Clik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 37 – ‘Rodeo’
Those eyes Rodeos pit man against beast and on “Dallas,” no one is more beastly than J.R. In “Rodeo,” Sue Ellen, having failed to tame her savage husband, considers climbing in the saddle with a man...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 50 – ‘Divorce, Ewing Style’
Domestic disturbance “Divorce, Ewing Style” focuses on the collapse of J.R. and Sue Ellen’s marriage. It’s a heavy subject, but the preposterous plotting makes it hard to take things very seriously....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 58 – ‘Who Done It?’
Just shoot her “Who Done It?” brought the world to a standstill. Eighty-three million Americans, or roughly one-third of the nation’s population, watched this episode on the night it aired in 1980, a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 70 – ‘Lover, Come Back’
Tracks of her tears “Lover, Come Back” is an episode about reunions. Sue Ellen discovers Dusty is alive and rushes to his side, Ray and Donna get back together and J.R. returns to the cartel. All three...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 79 – ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’
Foiled again! At the end of “Gone But Not Forgotten,” Sue Ellen and John Ross are gliding cheerfully through a Love Field airport terminal when they’re suddenly approached by two of J.R.’s goons. While...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dallas Parallels: ‘Power’ Tips
Few moments during TNT’s first “Dallas” season made me smile as much as the scene where J.R. tells John Ross, “Real power is something you take.” This was more than a great line – it was also a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 85 – ‘The Split’
Mind games Sending J.R. and Dusty to the Cotton Bowl for their big showdown at the end of “The Split” doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but who cares? The sequence is a logistical feat, and Larry...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dallas Decoder Interview: Howard Lakin
Howard Lakin Howard Lakin penned several “Dallas” episodes as a freelancer in the early 1980s, then returned to the series as a writer and producer for its final three seasons. To my delight, he agreed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dallas Decoder Interview: David Jacobs
David Jacobs Before J.R. Ewing appeared on our television screens, he existed in the mind of David Jacobs. I was honored last week to speak to Jacobs, who shared his memories of creating “Dallas” and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dallas Decoder Interview: Michael Preece
Michael Preece No one “shot” J.R. Ewing more often than Michael Preece, who directed more than 60 episodes of the original “Dallas” series. He graciously agreed to share some of his memories of working...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dal-List: Dallas’s 35 Greatest Moments (So Far)
Icons, one and all “Dallas” debuted 35 years ago today. To commemorate its anniversary, here’s my list of the franchise’s 35 greatest moments. Gripping grin 35. J.R. meets his match. “Dallas’s” first...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 105 — ‘Where There’s a Will’
Let us prey Larry Hagman has no scenes with his main co-stars in “Where There’s a Will,” but this is still a terrific hour of “Dallas.” The fun comes from watching J.R. scheme to sneak a peek at Jock’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 107 — ‘The Big Ball’
Mama’s family No matter how often I see it, the next-to-last scene in “The Big Ball” always gives me goose bumps. Punk Anderson stands before a packed ballroom of tuxedo-clad oilmen and their gussied...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dallas Decoder Interview: Lisa Seidman
Lisa Seidman Lisa Seidman was a writer on the original “Dallas” during its final two seasons and penned many of the show’s best episodes from that era. She later wrote for “Knots Landing” and now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 113 — ‘The Wedding’
What is she thinking? “The Wedding” is a strong episode with a silly ending. In the final scene, J.R. and Sue Ellen stand under a big tent in the Southfork driveway, where a minister is conducting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 115 — ‘Barbecue Three’
Mr. Right In “Barbecue Three,” J.R. finally reveals his plan to win the contest for Ewing Oil: He begins flooding the market with cut-rate gasoline, hoping to drive up his half of the company’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 129 — ‘Things Ain’t Goin’ Too Good at Southfork’
The bottom Linda Gray always hits her marks on “Dallas,” but she’s especially effective when Sue Ellen is hitting the bottle. Unlike so many other actors who go overboard playing drunks, Gray is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 131 — ‘Ewing Inferno’
Surprise, surprise “Ewing Inferno” famously ends with J.R., Sue Ellen, Ray and John Ross trapped inside Southfork as fire sweeps through the house. I wonder: When this episode debuted in 1983, did...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 133 — ‘The Long Goodbye’
This time, it’s personal J.R. Ewing is a man with many enemies, but his conflict with Pam is unique because it reveals his otherwise well-concealed insecurities. When Pam arrives at Southfork, J.R....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critique: Dallas Episode 137 — ‘Check and Mate’
Endgame “Check and Mate” brings J.R. and Bobby’s contest for control of Ewing Oil to a satisfying but somewhat silly conclusion. In the final scene, the brothers learn J.R. boosted the company’s...
View Article