Worst Dallas storyline in the show's run

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Dallas didn't need Bobby. I thought he became a dullard when he stepped out of that shower. It was like Pams dream had cyrogenically frozen his personality and all was left was this macho fool, an extension of Duffy's ego forced back onto the viewer in a desperate attempt to save the show.

Respectfully disagree. Without Bobby, the dynamics of the show, and the characters' interactions had far less impact.
If PD had not returned, and the recast of Jock was completed, there might have been a different result,
The dream season was the start of Dallas decline, although series 10 was still Dallas,
until Susan Howard and VP departed, and the Ray/Jenna pairing lacked impact

The ratings points declined from 20.97 million in series 8 to 18.8 million is series 9, and the rank from #2 to #6.
Dallas would never again reach 20 million or the top 10.

Interestingly, series 6 (Battle for Ewing Oil) had even lower rating points than series 7
While series 7 was only slightly higher than series 8

While series 10 declined slightly, it would have declined
much more, in all likelihood, without PD/Bobby

Series Rating Points Rank

6 20.5 2

7 21.5 1

8 20.97 2

9 18.8 6

10 18.6 11

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dallas_(1978_TV_series)_episodes

 

[DallasFanForever]

Without Bobby, the dynamics of the show, and the characters' interactions had far less impact.

I agree with this. It’s most noticeable with J.R. and Pam. Without Bobby to spar with I felt J.R. actually became not as interesting as a character. I was fine with Pam and Mark that season but something still seems to be missing. It’s not quite Pam and Bobby.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

And why didn't JR and Sue Ellen attack the Cryders together? both seduce their mates? Imagine Sue Ellen being a shark too and they succeed! JR smiles his smile and freeze frame for the win!

Instead SE gets crapped on....again..... no wonder she left.

 

[DallasFanForever]

And why didn't JR and Sue Ellen attack the Cryders together?

I’ve always liked the idea of them being in business together with her helping him pull off some of his schemes. A missed opportunity in my opinion.

 

[Seaviewer]

I'm rewatching this now. JR are is putting together a convoluted scheme to take over Westar, including reluctantly trashing his marriage, with no apparent thought given to the fact that it might get him back the old Ewing assets but not the name Ewing Oil.
Bobby's position makes more sense, He wants to get the name Ewing Oil for his own company without seeming to care about the assets.
But I do like the almost Knots Landing-esque way that JR's scheme has tied many of the formerly disparate story threads together - Bobby's custody battle, Sue Ellen and Nicholas, April's crush on Bobby, even Cliff's pipeline.

 

[DallasFanForever]

But I do like the almost Knots Landing-esque way that JR's scheme has tied many of the formerly disparate story threads together - Bobby's custody battle, Sue Ellen and Nicholas, April's crush on Bobby, even Cliff's pipeline

I was never crazy about this storyline but as you say they did at least do a good job of making just about every storyline tie into J.R.’s desperation somehow. What I find excruciating though is how many times they mutter the phrase “Westar Stock” that season. It kind of gets old for me. Someone needs to make a video of that season with a “Westar Stock” counter. J.R. clearly says it the most.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

And the season should have ended with JR winning and Sue Ellen on his arm, smiling freeze frame.

 

[DallasFanForever]

And the season should have ended with JR winning and Sue Ellen on his arm, smiling freeze frame.

I didn’t mind the season ending we got to be honest. I just wish the fallout the next season was done better and not all swept under the rug in one episode. Nicholas was forgotten in 10 minutes and never even mentioned again until his father returned looking for justice.

 

[CeeCee72]

I didn’t mind the season ending we got to be honest. I just wish the fallout the next season was done better and not all swept under the rug in one episode. Nicholas was forgotten in 10 minutes and never even mentioned again until his father returned looking for justice.

That scene in the hospital where Sue Ellen tells the cop she doesn't want to press charges because of her son and JR goes, "yeah, what she said," grates on my last nerve.

 

[DallasFanForever]

That scene in the hospital where Sue Ellen tells the cop she doesn't want to press charges because of her son and JR goes, "yeah, what she said," grates on my last nerve.

