Worst Dallas storyline in the show's run

[Mustard]

Yeah why wouldn't JR immediately have McSween or Rattigan give the sheriff a taste of his own medicine?

Because Haleyville was an unincorporated hick community.

A lot of land in the USA is made up of unincorporated rural places. A lot of these places are very insular and extremely small town, and they are not subject to normal laws. Unincorporated communities are not governed by any municipal corporation or council. People in incorporated areas of the US (i.e. cities, towns, suburbs), or people in other countries (where everything is incorporated) wouldn't really understand it. Baltimore County in Maryland even has its entire territory as formally unincorporated, even though it's right next to a big US city in Baltimore City.

In the US, all the land in 5 states is incorporated (New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island), and nearly all the land is incorporated in another 3 US states (Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire). The other 42 US states have plenty of unincorporated land parts.

J.R. Ewing is from the fictional Braddock County, Texas (obviously based on real life Collin County, in the small city of Parker, where Southfork is located), and he works in the city of Dallas some miles down the road in Dallas County. Both are incorporated areas.

 

[Victoriafan3]

April with Bobby
Most storyline’s after Pam left
Leslie Stewart
Jenna and Ray/Splitting Ray up from Donna
Alex Ward trying it on with Pam
Pam trying to kill herself because she couldn’t have a child. While I’m sure this happens in real life, this seemed out of character and wasn’t so well done imo

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

How about the blink and you'll miss it first husband of Pamela Barnes. I can only assume he went to fill his tank up and hasn't been seen since.

I wish someone would have at least mentioned it again. JR could have gotten some good mileage out of working ol’ Edison Faraday Haynes into one of his Pam-intended barbs here and there.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Definitely agree with your list, apart from no.4
I think I'm the only one who liked this storyline, wish it had been done in a more convincing way though

I think that was my problem with it. I just couldn’t find it convincing enough. The actors involved weren’t the problem for me. Perhaps if it was written a little differently.

I agree for the most part, although I liked the Range War story. I would say that it could have been better developed

It just didn’t hold my interest and I felt it went on way too long. I’ve always said had they done this in the early years when Jock was alive as a stand-alone episode then maybe I would’ve appreciated it a little more. But I am glad there are people who like it though cause we can’t all feel the same on these things.

Not sure I agree about that one. It's a brief moment, Pam is in an emotional quandary (and, hence, desperate) and getting the shakes.

Bringing in supernatural elements to a show is tricky, and whether it works or not is a matter of balance. The tone has to match the personality of the show itself.

I like the way DALLAS did Pam's trip to the psychic in 1984. There was a shrouded, hushed mood over the scene. It was all underplayed, and I'm not sure they even mentioned it again.

That's why it worked. Less was more. Hint at the supernatural ... and then move on.

That’s all fair and logical to me, but I guess I just didn’t see the purpose of the scene. Granted, Pam was in a desperate state at the time and at least it was just a one and done. More visits wouldn’t have been necessary. I’ll reply to the rest of your post later cause I’m still reading......................

Yes, when I look back at past threads there were certainly some funny ones amongst all the fantastic ones.

Wish I'd been on here then, but I'm thankful I am now.

Yes, well, we’re all thankful you’re here now too!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

More visits wouldn’t have been necessary.

Certainly not. One was plenty.

 

[FRedCarrington]

Inspired by my own post in the Pam's Mummy debacle thread, what do you all consider to be the worst storyline in the show's run?

Storyline's which spring to mind are the Clayton & Laurel Ellis storyline which I find really cringey. The Mummy Pam storyline I consider my personal worst of the show's run but which one stands out for you as being either cringey, poorly done or just a bad or awful storyline?

Over to you all.

1. JR in this Sanatorium
2. BD Calhoun
3. Sue Ellen Stupid Movie
4. Jenna & Ray
5. A spirit named Adam... Unbearable.
6. The Mafia Story
7. Lisa Alden.
8. Lucie & Eddie story line.
9. All about Pamela's accident, her Egyptian mummy wraps, and her pseudo replacement by Margaret Michaels.
10. Kimberly Crider.
11. The Valentine Lingerie story, boring.

