Dallas-1978 Original Recipe!

[GHScorpiosRule]

Since we now have full forums again, thought it would be a good idea to start one for the original show; since the single thread we had was for the original and the horrid recontinuation. 

I'm up to season 6 and am so sad at the break up of Bobby and Pam's marriage. What a sad waste that the strong woman, who knew who her husband was and wanted him to become an executive at Ewing Oil, instead of its pimp, turned into a weak, confused (ALWAYS CONFUSED!), contradictory person, who resented Bobby's late ambition to fight and win control of Ewing Oil. And wanting a family away from that. Since when? Then of course, turning to others when he wouldn't change to her satisfaction and demands. Not to say Bobby didn't have his own faults; he did. But Pam was worse. But I still always wanted them together. The show found that actress who looked enough like Victoria, to play Pam's doppelganger; why not just recast her as Pam? Since she did play Pam when telling Cliff, she fell in wuv with her doctor and didn't want her child or Christopher. Because of course, like Mark the lech and disgusting Graison, she was dying. Victoria leaves the season Patrick came back! And I remember from the E! True Hollywood Story, the still of her so happy and excited when she saw the cut, that instead of John Beck's  Mark, it was Patrick's Bobby, who turned around with the "Good Morning." But then she left. Did they have to burn her entire body like that?

Anyhoo, I also hated the retcon of one Jenna Wade. From the scheming, mistress of any powerful man she could land with Morgan Fairchild's origin; to the second recast, who was now a successful interior designer who got along with Naldo and their custody arrangement; but with Priscilla Presley's casting, she's suddenly a broke waitress, but lives in a very nice condo? And she's so naive to the shenanigans of JR? Shown when  Bobby was shot? PLEASE.

In the reunion show, when they showed the clip of season 8's finale, I never noticed how Pam wasn't wearing her new wedding ring--that should have told ALL of us what ended up happening: season 8 was a DREAM. But the show never did follow up on Katherine, because we know she was the one who framed Jenna for Naldo's murder and was shown stalking Bobby before the night he proposed to Pam again.

I'm going to also create a thread for the reunion movies, including Dallas: The Early Years.

Edited March 5 by GHScorpiosRule

[AgathaC]

On 3/5/2024 at 1:56 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Since we now have full forums again, thought it would be a good idea to start one for the original show; since the single thread we had was for the original and the horrid recontinuation. 

I'm up to season 6 and am so sad at the break up of Bobby and Pam's marriage. What a sad waste that the strong woman, who knew who her husband was and wanted him to become an executive at Ewing Oil, instead of its pimp, turned into a weak, confused (ALWAYS CONFUSED!), contradictory person, who resented Bobby's late ambition to fight and win control of Ewing Oil. And wanting a family away from that. Since when? Then of course, turning to others when he wouldn't change to her satisfaction and demands. Not to say Bobby didn't have his own faults; he did. But Pam was worse. But I still always wanted them together. The show found that actress who looked enough like Victoria, to play Pam's doppelganger; why not just recast her as Pam? Since she did play Pam when telling Cliff, she fell in wuv with her doctor and didn't want her child or Christopher. Because of course, like Mark the lech and disgusting Graison, she was dying. Victoria leaves the season Patrick came back! And I remember from the E! True Hollywood Story, the still of her so happy and excited when she saw the cut, that instead of John Beck's  Mark, it was Patrick's Bobby, who turned around with the "Good Morning." But then she left. Did they have to burn her entire body like that?

Anyhoo, I also hated the retcon of one Jenna Wade. From the scheming, mistress of any powerful man she could land with Morgan Fairchild's origin; to the second recast, who was now a successful interior designer who got along with Naldo and their custody arrangement; but with Priscilla Presley's casting, she's suddenly a broke waitress, but lives in a very nice condo? And she's so naive to the shenanigans of JR? Shown when  Bobby was shot? PLEASE.

In the reunion show, when they showed the clip of season 8's finale, I never noticed how Pam wasn't wearing her new wedding ring--that should have told ALL of us what ended up happening: season 8 was a DREAM. But the show never did follow up on Katherine, because we know she was the one who framed Jenna for Naldo's murder and was shown stalking Bobby before the night he proposed to Pam again.

I'm going to also create a thread for the reunion movies, including Dallas: The Early Years.

I hated the way they wrote Pam out! It just didn’t make sense to me at all. But I ran hot and cold on Pam (thanks, largely, to inconsistent writing). When she was weepy and needy and a basket case, I couldn’t stand her. But feisty, independent, kick-ass Pam was awesome.

