stevew
Telly Talk Star
I'm not saying "fix" it. I'm saying address it.I agree with you, this particular episode would have been a little too abstract so early on in this series.
But the off-beat vibe was already strongly represented in its first season (e.g. the 5 minutes talking pillow intervention).
Either way, my point wasn't about the Fly Episode or how it connects or doesn't connect to Dallas. I meant to say that Breaking Bad and many other series is more than just a concept.
And maybe that's also what allows a soap opera to be more than just a soap opera, if they're willing to make an effort.
It's all those many things that would get lost in translation if you'd put it on paper (or computer screen).
After I had watched the 2017 movie MOTHER! I read the reviews and the concept was explained to me. I thought, wow, that's really clever, but it didn't make me like the movie more.
I had taken it at face value and loved every minute of it. If anything, the explanation took a little bit away from that unique and personal experience.
I didn't know that, and it surprises me. Or maybe not, considering that Dynasty hardly surived their first season.
Oh it's not just about disagreement. It's also the conversation itself and sharing opinions. It often helps me to understand my own thoughts.
Always look on the bright side of disagreement
I think one the worst things they could have done is trying to "fix" that complicated relationship.
Reconciliations in soaps usually don't (and probably shouldn't) last very long. Great soap is like a dance between plot development (no matter how far-fetched) and character drama, and personally I feel that's what we got from Sue Ellen and John Ross.
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Pity you didn't mention Sue Ellen acknowledging her disease after the Southfork fire. That wasn't only a payoff for TNT Dallas but also the entire journey of this iconic TV character.
First you got the thrill of the fire itself and right after that the emotional confrontations in the hospital.
Sometimes it works to give certain storylines closure - Knots Landing did that very well - but for the main cast it's more effective when a storyline morphes into the next one. It's a soap and it needs to go on and on.
I didn't mention it, but it was another missed pay off for me. Yes she mentioned it and I liked how they handled it, but then what? An attempt to speak to John Ross an "f - you mamma" and Sue Ellen saying, "I understand." A John Ross in Bobby's face, "Stay away from my momma." A Sue Ellen saying, "He's right, you were wrong to interfere." A good blip in drama only reminds me of what the rest could have been. It wasn't enough to make up for the rest, to me. I also wouldn't call it closure. There is not closure to such a story line - it is a life long battle. So, I had no problem with Sue Ellen drinking again (though it's not something I wanted to see, I was ok with them going there), but if you commit then stick to it. That's my opinion.