TNT Dallas For Beginners

Willie Oleson

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Episode 3.7 feels like a roller coaster ride, or an episode before the season finale because all the different storylines are building up to an explosive climax.

Drew Ramos is traumatized by the outcome of the rig explosion, and the only way to end his torment is to turn himself into the police.
Because of his connection with Joaquin, Elena tries to talk him out of it as it could jeopardize Elena and Nicolas and Barnes' plan to destroy the Ewings.
Nicolas also considers the idea to buy the majority of the public shares (as suggested by John Ross) and simply take over Ewing Global themselves.
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But Drew is already on his way to Dallas.

John Ross, resourceful as ever, figures out a way to bid on the Artic leases: a joint venture between him and a Sheik, one of JR's old business partners.
But the royal family is offended that they hadn't been involved in the first place (as promised by JR), and the only reason John Ross has contacted them is because the board of Ewing Global is too divided to move the project forwards.
So, basically they're telling the Ewing couple to get lost.
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The wife of the son of the sheik is a fanatic collector of old European prullaria, and Pamela offers her very expensive and extremely-rare earrings as a pledge if the sheik allows John Ross to join a poker game with the royals.
John Ross loses the game on purpose, which also costs him his father's watch and it kinda surprises him how easy it is to part with it.

As soon as he's arrived in Dallas, Drew approaches Christopher to beg him for forgiveness, but the "you killed my babies" argument still stands, and Christopher beats him to a pulp.
Later he discovers the documents Cliff gave to Elena, and knowing that all the pain and guilt was caused by JR Ewing he completely loses it.

Emma accidentally finds out that Candace worked for her father, and she demands an explanation.
Harris tells her he wanted to expose John Ross for the cheater he really is, and shows her the pictures taken in Judith's bordello. Nothing happened, but he doesn't tell her that.
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And hell hath no fury like a mistress betrayed.

Elena, however, decides not to use the proof of John Ross and Emma's affair, as it would crush Pamela.
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I honestly don't know how helpful it is not to tell Pamela that's she's living with an adulterous husband and a two-faced friend.
Not that it matters because Nicolas is going to inform Pamela himself.

Bobby and Ann manage to get Sue Ellen released from the hospital/clinic, and take her to Southfork (!) to ensure a speedy recovery.

Not completely convinced by her father explanation, Emma visits Candace again, who provides some additional information - which somehow connects with the pictures of John Ross and the hookers.
Later we see that Emma has taken the dress from Candace, planning to...
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...to do what?

John Ross and Pamela, and the son of the sheik meet again. He tells them that the sheik had a change of heart and promises the American couple to finance their takeover of Ewing Global.
In a twist of irony, the young sheik returns the watch to John Ross - the watch that handcuffs him to the ghost of JR Ewing.
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At the end of the episode it's revealed that Nicolas has been double-crossing both Elena and Cliff, because he's working for the Mexican Cartel.
And now he offers them the chance to get controlling interest in Ewing Global, a perfect opportunity to launder their drugs profits.
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I think I need to lie down for a whileo_O
 

Richard Channing

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Episode 3.7 feels like a roller coaster ride, or an episode before the season finale because all the different storylines are building up to an explosive climax.

Yes, you are right in thinking this is an episode before a season finale as season 3 was split into two parts. So the next episode is a mid-season finale.
 

Willie Oleson

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The same people who invented the mid-season premiere
How shrewd!

Episode 3.8 is about anger.

Pamela is devastated when she watches the video that Nicolas has sent to her.
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She is furious with Ann and Sue Ellen for not telling her about John Ross and Emma's affair, because it should have been her decision whether her marriage was going to work or not. I agree.

Bobby is also furious with Ann because once again she did not confide in him.
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"Southfork is my home! I was born in this house and I will protect it and every person in it with my life!"


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Joaquin is furious with Drew, who plans to deal with the Ewings his own way.
"This is a blood feud that can only be settled with blood".
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It's hard to pick the most dangerous character in this episode.
Joaquin is also very worried about Elena's state of mind since she expressed second thoughts about their revenge plan.
He's so dangerously handsome!

Judith is furious when she watches Harris-kissing-Ann (that almost sounds like a name).
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Come on Judith, make them suffer!

