Recap: JR brings John Ross to Ewing Oil headquarters to show the tot where his daddy works. He carelessly tosses his cowboy hat onto Phyllis's desk, then points at the office next to his and says that that's where his Uncle Bobby works, muttering, "Where he does whatever he does around here" - LOL - then goes into his office, and places his tiny son in the big leather chair behind his desk, happily nattering about how proud Jock would be if he knew that one day he'd teach him everything he knows about the oil business. A few seconds later, Miss Ellie calls to let JR know that Sue Ellen is worried 'cause he hasn't brought John Ross home yet, and JR says he's running a little late, but is on his way over there now. While putting Christopher to bed in the fugly Southfork nursery, Pam remarks on how much the tot "favors the Ewings" ... prompting a look of alarm from Bobby, and Pam conceding that seeing a resemblance is probably all in her head [spoiler: it is]. She then presses Bobby about info regarding Christopher's bio parents 'cause she wants to be aware of any hereditary problems he might have, and Bobby chides her for assuming the worst, then pretends as though he's going to find out everything he can about the baby's parentage. Over at Studio Creepy, Roger is snapping photos of Lucy shrieking, "More! More!" - until Lucy suddenly stops posing 'cause she's too exhausted. Roger gushes about what a natural she is, then instructs her to adjust her pose by shifting one of her stumpy legs over the armchair she's sitting in. She indulges him, and he snaps away while creepily moaning, "Ooooooh yessssss...this is going to look so sweet" and Lucy just kind of rolls her eyes and breezily chuckles to herself, "Photographers.." 'cause it's somehow not registering with her what a complete weirdo this nerd-freak is fast proving himself to be. Sue Ellen admonishes JR for returning John Ross a half hour after the agreed upon time, so JR explains that he took the tot to his office to show him around, chuckling, "He was prancing around there like the King of Ewing Oil" [though not according to the footage I saw.] Sue Ellen looks less than thrilled by that observation and says she fully plans on encouraging John Ross to choose an entirely different occupation so he's less likely to turn into an aggressive douchebag like his father. JR asks her if she's dining alone tonight, mockingly remarking that she used to get more action when they were married. He heads towards the door and quips, "If things get dull around here, just give me a ring. I know some cowboys who might help you out" and Sue Ellen responds by mutely shooting him the stink-eye before taking her son upstairs for his nightly bath. Afton thanks Cliff for getting her a new singing gig in a way classier establishment than the Stardrift Lounge, then remarks on how their relationship seems to be on a down-turn. She says she was contemplating moving in with him [though I doubt there's enough room for two in that tiny apartment] - but he says he's not sure the timing is right, then cites all of the non-existent pressure he's been under at Wentworth Tool & Die. Afton says it sounds like a lame excuse to not get serious with her, and he brushes that off and tells her to relax, then kisses her cheek and tells her he'll see her (tonight) when she makes her singing debut at her classy new workplace. A few seconds after she leaves, Sue Ellen calls Cliff to complain about how out of sorts she is...and the two arrange to have dinner together later in the week. While breakfasting on the patio, a Mr. McGregor of McGregor's Feed & Supply drops by to inform Miss Ellie that stupid Ray hasn't been paying the invoices for the last several weeks, and the overdue bills are really starting to stack up. Miss Ellie is aghast at Ray's negligence and explains that he's been under a lot of strain lately, but that she'll talk to him about writing a check and settling the account asap. Carolyn Carter of the Smithfield & Bennett law firm arrives at Ewing Oil with the Palmer-Bates agreement papers for Bobby to sign - just as JR appears in the hallway and invites her to his office. He assures Carolyn he's back to being fully engaged at Ewing Oil, and Carolyn says that Harv will be happy to hear that, despite remaining gravely concerned about the unresolved legal situation regarding Jock's will continuing to go unread. When JR asks what the big deal is, she explains that unsealing Jock's will could drastically change things regarding the ownership of Ewing Oil, specifically 'cause the document will likely address all Ewing heirs, both present and future (meaning not just John Ross) ... and JR's all, "Ack!" when he realizes that Jock's will might result in Ewing Oil stock being spread around too thin for his liking. Carolyn wraps up the meeting by telling him she'll send a messenger to pick up the Palmer-Bates agreement papers once they've been signed, then heads out...and JR stares at a framed photo of his son and tells it, "Looks like the longer we delay reading that will, the better off it might be for both of us." Not sure how he figures that, but OK. A disheveled, hungover looking Ray asks Donna to make him a pot of coffee, but she declines to do something he's fully capable of doing his own damn self and tells him she's on her way out to spend the day in town to do some research for her new book. She adds that she'll be out all afternoon, then plans to join the Ewings for dinner. Ray grumbles, "Busy lady" ... and Donna somehow refrains from telling him where he can shove his sarcasm. A few seconds after she leaves, Miss Ellie calls to summon Ray to Southfork, like pronto. Bobby asks his lawyer friend Eric what in blazes he should tell Pam about Christopher's origins, and Eric's like, "That's the least of your problems" and points out that he has some serious legal issues he needs to sort out, preferably without further dragging him into this illegal adoption quagmire 'cause he'd rather not get disbarred. He urges Bobby to just come clean and tell his wife the full truth, but Bobby whines that he can't 'cause the lie has gotten too big. Eric's like, "Whatever dude" and gives him the number of a top-notch family law attorney: Charles Eccles. Miss Ellie asks Ray whaddup with him not keeping up with the bills for McGregor's Feed & Supply, and Ray sheepishly says he hasn't gotten around to it. She points out to the numb-brain that it only takes a few minutes to write a check...and that since JR and Bobby are too busy running Ewing Oil to cover for his slack, he needs to do a far better job performing his foreman duties at Southfork. She sternly adds, "You're a Ewing, Ray. And you're going to have to start acting like one." JR informs Bobby that he looked over the papers for the Palmer-Bates agreement and signed them - just as Sly buzzes to inform Bobby that Jordan Lee is on the line for him. JR's like, "I'll take it!" and picks up the phone...and Bobby looks delighted at how re-engaged with work his brother is. Jordan Lee, meanwhile, is surprised to have gotten JR on the phone and makes it clear that Bobby is the Ewing the cartel would prefer to deal with, and JR's all, "Pfft.." and invites him to the Cattlemen's Club to talk it over. While out on the town shopping, Lucy gabbles at Mitch about how Miss Ellie wants the family to have dinner together as often as possible, then says that since it's getting late she should prolly get going. The two exchange a light kiss...and as she sashays off down the street, the camera pans over to the next block, where Roger is creepily spying on her. That evening at dinner, Ray pulls a no show, and JR just kind of shrugs and points out that the yokel was never comfortable eating with the family, cheekily adding, "After all, we do use knives and forks." LOL. Donna remarks on how it didn't take him long to revert back to his usual nasty self, and JR's like, "Right?" and says Jock likely had no idea how weak Ray was when he gave him those ten Ewing Oil voting shares. He then grumbles about how Harv Smithfield is trying to pressure them into reading Jock's will...and when Miss Ellie makes it clear that she somehow thinks it's best to put that off indefinitely, JR agrees and says he's made it clear to Harv that things are to stay in limbo for the foreseeable future. As Bobby silently listens, his face scrunched concernedly, JR pronounces that there's absolutely no reason to read that will ... "and until there is a reason, it's not going to get read". Later, Bobby privately confronts JR about wanting to keep Jock's will under seal and points out that keeping everything in legal limbo cruelly raises Miss Ellie's hopes that Jock might still be alive. JR says he's OK with their mama being delusional if it gives her comfort, and Bobby reminds him that Jock could not possibly have survived the helicopter crash into that muddy South American stink hole. JR chides him for so quickly writing off their daddy, then declares, "If mama won't believe that daddy is dead, then for her sake, neither will I." Sue Ellen and Cliff return to her place after having dinner out. He leans in for a smooch, but she gently pushes him away and tells him she's not over Dusty yet, and therefore has zero desire to plunge into another intense relationship. Cliff says he'll try to be as understanding as possible 'bout that, then suggests they get together tomorrow for another platonic type outing. Pam asks Bobby if he learned anything more about Christopher's bio parents, and Bobby mumbles that he wasn't able to dig up much, other than the two were "fine, healthy people". Pam looks satisfied enough with the vagueness of that response and leans in for a hug...and as Bobby hugs her back, he stares concernedly into space. Miss Ellie calls Mr. McGregor to see if Ray paid him the amount owning, and McGregor says, nope, he hasn't yet received a check. Miss Ellie then tries to get in touch with Ray at Casa Yokel, but there's no one home to pick up. Miss Ellie calls Bobby and tells him that Ray has let a bunch of overdue bills stack up at McGregor's Feed & Supply, and Bobby offers to stop by there on his way home and settle the account...and when Miss Ellie expresses concern about Ray's continued deterioration, Bobby agrees to give him a talkin' to. At the Cattlemen's Club, JR tells Jordan Lee he was surprised by the negativity he expressed towards him during their recent phone call, reminding him that Bobby isn't actually able to make any deals without him signing off. Jordan says that he and probably Marilee Stone wouldn't be opposed to doing business with him - but the other two cartel members (Wade and Andy) have made it clear that they never want to get directly involved with him again. Like ever. Rebecca and Katherine drop by Southfork to visit with Pam and Christopher and then go out for dinner, plans that Pam completely forgot about. She says that since Christopher is teething she'd much rather stay home and cooingly comfort him...and when she suggests that they go to dinner with Bobby, Rebecca says she'd prefer to wait until a contrived, non-emergency involving Christopher doesn't preclude her from joining them for an evening out. JR is over at Marilee Stone's house, lounging in her bed as she pours them a couple of glasses of champagne. JR tells her he could really use her support in convincing Wade and Andy to do business with him, and Marilee's like, "Sure, why not?", then climbs into the bed for a post-coitus cuddle. She tells JR she'd love it if he came to her party on Saturday night, but he politely declines 'cause he has custody of John Ross this weekend and is pretending as though he needs to stay by his side every minute. Ray is hanging at the Longview Bar, aka the same Braddock watering hole he's been hanging in for the past few episodes, exchanging flirty banter with his blonde gal pal, Bonnie Robertson. A pissed off looking Bobby enters the bar, strides over to Ray, and asks him whassup with his general dysfunction, snarling that he just had to pay Southfork's outstanding balance at McGregor's Feed & Supply. Ray grumbles, "Will ya just get off my back please?", and Bobby tells him it's long past time for him to shape up and run Southfork the way it's supposed to be run. Ray gets all prickly and growls, "Just who do you think you're talkin' to anyway?" and Bobby tells him he gives less of a shit of the mess he's making of personal life than he does about the work that's not getting done at the ranch...and warns that if he keeps going down this path, he'll have no choice but to find someone who's actually willing to do the job. Ray snarls, "The hell you will" and throws a punch at Bobby - but Bobby easily deflects his fist and ignores his attempts to bait him into a full on bar fight. He sadly (but rightly) says, "You're not worth hitting, Ray" and stalks out of the bar, leaving Ray looking angry and defeated. When Bonnie suggests that Bobby was probably too afraid to engage in a fight, Ray argues that he didn't see anything worth fighting. No argument here. Afton is making her singing debut in her swanky new restaurant workplace, and the song goes on for what seems like a really looooooooong time. When she finally wraps it up, Cliff stands up and enthusiastically applauds, then gives her a congratulatory smooch. He's suddenly startled when, a few seconds later, he notices that Sue Ellen and Clayton are seated across the restaurant and looking in his direction. He heads over and sheepishly explains to Sue Ellen that he just got Afton her singing job, and that their relationship is mostly business oriented. Sue Ellen coldly retorts, "That's very nice" ... and when Cliff returns to his table, a miffed Afton says it's finally dawned on her that his interest in Sue Ellen has been the reason he's so reluctant to get serious with her. Ray is sacked out in a cheap motel after hitting the sheets with Bonnie, and she gushes about how much their doinkfest was like old times. She gives him a happy canoodle - but he just looks shame-faced as he stares despondently into space...as well the philandering yokel should. Clayton escorts Sue Ellen home after their night out, and she pretends to not be upset about having witnessed Cliff smooching Afton. Back at Southfork, Bobby reports to Miss Ellie that he paid Mr. McGregor, then tracked Ray down at the Longview Bar, looking drunk and unkempt. JR enters the kitchen at that moment and bursts out laughing as he cackles, "I knew he wouldn't be vertical" [and the organic way in which Larry Hagman delivered that line had me chuckling right along with him]. He derisively adds that, much like his deadbeat wino of a brother Gary, Ray "doesn't have the strength of character of a real Ewing" - a remark Lucy overhears when she enters the kitchen. Lucy admonishes him for always kicking people when they're down, but JR just kind of shrugs and tells Miss Ellie he's glad that she didn't schedule another voting meeting, quipping, "The only way we'd get Ray there to vote his share is to hold it in a bar." Lucy tells Bobby and Miss Ellie that clearly JR wants Ray thrown out of the family so he can steal his ten voting shares, and Miss Ellie says that while she doesn't approve of JR's hilarious and spot on trash-talking of Ray, the yokelly idiot kind of brought it on himself by being an easy target. That he has, Miss Ellie. That he has. The cartel members are gathered in the reception area of Ewing Oil and tell JR they've agreed to do business with him, mostly 'cause of how much they loved Jock. After they shake on it and leave, JR retreats to his daddy's office and stares at the late patriarch's framed portrait. He apologizes to Jock for giving up on the company after learning of his grisly demise - but then promises to make Ewing Oil bigger and stronger before passing it on to his son. He solemnly declares, "I'm back, daddy. And nobody's going to take Ewing Oil away from me, my son, or his son" and vows to make him proud. Thanks for reading! 