Similarly, cool, scheming Jenna was interesting and could have made a fun addition. But the PP version was pathetic. One of those characters I felt like I was supposed to root for, but instead I couldn’t wait for her to get off my screen.

Don’t even get me started on her being coy about Charlie’s paternity (a move more suited to OG Jenna than “poor heroine” Jenna) or on her relationship with Ray. I sensed no chemistry there. It felt more like “hmm, Ray’s single, Jenna’s single, we’ve got them each for another season. Let’s hook ‘em up!”

Edited March 26 by AgathaC

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, AgathaC said:

Don’t even get me started on her being coy about Charlie’s paternity (a move more suited to OG Jenna than “poor heroine” Jenna)

Especially since, when Pam demanded, in Season 2, in her first appearance-Was Charlie Bobby's child. And she emphatically admitted, No, she was not. Which upset Bobby and he left her condo, followed by Pam, who admitted she came to fight for him.

They can't even use the excuse that it was in the mini-series pilots, because it wasn't. And then again, when the second recast came along, she admitted what a good father Naldo was, and that they had a good custody arrangement.

But, plot must plot, so now Naldo was an abuser; she never told him about Charlie; she's broke. And the paternity of Charlie is back up in the air.

And Ray, while he has his good moments, is a cheating cheater who always cheats.

Edited March 26 by GHScorpiosRule

[AgathaC]

5 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Especially since, when Pam demanded, in Season 2, in her first appearance-Was Charlie Bobby's child. And she emphatically admitted, No, she was not. Which upset Bobby and he left her condo, followed by Pam, who admitted she came to fight for him.

They can't even use the excuse that it was in the mini-series pilots, because it wasn't. And then again, when the second recast came along, she admitted what a good father Naldo was, and that they had a good custody arrangement.

But, plot must plot, so now Naldo was an abuser; she never told him about Charlie; she's broke. And the paternity of Charlie is back up in the air.

And Ray, while he has his good moments, is a cheating cheater who always cheats.

Yeah, the whiplash on Naldo annoyed me. Jenna 2.0 specifically said Charlie was visiting Naldo in Italy.

And, Ray… He was capable of being a good guy, but his insecurities really got to him. Completely incapable of being faithful.

It kind of cracked me up that the only member of the younger Ewing generation to be raised by his natural parents was John Ross.

Lucy: her grandparents

Christopher: adopted by Bobby and Pam

Lucas: real mom, but acting father was his bio half-uncle

Margaret: bio mom and stepdad senator

[GHScorpiosRule]

You can probably find this on YouTube because it wasn’t included in the blooper reel in the reunion show, but it made me 😂😂😂😂.

It was well known that Larry and Patrick were the practical jokers on set. In the second season finale, where SueEllen crashed her car and was in the hospital? And JR is at her bedside, telling Bobby how much he loved her, and why he hurt her so much, and that she had to live? The camera kept rolling as Patrick and Larry started singing some silly song, to see how long Linda would last before she cracked up laughing.😂😂😂😂

[AgathaC]

On 3/30/2024 at 2:07 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

You can probably find this on YouTube because it wasn’t included in the blooper reel in the reunion show, but it made me 😂😂😂😂.

It was well known that Larry and Patrick were the practical jokers on set. In the second season finale, where SueEllen crashed her car and was in the hospital? And JR is at her bedside, telling Bobby how much he loved her, and why he hurt her so much, and that she had to live? The camera kept rolling as Patrick and Larry started singing some silly song, to see how long Linda would last before she cracked up laughing.😂😂😂😂

Yep, I’ve seen that one! It’s hilarious. They obviously had some good times.

We just finished our series re-watch. Fun, but, boy is that last season depressing.

Edited April 1 by AgathaC

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Yep, I’ve seen that one! It’s hilarious. They obviously had some good times.

We just finished our series re-watch. Fun, but, boy is that last season depressing.

They really did. And I also learned that Jim Davis was sick much earlier than I thought. He was actually diagnosed around season 2, when filming the episode where Jock, JR, Bobby, and Ray go hunting. They all thought it was the heat-because it was HOT, but that wasn't the case. And bless him, he stuck with the show until the very end, because the cast was his FAMILY.

I'm still on season 10. I had issues with the defective dvds, and ordered it again from a different seller. So will probably pick it up again in a day or so.