Bo, ex-ranchhand/ex-drilling foreman, is furious with Christopher for taking away his job (did he?) and now he's taken his family too.
He wants revenge and he's on his way to Southfork.

John Ross and Emma are shocked when Pamela interrupts their secret rendezvous, but Pamela comes up with a very creative solution.
It's very different from the typical "You bastard!" scenes, but I don't know why so many people found it so upsetting.
I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be an Happily Ever After. Then again, it could have been.
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Suddenly she's having an attack caused by some kind of medication. Panic, panic!

Southfork's on fire!
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Sound the alarm!

What a fabulous cliffhanger!:loveit:
 

Willie Oleson

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Episode 3.9 is a great aftermath episode, with plenty of drama and shocking revelations.
Say about Cynthia Cidre what you like, but she knows how to entertain an audience.

The whole family meets in the hospital for various reasons and it doesn't take long before the gloves are off.
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They're so consistently dysfunctional.

Judith comes to pick up Emma ("apparently your wife has grown tired of being a mother") and of course she has to mention the kiss between Harris and Ann, after which she triumphantly escorts her granddaughter out of the hospital.
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:byee:

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Well, now at least he has a good excuse to redecorate - but does he still have a reason?

Emma is inconsolable now John Ross has tossed her aside like an unwanted item.
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Luckily, grandmother is still here with some good advice.
"Nurture that hurt. Feed that hurt, until it's powerful enough to take vengeance on those who have wronged you".
It sounds a bit mediëval, but hey, if it worked back then...

Pamela, quite cheerfully, informs John Ross that it wasn't suicide at all.
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"I did what I did, so that every time you think about screwing that piece of trash, all you'll be able to see is me on the floor with my eyes rolled back in my head".
Ha, he should have taken her warning more seriously! Still, I think it was a bit mental, but at least it wasn't as costly and time-consuming as starting a lingerie business.

Sue Ellen starts to remember what happened that night, and confesses to Bobby that she had caused the fire.
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"I'm an alcoholic. And I will be until I die".
I think it was this episode's most poignant scene.

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In this scene, Christopher feels like a fifth wheel, and realizes he has no chance with Heather.
Elena finds out that it was Joaquin who had sent the video to Pamela, and it looks like that relationship is about to end too. So....

Drew refuses to give in to the demands of the Cartel, but before he's executed we learn that it really was him who started the fire at Southfork.
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Such a tragic character.
 

James from London

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Say about Cynthia Cidre what you like, but she knows how to entertain an audience.

Amen to that.

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Such a tragic character.

God, yes. A Mickey Trotter for the 21st Century.
 

tommie

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Pamela, quite cheerfully, informs John Ross that it wasn't suicide at all.
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"I did what I did, so that every time you think about screwing that piece of trash, all you'll be able to see is me on the floor with my eyes rolled back in my head".
Ha, he should have taken her warning more seriously! Still, I think it was a bit mental, but at least it wasn't as costly and time-consuming as starting a lingerie business.

Dumbest. Plot twist. Ever.

Sorry, but that's just... dumb. And apparently that's really was the writers intent - that Pamela really did plan to have a seizure. I could've bought it as Pam gloating about it afterwards in some sick game (but she truly did have no idea that she'd seizure), but that she supposedly planned it? Uh, yeah, no.
 

Willie Oleson

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The loss of a child, a marriage, a romance, a what-could-have-been and even the loss of innocence - it's all there for us to sob and snotter over while watching episode 3.10.

John Ross is very sorry about everything he's done:(, and he tells Pamela that he wants to change.
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Pamela says he's not the right man for her, they're done!

Later, Sue Ellen suggests to Pamela that she should make herself a priority, to which Pamela replies with "But I am making myself a priority".
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She explains that they married without signing a prenuptial agreement, and she's not going to risk losing half of her shares of Ewing Global to John Ross.
And that's why she's not going to divorce him.
This calculated approach - just like her pseudo-suicide stunt in the hotel - foreshadows a long life of marital misery and the whole idea is just mouthwatering.
Sue Ellen honestly doesn't know what to think of it.

Bobby hasn't changed his mind about Emma living on Southfork, and he tells her and Harris to "get off my property!"
Gee, and she didn't even kidnap her aunt and replace her with a lookalike actress.