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Recap: Bobby tells Harv Smithfield that he doesn't want to push Miss Ellie into declaring Jock legally dead, and an exasperated Harv points out that Jock would want her to so that his final will and testament could be read. Bobby asks him if there's any possible way the company can run in its current state of limbo, based on the voting shares system that Jock had implemented just prior to his death, and Harv gives him an unenthusiastic maybe - but only if they can prove that Ewing Oil is a tight, well-managed company. Bobby says that since Jock hadn't been at the helm of Ewing Oil for years prior to his death, essentially nothing has changed...except, of course, for JR's lack of interest in functioning as president anymore. JR has once again spent the night at Serena's place...and as he sips a glass of orange juice, Serena makes it clear that she'd really really like it if he got dressed and left, like pronto. A put out looking JR reminds her that there was once a time she wanted him all to herself, so she reminds him that at the time he made it abundantly clear that that was never ever going to happen. Miss Ellie calls Bobby at his Ewing Oil office to inform him that Southfork just received a large delivery of cattle...and since stupid Ray is nowhere to be found, no one can to confirm the order. Sounds like Southfork could really use some workplace redundancy. Bobby says that since the deliverer (Kevin McDonnell) is a reliable fellow, they can safely assume that the order is legitimate and that she should go ahead and sign for it. After that, Phyllis tells him that a pile of purchase orders just arrived by messenger...and Bobby instructs her to send them back, 'cause there's no way in hell he's going to be able to get JR's signature on them. Roger Larson is photographing four women scantily clad in swimwear when Lucy enters his studio. She's immediately approached by Blair Sullivan, the "agency man" Roger claimed could turn her into America's next great cover model. Blair oooohs about how right Roger was about her fantastic bone structure (er, OK..?), then wanks her about how, with the right person behind her, she really could shoot for the stars. A few seconds later, Roger wanders over and offers to put together a "dynamite portfolio" for her, and Lucy tells him that she definitely likes the sound of that, but first needs to wrap up a few personal things. Clayton arrives at Sue Ellen's new digs to pick her up to attend another wretched dinner party. She bellyaches about how hard it is to live alone...then says she's been out on a couple of dates since dumping Dusty, but isn't yet ready to jump headfirst into a relationship. Clayton urges her to take her time and reminds her that if she ever gets too lonely she can always find refuge at Southern Cross, and she thanks him for that and also for agreeing to be her escort for the evening. Ray is at a bar, hanging with a group of boisterous storytelling cowboys, when Bobby enters and wanders over to him with an expression of dismay etched across his face. He informs Ray that a hundred head of cattle was delivered at Southfork earlier, and that no one had a clue where they came from. Ray confirms that, yep, he ordered them and didn't think to tell anyone, sheepishly adding, "I guess I just let it slip my mind." Bobby chides him for his lacklustre work performance and urges him to talk about whatever's preventing him from functioning, at least at a base level, as Southfork's foreman - but Ray pissily retorts that there's nothing to talk about. Sue Ellen and Clayton arrive at the dinner party, where the couples are playing board and video games. She introduces Clayton as an old friend, and the wives are all, "Mmm hmm...sure" while cackling amusedly at what they all assume is the start of a May-December fling. The next morning at Southfork, Lucy gabbles at Miss Ellie, Pam, and Bobby about how Roger Larson has offered to shoot her portfolio, then asks Pam if she could help her pick out some flattering outfits to wear for the shoot. Pam happily agrees...and after the two scamper upstairs, Miss Ellie asks Bobby why he's so quiet. He tells her that JR isn't functioning at Ewing Oil, like at all, and Miss Ellie nods sympathetically and assures him that probably/hopefully JR will one day snap out of it. Bobby tells her they have a dozen deals pending that require JR's approval, then suggests he step in temporarily as president - but Miss Ellie puts the kibosh on that 'cause she doesn't like the idea of making any major management changes during this mourning period. Back at the studio, Lucy is posing for Roger when he orders her to undo the top button on her blouse and then lean forward to "show a little bit of curve". When Lucy looks too nervous and icked out to proceed, Roger shuts off the music and complains that she's not emoting the kind of personality or energy he needs in order to cobble together a dynamite portfolio. Lucy admits that she's still unsettled by her grandfather's grisly death, and that it's hard to get her brain to focus on posing for photographs. Roger chews on that for a few seconds and invites her to tell him about Jock...and says she should feel free to talk about him for the next several hours if that's what it'll take to spark the kind of sexy poutishness that's going to take the modelling world by storm. Bobby invites Dr. Conrad to dine with the family at Southfork under the pretence of checking up on Pam, when really he wants her to sneakily assess Miss Ellie's mental state as she mourns Jock (or not, as the case seems to be). Dr. Conrad says it's fairly obvious that Miss Ellie is going through "classic denial" ... and when Bobby says that her serene calmness is freaking him out, Dr. Conrad says there's nothing he can really do, except stand by and let her face her grief when she can no longer pretend Jock is alive, and cross his fingers that she comes out the other end emotionally intact. Jordan Lee tells Bobby that, out of respect for Miss Ellie and Jock, he and the cartel would like to mend fences with Ewing Oil and involve them in their latest wheelin' and dealin'. Bobby thanks Jordan and agrees to talk to JR about it...and after Jordan heads off, Bobby storms over to the office next door, where JR is glumly boozing at his desk. Looking completely exasperated, he tells JR that the cartel is open to doing business with them again - but he (Bobby) can't make any commitments until he (JR) starts functioning as president again. JR makes it clear how disinterested he is in discussing any of this and excuses himself from the room, grumbling, "It's getting a little crowded in here." Over at Casa Yokel, Donna is discussing with her publisher the prospect of writing a prequel to her bestseller - Sam Culver: The Early Years - when Ray returns home and snidely apologizes for interrupting their business meetin'. When he ignores the publisher's outstretched hand and rudely stalks across the room and into the bedroom, a mortified Donna announces that she's definitely, 100%, for sure going to write a second book. After JR enjoys a nooner with Heather Wilson, he announces that he should prolly be getting back to the office. When he tells her he'd like to drop by again later, she says he's welcome to stay at her place - but that she's jetting off to London with Vaughn Leland this evening, and that they've been enjoying hitting the sheets together ever since he (JR) pimped her out to the old creep during The Split episode. Bobby arrives home and is startled to learn that Mrs. Bruce from one of Dallas's adoption agencies stopped by to personally give them the good news that they have a baby girl available for adoption. She adds that she was surprised to learn that they've already adopted a little boy, but will cross them off her list and inform the family behind them in line of their good fortune. After she sees herself out and Miss Ellie offers to put Christopher to bed, Pam tells Bobby she felt kinda silly not knowing which agency they got Christopher from. Bobby nervously tells her that Christopher didn't actually come from an agency...then fibs that his bio parents were killed in a car accident. Pam's all, "Say wuh?" and asks what the parents' names were, and Bobby says he didn't see the point of asking anyone that question and reminds her that the most important thing is that Christopher is their adopted son (um, hopefully). Pam seems satisfied enough with that vague-ish answer and thanks him for bringing the precious tot into their lives, and firmly adds that no one is ever going to take him away from them. The next day, Bobby calls the rest of the adoption agencies in Dallas and tells them to take his/Pam's name off their lists. A few seconds later, Phyllis informs him that he received a call from Jeff Farraday and that he said he'd be in touch...and Bobby pales as he stares worriedly into space. Miss Ellie enters JR's room to bring him a cup of coffee and ask why he's not at work, given that it's 9:30am. JR grumbles that he doesn't much feel like pretending to work while he drinks at his desk, so she tells him that she really really wants the family to get back to normal...and, to that end, wants him to pull himself together and make it a point to join her and the rest of the family for dinner at 7pm. Clayton phones Sue Ellen and tells her he's not going to be able to make her dinner party 'cause he has a refinery emergency to attend to. Sue Ellen debates whether or not she should cancel the party, but Clayton urges her to go ahead and have fun with the awful couples (sans him). A horrendously disheveled looking Ray is loafing atop his couch, guzzling beer and watching TV, when Bobby drops by. He tells her that Miss Ellie is worried about the family drifting apart and that she'd like it if he and Donna joined them for dinner this evening - but Ray makes it clear he has zero interest in that, petulantly growling, "I didn't eat dinner at Southfork when Jock was alive! I'll be damned if I'm going to start eating there now!" Bobby looks stunned and dismayed at his yokelly half-brother's hostile bitchitude, then quietly gets up and exits the house. Sue Ellen greets her dinner party guests, who wonder aloud where Clayton is hiding, then express skepticism that he's really just a platonic friend. One of the husbands, Henry Webster, gets all grab handsy with Sue Ellen as he guffawingly offers to pour his own drink...and his irked wife, Dee Dee, shoots Sue Ellen an extra squinty stink-eye instead of telling her idiot husband to stop making a dumb spectacle of himself in front of a roomful of people. When only Pam and Bobby show up for dinner, Miss Ellie moans about how sad she is that the rest of the family bailed on her. Pam assures her that things will eventually get back to normal, then heads upstairs to put Christopher to bed - just as a bedraggled JR staggers home and says he lost track of time. He then pours himself drink and announces that he's going upstairs to lie down. Bobby storms upstairs to confront JR about where he was tonight, then reminds him that he's not the only family member who's mourning Jock. He says he too misses their gruff daddy, but that surely Jock would want his sons to be "up and doing" running Ewing Oil, the way he once did. JR glumly says that nothing matters anymore now that Jock is dead, and Bobby angrily says he's sick and tired of covering for him at a company that's in danger of dying of neglect. He then grabs JR, physically drags him over to the mirror to force him to view his patheticness, and snarlingly reminds him that Jock built Ewing Oil for them, their kids, their kids' kids, and so forth. He barks, "Get off your butt, JR. We've got work to do!" JR whimpers that nothing will ever be the same, and Bobby agrees - but points out that it's not a reason to give up and just sit around and booze all day. He urges him to think of his legacy, as well as John Ross...and after Bobby exits the room, JR stares at a framed photo of his son and begins to look newly determined to get himself back into the oil business game. Henry raves about how he hasn't eaten anything as awesome as Sue Ellen's catered dinner in awhile, and a miffed Dee Dee despondently mutters that that remark doesn't say much about her cooking. She then looks even more miffed when Henry openly leers at Sue Ellen and once again gets grab handsy with her while she attempts to pour drinks for the other guests...and Sue Ellen somehow refrains from telling the uncouth oaf to take his disgusting hands off of her. Miss Ellie drops by Casa Yokel to asks Donna whassup with Ray fucking the dog all day instead of at least doing the bare minimum in his job at Southfork. Donna says she's gotten so fed up with the hillbilly's rudeness, boozing, and general state of dishevelment that she's starting to give far less of a shit about their marriage than she ever has. She rails about how she's given him all the love, compassion, and understanding she can...and is at the point where she has nothing left. When she starts to weep, Miss Ellie gives her a comforting hug and urges her to hang in there and hope that Ray will eventually snap out of it, start combing his hair again, and get back to at least a basic level of personal hygiene. As the dinner party guests start to head home, Dee Dee tells Henry to go start the car so she can private warn Sue Ellen to not make a fool of herself with her [icky shitbag excuse for a] husband just 'cause she struck out with her marriage. She bitterly adds, "I thought you were my friend, Sue Ellen. Some friend" before angrily flouncing off. Sue Ellen then gets a call from Cliff, who invites her to get together tomorrow...and she tells him she likes the sound of that, and - because she's an unemployed lady of leisure - she just happens to be free all day. Miss Ellie is going through the mail when JR wanders by and tells her he's off to pick up John Ross for the weekend. He then promises his mama that he and his tot will be back at Southfork for dinner at 7pm. Outside, Pam and Bobby are swimming and playfully bantering by the pool before they engage in an amorous smoochfest. The two exchange I love yous, and Pam happily coos about how, with the arrival of Christopher, she now has everything she's ever dreamed of. JR arrives at Sue Ellen's house and looks dismayed to find Cliff there. As Sue Ellen goes upstairs to fetch John Ross, Cliff boasts about how Barnes-Wentworth 1, aka the oil field he coerced him into signing over, is starting to make a nice profit...and JR snarlingly replies that he only let him have that field so he can one day take it back. Sue Ellen returns to the room with John Ross and his little suitcase...and as he and JR head out, JR snidely remarks to Cliff and Sue Ellen, "You two really deserve each other." During dinner at Southfork, Miss Ellie gushes (at Lucy, JR, John Ross, Pam, and Bobby) about how thrilled she is that they're finally partaking in a fully attended family dinner again. Everyone then turns to gaze over at John Ross, who's grinning happily as he sits in Jock's chair, the way JR used to do when he was a boy. JR stares lovingly at his tiny son for several seconds, then proudly pronounces, "He's really a Ewing. That's for sure." Thanks for reading! 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Recap: JR is in his Ewing Oil office, staring despondently out the window while Bobby is in his office, discussing a $3 million project with a couple of old white men. Bobby says he'd be happy to move ahead with the deal, providing JR signs off on it - but when the camera pans over to JR's office, we see that he's ignoring his buzzer thing. He then picks up the phone to call Sue Ellen, but is told by her personal nurse-on-duty that the lady of the manor isn't home at the moment. While that's happening, a Mr. Hunter arrives at Ewing Oil to discuss some pending business with JR. Sly fibs and says he's not around, but that Bobby is - but Mr. Hunter insists on only speaking to JR. A few seconds later, JR emerges from his office and staggers towards the door, and an irked Bobby explains to the two men he was just meeting with that they're going to have to put their project on pause on account of JR isn't currently functioning as co-president 'cause he's been taking Jock's death particularly hard. Bobby then gets a call from Harv Smithfield, informing him that they have some important decisions to make now that Jock is presumed dead...and the two agree to meet at Southfork later in the day. Sue Ellen returns home after a shopping trip with her high society friend Dee Dee Webster. Dee Dee tells Sue Ellen now that she's divorced it's good for her to be getting out more, then offers to set her up with an eligible bachelor. As Sue Ellen chews on that prospect, Dee Dee says it's getting late and that she needs to rush home to cook dinner for her douchebag of a husband. That evening at Southfork, Lucy and Pam are sifting through a mountain of condolence letters when Miss Ellie and Bobby enter the kitchen, expressing concern that JR isn't home yet. Bobby scrunches his face confusedly as to where his brother could possibly be, and then he and Pam head upstairs to the nursery to lovingly coo at Christopher. Miss Ellie then asks Lucy to clear the table of all the letters 'cause, for some reason, she wants the family to have dinner in the kitchen instead of in the dining room. JR is peacefully snoozing at his mistress Serena's place when she suddenly pokes him awake to tell him it's 2:00am and reminds him that he had once instructed her to never let him stay overnight at her apartment. She grabs his boots and places them atop him...and he stares at her sadly as he self-piteously replies, "To what? I've got no wife. I've got no daddy. I've got no son. I've got no home to go to." He then shoves his boots onto the floor, buries himself under the covers, and barks at her to shut off the light. Bobby arrives at Ewing Oil the next morning...and when he learns that JR is in his office, he makes a beeline over and is dismayed to find his disheveled brother pouring himself what looks like a glass of milk. JR ignores his brother's glare of disapproval and says that Sly told him his signature is needed on some important papers...and when Bobby hands him the documents, he scribbles his name without bothering to read what he's signing, then abruptly gets up and exits his office, leaving Bobby staring after him concernedly. Miss Ellie is preparing food in the Southfork kitchen when Harv Smithfield arrives at the ranch to discuss what he describes as very serious personal matters. He explains that since Ewing Oil is a family-owned business, Jock's "sudden" absence has left many things up in the air about the day-to-day operation of the company. Miss Ellie breezily reminds him that Jock had implemented a voting shares system, but Harv points out that that was really only designed to be a short-term method of running the business while he was wildcattin' in South America...and that his final will and testament might well override it. Miss Ellie tells him he's being premature in talking about Jock's will, firmly says she no longer wants to discuss it, then invites him to sit down, stay awhile, and have dinner with the family. Donna arrives home after an autograph party and finds Ray slumpily leaning on the kitchen counter guzzling booze. She apologizes for getting home later than expected, then excitedly tells him that her book is currently ranked #5 on the Best of Non-fiction list. Ray grunts something that makes clear how tiny a rat's ass he gives about her literary success...and when Donna lets that slide and offers to fix him something to eat, he declines and announces that he's off to meet up with his ranch hand friends in a Braddock watering hole and will get a bite there. As he staggers towards the door and heads out, Donna mutely stares after him, her expression a mixture of concern and fed uppedness. Sue Ellen is at what looks to me like a pretty wretched dinner party, where the wives are in one cluster, gossiping about a mutual acquaintance who's cheating on her husband...and the husbands are across the room in a different cluster, cackling about a mutual friend who's cheating on his wife with his hot secretary. A few seconds later, a handsome bachelor named Tom Flintoff arrives to join the party, and Dee Dee cheerily steers him inside and introduces him to Sue Ellen. Over at the Braddock watering hole, Ray runs into an old friend, Bonnie Robertson, a pretty blonde who coquettishly asks him to buy her a drink. She remarks that it's been awhile, so he mumbles that he hasn't been around lately 'cause he recently got married. Bonnie says she knows all about it 'cause she's been reading about his wife in the papers, adding, "I bet she keeps you hoppin'." Ray insists that Donna's "a fine woman" - while he, on the other hand, is a total dumbfuck loser who can't do anything right, including keeping his marriage on track. [No argument here.] Bonnie asks, "Doesn't your wife understand you?" and Ray says she understands him just fine, then abruptly changes the subject and agrees to buy Bonnie a drink. Following a romp at Cliff's place, Afton gets dressed and tells Cliff she's heading home now...and when he looks surprised