Season 11 Summaries
Episode 282: Carousel Aired: Mon, Mar.15
LINES OF THE DAY:
"If you really were dying, I doubt you'd end up
in the same place as Daddy". - Bobby to JR. Suggested by Val.
"Before you throw rocks at me, take a look at
your glass house." Lucy to Bobby about how they all have shunned JR and
Bobby seems to pooh-pooh them for it. Suggested by Jason.
Rating [out of 10]: 
The Lucy Award: Ellie does very little. Jeremy Wendell is credited but absent.
Sue Ellen tells the police her story: during the struggle, JR threw Nicholas over the balcony to his death, and then he turned to her. She says she shot him in self-defense. She's told that there's no confirmation that JR was killed, to her utter disappointment. Meanwhile, JR is found to be just fine - the bullets went cleanly through him. However, he insists on being made to appear in critical condition for his family's sake.
April and Cliff tell Jackie they're taking a trip and don't know when they'll be back. Cliff wonders whether April's feelings for Bobby might cloud her judgment of his search for Pam but she assures him that she's just being a friend.
Bobby and Clayton find that a lot of their pasture land isn't turning out as great as they had hoped - they may have to ship feed in for the herd. A helicopter arrives to inform Bobby about last night's shooting. Bobby arrives at the hospital and haggard JR tells him that he doesn't feel that he'll make it through. He asks Bobby for a last favor - to make him part of Ewing Oil so that Jock won't be disappointed in him. Bobby says that the nurses have already told him he's going to be just fine and is shocked at his callousness.
JR is questioned about the shooting after Sue Ellen's allegations that he killed Nicholas Pearce. JR claimed that Pearce attacked him and he just fought back. He says that Nick went over the balcony because he slipped, and then he turned to find his wife pointing a gun at him.
After visiting her stylist, Sue Ellen comes to Southfork and gets a deserved earful from Bobby for her recklessness. She asks him whether he knows where John Ross is, and Bobby replies in the negative, saying that even if he did, he wouldn't let her know. Lucy joins the conversation and takes Sue Ellen's side, disgusted at her sham of a family.
April and Cliff's first stop is to see a man named Lemay, who threw the party where Jordan saw Pam. Cliff is told that Pam is apparently a patient of Dr. David Gordon, and Lemay promises to see whether Pam wants to have contact with her family.
The detective speaks to JR and Sue Ellen together and they agree to drop charges against each other for John Ross's sake. A call comes to Southfork from John Ross's new school, and Lucy happens to pick it up. She manages to convince the headmaster to give her directions so her cousin can see his ailing father. Lucy arrives at the hospital with John Ross just as Sue Ellen leaves. The three of them wave at JR through his window as he quietly seethes.
The next day, Cliff gets a call from Lemay indicating that Pam will see him the next afternoon. Cliff comes to the doctor's office and finds Pam sitting there in partial darkness. Cliff assumes she'll return to Dallas but Pam tells him that she's put that part of her life behind her - and she intends to marry Dr. Gordon. She tells Cliff that they'll never see each other again and he dejectedly leaves. After he's gone, the doctor wonders why Pam lied to her brother, and she says she couldn't possibly go back knowing that she only had a few months to live.
Ellie visits JR at the hospital but he's totally bitter at having his son turned over to Sue Ellen. The dinner table at Southfork isn't much fun as Lucy points out that for all of Bobby's self-righteous talk, he also rejected JR's plea to be allowed back into Ewing Oil as a partner. Sue Ellen sees a lawyer about getting a quick divorce and full custody of John Ross. The next day, Bobby tells JR he's willing to allow JR back into Ewing Oil under the condition that he stay out of the oil business, and not contest his ownership of the company.
A man named Carter McKay visits Southfork and tells Clayton he'd like to buy the Krebbs ranch. Clayton agrees to show him the place first-hand for a better look. Cliff finds Bobby at the Oil Baron's Club and tells him that the woman he found wasn't Pam. Bobby tells him it's for the best.
The investigation into Nicholas's death is closed due to lack of evidence, leaving JR and Sue Ellen with only their mutual hate for each other. JR promises never to rest until he has custody of his son, and Sue Ellen tells him to give it his best shot.
Episode 283: No Greater Life Aired: Tue, Mar.16
LINES OF THE DAY:
"If a cop can't break the law, what the hell use
is he?" - JR to Harry McSween.
"Mitch, I can't tell you how grateful we all are
to you for taking Lucy away." - J.R to Mitch. Nominated by Anne.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Tough call. How about....Lucy? Yeah! The first of many.
Clayton tells Bobby he wants to devote his time to the ranch rather than toughing it out in the business world. He wants to sell the refineries he just bought to Ewing Oil in order to keep them in the family.
Sue Ellen brings John Ross to their new regal home, which leaves him rather unimpressed. He asks her why she shot his father and she tells him that she simply panicked and acted reflexively. She sadly confirms that she never intends to live at Southfork again.
JR tells Harry McSween to take John Ross away from Sue Ellen but the policeman flatly refuses, saying he'd go to jail for kidnapping if he tried it. JR angrily shoos him off and visits a lawyer, who confirms that as long as John Ross is not in Braddock County, there's nothing that can be done. He also advises JR to move back to Southfork to strengthen his claim.
Clayton tells Ellie that the sale of Ray's ranch to Carter McKay will be finalized tomorrow. JR returns to Southfork and apologizes to everyone for the way he treated them and has rediscovered his sense of family.
April is shocked to learn that Cliff lied to Bobby about seeing Pam. Tammy Miller returns from Europe and visits Bobby at his office, looking for investment advice. They make a lunch date for the next day. Cliff catches Clayton's sellout bug and tells Bobby he'd like to get out of the oil business too. He offers to sell him all of Barnes-Wentworth's assets at a bargain price. Bobby realizes he's got a lot of offers and not enough to take them all. The next day, Tammy and Bobby have their lunch date and April happens to be at the same restaurant. She spots them getting cozy and heads over to spread some bitterness.
John Ross returns home the next day after having been in a fight. Sue Ellen learns that he's been having a hard time at school ever since that whole shooting thing, and wishes he was back at his old school where he felt secure. JR stops by the next morning to visit and tries to convince him how great life is at Southfork again.
A half-asleep Lucy learns that Mitch has come to the ranch to take her home. They argue all night and all morning about their lives and rehash their old arguments about Mitch's career focus. Ellie and Sue Ellen have lunch and the younger woman wonders whether she's doing the right thing by keeping John Ross with her. She's advised to listen to her son and really consider what he wants. Carter McKay moves in to Ray's place and gives us a bit of an evil laugh as Clayton pulls away.
April comes to Bobby's office the next day to apologize but they get into an argument about Bobby's personal life. April [in a very Pam-like move] reveals that Cliff actually did see Pam, who doesn't want to have anything more to do with him because she plans to marry her surgeon. Bobby starts jumping for joy because he can move on with his life. [KIDDING!] No, he does the right thing and throws that selfish little you-know-what out. He goes on a horrendous drinking binge and ends up visiting Tammy's room, where he laments his rotten luck and crashes for the night. The next morning, Tammy tells Bobby that she doesn't mind being a friend to him but doesn't want to be his sanctuary from the world.
Sue Ellen tells John Ross that she'd like to take him to visit Southfork. On the way there, she decides to allow him to stay there, just like she always does - on the condition that JR sign a paper allowing her to retain full legal custody, and to give John Ross the right to change his mind if he wants.
Episode 284: Call of the Wild Aired: Wed, Mar.17
LINE OF THE DAY: "Don't start testing the local talent." Bobby to JR when he guesses (correctly) that JR has his sights set on a local lass. Nominated by Jason.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ellie is nowhere.
JR and Bobby watch their sons practicing their cattle roping, which prompts the older brother to suggest a family hunting trip. They decide on Haleyville, a small Arkansas town where Jock used to take them. Bobby tries to convince Clayton to go along, but he declines. They reminisce about old times that evening and to Lucy's disgust, the topic of her father is handled somewhat callously.
Carter McKay talks to his foreman, Fred Hughes, about getting some more ranch hands and equipment for his latest venture, despite the exorbitant cost. His wife Rose wants to head into town, but he shoos her back upstairs. Clayton invites McKay out for a night on the town, but Carter asks for a rain check.
Bored Cliff gets a call from Sue Ellen. After some coaxing, she convinces him to meet her for lunch at the Oil Baron's Club, and she asks for his help in getting revenge at JR, and makes overtures to rekindle old flames. Cliff says he's just not interested in fighting with the Ewings any more. Casey Denault returns to Dallas and surprises April at her apartment with an announcement that he struck oil in Oklahoma.
The boys arrive at the Haleyville hotel and head out for a great day of hunting. John Ross is somewhat unenthusiastic about the whole thing, prompting some disappointment from JR. That night, the boys consume the birds they shot, but John Ross decides he might want to become a vegetarian. A really pretty waitress named Cally Harper offers them some beers and JR decides to stick around for more. They make some small talk and JR introduces himself, but his name means nothing to the country girl. Cally's brothers tell her they don't want her cavorting with no strangers and Bobby has to drag his brother away before trouble erupts.
Cliff offers to sell Barnes-Wentworth to Jordan Lee. A belly dancer arrives at his office...oh wait, it's April. She tells him about Casey's big strike but he's totally uninterested. April calls him a wimp and tells him he's destined to be a loner. Casey visits Sly at JR's office hoping to surprise JR with his success. He also coldly tells her that he really doesn't think it's worth his time to be dating a secretary.