It just sunk in quality after Pam left; then SueEllen two seasons later. And then the infection of mob stories, Jordan Lee murdered the way he was, and UGH.

[AgathaC]

48 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It just sunk in quality after Pam left; then SueEllen two seasons later. And then the infection of mob stories, Jordan Lee murdered the way he was, and UGH.

There was hardly anyone left by the end. Big, mostly empty house. They filled it up a bit for a while with James and his family/drama, but I didn’t really give a damn about him or his long-lost wife (whom I found utterly annoying) and baby.

And Jordan Lee. No. In some ways, I always thought of him and the Cartel as sort of comic relief. I chuckled when they popped up. What they did with him just felt way, WAY too dark.

Then there’s talking about Miss Ellie like she was some delicate flower or a crystal flute glass or something instead of the tough ranch woman she really was. No, can’t tell her bad news. She might fall apart. I had some issues with Miss Ellie from time to time, but she wasn’t delicate.

But then these are the people who frequently turned spitfire Pam into a weepy basket case, so…

My husband insisted on finishing the series. I lobbied to just stop before JR entered the asylum (I hate those kinds of stories — people trapped). The show was already deteriorating before that, but it didn’t feel so dark and depressing.

[GHScorpiosRule]

33 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

Then there’s talking about Miss Ellie like she was some delicate flower or a crystal flute glass or something instead of the tough ranch woman she really was. No, can’t tell her bad news. She might fall apart. I had some issues with Miss Ellie from time to time, but she wasn’t delicate.

This subplot absolutely infuriated me when used during the end of season 7-when Clayton took her away, because she couldn't "deal" with Bobby and JR fighting, or whatever. EXCUUUUUSE ME? The same Ellie Southworth who used a bullwhip to Jock to make him come to heel? The same strong woman who threatened and got Ray and the other ranch hands to run off the media when Bobby and JR were presumed dead? Oh, Please. And then with the recast, Miss Ellie was made even more weak and delicate. Donna Reed was just the wrong choice. They should have directed her to be stronger.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'm having the WORST luck with the season 10 DVD. Or maybe it's prophetic because it's Victoria and Susan's last season? I dunno. But every single DVD set I've bought and returned, has a defective disc! Yeah, yeah,  I know it's on FreeVee, but it's a square box and has ads!

But since I'm halfway through, let me post my thoughts about the most RIDONKUOUS plot. Or the two. Look, it's 1986. They're were divorced couples who had children with other significant others. But, MY GOD. The way Pam kept losing her shit, getting all overprotective over Christopher, was just beyond the pale. It's like she didn't want Lucas (soon to be born) to exist. What if Pam hadn't blown up and did get pregnant? What...wait. I forgot. They had that conversation with Christopher. But still. You would think there was no such thing as blended families.

Now y'all know that I'm a Bobby/Pam shipper; couldn't STAND Jenna. I get her anger was just as gobsmacked when Pam asked if she would give up her baby and let her and Bobby adopt it to raise. Like...WHAAAAT????!!!!!

That said, her anger and bitterness toward Bobby was just too extreme. She was treating Bobby as if he was Naldo; threatening Bobby that he would never, ever, ever know his child or see him or her. You would think he dumped her because she got pregnant or something. And she is one to talk with her history-and what she did about Charlie. I know it's Plot! But if she had trusted Bobby and told him that Naldo had taken Charlie, then they probably would have gotten married. And it was HER idea to put the stops on getting married, to take some time and think. So shut up.

I really resented, even as a teen, how they suddenly turned Jenna into this blue collar, poor, doesn't have money woman to look all dog in the manger compared to Pam. And she, Jenna quickly latched on to Ray, didn't she?

And speaking of Ray, he can take a gazillion, million seats and STFU about Bobby and Pam remarrying. As if Bobby knew Jenna was pregnant. He was panting after her as well. So STFU. And when Jenna told Donna that Ray was "an attractive man" I just went EWWWW. No, he's not. But he did have a great body. Blech.

I wonder if Victoria planned on leaving after this season. Because  I remember the original E! True Hollywood story, when Patrick was talking about the shower scene, and that she didn't know. And they showed a still of her laughing and excited when she saw the cut.

Because this season? She turned into a pathetic, whiny, needy, overprotective, insecure fool. And for all the seasons up until this one, she always had GREAT hair (well, except for that hideous perm in '81), which I envied. But this season? It looked like a fried mess of a wig. They couldn't even bother to find a wig that was close to the thick, curling mass her hair was when she and Bobby got married in New Orleans.