Back at the Ryland residence, Emma blames her father for Drew's death. His defence is that people make choices.
Emma agrees, and that's why she meets with the Mexican cartel to offer them a more "agreeable" transport deal if they put her father back in jail.
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To emphasize this kick-ass move and the shady atmosphere, she's dressed up in a kick-ass and shady outfit. So Jean Hackney!:lol:

The investigation by the fire department shows that it wasn't Sue Ellen but Drew Ramos who had set fire to Southfork.
Carmen doesn't understand why, but of course Elena does, and she explains the whole the situation to her mother.
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Her reaction is almost surprising, not what I would have expected from the good old housekeeper.
Now she wants revenge too, and she thinks that a certain letter from JR could be the key to their (and Cliff Barnes') success.
It's funny how one thing leads to another, especially because Elena had almost given up on her mission and Joaquin's plans.

Elena seduces John Ross with a "we're both miserable and drunk, let's have sex" excuse, and when he's asleep she takes JR's letter from his wallet.

The royal family does not appear in this episode.
 

Willie Oleson

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"A house divided" doesn't even begin to describe the drama that unfolds in episode 3.11.

After Drew's funeral, the Ramoses can no longer hide their anger towards the Ewings.
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No more secrets, this ends now!

And so everybody learns about JR's plan to frame Cliff for his murder, and the way he had cheated Papi Ramos out of the oil-rich land.
Everbody is angry, and yet they all react differently because every person in the room only picks up that piece of information that affects him or her the most.
Christopher is angry with Elena and Joaquin for being so devious and sneaky.
John Ross explodes when Elena claims a piece of Southfork and Ewing Global.
Joaquin is seething because this was not part of the plan, and he and tries to figure out how this will affect his deal with the Cartel.
Sue Ellen is outraged that no-one had told her about JR's illness and the circumstances of his death.

Ann is using Bobby's very own arguments against him. "How could you keep this from me? We're supposed to be partners!"
Somehow, considering what had happened between them in the previsous episodes, this comes across as payback instead of genuine hurt.
I'm sure that's not what it is, so let's just say that the timing was wrong for this scene.

"I'll do everything to protect my family!"
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But where is your family now, Bobby?

The only person who stays relatively calm is Pamela.
"I'm going to fix this", John Ross promises.
"I don't want you to fix things, I want you to stop breaking them".

True, Bobby had offered Cliff an alternative: confess to sabotaging Christopher's methane rig, and the fake evidence will disappear.
Strategically speaking, it's better for Cliff to be in jail for something he hasn't done, because then he still has a chance to get out.
If he had confessed to the sabotage, he'd have to deal with the TESHA, it would severely damage (if not destroy) Barnes Global and therefore his chance to destroy the Ewings. And he'd probably be in prison anyway.
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But things are looking much better now for Cliff.

Bobby has no choice but to agree to Elena's terms, and he asks Carlos Del Sol to arrange a pardon for Cliff.
He still hopes that she won't use it, because if Cliff gets out, the feud is going to destroy them all.
"That's not my problem", Elena says. And she's right.
But when she calls Cliff to give him an update of the situation, she realizes that Bobby's concern is justified.
"I'm not stopping until I wipe the Ewings off the face of the earth. And you made it possible".
What to do, what to do?
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Here, this should be your decision.

TNT DALLAS basically leaves it up to us to strike a balance between the monstrous JR and the JR who was loved by some people.
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Can it be both, really?

John Ross gleefully informs Joaquin about Elena's method to get JR's letter, and I think they deserved it.
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"Who knew Elena could be such a thieving whore".

I think she's going to be pregnant, but who's the father?:dance:
 

Toni

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"A house divided" doesn't even begin to describe the drama that unfolds in episode 3.11.

After Drew's funeral, the Ramoses can no longer hide their anger towards the Ewings.
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Ann is using Bobby's very own arguments against him. "How could you keep this from me? We're supposed to be partners!"
Somehow, considering what had happened between them in the previsous episodes, this comes across as payback instead of genuine hurt.

