Season 3 Summaries
Episode 55: No More Mr. Nice Guy, Part I Aired: Mon, Oct. 18
Rating [out of 10]: 
LINE OF THE DAY: "I wasn't gallivantin'!" - Sue Ellen to Jock after he accuses her of "gallivantin'" around town while JR was shot.
A close second, submitted by AHN Todd Saveland: "Sick? You mean drunk!" - Jock to the sisters Shepard after Kristin tries to make the excuse that Sue Ellen wasn't feeling well last night.
NITPICKS for this episode [and there are lots!]
The Lucy Award: JR, for obvious reasons
The cleaning lady finds JR sprawled on the floor of Ewing Oil and he is quickly wheeled out to an ambulance. Cliff Barnes is in the crowd that follows JR's gurney. Detective Horton of the Dallas PD calls Ray Krebbs at the ranch and tells him the news. He informs Ellie, who asks Ray to gather the family together at the hospital. Once there, Dr. Pearson tells Jock and Ellie that JR's situation is grave - his blood is a difficult cross-match for transfusion.
Ray calls Muriel looking for Lucy. Not realizing the situation, Muriel covers for Lucy and says she just went to a seminar. The next morning Muriel calls back and tells Ray that Lucy's with Dr. Forrester. With Mrs. Forrester's help, Ray finds them in a motel and drags Lucy to the hospital.
Kristin arrives at the hospital. Ellie tells her to go to the ranch and wait for Sue Ellen. Sue Ellen wakes up in her car at the airport, holding a big, near-empty bottle of booze. She returns home to an ominously empty Southfork and is about to hit the liquor cart again when Kristin shows up. Sue Ellen says she remembers nothing about last night as Kristin tells her that JR's been shot. Prompting Sue Ellen, Kristin tries to jog her memory. Sue Ellen says she only remembers leaving Dr. Elby's office at about 3, having some drinks and then waking up in the airport that morning. Kristin tells her that she came to the condo at about 5, looking for JR. Kristin tried to calm her down with a drink but Sue Ellen angrily dashed off to find JR again. After hearing this, Sue Ellen figures she must have done it. She hurriedly gets ready to go to the hospital.
The state police find Bobby and Pam on their way to California and tell them the news. Pam is so shocked that it is necessary for her words to be dubbed. Gary and Val call from California after hearing the news and Gary makes plans to go to Dallas and be with his family.
The Shepard sisters arrive at the hospital and Jock gives Sue Ellen the third degree about being drunk and gallivanting around town while her husband was shot. Guilt-ridden Sue Ellen has no good reply. Pam and Bobby arrive soon after. As they head to a nearby hotel to rest for a while, Ellie asks Jock to do whatever it takes to keep Bobby at Southfork - she can't bear to lose another son.
The surgeons manage to extract one bullet which lodged near the spleen. The second bullet is dangerously close to JR's spinal canal and will require very dangerous surgery. Jock tells the police that Vaughn Leland, Alan Beam, and Cliff Barnes all had strong motives for shooting JR. At this, Pam rushes off to find Cliff and let him know he's been named by Jock. This comes as no surprise to Cliff, who has already told the District Attorney that he had a strong motive.
JR wakes up. Detective Horton asks him if he can identify the shooter. JR looks around the room to Ellie, then Bobby, and then Sue Ellen. He makes no answer but Sue Ellen doesn't like the way he looks at her...
Episode 56: No More Mr. Nice Guy, Part II Aired: Tue, Oct.19
Rating [out of 10]:
LINE OF THE DAY: "Nobody beats old JR, you know that!" - JR to Sue Ellen as she worries at his bedside.
My pick: "I spent the night with the wrong Barnes!"- Lieutenant Gordon to Cliff as Pam walks into the police station.
The Lucy Award: Ray, but Pam did little.
JR tells Detective Horton that it was too dark for him to see anything when he was shot - he has no idea who the killer is.
Gary arrives at Southfork to a warm reception all around. While visiting with John Ross he talks to Sue Ellen about being a recovered alcoholic who fell off the wagon more than once, which made him turn violent. Sue Ellen resents being called an alcoholic, not to mention violent. Gary also chats with Bobby about how he loves Southfork, but can't bring himself to come back. The brothers agree that JR's aura seems to dominate their lives one way or the other.
JR tells Sue Ellen he can't feel his legs - he may be paralyzed. The doctor says he'll need surgery to remove the bullet in his spine but the surgery could paralyze or kill him. Sue Ellen is vehemently opposed to the surgery on the grounds that it might lead to JR's death. She tells Dr. Elby she's scared to death of what might happen to her if JR dies.
Vaughn Leland is released by the police after establishing an alibi - he was in his lawyer's office declaring bankruptcy when JR was shot. Jock asks Bobby to run Ewing Oil for a while and he hesitantly agrees, but Bobby can't bring himself to make any real decisions because he's afraid he'll just be overruled later. Marilee Stone hits Ewing Oil with a 10 million dollar lawsuit for the wrongful death of her husband. Bobby calls her to try to rectify the matter but Marilee hangs up on him. He later goes over to Marilee's place, just as the police question her about her motive for shooting JR. Bobby convinces her to take half a million dollars now and avoid a long, drawn-out court battle.
JR wakes up for a while and talks to Gary and Bob about the good old days. He finds out that Bobby's running the company. He decides to take care of business from his bed, making some calls and undoing the little bit that Bobby has done. Sue Ellen tries unsuccessfully to talk JR out of the second surgery, honestly telling him she's frightened for him and that she's not up to any tricks. JR says he believes her. Dr. Roclaire, an expert neurosurgeon, arrives to perform the surgery.
The Dallas police bring Alan Beam back to town but he's in the clear when they discover he was in Missouri at the time of the murder. He meets Kristin at the hospital who tells him JR's doing well and no one knows who shot him.
Lucy and her friends go out to a club and man-hunt. Lucy becomes a drunken party-pooper and decides to leave. The valet [who turns out to be Mitch Cooper] puts her in a ca\b. Lucy goes to Mitch's place the next day to give him back the money he gave the cabby. She asks him out but Mitch says his medical studies keep him occupied.
The police visit Cliff and hand him a search warrant. He saves them the trouble of searching his room by handing over his gun and going down to the station with them. Cliff calls Pam the next morning and says he's been at the station most of the night. Pam rushes over and arrives just as it is determined that the bullet found in JR's body doesn't match Cliff's gun.
After another call for a business decision, Bobby gets fed up and demands that Jock give him control over Ewing Oil operations in writing as a vote of confidence. Jock agrees as Sue Ellen looks on anxiously.
Dr. Roclaire says the bullet was removed and JR handled the surgery well. It's still too early to know if he'll be able to walk or not. Sue Ellen waits it out in his room.
Episode 57: Nightmare Aired: Wed, Oct. 20
Rating [out of 10]:
LINE OF THE DAY: "You know I'd never do anything to hurt you- we're brothers!" - who else but JR to Bobby as he explains why he's been making Ewing Oil decisions behind his back.
The Lucy Award: Ray and Cliff.
Ellie walks in on Sue Ellen having a nightmare. She asks Sue Ellen to see Dr. Elby about it so she can get some rest. She tells the impeccably coiffured psychiatrist that her dreams are all the same: she's running down a long corridor trying to escape from men in white coats. There's a door at the end of the corridor and if she can reach it she'll be free. When she gets to the door, JR blocks her path. She hears the sound of gunshots and sees JR dead. The door disappears and she knows she'll never really be free.
Jordan Lee visits JR at the hospital, managing to get past JR's security somehow. His smug attitude towards JR's misfortune causes JR to throw a book at him and tell him to leave. JR is concerned that he's not being told anything by the doctors and that no news is bad news. JR begins physical therapy to regain control of his legs.
Pam is somewhat upset that Bobby's spending so much time at the office. Cliff is asked to take a 'vacation' from work because he's still a suspect in JR's shooting. People figure he probably used a different gun than his own. Cliff tells Pam that he's considering leaving Dallas because his career seems over. He also confides to Pam that he went to kill JR the night he was shot but found that someone beat him to it.
Lucy yells at Professor Forrester for not telling her about his marriage and tells him the relationship is over. Mitch finds her at school and apologizes for being rude the other day - he said he just had a test he was worried about. They talk over drinks and Lucy says she's impressed by Mitch's honesty and determination to succeed no matter what the cost. Later, however, Lucy learns that Mitch's busy schedule will allow them very little time together and she gets totally upset with him.
Bobby confronts Franklin Horner, the Ewings' banker, about ducking his calls with regards to getting a loan approved. Horner tells him that the bank doesn't know how long Bobby will be in charge, and that's the reason for the delay. Bobby threatens to pull all of the Ewing assets out of the bank if he has too. It turns out Horner is stalling Bobby at JR's orders.
Kristin meets Sue Ellen outside the hospital and offers to relieve her for a while. They share a sisterly moment before Kristin heads up to JR's room. He's surprised to see her and tells her he'll deal with her when he's up and about. Kristin says she doesn't think he's man enough anymore.
Bobby finds out that JR is stymieing his decisions and heads over to the hospital to confront him about it, forgetting a lunch date with Pam. JR says he's just trying to make sure Bobby doesn't make any mistakes and feeds him the Line of the Day.
Having been stood up for lunch, Pam meets up with Liz Craig, who's gotten her job back because she slept with the boss [I'm not kidding about this]. She's learned that JR was behind her transfer and is willing to give Pam her job back at The Store if she wants it. Pam says no for the time being. Pam comes to Ewing Oil the next day and tries to scurry Bobby away for lunch but work keeps him.
JR is released a day early. Sue Ellen is somewhat ruffled that JR asked Jock and Ellie to bring his stuff to the hospital rather than her. While getting JR's things together, Jock finds JR's gun in the bedroom closet, recently fired twice. He turns it over to Detective Horton and asks him to let him know the results first. Ellie warns Jock not to jump to conclusions but is nervous about leaving Sue Ellen alone with JR.
JR comes home and says it's good to be back. Detective Horton arrives that evening and tells them that JR's gun was indeed used to shoot him, and the only fingerprints on the gun belong to Sue Ellen.
Episode 58: Who Done It? Aired: Thu, Oct.21
Rating [out of 10]:
LINE OF THE DAY: "What are sisters for?" - Kristin to Sue Ellen. Yikes.