And Susan Howard just seemed to have just slept her way through this last season. She had one note-morose speaking. Well, except for when she was voted to be the independents' spokesperson.

I'd forgotten how much I loathed April. She was like Katherine without the crazy. Even if she redeemed herself, and Bobby was able to look past the fact that she boinked JR (which, ewww. and WHYYYYY BOBBY???) I'd rather he get together with Phyllis.

But I didn't care how sucky this season was-because Patrick Duffy/Bobby was BACK.

And he looked soooo good! And he returns, only to suffer the tragedy of his parents' murder a few months later.

I really liked what they did with Sue Ellen becoming a businesswoman.

But my God, was Charlie an entitled BRAT.

So I'm trying, for the THIRD time, to get a DVD set that is NOT defective!

[AgathaC]

On 4/8/2024 at 3:50 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

I'm having the WORST luck with the season 10 DVD. Or maybe it's prophetic because it's Victoria and Susan's last season? I dunno. But every single DVD set I've bought and returned, has a defective disc! Yeah, yeah,  I know it's on FreeVee, but it's a square box and has ads!

But since I'm halfway through, let me post my thoughts about the most RIDONKUOUS plot. Or the two. Look, it's 1986. They're were divorced couples who had children with other significant others. But, MY GOD. The way Pam kept losing her shit, getting all overprotective over Christopher, was just beyond the pale. It's like she didn't want Lucas (soon to be born) to exist. What if Pam hadn't blown up and did get pregnant? What...wait. I forgot. They had that conversation with Christopher. But still. You would think there was no such thing as blended families.

Now y'all know that I'm a Bobby/Pam shipper; couldn't STAND Jenna. I get her anger was just as gobsmacked when Pam asked if she would give up her baby and let her and Bobby adopt it to raise. Like...WHAAAAT????!!!!!

That said, her anger and bitterness toward Bobby was just too extreme. She was treating Bobby as if he was Naldo; threatening Bobby that he would never, ever, ever know his child or see him or her. You would think he dumped her because she got pregnant or something. And she is one to talk with her history-and what she did about Charlie. I know it's Plot! But if she had trusted Bobby and told him that Naldo had taken Charlie, then they probably would have gotten married. And it was HER idea to put the stops on getting married, to take some time and think. So shut up.

I really resented, even as a teen, how they suddenly turned Jenna into this blue collar, poor, doesn't have money woman to look all dog in the manger compared to Pam. And she, Jenna quickly latched on to Ray, didn't she?

And speaking of Ray, he can take a gazillion, million seats and STFU about Bobby and Pam remarrying. As if Bobby knew Jenna was pregnant. He was panting after her as well. So STFU. And when Jenna told Donna that Ray was "an attractive man" I just went EWWWW. No, he's not. But he did have a great body. Blech.

I wonder if Victoria planned on leaving after this season. Because  I remember the original E! True Hollywood story, when Patrick was talking about the shower scene, and that she didn't know. And they showed a still of her laughing and excited when she saw the cut.

Because this season? She turned into a pathetic, whiny, needy, overprotective, insecure fool. And for all the seasons up until this one, she always had GREAT hair (well, except for that hideous perm in '81), which I envied. But this season? It looked like a fried mess of a wig. They couldn't even bother to find a wig that was close to the thick, curling mass her hair was when she and Bobby got married in New Orleans.

And Susan Howard just seemed to have just slept her way through this last season. She had one note-morose speaking. Well, except for when she was voted to be the independents' spokesperson.

I'd forgotten how much I loathed April. She was like Katherine without the crazy. Even if she redeemed herself, and Bobby was able to look past the fact that she boinked JR (which, ewww. and WHYYYYY BOBBY???) I'd rather he get together with Phyllis.

But I didn't care how sucky this season was-because Patrick Duffy/Bobby was BACK.

And he looked soooo good! And he returns, only to suffer the tragedy of his parents' murder a few months later.

I really liked what they did with Sue Ellen becoming a businesswoman.

But my God, was Charlie an entitled BRAT.

So I'm trying, for the THIRD time, to get a DVD set that is NOT defective!

*small voice* I didn’t mind April and hated the way they got rid of her. *small voice*
That said, YES to everything you said.

Clingy, over-protective Pam got on my last nerve. I joked to my husband that it may have been good for Christopher that she took off.

I hated Jenna, but I was fully on her side with Pam’s offer to take the baby. HUH?!?!! Who does that?!?