that she's leaving so soon, she says she gets the distinct impression that he's bored with 1) her, and 2) her constant nagging about helping launch her singing career. Cliff denies it and says he's sorry he hasn't been more interested in scoring her a lucrative recording contract, and weakly promises to pretend to keep trying. Afton comes right out and asks him if his heart is with another woman, and he fibs and assures her it's not, then breezily chalks up his general moodiness to some non-existent work-related problems. The second Afton is out the door, Cliff telephones Sue Ellen, who has just returned home from the wretched dinner party. They exchange a few niceties before the call is cut short by Tom Flintoff, who unexpectedly drops by Sue Ellen's house to forcibly smooch her and coo about how beautiful she is. Sue Ellen makes it clear that she's not into it and yells at him to get out, and Tom responds by holding up both hands, warning her that after another long, lonely month with no bedroom action, she'll be begging him for it. He swaggers towards the door, then snidely predicts, "You'll be calling me", and Sue Ellen slams the door after him. Bobby gets a call from the doctor's office, inquiring about Christopher's medical records, so he says that the documents are in his office and that he'll for sure deliver them sometime today. He then calls Phyllis to ask her to move his morning appointment with Harv Smithfield to the afternoon. Bobby drops in on his lawyer friend Eric to "hypothetically" ask what an adopted baby's medical record would look like. Eric says he's getting increasingly unsettled by his many adoption questions, then back pedals on that and says that if he personally were going to adopt a baby, the certificate would likely show only the baby's first name and the first name of the parent(s). He then warns Bobby not to do anything illegal and stupid, and Bobby gaily exits his office with little doubt that he's about to do something illegal and stupid. While out for lunch, Mitch tells a bummed looking Lucy that she shouldn't lose herself because of Jock's death, reminding her that years ago he lost his father and got through it 'cause he had to keep the family going. He adds that it really helped to throw himself into his studies, and Lucy says she wishes she had some general direction in her aimless life, or was at least good at something. Mitch asks, somehow with a straight face, "Have you ever thought of looking for a real job?" - LOL - and Lucy responds to that by looking touched about his concern, and thanks him for caring enough about her to listen. She then decides that, yep, she should prolly find some sort of activity to occupy her days...and happily remarks on how much easier it is for them for communicate now that they're separated. Mitch grins in agreement before announcing that he has to get back to the hospital. Miss Ellie and Pam are feeding Christopher when JR enters the kitchen and tells his mama that with Jock gone he's no longer motivated to put any effort into running Ewing Oil. Miss Ellie points out that the demise of the family patriarch has been hard on all of them, then reminds him that Bobby needs him to at least somewhat function at a base level in his role as co-president. JR's like, "Yeah, whatever", then heads over to the phone to try to contact Sue Ellen, but once again gets her answering machine. Bobby arrives at Ewing Oil - just as Phyllis and Sly head off to lunch. Alone in the office, he sits at Phyllis's desk, pulls out a bottle of liquid paper from her drawer, and proceeds to alter Christopher's medical certificate by blotting out Kristin's first name and surname and then typing Jane as the sole identifier...and I'll assume he's keeping his fingers crossed that no one in the doctor's office is going to get suspicious about why there's so much white paint on an original document. Punk drops by Casa Yokel to discuss with Ray a potential new real estate deal. Donna tells him that Ray is in the bedroom, asleep - just as Ray appears in the doorway looking more grisly than usual in an unbuttoned work shirt and his bedraggled grey pageboy 'do in fugly disarray. He snarlingly tells Punk to "tell it to a Ewing", self-piteously recalling that he fell flat on his face during his most previous attempt to launch a real estate development. Punk's all, "Yeah? So what?" and says that he endured lots of failures on the road to learning how to be a savvy developer. Ray refuses to reconsider and grumbles, "You're talking to the wrong man" ... and as a befuddled Punk shakes his head and ambles towards the door, Donna discreetly explains that Jock's death has hit Ray pretty hard. Punk points out that his death has hit all of them pretty hard, then promises to keep in touch. Over at Ewing Oil, Harv Smithfield tells Bobby he told Miss Ellie that it's impossible to operate Ewing Oil as if Jock were still alive...and when Bobby asks, "How come?", Harv explains to the nitwit that the entirety of the company's stock belongs to Jock, and that his estate needs to be settled properly - otherwise the legal complications could quickly get overwhelming. He sympathizes about how difficult this must be, but implores Bobby to convince Miss Ellie to agree to petition for a hearing to have Jock declared legally dead. A few seconds later, a disheveled JR staggers into the office, and Bobby fills him in about what he and Harv just talked about. JR just kind of shrugs disinterestedly and fake applauds Bobby for doing a fine job of running Ewing Oil, then sourly suggests that maybe Jock left him (meaning Bobby) everything in his will, something that should make him happy. After he exits the room, Bobby tells a bewildered looking Harv that he'll do his best to sort through this familial clusterfuck and get back to him. Cliff learns that the drilling on Barnes-Wentworth 1 is going well, and that it's likely to turn a profit in a few weeks. He's so buoyed by the news that he buzzes his secretary (Marie) to ask her to make him a lunch reservation at The Cattlemen's Club. Lucy drops by Roger Larson's studio to tell him she's decided to pursue modelling, and that she was very impressed about the fact that he wasn't pushy about it when he first approached her. Roger says he thinks that they could have a very good working relationship, then offers to connect her with a guy who's put a lot of girls on the covers of national magazines. Lucy says she's definitely excited [about what seems to me like kind of a long shot - but then I'm a recapper, not a modelling scout], and Roger tells her he'll set up a meeting with this cover model guru asap. JR is sitting alone at The Cattlemen's Club, mopishly staring into his drink, when a smiling Cliff ambles over with a fresh drink as a thank you for signing over ownership of the oil field formerly known as Ewing 6. He tells JR that the rebranded field is back in operation and "pumping its little heart out", and JR makes it clear that he has zero desire to talk to him, pours what's left of his drink into Cliff's glass - LOL - and abruptly gets up and staggers out of the restaurant. JR storms over to Sue Ellen's new digs to snarlingly ask her why she refused to stay on at Southfork during the Jock is Missing crisis. Sue Ellen tells him she couldn't bring herself to stay at that dreary ranch a moment longer, and makes it clear that there's absolutely nothing between them anymore. JR insists that she's going to listen to what he has to say, then drunkenly rails at her for taking away his son...and mumbles about how [pathetically, desperately] hard he's always tried to make Jock proud of him, and hates the fact that he died believing his eldest son had allowed his ex to permanently remove John Ross from Southfork. When he vows that he won't let her get away with it, she warns that she can call the police...and JR tells her to feel free to do that, along with hiring bodyguards - but growlingly warns that as long as John Ross is not living at Southfork, "You're not going to know one moment of peace on God's green earth." He then staggers through the front door from whence he came, leaving Sue Ellen staring after him worriedly. Late that night, Bobby tells Pam he's having problems falling asleep 'cause he's so stressed about having to convince Miss Ellie to declare Jock legally dead. He adds that JR's meltdown isn't helping matters, and he worries that the company Jock spent his whole life building is soon going to be left in ruins. Pam clucks sympathetically, then gives him a comforting cuddle and urges him to try to get some sleep. The next morning, Bobby finds Miss Ellie in the kitchen and tells her they need to talk about the Jock is Dead situation, and pronounces, "Daddy is not coming back, and we all have to face that." He tells her they can't continue to run Ewing Oil in this kind of haphazard limbo, and that all matters of business need to be settled in a proper, legal fashion. Miss Ellie responds by tearing up and moaning, "Nooooo..", then nonsensically reminds him that this is still Jock's house, incoherently mumbling, "You're Jock's son, and I'm Jock's woman, and the rules we live by are the rules he made, and that's the way it will be." As Bobby struggles to make heads or tails of what in blazes she's nattering on about, she tearily declares, "He's alive, Bobby." When an aghast looking Bobby cries, "Mama!", she explains that as long as she believes Jock is alive, he'll somehow be alive...and Bobby stares back at her with an expression of speechless bewilderment. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"! Recap: JR is on the phone with Punk Anderson, grumbling about how the U.S. army needs to immediately dispatch a team to search for Jock's missing helicopter...then growls about how minuscule a rat's ass he gives about the tense political situation in this fictional region of South America. Punk promises to continue coordinating the search effort...and after JR hangs up, he informs the family that Jock had been flying in a helicopter from "the interior" when it went down...and that the search isn't going so well 'cause apparently it went down in the middle of some very remote, hard terrain. Bobby says he wants to fly down there pronto...and Ray and JR agree that as Ewing men they all need to fly to South America and seize control of the operation. Miss Ellie insists on accompanying them - but after her sons caution her about how dangerous it might be and Lucy pleads with her to not risk her life, she agrees to stay at Southfork and worriedly wring her hands until she hears any news. As Donna finishes booking an early morning flight for the three men, Miss Ellie says she's going to need to call Gary and inform him about what's happened. While in the kitchen, Miss Ellie gets a call from a reporter to get her comment on the rumors swirling around Jock's alleged demise, and she stubbornly insists that her husband is strong enough to survive a helicopter crash. She then stares sadly into space and has a flashback of when Jock suffered a heart attack and urged her to keep the family together, then lamented what a shit father he's been to his sons. No argument here. JR enters his bedroom and finds Sue Ellen snoozing atop his bed with John Ross. Sue Ellen hears the door open, wakes up, and expresses her condolences to JR - but he tells her not to count out his daddy just yet. He then urges her to stay at Southfork, 'cause during a time of crisis it'd mean a lot to him if they were all under the same roof...and she chews on that prospect for a few seconds before agreeing to stay the night. Ray is sitting in his living room, staring broodily into the fireplace, when Donna urges him to try to get some sleep before catching his early morning flight. Ray shakes his head all incredulous-like and says he can't believe that they were partying at the barbecue when Jock's chopper went down, then needlessly snarks, "You don't know what he means to me" as he flashes back to when Jock gave him a plot of Southfork land on which Casa Yokel was built. Pam tells Bobby she's worried about all the strain he's under: 1) dealing with her fragile mental state, and 2) Jock's sudden disappearance. She affectionately recalls the way Jock initially had an issue with his son marrying a Barnes, but then decided it was stupid to keep the Barnes-Ewing feud alive and warmly accepted her into the family. Miss Ellie is cleaning out the refrigerator when Bobby goes down to the kitchen to see how she's doing. She tells him he wants him to take charge of the search, much like he did when he ran Ewing Oil after JR was shot. Bobby then flashes back to that moment in time, when Jock had screamed at him in his lunatic, grizzled manner, "Real power is something you take!" and agrees that, sure, he'll take the lead during the search. The next morning, Miss Ellie asks Sue Ellen if she wouldn't mind remaining at Southfork until the menfolk return home...and Sue Ellen's all, "Actually, I would mind" and reminds her ex-mother-in-law that breaking away from JR was a really really hard thing for her to do. Miss Ellie's like, "Mmm, I really couldn't care less 'bout that" ... and Sue Ellen flashes back to when Jock acted like a total jerkwad towards her when she arrived at the hospital soon after JR was shot. While on the plane en route to South America, JR is boozing so hard that Bobby urges him to maybe pace himself, given that they're on an early morning flight. Ray changes the subject to what an expert survivalist Jock is, and that surely he could make it through any wilderness despite serious injury...and the three concur and decide that, nope, there's no way in hell that Jock the Superhero is going to stay lost in tangled wreckage in the middle of a fictional South American jungle. At a very rustic looking base camp, Punk Anderson informs his men that the plane carrying Jock's sons just landed, and that they'll need three more cots to accommodate them. Lucy ambles into the living room and tells Miss Ellie, Donna, and Sue Ellen that she's increasingly restless while they wait for word, then admits how skeered she is that her granddaddy really is dead. Donna jumps up to comfort her, and the two end up in a tearful embrace. JR, Bobby, and Ray arrive at base camp and learn from Punk that, after two days of scouring the jungle, the search teams have had no luck finding Jock or any sign of wreckage from the chopper he was flying in when he disappeared. JR decrees that they'll join the search at dawn, then uses the communications gear to call Southfork and let Miss Ellie know that they all arrived safely. A few seconds later, Punk gets a report that the men aboard a search plane spotted some wreckage and noticed that there was movement around the area, and the Ewing bros look encouraged by that sighting. Early the next morning, JR, Bobby, and Ray are ready to head into "the interior" via a jeep. Punk hands them each a rifle and warns, "They got a full blown revolution going on in the country just north of here. You wander over their border accidentally, who knows?" He half-heartedly offers to accompany them on the potentially perilous mission, but JR urges him to stay at base camp and continue coordinating the search. Punk lets out a quiet sigh of relief and tells the men not to get their hopes up too high - but JR argues that, at this point, hope is all they have left. Back at Southfork, Miss Ellie is reading The Dallas Press, featuring the headline "Sons Join Jock Ewing Search". That's interesting...I wonder who spilled that personal nugget to the press. Donna enters the kitchen and asks her if there's been any word, but Miss Ellie tells her that all she knows is that JR et. al. arrived safely at the base camp last night. She then says she went through something similar in Season 2 when the small engine plane JR and Bobby were flying aboard crashed near a New Orleans swamp. She recalls that they kept the news from Jock, 'cause he was recovering from surgery around that time, then has a flashback about the dickish way Jock chided her about keeping him in the dark about the potential tragedy. JR, Bobby, and Ray are traveling through some fake rough jungle terrain in order to reach the crash site spotted by the search plane. Lucy, meanwhile, is on the phone with Gary, updating him on his brothers' decision to join the search for any sign of Jock or the missing helicopter. Eventually, JR, Bobby, and Ray encounter terrain that's undriveable so Ray declares, "Looks like we walk from here." Sue Ellen grumbles about having to hang out at Southfork and says that the Ewings need to face the harsh reality that Jock may never be found...and Donna's like, "I hear that" and says she worries that her marriage to Ray is going to go completely down the toilet if Jock doesn't return and straighten the dumb yokel out. When Pam says that surely he'd adjust to life without Jock if he had to, Sue Ellen says she doubts seriously that JR could ever adjust to that reality, pointing out, "Everything he does, he does for his daddy." She adds that JR would go to pieces if Jock were dead - just as Lucy enters the room and wails, "Granddaddy is not dead!" Donna explains that they were simply talking about how much Jock means to each of his sons, and that it's natural for them to be recalling the good memories of him they have. Lucy angrily - and somewhat nonsensically - retorts that her daddy doesn't have good memories of his father, crying, "He has nothing! Nothing!" as she runs out of the room. JR, Bobby, and Ray walk through miles (or feet?) of thick foliage before they reach the crash site and encounter a medic hovering over an old man with grey hair. They look hopeful that the man is Jock - until he turns his head to look in their direction, revealing that he's not Jock, but rather some rando who was doing survey work in the area before his small plane collided with a helicopter. He says that the chopper appeared to crash on the other side of the mountain and saw it "fall like a stone" into a nearby lake. Bobby's all, "Fuuuuuuuuck..", then says they're going to need to find diving equipment asap and start searching that body of water, pronto. Lucy tells Miss Ellie that she's feeling very restless and needs a distraction, so she's going to drive into town. She adds that she tried to contact Mitch about Jock's disappearance, and Miss Ellie tells her that she's been keeping Rebecca and Clayton apprised of the situation. The underwater search team, which seems to mostly consist of Bobby and Ray stripped down to their underwear and using snorkelling gear, search the lake. Ray manages to recover a small piece of the downed helicopter, and Punk stares at it sadly before declaring, "Well boys, I guess that's it." When Bobby surfaces and learns of the discovery, he insists on going underwater once more - despite his brothers' protests that he's clearly exhausted. Pam overhears Sue Ellen calling for a cab and asks whassup with her wanting to leave Southfork, so Sue Ellen explains that she has zero desire to be a source of comfort for JR in the likely event that he returns home without Jock. She then asks Pam to pass along her sentiments to Miss Ellie, 'cause she has zero desire to do that either. Bobby manages to recover from the lake the pendant that Jock always used to wear, then bursts into tears. He swims ashore and shows it to JR and Ray and says he can only conclude that Jock disappeared into the lake when his helicopter crashed 'cause "nothing that goes in that lake is coming up again". JR pushes back and refuses to quit searching, arguing, "It can't end here. Not in this stinking mud hole." That it can, JR. That it can. Unable to sleep, Miss Ellie gets out of bed and heads downstairs to sit in the dining room. A few seconds later, JR, Bobby, and Ray enter the house and then stand in the dining room doorway looking despondent, and remove their hats before Bobby breaks the bad news by saying, "Sorry mama." She stares at them in disbelief and asks if they were able to find her beloved, so Ray tells her that the best they could do was pinpoint the general area where Jock and his helicopter crashed and will remain lost forever. JR wanders outside and stares at Jock's pendant, which is clutched inside his hand. He then looks up at the sky and shoots his lost daddy a sad smile...and the camera fades out and then a painting of Jim Davis appears on the screen, noting the actor's birth/death dates: 1909-1981. RIP, Jim Davis. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
