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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Werewillie Oleson" data-source="post: 157719" data-attributes="member: 8">It's election time and the Ewings are looking for the perfect candidate, well, as long as he can beat Cliff Barnes.Jock has the money and resources to support his candidate's campaign whereas Cliff is scraping by. Although that's not entirely true because he's being approached by a representative of the Big Oil Companies, Mr. Livingstone, who's willing to contribute a fortune (probably more than the money Jock's spending) if that helps Cliff to fight the independent oil industry, a thorn in the side of the conglomerates.[ATTACH=full]15785[/ATTACH]Cliff recognizes the strings attached and refuses their help. His stance on ecological issues appears to be genuine, unlike what we saw in the mini-season when he was so determined to bring down Ewing Oil no-matter-what or how. It's just a (slightly) fluctuating narrative in order to support the upcoming events.Which is his sister Pamela, of course.[ATTACH=full]15786[/ATTACH]Despite her protests (keeping a low profile) he asks her to organize a fundraising fashion show. "How novel", as Sue Ellen put it.In the meantime, the Ewings are prepping their candidate for State Senate, Martin Cole, a dull guy who needs a better speech writer and he also needs to "stop dressing in those tired old man's clothes".[ATTACH=full]15787[/ATTACH]But Jock isn't satisfied yet and he orders JR to find dirt on Cliff Barnes.[ATTACH=full]15788[/ATTACH]"If I can't find it, I'll put it there"."Whatever".It doesn't concern him how it's done, and that's what makes the boss The Boss. He can create a situation and bring out the best or worst in his employees.The body in Cliff's closet- literally and figuratively - surfaces at Southfork, no less. The plotting is so convenient I couldn't help laughing out loud.It starts with JR questioning the nature of the friendship between Cliff and his old pal (now media expert) Peter Larson. He's from New York, which -as per SoapLand rules - means anything's possible.The very idea of this obscenity causes a lot of commotion at the dinner table, Lucy thinks Cliff's too handsome to be gay (oh, gurrrl!) and Pam feels obliged to defend her brother.He's heterosexual because he was engaged but she died! Oh...oops.Cue Kristin Carlson and her film crew as they ambush an unsuspecting Cliff during the rehearsal of the fundraising fashion show.[ATTACH=full]15789[/ATTACH]Pam finds out that her in-laws are using Cliff's tragedy against him and she storms into Jock's office, the Batmobile serves as a dramatic intro.[ATTACH=full]15790[/ATTACH]And there's plenty of drama but it feels a little one-sided and heavy-handed.Neither Jock nor JR seem particularly impressed and Jock raises his hand to express something like "hysterical woman, what can you do?"[ATTACH=full]15791[/ATTACH]which is then immediately and subconsciously mimicked by his son.[ATTACH=full]15792[/ATTACH]It's almost cute.Sue Ellen is getting increasingly interested in Cliff Barnes, actually she's no longer coy about it.[ATTACH=full]15793[/ATTACH]The upcoming affair seems like a soap no-brainer, but to me it looks more than just an affair or physical attraction.I'm not sure if I'd call it revenge either, I think - but maybe I'm reading too much into it  - her husband's nemesis connects her with JR.He's important to JR, more important than his wife, and to be part of that…Anyway, Cliff loses the election and he calls Livingstone. Imagine if he had accepted his initial offer, would that have been the beginning of the end of the Dallas saga?Sometimes, a writer just needs to interfere.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?