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Dallas the TV series
Dallas - The Original Series
DALLAS versus KNOTS LANDING versus the rest of them week by week
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<blockquote data-quote="James from London" data-source="post: 2907" data-attributes="member: 22"><p><u>07/Feb/80: KNOTS LANDING: Land of the Free v. 08/Feb/80: DALLAS: Second Thoughts </u></p><p></p><p>Whenever I've watched "Land of the Free" in the past, I've tried to make sense of it and failed. So this time, I decided just to chill out and watch it for what it is (whatever that might be). </p><p></p><p>It starts out with the ladies of KNOTS sunbathing on what looks like a freezing cold beach, there's some nice everyday banter between them and the kids, and then suddenly without warning, we're watching BIKER BEACH ATTACK!, an obscure early 70s exploitation flick where hairy bikers terrorise screaming white chicks in bikinis - all handheld camera moves and wacca-wacca music on the soundtrack. Then we're back to suburbia for some nice character stuff, then back to the beach the following day for BIKER BEACH ATTACK! PART II. This flip-flop continues for some time as if Roger Corman were battling David Jacobs for control of the editing suite. The result is a schizoid, paranoid hour that keeps threatening to become a genuinely interesting "base under siege" story, even as the frenetically jazzy score keeps trying to pull it somewhere else. The bikers are authentically menacing and the regulars' reactions are fascinating: Karen gives good outrage, Richard good complacency, Val manages to tie in her DALLAS backstory, and there's some shocking sexism from Kenny AND Ginger. Running throughout the ep are scenes of everyday folks trying to live their everyday lives under increasingly surreal and frightening circumstances. The Fairgate kids are particularly good here. </p><p></p><p>The story also taps into a kind of right-wing, Daily Mail-type anxiety that all the fancy houses and higher taxes in the world can't protect decent, affluent white folks from being raped and murdered in their beds by hairy men (and women) on motorbikes. Finally, Sid, Gary and Kenny all turn into Dustin Hoffman in STRAW DOGS and head down to the beach for a shoreline showdown with the bad guys. (Richard's role is to provide comic relief in much the same way JR does during the barroom brawl in "The Dove Hunt".) Naturally, goodness prevails and the episode ends with all the husbands laughing and saying how terrific they feel for resorting to violence in order to protect their womenfolk. Yes, vigilantism has saved the day. For such a liberal-minded show, KNOTS has quite the conservative streak.</p><p></p><p>After the comparative darkness of "Sue Ellen's Choice", "Second Thoughts" sees DALLAS back in fun cartoon mode. The focus is once again on JR, Lucy, Alan Beam and Kristin. The episode is kind of a cross between a house of cards and a game of dominos: every action has a reaction, and it can all fall apart at any moment. </p><p></p><p>JR's scheme to get Lucy married off and out of Dallas backfires when Jock offers the groom-to-be a partnership in Smithfield and Bennett. (Harve's about to retire, apparently.) Having goaded Lucy into accepting Alan's proposal in the first place, there's nothing JR can do to stop the wedding. Then Kristin's attempt to get back in JR's good books by telling Lucy about Alan's secret girlfriend backfires when a dithering Lucy reacts by setting the wedding date. JR reacts to this by telling Kristin that her days in Dallas are numbered. Then Alan's plan to double cross JR backfires when Lucy and Betty Lou both dump him on the same night. That leaves Kristin and Alan out in the cold. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Sue Ellen has spent the whole episode being strangely attentive towards JR in front of the family. It's only when they're alone in the delicious final scene that the truth is revealed. Sue Ellen, laughing in JR's face in the dark, tells him that it's all part of an act for her to get custody of her son by appearing like the perfect wife and mother. Girl gives good gloat, but it's only a matter of time before this scheme backfires too.</p><p></p><p>The one noble creature in the ep is Alan's girlfriend Betty Lou, who refuses to be bribed by JR into blowing the whistle on their relationship to Lucy, and instead leaves Dallas with her heart broken but head held high (only to resurface a few years later as Maggie's slutty sister on FALCON CREST). Like Lou Ann Culver, Betty Lou is a really great minor character. </p><p></p><p>Foreshadow alert: "I'll rot in hell before I'll accept a handout from a Ewing," vows Cliff after refusing a job offer set up for him by Bobby. Now he's rotting in a Mexican jail having refused Bobby's offer to help him beat the JR murder rap in return for confessing to his real crimes: “I have never done anything that the Ewings asked me to do, and I’m not going to start today.” </p><p></p><p>I've never enjoyed "Land of the Free" as much as I did this time around, but the winner is … DALLAS.