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| I agree with all of you. I became an avid fan of Dallas during my senior year in high school when it was on TNN--- as I must have been in my room playing with GI Joes in the 80's. First, when Jim Davis died, Jock's should have been found, like in a body bag at the crash site. The whole Wes Parmlee thing was ridicolous. |
I actually liked the Wes Parmalee story. I think they should've made him Jock, and here's the reason why. The difference between Steve Forrest, and say, Donna Reed, was that Steve Forrest was actually believeable as potentially Jock. In hindsight, knowing the awful direction the show took in it's later years, to make Steve Forrest - Jock, although it wouldn't saved the series or extended it's run, certaintly would have given it much more fuel in the tank down the road with new angles to play and twists, that they didn't have because it was squandered.
I always thought with Season 10 [9 depending on how you look at it] (1986-87) the whole B.D. Calhoun thing should have been drawn out the entire series, and a "24"-esque season finale concocted. Not only do the Ewing's loose Ewing Oil, but B.D. Calhoun works his way through the family & the people close to them trying to get to J.R. leading the an explosive season finale. In the process, Jack dies, Jamie dies, Mandy dies, Donna dies w/ baby, Pam dies, and Clayton dies in the most shocking "Dallas" finale ever. This way, all of those people who weren't brought back anyways would've went out much more spectacularly. Then because of Clayton's death, a new angle begins. What does Miss Ellie do? Honor Clayton's memory, or let her original husband come back to Southfork? Jock then begins the fight to regain Ewing Oil from the fed's. Do Bobby & J.R. align themselves with him? Or, fight him, and loose Ewing Oil forever? Does Ray honor Donna and his unborn child's memory or try to make his relationship with Jenna grow? Does Bobby fall back into Jenna's arms after Pam's shocking death? There's alot of interesting stuff that could've been done.
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| Second, VP should have been offered $$ (maybe she was) to stay for another two seasons with Linda Grey and it should have been Pam and Sue Ellen who made the blackmail film about JR, with Pam staying and Sue Ellen leaving to London. |
Victoria Principal wanted out at that point. She was tired of the series and wanted to move on. Larry Hagman threw a bunch of money at her to return in the 1988-89 season (this is why she was kept alive in the storyline), and begged her to return, but she turned it down. Linda Gray actually wanted to continue to be apart of the series, but she asked for more money and her contract was not renewed for the 1989-90 season.
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| I did like the Christmas Carol type ending with Joel Grey showing JR how evil he had been, how Gary and Valene would have had a smoother relationship without him, but I think this could have been done in the 89-90 season with the ghost appearing in an episode immediately after JR was detained in the asylum, a gun finding its way into JR's room, and the attempted suicide happening there with us left hanging. The final season was ridicolous. |
Interesting idea, but at that point, Season 14 (1990-91) was needed. I feel the final season really was tremdously better than Season 13, and there were some certain things that needed to be repaired. However, the J.R. in a sanitarium twist could've been saved to end the series
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| Ending in 1990 would have been a a great mystery ending for everyone, James and Michelle, Calli, JR, Sue Ellen's move to London, Lucy's trip, Ellie and Clayton's trip --- without the uncessary explanations for missing people the final 90-91 season. It would make more sense an illusion/ghost/demon would be seen in the asylum anyway. In this hypothethical alternative, the company could have been taken over by Bobby and Pam, which is what JR feared most of all... |
Definitely an interesting idea. It would've at least ended the series with Miss Ellie, Clayton & Lucy still apart of the cast. But keep in mind at that point, Pam was out of the picture, and I don't think had Pam came back, she and Bobby could've co-existed running Ewing Oil. What would've been an interesting twist is if Bobby & Cliff would've been left running Ewing Oil, or possibly kept the "J.R. Returns" reunion, and Sue Ellen returns to steal Ewing Oil away from J.R., and Sue Ellen & Bobby are left running Ewing Oil.
"J.R. Returns" would've been a better series finale, although I did enjoy the 'justice' of the "Christmas Carol" series finale.