The Lucy Award: Ray again.
Sue Ellen is booked. Kyle Bennett, Harve's partner, arrives to be her attorney at Bobby's request and tells her not to say anything to anybody, not even to him. Sue Ellen is shocked to learn that she has to stay for the night until bail is set the next morning.
The family tries to overcome their shock over everything that's happened. Kyle calls to tell Jock that Sue Ellen's bail is $100,000 but Jock refuses to pay it. Bobby offers to pay but everyone disagrees with him, including Ellie, who is worried for JR's safety.
Cliff learns of Sue Ellen's incarceration the next day. He comes to visit her and says he wants to help. She tells him her story and begs him to get the money to bail her out. Cliff promises to get the money somehow.
Bobby tries to buy a refinery for Ewing Oil - something Jock has always wanted. Franklin Horner tells him that the loan committee is unwilling to lend him any money because of all of the recent distractions in the Ewing household. Lucy apologizes to Mitch for her outburst the other day and buys him some medical books he needs to make it up to him. Jock tells Ray he's disturbed at the toll recent events have taken on Ellie.
Sue Ellen's bail is posted by an unknown benefactor and she is released. She takes a cab and goes by Southfork to have a look, and then heads to Cliff's place to thank him for bailing her out - only Cliff says he didn't do it. He asks Sue Ellen to stay at his apartment while he goes to an important appointment to see Dave Culver. Cliff offers to help Dave get the grassroots support he needs to win his next congressional election. Donna Culver is also there and whisks Dave away from Cliff. When he returns to his place, Sue Ellen is gone and has left him a note. She goes to Kristin's place and asks to crash there for a little while. Kristin is perfectly amenable to it, giving her the Line of the Day.
JR questions Pam and Bobby about posting Sue Ellen's bail but no one has any idea who did it. The next day, Bobby parks right in front of the main entrance to the Ewing building and finds Sue Ellen there waiting for him. She tells him she has to see John Ross again in case she's sent off to jail. Bobby agrees to talk to the family about it.
Donna visits Cliff and tells him to stay away from Dave because he's political poison. Cliff says he knows the political arena and figures that by helping Dave out, he can improve his own situation. Donna agrees to hear him out.
JR meets with Kyle Bennett and asks him about Sue Ellen's case. When Bennett hesitates telling him the details, JR threatens to take Ewing Oil's business away from his firm. Kyle says he'll recommend another lawyer for Sue Ellen - one who doesn't owe JR anything.
Bobby tells the whole family that Sue Ellen wants to see John Ross. Everyone thinks it's a bad idea but Ellie volunteers herself and Pam to take John Ross to see her. During the visit, Ellie and Pam say they're hopeful Sue Ellen can be cleared somehow.
Sue Ellen goes over to Dr. Elby's office and he hypnotizes her, asking her to remember what happened. She remembers that after she left his office that day JR got shot, she had some drinks and called the office - but JR wasn't there. Figuring he was with Kristin, she headed over to her place. She doesn't remember anything else. Dr. Elby recalls her from the trance. They then talk about what happened when Sue Ellen got back to the ranch, and Sue Ellen recounts the talk she had with Kristin. Dr. Elby asks her when she put the gun in the closet...suddenly Sue Ellen remembers that she didn't have the gun - she changed purses! Dr. Elby gives her a goofy smile and she heads to Southfork.
When she arrives, JR panics until Sue Ellen explains that she's just looking for Kristin. Kristin is at the ranch and Sue Ellen says she knows she's being framed. She remembers putting the gun down on Kristin's liquor tray when she was at her place, so it must have been Kristin who put the gun in the closet. JR calls the police but Kristin tells him that that would be a bad idea - unless he wants his child to be born in jail. Sue Ellen refuses to go to jail for her sister. JR tells them that no one's going to jail - he'll take care of things his own way.
Episode 59: Taste of Success Aired: Fri, Oct.22
Rating [out of 10]:
LINE OF THE DAY: "Now that, John Ross, is how you protect what's yours. No one's going to get Ewing Oil away from us." - the inimitable JR, making a promise to his son that he intends to keep.
The Lucy Award: Ray gets one more.
Kristin gives a full 'confession' to the family in the form of a carefully crafted sob story. She paints herself as a lovesick puppy hungering for the littlest bit of JR's love, but she never got it. One night, she became so crazy over her obsession that she shot him. The assistant district attorney, also present, wonders why Kristin put the gun in Sue Ellen's closet, if not to frame her. Kristin says that she just panicked. JR says he'll forgive her for what happened because he says he remembers how she was that evening - he feels she was temporarily insane at the time and there's no sense wasting the taxpayers' money on a trial. JR makes arrangements for charges against Sue Ellen to be dropped, and no one will ever know what really happened.
Bobby tells Harry Owens to reopen Ewing 23, despite the lack of an available refinery to handle the oil. He breaks a promise to be home for dinner to eat with Jim Redfield to try and buy his refinery. Pam challenges Bobby by telling him he's becoming too attached to Ewing Oil. Bobby assures her he can give it up any time he wants.
JR and Sue Ellen take Kristin to the airport to see her off to California. JR promises to send support checks. Sue Ellen chews JR out for believing that Kristin's child is his, especially when he didn't believe her that John Ross was his child; and more so that he let her get off scot-free. JR says he refuses to put Jock and Ellie through any more scandals. Sue Ellen angrily pushes him on to the bed, and in a disturbing turn, her struggle turns into a loving embrace.
Cliff advises Dave Culver to push a bill to protect the Takapa area in East Texas for parkland in order to garner favor with the environmentally-conscious public. Cliff and Donna have dinner and exchange life stories, hitting it off a little better.
Lucy tries to surprise Mitch by cooking dinner for him but she forgets that she's never cooked anything in her life. Mitch appreciates the effort, though. Later, when Mitch gets reabsorbed in his studies, Lucy decides to make him pay attention to her with her body because she figures she has little else to offer him.
Having found out from Harry Owens that Bobby intends to reopen Ewing 23, JR casually mentions it to Jock at the breakfast table, getting him visibly upset. Bobby tells Jock that if he doesn't like the decision, then he should just say so - and he and Pam will be packed up and ready to leave. This causes Ellie to pipe up and remind Jock that he promised not to let that happen. Jock confides in Ray that he's worried about the inevitability of JR and Bobby butting heads over control of the company soon - and there's nothing he can do about it.
Liz Craig visits Pam at the ranch and Pam agrees to return to work at The Store.
Bobby meets with the cartel boys and tells him he wants their help to buy the refinery: a straight 50-50 deal, no strings attached. But the cartel says they don't want to deal with Ewing Oil at all after the Asian fiasco. JR tells Jock he's ready to go back to work, but Jock tells him he's obligated to give Bobby a proper chance to be in charge, which doesn't go over very well with JR.
Another psychobabble session for Sue Ellen. She tells Dr. Elby she's optimistic about her marriage since JR was shot, feeling that both he and she have changed and she's going to make sure nothing comes between them again. Dr. Elby reminds her about Kristin but Sue Ellen assures him that Kristin is out of their lives for good.
JR confirms to Franklin Horner that Bobby is not to get any loans. Bobby meets Franklin later and gets sick of his stalling, so he tells him to take his bank and stuff it. Redfield tells Bobby that the cartel has made him an offer for the refinery, and he needs to sell it by noon the next day. Bobby finally smartens up and calls Les Crowley, at another bank. Les promises to speed up Bobby's application but has a worried look on his face as Bobby leaves. That evening he calls and tells Bobby he's got the loan. Bobby tells Jock the fantastic news that Ewing Oil finally has a refinery.
Miffed JR tells Sue Ellen he'll take Bobby down, even if he has to destroy the company to do it.
Episode 60: The Venezuelan Connection Aired: Mon, Oct.25
Rating [out of 10]:
LINES OF THE DAY: Two today.
> Lucy: "He parks cars (for a living)"
> JR: "As long as he has got a future..."
> Lucy: "We all can't be as fortunate as you with our choices of men, Sue
Ellen."
The Lucy Award: Cliff
Bobby is pressured from all sides with regards to his work at Ewing Oil: he promises Pam things will calm down once the refinery gets going; he assures Ray he'll try to help him out with the ranch as soon as he can; and Jock gets on his case, thanks to JR's information, about Bobby's sale of Ewing assets to finance the refinery purchase without consulting him first. JR does his best to convince Jock that Bobby is power-mad and unfit to run the company properly. Sue Ellen accuses Ellie of siding with Bobby against JR. Ellie says they're both her sons and she won't have Bobby leaving the ranch for any reason.
Bobby talks to Eugene and Sally Bullock about getting crude oil for the refinery; Sally agrees to provide the oil he needs from a Venezuelan tanker that will be arriving shortly. The cost is 18 million, payable in advance. JR arrives at the office just as the Bullocks leave. Gimpy Bobby explains their deal to an ostensibly impressed JR, who assures everyone that he's behind the deal 100 percent if it benefits Ewing Oil. Later, JR arranges a late-night dinner with Sally to put some secret plans together.
Jock and Ray go to a cattle auction in Fort Worth. Jock finds Punk Anderson there and they talk about some swampland in East Texas that is about to be lucratively redeveloped. A guy at the bar seems very interested in Ray and Jock.
Lucy arranges a pool party/barbecue to introduce Mitch to her friends. The 'small crowd' Lucy promised turns about to be a sizable group of rich folks. The party turns into a set of childish pool games, with high-stakes betting that goes way out of Mitch's league. He leaves quickly, leaving an embarrassed Lucy behind. Lucy later apologizes to him, but they get in to an argument about being accepted in each other's worlds. Lucy tells Mitch that he's the real snob [HUH?] and leaves in a huff.
Jock and Ellie talk about their sons growing farther apart because of the household tension. Ellie still harps that she doesn't want Bobby to leave. Jock is perturbed at the price of his staying - he and JR have been pushed away from the company. Sue Ellen tells Bobby that she feels he needs to be stopped, just as JR had to be. Bobby is shocked to hear it from her.
Pam hires John Mackey, a private detective, to help find her mother. At first, he turns up nothing, but later finds a possible lead. Bobby advises Pam not to get her hopes up, but his words come out wrong and Pam snaps at him. Their spat is a stark contrast to JR and Sue Ellen frolicking nearby in the pool. Cliff doesn't share Pam's enthusiasm about finding Rebecca, feeling that their mother betrayed Digger as well as his children. Pam says she wants to feel some 'connection' to her real family.