Recap: Miss Ellie is ambling around Southfork when Larry of Deltham Catering pulls into the driveway to ask whassup with her not calling him to cater the annual Ewing barbecue. Miss Ellie says that with Jock away searching the jungles of a fictional South American country for new sources of oil, everything has been so unsettled that she simply forgot all about the event. She tells him she'll give him a call if she changes her mind, then goes into the house and happens to notice the latest edition of The Dallas Press sitting on a table with the headline "Ewing Divorce Case Ends". She finds Pam and Bobby eating their breakfast in the dining room, and they're soon joined by JR and Lucy. JR irritably points out to Miss Ellie that if she had allowed him to publicly trash Sue Ellen during his divorce hearing, John Ross would be sitting at this breakfast table right now - but Miss Ellie reminds him that she put the kibosh on that 'cause she doesn't want her grandson to get tangled up in a needlessly ugly custody battle. Lucy cheekily asks JR if his primary concern is about having control over his son's Ewing Oil voting shares, and JR shoots her the stink-eye and rejoins, "Why don't you have that junior plastic surgeon you're married to design you a new face: one without a mouth." Hee! Bobby tells JR they need to meet sometime today to discuss his transition back to Ewing Oil as co-president, and JR rolls his eyes and grumbles about the annoyance of having a watchdog hovering over him and controlling his every move. Donna invites Miss Ellie, Lucy, and Pam to accompany her to Dallas to celebrate her official book launch. Pam declines, 'cause apparently she has to spend every waking moment of her life fussing over Christopher, but Miss Ellie and Lucy tell her they're definitely in. Over at Casa Wentworth, Rebecca notices that Cliff is reading and re-reading the "Ewing Divorce Case Ends" article in the newspaper and asks whassup with his fascination 'bout that, then tells him she's well aware of his role in The Mystery of Who Sired John Ross storyline from Season 3, 'cause apparently that family gossip made it to all the Houston papers. [Must have been a slow news period there too.] Cliff ruefully tells her that he fell in love with Sue Ellen during all that - but had his heart broken when he realized that she was simply using him to get back at JR, who was able to successfully lure her back into their dysfunctional marriage. Rebecca asks him if he's going to reach out to her now that she's single, and he's like 'sure, why the hell not?' Elsewhere in Dallas, Sue Ellen brings Clayton to the fancy new house (with wall-to-wall carpeting seemingly everywhere) she just purchased. She excitedly gabbles about how she wants to move in right away 'cause she has all sorts of fun ideas about how she wants to decorate her new digs. Clayton asks her when she last lived alone, and she's like, "Uh, never..?" and explains that she had two college roommates when she met JR. She acknowledges that she'll likely make mistakes while living on her own, but Clayton tells her not to worry, and that she should feel entitled to make as many mistakes as she wants. He then offers to help with setting up the financing on her new home...and when she thanks him for always being so good to her, he tenderly touches her face and says, "You're like the daughter I almost had." Aww.. At a Dallas bookstore, Donna is being showcased as the author of Sam Culver: The Political Years, aka the newly published biography that's taking the country (county?) by storm...and professional photographer Roger Larson is on hand to snap pics of Donna as she awkwardly holds up a copy of her book while doing her best to transform her default grimace into a smile. When Roger finishes the shoot, he ambles over to Lucy and says he recognizes her as last year's Miss Young Dallas and gushes over her photogenic good looks and says she should seriously consider pursuing a career in modelling. He hands her his business card, says he's with a reputable agency, and assures her he could definitely get her work...'cause apparently Dallas is filled with clients looking to hire models under 5". Lucy thanks him and then sashays back over to where Miss Ellie and Donna are standing. JR snarkishly tells Bobby he doesn't belong at Ewing Oil, citing his previous stint as president as a disaster...and Bobby counters that criticism by pointing out that there's an eroding confidence in his ability to not run the company into bankruptcy whenever he feels the need to fuel his personal vendettas. JR responds by growling, "Why don't you go home, diaper your baby, and take care of that nutty wife of yours?" - LOL - and Bobby's like, "Speaking of nutty.." and points out that their mama had to bail him out of the oil hoarding quagmire he got into with Clayton Farlow, a man he shouldn't have been foolish enough to threaten. JR shrugs and says he had to use every tactic possible to try to get his son back onto Southfork, and a weary Bobby's like, "Whatever" and tells he him he wants to see the latest reports on the company's research and development. JR petulantly swivels his chair so that the back of it faces Bobby, and then mumbles at him to ask Sly to provide him with that stuff. That evening at Southfork, the family celebrates Donna's book launch - except for Ray, who silently pouts about her achievement because he's an insecure little baby-man who can't seem to stop stewing over his latest real estate failure. When the phone rings, Bobby takes the call and then, a few seconds later, passes along Jock's message that he's planning to return home in a few days and is looking forward to the annual Ewing barbecue. Everyone's all, "Hurray! Jock's coming home!" [which I found to be kind of heartbreaking, knowing that Jim Davis had passed away months prior to the airing of this episode], and Miss Ellie gaily declares the annual Ewing barbecue back on. The next morning, Pam is feeding Christopher in her usually overly coddley way when Miss Ellie bursts into the kitchen and gabbles about how excited she is to host the annual barbecue as they welcome the family patriarch home. She says she'd really like it if John Ross were in attendance, and, to that end, will drop by Sue Ellen's fancy new carpeted house to extend a personal invitation. Donna is hosting a press conference on the grounds of Casa Yokel to promote her new book. When one of the reporters asks Ray if he read the Culver biography, he forces a smile and fibs that he has, and that it's a great book...bitterly adding, "Everything Donna does is great." The second reporter remarks on how Sam Culver must have been a very hard act to follow, but Ray just shrugs and pretends as though he has too much of a thick skin to ever feel inferior to anyone in the Culver/Ewing orbit. Mitch is discussing his patients with Dr. Waring when Lucy interrupts by calling to invite him to the Ewing barbecue, hastily adding that she really really wants him to come 'cause it's an extra special occasion, on account of her granddaddy is returning home from South America. Mitch grimaces at the prospect of having to socialize with the Ewing clan, but agrees to indulge her by making an appearance. Harold Haskell, Ewing Oil's accountant, drops by JR's office to tell him he's decided to classify the financial loss from JR's ill-thought-out oil hoarding scheme as "unforeseen costs in research and development". JR says he likes the sound of that wankery and offers Harold a raise...and Harold beams in response, then brown-noses further by pointing out that if Ewing 6 proves to be as unprofitable as everyone expects, the company can claim it as a nice tax loss. [It's unclear why he would be doing that now that Cliff is the owner of that property - but then I'm a recapper, not a fictional corporate tax accountant.] Cliff, meanwhile, is meeting with a guy named Stan who assures him that there's much oil to be pumped out of Ewing 6. Cliff cackles delightedly and says he'd like the field to be rebranded Barnes-Wentworth 1. Miss Ellie and Pam drop in on Sue Ellen to gush over her fancy new carpeted home and invite her and John Ross to the annual Ewing barbecue. Sue Ellen looks aghast at the thought of stepping foot back onto Southfork, but Miss Ellie implores her to reconsider 'cause it'd mean sooooooooo much to Jock to be reunited with his grandson. Sue Ellen mulls it over and says she'll do it, but only for the sake of her son's grandparents. Miss Ellie is in the kitchen, cooking up a giant pot of her famous chilli and chit-chatting with Lucy and JR. Lucy announces that she invited Mitch to the barbecue, and Miss Ellie's like, "That's nice" and tells her that Clayton is also coming. JR's all, "The hell? The man hates this family" to which Miss Ellie chuckles and argues that he doesn't, and that she thinks Jock will really like having another no-nonsense grey-haired fellow to hang with. JR wistfully says he wishes John Ross could be at the barbecue, and Miss Ellie happily informs him he will be, then explains that she personally invited Sue Ellen and her grandson to attend the shin-dig. Rebecca is on the phone with Katherine, who's planning to return to Dallas for a job interview at a local TV station. Rebecca says that she and Cliff will pick her up at the airport, and from there they'll head over to Southfork for the barbecue. Cliff overhears that last part and tells his mom he highly doubts he'd be welcomed by the Ewings - but Rebecca informs him that, in fact, Miss Ellie wants him there in the hopes of finally putting an end to the tedious Barnes-Ewing feud, 'cause she's pretty sure that JR is finally ready to live his life in peace. Heh. Sue Ellen is aghast when JR shows up unannounced at her new place with a big rose bouquet and a present for John Ross. JR admires her lovely home, just as John Ross races into the room to say hey to his pa. JR gives him his present: an assortment of letter blocks with which he shows the tot how to spell m-a-m-a and d-a-d-d-y. He stares contemplatively at his young son, then tells Sue Ellen they've done a damn fine job of raising him...and Sue Ellen somehow refrains from pointing out that he's done close to nothing to parent their son and instead asks him if he restrained himself from trashing her during the divorce hearing just 'cause Miss Ellie was in the courtroom that day. JR pretends as though, nope, he had decided all on his own to take the high road so that John Ross would be able to respect both of his parents. He then wraps up the visit by telling her he'll see her at the barbecue, thanks says her for letting him stop in for an impromptu visit, and heads out. While out for dinner, Afton tells Cliff she's crashing at her brother's (well...Lucy's) swanky condo 'cause she can no longer afford her fancy apartment, and that the dinner clubs she's approached to hire her as a singer expect her to prostitute herself on the side. She then changes the subject to how much she's turned by his new CEO title and the kind of money and power comes along with it, and a flattered Cliff blushes happily at the brazenness of her gold digging and says he'd be more than happy to look into how he can help her get her singing career off the ground. Bobby summons his lawyer friend Eric to get some more insight into the ramifications of his "friend" wanting to adopt a baby who seemingly has no bio parents. Eric tells him his "friend" could be in serious legal trouble, then explains to the dolt that generally when a baby materializes out of nowhere, the next step is to officially declare the child 'a ward of the state' while case workers do their best to locate the tot's closest blood relative. A giant 'Welcome home Jock' banner has been hung with care at Southfork in advance of the Ewing barbecue, a celebration which is now in full swing. Clayton arrives with Sue Ellen and John Ross, and JR makes a beeline over to greet the trio. When Miss Ellie and Sue Ellen take John Ross over to the food table, JR snidely asks Clayton if he accompanied his ex-wife to Southfork to protect her from him...and Clayton chuckles and is like, "Yeah, pretty much." When the Barnes clan arrives at the barbecue, Katherine says she really really wants to meet Christopher, so Bobby offers to escort her into the house while (old friends) Clayton and Rebecca briefly get caught up on their lives before hitting the dance floor together. Pam looks happy to see her half-sister, who proceeds to gush over her new nephew. When she asks Bobby how he managed the adoption so swiftly, he mumbles, "I just got lucky, I guess", then reminds Pam that she's owes him a dance at the barbecue. Pam tells Bobby she'll join the party once she's fed Christopher, then suggests that, in the meantime, he could get to know Katherine better by dancing with her. [In hindsight, prolly not one of your better ideas, Pam.] Elsewhere at the barbecue, Ray is boozing it up while brazenly flirting with a hottie named Tawny, who complains that she hasn't seen him at their local watering hole lately. Ray tells her he's been too busy wheelin' and dealin' to hang with her and the ranch hands, and Tawny responds by remarking that he really doesn't seem like the wheelin' and dealin' type. A few seconds later, Donna wanders over to them with her editor George Whitlow, who tells Ray he's trying to convince his wife to write a second book. Ray contorts his face into the same pissy expression he's been contorting it into ever since Donna received her $50,000 advance check for the Culver bio, sarcastically mutters, "Everything Donna does is wonderful", and then beats a hasty retreat with Tawny. What a rude, stupid jerkwad he is. While heading back to the barbecue party, Katherine tells Bobby how weird she thinks Pam is for insisting on spending so much time with Christopher. The two then run into Judge Thorny, who congratulates Bobby on his new baby and says that since he handles most of the adoptions in this district, he'll likely be presiding over Christopher's adoption. Bobby's like, "Ooooh terrific" - but after the judge wanders off, he stares worriedly into space. Mitch's beeper goes off...and when he gets to the nearest phone and calls the hospital, he learns that his facelift patient, Evelyn Michaelson, is in some desperate need of TLC. Cliff, meanwhile, amuses himself by needling JR about his ownership of the oil field formerly known as Ewing 6...and then a few seconds later, Afton sashays over to invite Cliff to dance with her. Katherine tells Bobby she's planning to relocate to Dallas and hopes she has better luck finding a decent man than she did in New York. Mmm hmm.. Sue Ellen looks wistfully around the horrendously decorated Southfork nursery...and JR stands in the doorway, watching her for a few seconds, before asking her if she misses it. She tells him she always loved this fugly room...and when JR responds by gazing at her hungrily and touching her face, she coldly pushes his hand away and storms out of the room. Afton tells Cliff she doesn't feel comfortable partying at Southfork anymore and would prefer to go elsewhere. He agrees - until Sue Ellen emerges from the house and gives him a sexy once over. He looks instantly re-smitten and asks Afton to excuse him while he flirtily banters with his former lover and escorts her to the dance floor. Miss Ellie heads into the house when she's informed she has a phone call...and while that's happening, JR is standing on his balcony, glaring down at Cliff and Sue Ellen as they slow dance. The camera then pans around the crowd of partygoers as the music changes and everyone starts joyously square-dancing. Ye haw! Inside the house, Miss Ellie is staring into space with devastation etched across her face. JR descends the staircase and asks her whassup, so she explains that Punk Anderson just called to inform her that Jock was flying via helicopter from "the interior" when it crashed...and despite various search parties being dispatched to locate the missing aircraft, there's no sign of survivors or any wreckage. The locals have since given up looking and assume that Jock is dead...and after saying the word dead she bursts into tears and wails, "Ooooooh!" Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
