New Dallas season 1 ends and other TV

In terms of TV productions I did watch the penultimate and final episodes Dallas against my earlier negative reaction to the new series. There was a Dallas of old great series of twists as it appeared all had become sweetness and light in the great Dallas household where they once all lived at Southfork with their mum and dad and grand parents.

The new series cantered on the decision of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) because of ill health to sell the estate and the machinations of his older brother JR (Larry Hagman) together with his sometimes estranged grown up son John Ross to gain control of the family ranch and drill for the oil beneath but where Patrick had sworn to his mummy this was something which would never be done with the land remaining for cattle.  The two JR’s had used each other and gone to a Venezuelan crime family for a loan on the promise of delivering a quantity of oil per month as soon as the ownership was achieved. Bobby’s adopted son Christopher had entered a quick marriage with a relative stranger who was to bear him twins but he was still in love with the daughter of the family cook who had grown up with him and JR brought up by Bobby more than JR. The young Mexican woman in question was also coveted by John Ross. Missing out all the toing and froing this is how the series appeared to end.

First Bobby discovers an old document which separates the mineral extraction from the land sale after JR secures Southfork and John Ross moves in reminding Bobby that that he remains there with his wife and son on a grace and favour basis.  Bobby is then struck down near to death which brings back JR from a trip where he was set on taking his old enemy Cliff Barnes in a large gambling game. JR is so affected that he gives back the ownership of the estate to Bobby although this is only the first step because of the involvement of the Venezuelan.

In order to thwart the immediate taking of oil from the ranch, Bobby’s third wife had gone to her former husband who runs a major trucking company to withdraw from the contract to transport the product and annoyed at the delay the crime boss had framed John Ross for the murder of an unstable young woman confidence trickster who he had used to front the purchase of the estate behind the back of Bobby. His mother the great Sue Ellen now running for state governor blackmails the County Pathologist to fixing the evidence so that John Ross is freed from jail where he was already beaten up by people on behalf of the crime boss. This was unnecessary because Christopher had devised a way of getting the crime boss of their backs by offering them a piece of his technical invention which will revolutionise the energy and oil business. Eventually with JR and John Ross admitting their dark dealings they are able to gain the evidence for the arrest of the crime boss for the murder of the young woman and other offences. Between them Sue Ellen and Mrs Bobby Ewing fix the machinations of the former husband and which enables Sue Ellen to continue to stand for the governorship.

John Ross offers marriage to the daughter of the Cook as they set up house together while Christopher decides to make a go of it again with his wife after getting rid of her brother who has been involved with various scams to get hold of Ewing money. He then discovers that his wife and sworn she has revealed everything about her past and his dealings, that the man is not her brother. The man who may have been a former lover continues to have a hold over her to the extent that she gets old of a weapon in defence and a struggle kills him. Christopher then realises that he still loves the daughter of the Cook and the two decided to make a new life for themselves.

Christopher and John Ross had grown up friends and then become great enemies over the way John Ross had gained control of Southfork for his father but with the near death experience of Bobby the two had come together and formed a new Ewing oil company taking up the former offices of the company when it was once a force in Texas. Now with Christopher getting back with the girl friend, John Ross is incensed and asks his father not just to teach him all about the oil business but how to fight so they can get back Southfork after all.

Cliff Barnes has appeared from time to time needling JR but now the extent of his Machiavellian dealings is revealed that Christopher’s legal wife is in fact the daughter of Cliff who flies in order to get rid of his body of the man his daughter has killed. She admits she has messed up on the great plan but will now do what is necessary to help her father get his revenge on all the Ewings thus setting the agenda for the second new season.

I must comment that Merlin appears to have reached the end of credibility with yet another situation where Arthur’s wife gets into the hands of Morgana and is only rescued at the expense of the life of her brother.  It is time that Morgana is dealt with and Merlin stops his pretence of being a simple servant. These series should be dropped unless a new story focus can be determined. I must take a proper look at the UK X Factor where a lad from  the Boro appears to making progress, I have been half watching Strictly Come Dancing and usually manage the last  ten minutes of Bargain Hunt at lunch time where this week two couples in one show made over £200 profit.

This brings met the last of the Montalbano TV productions of the year which I will leave until Wednesday together with a film about the remarkable daughter of the first President of Independent Burma called The Lady and also a mention of the historical fantasy The Immortals.