Oh yeah, that was typical good ol´ BlandAnn! And some used to say that original Pam Barnes Ewing was a whiner!! :lol:
 
K

Karin Schill

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Episode 3.9 is a great aftermath episode, with plenty of drama and shocking revelations.
Say about Cynthia Cidre what you like, but she knows how to entertain an audience.
.

Well I'm glad someone's entertained by it. Sadly I mostly rolled my eyes at all the plot twists at this point! :(

Sue Ellen starts to remember what happened that night, and confesses to Bobby that she had caused the fire.
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"I'm an alcoholic. And I will be until I die".
I think it was this episode's most poignant scene.

This I agree with. It was easily the best scene of the episode! :)

"A house divided" doesn't even begin to describe the drama that unfolds in episode 3.11.

I think this was the episode Patrick directed and it was possibly the best one of the entire season IMHO as it finally felt like Dallas! :)

Also I've never noticed it before but "A House Divided" why does that sound so familiar? ;)

Unless I am mistaken wasn't that the title of the original episode when JR was shot?
 
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Willie Oleson

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And some used to say that original Pam Barnes Ewing was a whiner
Oh, really? And was she? I can appreciate a good crier though. Especially tears of anger or shame, those are the best.
Linda's scene where she admitted to being an alcoholic
Yes, and also that she would never stop being an alcoholic.
That's the hard reality of this (and other) addiction(s).
 

Rove

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I think this was the episode Patrick directed and it was possibly the best one of the entire season IMHO as it finally felt like Dallas!
"Hurt" was directed by Patrick Duffy. I'm thankful I'm not the only person that recognized this episode felt like old Dallas. It's a real pity Patrick did not have more of a say on TNT Dallas because I think he, better than most, had a good understanding of what made Dallas tick. That said. Both he and Larry made a bit of turkey with Dallas: War Of The Ewings.
 

Willie Oleson

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3.12

The battle for controlling interest in Ewing Global intensifies, although it wasn't the episode-long rat race I had expected it to be.
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So it looks like Nicolas, or actually The Cartel, won - using Hunter McKay as their frontman.
Oh wait, McKay. He'd already appeared in two episodes before this one and yet I failed to make the connection!

The handsome CIA agent warns Harris that his daughter has endangered his mission, and they won't allow Ryland Transport to import more drugs, as promised by Emma.
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Later, Judith renegotiates with the Cartel, and promises them to increase the drugs transport if they can find Candace, because John Ross knows she's a prostitute who works for Madam Judith. But she doesn't know that this is against the orders of the CIA.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat??
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Carlos Del Sol is the secret leader of the Mexican Cartel?:eek:
This seems like an obvious choice now, but I had never considered it for one moment.

There's also a big surprise for Cliff Barnes.
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Pamela visits her father and tells him that she'll never be able to forgive him. Goodbye.
So, it looks like both JR and Cliff are buried in the darkness for all eternity, and I think it's tragic and beautiful.

Joaquin listens to Christopher's message, a warning that Elena could be in danger because Joaquin is working for The Cartel.
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But wait a minute. He still has her phone? These days, most people can't breathe without having their phone within reach 24/7.
This qualifies as being a totally unbelievable plotline and I demand an apology from the showrunner. !!

Bum had made a copy of Ryland's secret flash drive, and he's just discovered that it is encrypted with a technology only used by the CIA.
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John Ross couldn't be happier, because now he has the ultimate means to blackmail Harris.
However, putting this time bomb in the hands of this reckless young man is a frightening thought.

Luis (spokesman of the Cartel) delivers the proof that Candace "won't talk".
And just to be sure that the Rylands will honour their part of the deal...
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It looks like the last 3 episodes will be the most violent and action-packed, so I'm going to watch these non-stop and post some highlights after that.
And after that, my final thoughts on TNT DALLAS.
 

James from London

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Karin Schill

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"Hurt" was directed by Patrick Duffy. I'm thankful I'm not the only person that recognized this episode felt like old Dallas. It's a real pity Patrick did not have more of a say on TNT Dallas because I think he, better than most, had a good understanding of what made Dallas tick.

Thank you for pointing that out. That's how memorable the episodes of the third season were, I even mix them up with each other despite having read a summary. But yeah I agree that the episode Patrick directed was great. I wish he had gotten the opportunity to direct more as that episode did feel like old Dallas. :)
 
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