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="James from London, post: 2907, member: 22"] [U]07/Feb/80: KNOTS LANDING: Land of the Free v. 08/Feb/80: DALLAS: Second Thoughts [/U] Whenever I've watched "Land of the Free" in the past, I've tried to make sense of it and failed. So this time, I decided just to chill out and watch it for what it is (whatever that might be). It starts out with the ladies of KNOTS sunbathing on what looks like a freezing cold beach, there's some nice everyday banter between them and the kids, and then suddenly without warning, we're watching BIKER BEACH ATTACK!, an obscure early 70s exploitation flick where hairy bikers terrorise screaming white chicks in bikinis - all handheld camera moves and wacca-wacca music on the soundtrack. Then we're back to suburbia for some nice character stuff, then back to the beach the following day for BIKER BEACH ATTACK! PART II. This flip-flop continues for some time as if Roger Corman were battling David Jacobs for control of the editing suite. The result is a schizoid, paranoid hour that keeps threatening to become a genuinely interesting "base under siege" story, even as the frenetically jazzy score keeps trying to pull it somewhere else. The bikers are authentically menacing and the regulars' reactions are fascinating: Karen gives good outrage, Richard good complacency, Val manages to tie in her DALLAS backstory, and there's some shocking sexism from Kenny AND Ginger. Running throughout the ep are scenes of everyday folks trying to live their everyday lives under increasingly surreal and frightening circumstances. The Fairgate kids are particularly good here. The story also taps into a kind of right-wing, Daily Mail-type anxiety that all the fancy houses and higher taxes in the world can't protect decent, affluent white folks from being raped and murdered in their beds by hairy men (and women) on motorbikes. Finally, Sid, Gary and Kenny all turn into Dustin Hoffman in STRAW DOGS and head down to the beach for a shoreline showdown with the bad guys. (Richard's role is to provide comic relief in much the same way JR does during the barroom brawl in "The Dove Hunt".) Naturally, goodness prevails and the episode ends with all the husbands laughing and saying how terrific they feel for resorting to violence in order to protect their womenfolk. Yes, vigilantism has saved the day. For such a liberal-minded show, KNOTS has quite the conservative streak. After the comparative darkness of "Sue Ellen's Choice", "Second Thoughts" sees DALLAS back in fun cartoon mode. The focus is once again on JR, Lucy, Alan Beam and Kristin. The episode is kind of a cross between a house of cards and a game of dominos: every action has a reaction, and it can all fall apart at any moment. JR's scheme to get Lucy married off and out of Dallas backfires when Jock offers the groom-to-be a partnership in Smithfield and Bennett. (Harve's about to retire, apparently.) Having goaded Lucy into accepting Alan's proposal in the first place, there's nothing JR can do to stop the wedding. Then Kristin's attempt to get back in JR's good books by telling Lucy about Alan's secret girlfriend backfires when a dithering Lucy reacts by setting the wedding date. JR reacts to this by telling Kristin that her days in Dallas are numbered. Then Alan's plan to double cross JR backfires when Lucy and Betty Lou both dump him on the same night. That leaves Kristin and Alan out in the cold. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen has spent the whole episode being strangely attentive towards JR in front of the family. It's only when they're alone in the delicious final scene that the truth is revealed. Sue Ellen, laughing in JR's face in the dark, tells him that it's all part of an act for her to get custody of her son by appearing like the perfect wife and mother. Girl gives good gloat, but it's only a matter of time before this scheme backfires too. The one noble creature in the ep is Alan's girlfriend Betty Lou, who refuses to be bribed by JR into blowing the whistle on their relationship to Lucy, and instead leaves Dallas with her heart broken but head held high (only to resurface a few years later as Maggie's slutty sister on FALCON CREST). Like Lou Ann Culver, Betty Lou is a really great minor character. Foreshadow alert: "I'll rot in hell before I'll accept a handout from a Ewing," vows Cliff after refusing a job offer set up for him by Bobby. Now he's rotting in a Mexican jail having refused Bobby's offer to help him beat the JR murder rap in return for confessing to his real crimes: “I have never done anything that the Ewings asked me to do, and I’m not going to start today.” I've never enjoyed "Land of the Free" as much as I did this time around, but the winner is … DALLAS. [/QUOTE]
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Dallas the TV series
Dallas - The Original Series
DALLAS versus KNOTS LANDING versus the rest of them week by week
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