Bobby makes an great advance deal to provide gasoline to a local retailer, counting on receiving the Venezuelan oil. Jock tells JR about it and says he thinks Bobby should stay on as president for a while. JR confides in Sue Ellen that Bobby's doing really well - he's got nowhere to go but down. Pam arrives at Ewing Oil for a dinner date with Bobby, just as he receives a call that the oil tanker crashed en route.
Episode 61: The Fourth Son Aired: Tue, Oct.26
Rating [out of 10]:
LINE OF THE DAY: "Oh, probably the weather bureau callin' to see if I have enough sunshine!" - JR to Sue Ellen, when she's wondering what a middle-of-the-day phone call might be about.
The Lucy Award: Cliff
JR gleefully reads about the tanker sinking the next day, and rubs it in Bobby's face. Bobby deals with the fallout, checking into the insurance settlement and trying to obtain replacement oil. He assures Brady York that he'll have all the oil he asked for. Sally calls JR about the spill and they agree to meet about it.
Bobby finds that the only crude oil reserves available are slated for the Wilkinson refinery in Galveston, which has been receiving oil faithfully for twenty years. Since there is no oil available on the open market, Bobby orders oil diverted to the Ewing refinery to provide Brady York's gasoline. Wilkinson comes to Ewing Oil and tells Bobby that he could be ruined if he doesn't get his crude soon. Bobby tells Pam about his day, and she advises him to let Ewing Oil go. Bobby says he can't leave just because things are tough.
The guy from the bar yesterday shows up again, waiting on Ray's doorstep as he returns home. He turns out to be Ray's long-lost father, Amos Krebbs. Ray lashes out angrily at him for showing up after thirty years, expecting a handout, and berates him for not being there when his mother died. Ray says he owes his father nothing but gives him a hundred dollars to get lost.
To Lucy's surprise, Mitch arrives at Southfork and tells her she was right about his prejudice towards the rich. He tells her that he'll try to look past it because he really likes her and is willing to continue their dating - on his money.
Amos finds Jock downtown and they talk about Margaret Hunter, Ray's mother. Jock admits to having had a wartime affair with her; that Ellie knows about the affair; and she knows that Margaret was Ray's mother. Amos adds another piece to the puzzle: Margaret was already pregnant with Jock's child when he married her - and the child was Ray. Jock is skeptical until Amos shows him Margaret's diary, confirming that Jock was the father. Amos's price to keep quiet about it is a few acres of land; Jock says he'll think about it. Jock tells Ray the true story; Ray tells Jock that for his sake, as well as the family's sake, he doesn't mind leaving things as they are and not being acknowledged as his son.
Bobby meets with the insurance adjusters. They tell him that the claim was unusual - only the tanker was insured, not the cargo. They also tell him that there were suspicious circumstances around the disaster - there were reports that no oil was spilled at all. Bobby confronts Eugene Bullock about the duplicity and demands to see the records. They find that there were actually two tankers that sailed from Venezuela - one with no consigned cargo, that ostensibly crashed; the other with the oil, currently docked at Corpus Christi. Eugene tells Bobby where he can find Sally.
Bobby tells Sally he knows all about the fraud she and JR perpetrated. Sally tries to entice Bobby into making a deal in order to stall him; Bobby tells her he also knows about the second tanker and is willing to forego suing her if she gives him the oil and refuses to accept the insurance money. He calls Connie and asks her to tell Wilkinson that he'll have his oil.
Finally, Bobby tells JR he foiled his plan and also kept the Ewing name out of the potential scandal. They begin to argue when JR accuses him of trying to drive a wedge between him and Jock, and are about to come to shoves as Ray and the family enter the living room. Jock explains to the family about the affair with Margaret, and the fact that he has just learned that he has a fourth son. To everyone's shock, he welcomes Ray to the family.
Episode 62: Trouble at Ewing 23 Aired: Wed, Oct.27
LINE OF THE DAY: "I know you don't, Franklin, that's why I'm richer than you are!" - JR to Franklin when he doesn't understand why he is to be uncooperative with raising money for the Ewings.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy
With the latest addition to the Ewing household, JR and Sue Ellen discuss his faltering situation in the family power structure. JR promises to find bad days for Bobby and Ray soon enough.
Les Crowley tells Bobby about a property adjoining Ewing 23 that is up for sale at a great price. Bobby plans a trip to see the land, as well as the field, the next morning. One of the workers at Ewing 23 attaches a strange device to a rig.
Pam finds out that Cliff and Donna have been seeing each other and after some taunting from JR that evening, she stupidly announces the news to the entire Ewing family. Later, she tells Bobby that she feels bad about spilling the beans but she can't help herself because JR just gets to her and she never learned how to keep her mouth shut about anything. Then, when Bobby fails to give her his undivided attention when she tells him that she's found more news about her mother, she snaps at him for being too self-involved. Then after Cliff reaffirms his lack of enthusiasm in finding their mother, she lectures him about having ulterior motives in seeing Donna, because nothing else in the world is as important as what she wants.
Ray gets a bit of a heartache seeing Donna's picture in the newspaper. Donna comes to his house and tells him about her relationship with Cliff. Ray says he understands but it's obvious that he's hurt by it.
While Ray and Bobby examine the new land, Harry Owens drives up and tells Bobby that someone's threatened to blow up the field unless he gets 5 million dollars by 4 PM. While Ray arranges a search of the site, Bobby calls Connie and asks her to find Jock right away. Unfortunately, Jock's somewhere in Fort Worth and is unreachable. JR, who happens to be in the office, finds out what's happening and tells Connie and Louella to wait until they get more information.
The extortionist calls at 12:30 and asks for the money, a gassed jet, and no police involvement. He says he'll reveal where the bombs are when he's in the air. He blows up a tool shed to show he means business. Bobby asks Les Crowley to get the cash together any way he can.
The sheriff's department finds that the bombs are sophisticated - and remote-controlled, so they could be blown up at any time, from virtually anywhere. Bobby asks JR to get the jet ready and bring the money to the airfield. JR calls Franklin Horner and asks him to deny Crowley any help - and to aslk his fellow bankers to do the same. He gets the jet to stand by, preparing a plan of his own.
Despite JR's efforts, Les manages to come up with the cash, and JR leaves the office at about 3:15. Just as all seems lost for Bobby and the oil field, the plane flies by overhead and lands at the airfield.
The extortionist waits until the dot of four o'clock to come out of his hiding place. As he approaches the plane, he is shot by the police that JR brought with him. With his last movement, the extortionist reaches out and pushes the button detonating the bombs, and the oil field goes up in smoke. The mad bomber turns out to be a fellow named Gillis, who worked on the field until JR decided to shut it down some time ago. Bobby yells at JR for ruining everything but JR says there was no guarantee that Gillis would keep his word - you can't give in to extortionists.
Episode 63: The Prodigal Mother Aired: Thu, Oct.28
LINE OF THE DAY: "Well, Lucy, you sure know how to pick 'em - a pansy, a crook, and an up and coming pauper." - JR to Lucy on her choice of fiancees, recounting her escapades with Kit Mainwaring, Alan Beam, and now Mitch. Lucy's response, "I can't do much worse than Sue Ellen," wasn't bad either.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ellie
JR and Bobby argue yet again over the handling and potential re-opening of Ewing 23, as Mitch has dinner with the Ewings. Mitch tells Lucy he feels very uncomfortable with the family and he can see that they obviously don't like him. He suggests that they spend time apart for a while. JR looks on and gives Lucy the Line of the Day. Jock tells her he thinks she can do better - after all, she's a Ewing. Lucy counters that Mitch likes her despite her being a Ewing, which counts for a lot.
John Mackey tells Pam that he thinks he's found her mother in Houston. She prepares to leave immediately, despite Bobby's attempts to calm her down. Mackey takes Pam to Rebecca's place and she sees her for the first time. Mackey informs her that Rebecca became the executive secretary at Herbert Wentworth's company and then became his wife. They have a daughter, Katherine, living in New York.
Bobby meets with Jordan Lee, who wants to bring him in on a deal for wells in the Gulf Coast - as long as JR is kept out of it. Bobby asks for a couple of days to get some cash together. Les Crowley says he'll try to arrange further loans.
Jock and Ray meet with Punk and Pat Powers about the Takapa thing again. Jock is still undecided whether to invest or not. JR comes around and finds out about the deal, seizing the opportunity to insinuate that because of Bobby's wild spending policies, Ewing Oil might not have the cash available. JR makes arrangements to quietly see the Ewing books.
Pam calls Rebecca and arranges to see her. She tells Rebecca that she's her daughter, and also tells her Digger's story. Rebecca responds that Herbert has been her only husband - she's not Pam's mother.
Lucy seeks advice about Mitch from Ray [talk about the blind leading the blind]. He advises her to break it off with Mitch because of their differences but Lucy defiantly says she won't let Mitch go the way he let Donna go. Mitch apologizes to Lucy later. Lucy suggests they get married so they won't walk out on each other again, and Mitch says okey-dokey.
The family attends Dave Culver's fund-raiser. Herb and Rebecca happen to be there and Pam points out Cliff, which seems to hit a nerve with Rebecca. As Cliff introduces Dave to the audience, Pam notices Rebecca has disappeared.
Rebecca finds Pam downtown the next day and admits the truth - she was Rebecca Barnes. She tried to forget about her life in Dallas but couldn't hold back after seeing Pam and Cliff again. She says she never tried to contact them because she never told Herb about her past life, and he's been very sick and stressed out lately. Pam realizes that they can't see each other again, since Rebecca says she can't bear to lose a second family. Pam goes to Cliff's place and tells him that the detective was wrong - she didn't find their mother.
Episode 64: Executive Wife Aired: Fri, Oct.29
LINE OF THE DAY: "Real power is something you take!" - Jock to Bobby, after Bobby whines about not being able to use his power as president of Ewing Oil.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Cliff has only one meaningless scene.
Pam coordinates an article about The Store for 'Dallas Life' magazine. The editor, Alex Ward, is very interested in her.
