Recap: JR is sitting alone on the Southfork patio, sipping scotch, when Sue Ellen returns home shortly before midnight. He demands to know where she's been for hours on end and snarks about how she hasn't been at home a single evening this week. Sue Ellen points out the hypocrisy of his established history of staying out all night for "business reasons", then fibs about being at a committee meeting all evening. JR tells her he got a phone call from a committee member earlier, asking him why she pulled a no show at tonight's meeting...and she doesn't bother hiding her gleeful indifference at being caught in such a brazen lie, and sashays inside the house. Pam and Bobby are in bed, reading. After a few seconds, Pam puts her book away, shuts off the lamp on her nightstand, and coldly says good night...leaving Bobby staring despondently into space. Ray and Donna are playing backgammon in her apartment...and when they finish the game, Ray says he needs to get some shut-eye 'cause he has to get up early and do ranch stuff at Southfork. He gives her a smooch and coos, "I love you" ... and she avoids reciprocating and says she hates the thought of people thinking she's "a merry widow" for hooking up with a strapping, youngish yokel so soon after her elderly husband's death. Ray assures her he's A-OK with keeping their budding romance on the down low and gives her another smooch. Miss Ellie is hosting a woman's committee meeting at Southfork, where a guest speaker - city developer Matt Devlin - is enthusiastically gabbling about his prospective plans to build housing for the poor in lieu of funding the Mimosa Park Project. Miss Ellie argues that a city park would serve all people - not just poor people who she doesn't believe are in need of low income housing...which seems like an easy pronouncement for a rich matriarch who lives on a sprawling ranch to be making. Pam is hard at work at The Store when her boss, Harrison Page, enters her office. He applauds the savvy way she handled herself at this morning's meeting, then lays it on thick about her superb style and good sense of judgement. He informs her he's sending her to Paris this episode to meet with fancy French designers, and she's all, "Wuh?" and says she's very surprised by the sudden request. Harrison's like, "Why? You knew that travel would be part of the job" ... and when he asks if she's in any way reluctant about traveling the globe for the good of The Store, she flashes him a fake smile, says, "Nope", and gushes about how wonderful Paris is. Harrison nods approvingly and says, "Good girl" and exits her office. Pam stares unhappily into space - not only 'cause she's a grown woman who was just called girl by her shithead boss, but more 'cause she correctly assumes that Bobby is going to be a total dickwad about her jetting off to Europe on business.
Sue Ellen arrives at Dusty's hideaway and tells him that JR was waiting up for her last night and demanded to know with whom she's been spending all of her time. She says she never expected much out of marriage - until she saw how lovely dovey Pam and Bobby are towards each other (up until Pam had the nerve to become an independent career woman, that is). She decided she wanted to have that for herself, which explains why she hooked up with Cliff..and Dusty shakes off that blechy visual and is all, "Whatever. The only thing that matters is our love for each other." That said, he tells her he has zero interest in continuing to commute from San Angelo for their booty calls, and eventually wants her to divorce her damn husband and move in with him. Ray and Donna enter the Lornhorn Bar, and two of Ray's yokel friends amble over to their table and are all, "Long time no see!" Ray invites them to sit down and stay awhile so he can get caught up on the latest yokel gossip...and Donna stares into space and looks visibly bored. Bobby - no surprise - is irritated by Pam's business travel and says he doesn't like the idea of putting distance between them at a time when their marriage is on shaky ground. He orders her to cancel the trip, and she tells him to go pee up a rope [sorry, that was me, projecting] and continues packing...and he angrily storms out of the bedroom like the self-centered misogynist little bitch he is. Donna reminds Ray that her stepson Dave Culver and his wife are coming over for dinner tomorrow night, and Ray makes a blech face and says he's passing on that grisly sounding evening. Donna reminds him that she spent an entire evening at the Longhorn listening to him gabble with his yokel buddies and says it'd mean a lot to her if he comes to dinner. He mulls that over and reluctantly agrees to make an appearance. At breakfast, Miss Ellie rails at Bobby and Jock about stupid Matt Devlin and his determination to go ahead with his housing project instead of funding the city park she favors...then gets annoyed with Jock when he says he likes the idea of building more low income housing. Pam, meanwhile, asks Bobby to drive her to the airport this afternoon and see her off to Paris, and he glares irritably into space before reluctantly agreeing. Sue Ellen is in the nursery to offer some brief mothering to Baby John in the form of giving him teething medicine. While driving around Southfork, Ray tells Bobby he's dreading having to make small talk with Dave Culver and his wife at tonight's dinner. Bobby says that Dave seems like a pretty nice guy, and Ray glumly says he hopes the evening isn't a total bore. Kristin sashays into JR's office and asks him why he's been so ill-tempered lately, and he snappishly tells her to get back to her typewriter and finish the report he asked her to do. At the airport, Pam tells Bobby she hates leaving while there's all this tension between them, and Bobby unhelpfully retorts, "Then don't go" - just as Harrison Page appears and smugly promises Bobby he'll take care of his "charming bride". Bobby's like, "Whatever dude" ... and on his way out runs into his old squeeze Jenna Wade, who tells him she just put her daughter Charlie on a plane to Rome. Bobby perks up and gushes about how terrific she looks, then gives her a full on lip kiss (!) - just as Pam just happens to turn around to give him a goodbye wave. Harrison asks her who the blonde hottie Bobby's playing kissy face with is, and Pam breezily says that Jenna is an old friend...then shoots an oblivious Bobby the stink-eye before boarding the plane.
