.

its sooooooo much better than the truly appalling season 11

I watched it for the first time in years last year.

I was pleasantly surprised.

However it's not one of the seasons I would ever automatically reach for to re-watch. The fact that Barbara Bel Geddes is gone is the main reason why I tend not to reach for it, plus the fact that the show itself was a shadow of its former self with most of the characters we cared about gone. No Sue Ellen, no Pam, no Donna, no Ray and no Miss Ellie. Need I say more.

 

[DallasFanForever]

April should've been brought home.

I always wondered about this. It did seem very odd that she didn’t get a funeral in Dallas surrounded by family. Why would she be buried in Europe? And what mother would give her son in law permission to do that?