Jeremy Wendell of Weststar Oil talks to Bobby about purchasing gasoline from the Ewing refinery at top dollar pricing. Bobby tells him that all of the gasoline is already contracted to Brady York, who's been a longtime customer of the Ewings. The contract is up soon, but Bobby intends to renew it for honesty's sake. Wendell tells him that an honest business usually doesn't last very long. Bobby breaks a lunch date with Pam to discuss the finances with Tom Selby, leaving her alone to eat with Alex.
Louella fills JR in on Bobby's recent potential deals. The Takapa bunch [Ray, Jock, Punk, Pat, and JR] meet again and after getting moral support from Ray and JR, Jock agrees to come in on the deal. Later, JR encourages Bobby to go ahead with Jordan Lee's proposed deal as well, knowing full well that Jock's plans conflict with it.
Bobby and Sue Ellen talk about having real power. Sue Ellen tells him he'll never get it because he's not willing to break the rules and do whatever it takes to get and keep it, unlike JR. Pam tells Bobby about her mother and has another tantrum over Bobby's perceived disinterest in her. She says she feels like she doesn't matter to him. Bobby heads over to the condo for the night. The next day, Bobby surprises Pam at the office and they temporarily make up. Pam and Liz have lunch with Alex that day and talk shop again.
Mitch comes over for dinner at Southfork again. Lucy pressures him again to get married quickly, and Mitch finally agrees. The family is incredulous over this new development. Jock is adamantly opposed challenging Mitch about his ability to support the flamboyant lifestyle that Lucy's accustomed to. Mitch says Lucy will have to change her ways. Pam is the only one to congratulate them. The next day, Lucy convinces Ellie that Mitch is the perfect man for her.
Jock and Ray discuss the Takapa thing. Ray advises Jock to talk to Bobby first but Jock says that Ewing business is his business first and foremost. Les Crowley tells Bobby that his loan has been held up because Jock withdrew 10 million dollars that morning, leaving only 5 million dollars in the Ewing cash account. Les also says that JR knew about it.
Bobby storms off, leaving Les in the office. He crashes the celebration party at the Cattlemen's Club and confronts JR about not telling him about Jock's plans. Bobby tells Jock the behind-the-back dealing makes him look like a fool. Jock tells him Ewing Oil is his company, and after a great argument, gives him the Line of the Day.
JR buys Sue Ellen an expensive piece of jewelry. While downtown, they meet Cliff and Donna. Sue Ellen tells JR she knows that they won't be together for long - because JR won't let them.
Bobby tells Connie that he'll need to get Brady York to increase his price for the gasoline, or sell to Weststar. Brady tells Bobby there's no way he can ask his clients to pay more for their gas. Bobby is faced with a tough decision, causing him to break yet another dinner date with Pam, who angrily hangs up on him and decides to have dinner with Alex. She tells Bobby about her evening the next day and Bobby can see he's in big trouble.
That morning, Pam gets a room full of flowers from Alex. They make arrangements for another dinner that night. Pam gets fully dolled up and finds that he's rented the whole restaurant so they can be alone. They have dinner and dance for a while until Pam abruptly cuts off the date, saying that she feels vulnerable and needs some time.
Episode 65: End of the Road, Part I Aired: Mon, Nov. 1
LINE OF THE DAY: "Nobody here but us rich folks...well, there's a couple of poor folks here." - JR to Mitch when he arrives at Southfork, and then glances over at Pam.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ray. Again.
Lucy gets fitted for Ellie's old wedding gown. [How does this work? Either Ellie's lost a lot of weight in forty years, or...well, you get the idea]. Lucy's nervous about meeting Mitch's family. She wants to get them hotel rooms but Mitch says they'll stay in a spare apartment at his building. Mitch reminds Lucy that they'll have to live on his salary after they're married but Lucy pooh-poohs that idea. The next day, they pick up Mitch's mother Arliss and sister Afton from the airport.
JR offers Bobby help in improving Ewing Oil's image but Bobby turns him down. JR sleeps with Louella to 'thank' her for keeping him informed of Bobby's doings, and encourages her to continue.
Bobby signs Jordan Lee's deal, figuring that he'll have to come up with the money within 2 or 3 months, when drilling is scheduled to begin. Jock finds out about the deal and Bobby informs him that he got involved. JR tries to make Bobby look like an idiot for getting in without having the money but Jock is pleased that Ewing Oil's back in good graces with the cartel. Tom Selby reviews the company's finances with Bobby [again?] and tells him that the company's in good shape as long as there are no more major expenditures - such as the Gulf deal.
The Takapa clan plots to hurry up their deal before the ecologists get wind of it. Unfortunately, Dave Culver's anti- development campaign has started and Cliff talks to the Daughters of the Alamo about maintaining the parkland. He chats up Sue Ellen at the reception afterwards but finds that she and JR are getting along well. Cliff says he feels happy with Donna too.
Ed, the local gas station attendant, tells Jock and JR that there are rumors that Bobby's going to cut off the oil supply to small independent stations and sell to bigger companies to make better profits. Jock assures him that no Ewing would ever be long for the company if he were to do that.
The Coopers come over to Southfork for dinner. JR takes an obvious interest in the beautiful Afton and Sue Ellen is visibly perturbed. Mitch is upset that Lucy spent a bunch of money getting Afton all dolled up for the dinner.
JR meets Jeremy Wendell at the condo and finds out the details of his offer to Bobby. JR offers to help Wendell get the deal. Jordan Lee calls Bobby the next morning and tells him that the project has advanced quickly and the drilling will began in about a week - at which time Bobby will have to come up with the rest of the project's money. JR advises Wendell to offer Bobby 15 million dollars in advance to secure their deal, which will assure that Bobby will jump at the offer.
Pam refuses to have dinner again with Alex on the grounds that she's married. She magnanimously admits to Bobby that she feels guilty for contributing to their marital problems, but gimpy Bobby can't even remember the last time they made love, turning Pam off completely.
Lucy has her bridal shower. Afton notices JR's car in the driveway and heads up to see him in his room. They kiss and Afton says she'll be back to see him again soon. After the shower, Mitch arrives and the family discusses the after-marriage plans. JR says Mitch can get a job at Ewing Oil anytime; Jock reveals that he and Ellie have bought them a condo in Oak Ridge. Mitch is hesitant to accept the gifts but Arliss and Afton encourage him. Mitch disgustedly says that if marrying Lucy means he's tied into all of this money, then maybe he doesn't want it.
Wendell calls JR and says he's come to an agreement with Bobby. They'll sign the papers in a week.
Episode 66: End of the Road, Part II Aired: Tue, Nov. 2
LINE OF THE DAY: "The real JR has finally come home." - Sue Ellen after realizing that JR's been messing around with Afton in their bed.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Cliff.
Arliss and Afton convince Mitch to overcome his pride and consider Lucy's feelings for a change. He goes over to Southfork and tries to tell Lucy that he has a problem with the way the Ewings live their lives. Lucy pushes him into the pool, at which he agrees to accept Jock's offer of the condominium - but nothing else. The wedding plans are on again.
Brady York offers to give Bobby the extra 2 dollars per barrel he asked for, to avoid putting his clients out of business; Bobby says he needs the money now and Brady will have to come with at least 12 million in advance or he'll have to accept Weststar's offer. Brady lets him know that Weststar has no intention of selling to independents - they plan to hoard the gasoline to drive up the price and then drive the little guys out of business. Jordan Lee tells Bobby he needs his money by noon the next day.
Alex Ward continues to chase after Pam, who doesn't give him the time of day. Gary and Val arrive for the wedding. JR confides in Sue Ellen that tomorrow will be Bobby's last day at Ewing Oil. Donna asks Cliff to come to Lucy's wedding but he declines.
Bobby comes home drunk and smeared with lipstick. He claims it was all innocent fun but Pam is disgusted at how much like JR he's become. She says if she wanted someone like JR, she would have married him. Bobby talks to Gary the next morning about how tough it is to run the company. Gary makes him question whether or not it's worth it.
Jeremy Wendell and his lawyer arrive to finalize their contract. Bobby asks Wendell what he plans to do with the gasoline - Wendell says that's none of his concern. At this point, Bobby seems to be mulling it over...
Lucy and Mitch get married without incident. At the reception, several relationships are re-established. Sue Ellen meets an old boyfriend, Clint Ogden, who's a relatively successful businessman. Alex Ward also happened to get an invitation, and he continues to make advances towards Pam. Ray and Donna meet up again.
Gary and Val congratulate Ray on his newly-found Ewinghood. Gary says he's thankful that the pressure is off him to be around Southfork now that a Ewing is in charge. Ellie doesn't appear to like the sound of that.
Meanwhile, JR and Afton are enjoying themselves in his bed. Sue Ellen gets a drink spilled on her and heads inside to change, meeting Afton on her way out of the house. JR follows not far behind her. Sue Ellen goes to her room to find the bed made, but the sheets ruffled.
Pam introduces Bobby and Alex. Bobby's preoccupation with his earlier decision [as yet unknown to the viewing audience] has left him drowning his sorrows at the bar. Pam challenges him as to whether he would mind if she slept with Alex. Bobby's in no mood to talk - he gathers JR and Jock for a conference inside.
Donna finds out that Ray's a Ewing and tells him the she wanted Ray to feel like they belonged together because she really wanted their relationship to work. Unfortunately, she adds, it doesn't matter now.
Alex and Pam agree that they're baffled by Bobby's disinterest in her. He asks Pam to go away with him - somewhere where there are no Ewings. Sue Ellen leaves to possibility of a relationship with Clint open, despite the fact that they're both married.
Bobby tells Jock and JR he wants out of Ewing Oil because the deals have become more important than the people that are involved. He says he turned down Weststar because of the independent gas stations that would be hurt; and he satisfied Jordan Lee by getting Nick Hammond of Hammond Oil to take over his share of the Gulf project. JR bemoans the fact that he'll have to clean up Bobby's mess, but Jock says he's proud of Bobby's decision to show the world that the Ewing name stands for something. JR happily watches Mitch and Lucy leave the ranch.
Ellie berates Jock for allowing Ray, a non-Southworth, to take Gary's place in the family and on the ranch. She says she'll never forgive them for driving Gary away for good.
Episode 67: Making of a President Aired: Wed, Nov. 3
LINE OF THE DAY: "It's been used once too many times." - Sue Ellen, after refurnishing her bedroom, making a backhanded comment about JR's affair with Afton.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ray, Cliff, and Ellie tie.