And then it was off to Haileyville, which makes me miss the hospital scene.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

This was the season HACKZ-MAN began to hate JR. Always making him a loser, buffoon who was clueless. Why? I also don't get why his marriage had to be trashed, retreading old material. Why couldn't Sue Ellen the corporate shark join him in a double whammy of husband and wife doing some classic scheming and twisting.

 

[B.J. Ewing]

I didn't like James Beaumont. He walked and talked like he was stoned all the time.

The scene in J.R.Returns, where John Ross comes out of a bedroom, just having had the wildest sex. Omri Katz is a good actor, but a stud he ain't. Or maybe it's because I still saw him as the little kid from the original series.

In TNT Dallas I liked Christopher the least. Something about the way he spoke, moving his mouth, as if he would articulate every word to perfection.

Ok, enough of the nagging.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Why couldn't Sue Ellen the corporate shark join him in a double whammy of husband and wife doing some classic scheming and twisting.

I agree with you but I think the problem was J.R. and Sue Ellen working together would hinder him from being J.R. . The man couldn’t stay faithful for 10 minutes so it just wouldn’t work long term. J.R. wasn’t the type to have his wife around helping him when he had so many secrets to keep about his daily business, things he had to keep secret from her especially.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

I agree with you but I think the problem was J.R. and Sue Ellen working together would hinder him from being J.R. . The man couldn’t stay faithful for 10 minutes so it just wouldn’t work long term. J.R. wasn’t the type to have his wife around helping him when he had so many secrets to keep about his daily business, things he had to keep secret from her especially.

No. I wouldn't want JR to be any different, just have Sue Ellen become more like him and support his corporate scheming not so much his catin' around. Sue Ellen the outraged doormat got tiresome.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

I didn't like James Beaumont. He walked and talked like he was stoned all the time.

The scene in J.R.Returns, where John Ross comes out of a bedroom, just having had the wildest sex. Omri Katz is a good actor, but a stud he ain't. Or maybe it's because I still saw him as the little kid from the original series.

In TNT Dallas I liked Christopher the least. Something about the way he spoke, moving his mouth, as if he would articulate every word to perfection.

Ok, enough of the nagging.

James was terrible! And were there any acknowledgments of his heritage by Miss Ellie? Sasha always sounded stoned and dumb. TNT Christopher was the same way. That actor has the problem of not being natural and loose. Always very mannered and calculating and it shows.

 

[DallasFanForever]

And were there any acknowledgments of his heritage by Miss Ellie?

It would’ve been nice to see them get at least one scene together. Perhaps at the very least it could’ve helped validate the James character a little more. A scene with the two of them and J.R. would’ve been good also.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

It would’ve been nice to see them get at least one scene together. Perhaps at the very least it could’ve helped validate the James character a little more. A scene with the two of them and J.R. would’ve been good also.

The show was a farce, dead by then. Still do not get why Katzman was hailed as a big deal. THIS season onward was far worse than anything the Dream Season did.

 

[DallasFanForever]

THIS season onward was far worse than anything the Dream Season did.

I have to agree with that, and I’m not exactly enamored with most of the dream season either. The concept of giving J.R. an older son from a previous relationship wasn’t a bad idea necessarily in my opinion. It just needed to be better executed and done sooner.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

I have to agree with that, and I’m not exactly enamored with most of the dream season either. The concept of giving J.R. an older son from a previous relationship wasn’t a bad idea necessarily in my opinion. It just needed to be better executed and done sooner.

To have him slightly older and even worse than JR.

 

[Rove]

I’m not exactly enamored with most of the dream season either.

The Dream Season could have worked if the writers were bold enough to stick with the premise of JR and Pam clashing at Ewing Oil. The argument over the years is Pam didn't have the business or scheming nuance that JR had...of course she didn't...but what Pam did have was support both inside and outside the family whereas JR had burnt his bridges long ago with his many failed schemes.

So much conflict could have come from Pam controlling Christopher's stake in Ewing Oil. It was high time for JR and Pam to clash on an epic scale...drawing in those characters we had come to know. We didn't need Angelica Nero and her silly charades. What was needed was a brave writer and executive producer bold enough to bring the Ewing family to their knees and close out the series for another time.