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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James from London" data-source="post: 214645" data-attributes="member: 22">Brothers and Mothers (KNOTS, 06 Nov 86) v Brothers and Sisters (DALLAS, 25 Feb 83)The eponymous brother/mother relationships on KNOTS are between Karen Mackenzie and Michael Fairgate, and Peter Hollister and Sylvia Lean, with a little brother on brother action thrown in for good measure — Eric finding Michael canoodling with Paige results in their very first fist-fight that leaves the Mackenzie living room in shreds and both boys crying in a heap. As with many things to do with Eric and Michael, it’s a bit strange and a tad embarrassing but ultimately very touching and endearing. Neither son lets on to Karen what the fight was about which neatly taps into her ongoing sense of feeling like an outsider in her own home, a consequence of her recent kidnapping by Phil Harbert (who this week wins the award for the Ewingverse’s most sparsely attended funeral ever, with only Greg and Mack showing up to pay their [dis]respects).More exciting than the Fairgate/Mackenzie stuff is Peter alternately gaslighting and poisoning fake mom Sylvia — making her believe she keeps forgetting to take her heart medication then causing her to overdose as a result. His resultant crisis of conscience, all flop sweat and wild-eyed staring at his own reflection, is almost as thrilling as his wicked scheme. And then Sylvia disappears!Brothers and Sisters is the DALLAS episode in which Clayton sells the Southern Cross Ranch, a milestone which is treated quite casually. At this point, the writers don’t really care about Clayton’s family history — they’re mainly concerned with establishing him as a viable suitor for Miss Ellie and having him relocate to Dallas is simply the next step. But this unthinking act will have major ramifications for years to come, serving as fuel for Jessica’s murderous resentment the following season and Clayton’s own feelings of discontent when he moves into his Laurel Ellis phase in five years time.This season of DALLAS, which covers JR and Bobby’s yearlong fight for Ewing Oil, is undoubtedly one that repays repeated viewings. Only with hindsight can one can fully appreciate how skilfully all the story elements fit together and are then paid off. Attempting to follow all the business-related twists and turns the first time around, however, often felt a little baffling. Likewise, dropping in on this episode out of sequence, where JR, Walt Driscoll and Holly Harwood are already knee-deep in a complicated plot about oil that’s being made to look like it’s being shipped to Puerto Rico when it's really on its way to Cuba — is pretty hard to keep track of, but on a basic soapy level, still feels quite exciting.As if to offset the complexity of the business plots, the characters mostly relate to each other in big broad strokes and none more broadly than Katherine Wentworth (presumably the sister to whom the episode title refers) whose eyes flash evilly and brain schemes visibly even as she flashes Pam her brightest smile.And the winner is ... Brothers and MothersBONUS BEATS:[MEDIA=youtube]kajn3CSOkaU[/MEDIA]</blockquote>

Verification: Who played Sue Ellen in Dallas?