Bobby finally resigns as President of Ewing Oil, but with some stipulations: he demands personal control over Ewing 23; and he wants part of the profits to finance an alternative energy division of Ewing Oil. He also wants 25% of the profits from the Ewing refinery. Jock tells him he can have one-eighth, and forces JR to sign Bobby's agreement.
Mitch and Lucy return from their honeymoon and prepare to move into the condo. Afton shows up at JR's office and tells him that she and her mother have decided to stay in Dallas for a while. She asks JR's help in jump-starting her singing career. She's able to impress one of JR's buddies and land a job in a small bar.
Bobby and Pam argue again over their lack of communication. Alex happens to stop by Pam's office not long after and they make plans to have lunch. Clint calls Sue Ellen and they also agree to meet.
JR makes overtures towards a new cartel, because Jordan Lee and the boys will still have nothing to do with him. He's told that his business power in Dallas is down to nothing. Bobby meets old friend Justin Carlisle and newly-arrived Leslie Stewart, a media consultant who seems well informed about Ewing Oil. Bobby tells Leslie that he wants his new venture into alternative energy to have a low profile. She meets JR on her way out of the office and he seems to like the idea of using a media consultant.
Clint says he never really got over Sue Ellen - he kept his hopes alive to be with her again until he heard she and JR had a son. He regrets not asking Sue Ellen to get married when he had the chance. Pam and Alex Ward also happen to be at the restaurant and Sue Ellen spots them leaving. That evening, at the ranch, Sue Ellen tells Pam that her secret is safe. Pam says the lunch was an innocent business affair. Sue Ellen tries to convince Pam of the need for Ewing wives to have lives of their own - business, personal, or otherwise - because the power-hungry Ewing men are all the same. She reminds Pam of the way things have been lately, as Bobby ran the company and she and JR were happy together, away from the high-pressured turmoil. Pam denies that there's any problem between her and Bobby.
Sue Ellen has another psychobabble session. She tells Dr. Elby that finding Pam with another man makes her feel better about herself; she believes that the Ewing environment is conducive to infidelity. It also makes her believe that she could have a good relationship with the right man.
A U.S. senator is resigning and has encouraged Dave Culver's appointment to his post. Cliff is supportive about Dave leaving the State House but Donna thinks it's a bad idea, though she refuses to elaborate.
JR is told that the new cartel doesn't want to deal with him because of the fallout from the Asian deal. No one trusts him and his name is poison for any oil dealings. He meets with Leslie who says she's been anxious to refine his image for some time - she views it as a challenge, since he has the worst business reputation in the city. Leslie plans to push Ewing Oil at the national level so he can deal outside the Dallas old boy's network. JR signs her agreement immediately. Leslie tells Justin Carlisle that she doesn't need him anymore now that she's hooked JR.
Alex presses Pam for a definitive answer about their future. Pam says she likes him but is unready to give Bobby up yet - and she refuses to cheat on him. Sue Ellen refurnishes her bedroom - especially the bed, which she says makes her uncomfortable. Unable to keep it bottled up, she hints to JR that she knows about his tryst with Afton.
Arliss and Afton come over to the condo and tell Lucy and Mitch about Afton's new job as a singer. Lucy's ears perk up when she hears that JR got her the gig.
JR tells Hank Johnson to use the recent unrest in the Far East to start a counter-revolution. He plans to get the oil fields back to regain his power in Dallas.
Episode 68: Start the Revolution with me Aired: Thu, Nov. 4
LINE OF THE DAY: None. I couldn't find one that stood out.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy is nowhere.
Hank Johnson calls from Singapore and tells JR that the mysteriously unnamed 'country' is ripe for revolution. There may be key men who can be bribed to make it simpler but it'll take a substantial amount of money.
Bobby goes to Oklahoma City with Jim Lassiter to finalize a deal but promises to return in time for Liz Craig's party that night. Of course, it wouldn't be much of a show if Bobby's plans didn't get messed up and he had to call and tell Pam that he has to stay a little bit longer, and Pam got mad at him and met Alex at the party, right? So that's what happens. Pam begins to see what Sue Ellen was talking about last episode.
Clint and Sue Ellen spend more time together, but Sue Ellen is unwilling to go any further with their relationship. She psychobabbles with Dr. Elby about how much she enjoys the time with him. A man seems to be following them as they leave a theater the next night.
The Takapa bunch meet again and make a little bit of progress. The DOA also rallies funds to prevent the project from happening. Dave Culver accepts the offer to go to Washington and Donna tells Ellie about Dave's new reassignment - no one knows who will replace him. Dave doesn't feel Cliff would be a good candidate. Ellie and Jock begin an argument over Ellie's feelings that Jock is ignoring her sons now that he's found Ray. Sue Ellen interrupts before she really gets angry.
Leslie Stewart continues her full-scale campaign to improve JR's image but keeps the relationship strictly business, to JR's bewilderment. Sue Ellen mocks him by divining that he hasn't been able to seduce her yet. Leslie tapes a conversation in which JR mentions a potentially incriminating plan to overthrow the government that took his oil wells. JR prepares for a substantial withdrawal from one of his Swiss accounts.
Liz sends Pam down to Port Aransas to coordinate the new catalogue. Alex happens to have the adjoining room. They enjoy each other's company as they have been and that night, just as they start to get intimate, Bobby calls and their conversation makes Alex feel like a fifth wheel.
Dave recommends Donna to replace him as state senator but she refuses. Cliff's name isn't even brought up.
Hank makes final arrangements to get to the right people. He gets a man named Claude Brown to contact JR. JR gives Claude a ticket to Zurich as well as all of the details about what he wants. Claude tells JR that what he's getting involved in is highly illegal and could cost him everything his family has.
Episode 69: The Quest Aired: Fri, Nov. 5
LINE OF THE DAY: "Because I just don't give a damn." - JR to Sue Ellen explaining why he's not having her followed.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ray and Cliff.
Claude Brown visits JR and tells him the plan has been going well and he should see results very soon. He warns JR again that what he's doing is highly illegal - and that if the authorities get wind of it he'll deny any knowledge. JR convinces a friend in the senate nomination committee to ensure that Cliff does not get nominated for Dave Culver's seat.
Clint invites Sue Ellen to one last dinner before he leaves for Japan. Sue Ellen is still unwilling to make any commitment to him. As they leave the restaurant, Sue Ellen notices the man from last episode continuing to follow her. JR denies any involvement and Dr. Elby suggests that Sue Ellen may be fantasizing her pursuer in an effort to get attention. Feeling she can trust Kyle Bennett, Sue Ellen asks him for his help.
Bobby returns from Oklahoma City and is excited about his new solar energy venture. Alex and Pam discuss Bobby's recent neglect of her - she says that she can live with it. That night, Alex gives Pam a choice whether or not to open the door connecting their rooms. After initial hesitation, Pam chooses to lock it.
In an effort to get closer to her, JR comes over to Leslie's place in the evening after arranging a cancellation of her appointment but Leslie tells him she's made another appointment and whooshes him away.
Lucy has dinner with Afton and Arliss, since Mitch is working late. Lucy, realizing that Afton must have done JR a favor, subtly lets her know how upset Mitch would be if he found out about her shenanigans with him.
Donna asks Bobby to be a candidate for Dave's senate seat. He is hesitant at first but he allows himself to be convinced. JR is thrilled; Cliff is not and he blows his stack at Donna when he finds out, throwing her out of his apartment. She says she's glad to leave. Bobby and Pam argue again about their marriage and Pam tells him she almost slept with Alex because she was so lonely - but she didn't because she still loves her husband.
The next morning, Ellie mentions she's organizing the DOA against Takapa. Bobby advises Jock to talk to her but Jock says Ellie refuses to talk to him sensibly - and Bobby should stay out of his 'bidness'.
Hank Johnson tells JR there will be action in Asia within 24 hours. Leslie tells JR she knows he was at Afton's bar last night and he should stay away from such places because it's bad for his image.
Kyle gets some off-duty cops to nab Sue Ellen's tracker - his name is Appleton, a private eye. He claims he doesn't know who hired him; he just sends his reports about Sue Ellen's activity to a post office box in Denton, and receives payment the same way. Sue Ellen insists on going to Denton herself to find out who's behind it all. She watches a guy make the pickup from the post office and follows his car to a nearby upscale mansion. The guy hands the package to a shadowy figure in a limousine. Sue Ellen comes to a startling realization.
Episode 70: Lover Comes Back Aired: Mon, Nov. 8
LINE OF THE DAY: "I need a job...but I don't know how to do much of anything." - Lucy explaining her problems to Pam. As if we didn't know.
Alternate: "I didn't have you come here to nit-pick over the past." - JR to the cartel
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ellie
Sue Ellen goes to the mansion door and asks who lives there but the maid refuses to tell her. Sue Ellen adamantly tells her she'll find out one way or the other.
JR hears from Hank that tomorrow is their D-Day - they will know one way or the other for sure whether their plan is successful or not. JR asks Hank to call at 1 PM the next day no matter what happens. He invites the cartel folks over around the same time. Hank calls as scheduled and the TV news shows that the coup was successful and the oil wells are being returned to their previous owners. The cartel folks are thrilled and all is forgiven. JR tells an amazed Leslie that he didn't know what Hank was going to say - but he was willing to take the chance that it was good news.
Pam is totally ignored during Bobby's think-tank session with his campaign crew and is relegated to refreshment duty. Cliff is still distraught over the ruin of his political career just when it seemed to be going well. He asks his source to inquire about Hank Johnson and his involvement in the coup, figuring JR had a hand in it.
Sue Ellen returns to the house the next day, seeing the limousine parked in the driveway. She pushes her way past the maid and finds Dusty Farlow inside, in a wheelchair. He tells Sue Ellen that it was a ranch hand who died in the crash. He was paralyzed and barely managed to find help to return home. Sue Ellen says she still wants to be with him no matter what.
Mitch comes home to find a cleaning lady there. He's surprised because Lucy's been claiming to be the one cleaning the house. He tells the lady her services are no longer required. He confronts Lucy about it when she returns, most angry that she's spending his hard-earned money on the luxury of a cleaning service. Lucy apologizes but says she only did it because she knows he likes a clean house but she's such a slob. She promises not to spend any more money they can't afford.