Another day of hunting finds John Ross hesitant to fire his gun until JR tells him not to be a wimp like his uncle Gary. He bags a buck and...shucks, even I'm proud of him. JR finds Cally again that evening and she seems to be mesmerized by his forwardness. He tells her he'll meet her again after work the next night. The next morning, the boys decide to head back to Dallas - but JR says he'd like to stick around to check out some prime development property.
Casey comes to Southfork to visit Lucy, whose heart goes all a-flutter. He says he wants to press their relationship forward but she wants to take it slow.
Cally puts her best dress on to meet JR that night. She quite smartly asks JR about his son and his wife, and he reveals that he was abandoned by his cheating, alcoholic wife a long time ago, and he never really wanted another woman - until now. He offers to take her away to his world and make all of her wishes come true. All of the wonderful talk leads them back to JR's hotel room...where their afterglow is disturbed by Cally's gun-toting brothers.
Episode 285: Out of the Frying Pan Aired: Thu, Mar.18
LINE OF THE DAY: "Oh boy, how neat... My daddy and two uncles working together..." - Christopher about Bobby JR and Cliff working together. Oh boy is right. Nominated by Jason.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: April has only one bitchy scene.
JR predictably tries to buy his way out of his predicament, to no avail. He's led out of the hotel room and taken into custody by the Sheriff, to whom he is very grateful. JR is held in lockup for a while and tries to play on the Sheriff's sympathies as well as greed. It doesn't work and JR learns he's going to be tried for rape before a simple Justice of the Peace - and he doesn't get a phone call.
Cliff decides to sell out to Jeremy Wendell, who is wary because of their last transaction, but agrees to the deal. Bobby says he'll need some time to arrange financing, but definitely wants to buy Clayton's refineries. Sue Ellen comes to the ranch to see John Ross and tells him about her custody arrangement with JR, but he says that he doesn't ever think he'll leave Southfork.
Cliff visits Southfork to take Christopher to lunch and has a bit of an argument with Ellie about selling out to Wendell. Cliff tells her that Bobby refused to buy him out and he was faced with no other choice. Bobby asks Cliff why he lied about seeing Pam and says he feels better knowing the truth.
Cally visits the jail the next day, claiming to want to give JR a piece of her mind. With the Sheriff out of earshot, she tells JR she's sorry about what's happened and wants to help him. Cally is wary of JR's tricks but he assures her that he still wants to take her to Dallas as his wife. The next night, Cally brings JR his dinner and says she has a plan for a breakout tomorrow.
Bobby pays April a visit and tries to apologize about the way he treated her. He says he wants a fresh start but she's totally bitter, claiming she doesn't need any more friends. [Yeah, right.] Lucy and Casey have a real snoozer of a conversation in which she wants some assurance that she won't job to his business or his career once their relationship begins. Casey says she'll be number one in his life and they decide to go to Oklahoma to see Casey's land.
Ellie tells Bobby that she thinks he should take Cliff in as a partner in Ewing Oil, which causes Bobby to burst out laughing. Later, Bobby tells Cliff about Ellie's idea and Cliff is incredulous about it for a lot of reasons. Bobby manages to convince him to think about it.
Clayton and Carter talk about the toll the recent drought has had on their cattle and McKay says he plans to do whatever it takes to keep his ranch going. McKay later heads to a singles bar and asks one of the waiters to keep an eye out for for someone.
The morning of JR's trial, while the Deputy is on duty, Cally distracts him and bonks him on the head with a big metal spoon and the two make their getaway, with the Sheriff, his hounds, and the Harper boys on their trail. Cally gets her foot caught in some logs and tells JR to keep on going as he promises to send for her. JR slips and falls, allowing the Sheriff to catch up with him and haul his pathetic ass off to the Justice, who declares him guilty on all charges [whatever they are]. JR's next stop is the County penal camp - for ten years.
Episode 286: Road Work Aired: Fri, Mar.19
LINES OF THE DAY:
Cliff: "I can just see his face.
That
sleazeball turning every color of the rainbow. Might kill him."
Bobby: "Whatever turns you on, Cliff."
Nominated by Jason and Analise.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ellie and April are nowhere.
JR is put on a road work gang, and John Ross misses his father, with whom he is unable to get in touch. Bobby visits Cliff again to discuss their non-functional offices and he again tries to convince him to join him at Ewing Oil. Clayton is told that the Southfork river seems to have mysteriously dried up.
Sue Ellen gets her daugh...I mean, secretary, a birthday present, and takes her to the Oil Baron's Club and Jeremy Wendell stops by their table. He offers his help to do whatever he can to help keep JR down, in addition to...other things. Later, Jeremy sends a bouquet of flowers over to Sue Ellen's office.
JR gets an opportunity to speak to the camp captain, and he offers him all of the money in his wallet if he allows him to call his family. The captain sternly tells him that he has no money and no wallet, and JR's ass is his. Bobby manages to get in touch with the Haleyville hotel but is told that JR hasn't been around for a couple of days. Boaz Harper listens approvingly to the conversation.
Casey and Lucy have a whole lotta fun in Oklahoma but it doesn't make for really good TV. To Casey's utter disappointment, Lucy says she's not really ready to take the next step in their relationship.
JR manages to get a quiet moment with the chain gang's boss and [say it with me] offers him a whole lot of money if he calls the family. When they return to the prison camp, the boss seems to be content with the plan but suddenly does an about face and tosses JR into solitary confinement.
Clayton rides out to investigate the sudden lack of water at Southfork and finds that McKay has dammed up the river. McKay's henchmen fire a gun at him and shoo him away from the area. Clayton later confronts Carter about it at his home, but is shown that the McKay deed doesn't say anything about Southfork's water rights. Clayton says he'll take care of the dam one way or the other.
Bobby and Cliff go out to shoot some pool, and spot a young female pool hustler at work. Bobby offers her help when a guy named Ace starts to get mouthy, but she handles the loudmouth herself with a well-placed pool cue in the groin. Tracey is appreciative and starts up a few games with the Bob-man, who finds himself $ 900 poorer at day's end.
Jeremy and Sue Ellen have dinner together and discuss her impending divorce and plans of revenge against JR. She says she doesn't feel that she can hurt JR on a personal level any more, but Wendell believes it still may be possible.
That evening, Carter heads out and leaves Rose home alone again, saying that he still hasn't found what he's looking for. The next morning, he tells Fred Hughes that the Ewings will soon make a move and they had better be ready, and then decides to disgust us by taking Rose up the bedroom.
A guard named Simms tells JR he's interested in the rumours floating around that he wants to make somebody a rich man. That evening, he brings JR out of his cell and leads him out of the camp, claiming that JR's slated for night duty. Simms takes him to a waiting car and tells him to be on his way, and just as JR seems to be home free, Boaz pops out of the back seat pointing a gun at him.
Episode 287: War and Love and the Whole Damned Thing Aired: Mon, Mar.22
LINE OF THE DAY: "Blow that dam to Kingdom Come." - Ellie to the family. Finally, she shows some spunk! Nominated by Jake, Val, and myself.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy. The second of many.
The Harper boys return to their farm with a bound and gagged JR, preparing for a down-home lynching. Cally protests that she really loves JR - and she wonders what'll happen if she turns out to be pregnant. The brothers decide to spare JR's life and keep him around the ranch to do all their work for them.
Clayton discovers that McKay has a legal right to dam up the Southfork river, to his disappointment. Ray Krebbs arrives at Southfork and is apprised of the situation. Ellie resolves to blow up the dam if they have to. Bobby takes Ray out to a schmooze party and he happens to find Tracey there. They have a really weird conversation with a lot of innuendo which ends up going absolutely nowhere. The next day, Ray channels the spirit of the wacky explosives guy [Episode 221] and rigs up a wicked explosion, starting the river flowing towards Southfork again.
Lucy and Casey return to Dallas and discuss the lack of sex in their relationship. Lucy asks for some time to sort out her feelings and finalize her second divorce.
Cally brings JR some food that night and tends to his blisters. She counsels him to convince her brothers that he really intends to marry her, or else there's little she can do. The Sheriff stops by the next day to inform the Harpers that JR has busted out of the penal camp, and wonders whether they had anything to do with it. He's convinced that the Harper farm is the last place JR would want to be, and the brothers become more and more convinced that keeping JR around is more trouble than it's worth.
McKay and the Sheriff stop by the ranch to warn all parties involved to calm down before things escalate. After exchanging pleasantries, nothing seems resolved on either side. The next day, McKay's choppers bother Southfork cattle, and a ranch hand is thrown from his horse. Ray and Clayton confront Carter about it, and find themselves surrounded by a gang of tough-looking mercenaries. Outnumbered, they retreat. Rose tells McKay that his PI hasn't found "her" yet, but is still looking.
Jeremy Wendell visits Sue Ellen, who says she plans to sell him all of her Weststar stock, and proceed as planned with her divorce. He insists on taking her to lunch to discuss personal matters.
Casey visits April with a huge bottle of Oklahoma liquor. She informs him about Cliff's new place of business and they both look forward to the fireworks that will develop once JR returns. Casey dreams up big plans of making big moves in the oil industry now that things seem to be wide open.
Cliff officially becomes a part of Ewing Oil and leaves the Barnes-Wentworth office for good. Tracey just happens to be standing in the lobby and Bobby agrees to have a pool rematch over lunch and possibly dinner. This time, he ends up winning and they talk for a while. Tracey says she's not really ready to proceed with their relationship but she'll come see him soon.
Boaz and Japhet get JR to dig his own grave, but are stopped by Cally, who says they had better shoot her too if they intend to kill JR. JR offers to marry Cally and stay with her at the farm forever, and the brothers finally decide that he's being honest about it. As Sue Ellen finalizes her divorce, JR and Cally are pronounced man and wife. The sad look on JR's face is priceless.