But her treatment of Bobby about the baby was ridiculous. He didn’t do anything wrong, for Pete’s sake.

As for hooking her up with Ray — ugh. That was so obviously “Hmm. We’re putting Bobby back with Pam and we’re dropping Donna to save on salaries. Hey! Let’s put Ray and Jenna together.”

I often felt Ray was one of those weathervane characters — he’d twist around to suit whatever role they needed him to fill. I wasn’t a fan. Vastly preferred Donna, who I felt was one of the few female characters written decently and consistently.

I loved competent, business woman Sue Ellen. I also appreciated her (rather nicely) pointing out to Pam that she was spoiling and babying Christopher.

Ugh. Charlie. I make some allowances given all she went through (who’s my daddy? My mom’s in prison. I live at Southfork. Now I live in a dump. Bobby’s going to be my dad. Now he’s not.) But she was still extremely unpleasant.

Edited April 11 by AgathaC

[GHScorpiosRule]

6 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

But her treatment of Bobby about the baby was ridiculous. He didn’t do anything wrong, for Pete’s sake.

So much THIS. And her insistence that "my CHILD!" will NOT have a grandmother. Bitch, by blood alone, Lucas IS Miss Ellie's grandchild! And what happened to doing it all on your own? And then her jealousy over Donna having the baby and, the HORRORS! Ray actually going to see his baby girl?

Charlie just seemed so fickle; clinging and loving Bobby, then latching onto and pushing Ray onto her mama, etc. Bobby, who?

Then that whole stupid terrorist subplot. Like the CIA ever comes to individual ordinary citizens; or that Wendell nonsense. And CIA should have arrested Mrs. Scottfield, who used Wendell's money to glam it up! It WAS her HUSBAND that torched the field. Dumb Bitch.

But this subplot contradicts what others have said about Miss Ellie blindly supporting JR, or even Bobby against all others/outsiders. After hearing about Calhoun, and the consequences, she said "no more".

And Clayton's acting like an idiot. He's got a fucking BLOCKAGE in his heart-so instead of listening to the doctor, he pushes himself, almost guaranteeing another heart attack/even dying.

I loved the five minutes we got of Jack. I wish he had remained. He was a viable and rootable character. And Dack Rambo was so easy on the eyes. I would have loved to have seen a friendship with him and Bobby.

I wonder if he worked out a deal so that he would show up in the credits, while Jenilee Harrison did not. Even for measly five minutes in each episode, he was shown in the opening credits.

I do remember that in season 11 (I have to wait to watch that and the unexplained return of Katherine and why she wasn't arrested and thrown in jail for jumping bail/attempted murder of Bobby), Bobby works to get the Ewing Oil name and company back.

I think Carter Mackay shows up? or is that in Season 12? Anyway, I finished watching 10 on stupid FreeVee, which, by the way, kept freezing and would stop playing, so I had to go back and resume playing. I have ANOTHER season 10 arriving today, so will put in the discs that were defective from the other one (can't return it cuz I got it on ebay-don't understand why we can't return when they're fucking defective), and hopefully, discs 2 and 3 are clean and I'll swap them out.

I hate that this show is listed as available on Prime Video-it's not. Prime, to me, is the unedited, ad-free version, like other shows. NOT FreeVee!

I also couldn't stand the SORAS'd Christopher. Whiny little twerp. Taking his dad's REAL gun?????!!!!!!

I really liked the original baby. And the way he said "Yes!" before he was recast in the Dream Season. Omri is such a better actor than this twerp.

[AgathaC]

12 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

So much THIS. And her insistence that "my CHILD!" will NOT have a grandmother. Bitch, by blood alone, Lucas IS Miss Ellie's grandchild! And what happened to doing it all on your own? And then her jealousy over Donna having the baby and, the HORRORS! Ray actually going to see his baby girl?

Charlie just seemed so fickle; clinging and loving Bobby, then latching onto and pushing Ray onto her mama, etc. Bobby, who?

Then that whole stupid terrorist subplot. Like the CIA ever comes to individual ordinary citizens; or that Wendell nonsense. And CIA should have arrested Mrs. Scottfield, who used Wendell's money to glam it up! It WAS her HUSBAND that torched the field. Dumb Bitch.

But this subplot contradicts what others have said about Miss Ellie blindly supporting JR, or even Bobby against all others/outsiders. After hearing about Calhoun, and the consequences, she said "no more".

And Clayton's acting like an idiot. He's got a fucking BLOCKAGE in his heart-so instead of listening to the doctor, he pushes himself, almost guaranteeing another heart attack/even dying.