Recap: Pam is in the fugly nursery, fussing over Christopher and continuing to falsely assume that Bobby brought him home as their newly adopted son. Miss Ellie asks Pam why she checked herself out of Brooktree earlier than Dr. Conrad advised, so she says she really didn't think she needed anymore therapy...which ended up being a wise decision, 'cause of how the timing of her homecoming coincided with her new baby's arrival to create a wonderful miracle. Miss Ellie concurs and asks Bobby how he was able to pull off the adoption so unexpectedly quickly, and Bobby just kind of shrugs while mumbling, "I guess they just cut through some red tape, Mama. I dunno." LOL. Pam asks him which adoption agency ended up coming through for them, and he tells her he can't reveal that 'cause it's confidential...and before Pam can chew on that nonsensical reply, JR pokes his head into the room to see whassup. Miss Ellie sternly tells him that they have some unfinished business to discuss...and after she leaves the room, a glowing Pam gushes to Bobby, "It's what we've always wanted: a baby of our own." As JR fixes himself a drink, Miss Ellie demands an explanation for the depleted Ewing Oil cash reserves...and he breezily tells her to calm down (!) and assures her he knows what he's doing. Dissatisfied with that condescending non-response, Miss Ellie tells him that in Jock's absence she made it a point to stay out of the family business - but now realizes it was a major error of judgement, given that he's responsible for Ewing Oil losing a small fortune. She asks him why in blazes he would secure such an enormous loan with Ewing assets, so he explains that he bought up all the oil that would have been allocated to Clayton Farlow and then hoarded it so he could use it as leverage in his quest to have Sue Ellen thrown off of Southern Cross so she'd return to Southfork with John Ross. Miss Ellie reminds him that she made it abundantly clear she didn't want Sue Ellen to return to the ranch upon threat of eviction from Southern Cross and says that no way in hell would Jock approve of his methods. JR stubbornly says he'll do anything to get his son back - but Ellie counters, "Not this time. From now on, until your daddy gets back, your days of free rein at Ewing Oil are over" ... and as she storms out of the room, an unsettled looking JR stares after her worriedly. JR picks up the phone and attempts to call Jock - but can't locate him in whatever South American jungle he's purportedly traipsing through as he scours the land for oil. Sue Ellen is all packed up and ready to leave the Southern Cross ranch for her temporary new home in a San Angelo hotel suite. She thanks Clayton for his hospitality, and he thanks her and John Ross for bringing back some life back into his house, then laments that her flaccid coupling attempt with Dusty didn't work out as planned. He tells her to call if there's anything he can ever do for her, and she warmly bids him adieu. JR is on the phone once again, trying to get through to Jock, but still can't reach him. Pam is feeding Christopher his breakfast when Miss Ellie enters the kitchen and announces that she's off to San Angelo. Pam asks her to pass along her best wishes to Sue Ellen, then prattles about how utterly thrilled she is to be caring for her new baby. A defeated looking Ray tells Walter Sherr that since he's unwilling to borrow any money (from Donna or Miss Ellie) for the San Antonio development, he has no choice but to pronounce the deal officially dead. A bummed Walter says they'll need to look for a buyer to take the soil-challenged land off their hands, then says he knows a fellow named Scotty Singer who might be interested. Mitch is doing his hospital rounds when he enters a room occupied by a pretty, middle-aged woman named Evelyn Michaelson who's simultaneously getting a facelift and a divorce from her husband. She asks Mitch if she's making a mistake by going under the knife, and he assures her that Dr. Waring is an amazing physician, and that she'll be in very capable hands while she's on the operating table. Over at Southern Cross, Miss Ellie tells Clayton she'd like to resolve the clusterfuck that JR dragged them into when he hoarded a massive amount of oil in an attempt to regain custody of John Ross. She proposes selling the oil back to him...and when he agrees and offers $33 a barrel, she smilingly tells him that that sounds fair. As they shake on it, she cheekily reveals, "I would have taken $32" ... and as the two chuckle over her superior negotiating skills, she asks him if he would ever have given in to JR's demands. Clayton answers by asking her if Jock would have given in, and Miss Ellie grins and admits that he would have told the bully to go to hell...which, Clayton points out, is pretty much what he did. He then points out the irony of JR launching such an expensive operation for the purpose of blackmailing him into throwing Sue Ellen off of his ranch when she voluntarily moved out this morning...and Miss Ellie reacts to that revelation by staring back at him in stunned bewilderment. Bobby drops in at Brooktree to meet with Dr. Conrad, who tells him she's been so worried about Pam ever since she checked herself out early. Bobby tells her about the baby [Pam assumes was intended for her to raise], and that overnight she's been transformed into a whole new person who seems positively giddy at the prospect of motherhood. Dr. Conrad says she's delighted to hear that...and expresses her immense relief that the baby came into their lives when he did, 'cause the hopelessness Pam was feeling about being motherless was putting her on dangerous ground. She shudders as she adds, "I hate to think what might have happened if you didn't have that baby." She asks Bobby to pass along her best wishes to Pam and breezily expresses her hope that from now on everything in their lives will be merry and well, and Bobby thanks her and exits her office. As JR exits the house to head to work, he encounters Cliff, who has just arrived at Southfork carrying a gigantic teddy bear. JR moans, "Oh Lord" ... and when Cliff smilingly explains that he's come to meet his new nephew, JR grumbles, "With him here now I suppose we'll be overrun with Barneses." Cliff chuckles and tells him to keep smiling, then reminds him that he has only three days remaining to pay back his loan...and JR chides him for being a slow learner, 'cause he seems to have forgotten that "old JR always lands on his feet". That he does, JR. That he does. Scotty Singer offers Ray $3 million for the San Antonio property...and when Walter urges Ray to accept the offer and take the loss, he despondently agrees. After Scotty exits the office, Walter tells Ray he's sorry that they both screwed the pooch so badly on this deal, then half-heartedly suggests they join forces to develop a different housing project in the non-foreseeable future. JR arrives at Ewing Oil and asks Sly if she was able to get a hold of Jock, but she tells him that all she was able to learn was that Jock is somewhere "in the interior" and won't be back at the main camp for several days. JR snappishly asks her if she can't get any better information than that, and she's like, "Uh no" and tells him that the phone connection was so horrible it's a miracle she was able to hear anything on her end. A sour looking JR heads over to his office, where his lawyer, Howard Barker, is waiting. He informs JR that all of the subpoenas have been delivered to the various witnesses who can portray Sue Ellen as a booze guzzling monster. JR nods approvingly and says he wants to go all out at the hearing, pronouncing, "I'm going to win custody of my son if I have to drag his mother through the mud from one end of Texas to the other." Howard cautions that if he goes that route, the Ewing name will also be dragged through the mud, but JR just shrugs and says he's pretty sure Jock will forgive any bad press if it results in getting his grandson back onto Southfork. That evening at Southfork, Pam giddily tells Bobby that their son is babbling at his new teddy bear...and that she's sooooooo happy to be a mom and that Christopher is sooooooo wonderful she can't believe he's really theirs. Bobby refrains from confessing, "Now that you mention it, he's actually not" - before Miss Ellie pokes her head into the room to summon Bobby downstairs for a contentious family meeting. Miss Ellie tells Ray she now has the cash reserves to loan him the $3 million he needs for his San Antonio development, but he contorts his dumb face into an anguished expression and tells her he no longer needs it 'cause he sold the land (and lost $1 million in the process). When she stares back at him in mournful devastation, he asks her to please drop it 'cause he really just wants to forget the whole thing...and a few seconds later, she's forced to do just that as JR, Bobby, and Lucy file into the living room. When JR butts in in an attempt to take control of the family meeting, Miss Ellie growls, "Sit down, JR" and shoots him the stink-eye...and he obediently lowers himself into the nearest sofa chair. She then commences the family meeting with the preamble that she considers it her job to see that the family and Ewing Oil is run the way Jock expects the family and Ewing Oil to be run, then drops the bombshell that JR has been stockpiling oil, depleting the cash reserves in the process, and drawing against the company's assets - all for the purpose of waging a personal vendetta against Clayton Farlow for the crime of offering Sue Ellen and John Ross asylum on his ritzy ranch. She proceeds to inform the family that she sold back to Clayton the oil JR has been stockpiling at $33 a barrel, and JR's all, "The fuck?!" and snappishly tells his mama he wishes she'd stayed out of it. Miss Ellie tells him she had no choice but to step in and replenish Ewing Oil's cash reserves and makes it clear that she's no longer going to put up with his vendetta-fuelled shenanigans. JR reminds her that Jock ordered him to get John Ross back to Southfork asap, and Miss Ellie tells him that she detests his methods, then announces that it's time to vote on whether or not JR should continue as president of Ewing Oil. The vote plays out as follows:
When everyone's all, "Wha-a-a-a?" at Miss Ellie's surprising decision, she's forced to admit that there's really no one else in the family who's fully capable of running Ewing Oil - but then stipulates that Bobby will need to co-run the company until Jock returns home and is able to keep his naughty son in check. Miss Ellie then tells JR that for all of his dumb conniving to get Sue Ellen off of Southern Cross, she and John Ross voluntarily left the ranch this morning...and as everyone ambles out of the living room, JR stares into space with an expression of stunned incredulity before letting out a happy woot. At the breakfast patio the next morning, JR thanks Miss Ellie for her stay vote - but she clarifies that it wasn't a vote of confidence, then chides him for never learning from past mistakes. When JR changes the subject to his upcoming divorce hearing, Miss Ellie laments the fact that Sue Ellen is out there in the world somewhere, alone with her grandson, in need of someone to take care of them. JR assures her that Sue Ellen will eventually return to Southfork with her tail between her legs, 'cause there's been a precedent of her always needing a rich man/family to lean on, which...true enough. Miss Ellie makes it clear that if that doesn't happen, he is not to add further misery to the woman's life by vilifying her in court, and JR breezily insists that she'll be back at Southfork in no time. Clayton visits Sue Ellen in her hotel suite to drop off a few items she forgot to pack, then tells her that Dusty left town to go on the rodeo circuit. That was a remarkably speedy return to full-time cowboyin'. He adds that he got his oil supply restored after cutting a deal with Miss Ellie, which means that his refineries are going to be back in business very soon. When he tells her that Miss Ellie knows that she and John Ross have moved off of Southern Cross, Sue Ellen worriedly wonders how this is going to affect JR's strategy in court. Clayton offers to accompany her to court for moral support, but she politely declines and says she'd prefer he not be privy to all the unflattering smack talk about her bad behavior from her drinking days that JR is likely going to throw in her face during the hearing. During breakfast, Donna irritably asks Ray why he's not confiding his problems in her, then reminds him that she's on his side...and that she cares about him, not the money. Ray self-piteously whines that every time he tries to prove he's more than a dumb cowboy, he's faced with the harsh reality that he really isn't more than a dumb cowboy. An exasperated Donna reminds him for the umpteenth time that he doesn't have to prove anything to her and that she loves the yokelly simpleton she married - but he just angrily rails about how she has everything: looks, money, brains, and political savvy. He bitterly points out that she's so super awesome that she can write a book that'll become an instant bestseller, then moans, "And look at the dummy you're married to." Donna chides him for resigning himself to be "poor old dumb Ray Krebbs" just 'cause one development deal didn't work out...and when she puts her hand on his shoulder to calm him down, he backs away, shoots her a hateful look, and hisses, "Take your hands off me!" and storms out of the house, leaving Donna staring after him with a look of startled bewilderment, muttering, "What a rude, insecure dinkwhistle he is." [Sorry no - that was me, projecting.] Pam and Bobby take little Christopher to the doctor for a checkup...and when the doctor asks Bobby if he has the tot's official papers from the adoption agency detailing which shots/illnesses he's had, Bobby promises to somehow figure out a way to get that documentation. That evening at Ewing Oil headquarters, Miss Ellie summons Cliff, along with the bankers who loaned JR the $200 million he needed to stockpile oil so he could stick it to Clayton Farlow. She informs them that the company is prepared to repay their loan with interest, and sarcastically thanks them for aiding her son in his time of need. She then chides "Jock's friends" for charging his son an outrageous rate of 25% to extend the loan for ten days, then directs her ire at Cliff as she asks, "How long are you going to perpetuate this stupid Barnes-Ewing feud? Until we're all dead and gone? Is it worth it to you?" Cliff's like, "Hmm, let's see...forever, yes, and yes" and stubbornly retorts that she can't seriously expect him to apologize for the fact that JR got in over his head. Miss Ellie snarks back that she doesn't expect shit from him - but that by now he should be aware that when the Ewings stick together, they're an unbeatable force. The following morning, Miss Ellie again warns JR to not persecute Sue Ellen during today's court hearing, reminding him that he's only president of Ewing Oil by her good graces...and that if he publicly trashes his wife she won't hesitate to fire him. JR assures her he'll do nothing of the kind and promises to make her proud. Afton arrives at Mitch's condo with several pieces of luggage and tells him that her visit with their mother went fine, and that she hopes he doesn't mind her staying with him until she can find a place of her own. Mitch says he'd be happy to have her and gives her a quick update about how cordially things have been going with Lucy lately. He then scampers off to work, and Afton calls Cliff's office and leaves a message for him to call her back. JR and Howard Barker arrive at the courthouse amid a gaggle of paparazzi-like reporters who snap his photograph and pepper him with questions. JR sees Sue Ellen across the corridor and ambles over to her for a pre-hearing mindfuck. He informs her about what's on the agenda for today's hearing: a parade of witnesses who can testify to the fact that she's proven herself to be a drunk, tramp, and unfit mother. He warns that no judge in his right mind would ever award her custody of a small child, points out that she no longer has her rich lover to protect her, and urges her return to Southfork post-haste. When Sue Ellen snaps, "Never!", JR threatens to keep her tied up in litigation for a very long time, then urges her again to consider returning with their son to the Ewing ranch. Bobby is talking to his lawyer friend Eric about a legal way to adopt a baby that just kind of appeared out of nowhere and needs a home. Eric says it kinda sounds like a shady 'I bought a baby on the black market' type situation, but promises to research the issue and let him know what he uncovers. Howard Barker is about to launch Operation Destroy Sue Ellen's Credibility to Judge Berwin and describe how Sue Ellen is too much of a slutty ex-boozer to be entrusted as the primary caretaker for her son - when Miss Ellie suddenly enters the courtroom and sits in one of the spectators' seats. JR's all, "Ack!" and hastily tells Howard to stop talking. Bobby returns to Southfork - just as Rebecca is leaving the ranch. She gushes about how delighted she is about the baby, says she looks forward to being called Grandma Becky, and applauds Bobby for magically solving all of Pam's mental health problems by bringing home a baby. She then gets into her car and drives off, leaving Bobby staring concernedly into space. Judge Berwin informs the court that he's reached a decision, and then needlessly rambles on and on about how fathers can be excellent single parents, despite the long-standing tradition of judges awarding custody to the mother. As JR perks up with an expression of hopefulness that the decision is about to go his way, the judge decrees that full custody of John Ross is to be awarded to Sue Ellen, with child support payments in the amount of $6,000 a month. He adds that visitation rights will be established at a later date - but until then, JR will be allowed to visit his son on alternate weekends. Ouch. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