After a strategy session at Southfork, Bobby and Ray take the ranch hands out to the Longhorn to unwind, and meet up with Fred Hughes and his boys. A classic Dallas barfight ensues and the Ewings have the advantage until one of the thugs pulls out a gun and shoots a ranch hand.
Episode 288: Showdown at the Ewing Corral Aired: Tue, Mar.23
LINE OF THE DAY: "You want to tell your pet dog to get out of the way?" - Ellie to McKay as she's being menaced by Fred Hughes. That dumbass should drive his truck down Know-Your-Role Boulevard and hang that right on Jabronie Drive. Nominated by Val and Jake.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Sue Ellen, April, and Lucy. Yikes! Who booked this episode?
Japhet tells JR and Cally that he plans to build them a house on the farm - maybe in a year or so. JR tells his new bride that he has to get in touch with his son to let him know that he's all right - and then all of her dreams will come true.
The Sheriff investigates the bar shooting at the end of yesterday's episode and is told that the murderer has left McKay's ranch and is nowhere to be found. Ray and Clayton are disgusted at the underhanded tactics but the Sheriff tells them that nothing more can be done about it at this point.
Bobby is awfully late for a business meeting, and his new client expresses amazement that Cliff is at Ewing Oil and JR is not. That evening, Bobby gets a visit from Tracey, who says she wants to give their relationship a chance. She mentions that she was married to a much older man for a couple of weeks, but nothing happened. Carter McKay happens to stop by and sees the two of them together, to his utter shock and amazement. Bobby and Tracey head back to her place and decide to get it on rather quickly. Carter forlornly watches as Bobby leaves much later that night.
That night, while doing some work in the barn, JR starts a small fire and in the commotion, is able to knock Boaz out. He grabs the car keys and scoots the hell away from Haleyville. Cally miserably watches him leave as her hopes for a bright future are dashed. JR drives until he runs out of gas, but manages to bum a ride to the State Line. He calls Sly and tells her to send a chopper over to pick him up right away. JR finally arrives in Dallas and asks Sly to take him over to the office to change his clothes.
McKay's goons decide to populate the Longhorn again that evening and talk to some of the Southfork hands who are unwinding. Hughes says he's sorry about what happened the other night and asks them how willing they are to risk their lives in gun battles. As incentive, he offers them 6 months wages to immediately terminate their employment. The next morning, Ellie and Clayton find the cattle untended and some fences broken. Ray and Bobby do some investigating of their own and are narrowly missed by an exploding water well. Meanwhile, Ellie drives over to Carter's ranch and learns that the only way he'll give up his crusade is if she sells him a piece of Southfork. Ellie lays the smackdown on him and turns him down. Hughes reminds McKay that he has to deliver some results quickly or suffer the consequences.
Tracey returns home from whatever she does during the day and finds some messages from Bobby on her machine. Carter happens to be there and a huge argument ensues about past issues. McKay wants to explain his side of whatever happened but Tracey curses the dumb luck that has brought Carter back into her life. She heads upstairs, not wanting to listen to a word he has to say.
JR checks out his new office at Ewing Oil which is a lot smaller than he expected. On his way out, he bumps into Cliff, from whom he learns about the deal making Cliff a part of the company. He immediately returns to the ranch to confront Bobby about it. When he does, he learns about the range war and says that if none of the locals are willing to help the family out, he'll find people who will. Ellie says that while the children should be moved off of Southfork for safety's sake, she has no intention of letting McKay or anyone else scare her away.
Episode 289: Deception Aired: Wed, Mar.24
LINES OF THE DAY:
[Suggested by almost everyone.]
"When you see your "friend"
congratulate him on his divorce". Harve to JR.
"He's about the best liar I've ever met. With
the exception of me, of course". JR to April.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Casey is in one scene.
JR hires a friend of BD Calhoun's to gather men to protect the ranch. Sue Ellen comes to Southfork to pick up John Ross and learns that because of the trouble at the ranch, the boys have been taken to Cliff's place. Sue Ellen angrily and rightfully expresses her anger over the decision not to consult her about it. JR meets with Ratagan, his new man on the Dallas police force, and asks him to investigate whether he's being searched for.
Sue Ellen and Wendell talk about their plans to build a marina after yesterday's cut conversation. She tells Jeremy about the trouble at the ranch and wonders whether they should go ahead with their plans, but Jeremy says that if she really wants to hurt JR, she shouldn't hold back anything.
Bobby is gimpily upset at JR's decision to hire mercenaries, and Clayton agrees with him. Fortunately, Ellie realizes that they have little choice if they don't want to be driven away. Hughes tells McKay about the hired guns and tells him he's missed his opportunity to execute their plan. McKay says he wants to try one more thing, but Fred says that if it doesn't work he'll take over Southfork himself to get even with Bobby and Ray.
JR speaks to Harve the next morning, and asks him about a "friend" who left the state and got himself into some trumped-up trouble, but managed to escape. Harve says that the "friend" would be okay after some expensive and lengthy legal proceedings. As Harve leaves, he congratulates JR on his "friend's" divorce.
Cliff brings John Ross and Christopher to Sue Ellen's place to play tennis. They talk about how her plans for revenge on JR are starting just as his are ending. McKay talks to Clayton about his offer to buy a piece of Southfork, and tries to explain that he just wants a couple of sections that are near his land to expand his ranch. Clayton is completely unreceptive to his request. That evening, the Ewings discover that Carter is after oil-rich Section 40. JR realizes that wily McKay must have been planning this all along - and that must be working for somebody with a lot of money. He decides to get a private investigator to look into McKay's past.
Bobby goes pool-hall hopping until he finds Tracey. She says she's changed her mind about staying in Dallas so she wants to call off their relationship. He's persistent about getting some answers and she agrees to meet him the next evening. When Tracey arrives at the restaurant, one of the waiters suddenly feels like he has to make a phone call, and Carter McKay arrives soon after the Bob-man. An argument ensues, and though Bobby doesn't realizes who he's face to face with, he learns that Tracey is the man's daughter. Thanks to the maitre d', McKay realizes who Bobby is. Tracey reveals that the reason she has trouble trusting men is because her father drove her mother to suicide with his drinking, lying, and cheating.
Lucy decides to invest $ 300,000 into Denault Incorporated. After the transaction is completed, Casey decides to funnel two-thirds of the money into Stevens-Denault Oil. The banker decides to inform April about the transaction, as well as the fact that Lucy's money made it happen. April contacts Lucy about it and they discuss the fact that they seem to be the only people who have put money into the company. Later, April asks JR about Casey's land and he confirms that the Oklahoma strike was very ordinary.
JR comes to Sue Ellen's place and they discuss her recent sale of Valentine's Lingerie, as well as Cliff's move into Ewing Oil. After some barbs, he says that he's calmed things down at Southfork and John Ross will be returning to the ranch real soon.
McKay drinks himself silly that night and is confronted by a miffed Rose and an angry Fred Hughes the next morning. Jeremy Wendell arrives at his home later that day and wonders why their plans haven't materialized. Wendell reminds him about their arrangement and says that there will be hell to pay if he doesn't get control of the oil under Section 40.
Episode 290: Counter Attack Aired: Thu, Mar.25
LINE OF THE DAY: JR to Bobby: "I love Christopher like he was my own son". Irony, anyone? Nominated by Val.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Tracey is in one scene.
JR has nightmares about his ordeal in Haleyville and wakes up in a sweat. He calls a psychiatrist to discuss the matter and gets a whole lot of psychobabble thrown in his face. He comes to the conclusion that he needs to become even more powerful to prevent that kind of thing from happening again. JR retrieves the boys from Sue Ellen's home now that the situation at Southfork has calmed down.
April tells Casey she has plans of expanding their company but they need more cash to do it. Casey says he'll need a few days but he'll find a way. Tammy Miller comes to Ewing Oil looking for Bobby but bumps into Cliff. After some cajoling, they decide to head out for lunch together. Cliff takes a liking to her and says he'd like to have dinner with her - as long as she's over her feelings for Bobby.
Fred Hughes flies over Southfork in a chopper and starts shooting at Bobby and Ray. Christopher happens to ride by and his horse is frightened by the bullets, throwing him off and knocking him unconscious. He's rushed to Braddock Hospital, where a concussion is diagnosed.
McKay comes over to Tracey's place and tells her that he's going to leave Dallas, so she doesn't have to. He tells her that he's sorry for all the problems he's caused in her life and hopes she can forgive her someday.
Wendell discovers that Sue Ellen is not very enthusiastic about their marina project, and he learns that the boys have returned to the ranch. He gets angry that John Ross has been returned, which creates one less problem for JR and the Ewing family. Sue Ellen is shocked at his unfeeling attitude and tells him to take a long walk.
Bobby angrily confronts JR about bringing the kids back to the ranch just to keep them away from Sue Ellen. JR explains that he was certain that the fighting was over, and Bobby decides to channel the spirit of Arnold Schwarzenegger to end the trouble. He organizes that mercenaries to be in proper position to execute a plan.
Rose tells Carter she's leaving his home, because he doesn't seem to need her around any more. In a warm and fuzzy moment, McKay says he really did appreciate having her around and gives her some money to get her started. As she pulls out, Bobby rides over in a chopper and drops some smoke bombs. The chopper heads towards the bunkhouse, drawing the men out so that Bobby can sneak in and catch them all unarmed. He's told that Hughes was the one who shot at Christopher's horse and then orders one of the guys to tie the others to posts, and leaves a remote-controlled explosive behind to dissuade them from calling out for help.