Leslie invites JR over to her place. She tells JR that she wants to terminate their contract because he doesn't need her anymore - he's fixed up his image all by himself, despite the fact that JR claims to have had nothing to do with the coup. JR says he does need her because this is just the beginning of his plan to get back on top. She says that she needs to know more about his dealings if she's going to help him. JR says they'll have to become much closer for that to happen. Leslie says she'll think about it. Again, she tapes the conversation.
Punk warns Jock and Ray again about Ellie and Donna's troublemaking. Ray offers to talk to Donna on their behalf. He invites her over and she expects him to talk about their getting back together. Instead, Ray talks about Takapa. Donna incredulously asks about his involvement, and Ray says he's more than just a cowboy now. They continue to debate and just as Donna is about to storm off, Ray grabs her and gives her a passionate kiss. Donna spends the night and the next morning they agree to get married. Ray tells Jock the news and he's thrilled.
Lucy joins the family for breakfast at Southfork. She asks Pam to get her a job modeling for Alex Ward's new "Young Dallas" magazine, giving Pam the Line of the Day. Pam promises to try. Alex agrees to give Lucy the job as a favor to Pam.
Ray and Donna are honored guests at Southfork dinner that night. Jock announces that he's included Ray in the trust fund he set up for his sons. JR and Ellie are visibly upset by the news.
Sue Ellen returns to the mansion the next day and meets Clayton Farlow, Dusty's father. Clayton isn't very happy that Sue Ellen has returned to Dusty's life to complicate things. When Sue Ellen argues, Clayton reveals that Dusty is impotent as a result of the crash. When Dusty returns, Sue Ellen tells him his impotence doesn't matter but Dusty realizes that any marriage they could have would be a mockery. Sue Ellen counters that her whole life has been a mockery. After dinner, Dusty asks Sue Ellen not to come back. He says they can't have what they had before - someday, Sue Ellen will lose the idealistic image she has of him and he couldn't bear that. He asks her to love him enough to stay away and keep the memories. Sue Ellen tearfully agrees.
Episode 71: The New Mrs. Ewing Aired: Tue, Nov. 9
LINE OF THE DAY: "I AM TAKAPA!" Jock to Ellie after she announces she's stopped the Takapa project. Not once, but twice. The early favorite for LINE OF THE SERIES, in my opinion.
Alternate: "Welcome to the Ewing family." Sue Ellen to Donna at the end.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Cliff
After her interlude with Dusty, Sue Ellen is totally disinterested in JR's news about Ray and the trust fund.
Jock finally tries to get Ellie to discuss their problems but it's too late. Ellie says they should have talked before he changed the trust fund to include Ray. Besides, she's busy with DOA business to stop the Takapa project. Jock continues his silence about his involvement.
Ray and Donna also discuss Takapa and Ray again tries to get Donna to hold back on the protest but she refuses. They argue again and finally decide to leave that discussion outside the house from now on.
Lucy goes to audition for the 'Young Dallas' job wearing an awful hat and tacky overalls. Another prospective model makes her realize how little experience she has - no pictures, no resume. Alex sends her to a good photographer and asks her to return with some pictures. He tells Pam that Lucy's got the job anyway. Pam is upset because she didn't want Lucy to get the job that way.
Bobby wins the senate election handily. JR wonders how he'll handle the Takapa issue, especially given the situation around the house. Jock and Ellie are both certain that Bobby will support their Takapa platforms.
Justin Carlisle shows up at Leslie's place and warns her that JR is only interested in her as his latest sexual conquest. Leslie figures that she needs to remind JR just how much he really needs her. The next day, Leslie stays in on JR's business meeting with Jordan Lee and Marilee Stone. They want to get him involved in a lucrative coal mining project in Utah. Leslie advises JR not to get involved because of the bad publicity involved with strip mining. Jordan and Marilee leave in a huff and JR berates Leslie for ruining the deal. Jordan later tells Jock about the meeting and Jock fumes over the lost opportunity.
Sue Ellen sees Dusty's mansion go up for sale and calls Clint, who's returned from Asia. They meet for lunch and Sue Ellen tells him [sigh] that she's still not ready to make a commitment to him. They adjourn afterwards to Clint's hotel room.
Lucy returns to Alex's office with the pictures and he instantly gives her the job as 'Miss Young Dallas' - including a cash advance of $ 1,000 for her work. Lucy tells Mitch about her new job and Mitch happily agrees to renew the cleaning service.
Bobby offers the disillusioned Cliff a job as his legal counsel and advisor. Cliff accepts because of Bobby's straightforwardness - and to see the look on JR's face when he finds out.
Jock berates JR about blowing the mining deal and tells him not to take business advice from a woman - they belong in the bedroom, not the boardroom, according to him. Ellie walks in as he says this and tells them both that she's sickened by their total disregard for people in the name of business. Leslie avoids contact with JR; her secretary tells JR that she seems depressed lately.
Ray and Donna get married quickly and come to Southfork to tell Ellie the news. Ellie calls for a celebration. Lucy tells everyone about her new job and, in a move bordering on neanderthal, tells everybody about how she got it by using Pam's influence with Alex Ward. Bobby angrily confronts Alex about his continuing pursuit of Pam. Alex responds that he only made his move because he could see that there was a problem with their marriage - and if Bobby wants to fix it, he had better start paying attention to his wife.
Bobby confronts Pam about seeing Alex again. Pam tells him she only did it for Lucy's sake. Bobby also tells her what Alex said and Pam confirms that there definitely was a problem with their marriage when he was preoccupied with Ewing Oil. She hopes they can fix it.
The family celebrates the latest wedding that evening. Ellie announces that the DOA got a court injunction to stop the Takapa development - Jock angrily gives us the best LINE OF THE DAY so far and storms out. Sue Ellen dryly welcomes Donna to the Ewing family.
Episode 72: Mark of Cain Aired: Wed, Nov. 10
LINE OF THE DAY: "Do what you feel is right, JR." Leslie challenging JR to leave Sue Ellen if he really wants a relationship with her.
Alternate: "You don't know the meaning of the word 'friendship'. From now on, I'll be a whole lot better off dealing with my enemies". Jordan to JR. Nominated by Val.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy and Ellie
The Takapa issue is remanded to a state senate committee, since the DOA has proposed an environmental protection bill. Punk Anderson is upset at Ray and Jock for their inability to 'control' their wives in the matter. Harve Smithfield plans to take whatever legal action is necessary but they agree that their best bet is to use their influence in Austin.
Pam and Bobby agree to put their marital troubles behind them and move on. Ellie and Bobby discuss the occurrences of the previous night and Ellie says she refuses to compromise her principles this time - she's sick of Jock keeping things from her and intends on going through with this till the bitter end. Jock returns home after spending the night away from the ranch and tells Bobby that he's just doing what he believes is right - just as Ellie is. To Bobby's chagrin, they put the onus of saving the marriage on each other.
Leslie shows up in JR's office that morning and gives him a letter of resignation, saying she can't work with JR anymore after she ruined the deal with the cartel. JR tries to talk her out of it but Leslie says she's placed her last ad for Ewing Oil and that's the end of it.
Sue Ellen arranges another tryst with Clint to fill a few minutes of television time. Yet another psychobabble session with Dr. Elby in which Sue Ellen says she wants to find mutual love with someone - now that Dusty is unavailable, Clint is the one. She also mentions that being with him makes her feel like all of the hellish years with JR never happened.
Rebecca Wentworth shows up in Pam's office unexpectedly and they have lunch. Rebecca reveals that Herbert Wentworth recently died and she wants to move back to Dallas to be with the children she left behind.
Cliff informs Bobby that he's inherited Dave's senate committee obligations - and one of them is to be on the panel that decides the fate of Takapa. Donna advises Bobby that the only solution is to vote with his conscience. [Donna's so helpful.] Bobby stops by Ray's place and asks him to get Jock to pull out of the Takapa development group. Ray defends Jock and swells with pride at his own involvement. Bobby notices that he's sure begun to talk and act like a Ewing.
JR tells Jock he's let Leslie go and he'll get back in with the cartel real soon. Jordan Lee informs Jock that he's totally upset with the latest ad placed by Ewing Oil; it turns out that Leslie's final ad was a new policy statement from Ewing Oil dedicating themselves to conserving the environment and abandoning wasteful projects such as strip mining. Jock is incensed after reading the paper. After being apprised by Louella, JR confirms the story to the reporters who have gathered at the office. When Jordan confronts him about it, JR says the ad was designed to cull favor with the public and with new investors. Jordan says that his operation is going to undergo a federal investigation as a result of the ad. He also flatly declares that the cartel is through doing business with Ewing Oil.
Lucy gives an interview at the condo as part of her campaign as Miss Young Dallas, yet again wearing the dumb hat and suspenders. Mitch returns home during the shoot and is ticked off at being treated like an unwanted stranger in his own house. When one of the camera guys calls him 'Mr. Ewing', it's the last straw and he leaves in a huff. Later, at school, Mitch overhears some guys talking about Lucy as if she were a Playboy playmate. He's advised by his friend Jean to live with it.
Bobby has his first committee hearing and his fellow members raise questions about his conflicts of interest. Cliff advises him not to back down from them, in order to show that he's not a crony of his family's interests, and Bobby takes his advice to heart, saying he won't back out just because the fallout from the decision might be unpleasant.
JR comes to Leslie's place and she makes it look like she's leaving Dallas to head back east for a great partnership opportunity. JR offers to set her up as the biggest PR firm in Texas. Leslie says that would be great but she wants more - specifically, she wants him. But she says she refuses to have any romantic involvement with him while he's married - she leaves the decision to him.
Episode 73 - The Gathering Storm Aired: Thu, Nov. 11
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Sue Ellen didn't really do much.
LINE OF THE DAY: "Oh I understand you, JR. Truly I do." - Leslie to JR
JR and Sue Ellen start this one out by trading barbs. He wonders why he married her and she says he only did it to get her in bed. Now he can't get her out. JR visits John Ross in the nursery and says Sue Ellen won't be around much longer - it'll just be the two of them. At the breakfast table, JR tries to engage Ray, Donna, and Pam in polite conversation but fails. Bobby returns and JR reveals to everyone that he's on the Takapa committee and cabbages Bobby's dilemma over making a decision. Ray says that he can't picture Bobby voting against Jock. Pam advises him to abstain from voting but Bobby says he can't - he has to make a decision, even if it means that they have to leave Dallas to avoid the fallout. Pam tells him about her mother's arrival and town and tells him that she couldn't bear to leave her in Dallas all alone.
