20 - guilt and innocence

My post on Ultimate Dallas Forum from April 28, 2013 (episode aired on March 25, 2013):

I have always thought that the "vigil episodes" (as I call them) usually are a borefest. This one is NOT, though it´s far from being perfect, but captures the emotions of the youngest generation, which may be good for the show in the long run:

- The acting in general was better than usual, after all what Metcalfe can do best is crying and here he does indeed. We can see that the Creepster is not just the stupid beefcake he seems to be, but ALSO an immature, sadistic, cold bitch who wants her former wife to die instead of their twin babies. Watching this new Dallas I can´t help but thinking: What kind of parental bringing has Bobby given to his adoptive son? Did he spend all his post-original "Dallas" days chasing bimbos who looked like April on the other side of Earth and let that Carmen woman educate the Creepstopher? In TOS, Bobby was an exemplary father, even in the worst episode of the worst season...He was loving, caring, understanding, protective up to a point (not like the post-wedding whiner Pam) and seemed to make him believe even the unbelievable (i.e.: that her mummy-esque mummy had a "tough love" for them and chose to abandon them instead of just scaring the whole Dallas society away with her many burns).

I wonder if Patrick Duffy is given the whole scripts of the episodes or just his scenes, because sometimes he just seems to be taking the same drugs that his onscreen blond-bland wife. His reaction to Afton´s visit is something TPTB should be ashamed of having written: that is the woman who saved your wife, you white-haired moron, when that Wentworth wacko shot you! And I´m sure you didn´t even send Afton a thank-you postcard.

I have got a theory about Cliff´s descent into evilness that will allow me to watch this series all the way up till its end: the experience of killing Johnny Dancer accidentally in Season 13 made him act strangely and get his revenge ideas again. Despite his many faults, Cliff was an honest man until that last season. Murdering someone (even in self-defense) may have serious consequences on anybody, so maybe that was the turning point for Cliff. Or maybe he´s already suffering from neurofibromatosis...

- Sue Ellen and Ken Richards: I think Majors was very miscast here, and not only because he looks like SE´s long-lost older brother. He´s as wooden as always but, what is worst, the writers have given him a lousy business miniplot. I see no chemistry between them, only the great Linda using her wonderful talent and looks to make anything believable again. Not nice to see her flirting so soon after JR´s death but, she flirted with his ex´s brother Gary too in his funeral, wasn´t she? The drinking subplot is not bad, but is not a good thing either, because I have the feeling that, during the hiatus (if there IS a third season), ms. Gray is going to visit la Cidre and tell her that all that drinking is something she already did, long time ago, and for a much more talented team of TV makers, and she wants a "powerhouse Sue Ellen" storyline. Anyway it´s realistic for an alcoholic to go off the wagon in such situations, but I hope it won´t last too long...

- Audrey Landers steals the show away: Despite of my post above, I think the lady still looks impressive and has learnt one thing or two about acting...though her voice remains the same. She manages to make the most out of the miniplot she has won (in a sort of an "Original Dallas Characters´ Choice" Bingo). The way she talks to every character (Pamela, Chris, John Ross, Sue Ellen, Elena) brings back the latter seasons´ Afton: the one that was more fierce and smart, and couldn´t be fooled by anyone, the one who stole a daughter away from his father (who had every right to live her childhood too) and made him believe PR actually was the daughter of her boozy ex.

Continuity mistake once again (but who is counting now?): When and how did Cliff (or Pamela) got to know that the girl was his own? Another missed opportunity to tell us about the 25 lost years between TOD and TNT Dallas. Audrey is great and doesn´t look like a crazy bat like Val in her guest stint, though I have the feeling her return is another way to do the same Cidre seems to be doing: feed the beast that we all the Dallas fans supposedly are, while she continues investing in her Ramos and Ryland sagas. Like in the old Dallas, I just take what I want to. And after having to bear that Presley woman for 5 long seasons, I can take anything!

- What ever happened to Granny Judith?: Light may be a great actress but the writers should give her better dialogues. In this episode, she seems to be the reincarnation of Joan Crawford´s corpse returned from the dead. Besides, the more I see of Poison Dwarf II, I mean Emma, the least I like her. I know that Charlene is not the bombshell she used to be, what didn´t she deserve the screentime Emma Bell is getting? She might have had an affair with a younger man, or come back with a daughter or son, or even become a partner in EE...One by one, Emma is doing all that Lucy did in her first complete year only! Emma just has to get engaged to a gay man to complete Lucy´s record. Besides, the girl is not likeable though the actress is good. Therefore, whose is the fault of my complete disinterest in her? Has she been designed to be a mini-villainess?

To sum it up, the best was to me:

- Bringing back Audrey Landers as Afton.

- The interaction between the characters thus showing a little more character development.

- The chemistry between Josh and Julie shouldn´t be wasted: they should have more future in the show than the E/JR3 couple (let me add that I have already watched the finale too and it was a disappointment, that last scene!).

- Linda Gray will end up devouring the Duffster if they allow her to. What a beautiful actress she has become!

The worst:

- The Ryland parallel universe.

- Another wasted actor, Kuno Becker, playing another stereotyped Latino character. And coming from a Latin-rooted woman like Cidre, why are you doing this disservice to us with crappy cartoons like the Maid from Hell, Elena of Disas-Troy and the Drew boy?

- The reconciliation between the Bobster and Bland Ann...who cares?

- The baby-assassination just for the show´s sake, because babies don´t make good soaps so early on? Good writing makes soaps good, and that doesn´t have anything to do with babies. All the 80´s supersoaps already had their baby share in their second seasons (Dallas, Dienasty, Falcon Crest and Knots). What makes Cidre think that a bitch-on-heels can´t be a great bitch and a mother too (see Knots´Abby as an example)?

All in all, I do enjoy this show, although the first episodes were rather slow-paced and slightly boring. And no, they didn´t trust dear Larry enough to give him at least two or three memorable scenes. He HAD TO steal them, and how good he was at it!