I loved the five minutes we got of Jack. I wish he had remained. He was a viable and rootable character. And Dack Rambo was so easy on the eyes. I would have loved to have seen a friendship with him and Bobby.

I wonder if he worked out a deal so that he would show up in the credits, while Jenilee Harrison did not. Even for measly five minutes in each episode, he was shown in the opening credits.

I do remember that in season 11 (I have to wait to watch that and the unexplained return of Katherine and why she wasn't arrested and thrown in jail for jumping bail/attempted murder of Bobby), Bobby works to get the Ewing Oil name and company back.

I think Carter Mackay shows up? or is that in Season 12? Anyway, I finished watching 10 on stupid FreeVee, which, by the way, kept freezing and would stop playing, so I had to go back and resume playing. I have ANOTHER season 10 arriving today, so will put in the discs that were defective from the other one (can't return it cuz I got it on ebay-don't understand why we can't return when they're fucking defective), and hopefully, discs 2 and 3 are clean and I'll swap them out.

I hate that this show is listed as available on Prime Video-it's not. Prime, to me, is the unedited, ad-free version, like other shows. NOT FreeVee!

Yes!!

I’m someone who wasn’t always a big fan of Miss Ellie. Half the time, she would stand up and give JR what for, only to backtrack. But that’s just my perception from when we were watching. I did love it when she got fed up!

Do not even get me started on the CIA crap and that horrible woman and her idiot brother. I wanted do badly for her to get a comeuppance. Your husband damaged property and could have killed people! That’s his own damn fault.

I thought the stupid Clayton story was a retread of when Jock had his heart episode — just drawn out. Hubby has heart problems. Ellie freaks out and hovers. He feels less like a man and starts acting like a damned fool.

[GHScorpiosRule]

19 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

I thought the stupid Clayton story was a retread of when Jock had his heart episode — just drawn out. Hubby has heart problems. Ellie freaks out and hovers. He feels less like a man and starts acting like a damned fool.

it just seemed to come out of nowhere. He gives JR a beatdown; falls down the stairs; not breathing; then awake; then the ominous vague talk with his doctor.

Unlike with Jock, who had a heart attack after his argument with Bobby. That was more organic; and you didn't have Jock acting the fool that Clayton was.

23 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

Do not even get me started on the CIA crap and that horrible woman and her idiot brother. I wanted do badly for her to get a comeuppance. Your husband damaged property and could have killed people! That’s his own damn fault.

I know! And who talks openly about potential evidence where those that don't have  a need to know-like idiot brother file clerk-are in the room!

The only funny thing about that ridiculous plot was watching the scenes with JR and that Justice Department guy-trying to get JR to admit he was offering a bribe. I watched that with my parents (this show was a Friday night staple with us) and the moment JR saw that camera and did a sudden "I'm a patriotic U.S. citizen" schtick, we all laughed so hard, because of what my dad said (in HIndi) about how JR saw the camera and then how he couldn't get out of their fast enough! By the skin of his teeth. We all cackled.

I think now I just want to see Jeremy Wendell get his. I know Carter MacKay takes over West Star, but I REALLY want Jeremy to get his ass kicked. I can't remember if Carter kicked him out or what.

[Maverick]

I don't remember much good about the later seasons but I was an April fan.  I don't think I liked her at first but by the time they paired her up with Bobby I liked her better than Pam.  I remember being shocked and royally pissed when she was killed.   Also count me as a big fan of business woman Sue Ellen.  Had she stayed on, April had lived and they had never introduced the awful Cally and James, this show could have had a revival of it's glory days.  Instead, we got JR turned into a putz who everyone from oil CEOs to country hicks could get the better of him, sad sack Bobby and... really nothing and no one to care about.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 4/12/2024 at 6:51 PM, Maverick said:

I don't remember much good about the later seasons but I was an April fan.  I don't think I liked her at first but by the time they paired her up with Bobby I liked her better than Pam.  I remember being shocked and royally pissed when she was killed.   Also count me as a big fan of business woman Sue Ellen.  Had she stayed on, April had lived and they had never introduced the awful Cally and James, this show could have had a revival of it's glory days.  Instead, we got JR turned into a putz who everyone from oil CEOs to country hicks could get the better of him, sad sack Bobby and... really nothing and no one to care about.  