Recap: Bobby finds Pam lounging by pool and reminds her that it's time for her to return to Brooktree for some more intensive therapy...and after some hemming and hawing about how she doesn't think she needs anymore sessions with Dr. Conrad, she agrees to go inside, pack a bag, and return to the hospital. JR summons Jordan Lee and Vaughn Leland to his office so he can rail at them about what they're putting him through with the insane 25% interest rate attached to his ginormous loan repayment. He informs them that Cliff has given him a ten day extension in exchange for ownership of Ewing 6, and Jordan and Vaughn chuckle and tell him they're well aware of Cliff's side deal and don't much care 'bout that 'cause they're mostly looking forward to him being thrown out of Ewing Oil when he's unable to repay the loan that has, no doubt, depleted the company's cash reserves. Over at Southern Cross, Dusty announces to Sue Ellen and Clayton that he's going to spend the day riding herd with the ranch hands, and then camp with them overnight while they move the cattle. He tells Sue Ellen he'll see her tomorrow...and once he's out of earshot, Sue Ellen tells Clayton she strongly senses that she's about to lose (er, dump) Dusty because of his stupid male pride. A shirtless, sweaty Ray (blech) is chopping wood at Casa Yokel when Donna wanders over to hand him a beer and point out that they don't actually need any wood. She urges him to open up to her about what's bugging him, but he refuses and cryptically says he generally feels lousy about what a clueless dumbfuck he is and would prefer to work out his problems on his own. Donna looks visibly disappointed by being shut out, says she wishes he had more faith in her being a comforting sounding board for him when he's in need of support, and dejectedly shuffles off. JR asks Sly to book him on a plane to New York this afternoon 'cause he wants to meet with Paul Winslow, aka a stockbroker he met through Leslie Stewart during Season 4. He gets on the phone with Paul to float the idea of taking Ewing Oil public, and Paul says he'd be thrilled to chat about that further and looks forward to their meeting. Bobby drops in on an old college friend, Dr. Alan Cosby, to ask how one might go about determining a child's parentage. Alan says that since it's 1981 and DNA testing isn't really a thing yet, the best he can do is rule out who the father couldn't be. Alan delicately asks him if he unwittingly fathered a child out of wedlock, and Bobby assures him he's asking for a friend, then adds that he truly wishes the child in question had sprung from his loins. During therapy, Pam candidly tells Dr. Conrad that she really didn't want to return to Brooktree 'cause there's not a whole lot more to say about her unsolvable mommy/abandonment issues. She calls their back-and-forth regarding her mental health issues futile, then blurts out, "I need a baby! I can't have one! I can't adopt one! I think it's useless that I stay here!" and Dr. Conrad just stares back at her with an 'I'm pretty fed up with you too' expression tinged with dejected dismay. Bobby arrives at Ewing Oil and is mystified to learn that JR went to New York for a couple of days. He asks Phyllis to pull information on the company's health plan so that he can peruse the file, and when he glances over JR's health record, he sees that his blood type is B, and that Christopher's is AB. He stares incredulously at the document, leaping to the [spoiler: false] conclusion that the compatible-for-parentage blood types are irrefutable proof that his philandering brother is Christopher's bio dad. He mutters, "JR, you're about as low as a man can get." Bobby meets up with Jeff Farraday, demanding to see the baby so that he can take him to a doctor and verify that his blood type is, in fact, AB. Jeff agrees, but only for another $5,000, so Bobby tells him he'll give him a final payment of $30,000 if the baby is medically proven to be Kristin's love child. Jeff promises to hand over the baby tomorrow and makes it clear that he's A-OK with never stepping foot in Dallas for the rest of his life. Sue Ellen's attorney, Arthur Elrod, calls to tell her that her divorce hearing will be held in two weeks, then asks her to stop by his office tomorrow morning for some pre-hearing prep. That evening at Southfork, Donna tells Miss Ellie that Ray has been brooding over the San Antonio project, and is so wrecked about it that he refuses to talk to her. Miss Ellie clucks sympathetically and tells her that Ewing men find it difficult to admit wrongdoing, then says she always thought that, out of all the sons Jock sired, Ray is most like his bio dad. Donna complains that Ray always feels like he's in competition with his half-brothers - and now her, ever since she penned the Sam Culver biography and then had implausibly instant success in finding a publisher and getting a $50,000 advance check. A few seconds later, Bobby enters the room and says that Pam is newly depressed about being back at Brooktree, then bids then both goodnight and trudges upstairs. Donna tells Miss Ellie that she doesn't want to add to Bobby's problems by getting him involved in trying to get Ray to open up, so Miss Ellie offers to have a one-on-one with the yokel to see if he's willing to talk to her. Donna thanks her and says that that sounds like a marvellous idea. Sue Ellen arrives at Arthur Elrod's office and tells him that JR was behind the shutdown at Southern Cross, and that Clayton told him to go to hell when he tried to strong-arm him into kicking her off of his ranch in order to regain custody of John Ross. Arthur warns that the divorce hearing could turn into a messy shit-show, especially now that JR feels he has nothing to lose. In New York, JR meets with Paul Winslow to ask him how much cash he can raise if he's willing to take Ewing Oil public. Paul tells him he'd have access to an enormous sum of money, but then explains that first they need to consider how many shares to put out on the market and then get SEC approval...and that this entire process could take a few months. JR pales and is all, "Wuh?" and says he was hoping to fast-track the process in order to quickly access a giant bundle of dough so he can pay off his monster loans - but Paul firmly tells him that taking a company public is not an overnight kind of thing. JR stares despondently into space for a few minutes, tells Paul he'll let him know if he decides to move ahead with this ill-thought out idea (that would, uh, seem to require the approval of the family via the voting shares system that Jock just ordered be implemented), then rushes out of the office...leaving Paul staring after him in bewilderment. Sue Ellen returns to Southern Cross and finds Dusty hanging by the pool with the ranch hands, drinking beers and yukking it up. When she wanders over, Dusty introduces her to the guys, one of whom lets it slip that Dusty signed up to compete in a rodeo tomorrow...and when a concerned looking Sue Ellen asks Dusty if this is true, he says he mostly did it to see what kind of shape he's in when it comes to bronc riding. Miss Ellie summons Ray to the Southfork living room and encourages him to think of her as Jock's stand-in in whom he can confide his troubles. Ray looks anguished as he explains that he constantly feels the need to prove himself to the Ewings (despite their general horribleness), as well as to Donna, 'cause of what an impressive woman she is to have been married to the late great Sam Culver. He says he's mystified by how this savvy, brainy angel could possibly be happy married to a dumfuck cowboy such as himself...and when Miss Ellie asks him to explain exactly what's been getting under his skin lately, he confesses, "I guess I just got plain in over my head" and tells her that the San Antonio development project turned out to be a[n avoidable] bust. Miss Ellie calmly asks him what he needs, so he says he prolly could turn things around for $3 million...then whines about how he feels like too much of a jerk to confess any of this to Donna, given that most of the investment was her [late husband's] cash. Miss Ellie points out that it's far worse to not tell his own wife what's going on in his turnip for a brain, then pivots and asks him if he'd be willing to accept help from her, and charitably refers to him as "one of my Ewing sons". Ray says he'd be very grateful for her help 'cause he really just wants to get himself out of the mess he created before he admits any of it to Donna...and Miss Ellie says that first thing tomorrow they're going to meet with Franklin Horner to see about securing him a loan. JR is sitting in his New York hotel room, staring contemplatively into space. Clayton, Dusty, and Sue Ellen arrive at the rodeo...and as Dusty happily scampers off to check in at the registration table, Sue Ellen tells Clayton that, based on the fun vibe of this event, she totally gets why Dusty feels the need to re-enter the world of cowboyin'. Phyllis calls Bobby to inform him that JR is due to return from New York today, and Bobby lets out a sigh of relief. Sue Ellen worriedly watches as Dusty rides atop a bucking bronco...and when he appears to perform well, the spectators enthusiastically applaud. Over at the bank, Miss Ellie tells Franklin Horner she'd like to withdraw $3 million from the Ewing Oil reserve fund in order to loan Ray some much needed cash...and Franklin's like, "Sorry, no can do" and informs her that, at the moment, the company's cash reserves are pretty much nil. Miss Ellie's all, "The hell?", so he explains that JR has taken out some hefty loans to pay for some very expensive crude oil holding tanks, in order to hoard an insane amount of oil for the dopey purpose of preventing Clayton Farlow from having it. Franklin goes on to explain that, with the price of oil dropping, JR has had to pay for the related expenses with Ewing assets, which explains why there's currently nothing left in the company's coffers. An aghast Ray pulls Miss Ellie aside and tells her he doesn't want to add to her problems and will therefore no longer accept her financial assistance with the San Antonio project. Unbeknownst to anyone, Pam has checked herself out of Brooktree and called a cab to transport her to Southfork. At a downtown medical center, a nurse hands little Christopher to Jeff Farraday and tells him that the testing has confirmed that, yep, he's definitely Kristin's spawn. After they leave the center, Bobby hands Jeff an envelop containing $30,000, and Jeff hands him the baby and tells him to take good care of the cute little tot. Over at the rodeo, Dusty competes in bronc riding event #2 and looks to have another good performance. Bobby calls Donna and asks her for a favor: get Miss Ellie out of the house for a few hours this afternoon so that he can privately berate JR for doinking his sister-in-law and fathering little Christopher. Donna agrees to take Miss Ellie into town for some shopping, and Bobby thanks her for her help. As the rodeo starts to wrap up, Sue Ellen pulls Dusty aside to tell him that it's painfully obvious he belongs in Cowboy/Rodeo World without her...and when he half-heartedly says he doesn't want that, she insists that, yep, he truly does. She sadly calls herself a constant reminder of his penile inabilities in the sack, and that she really has zero desire to stay on at Southern Cross and watch him be alive and happy doing something in which she can never be, or have any interest in being, included. She says she'll always love him and assures him he'll have a wonderful life without her in it, then kisses his cheek - just as the other rodeo-ers drag him off to celebrate his bronc riding successes. He pleads with Sue Ellen to talk to him later, but she just stares back at him in mute tearfulness. Back at Southfork, Miss Ellie blabs to Donna about everything Ray confided in her - which I thought was pretty dickish of her - and Donna grumbles, "That damn pride of his.." and says she can't even lend him the cash he needs, 'cause otherwise he'll know that she knows why he's been so damn moody lately. As they get into Donna's car to head into town for the contrived shopping trip, JR happens to pull into the driveway. Miss Ellie's all, "Stop the car!" and tells Donna to go to town without her 'cause she has a bone to pick with JR and needs to pick it now. A few minutes later, Bobby arrives at Southfork with Christopher in tow, angrily muttering, "JR, it's time for you to stand up and be counted." [Dunno exactly why that pronouncement made me burst out laughing.] He carries Christopher into the house and is all, "Ack!" when he overhears Miss Ellie in the living room, rebuking JR for depleting Ewing Oil's cash reserves. A few seconds later, Pam happens to descend the staircase and sees the baby Bobby's holding. She shrieks, "You got our baby! I don't believe it!", then cries out for Miss Ellie to come look at the brand new baby that she and Bobby just got...and Miss Ellie and JR appear in the living room doorway and are all, "The fuckity fuck?" while Bobby stands uselessly in the background, his normally wooden face etched with an expression of helpless anguish. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
Recap: Gary arrives at Southfork with Miss Ellie, glances around the vast estate, and makes the observation that this shitty ranch never changes. Miss Ellie urges him to relax by the pool while she arranges lunch, then runs into JR and informs him that Gary has just arrived - without Valene. Gary asks JR how Jock feels about John Ross no longer residing at Southfork, and JR breezily replies that he expects his son to be returned home any day now. Gary says he doesn't doubt that, then grimly recalls the cruel way JR managed to snatch Lucy from Valene when she tried to run off with her, and JR urges him to sweep that shameful chapter of the family's history under the rug, 'cause right now the Ewings need to be rallying together to protect Ewing Oil. He criticizes Jock for putting undue pressure on certain family members when he gave them voting shares, 'cause he doesn't think it's the best way to run a company...and Gary chuckles and tells his brother he figured he wouldn't like the idea of having to consider the opinions of other family members as part of the decision-making process. JR swiftly changes the subject by asking Gary how he's enjoying his lowly job as a car salesman, then offers to set him up in his own business - in exchange for his Ewing Oil voting shares. Gary chuckles at the joy of having any kind of leverage over JR, but then stares contemplatively into space when JR urges him to strongly consider his proposal. Bobby calls Lowell Greer, aka the California lawyer who set up the trust fund that issued Kristin her monthly checks, and asks him on whose behalf she was getting all that money. Greer stonewalls him by telling him it's privileged information, then abruptly ends the call. JR summons Billy Bob McCoy, a crude oil broker, to his office to see if he's interested in taking the five million barrels of oil he's been hoarding for the last several episodes off his hands. Billy Bob makes him a lowball offer, which JR refuses 'cause he's unwilling to take a $20 million loss...so Billy Bob shrugs amiably and tells JR to call him if he changes his mind, then reminds him that the oil is worth less every day he sits on it. A few seconds later, a Mr. Holiday calls to ask JR if he needs to renew his rental on the giant oil tanks that are storing his hoarded oil, and JR snappishly tells him he'll get back to him. Jordan Lee, Vaughn Leland, and the other two JR-hating bankers drop by Wentworth Tool & Die headquarters to say hey to Cliff and inquire about whether he wants join them in their quest to screw over JR. When Vaughn reiterates to the group that his Houston bank is carrying $100 million of JR's $200 million loan, Cliff suggests that they buy up all of JR's loan notes...and when he's unable to make his payments, Jock will have no choice but to kick his eldest son out of Ewing Oil for financial malfeasance. Cliff smiles devilishly and asks the men to think about how satisfying it's going to be to tell JR that he's finished financially, and they all nod and agree that, yep, it'll be pretty darn satisfying. At lunchtime, Bobby drops by Ewing Oil to ask Phyllis to look into whether or not anyone at Ewing Oil has ever had any correspondence with a lawyer named Lowell Greer of the McCarthy & Greer law firm in California. He then cautions her to keep mum about the task 'cause he doesn't want JR to get wind of what he's digging into. Gary and Lucy return to Southfork after going out to dinner together...and when JR asks his brother if he "decided anything interesting" lately, Gary's like, "As a matter of fact I have" and says he's decided to give Lucy his Ewing Oil voting shares. As the family happily oohs and aahs at the power Lucy has suddenly acquired (putting her at the same importance level at Ewing Oil as her toddler cousin), JR contorts his face in an expression that makes it clear how less than thrilled he is by this unexpected turn of events. Martin Porter, the loan officer from the Cattlemen's National Bank, drops by Ewing Oil to tattle to JR about how Ray met with him to apply for a $3 million loan so he wouldn't have to use his wife's dough to move ahead with a real estate development. He tells JR that unless he's willing to guarantee the loan by using Ewing Oil as collateral, there's no way in hell he can lend Ray that kind of cash. JR mulls that over, instructs Martin to stall for a few days, and to keep this meeting on the down low. Over at Southern Cross, Dusty is once again watching boring old footage of himself bronc riding, and Sue Ellen stares at him concernedly before quietly slipping out of the room. Ray gets a call from Martin Porter, telling him that there's a sudden delay with the loan committee regarding his $3 million loan request, but promises to get back to him in a few days. Donna stares at Ray concernedly...and when Ray doesn't divulge to her what's clearly troubling him, she heads off to the airport to fly to New York to meet with her editor regarding the publication of her Sam Culver biography. Bobby drops in at Brooktree and learns from Dr. Conrad that she's approved a temporary release for Pam so that she can spend a couple of days at Southfork. Pam gushes about how excited she is to return to life on the oppressive ranch...and after she excuses herself, Dr. Conrad tells Bobby how important it is for Pam to feel as though she's working towards a goal. She then advises him to treat his wife as normally as possible...and, for the love of all that is holy, be truthful about how hopeless it for them to get a baby anytime soon. Ray returns to Casa Yokel and finds JR waiting for him. JR tells Ray he heard about his financial issues, and that he'd be happy to guarantee his $3 million loan in exchange for his Ewing Oil voting shares. When Ray refuses, JR warns that his San Antonio project could collapse without the loan, then points out that, in all likelihood, Jock will return from South America before a proxy vote even needs to occur. Ray chews on that for a few seconds, then grudgingly promises to think about his offer, and JR shoots him a smug grin before heading back to his car. Sue Ellen returns to Southern Cross after spending a few hours downtown...and when Dusty demands to know where she's been, she motions at her upswept helmet-head 'do and says she was at the hair salon. Dusty snorts derisively and says he knows that the stylist is "on the make" 'cause of how hungrily he's always looking at her. Sue Ellen argues that she doesn't notice other men 