 

[southfork88]

1. JR in this Sanatorium
2. BD Calhoun
3. Sue Ellen Stupid Movie
4. Jenna & Ray
5. A spirit named Adam... Unbearable.
6. The Mafia Story
7. Lisa Alden.
8. Lucie & Eddie story line.
9. All about Pamela's accident, her Egyptian mummy wraps, and her pseudo replacement by Margaret Michaels.
10. Kimberly Crider.
11. The Valentine Lingerie story, boring.

Amazing! This would be my identical ranking, point by point. Were you born on the same day as me?

 

[southfork88]

Penso che fosse questo il mio problema. Non riuscivo a trovarlo abbastanza convincente. Gli attori coinvolti non erano un problema per me. Forse se fosse stato scritto in modo leggermente diverso.



Semplicemente non ha catturato il mio interesse e ho sentito che è andato avanti troppo a lungo. Ho sempre detto che se lo avessero fatto nei primi anni in cui Jock era vivo come episodio a sé stante, forse l'avrei apprezzato un po' di più. Ma sono felice che ci siano persone a cui piace, perché non possiamo provare tutti la stessa cosa su queste cose.



Per me è tutto giusto e logico, ma immagino di non aver capito lo scopo della scena. Certo, Pam era in uno stato disperato in quel momento e almeno era solo una cosa fatta. Non sarebbero state necessarie ulteriori visite. Risponderò al resto del tuo post più tardi perché sto ancora leggendo...............



Sì, beh, siamo tutti grati che anche tu sia qui adesso!

C'è da considerare che Pam stava già abortendo per la seconda volta, aveva saputo di essere affetta da fibromatosi, aveva scoperto che Digger non era suo padre ed era anche morto, mentre la madre, creduta morta, l'aveva abbandonata diventando una ricca signora. Potrebbe bastare per un esaurimento nervoso.

April with Bobby
Most storyline’s after Pam left
Leslie Stewart
Jenna and Ray/Splitting Ray up from Donna
Alex Ward trying it on with Pam
Pam trying to kill herself because she couldn’t have a child. While I’m sure this happens in real life, this seemed out of character and wasn’t so well done imo

It must be considered Pam was already having her second abortion, had learned was suffering from fibromatosis, had discovered that Digger was not her father and had also died, while her mother, believed to be dead, had abandoned her becoming a rich lady. It might be enough for a nervous breakdown.

 

[FRedCarrington]

Amazing! This would be my identical ranking, point by point. Were you born on the same day as me?

I am delighted that someone shares the same tastes as me on these points!!
Maybe I was born on the first of November!! And my grandmother was Italian!! Ciao !!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

1. JR in this Sanatorium
2. BD Calhoun
3. Sue Ellen Stupid Movie
4. Jenna & Ray
5. A spirit named Adam... Unbearable.
6. The Mafia Story
7. Lisa Alden.
8. Lucie & Eddie story line.
9. All about Pamela's accident, her Egyptian mummy wraps, and her pseudo replacement by Margaret Michaels.
10. Kimberly Crider.
11. The Valentine Lingerie story, boring.

I don't have an issue with any of these plots, only the execution of these plots -- which was, admittedly, pretty bad. (In fact, I don't even have a problem with BDCalhoun and Valetine Lingerie at all, probably because they occurred during Season 10).

But there's almost no story you can't do, just as long as the details are there and the tone is right.

Although Joel Grey is tricky.

 

[FRedCarrington]

In fact, I don't even have a problem with BDCalhoun and Valetine Lingerie at all, probably because they occurred during Season 10).

I'm still very uncomfortable about this season 10.

I find it so bad (and it starts with the quality and the color of the image by the way) and most of its plots like BD Calhoune & the Valentine lingeries were treated with too much levity, not to mention the departure of three characters that I adored, namely Pamela, Donna and Mandy, who were given such a mediocre way out.
Thank you to the sequel for bringing Mandy back to us for an episode by the way).

And we expected so much from the return of the couple Bobby & Pam. The script was not up to par. Boring!!

I hate this car accident, it is in my eyes the first of a long list of very bad cliffhangers.
Not to mention the subsequent treatment of Pamela, unworthy of a character who contributed to the cult of the saga.
The only worthy ending to this character was given in the 2014 sequel.

The treatment of Jenna's character is also unbearable. Sue Ellen becomes totally superficial. I'm not even talking about the character of Charlie that I want to throw out the window so much she annoys me!!

