Dallas (the original) centered on the competition between JR Ewing (Larry Hagman) and his brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy), and the competition between the Ewings and the Barnes’. There were some iconic episodes, notably the one where JR was shot in a season-ending cliffhanger. All summer posters and T-shirts questioned “Who shot JR?” And who could forget the entire season that was a dream?
When Dallas returns in 2012, some of the original actors reprise their roles with the same characteristics as always. But there is a new twist to the Ewing family dynamic: the next generation.
The New Young Ewings
John Ross Ewing (Josh Henderson) is a chip off the old block. With JR for a father, you know he has inherited the worst of his parents. John Ross is intent on drilling for oil on South Fork, even though his grandmother, Miss Ellie, vowed that no drills would ever touch South Fork land. Nevertheless, John Ross goes behind his family’s back and sinks a trial drill.
Christopher Ewing (Jesse Metcalfe) is Bobby’s adopted son, and John Ross never ceases to remind him that he does not have Ewing blood running through his veins. Christopher is intent on finding an alternative fuel, thereby putting the Ewing name back on top. He says he wants it to be bigger than Exxon.
John Ross is as conniving and manipulating as his father was. In the pilot episode viewers will see a duplicate of the scheming JR. The series pits John Ross against his cousin Christopher and Uncle Bobby.
In the meantime, Christopher is marrying a young attorney, Rebecca Sutter (Julie Gonzalo) and John Ross has taken up with Christopher’s former fiancée Elena (Jordana Brewster). This also sets up tension between the young Ewings.
The Old Ewings
In the opening of the show, Bobby finds out he has cancer, but wants to keep it from his family for the time being. JR has been in a care facility, almost comatose due to a breakdown. But is her really “out of it”? For anyone who knows JR, the answer is "no". Linda Gray returns as Sue Ellen, Charlene Tilton is once again Lucy and Steve Kanaly is Ray Krebbs. Brenda Strong plays Bobby’s wife Ann.
The Conflicts
The conflicts in this show are vast: Bobby vs. John Ross, Bobby vs. JR, Bobby vs. Sue Ellen, John Ross vs. Christopher, Christopher vs. John Ross, Sue Ellen vs. Christopher, etc. The whole family is a mess, as usual.
If you liked the scheming and unscrupulous characters in the original Dallas, you’ll feel right at home with this show. Between the opening sequence, the same catchy theme song, and the familiar characters, this show picks up where the old one left off.
Dallas premiers summer 2012 on TNT.
