1. Katherine prepares Bobby’s lethal injection
Season Seven - "If At First You Don't Succeed"
As a primary school boy, working out whodunit - and why - way ahead of the reveal was a satisfying feeling (even if it was pretty blooming obvious). This was the moment of vindication for me after a long summer of conjecture. Even feeling cautiously certain about who the attempted killer would turn out to be, right down to motive, the reveal still blew me away, thanks to Richard Lewis Warren's frenetic, driving music accompanying the POV shots leading up to that moment of seeing the Angel Of Death in all her vengeful glory. The staging is nothing short of epic and I still find it as exciting all these years later.
2. Digger’s deathbed confession
Season Two - "Jock's Trial - Part II"
The Digger/Ellie/Jock triangle. Jock's murder trial. Pam's Barnes bloodline fuelling the feud. All the threads came together with one shocking admission after another. As endings go this is pretty definitive, and the dialogue is crisp enough to honour that.
3. Jock tells Ellie he loves her and asks her to keep the family together if he should die
Season One - "Bypass"
Jock and Ellie not being the most demonstrative of couples, the underlying discomfort of both having this conversation neither wants to have makes it feel very special. It's certainly one of Jim Davis's finest scenes. And then there's the foreshadowing.
4. Bobby beeps and bows out
Season Seven - "Swan Song"
I may be too young for JFK and Marilyn, but I clearly remember where I was when Bobby Ewing died. The energy in this scene has long reminded me of some
Knots Landing's Daniel restaurant scenes where all the assembled characters attempt to put their personal crises to one side for a particular event, but the tangled webs nevertheless form an atmosphere that wouldn't work as well if they were successful in forgetting their own stuff. It's what great melodrama is all about.
5. Miss Ellie and Dr. Danvers discuss her surgery
Season Two - "Mastectomy - Part I"
Not only a wonderful demonstration of the talent of Barbara Bel Geddes, but also a perfect example of the chemistry Dallas's tertiary characters brought with them. There's a lot going on here: the history between Ellie and Dr Danvers and the delicate balance of friendship and professionalism; Ellie processing life changing information and being given the information by two male characters, all three conscious that they won't fully be able to understand what she is going through. John Zaremba as Dr Danvers quietly gets across his character's understanding of the significance and of his own limitations in this situation. He oozes empathy. It's beautiful.
6. Kristin visits JR after the shooting and taunts him
Season Three - "Nightmare"
"Don't you worry Kristin. When I get out of here you'll get yours."
More foreshadowing. On a number of levels.
^ This actually started out as my #2 choice. That's how tough this round is and how many times I've re-jigged the entries.
7. Sue Ellen gets a cold reception after JR's shooting
Season Three - "No More Mr. Nice Guy - Part I"
"Sick?! You mean drunk! ...Dr Elby hasn't done you a bit of good. You need to be back in that sanitarium."
8. Digger visits Ellie
Season Two - "Mastectomy - Part I"
The wild flowers tell everything about the history of these two and the kind of relationship they once had. There's a beautiful tinge of regret.
9. JR comes to, is asked if he saw who shot him... and turns to look accusingly at his lip tremblin’ wife.
Season Three - "No More Mr. Nice Guy - Part I"
After the Summer of
Dallas and JR's absence for the entire episode the viewer has as much hanging on his first words as the characters. In a skilfully subtle touch that's both genius and agonising, they'll all have to wait a little longer.
10. Mickey asks Ray to pull the plug if it comes to it
Season Six
Given the tempestuous start of their relationship this was quite the journey.
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