Yeah. April was introduced as a gold digging, shallow, schemer. I’ll grant that by the time Pam had been gone a year, her character had been redeemed and I didn’t mind her and Bobby. I remember enjoying the friendship between her, Cliff, and Bobby. I always thought April had somehow survived because Sheree remained in the opening credits till the end.

Just getting through 10 was a SLOG. I tried watching 11 on Freevee, but I couldn’t do it. I think I’ll just stop and not bother getting the remaining seasons. I watched during the original run out of loyalty to Hagman and Duffy. When Linda Gray left, there was an interview with her (I’m blanking on the show) where they talked about her leaving the show, and then a clip of Larry, emotional, telling her he missed her and to come back. It brought Linda to tears and when the host asked her something she returned with “I can’t stand him” which we all knew was a lie. Till the day he died, all three-Larry, Patrick, and Linda were best friends.

I think I’ll just watch the miniseries to cleanse my palate.

Edited April 16 by GHScorpiosRule

[AgathaC]

On 4/12/2024 at 5:51 PM, Maverick said:

I don't remember much good about the later seasons but I was an April fan.  I don't think I liked her at first but by the time they paired her up with Bobby I liked her better than Pam.  I remember being shocked and royally pissed when she was killed.   Also count me as a big fan of business woman Sue Ellen.  Had she stayed on, April had lived and they had never introduced the awful Cally and James, this show could have had a revival of it's glory days.  Instead, we got JR turned into a putz who everyone from oil CEOs to country hicks could get the better of him, sad sack Bobby and... really nothing and no one to care about.  

Same here on April. I didn’t have feelings about her one way or another at first, but I grew to like her and I loved her friendship with Bobby and Cliff. (Cliff’s reaction to her death got me.)

I, too, wonder what the show would have been like if they hadn’t lost April and Sue Ellen. I didn’t hate Callie, but I wasn’t super-fond of her either.

But James? Ugh. And his mother — the “great love of JR’s life” — who never clicked for me at all. But even worse was his wife (can’t be bothered to remember her name). I did not buy her with James at all and my reaction to them being there was similar to John Ross’s. I didn’t blame him for deciding to say “to hell with this” and going to live with his mom.

The last season was just all-around depressing. The only thing I partway liked was Barbara Eden. Bobby moping around (understandably) and hunting down Susan Lucci, Jordan Lee, James and his drama…

I wish it could have gone out with more of the cast and characters we actually cared about instead of a bunch of annoying strangers filling up Southfork.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I noticed that we got new writers in the 10th season after Patrick came back; or were they hired during the Dream Season?

Anyway, I remember stating this when this was a single thread and mashed up with that INSULT of a Continuation, that the Dream actually didn't happen until the morning after.

So. Show totally dropped how Katherine framed Jenna, and was stalking Bobby. She was outside of Pam's house that night. Yet, we don't see or hear from her until season 10 when she comes to see Bobby in the hospital in Widow's Weeds.

I guess that statute of limitations ran out on her jumping bail under the attempted murder one charge? Which, well Polanski. 

Ahem.

So another thing that had me rolling my eyes in the early shows of season 11 was Charlie's sullen attitude about Lucas and the living arrangement with Ray. Like her classmates weren't accusing Jenna of being pregnant with Bobby's  baby before she gave birth? There was NOTHING about her being bullied then, eh?

Yeah, yeah, plot point to have Ray propose.

And again, I know it's just plot point, but for me, laziness regarding the series finale. Look, Nick came into Sue Ellen's life because she owned Valentine, so there is no way their paths would have crossed had she never met and married JR, because he life would have gone to marrying another Rich Texan. So having Scalia show up as her lover? husband? just made me roll my eyes.

I don't doubt she wouldn't have turned into a drunk; I laughed that Kristin turned into some con artist. But I also rolled my eyes that Valene was some rich business woman. Her being dirt poor had nothing to do with JR's being born or existing.

It was just an insulting way to end the show, which indeed, was an end of an era, as my local news reporters stated during the 11:00 o'clock news after the finale.

And I read recently that Patrick HATED how they ended the show.

But back to 11. Obviously, they knew about Victoria's doppelgänger. And she did have chemistry with Patrick. So why not just recast her as Pam? Or more realistically, since Pam pretty much blew up in the car,  just recast another actress a la Steven Carrington from Dynasty when they recast with Jack Coleman? But nooooo. They had to have the semi-stalker real estate agent dress up as Pam to get in Bobby's pants, and then show up again AS Pam, when Cliff found her, only to have her tell him she fell in wuv with her doctor, because the easy and LAZY thing to do was to have her dying of some unnamed disease. Of course.