Ray, Jock, Ellie and Donna have a debate about Takapa. Ellie accuses Ray of losing respect for the land and not caring about people any more since he's become a Ewing. Jock yells that Ellie is no longer fit to live with and he's going to Dallas. Ellie tells him he should stay there. JR learns how bad the situation really is.
Rebecca tells Pam she wants to see Cliff despite Pam's stalling. Pam says she's worried about Cliff's bitterness towards his tough upbringing. He wouldn't forgive his mother for leaving and once he found out she was rich, his love would be split between her and the money. Later, Rebecca goes to see Cliff and says she's a friend of Cliff's mother. Cliff maintains that his mother is dead; Rebecca denies it and says her mother wants to see him. Cliff tells her off, saying that he doesn't care whether his mother is alive because she wasn't there when he needed her.
Leslie's PR firm gets going and the prospects look very good. She reaffirms her desire for JR just as soon as he gets rid of his 'marriage' problem.
Clint and Sue Ellen play tennis and he once again makes his futile offer to her and she once again boringly refuses to commit, saying that she likes their relationship as it is with no strings attached. She adds the relatively lame excuse that she doesn't want to add to Jock and Ellie's problems.
Lucy comes home at 10:30 to an edgy Mitch, who's tired of the way they never have time to spend together anymore. He's also copped a macho attitude and feels emasculated by the fact that Lucy's earning most of the money, which he should be doing. Lucy says she just wants to have a decent life and refuses to accept that they have to live of Mitch's meager salary. Mitch angrily heads out of the house, claiming there's nothing more to be said between them. [Some pretty good acting here!] Mitch talks to Jean again about his troubles with Lucy and she tells him that one of them is going to have to change if their marriage is going to work.
JR and Bobby discuss the possibility of Jock and Ellie divorcing and the prospect of Ewing Oil being sold in a settlement, since Texas is a community property state. Bobby asks Phyllis to check out a piece of property he's interested in. He tells Cliff that he wants to delay the Takapa hearings for a while.
Cliff visits Afton's bar and finds an old college friend, Dave Stratton, who mentions he was down in Southeast Asia during the counter-revolution. Dave says that the revolution was peaceful - it happened with money, not guns. He mentions that Hank Johnson dropped out of sight just before the melee took place.
JR visits Jock at his hotel room. JR subtly mentions the possible fate of Ewing Oil should there be a divorce, which Jock is seriously considering. Jock says he'd sell Ewing Oil before having it divided between Ellie and himself. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Ellie glumly sits at the empty dinner table and looks around, starting to cry over what might happen.
JR visits Jeremy Wendell. Stratton happens to be in the office and tells JR about Cliff's inquiries about the revolution and Hank Johnson. JR asks Stratton to come by his office later. Wendell says he understands JR's problem about the possible dissolution of Ewing Oil. JR proposes that Weststar buy Ewing Oil and make it a wholly owned subsidiary of Weststar, with JR as president, in exchange for stock, cash, and perks. JR says he's dead serious about selling Ewing Oil.
Episode 74: Ewing vs. Ewing Aired: Fri, Nov. 12
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy
LINE OF THE DAY: "You're paying too high a price for me to be a Ewing." Ray trying to clear the air between Jock and Ellie. It's a very well-delivered scene by all the actors, especially Steve Kanaly.
Alternate: "I'm not tryin' to influence you. I'm TELLIN' you what to do." - Jock to Bobby.
Ellie consults Lincoln Hargrave, a divorce attorney and tells him that the Ewing 'empire' she and Jock have built isn't worth what Jock has been putting her through. Lincoln is hesitant to take the case but Ellie says she'll go forward whether he wants to take the case or not. Returning to the ranch, Ellie tells the assembled Ewing women that she plans to divorce Jock. Pam is shocked. Sue Ellen is surprised it lasted this long because love doesn't matter that much to the Ewing men. Donna and Pam of course disagree. Sue Ellen wonders what JR would do without Ewing Oil to play with...
Jock tries to influence Bobby into voting in favor of the Takapa project. Bobby resents it and says Jock should worry about keeping his marriage together. Bobby says he wants to try a compromise- Jock says he might be amenable to that.
Jeremy meets with Cliff's friend David Stratton who was on the scene in Southeast Asia. Jeremy tells Dave to cooperate with JR and tell him anything Cliff says - but to tell him anything important first. Stratton comes to see JR and JR asks him to find out what Cliff knows and whether he's serious about pursuing the investigation. Stratton agrees as planned.
Sue Ellen tells Clint John Ross is sick and she can't see him today. Later, she goes to Clint's electronics factory. He says he plans to divorce Alicia and may lose the company in a settlement. Sue Ellen says he shouldn't leave his wife but Clint says he doesn't want the relationship the way it is now - he wants to marry her. Yet again, Sue Ellen predictably says she can't commit - not yet. Clint says if she won't be his wife, then they shouldn't see each other again - until she wants it.
Lincoln tells JR that Ellie came to see him and is contemplating divorce. He asks JR to try and stop it. Lincoln reveals that Ellie isn't worried at all about the fate of Ewing Oil. JR pretends to be totally concerned about his parents' marriage. He calls Wendell and tells him they have to meet and move fast. All that remains is for the deal to be approved by Jock. JR says that will be no problem. Wendell asks JR to confirm they have a deal no matter what happens with the divorce. JR confirms that they have a deal.
Mitch apologizes to Lucy- he says he worked all night and then had a flat, which is why he didn't come home. A limo comes to pick up Lucy soon after for another photo shoot.
Cliff eats with the Smith sisters at a restaurant near a table with Pam and Rebecca. Rebecca tells Pam that Katherine will be arriving in Dallas soon and that she's still hopeful to make up with Cliff. Cliff confronts Pam about her companion and Pam tells him the truth about their mother.
Leslie tells JR she's thrilled with her new offices that JR got for her - but she's still not ready for a romantic relationship with JR while he's married. They do have a kiss which Louella interrupts to remind him he has a meeting with Wendell. She gives Leslie a nasty look as they walk out.
The Takapa senate hearing begins. Bobby asks to speak to prevent a long drawn out hearing. Bobby suggests a compromise - he's purchased a semi-developed area that is not in the protected area and he says he'll donate his land in exchange for the Takapa preserve, so that Unified Development will have their resort and Takapa will be preserved. The Senate finds the settlement equitable and fair. The Takapa group agrees and so do the DOA. Jock hopes that everything is settled but Ellie says the only thing that's over is this hearing. Ray comes to a sudden realization...
At the Stardrift, Cliff and Dave talk about Southeast Asia. Stratton says he'll try to find out how to revolution money was distributed in Asia. Afton goes to Cliff's table and talks to him. She mentions that JR got her the gig at the bar, which peaks Cliff's interest.
Back at the ranch, Jock tells JR he's too busy to get involved in the Weststar negotiations right now. Ray takes Jock to his house with the excuse that he forgot a map. Conveniently, Donna brings Ellie over at the same time. Ray says he realizes that the problem is him. He remembers what Gary said at Lucy's wedding about not having to return to Southfork- now he realizes what he meant. Then being added to the Ewing trust...that was the final straw. He's gotten a document drawn up taking his rights away from Southfork and the Ewing trust. He'd rather give it all up than cause Jock and Ellie to split up, giving her the Line of the Day. Ellie says she can't let him give it all up. Magically, she comes to her senses and realizes that Gary's not coming back - not because he was driven away but because he wasn't happy here. She's sorry she blamed Ray for that - and Jock by association. And so she used Takapa as an excuse to lash out at them. She tells Ray he is a Ewing and should be proud of it. She gives him a big hug - and Jock too.
Episode 75: New Beginnings Aired: Mon, Nov.15
LINE OF THE DAY: "It pays to have Ewing blood in your veins, no matter how it got there!" JR to Ray about how great life is when you're Jock's son.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Jock and Ellie.
Afton opens the show, singing at a Southfork party to celebrate Jock and Ellie's second honeymoon. During the party, Sue Ellen gets a call from Alicia Ogden, Clint's wife, who wants to meet. [Madison's, at 12:30, of course...Sue Ellen must have a daily reservation]. Lucy and Mitch also make plans for a second honeymoon.
Donna angrily comes to JR's office and confronts him about getting Ray involved with the "Lubbock Project" with Punk Anderson and a friend of his, feeling that Ray isn't yet able to handle the pressure of high-stakes business. She promises him hell if Ray gets into trouble because of JR's pushing.
Cliff comes home with Chinese food and calls information to get Rebecca's number. He starts to dial but then stops. Later he heads over to the Stardrift bar and meets up with Afton, who has the night off. They head back to Cliff's place and spend the night together. She tells Cliff he's a lot better in bed than JR. She also mentions that JR got a lot of phone calls from foreign countries during their afternoon 'meetings' - and several were from Southeast Asia.
During their lunch, Alicia tells Sue Ellen she knows about her affair with Clint. She also says she knows she can't stop it - all she asks is that they be discreet about it. When an incredulous Sue Ellen inquires as to why she wants to remain in such a relationship she says she loves Clint and doesn't want him to leave her, so she doesn't mind sharing. Sue Ellen calls Clint and arranges a date for tomorrow afternoon.
Leslie Stewart has a meeting with Jeremy Wendell, who needs her for information about JR's latest doings but she refuses to comment. Jeremy hints there might be big things in store for her if she continues to work for JR and himself. JR knocks on Leslie's door in the middle of the night to celebrate a great deal he struck thanks to Leslie's ad campaigns. He denies the rumors that he plans to sell Ewing Oil and also tells Leslie he's filing for divorce from Sue Ellen, now that his parents are away. When JR starts to get romantic, Leslie 'accidentally' spills some champagne on him and gets him to leave. She then returns to bed with ex-husband Craig.
After avoiding Wendell for several days, JR is forced to talk to him. He tells him Jock changed his mind about selling Ewing Oil. He tells Jeremy he's sorry - Wendell says he's not as sorry as he's going to be.