Arnold...I mean Bobby...heads over towards McKay's ranch and sets a few more bombs under some jeeps. After sunrise, JR daringly drives a jeep through McKay's land and manages to get a couple of guys caught in an ambush. Ray and Clayton drive up to McKay's gate, demanding to see him. As the guards try to question them, Bobby sets off an explosion which allows for enough of a distraction so that Ray and Clayton can disarm the poor guys. Bobby heads over to the homestead and is shot in the arm by Hughes, who gets one in the chest for his efforts. Bobby calls McKay out and discovers that he's Tracey's father. Hughes manages to get up and aim at Bobby but Carter puts him away for good. The Sheriff arrives to sort everything out and Carter asks Bobby to take a long walk with him to explain everything.
Casey shows Lucy his new offices and tells him that he's well on his way to success and hints at the prospect of their marriage. He says that he's got a great opportunity but needs a million dollars to fund it, calling it an "investment in their future". Lucy says she'll think about it.
Carter tells Bobby that he was away from home a lot, but it was only to support the family. It turns out that it was really his wife who had the affairs, and she was going to meet her lover the night she was killed. Because of his absence, she was able to poison the kids' minds against him. Tracey left immediately and his son Tommy ended up in a South American jail for drug dealing. He explains that a very powerful man put him up to his troublemaking, promising to arrange for his son's freedom in exchange for getting his hands on Section 40 of Southfork. Seeing Bobby with Tracey changed his mind about what he was doing, and he wants to move on with his life. Bobby tells him that as far he's concerned, the situation isn't quite over yet...
McKay visits Wendell at his office and is berated for his failure. Carter tells Jeremy that his plan was doomed to fail, but there's one more opportunity: the Ewings have let their mercenaries go, believing that the problems have ended, and he's decided to hire his own men to take over Southfork. The Ewings head out to celebrate, but are interrupted by McKay who tells them that the war is back on. Unwilling to risk any more trouble, Ellie says she'll sell Section 40 to him.
Episode 291: The Sting Aired: Fri, Mar.26
LINE OF THE DAY: "I would rather sleep with JR than sleep with you, and I'd rather sleep with a carnival geek than sleep with JR." - Sue Ellen to the capital-G gone Jeremy Wendell.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Clayton really didn't do much.
The Ewings and McKay have a court date and the public word is that some land has been exchanged which has resolved the range war and the ongoing dispute. Wendell visits McKay and says that he's going to sell most of his Weststar stock in order to finance the private purchase of the land. McKay reminds Jeremy about his promise to arrange for his son Tommy's freedom and says he won't close the deal with the Ewings until he has word that Tommy is back in the States. He gives Jeremy three days to arrange it.
Ray and Bobby talk about how different the show...I mean life is without all of the family around the ranch. Ray decides that he'll stick around for a while before heading back to his family in Europe. Tracey visits Bobby and wonders how their relationship can continue after what her father has done. Bobby assures her that he has no problem separating people from their relatives.
JR comes to the office to find himself face to face with Sheriff Hanks from Haleyville. Hanks tells JR to stay the heck away from his town or he'll be put away for good.
Wendell visits Sue Ellen's office and is in a mood to celebrate. He even offers her a diamond bracelet and says he has plans to marry her one day. Sue Ellen lays the smackdown on him and gives him the unqualified Line of the Day.
Lucy meets Casey and says she's ready to invest a million dollars to finance his oil deal. They agree to meet the next day at the bank, and April happens to show up just before Lucy arrives. They pretend not to know each other and confront him about his double-dealing. Casey storms off defeated, and Lucy's money is returned to her. Later, April meets with JR, who says he'd like to become her silent partner in the oil business. April seems intrigued by the idea.
That evening, McKay gets a call from Tommy, who's detoxing in a Miami hospital. Hands trembling, he tells his son he'll send him some money and come to see him real soon. Tammy and Cliff talk about Jamie, and he admits that he didn't treat her very well.
Harve Smithfield visits Bobby and says he doesn't like the prospect of selling off a piece of Southfork. Bobby insists that they get it over with, and offers to have the meeting at the Ewing Oil boardroom. That evening, the interested parties gather and the papers are signed. McKay introduces Wendell as his backer, and admits that he was the mastermind behind the plan to start the range war which endangered several lives. Jeremy examines the papers and discovers that Carter actually bought a worthless piece of land...just as a group of Dallas detectives rush in and arrest Wendell after overhearing his confession.
That evening, the Ewings celebrate with McKay back at the ranch. Bobby brings Tracey over, who rushes out as soon as she sees her father there. Carter chases after her and tells her that he's been in touch with Tommy, which softens her mood a little bit, and she agrees to try and do the family thing with him for a while. Bobby's thrilled at her decision to stick around.
The next night, Carter gets a visit from an old friend - Kimberly Cryder. Kimberly says that she managed to buy the Weststar stock that Jeremy Wendell sold, which gives her controlling interest. They talk about the fact that Dr. Styles wanted Carter to run the company, but he was never interested.
Meanwhile, as the Ewings have a quiet dinner, Theresa informs them that Mrs. Ewing has arrived - Mrs. Cally Harper Ewing, that is. JR tries to laugh it all off as a joke, but Cally presents their marriage license to the family, which Bobby notes was filed after his divorce from Sue Ellen was finalized. Ellie and Bobby invite Cally to take a seat at the table, right next to JR.
Episode 292: The Two Mrs. Ewings Aired: Mon, Mar.29
LINE OF THE DAY: "Mama should have had her tubes tied right after I was born." - JR after being chided by Bobby. Nominated by me and seconded by everybody.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Clayton really didn't do much again.
Cally gets used to her new rich digs, and JR tries to explain the situation to John Ross. He assures him that Cally won't be around long. JR explains about the shotgun wedding to Bobby and says he plans to initiate divorce proceedings. JR tries to convince his new bride that she doesn't really belong in Dallas. Cally explains that she has nowhere else to go because her brothers won't take her back. She insists that she refuses to be a kept woman and will settle for nothing less than being JR's wife. JR tells Harve he wants his marriage annulled because he was coerced into it. Harve says that such a proceeding could only be initiated in Haleyville, or else he would have to go to divorce court.
Bruce Harvey returns from Hollywood to bring over Sue Ellen's share of the profits from Mandy's movies. He's got a new script for her to look at too, because he's sure she'll be interested. She's skeptical about it and says she might like to own a studio and call her own shots - and stay the hell away from Mandy Winger.
Cally introduces herself to Lucy the next morning and explains her presence at Southfork. Lucy decides to take Cally shopping and give her a new look. As is the case with everything Lucy does, the new modern trashy look is an absolute disaster and JR decides to head into town for dinner after seeing it. The next morning, John Ross tells Cally he knows she tricked his father into marrying her. Cally tries to explain her side of it but the boy's mind seems to be made up. Bobby berates JR for his treatment of Cally and JR wittily retorts that his taste in women doesn't seem to be much better.
Cliff and Tammy meet up with Marilee, who offers him in on a great deal for a gas field in Louisiana. He abandons Tammy to go check it out and she seems to really miss the romance in her life. Cliff tells Bobby about the great deal and JR gives April the inside scoop, telling her to grab the deal before anyone else does.
John Ross and Christopher talk about Cally's arrival and the fact that they've done all right without mothers in their lives. They seem to come to conclusion that women seem to troublemakers in general [with the possible exception of Grandma]. In Miami, Carter McKay and Tammy visit Tommy, who's steadily improving and glad to see them. Lucy receives her divorce papers the day of the Oil Baron's Ball and becomes depressed that she's terrible at picking boyfriends.
Ellie and Clayton are unnerved at JR's decision to take April to the ball instead of Cally. Cally hedges at going but Ellie tells her that if she wants to be part of the family, she'll have to be strong and make her husband love her.
At the ball, the normal wackiness ensues. Carter McKay and Sue Ellen are introduced. Sue Ellen spots JR with April and wonders how she ever considered her a friend. Cally arrives [looking much better!] with Ellie and Clayton, to JR's dismay. Cliff learns from Marilee that their deal fell through, and he again leaves Tammy hanging to talk to Bobby. Tracey and Tammy talk about their love for Bobby and April joins the fray, with more bitter words about him.
Inevitably, Sue Ellen and Cally bump into each other. Cally is surprised to see that Sue Ellen isn't at all like JR described her. Sue Ellen decides to confront JR about it and gives him a thundering right cross for his lies. Cally rushes to her husband's aid but he tells her to stay away from him. An announcement is made that Carter McKay has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Weststar. JR figures that McKay had this planned the whole time to continue his pursuit of the Ewings.
Episode 293: The Switch Aired: Tue, Mar.30
LINE OF THE DAY: "Not everyone has my high standards." JR... enough said. Nominated by Jason.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Clayton and Ellie are in Europe and Lucy is...nowhere.
JR and April discuss the weird love triangles that they saw [and were a part of] at the Oil Baron's Ball. He tries to make a move on her but she says she doesn't want anything to do with a married man. JR decides to spend the night on her couch.
Cliff goes back to Tammy's place for drinks and conversation and they discuss the wacky relationships as well. Like April, Cliff is hesitant to be a stand-in for the person she really loves despite Tammy's claims that she cares for him too. Bobby brings Cally back to Southfork and they talk about JR's habit of ruining his relationships. Cally resolves to be strong and prove that she's good enough for her new husband.
Bruce Harvey wants to proceed with Sue Ellen's purchase of the Hollywood studio, but she says she doesn't want to move to Los Angeles to run it. She decides to purchase a smaller Dallas studio instead.