 

[AgathaC]

19 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

But back to 11. Obviously, they knew about Victoria's doppelgänger. And she did have chemistry with Patrick. So why not just recast her as Pam? Or more realistically, since Pam pretty much blew up in the car,  just recast another actress a la Steven Carrington from Dynasty when they recast with Jack Coleman? But nooooo. They had to have the semi-stalker real estate agent dress up as Pam to get in Bobby's pants, and then show up again AS Pam, when Cliff found her, only to have her tell him she fell in wuv with her doctor, because the easy and LAZY thing to do was to have her dying of some unnamed disease. Of course.

 

I could swear I read at one point they were considering recasting Pam, but can’t recall why they decided against it. I’ll try to dig out the Dallas book I have knocking around somewhere.

Anyway, I hate the finale. Whole final season, really.

[AgathaC]

I don’t know why, but the stupid Haleyville arc popped in my head this morning. Words cannot express my hatred of that storyline. I hate “wrongfully imprisoned in a hick-filled town” anyway (what was it with 1980s shows and that story?). This last rewatch, I insisted we fast-forward through those parts of the episodes. It went on and on!

Also, as someone who grew up in Arkansas and had a great education, travel extensively, have excellent table manners, have never hunted or fished and speak proper English, I get SOOOO tired of the “backwards hicks” portrayals of my home state. Do those places exist? I’m sure they do (in a less-exaggerated form) but when that feels like all you see…

[GHScorpiosRule]

23 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

I don’t know why, but the stupid Haleyville arc popped in my head this morning. Words cannot express my hatred of that storyline. I hate “wrongfully imprisoned in a hick-filled town” anyway (what was it with 1980s shows and that story?). This last rewatch, I insisted we fast-forward through those parts of the episodes. It went on and on!

AMEN SISTAH! Charlie's Angels did the same thing, and theirs was set in the backwoods of California!!!

[JustHereForFood]

I loved April and her friendship with Cliff. I also liked when Bobby and Cliff were friendly. One of the story devices that frustrate me the most is when family drama of past generations destroys the lives of the next generations (I know, I picked a wrong show to watch 😆). Cliff was one of my favorite characters, but it was frustrating how his hatred of JR made him act in self-destructive ways. I didn't like the finale with the alternative reality, but I found it believable that without JR, he would have been able to make a huge career.

Charlie, I just felt bad for her. I can't imagine growing up in an isolated place like that, plus with all of the drama with her mother's imprisonment and then Ray the Creep getting too involved in her private life. Poor girl.

[AgathaC]

32 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

I loved April and her friendship with Cliff. I also liked when Bobby and Cliff were friendly. One of the story devices that frustrate me the most is when family drama of past generations destroys the lives of the next generations (I know, I picked a wrong show to watch 😆). Cliff was one of my favorite characters, but it was frustrating how his hatred of JR made him act in self-destructive ways. I didn't like the finale with the alternative reality, but I found it believable that without JR, he would have been able to make a huge career.

Charlie, I just felt bad for her. I can't imagine growing up in an isolated place like that, plus with all of the drama with her mother's imprisonment and then Ray the Creep getting too involved in her private life. Poor girl.

Yes! I got a frustrated with Cliff — so self-destructive and a real jerk (the way he treated the women in his life was… not good). But I always felt like if he hadn’t fallen so deep into his hatred of JR and the Ewings, he could have been a good, successful person. I usually rooted for him, partly because I saw him as an underdog. But at the same time, he could be an insufferable moron. He just couldn’t get out of his own way. And I loved the (brief) period when he, April and Bobby were buddies.

As for Charlie, I found her annoying, but also felt sorry for her. She got dealt a crappy hand a lot of the time and most of it was in no way her fault. I did think she was whiny. And it was like the writers couldn’t decide how old they wanted her to be. In fact, I noticed on the recent rewatch that they kept changing her age. When she and Jenna first reappear, Jenna says she’s about to turn 13 (when the actress was only about 10 or 11), then a couple of seasons later, she’s 12. Until they had her go full-on rebellious teen, they waffled between making her talk like a whiny pre-schooler and a preteen.

It was kind of nice having a little girl around, though. Southfork was very male-heavy. I kind of wondered what it would have been like if Bobby and April had had the baby girl he dreamed about, or if Sue Ellen hadn’t miscarried and had had a girl. I just would have been interested to see the dynamic.