'cause of how devoted she is to him, but he bitterly rejoins, "I see the way they look at you. They think they'd like to go to bed with you." She insists again that she only wants him, but he reminds her about the flaccid state of his penis and figures that sooner or later she's going to look elsewhere for sex. Sue Ellen's like, "Noooo Dusty! I only want you!" - but he responds by angrily storming off. Sly buzzes JR to inform him that Cliff Barnes is here to see him, and JR grumbles, "Tell him to get lost" - but Cliff easily saunters past Sly and strides into JR's office. When JR demands to know what in blazes he's doing here, Cliff hands him a document and explains that it's a transfer of assignment of debt for $100 million...and that he and a group of JR-haters all chipped in and bought it for the purpose of foreclosing on him. Cliff smugly adds that he's got less than a week to pay, and that oil prices are continuing to drop rapidly. He giddily tells JR he can't wait for him to default on the loan, and that the first thing he plans on doing when he takes over his Ewing Oil office is get rid of all the tacky furniture. LOL. As he gaily skips off, JR stares after him worriedly. The next day, Bobby asks Phyllis if she had any luck finding out if anyone at Ewing Oil contacted Lowell Greer, and she tells him she's still working on it. A few seconds later, he gets a call from Dr. Conrad, informing him that Pam is ready to be transported to Southfork, and Bobby says he'll be at Brooktree pronto. Sue Ellen sees Dusty saddling his horse and is all, "Ack!" as she rushes over to remind him that he's not yet physically strong enough to ride. Dusty says he's determined to ride, grumbling, "I can't be a man in the bedroom; at least I can be a man in the saddle", then climbs atop his horse and gallops off while Sue Ellen continues to cry, "Noooo, Dusty!" Dr. Waring summons Mitch to his office to escort his patient's pain-in-the-ass mother, Mrs. Rogers, to the coffee shop so that he can talk to his patient alone. Mitch is like, "I have rounds...but, yeah OK, whatever" and urges Mrs. Rogers along, ignoring her attempts to flirt with him. That was kind of a random scene with no further follow-up in this episode. Bobby and Pam arrive at Southfork and are greeted by Miss Ellie, who happily informs Pam that she has a fun surprise for her...which she soon learns is a redecorated bedroom done up in what I can only describe as 'dowdy old lady dust ruffle', where the before probably looked marginally better than the after. When Miss Ellie excuses herself, Pam tells Bobby she's optimistic that they'll be happy again, then leans in for a hug and kiss. Cliff drops by Ewing Oil that evening to inform JR that he and his fellow loan note holders have agreed to give him a ten day extension at 25% interest (up from the original 12%). Yikes. When JR agrees, Cliff says there's one additional condition: handing over ownership of the Ewing 6 oil field, aka the piece of land that Jock allegedly swindled Digger out of during the 1940s. JR snarls that he has no intention of allowing a Barnes to own one foot of Ewing property, then says he'll figure out a way to pay off his ginormous loan...and Cliff just kind of shrugs and warns that oil prices aren't going to rise any time soon, and that he has only three days to make his loan payment. Ray tells JR he's declining his offer of guaranteeing his $3 million loan in exchange for handing over his Ewing Oil voting shares. JR snarls about what a stupid decision that is, so Ray bitchily points out that if he keeps his voting shares he could one day be part of the effort that throws him out of Ewing Oil for good. After he stomps off, JR calls Billy Bob McCoy and asks if they can meet asap. Phyllis tells Bobby that after much digging she found a letter addressed to Lowell Greer in JR's personal file...and Bobby asks her to make a copy of the letter, put the original back into the folder, and never speak of it again. Bobby then reads over the letter, which references a previous phone conversation between JR and Greer, along with confirmation that JR sent the law firm $25,000 to cover Kristin's expenses for a one year period. Sue Ellen is worriedly watching Dusty as he rides his horse when Clayton wanders over and remarks on how Dusty has always dreamed of being a cowboy. Sue Ellen says she can't imagine life without him, flaccid member or not, and Clayton says that, as a man, he can definitely understand why Dusty would be so emotionally wrecked about his malfunctioning penis. JR tells Billy Bob McCoy that he's finally willing to sell him his oil - but Billy Bob says he's no longer interested, not least 'cause, at the moment, no one's buying or selling oil. A shocked JR growls that he's going to remember this refusal next time he needs a favor, so Billy Bob suggests he sell his oil to Clayton Farlow, 'cause surely he'd be willing to take it off his hands - but JR refrains from telling him that he got himself into this ludicrous quagmire as a means of preventing Clayton from receiving his usual supply as punishment for not kicking Sue Ellen off his ranch. Over at the Cattlemen's Club, Ray and Martin Sherr are lamenting the unfavorable soil report that's thrown a wrench into their San Antonio project. Martin tells Ray he should come clean to Donna about the need for additional funds and/or hit up the Ewings for a cash infusion, but Ray says he doesn't like the idea of dragging anyone else into his self-inflicted mess. Bobby has another clandestine meeting with Jeff Faraday and offers him $25,000 for Kristin's baby and end the need for any more of these clandestine meetings. Jeff promises to deliver the tot to him tomorrow and warns him not to alert any law enforcement...and Bobby promises to come alone, then mutters to himself, "JR, you've got one big surprise coming." Back at Southfork, Pam and Rebecca are hanging with Miss Ellie in the kitchen, gabbling about Cliff's new CEO position. Pam expresses her wish that Cliff will finally "bury the hatchet" with JR, which...heh. JR drops by Cliff's office to sheepishly request a ten day extension for his ginormous loan. Cliff grinningly hands him a document to sign that will transfer ownership of Ewing 6 to the Barnes clan, then reminds JR that he's merely buying time for a temporary delay in repaying the $100 million loan and that he'll be thrown out of Ewing Oil if he can't pay up in full. JR signs the ownership paper and shoots Cliff an extra squinty stink-eye before exiting the office, leaving Cliff to cackle, "I can't believe it. After all these years, I finally whipped JR Ewing!" Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
Recap: At the patio breakfast table at Southfork, Miss Ellie reads the morning paper and asks JR if he's aware of the recent drop in oil prices, and he mumbles that he is and that he's crossing his fingers that it's only temporary. A few seconds later, Ray and Donna drop by and also remark on the drop in oil prices, and Donna says she thinks it could be a good thing, 'cause it means that gas will be more affordable at the pump for everyday folk. JR grumbles that it's not good for Ewing Oil, and Ray says this is going to be a giant headache for any distributors sitting on a huge pile of oil 'cause they'll patiently have to wait for the price to go up. Heh. JR stares worriedly into space for a few seconds before abruptly getting up and leaving for work, and then Donna and Miss Ellie head off to meet with a decorator, presumably the one who's assisting them with the refresh of Pam's/Bobby's bedroom. Over at Southern Cross, Clayton's foreman tells him that if the oil shutdown continues to drag on, he'll have no choice but to lay off another five hundred men. Clayton overrides that decision and instructs him to keep the men on the payroll at half salary - despite him not really being able to afford to do that. Sue Ellen, who's breakfasting outdoors, hears that last thing and tells Clayton she doesn't want to be responsible for destroying everything he's built...but he tells her he can't stand the idea of giving in to JR's blackmail, then points out that JR has created a stupid quandary for himself: he's sitting on 500 million barrels of oil, which is declining in value by the day. During a therapy session, Pam tells Dr. Conrad that lately she's been so fixated on Rebecca's abandonment of her 'cause most women don't just up and leave their small children. Dr. Conrad [rather dickishly, IMO] points out that the same thing happened to Cliff and he seems to be coping fine - but Pam points out that, in fact, her brother's coping mechanism was to feel bitterness about their mother leaving them, and never wanting to talk about it. She then complains about how she was never able to have a relationship with her mother and, in turn, won't have one with her non-existent biological children, which is why she felt so empty the day she ended up on the roof of a tall building. Dr. Conrad points out that she can always adopt a baby and that it's simply a matter of time before the adoption agencies are able to produce an available tot, but Pam gets a crazed look in her eyes as she starts railing about how she's unable to stand the pain of waiting any length of time, not least 'cause she neeeeeeeds to prove to herself that if she had a baby:
A concerned looking Dr. Conrad's all, "Okaaaay" and asks her if having a child would make her internal pain go away, and Pam stares back at her with a spacey expression while mumbling, "I dunno." JR arrives at Ewing Oil and finds Vaughn Leland waiting for him in his office, cackling to himself as he reads the newspaper article about the drop in oil prices. JR pretends to be unconcerned about the rapid devaluation of the insane amount of oil he's currently hoarding and assures Vaughn that the price will soon rise...and Vaughn's like, "Uh when?" and reminds him that his first loan payment is due in a few days and that he's lost about $5 million overnight. JR breezily says he's not worried, on account of he's always able to come out on top whenever he's faced with any hardship and is confident that he'll do so in this situation...then tells Leland that he and his fellow banker friends just need to chillax. Over at Casa Yokel, Donna is wrapping up a meeting with her new editor, Edward Chapmen, when Ray returns home. Donna introduces him to Edward and explains that he's agreed to publish the biography she just penned about her late rich husband, Sam Culver. Edward gushes about Donna's "stunning insight into politics" and tells Ray he should be proud of his wife, who's about to become a bestselling author ['cause...sure, a biography about a non-living, obscure Texas politician sounds like a total page-turner for the masses]. As Donna walks Edward to his car, Ray gets a call from Neal Hart, who tells him they need to get together pronto to discuss a problem that has arisen following the soil test from his San Antonio property. Uh oh. Ray suggests they meet at The Cattlemen's Club tomorrow for lunch. Bobby meets up with Jeff Farraday to give him $2,000 in exchange for copies of the monthly checks Kristin received from a California law firm. Bobby asks who set up the trust fund from which the checks were issued, and Jeff is all, "Dunno" and says it's not his problem if this is a dead end 'cause he really just wants to wrap up this I have custody of Kristin's baby storyline and get the hell outa Dallas. JR drops by the Stardrift Lounge to inform Afton that he arranged with Milton to give her the weekend off so that she's free to sexily frolic in the Bahamas with Vaughn Leland and "keep him happy". Afton's all, "Eww.." and says she's done all she's going to where that fossil is concerned, not least 'cause she's pretty sure JR is full of shit about his ability to get her a recording contract. JR snarls at her to do what he's ordering her to do, then grabs her by the arm - just as Mitch enters the restaurant, sees that his sister is being manhandled, and rushes over to punch JR in the face. An enraged JR glares at Afton and tells her she's finished, growling, "There's a million tramps like you around. I'm just going to have to find myself another one." After he storms out, Afton thanks Mitch for stepping up like a good big brother should...then decides that since Milton is no doubt going to fire her as the Stardrift Lounge's superfluous nighttime entertainer, they should go out and enjoy a nice dinner. She then stares contemplatively into space and says she's come to the realization that she's been going about her quest for wealth the wrong way. Vaughn Leland drops by Ewing Oil and is introduced by JR to Afton's replacement: a sultry brunette named Heather Wilson. JR tells Vaughn that Heather works for the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce (a dubious claim, I can only assume) ... and that since the Chamber is always trying to drum up tourism, she'd love to invite him to the islands for an all-expense paid vacation. Vaughn looks intrigued by the prospect, then asks Heather if she could step outside for a minute so he can make it clear to JR that, regardless of him pimping out a sexy new woman with whom he can indulge in a Bahamian sex romp, he still expects the loan payment in ten days. JR assures him it won't be a problem, and Vaughn smilingly exits his office as he promises to send him a postcard. Over at the Cattlemen's Club, Neal Hart informs Ray that the San Antonio land he purchased can't support residential construction unless every unit they build is reinforced with piles, which is going to increase the project's cost 50% more than was originally budgeted. Ray scrunches his dumb face concernedly and says he doesn't have the dough for that, then asks Neal to hold off doing anything for at least a couple of days while he flounders around cluelessly and decides his next move. Neal agrees, then tells the dimwit that soil testing is typically done prior to purchasing land, and Ray sheepishly explains the colossal clusterfuck by mumbling, "Fools rushing in." Bobby stares at the copies of the checks Kristin received monthly, then tries (in vain) to contact the California lawyer who set up the the mysterious trust fund. Lucy returns to Southfork - just as Miss Ellie is bicycling back to the house after checking the mailbox. She opens a large envelop from Jock, quickly reads over at the papers inside, and exclaims, "Oh my Lord!" During pre-dinner drinks at Southfork that evening, Miss Ellie announces to the family that Jock wanted her to inform them all of some major changes he's decided to implement at Ewing Oil. He writes that while he trusts JR (sorta), he's become dismayed that "at times he takes a somewhat headstrong approach to business", adding that he thought the same of Bobby when he was briefly at the helm. Therefore, to avoid JR treating the oil company like his own private treasury and fiefdom, he's divvying up voting shares (for all major decisions) to be allocated in the following manner:
Incidentally, I find it noteworthy that a male Ewing toddler gets 10 shares, while his fully grown female cousin, Lucy, gets zip. A shell-shocked JR pretends to be unfazed by the new checks and balances to which he's going to have to adhere, and raises his glass while toasting, "Here's to daddy for looking out for the welfare of Ewing Oil." The next morning at breakfast, Miss Ellie tells Donna she's not sure that Jock did the right thing by giving her the most voting shares and opening the door to what will likely become an annoying rivalry among his sons. She then wrings her hands about 1) how pressure-averse Gary is going to react to now having a say about what goes on at Ewing Oil, and 2) how JR is going to react to giving up the fiscal autonomy he's been enjoying for a really long time. Donna suggests they forget about these problems for now and focus on redecorating Pam's/Bobby's bedroom, and Miss Ellie agrees - but only after she gives Gary a call. The Ewing Oil accountant shows JR the company books and assures him that everything looks on the up and up - except for the teensy effect the drop in oil prices might have on their bottom line. JR says he anticipates that oil prices will rise very soon, then urges the accountant to take some extended vacation time, starting Monday, [so that he's incommunicado when the imminent shitstorm over his oil hoarding scheme comes to light]. JR then buzzes Sly to instruct her to bring him some cartons, 'cause he's got some stuff he wants to put in storage. Over in Knot's Landing, Valene is eavesdropping on Gary's call with Miss Ellie and looking less than thrilled about him being dragged into the latest Ewing Oil drama. Gary tells her he feels the need to head back to Southfork to ease Miss Ellie's mind about the voting shares situation..and when Valene worriedly points out that being around his shitty family usually makes him want to head to the nearest bar and guzzle as much booze as humanly possible, he assures her that this time everything is going to turn out A-OK. Afton drops by Cliff's office to marvel at his important new CEO job and offer to help him stick it to JR with the aid of some tasty intel she'd like to share. Cliff grins at the prospect, and the two agree to go out and chat about it over a drink. While holding hands and strolling through a park, Pam tells Bobby she'd really really like to return to Southfork and resume her job at The Store, then meekly admits that Dr. Conrad has made it clear she feels that that'd be rushing things. She asks Bobby if he's heard back from any of the adoption agencies, and he vaguely replies that he keeps in regular touch with them, but hasn't yet heard anything definitive about a baby. Pam happily says she's been pondering various baby names and likes Bobby, Jr. and Rebecca...and Bobby stares back at her lovingly as the two exchange I love yous. Ray attempts to get a $3 million loan to finance his San Antonio project from the Cattlemen's National Bank ('cause he doesn't want to use his wife's dough), and the loan officer, Martin Porter, expresses doubt that it'd be approved without collateral - but tells him that the loan committee will pretend to go through the motions of reviewing his request and render a decision in a few days. Afton tells Cliff that JR has borrowed a total of $200 million ($100 million from Vaughn Leland) to hoard millions of barrels of oil, the value of which is dropping by the day. She adds that she refused to prostitute herself with Leland, who - after throwing back a few drinks one night - let it slip that he hates JR with the intensity of a thousand suns and hopes to hell that he defaults