JR returns home the next morning and gets into an argument with Cally about where he was last night. JR says he was at April's place last night but nothing happened. Cally realizes she may have a more powerful hold on him than she thought. That evening, she and Christopher are the only two at the dinner table and she asks about his mother. The boy explains that Pam abandoned him and Bobby [which isn't far from the truth], but he's gotten over it.
Carter McKay [still wearing the same clothes as Episode 282] gets a visit from Bobby on a really windy day. They discuss Bobby's relationship with Tracey as well as his plans to run Weststar and find that nothing has really changed - they can still be friends. Later, Tracey tells Bobby she feels somewhat jealous about all of the old flames that seem to be around him all of a sudden.
Cally visits Sue Ellen and learns that the older woman believed the same lies and hoped the same hopes about JR that she does. Sue Ellen advises her that if she really wants to make their marriage work, she'll have to make JR want her again - without giving him what he really wants. Later, she tells Bruce that she has an idea for her first movie project and just needs a writer to work with.
JR meets with Ratagan at a male entertainment lounge and asks him to dig up some skeletons from Carter McKay's closet. Cliff tells Bobby that he's learned that April was the one who took the Louisiana deal away from them. McKay tells Tracey that he'd like for both his children to work at Weststar with him. Tracey tells Bobby about it and he says he doesn't mind as long as the business talk is kept out of their personal lives. Tammy tells Cliff that they should put their plans on hold until they can sort out some of their muddled feelings.
That evening, Cally tries to entice JR with the slinkiest negligee I've ever seen and shows him some of the lingerie she bought that day. When JR makes his predictable overtures, Cally says she's been meeting a lot of eligible bachelors and doesn't feel that she'll really be his wife until they're formally married again at Southfork. The next morning, Cally talks to John Ross and learns that the boy has the right to decide where he lives, and he says that he might force his father to choose between them.
After seeing John Ross's response to Cally, Christopher wonders how serious Bobby is about his new girlfriend and how it might affect their relationship. Bobby affirms that he would never take a serious step with another woman before being sure of how it would affect his son.
JR meets with Ratagan again, who tells him that he hasn't been able to find anything about McKay yet - but he's heard disturbing news that Joseph Lombardi, Sr. has been asking around about the death of his son - and is headed for Dallas.
Episode 294: Here's Papa! Aired: Wed, Mar.31
LINE OF THE DAY: "That advice--and watching you eat that burrito--made my day". JR to Ratagan. Nominated by Val.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy, Ellie, and Clayton again. Lucy's absence is unexplained.
That evening, Cally makes some pies and is interrupted by JR, who makes more advances towards her but she throws a pie in his face and restates her resolve to keep her knees welded shut until he marries her again at Southfork. The next morning, Cally helps Teresa make breakfast and John Ross suddenly finds he's not hungry. Cally tells Bobby she's getting frustrated at the continued put-downs.
JR barges into Sue Ellen's office and talks to her about Mr. Lombardi Senior's search for information about his son's death. Sue Ellen tells him what little she knows and says that if he wants to know more, he should talk to April. JR tells Ratagan he wants him to find Lombardi so that he can be told that the whole thing was an accident. April assures JR that the Lombardis wouldn't blow their cover and it's probably just a rumor generated by the mob to hunt them out. On their way out of the Oil Baron's, JR unsuspectingly bumps into the ex-mobster. Later, as he arrives in the office, he finds a guy pointing a gun at his chest and ends up taking an unplanned ride.
Cliff tells Bobby that he should sell some of Ewing Oil's old land holdings which are no longer producing anything. Cliff later heads to Washington to talk to some people about selling some of the land to the government, which is planning to build a supercollider research facility in North Texas, and gets a fairly good response. When Cliff returns to Dallas, Bobby tells him that the land is an original Ewing Oil asset and can't be sold without JR's permission, which prompts Cliff to suggest that Bobby present it as his own idea.
That evening, the McKays are dinner guests at Southfork, but John Ross still feels like sitting up in his room. John Ross tells Christopher that he figures Sue Ellen would come back to the ranch if he could just find a way to get rid of Cally, and he tells his mother the same thing the next day. She tells him that her feelings for JR are dead and it has nothing to do with Cally, their son, or anyone else.
JR is led, blindfolded and gagged, into a hotel room and a call is placed to announce his presence. Lombardi arrives and grills JR about the night of his son's death. JR says that the whole thing was an accident, and none of it would have happened if it wasn't for Sue Ellen dragging him into their personal affairs. Lombardi says he'll look into the matter while JR is put on ice and warns him that he believes in revenge.
Carter visits Sue Ellen and awkwardly asks her out to lunch because they seem to have minor bouts of loneliness in common. April comes to Ewing Oil for a lunch date with JR, who of course hasn't been in the office all morning. Bobby asks April about her relationship with JR and she tells him that it's really none of his business - but JR hasn't treated her as badly as some of the Ewing brothers.
Tracey and Cally head to the mall to return the ridiculous outfits that Lucy bought. They have some girl talk and discuss their wayward relationships. Tracey begins work at Weststar when she's not out shopping or hustling.
Lombardi arrives at Sue Ellen's office that evening just as Bruce Harvey leaves. He asks her to confirm or deny JR's story that Nick's death was an accident. She confirms that Nicholas was just trying to help her retrieve John Ross and his death was an accident - she's as much to blame as JR is. As Lombardi leaves, he says that Sue Ellen just saved her ex-husband's life.
Episode 295: Comings and Goings Aired: Thu, Apr.1
LINE OF THE DAY: "J.R., you're a proctologist's dream. You're the biggest horse's...behind I know." - Cliff giving JR the straight goods.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Ellie and Clayton again.
Sue Ellen comes to Southfork just a little while before JR. He thanks her for not taking advantage his situation and she says she's changed her mind about revenge. They decided to become amicable, if only for John Ross's sake, and perhaps even have a family dinner sometime. Cally watches uneasily from the balcony.
Cliff gets a visit from a Senator who's looking favorably on his proposal to sell the Ewing land holdings in North Texas. Bobby and Cliff discuss it with JR, who says he's only willing to go ahead with the deal if he's taken into the company as a full partner again. Bobby declines, saying that he can't believe JR would risk losing such a deal.
Bruce Harvey brings Don Lockwood, a hotshot movie writer, to Sue Ellen's office to discuss her upcoming production, based on the life of her one-of-a-kind protagonist. Through a flashback, she reveals one of her memories of her life with JR [Episode 28]. Lucy is the next to visit her and tells her that she's re-finalized her divorce to Mitch, and needs some work to keep her occupied. Sue Ellen offers her a chance to help her out with her movie as long as she can keep it a secret.
Cliff starts drinking heavily at the Oil Baron's because of the lost deal and tells Bobby he wants to take a bit of a holiday. He goes over to crash at April's place and tells her about the deal too.
Cally discovers the exercise room where Lucy is pumping away. Later, she decides to give it a try herself and JR finds her there. Despite his claims to be fit as a fiddle, he has some difficulty pushing even a meagre 60 pounds.
Carter and Tracey pick up Tommy McKay from the airport and take him back to their ranch. Tommy still seems very aloof from his father but is impressed with the new digs. Father and son discuss recovery from their habits and each says they'll make efforts to stay 'recovered'. As Tommy unpacks, a small bag of cocaine falls to the base of his suitcase.
Cally paints on the balcony as John Ross plays recklessly by the pool. Since this is a TV show, he of course falls in and knocks himself unconscious. Cally jumps over the balcony and fishes him out as Theresa frantically calls for help. When John Ross comes to and hears the story, he's still rude to her. Cally snaps at him and tells him what he can do with his bitterness.
JR gets April to look into setting up a dummy corporation so they can sell his oil land without anyone finding out about it. April is somewhat hesitant to stab Cliff in the back [now there's a switch] but appears to be convinced.
Lucy tells Don one of her old stories about the time Valene returned to Dallas to see her [Episode 33]. Sue Ellen and Don chat about her plan to make JR the laughingstock of Dallas - which she figures will be her ultimate revenge.
Episode 296: Country Girl Aired: Mon, Apr.5
LINE OF THE DAY: " I'm sure Japhet and Boaz will make loving uncles." - Cally to JR. Nominated by Jason and Val.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy and Clayton.
The family comes to the airport to pick up Ellie and Clayton, as JR and Bobby continue their argument about the sale of the Ellis County land.
Don Lockwood tells Sue Ellen he needs to be away from Dallas for a while in order to get her story together. She offers him her diaries and relives the "Who Done It" moment [Episode 58].
Cally continues to paint the Southfork environs to pass the time. She tells Ellie about JR's continued avoidance of her and the fact that she feels totally out of place in Dallas. Ellie reassures her that she's fitting in just fine and invites her to come to the next DOA meeting. Later, Cally and John Ross declare a truce and he agrees to come back down to the meal table once in a while.
April gets cold feet about double-crossing Cliff and Bobby, to JR's contempt. Because of JR's strong-arm tactics, she eventually decides to go ahead with it. Back at the office, JR takes advantage of Cliff's temporary absence to chat up the state Senator from last episode. When Cliff learns about the conversation, he places a call to one of his contacts in Austin to tip him off about potential corruption.
While preparing for a horseback ride with Tracey, Bobby, and Christopher, Tommy McKay spots Cally from afar, and decides to chat her up using a pathetic French accent - until he discovers that she's JR's wife. Suddenly, his American accent returns and he decides to join the riding troop.