Donna and Bobby discuss Ray's new-found love for big business. Bobby says he thinks Ray just needs time to adjust. Later, Ray and Bobby talk about hiring a new foreman for Southfork now that Ray's become busy with other things. Ray says he has things under control but Bobby can see that Ray's just putting up a front.
Pam and Rebecca discuss her miscarriages and their maternal need for families. Rebecca encourages Pam to see a doctor to find out if she can have another child.
Sue Ellen goes to see Clint at his hotel room. He says he's decided to divorce Alicia and gives her a ring which she says she can't take. Suddenly he gets confused at Sue Ellen's unwillingness to marry him. She says she refuses to break up his marriage and can't use him the way she has been. They say good-bye for good.
Wendell instructs Dave Stratton to get all of the information he can about the coup in Asia and hand it over to Cliff, so that he can proceed with his investigation of Ewing Oil. He intends to put the company out of business - and land JR in jail.
JR and Sue Ellen talk about old times as they put John Ross to sleep. They remember the good times when they first met and fell and love. [If you missed this, get a tape. This is great conversation!] Sue Ellen says they had a lot of good times and wonders what happened. Just as they seem about to come together again, the phone rings. It's Kristin from California, announcing that she just gave birth to JR's son.
Episode 76: Full Circle Aired: Tue, Nov.16
LINE OF THE DAY: "You didn't even have any licorice..." Cliff's first bonding moment with his mother, remembering that she used to like licorice. It's a cheesy line, but it works.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Jock, or if that's unfair, then Donna.
Sue Ellen refuses to discuss Kristin's phone call with JR. JR talks to Lincoln Hargrave about his planned divorce suit against Sue Ellen and Lincoln tells him it will be very difficult to get custody of John Ross unless he can prove that Sue Ellen is not fit to care for him. JR says he'd kill her if she tried to take his son away from him.
Donna tells Ray she has to go to Washington for a while to help out Dave Culver, while Ray remain engrossed in the Lubbock Project. Pam finds out she can't carry a child to term. When Bobby gets another postcard from Luke Middens in Montana [see Episode 42 summary for details], Pam is torn about telling him the terrible news.
Lucy has to go to Houston to do some work for Alex Ward's company, which Mitch doesn't appreciate. She calls him from Houston and says she has to spend some extra time for a talk show, at which Mitch angrily tells her to stay as long as she wants and leaves the condo.
Dave Stratton tells Cliff he has documents connecting JR to the Asian counter-revolution and arranges to get him a briefcase full of incriminating documents, mentioning in passing that Weststar will be very grateful for his efforts. Cliff wants to press ahead but realizes Bobby won't help him.
Wendell has lunch with Leslie and questions her about the time during which the Asian coup happened but Leslie maintains yet again that her business conversations are private. JR tells Leslie to stay away from the unscrupulous Wendell and find other clients. Dave Stratton arrives at JR's office and tells him that Cliff Barnes has no information about the Asian coup.
Pam visits Cliff to tell him about her problem and says she can't muster the courage to tell Bobby. Cliff says he's too busy to deal with family problems right now and Pam tells him for being an inconsiderate jerk to her and to their mother. Embarrassed, Cliff calls up Rebecca after Pam leaves. That night, Pam decides to tell Bobby about her problem.
Kristin Shepard arrives at a Dallas hotel. She makes a phone call and tells someone that her newborn baby looks just like him and they should meet soon.
Cliff spiffs up the apartment for Rebecca's visit. They make small talk but Cliff's anger over her abandonment of him when he was five comes to the surface quickly and he yells at her about it. As she heads to the door, Cliff holds out a plate of licorice and gives her the Line of the Day, remembering that she liked licorice, and calls her 'Mama'. Rebecca tells Pam the next day that all is forgiven.
Mitch brings his friend Jean home and they have some drinks. Lucy comes home the next morning to find Jean coming out of the bedroom [Mitch was sleeping on the couch]. Lucy assumes the worst but Mitch claims that they were just talking and it got late, so Jean stayed over platonically. Lucy doesn't believe it and is sick of living by Mitch's standards. She decides to go back to Southfork.
Cliff brings his information linking JR to the overthrow in Asia to the senate committee. Bobby blasts him for going over his head but Cliff said he did it this way to keep Bobby's name clear and prevent everyone from thinking he was covering up the information.
Ellie calls from Paris and asks JR to tell Sue Ellen to take good care of John Ross. As Sue Ellen is in town shopping for John Ross, a limo comes to pick her up - it's Dusty Farlow. He's on crutches and is finally able to walk a little bit. After he told Sue Ellen to leave him alone, he started to get better and wants to renew their relationship. Sue Ellen agrees wholeheartedly.
The Senate committee tells Bobby they believe he's innocent of any wrongdoing, as Cliff expected. They find the evidence inconclusive at this point, though they leave the case open should there be further developments. Cliff confronts Bobby about the lack of findings but Bobby says he put no undue pressure on the committee. However, he does put pressure on JR, telling him that Cliff has some serious evidence. JR denies any wrongdoing but Bobby says he doesn't believe him and is worried about the possible fate of Ewing Oil. JR tells him not to worry.
Cliff tells Afton that he held a press conference insinuating a cover-up of JR's misdeeds. The morning paper prints the story, which both Leslie and Wendell read the next day and decide to meet to discuss the matter. JR asks Hank Johnson to find out who ratted on them.
Jordan Lee visits Kristin in her hotel room, as was previously discussed. They talk about the baby, which Kristin says is his. She asks for more money to support their child, which Jordan gives her. He advises her to leave Dallas before she runs into JR. Kristin says she might do that.
Episode 77: Ewing-gate Aired: Wed, Nov.17
LINE OF THE DAY: "She's dead...you bastard!" Cliff assuming the worst when he finds JR on the balcony overlooking the Southfork pool with a dead body floating in it.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Jock and Lucy.
JR gets a security force to keep the press away from the ranch in light of the recent news of the impending investigation. Ellie calls from Paris after reading about the investigation in a newspaper. JR maintains his innocence and says he'll take care of Cliff's troublemaking - there's nothing to worry about. Ellie agrees to keep the news from Jock.
Dusty wants Sue Ellen to face JR and take John Ross away with her but Sue Ellen maintains it's not the right time - she knows JR won't just let her take him. Her plan is to take the child away while JR's in Austin. Clayton tells her the Farlows have enough resources to help Sue Ellen win any court battle.
JR asks Senator Arvilla to tell him what evidence the committee has but the Senator says his hands are tied because the Department of Justice is overlooking the case. JR promises to remember this at election time. As he exits the senator's office, he is given a subpoena to testify in one week. Louella is served with the same papers. JR calls Louella and tells her to find Claude Brown and get him out of the country. Sue Ellen calls the office and Phyllis tells her that JR and Louella are still in Austin. Sue Ellen goes to collect John Ross that night but she dilly-dallys somewhat and just as she is about to leave, JR walks in and grabs his son, while his security guard grabs Sue Ellen. Sue Ellen tells him that she'll get her son back - one way or the other. JR repeats that he'd kill her first. Pam witnesses the exchange and berates JR for what he's doing. JR tells her to stay out of his way or he'll destroy her too.
Leslie goes to see Wendell and says she has proof that JR financed the counter-revolution. She says she'll present it to the committee in exchange for the promise of becoming Weststar's exclusive media consultant. She asks Jeremy to come by her place tonight to check out the proof.
Kristin comes to Ewing Oil and asks JR for more money, threatening to cause further scandal to the Ewings if he doesn't pay up. JR reluctantly agrees but asks for some time.
Punk and Ray celebrate the success of their latest project. Punk is so impressed by the way Ray's handled himself lately that he offers him a 3 percent share of Unified Development for 3 million dollars. Ray hedges about the amount of money but Punk reminds him that Donna can cover it easily. Besides, Jock will be thrilled. That seems to make up Ray's mind. He calls his banker and asks him to make up a check for the 3 million dollars. He tries to call Donna in Washington but she's out. Later in the day Donna returns to Dave Culver's office and the banker tells her about the withdrawal. Confused, she says she agrees to the withdrawal. Then she decides to return to Dallas.
JR is advised by his lawyer to find out what evidence the Senate committee has against him - it appears to be his only hope. JR gets Afton to drug Cliff, and JR and Harry McSween search his apartment, finding the briefcase, and taking photographs.
The trial begins. Marilee and Jordan tell the committee that they believed that JR was behind the coup - he's capable of anything. Claude Brown tells the court about his trip through Switzerland as his distribution of money to key figures in Asia. He admits that the money was used and intended to finance the counter-revolution. Leslie is next and submits the tape she made of her conversation shortly after the coup took place, in which JR admits his guilt.
Finally, JR testifies. He says that there's a simple explanation to all of this: the money was not intended to bribe anyone or finance the coup; it was simply a philanthropic gesture to the country in the hopes that they would look favorably on Ewing Oil as a business. He says he lied to Leslie about being responsible for it all because he wanted to impress her. JR calls on Lam Thong, ambassador to the U.S., who tells the court that the money was used to build schools and hospitals in the developing country, and indicates that he has full receipts for all of the money that Claude brought to Asia. The ambassador also mentions that JR's generosity has extended even to the donation of 10 percent of all of his oil profits to help the country's infrastructure - which comes as a bit of surprise to JR. The committee declares JR and Ewing Oil innocent.
Cliff says he doesn't know how JR got himself off but he'll slip up someday. JR laughs it off. Cliff accuses Bobby of handing over the evidence to JR, which Bobby denies. Bobby asks Cliff to come to Southfork that night and talk about it and Cliff agrees.
JR triumphantly returns to Ewing Oil and asks Louella to type up a letter of recommendation. He fires her for not getting Claude out of the country like he asked. He visits Leslie that night and tells her he's not upset at her - she did just what he would do in her position. He says he still wants her if she's interested and she seems to agree.
Sue Ellen comes to Pam's office and tells her about Dusty. She asks Pam to give her a little help...
Kristin calls someone in California and says that a certain someone is going to pay for spurning her.
JR arrives home the next morning to find John Ross gone. The security guard tells him that Pam took him for a ride. JR tells them to find her immediately. He also gets Harry to alert the highway patrol to find Pam's car.
Cliff arrives at Southfork that night and sees a female body floating in the pool. He jumps in and sees JR looking down from the balcony, giving him the Line of the Day.