Miss Ellie is one of the only ones to come out on top!!

In short, as you can understand, I never accepted the 10 which is already no longer up to the rest of the original cast that remained.

 

[southfork88]

I am delighted that someone shares the same tastes as me on these points!!
Maybe I was born on the first of November!! And my grandmother was Italian!! Ciao !!

Well, I was born only 11 days after you ... leaving aside the year of birth.

Also for me the 1986-1987 season is among the worst ever. It was a thousand times better the previous season (Dream Season).

 

[FRedCarrington]

Well, I was born only 11 days after you ... leaving aside the year of birth.

Here is the explanation!!

Also for me the 1986-1987 season is among the worst ever. It was a thousand times better the previous season (Dream Season).

Absolutely !! And at the risk of having stones thrown at me, I would even say that having brought Duffy back for such a result is downright unfortunate.
Even though Duffy is not responsible for such a lack of quality but I had loved season 9 and starting from scratch actually ruined everything and only started a long agony of dealing so badly the departure of important characters like Pam, Donna and Mandy.

So I find the 11th awful with the treatment of Pamela and all this ridiculous circus. Same for the character of Katherine why did you make her come back for that??
As silly as the return of Jessica Montfort in season 13.

There will still be some good new characters and some good plots in season 12 and 14 even if the spell was broken.

I won't talk about the TV movies that I find particularly bad.

On the other hand, I again found intense pleasure in 2014 with the 3 seasons of the sequel.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

(and it starts with the quality and the color of the image by the way)

I guess you're unfamiliar with our numerous discussions about the visuals for Season 10 and what happened to them and why (and the recent attempts to fix them).

Regarding the show itself, it's true that there's a more outrageous tone for Season 10, but it's the closest DALLAS would ever come to self-satire which actually worked. After that year, it didn't work at all.

 

[southfork88]

Here is the explanation!!



Absolutely !! And at the risk of having stones thrown at me, I would even say that having brought Duffy back for such a result is downright unfortunate.
Even though Duffy is not responsible for such a lack of quality but I had loved season 9 and starting from scratch actually ruined everything and only started a long agony of dealing so badly the departure of important characters like Pam, Donna and Mandy.

So I find the 11th awful with the treatment of Pamela and all this ridiculous circus. Same for the character of Katherine why did you make her come back for that??
As silly as the return of Jessica Montfort in season 13.

There will still be some good new characters and some good plots in season 12 and 14 even if the spell was broken.

I won't talk about the TV movies that I find particularly bad.

On the other hand, I again found intense pleasure in 2014 with the 3 seasons of the sequel.

The 1986-1987 season is still old-fashioned Dallas, compared to what would come next.

However, I have always disliked this season ... perhaps because it was the beginning of the disaster.

In my opinion, less importance to Mandy and nuDallas of which save the dynamics between John Ross and Sue Ellen.

 

[Chris2]

I didn’t like how the McKays were just a silly attempt to replicate the Barneses, complete with a daughter who falls in love with Bobby (though she was not beautiful like Pam).

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I didn’t like how the McKays were just a silly attempt to replicate the Barneses, complete with a daughter who falls in love with Bobby (though she was not beautiful like Pam).

I liked Tracey, though. I didn't like Bobby with April.

 

[lbf522]

Yes the McKay's were an awful addition. I would add to this list you guys have here: I like Susan Lucci and Barbara Eden but the storylines they were attached to were awful. I hated the addition of James Richard Beaumont. That JR would accept this person as his son without question when he was suspicious of Jamie and it ruined JR and John Ross's relationship. I wanted JR to have another child but it was a daughter with Sue Ellen not a son from a past love.

 

[JR Ewing Fan]

I think the point is that Jeanne O'Brien resembled pre-crash Pamela, like Margaret Michaels resembles Victoria Principal. The storyline was a bit odd though, even morbid.

Would have been better if she returned as Pam. The look-a-like storyline was just strange.

 

[FRedCarrington]

I guess you're unfamiliar with our numerous discussions about the visuals for Season 10 and what happened to them and why (and the recent attempts to fix them).

No my dear Snarky Oracle, I obviously followed all these conversations but I was only stating all the points that I disliked in this season, including the image in addition to certain plots.