While putting away some new shirts for Tommy, Carter discovers a small bag of cocaine in his drawers. Tommy claims it's just a memento of his foolish days and obeys his father's order to flush the stuff - but after Carter's back is turned, we find that Tommy just dropped it into a tray and he decides to snort up.
John Ross tells JR about Cally's valiant rescue of a few days ago, and JR is surprised that it remained a secret for so long. The DOA meeting dawns and Cally self-consciously introduces herself as Harper rather than Ewing. That evening, Ellie lays the smackdown on JR for ignoring Cally and demands that he either marry her or divorce her and let her go.
Bobby and Tracey take Tommy out to the opening of a new downtown club. Cliff and April happen to stop by as well, and Tommy spots her from across the room. He tricks Cliff into leaving April alone and cuts in on his dance, and then lays it on her really thick. Everyone spots Sue Ellen entering the club with Carter McKay. [I'll say it again. Eewww.] Tracey worries that Tommy seems to be moving too quickly and so does her father. The next day, Tommy shows up at April's place inviting her to a wedding - theirs. They have some banter and they settle on dinner instead.
Don tells Sue Ellen that after reading her diaries, he feels he's learned too much about her but can't understand how she ever got through her time with JR. She responds that maybe he's still got more to learn about her.
Upstairs, Cally tells JR that she wants to forget about her life in Dallas and has decided to return to Haleyville - with her unborn child. Suddenly JR seems awfully concerned and wants to try having a life together. The next day, JR heads into town and gives her a huge rock for their wedding.
Episode 297: Wedding Bell Blues Aired: Tue, Apr.6
LINE OF THE DAY: "It's all right, reverend. I know the drill." - JR at his wedding. Nominated by everybody.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Carter McKay, although it was a tough call.
Cally awakes to find a beautiful wedding dress in her room. She heads out to the balcony to admire all of the grand preparations for a down-home Southfork wedding. That morning, thunder is heard in the distance and it looks like a tornado is brewing. John Ross doesn't seem too thrilled about the occasion, especially after JR brings up the prospects of little brothers or sisters for him.
JR tells April that the sale of the Ewing Oil land has been finalized. Sue Ellen meets Don for breakfast and says she'd like for him to escort her to JR's wedding in order to do some research on his subject.
At the wedding, Sly happens to catch Tommy McKay's eye - until April arrives with Cliff. A special package arrives for JR, which he hides in the livingroom. Cliff follows him in and attempts to sneak a peek - until he's distracted by Lucy. Sue Ellen arrives, to JR's dismay, and introduces Don Lockwood around. She heads up to give Cally the diamond bracelet that was JR's first gift to her, with the hope that the young girl will be happier with him than she was. Before heading down to the gala, Sue Ellen goes back to her old bedroom and reminisces about the time he found out that JR had slept with Afton in their bed [Episode 67].
Thunder and lightning continues to menace the ceremonies, but they proceed without major incident. JR and Cally head into the house early to prepare to catch a plane. Cliff sneaks in as well and finally catches a look at JR's special delivery, discovering JR's double cross on the Ellis County land. He informs Bobby, who confronts him about it. Cally tells them to hold their fight until she throws her bouquet. Suddenly, the floodgates open and the festivities are taken indoors.
April looks on nervously as JR and Bobby argue about the potentially crooked deal. Lucy whips out a video camera and decides to record the event for posterity. The storm refuses to pass well into the night and a tornado advisory keeps everyone at the ranch. Tommy gets a testosterone kick at the thought of being with a whole bunch of eligible women.
As JR and Cally head up to enjoy their wedding night, Sue Ellen presents them with a bottle of champagne. She invites Don to stay in her bedroom but he gallantly declines. Sue Ellen has another flashback to the poolfight at her own wedding [Episode 115].
Bobby finds April drinking coffee in the kitchen and they wonder what's going on in each other's love lives. Bobby wonders whether they could still be friends and she agrees, as the gluttonous Carter McKay comes down in search of food for the winter.
As April heads up to sleep in John Ross's room, she finds Tommy in the bed, waiting for her. April says she's not really ready to sleep with him, and Tommy angrily tells her not to keep him waiting too long. Tommy heads out to the balcony with a bottle of booze and lets out a crazed scream in the rain.
After about fifteen minutes or so, JR asks Cally how long she's been pregnant. She responds that it's probably been about ten minutes - the story about her pregnancy was somewhat embellished by Sue Ellen. JR appears angry at first but eventually laughs it off. As JR heads out to get another bottle of champagne, he finds Sue Ellen outside waiting for him. She symbolically pops a balloon to burst his bubble.
Episode 298: The Way We Were Aired: Wed, Apr.7
LINE OF THE DAY: "I'm going to have to call you back. Tornado just blew in." - JR when Bobby barges in. Nominated by Val and Rob.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Clayton again.
In the aftermath of the wacky night at Southfork, JR reaffirms his pleasure with his marriage; Don Lockwood wants to rush back to his studio to make notes; and Tommy seethes at not having his way with April. Bobby tells Cliff he wants to handle JR's double-cross his own way.
Sue Ellen comes to the office to find Bruce Harvey sitting in her chair. He wants to get going with the casting for the movie but she insists that Don be a part of that process. That evening, Sue Ellen questions Don about his life, which he claims has been immersed in his work.
Cally asks the Farlows about the animosity between JR and Bobby and determines to do something about it. At the office, Bobby and JR argue about their situation but get nowhere. At home, they argue again in the exercise room and Cally attempts to patch things up between them. Bobby tells her that he appreciates her concern but she should mind her own business.
Tommy gets a crate from South America, full of clay pottery that he collected while he was down there. He breaks one deliberately to prove to his distrustful father that he's not smuggling drugs in them. Tracey suggests that he get more sent up because she thinks they'd be all the rage in Dallas. Taking the crate up to his room, Tommy breaks another pot, which contains a bag of cocaine. Later, Tommy meets a seedy looking guy in a public bathroom who turns out to be a local drug dealer about becoming his new supplier. The guy wonders if Tommy has the money to finance his deals and is assured that cash is not a problem.
After being turned down for dinner by Tracey, Bobby finds April waiting outside his office. They reconfirm the truce they called last episode and agree to keep their personal feelings separate from their business dealings.
Tommy tells his father about his plans to get his statue business started and says he'll need about $ 100,000 to get started. Carter is surprised at the large figure which gets Tommy annoyed. Tommy meets up with April and JR at a restaurant and after some banter, Tommy reveals that he still has a strong dislike for his father because he holds Carter responsible for his mother's death.
That night, at the dinner table, JR shows Bobby an agreement that he asked Harve Smithfield to make, so that neither one of them can sell Ewing assets without the other's permission. Bobby angrily says that it's too late to make such amends and Cally is shocked at his less-than-brotherly attitude. Jordan Lee tells Cliff he'd like to get out of the oil business and is willing to sell out to Ewing Oil.
Tommy tells Tracey that he can't get an import license because of his criminal record. Tracey suggests that she get a license in her own name, which makes Tom real happy. Sue Ellen has another flashback - this time her terrible car accident [Episode 129] - and ends up giving in to her attraction for Don.
Episode 299: The Serpent's Tooth Aired: Thu, Apr.8
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy.
Cally and JR discuss her potential help in some "projects" to help him regain control of Ewing Oil. Carter tells Tommy that he's decided to loan him the money to get his business started. Cliff and Bobby disagree about buying Jordan's company and Tracey interrupts their discussion to set up a hot date with the Bob-man. Bruce Harvey and Don Lockwood find JR downtown and try to chat him up but he shrugs them off. Christopher feels left out of the family fun by Cally and John Ross.
Tommy meets with the dealer again and tells him he's come up with $ 200,000. The dealer is surprised to find that he's short by $ 100,000 and says he wants out of the deal because he knows that South American dealers aren't very forgiving people. Tommy asks Tracey to help him get the rest of the money he needs but she says that he shouldn't push his luck. McKay is informed that a cartel of European oil men want to make the biggest deal in Texas oil history. Tommy meets with JR and asks for money in exchange for information about the deal.
Lockwood visits JR at his office and offers to come clean about his relationship with Sue Ellen. JR tries to paint her as a vengeful bitch but Don says that she's just a woman who's made two mistakes in her life: marrying him and then doing it again.
Jordan Lee has suddenly become the most popular man in Dallas. Ellie reminisces about the old wildcatting days, and invites him over to Southfork to share knee-slapping stories with Clayton. Jordan gives Ellie a final charm for her sentimental bracelet and reconfirms his desire to leave the oil business and just relax.
April celebrates her birthday [SURPRISE!] alone, complete with a cake and a surprise gift of fuzzy slippers. Bobby calls and realizes that she's alone. April invites him over but he says he's already made plans. For their hot date, Bobby arranges a pool game for Tracey on a brand new table. Tracey's heart isn't really in the game because so much has changed in her life recently.
Bobby and Cliff surprise April that day with an ostentatious one-man band and whisk her away from her apartment for a big night on the town. Later, they buy an espresso machine right out of a restaurant; April wonders how Bobby managed to get away from Tracey for a whole night and Bobby reveals that their relationship has cooled off.
Sue Ellen goes to Don's office to find it empty. Her eye spots a preliminary copy of Don's screenplay and starts to read until he slaps her wrist for snooping. After Sue Ellen reminds him who pays the bills, Don says he quits because he refuses to compromise the way he works. She apologizes and manages to coax him back to work.
Christopher tells Cally how upset he is for being ignored by her, especially after he was the only one who stuck up for her when she first came to Southfork.