on his ginormous loan. Cliff asks her what any of this has to do with him, so she tells him how desperately she wants revenge for JR's shabby treatment of her and figured that since he's a powerful CEO he's now in a position to join forces with her and take advantage of the idiotic predicament JR has put himself into. Cliff says he likes the sound of that, then orders champagne, with which Afton toasts, "Good endings to bad beginnings." Back at Southern Cross, Dusty and Sue Ellen are watching more boring old footage of him bronc riding when JR calls to tell Dusty he'd like to meet in person. Dusty mulls that over and agrees to come to Dallas (while not letting on to Sue Ellen that he's talking to her husband) and JR buzzes Sly to tell her to free up his schedule by cancelling tomorrow's appointments. At Casa Yokel, Ray is on the phone, admonishing Walter Sherr for selling him a plot of land that's not fit for construction. Walter says he had no idea that the soil test would turn out so disastrously and condescendingly reminds Ray that he should have tested it prior to purchasing the land. A few seconds later, Donna rushes over to excitedly show Ray her $50,000 advance check for her upcoming Sam Culver biography, and Ray half-heartedly says he's very proud of her, though can't help but feel wistful about his failures. Donna asks him if he'd like to take her out to celebrate her windfall, but he says he's not feeling up to it and needs to run an errand...and as he dejectedly lumbers off, Donna stares after him concernedly. Bobby tells his Senate aides that he's decided to not run for reelection 'cause he has too many family issues that make it impossible to focus his attention on a sub-plot that the Dallas writers leaped into but now no longer have any clue what to do with. He apologizes for letting them down and shakes their hands as they file out of his office. Vaughn Leland arrives at Afton's apartment and says he was surprised to hear from her...and she makes it clear that this is strictly a business meeting, then summons Cliff, who emerges from the other room. When Vaughn's all, "The hell?", Cliff says that since they share a common enemy in JR they should consider doing business together, then cheerily proposes, "How about Pin the Tail on the Ewing?" JR arrives at the city's football stadium as Dusty helicopters in for their tête-à-tête. JR tells Dusty that when he got wind of his limp penis during the custody hearing, he couldn't help but wonder how long Sue Ellen would remain committed to a sexless relationship, given that she's "a lady of tempestuous moods" who finds it a challenge to stay out of hot guys' beds. Dusty advances on him, slaps him across the face, and tells him he's disgusting - but an unfazed JR insists that he speaks the truth and suggests that Sue Ellen is probably so hard up for sex these days that she's been sneaking into Clayton's bedroom in order to ride his baloney pony. Ew. As a visibly revolted Dusty whirls around and storms back to his chopper, JR bellows, "There's only one person who's man enough to keep that lady happy and on Southern Cross...and that sure as hell ain't you!", a bogus taunt that appears to crawl deep beneath Dusty's skin. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
Recap: Afton is rehearsing in the Stardrift Lounge when JR enters the restaurant and interrupts her to bark about how annoyed he is with her for not behaving in more flirty a manner with Vaughn Leland. Afton pretends as though she had no idea she was supposed to be hitting the sheets with a man she complains makes her skin crawl. A vexed JR asks her if she's willing to give up a lucrative recording contract for the sake of her personal dignity, and Afton mulls that over for a few seconds and decides 'mmm...nope' and promises to do a better job of warming up to the aged banker. Bobby drops by Jordan Lee's office to confront him about all the checks he's been sending to Kristin...and when he weakly claims it was a loan, Bobby dramatically holds up the print copy of Christopher Shepard's birth certificate and demands the truth. Jordan sheepishly tells him that an extortionist named Jeff Farraday is blackmailing him, then insists that since Kristin was doinking a bunch of different men months before she gave birth, it's questionable whether or not he's the father. He further explains that he paid Kristin a monthly sum for her silence, 'cause if his wife found out he'd been cheating on her, she'd open a can of whoop-ass on him he'd not soon forget. Bobby reminds him that since Kristin is now dead, her baby daddy has a responsibility to care for the hapless infant...and Jordan wearily says he needs some time to think over the messy situation of his own making, and will call him once he's figured everything out. Over at Southern Cross, Sue Ellen tells Dusty she's abstaining from horseback riding 'cause she knows how painful it is for him to no longer be able to ride, and Dusty's all, "Noooo! I feel like I'm crippling you too if you don't ride." Clayton summons them to breakfast - just as some guy named Joe from the Galveston refinery pulls up to report that, due to the sudden stoppage of their crude oil deliveries, he's going to have to start laying people off. Clayton furrows his brows and says that he's determined to get to the bottom of this suspiciously timed conundrum. JR is on the phone with Mr. Williamson, aka the distributor who has agreed to divert Clayton's oil supply to him. Mr. Williamson says he's taking an abrupt vacation 'cause he's too much of a scaredy-cat to face Clayton's wrath when he gets wind of how hard he just screwed him over. JR hangs up and muses to himself that Clayton will get his oil when he returns his son to Southfork. Ray and Donna meet with Walter Sherr at the Cattlemen's Club to formally move forward with the San Antonio housing development. Ray remarks on how this is the first time he'll be wheelin' and dealin' without the aid of Jock or Punk Anderson, and Walter assures him that the land in question is a prime piece of real estate and that everything is going to turn out super fantastic. Cliff and Rebecca drop in at Brooktree to visit Pam, who now says she was acting foolishly when she threatened to leap off the roof of a tall building. [Which is a ridiculously giant understatement, but OK.] She says that Dr. Conrad has been peppering her with questions about her childhood, then asks Rebecca if she seemed like a happy baby. Rebecca says she was, then reminisces about the day she took her first steps. Pam beams at her recollection and asks how old she was when she first started talking, and Rebecca turns silent 'cause by then she had already abandoned her family. Pam's expression instantly morphs from happy to blank as she abruptly declares that she's tired and wants to head back to her room to rest. Lucy meets up with Mitch in downtown Dallas and tells him in a few hours she's off to Houston to do some publicity work for the Miss Young Dallas campaign. Mitch, in turn, shares his good news that he's decided to specialize in plastic surgery and, to that end, has been accepted as an intern at Frank Waring's hospital. He says that this means he'll be staying in Dallas for the foreseeable future, and Lucy woots and happily hugs him before rushing off to get ready for her trip. A visibly annoyed Clayton informs Dusty and Sue Ellen that his supply of crude oil has been diverted and bought up by someone who's dickishly trying to shut down his operation. He cryptically says he has his suspicions and vows that there's going to be hell to pay when he confirms the identity of the scoundrel, which Sue Ellen seems to correctly assume is her soon-to-be ex-husband. Clayton is on the phone with the uber-boss of Texas's oil distribution, demanding to know why he hasn't received his shipment. The man studies the distribution list and is all, "Hmm...that's weird" when he sees that Clayton's name has been crossed off. When Clayton learns that his usual distributor, Mr. Williamson, is currently on vacation, he snarls that he's done ever doing business with that man...and after he slams the phone down, he tells Dusty that their dwindling oil supply is likely going to trigger a shutdown of their operation. Dusty's all, "Bummer", then tells him that Sue Ellen went into town a few hours ago. Sue Ellen storms into JR's office, and he reacts by mockingly asking, "Getting a little tired of the celibate life, are you?" She ignores that jab at Dusty's penile deficiencies and demands to know whaddup with him buying up Clayton's oil supply. JR shoots back that it's none of her business - but that if she sends John Ross back to Southfork, Clayton's oil problems will magically disappear. Sue Ellen seethes, "Never" and tells him she's going to win the divorce settlement, and JR rejoins, "What I want I get...eventually", and while she's storming out of his office, he chuckles about her "long, lonely nights on Southern Cross" ... and says this as though he had been regularly pleasuring her in their Southfork bedroom the entire time she was his obedient trophy wife. Lucy tells Miss Ellie that she saw Mitch yesterday and learned that he's going to be staying in Dallas while he trains to become a wealthy plastic surgeon. Miss Ellie cautions her that Mitch may have made the decision to change his specialty to plastic surgery in an effort to keep pace with her expectations...and that one day he might resent her for changing his ideals. Lucy just kind of shrugs at that prediction and says she hopes that Mitch's new career means they can get back together, then rushes off when her airport shuttle pulls into the driveway. Clayton is working the phones in an attempt to get to the bottom of his oil delivery quagmire and how he might avoid a mass layoff. Senator Dickson drops in on Bobby to admonish him for taking too much time off to tend to Pam's mental health issues and, in turn, abdicating his responsibility to show up in Austin once in awhile to vote on the floor. He bitterly recalls that he was almost defeated in getting some project in his district passed, then warns Bobby that one day he might need a senatorial favor...and when that day comes, he can go pee up a rope if he expects his support. After he storms out, Jordan Lee stops by to hand Bobby a doctor's report verifying his blood type...which apparently precludes him from being the father of Kristin's spawn. Bobby's all, "Wha-a-a?" and stares at the medical report in stunned bewilderment. Sue Ellen returns to Southern Cross and tells Dusty and Clayton that earlier today she stormed over to JR's office 'cause she suspected him of being the scoundrel who shut off their crude oil supply...and that he confirmed that, yep, he did it for the purpose of getting John Ross back onto Southfork. Clayton wonders aloud where JR is storing all of that oil, 'cause the rental units have gotta be costing him a fortune. Sue Ellen tells him that JR will go to any lengths for revenge, then says she should prolly cave and return their son to the Ewing estate post-haste. When Dusty and Clayton protest that decision, she tells them she can't stay and ruin their lives in the process, then tearily whimpers, "Pleeeeeease let me go away." Afton is performing at the Stardrift Lounge when she notices Cliff arrive with a date. She wraps up her song and takes a break to sashay over to the bar to say hey to Cliff, and to remind him that he's a nice guy without a future. Cliff informs her that something monumental has changed in his life, and that it has everything to do with Wentworth Tool & Die - in case she's interested in looking into that on her own - then urges her to scuttle off when his date returns from the ladies room. Ray and Donna arrive at the Southfork breakfast buffet, where JR is chowing down and reading the newspaper. He remarks on how relieved he is that the price of oil seems to be holding steady - just as Miss Ellie wanders over and says she was just on the phone with Jock, but that the connection was so terrible he told her he'd try to call again tonight. Donna tells the two that she and Ray are jetting to San Antonio later to check out some land she and Ray have invested in to build a development of townhouses...and JR snidely tells her her late husband would be spinning in his grave if he knew that a cowboy simpleton was sweet talking her out of his hard earned cash. Donna shoots him the stink-eye before shoving him (fully clothed) into the swimming pool, a move that causes Miss Ellie (and me) to laugh out loud, along with JR as he calls after her, "Donna, don't go away mad!" [I must interject here to emphasize that Larry Hagman is the absolute best thing about re-watching Dallas.] Bobby meets up with Jeff Farraday to inform him that Jordan Lee has been medically ruled out as the bio dad of Kristin's spawn, then suggests that he hand the baby over to a known living relative, e.g. Sue Ellen. Jeff argues that the baby is his "ace in the hole" and insists that he's doing nothing wrong with holding onto him 'cause Kristin personally asked him to take care of him. Bobby scrunches his face perplexedly and says that someone else had to have been giving Kristin money during her maternity grift, and Jeff says that the only other source of money he knew of was a trust fund, with a law firm facilitating her monthly stipend. Bobby perks up at that tidbit and says he'd like to see copies of those checks, and Jeff agrees to produce them in a couple of hours and adds that that documentation is going to cost him another $2,000. Pam tells Dr. Conrad about her visit with Cliff and Rebecca, then blanks out when she says that Rebecca wasn't able to recall when she started talking 'cause by that point she had abandoned her family. Dr. Conrad stares concernedly at her, then summons a nurse to escort Pam back to her room. She then gets on the phone with Bobby and says they need to talk about his wife asap, and he looks alarmed and says he'll be right there. Clayton returns to Southern Cross looking visibly unhappy about not being able to resolve his crude oil supply problems. Over at Ewing Oil, JR instructs Sly to issue all of the necessary checks for the many storage units it's going to take to hold Clayton's oil supply. He then asks her to get Clayton on the phone for him...and during a brief conversation, the two men agree to meet tomorrow morning. Dr. Conrad tells Bobby that she's worried Pam is heading towards a full-blown psychotic depression. She asks about her early life, so Bobby tells her that after her mother disappeared she was raised by Digger and her Aunt Maggie...and that Rebecca only recently resurfaced after Pam hired an investigator to locate her. Dr. Conrad wonders aloud why she'd want to search for her mother after all these years, so Bobby explains that Pam had recently learned that Digger wasn't her biological father...which effectively means that she's an extra suffering orphan 'cause she's lost her mother and both fathers. Dr. Conrad chews on that intel for a few seconds and says that knowing this is going to be very helpful in how she treats Pam during their therapy sessions, and adds that she can only assume that Pam's desperate need to love and care for a child is a way to somehow retroactively make things right for Baby Pam. Seems plausible. Jeff Farraday tries to contact Bobby at his office, but his secretary tells him he abruptly left to tend to a family emergency. Ray and Donna are in San Antonio, looking at the plot of land they just purchased from Walter Sherr. A few seconds later, architect Neal Hart arrives, gets introduced to Walter, and asks Ray if he's had the soil tested to ensure that the land is actually suitable for construction. Ray stares back at him dumbly and says he didn't know enough to do that before making such a huge purchase, and Neal's like, "No big deal" and says he'll bring in his engineer to take care of it. Ray and Donna amble off with Walter while Neil glances around at the acres of undeveloped land, grabs a handful of soil [that I can only guess isn't going to turn out to be the right kind], and stares at it contemplatively. That evening at Southfork, JR assures Jock over the phone that everything's going swimmingly with Operation Hoard Texas's Oil Supply 'cause he can only assume that Clayton won't want to just stand by while his refineries are shut down. He says after Clayton caves to his demands, he'll repay the $200 million he took out in loans...and promises his daddy that when he returns to Southfork, John Ross will be here and that the Ewings will once again be a big happy family. The next morning at breakfast, Bobby laments to Miss Ellie about how much he misses Pam, and that her doctor warned him that right now she's in a critical phase and might possibly not get any better. He's pretty sure that a baby will pull her out of her depression - but he's powerless to do anything to help 'cause he's been to every adoption agency in town, without having any luck, and has even considered adopting illegally. Miss Ellie asks him if Pam is even well enough to care for a baby - uh, right?? - and Bobby vaguely insists that she's great around children, her mental health problems notwithstanding. Miss Ellie coos at him to chillax and give Dr. Conrad a chance to work her magic, given that Pam has only been in therapy for less than a week. Clayton arrives at his meeting with JR and angrily greets him by calling him a snake and asking how much he wants for his crude oil supply. JR says the price is returning Sue Ellen and John Ross to Southfork, so Clayton reminds him that Sue Ellen hates him with the intensity of a thousand suns and therefore doesn't ever want to return to her marital home. JR points out, "She can't make it on her own. Every time she runs away, it's to another man" - which...true enough - but Clayton declines his ultimatum 'cause of how much he respects Sue Ellen and how strongly he feels that a young lad like John Ross belongs with his mother. JR shoots him the stink-eye and growls, "I'll break you" and Clayton points out that he's the one who's going broke, then explains that he's been keeping track of the price of oil and has found that it's starting to drop. He smugly tells JR that the bankers who must have loaned him an insane amount of money to hoard the Texas oil supply aren't going to be patient forever, and that there may not even be a Ewing Oil by the time Jock returns from South America...and JR responds to that prediction by staring back at him with his face scrunched concernedly. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"! |
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