Official Synopsis:
This year, tragedy visits Southfork. Jock Ewing - the tough, relentless founder of the vast Ewing Oil empire - dies in a helicopter crash. The family is devastated. But, after all, this is Dallas, so grief eventually gives way to maneuvering, scheming and dirty dealing over the future of the Ewing millions. The fallout from Jock's death is just part of the drama in Season Five's 26 episodes. Because there's more, much more. Sue Ellen and J.R. divorce and fight over custody of their little son. Pam and Bobby open their hearts to an adorable baby with a past ties to Southfork. Cliff Barnes has J.R. facing financial ruin - but soon it's J.R. holding all the aces and Cliff holding the bag. Add murder, kidnapping and a couple of suicide attempts, and even the great state of Texas doesn't seem big enough to contain Dallas.
Our Take:
When J.R. Ewing was shot, there was a reason why everyone asked “Who shot J.R.?” instead of “Why did someone shoot J.R.?”. One of television’s most nefarious villains that everyone loves to hate is at the front and center of Dallas, one of primetime television’s longest running soaps. Down in Texas, they do everything BIG. And J.R., America’s favorite good ol’ boy from the Lone Star State, schemes, plots, connives and conspires against everyone; whether they be friends, family or enemies. And it’s all for the sake of money, oil, and most importantly, power.
I think if it weren’t for J.R. Ewing (as brought to life by Larry Hagman), perhaps Dallas would have been just another run of the mill over-the-top soap, and most likely wouldn’t have such important status in the pop culture of the United States. To this day, Dallas still resonates with people, going so far as to inspire a feature film based on the series.
With all this said, Season Five isn’t the show’s best. Bobby’s wife Pam is teetering between having a nervous breakdown and a severe case of depression, and J.R.’s wife Sue Ellen takes his son John Ross and flees. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the drama that happens at Southfork Ranch, the Ewing family homestead. Many of the plot threads are too long and boring and just seem to be dragged out over the course of the season. It gets to the point when you’re just sitting there waiting for the J.R. or Bobby plot threads to come along and pick things up. My biggest complaint is that there are too many stories going on at the same time and they’re stretched too thin to the point where the characters seem very one-dimensional.
Sadly, Dallas: Season Five doesn’t have much in the area of special features. All that’s included is a featurette called A Living Landmark: A Tour of the Real Southfork Ranch (10 minutes), in which you can take a guided tour of the real life Ewing homestead, Southfork Ranch.
This is a soap we’re talking about here, not Hamlet (although, Dallas certainly does qualify as a tragedy). Sure the stories are corny and overdramatic and sometimes the acting isn’t exactly stellar, but it’s good fun! Fans of Dallas can rejoice at having the opportunity to relive the joy, the laughs, the pain, and the sorrow of the Ewing clan, and. of course. the backstabbing-double-crossing-no-good-lying-cheating-two-timing of everyone’s favorite Texan, J.R. Ewing.
Overall Picture:
Movie: C+
DVD: C+
- Chris Lawrence
Staff Writer
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