Tommy tells Carter he'd like to sit in on the meeting with the Europeans to learn how the business world really works. It turns out the Europeans want a guaranteed billion barrels of oil over the next ten years. Thanks to Tommy's wire, JR and Ratagan overhear everything. Everyone agrees to adjourn to Vienna for further discussion. JR is only too happy to pay Tommy for the inside information.
Episode 300: The Serpent's Tooth Aired: Mon, Apr.12
LINE OF THE DAY: "I'm probably going to regret this." April before going out with Tommy.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy, Carter, Clayton, Ellie, Cliff...take your pick!
JR asks Sly to look into the latest oil production figures in anticipation of his return to power at Ewing Oil. Phyllis just happens to answer the return call and informs Bobby about JR's snooping. Bobby, to put it mildly, is perturbed, and confronts him about it. JR tries to explain about the great deal he's stumbled on, but Bobby will have none of it and says he wants JR gone from the office. The brothers head towards the elevator, which goes down a bit and then stops dead.
Sue Ellen comes to her movie set which is being turned into an uncomfortably perfect replica of Southfork. She wonders whether she's ready to face her past all over again. She also wonders whether anyone else will be hurt by her project. Don assures her that the family will be portrayed as sympathetically as possible.
In the elevator, Bobby and JR continue to argue about the younger's request for the elder to leave Ewing Oil and they flash back to Episode 1 when the situations were reversed and Bobby was trying to break in to the power structure. Bobby explores but finds there's no way out, so he decides to settle down and have some wine, newly arrived from France, courtesy of Ray Krebbs. JR wants some but Bobby says that it's his gift, so he can't have any.
Tommy McKay visits April's apartment in an apologetic mood for being so horny the night of JR and Cally's wedding. He asks her for a second chance and they head out on an innocent date. While at an arcade, Tommy offers her the fabulous chance to get in on the ground floor of his business venture, but she turns him down. Later, Tommy gets upset that things are progressing so slowly and April decides to call it a night.
Bobby finally breaks down and agrees to sell JR a bottle of wine for $ 500 - and takes an IOU to rent the corkscrew for $ 1000. Cally calls the office to see where JR is but gets the answering service. Several bottles later, the brothers relive more memories of the past as well as sibling rivalry fostered by Jock. Bobby agrees to allow JR to stay at Ewing Oil. After hearing some of the details of the great European deal, Bobby agrees to consider taking him back as a partner.
Tommy takes April home without incident, but once there, makes an unwelcome pass. She tells him off and locks her door, only to have Tommy break it down a few moments later, and read her the riot act for being so unfriendly. Sue Ellen and Don have a boring conversation about commitment and agree to take their relationship one day at a time. As the sun rises, Bobby decides to take JR back as a partner, and power is restored to the building.
Episode 301: April Showers Aired: Tue, Apr.13
LINE OF THE DAY: "A dozen JR's...what a nightmare." - Sue Ellen during the casting talk.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy. Jason comments that it's pretty sad when Ray has done more this season than a supposedly mainline character.
Bobby looks at the details of the European deal and agrees with JR that Ewing Oil will proceed with its pursuit. JR calls Ratagan and asks to see whether the prospects have left town or not. Ratagan learns that one of the men, Hellstrom, is still in town. JR tells Tommy he'd like to get some more information about Weststar.
April visits Tracey at her office and tells her about Tommy's violent behavior, to Tracey's utter disbelief. They argue about it, and about Bobby. Carter interrupts their conversation to remind Tracey [and the viewers] about their upcoming trip to Austria.
Don Lockwood works round the clock writing up his script, and Bruce thinks that the production be moved to Los Angeles in order to get a better cast together. Cally tells the Farlows she'd like to improve her diction and mannerisms to fit better into her new surroundings and they put her in touch with a charm school director. Cliff is livid at hearing about JR's return to the power structure of Ewing Oil until he's filled in about the European deal. April calls Bobby wanting to talk about Tommy, but he says it will have to wait until the next day.
Some mean-looking Latin American dudes tell Tommy that they want their money - right away. He asks them for one more day to come up with what they're owed. He also tells Carter that he's so busy that he won't be able to accompany his family to Vienna. Pushing his luck, he asks his dad for the $ 65,000 he needs to get the dealers off his back, but is denied. Receiving a call from Hellstrom, he makes a mental note of the hotel name. JR gives him $5,000 for the information.
Tracey tells Bobby about April's wild stories of Tommy's viciousness, and Bobby tries to make her see that Tommy hasn't lost all of his anger just yet. That puts Tracey in a foul mood and she decides to cut their evening short.
At JR's request, Cally chats up Hellstrom at his hotel restaurant and puts on her best "country girl" act for him. JR stops by after a while and begins the business talk. He's able to convince Hellstrom to visit Ewing Oil that Thursday.
Tommy comes to April's apartment that night and demands the money he needs to pay off the dealers. He starts tearing up the place in a rage and when she tries to grab the phone, he smacks her around until she drops to the floor, unconscious. Bobby's knocks are heard outside and Tommy decides to flee through the balcony. [Yes, yes, a blatant nit.] Bobby takes April to the hospital where she appears to be fine except for the nasty bruises. April manages to tell him that Tommy was the perpetrator and you can feel Hulkamania running wild...
Tommy is awoken the next morning by Tracey and realizes that he had better get out of town before he's found by the dealers. He heads down the stairs just as Bobby arrives and starts pounding on him as Tracey tearfully looks on. Bobby returns to the hospital to see April, who says she intends to press charges against Tommy and finally admits that she's had feelings for him for a long time. Bobby decides to put her relationship with JR in the past and see what happens.
JR and Cliff arrive at the hospital, and Carter is not far behind them with fire in his eyes from the hurt that's been done to his children, and promises to make Bobby pay.
Episode 302: And Away we Go Aired: Wed, Apr.14
LINE OF THE DAY: "I will find you a really good JR... John Candy." - Lucy to Sue Ellen.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Clayton.
Jordan Lee decides to sell out his company to Weststar instead of Ewing Oil, leaving Cliff disappointed. Tommy takes a bunch of painkillers and argues with Tracey about staying in Dallas, because he doesn't believe, as she does, that he has any future living with his corporate dad. By the time Carter returns home, Tommy is gone. Bobby fixes up April's apartment for her and tells her that Tommy's left town.
Hellstrom visits Ewing Oil and speaks to JR and Bobby. JR tells him that he wants information on the European deal, but Hellstrom insists the information is confidential. Despite the decline, JR says that he'd like to take "Gus" out on the town again with Cally.
Sue Ellen interviews prospective JRs for her movie and later calls Lucy to come and help her cast prospective Mitches. [No, it's not a joke.] The next morning, she comes to the offices to find Don engaged in a lover's quarrel with another woman. Turns out it's just from the script.
Cliff flips open a newspaper and learns that redhead Afton has returned to Dallas to sing. He heads over to her club to surprise her, and sits through her show so they can talk. He tells her that he's joined Ewing Oil and stopped fighting JR. They both learn that they're coming off failed marriages and agree to meet again.
That evening, JR takes Hellstrom to a country bar and manages to get him fixed up with a nice-looking lady, whose ex-husband just happens to show up. An argument ensues and "Gus" punches him out...dead. As JR tries to escort him out, a police officer grabs Gus and arrests him. They take him to a quiet room, where JR is instructed to talk to the officer's partner...who looks a lot like Ratagan. JR and Ratagan stage a confab to get Hellstrom off the hook in exchange for information about the upcoming European deal.
Bobby and Tracey meet at a park and agree to end their relationship. She says she has to leave Dallas and try to find Tommy and help him. Bobby tells April about their impending trip to Europe and she curses her continued rotten luck with men. When Afton learns that Cliff is heading off to Europe, she storms off, figuring that nothing's changed. Cliff decides not to go, for her sake.
Episode 303: Yellow Brick Road Aired: Thu, Apr.15
LINE OF THE DAY: "No, Texans." - JR to the Harvards after they asks if the Ewings are Americans.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy.
JR, Cally, and Bobby arrive in Vienna to learn that the meeting has been delayed for a while, and they will be visiting Salzburg in the meantime. They meet up with fastidious Chick and Bunny Harvard, other Americans who just happen to be visiting too. Cally is delighted to find someone else to hang around and shop with. Outside the restaurant, Chick comments that he's glad that Cally seems to be fond of them.
Cliff invites Afton to come to Europe with him, and she can tell that he has really changed. She wants to take heir relationship slowly because she plans to head to New York in search of a recording contract. Clayton spends the entire day out riding and doesn't come home that evening, which prompts Ellie to contact the Sheriff to find him.
While shopping with the Harvards, Cally gets her purse snatched and then retrieved by a heroic Chick. When JR hears about the incident, he searches the purse for a bug but finds nothing. Meanwhile, Carter McKay instructs the Harvards to keep close to Cally to find out whatever information they can.
Bobby gets a message from "A", asking him to meet at 4 that afternoon. It turns out to be Pam, wanting to renew their relationship. [KIDDING!] No, of course, it's just April. They have a long talk about their pasts, the future, and the Ellis County land deal. Bobby says he'd like her to stick around for a while instead of dashing off somewhere else.
Sue Ellen reads Don's finished script with a heavy heart, and deems it to be perfect. They decide to head back to Dallas to start production. Clayton is found after having been thrown from his horse, and it turns out he doesn't remember who Ellie is. A doctor arrives who diagnoses a concussion and some memory loss - and there's no guarantee he'll ever regain it.
McKay finds the Ewings and April eating breakfast the next morning. He tells Bobby and April that he's sorry for Tommy's behavior, and wants to bury the hatchet with them.
Cliff comes to Afton's place that evening after learning her address from a club worker. He's told by a lady at the door that she's gone to Nashville. A young blonde girl comes to the door and tells Cliff that her name is Pamela Rebecca Cooper.
