Dallas:Season 7

 

 

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**NOTE - This review contains Spoilers**

Season Seven of "Dallas" marked the third and final non-consecutive season the show spent at #1 in the Nielsen ratings. The next year, "Dynasty" knocked it off its perch, and "Dallas" began a gradual ratings decline.

The season opens with part of the Southfork mansion ravaged by a fire. Sue Ellen lays down some new ground rules for J.R.--which includes using him for "Stud Service" and granting him permission to roam; and John Ross enters a day camp on the advice of a child psychologist. As one of the counselors, "Special Guest Star" Christopher Atkins joins the cast and quickly takes as much of an interest in Sue Ellen as he does his young charge. The storyline drags out for the entire season and really offers nothing that fresh or exciting to "Dallas" other than having Atkins displaying 3% bodyfat in Speedos, short-shorts and belly shirts. Their best moment occurs when Atkins rents a cheap apartment and an incredulous Sue Ellen asks "You found us a place where we can shack up from 9:30 til Noon?".

Priscilla Presley also makes her series' debut as the third actress to portray Bobby's old flame Jenna Wade. A chance encounter at a honky-tonk bar reunites the two when Bobby finds the proud, headstrong Jenna working there as a waitress. Though lovely to look at, Presley's acting chops are less-than-impressive and she can't hold her own against "Dallas" vets like Gray and Principal.

In real-life, Barbara Bel Geddes was recuperating from bypass surgery and was written out of the first dozen episodes as being hospitalized away from Dallas due a breakdown that ensued from last season's battle for Ewing Oil that pitted her sons against one another. Miss Ellie and Clayton Farlow (Howard Keel) announce their marriage with mixed reactions from the other characters. J.R. naturally does his best to stop the marriage by digging up dirt on Clayton. Near the end of the season, Alexis Smith is a breath of fresh air as she blows into town like a hurricane as Clayton's mysterious but outspoken sister Lady Jessica Montford of England. For some reason, Jessica is as intent as J.R. on stopping the marriage and goes as far as kidnapping Miss Ellie.

Cliff Barnes merges with Mark Grayson (John Beck) and becomes involved in a bidding war for some offshore oil leases. The fight gets ugly and J.R. blackmails goverment official Edgar Randolph (Martin E. Brooks) whose sordid background includes child molestation. Randolph's suicide attempt as a result of J.R.'s machinations does not sit well with longtime friend Donna Krebbs. Now sporting crimped hair, Donna is her usual pillar of strength this season, as husband Ray performs a mercy killing and pulls the plug on cousin Mickey Trotter's life-support machine, facing a prison sentence.

"Dallas" has always done a brilliant job of casting the secretaries as they chose actresses who were not as colorful as the series' leading ladies, but ones who are just bland enough to be totally believable as efficient office staff. Last season, Bobby's secretary Phyllis (Deborah Tranelli) received more screen time; this year the spotlight is more on Sly (Debbie Rennard) as she does double-duty as J.R.'s secretary and a paid spy for Cliff Barnes. When J.R. gets wind of the situation, he uses Sly to set Cliff up for the biggest fall of his life.

J.R.'s actions this season began to leave a really bad taste in my mouth. Aside from a karate chop in the gut and several characters referring to him as "not even human", he did not get his comeuppance. It seems as though the writers forgot that even the nastiest villains need to be humanized now and again. There is one scene where J.R. does appear to have a conscience as he expresses his many regrets to call-girl Serena (Stephanie Blackmore), but it doesn't make up for a season of such vile behaviour.

Katherine (Morgan Brittany) channels Joan Collins and becomes increasingly devious as she continues her obsession with trying to destroy any hope of a reconciliation between Bobby and Pam. She manipulates Pam into finalizing their divorce and falling into the arms of the dashing jet-setting Mark Grayson (John Beck). Pam finally agrees to marry Mark, but only after she learns he is suffering from a fatal disease. Katherine becomes increasingly deranged as the season progresses and has a 1940s movie star quality about her thanks to the various hats and ensembles she sports this season. (Actually, this is the season where the show begins to mimic "Dynasty" in the outrageous '80s fashion department--check out the turban Sue Ellen wears in the season finale!). My favorite scene occurs when Pam discovers Katherine ruined any chance of getting back with Bobby and slaps her silly. Another highlight is a fight that breaks out after Cliff bad mouths the late Jock during the annual Oil Baron's Ball.

The Ewings also get a fancy new home gym, where everyone from J.R. and Bobby to Donna and Miss Ellie are pumping up with Nautilis equipment in Spandex and headbands.

I did not care for the new cinematography this season, that made the show look like a feature film. It looked like various special filters were used and thankfully by the end of the season, the producers returned to shooting "Dallas" like a TV show. If there's a sense of deja vu on watching the season finale, it's because the writers basically reworked the "A House Divided" script to have several key characters angry enough to kill J.R.--except it's Bobby who ultimately takes the bullets!

Not my favorite season of "Dallas"; some of the storylines were too drawn out; some of the better characters were underused (Audrey Landers' Afton was used mainly as background this season; Lucy (Charlene Tilton) only has two great emotional outbursts--one after Mickey's death and one when she spots Peter (Chris Atkins) and Sue Ellen together at a formal party), while the weaker ones (Jenna) received too much screen time. However, the episodes near the end with Jessica (Alexis Smith) are worth it.

This was one of the best seasons of Dallas after season 6. I always liked Priscilla Presley's character of Jenna. It creates a good triangle between Bobby, Pam and Jenna. I enjoyed the scene where Pam finally found out about Katherine and slapped her.

What can I say Dallas rules!!!!!!!!!
Can't wait for the two made for TV movies to come out on Amazon.
BUY, BUY, BUY these series.

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