JR and Bobby come to the huge estate of Mr. Rolf Brundin, Hellstrom's "boss", who says he is definitely interested in doing business with them - he wants to buy out Ewing Oil.
Episode 304: The Sound of Money Aired: Mon, Apr.19
LINE OF THE DAY: "You call this dancing? I thought we were stuck in a Viennese traffic jam.". JR to Cally in the discotheque. Nominated by Val and Rob.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy. Again.
Bobby and April talk about Brundin's offer and he figures that McKay might be behind it, so they decide to hang around the mountains for a while. McKay meets with Brundin later and it turns out that Bobby was right - they are in cahoots. But Brundin says that his consortium welcomes the competition between Weststar and the Ewings. The Harvards tell the Dallas clan they plan to head to Budapest, and Brundin tells the Ewings to head to Vienna for the next set of meetings.
Afton storms into Cliff's office to confront him about visiting her house. He asks about Pamela Rebecca and Afton says he has no right to know anything about her. They agree to meet for lunch where Cliff is told that Pamela is not his child. The next day, Cliff gives Afton an engagement ring but she says it's too soon for a commitment. Contrary to her request, Cliff finds Pamela playing in a park with her nanny and talks to her for a bit.
In Vienna, the clan heads out to a disco which completely exhausts JR and forces April to wear a dress accentuating her pectoral handicap. Cliff and Bobby talk and exchange news about Afton and Pamela Rebecca. Bobby isn't so enthuastic about hearing that there's another Pam around town. At a reception, JR and McKay butt heads and Bobby is asked to meet secretly at the catacombs by another consortium member. They are told to be prepared to beat Weststar's price at the big meeting. Bobby wonders why things are so simple all of a sudden.
Production of Sue Ellen's movie begins. They redo the scene in Episode 75 where the Ewings find out that Kristin just had her baby. Sue Ellen and Don clash again over how realistic they want it to be. She feels she has to tell Miss Ellie about some of the revelations in the movie. Clayton's amnesia continues and he thinks he lives at the Southern Cross, married to Amy Farlow. Frustrated, he tells Ellie that he needs to return to San Angelo to jog his memory.
JR is too tired to attend that evening's function and asks Cally to go ahead without him. He goes out for a walk and is surprised to run into an old flame from his past - Vanessa Beaumont.
Episode 305: Great Texas Waltz Aired: Tue, Apr.20
LINE OF THE DAY: "Any sport named after an insect has gotta be lame." - John Ross to Don about cricket. Nominated by Val, Rob, and myself.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Lucy yet again.
JR and Vanessa boringly get reacquainted. She's saddened to learn that JR is on his honeymoon and reveals that their meeting wasn't accidental. Chick and Bunny resurface in Vienna, to Cally and April's surprise. Chick arranges it so that Carter McKay can talk to April about dissuading the Ewings from challenging Weststar for the European deal - for the sake of her relationship with Bobby.
That night, everyone attends the spring ball, courtesy of Brundin. April tells Bobby about her fears that McKay is still very dangerous to the Ewings' future. As "The Blue Danube" begins, Cally gathers a crowd while JR spots Vanessa from across the room and they share a dance for a bit. Bobby and April waltz all the way back to her hotel room. At first, he gallantly decides not to join her, but later returns and decides to spare the maid the trouble of making his bed in the morning.
Meanwhile, back in Dallas [remember Dallas?], Cliff hires Dave Wallace, a missing persons expert, to investigate whether or not Pamela Rebecca is really his child. Clayton goes missing in San Angelo and Ellie enlists the local sheriff's help to find him. Cliff and Afton come to Southfork to take Christopher fishing. Don and Sue Ellen come by to pick up John Ross and pleasantries are exchanged all around. John Ross gets mouthy at lunch about Don's muscling in on his mother and takes a lot of potshots at the Britisher.
JR visits Vanessa's place, where she tries to make things similar to the night they met. She tells him point-blank that she wants to be with him one more time, after which they'll go their separate ways. JR says he couldn't bring himself to be unfaithful to his new wife. Ellie manages to find Clayton near Amy Farlow's grave, revisiting his guilt over what happened to her. Cliff learns from Wallace that Pamela's birth certificate lists the father as unknown, which indicates that Afton's ex-husband is probably not the father.
The big meetings finally dawn and Weststar and Ewing Oil butt heads. The consortium finally decides to accept both offers and take both companies' crude for five years. After the meeting concludes, Vanessa warns the brothers that the consortium is not what it seems - and the real answer to the whole mess can be found in Moscow.
Episode 306: Mission to Moscow Aired: Wed, Apr.21
LINE OF THE DAY: "I betcha they don't have any bourbon there." JR about Moscow. Suggested by Jason.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: April. Others were suggested, but April really didn't DO anything.
JR and Bobby prepare to head to Moscow just as Ellie returns to Southfork with a still disoriented Clayton, for whom the sight of Sue Ellen brings back a few memories of the Southern Cross. Cally asks JR about the mysterious new woman in his life and he tells her that his relationship with Vanessa is completely in the past. Bobby and April say a horizontal goodbye as well. Once in Moscow, the brothers are warned by a couple of badly dubbed dudes that making the deal with Brundin would be disastrous for both the United States and the Soviet Union, because his consortium is fronting for OPEC. A lot of complicated talk about the oil industry ensues.
Cliff continues to woo Afton and tells her to cancel her upcoming trips and stay with him. At the end of their conversation, he pressures her for a commitment or tells her that they should leave each other for good.
The movie troupe acts out the fantastic scene between JR and Sue Ellen after she found him with Holly Harwood [Episode 129]. She revisits her doubts about trust in a relationship but Don assures her he's not JR.
The next day, JR and Bobby are asked to step into a car and are whisked off to another meeting with the dubbed duo and told that if they turn down Brundin's deal, there may be lucrative opportunities for Ewing Oil in Russian markets. Before being taken to the airport, JR and Bobby exchange gifts - and hats - with the fellows.
Ellie tells Lucy about the grief she felt over losing Jock without saying goodbye to him, and how she feels the same hurt over losing another husband. A kitchen accident causes Ellie to scald her hand, which suddenly brings back Clayton's memory and everything is happy again. Dave Wallace discovers that Afton had her daughter tested for neurofibromatosis when she was about six months old, which Cliff takes as positive proof that she knows that he's Pamela's father. Heading over to her place, Cliff is told by the nanny that Afton and Pamela have left town.
Don is presented with a fantastic opportunity to write the script of a new blockbuster film, which causes Sue Ellen to wonder what will happen to their relationship if they're apart. Don says he sees no reason why they should separate at this point.
Back in Vienna, JR and Bobby tell McKay about the information they've found in Moscow, but Carter says he doesn't care one way or the other, espousing the notion of a global economy and the almighty dollar. On their way out of the hotel, Cally and JR meet up with Vanessa again. Formal introductions are made, and Cally leaves the old flames alone to say goodbye again.
Episode 307: The Reel Life Aired: Thu, Apr.22
LINE OF THE DAY: "Well, with my luck, that'll be the one time they won't lose my luggage." - JR to Lucy after her request to stow away on his next European trip.
Rating [out of 10]:
The Lucy Award: Cally was close, but I think Clayton wins.
After returning from Europe, the troupe settles back into Dallas life. Lucy snaps a Polaroid of JR and takes it to the Oil Baron's Club, where Sue Ellen is throwing a party for her studio pals. April starts to get disturbing crank calls at all hours. Cliff and Dave Wallace discuss Afton's disappearance and Cliff decides to go to Baton Rouge to talk to her ex-husband. JR and Bobby return to the office and tell Cliff about what went down in Europe, just as he prepares to head off to Louisiana.
Don asks Sue Ellen to accompany him to England so they can forge a new life together. She says she needs to discuss it with John Ross, but is warming up to the idea. She comes to Southfork to pick up John Ross and chats up Cally, whom she urges to maintain her own identity, and not settle for being Mrs. JR Ewing, like she did. At lunch, Sue Ellen asks her son whether he'd like to accompany her to England, and John Ross seems torn about it.
Carter McKay triumphantly returns to Weststar and prepares to make the company even bigger than it was, while the Ewing brothers prepare to take away all of Weststar's old business. Cliff finds Afton's ex-husband, Harrison Van Buren, at his grungy apartment. He asks Harrison to see if he can use his contacts to find out where Afton is. The next morning, Van Buren says that Afton's in town and he'll arrange a meeting for $ 25,000.
April tells Bobby about the crank calls and he suggests that she come to Southfork for a while, just in case it turns out to be Tommy McKay again. They arrive just in time for dinner, which creates a very full table for the first time in a long time. The next morning, Bobby confronts Carter at his office about it and they exchange mutual threats.
Clayton and Ellie examine the mail and find a mysterious envelope with a birthday card for Jock from someone named Mallory, accompanied by a small safety deposit box key. Even at Southfork, April continues to be harassed by the evil phone calls.
Cliff is taken to a secluded apartment by Van Buren, where an Afton look-alike appears. Cliff begins to protest but is slapjacked from behind by the seedy dude, who takes off with the dame and the dough.
Sue Ellen tells Don that she's prepared to join him as a team, despite the fact that John Ross has decided to stay in Dallas. The next day, she heads over to JR's office to bring him to the studio for a private viewing of her film. After seeing it, JR threatens to sue but Sue Ellen says she'd enjoy the publicity. She tells him that she doesn't intend to release the film - yet. But she might some day. She heads off with Don, leaving JR alone in the middle of the mini-theatre.