Over drinks at a bar, Jenna tells Bobby she recently moved back to Dallas and just sent her daughter to Rome for a month. She thanks him for the helping hand he apparently gave her in snagging a plum job as a fashion editor, then invites him over to her place for dinner tonight. Bobby visibly lights up and says he'd loooooove to. Over dinner, Donna and Dave Culver passionately debate boring political shit...and after some tedious back and forth, Dave's wife rolls her eyes and tells the two to give it rest already. When Dave and Donna head over to the kitchen, the wife confides to Ray that she loooooves Donna, but can't stand politics. Dave, meanwhile, tells Donna that he finds Ray too quiet and dimwitted to ever be a suitable significant other - but Donna insists that he's strong, kind, and the best man she's ever known (except, of course, for her saintly late husband). JR returns with Kristin to her condo to retrieve some work papers, then says he's heading home for the night. When Kristin snarkishly asks if he's focusing on Sue Ellen these days, he sighs wearily and says he's too busy to spar with her, and that he doesn't find jealousy particularly attractive. Kristin sassily asks if finding a second lover would succeed in making him jealous, and he shrugs disinterestedly and says, "It might be worth a try" - bwahahaha!! - before beating a hasty retreat.
Sue Ellen and Dusty wrap up another romantic evening, and the two agree to get together and do it all over again tomorrow night. Jenna and Bobby gigglingly reminisce about the old days. She thanks him for coming over for dinner, and he gives her another full on lip kiss and asks her if she's busy tomorrow. When she says no, he suggests they go picnicking together...and she happily accepts. Donna chides Ray for not engaging in conversation enough with Dave and his wife during last night's dinner, and he says it was hard to get a word in edgewise when she and Dave were nattering ad nauseum about politics. Donna points out that he could have changed the subject, so Ray wryly reminds her he's a dullard who has no interests other than doinking her and being chief ranch hand at Southfork. When he scrunches his face in frustration and says he's leaving now, she begs him not to go away angry and is certain that if they put their heads together long enough, they're bound to stumble across something interesting to talk about. Bobby returns to Southfork at the same time as Sue Ellen, and she gushes about what a fantastic evening she had...and cheekily adds that it was mostly 'cause she didn't have to sit through yet another unbearable Ewing family dinner. Heh. She heads straight upstairs to the nursery, where an unhappy looking JR is hovering over Baby John's crib. He chides his wife for neglecting their child, doesn't buy her ridiculous fib about going to a movie by herself, then growls, "How much of this do you think I'm going to take?" Sue Ellen sassily retorts, "As much as I care to give you" and tells him he no longer has the power to intimidate and/or bribe her into doing what he wants. During breakfast the next morning, JR perks up when he hears that Bobby is off picnicking with Jenna and cackles about what a studly playboy his brother was before marrying Pam. That's kind of hard to envision, but OK. Sue Ellen announces that she's off to begin her day, and JR leaps out of his chair and insists on spending the entire day with her, and escort her to this evening's Daughters of the Alamo health care rally. Sue Ellen frowns unhappily as she contemplates what this means for her planned evening with Dusty and fake breezily says, "Suit yourself." Sue Ellen calls Dusty to cancel tonight's booty call and suggests they get together tomorrow night instead - but he declines and tells her he's driving back to San Angelo in a few hours. After the call, JR - who's been gleefully eavesdropping from the doorway - grins knowingly at Sue Ellen and chirps, "Ready sugar?" While picnicking, Jenna tells Bobby that she spends her days at work, taking care of Charlie, and socializing with friends. She adds that she's had a lot of time to think about what she wants out of life...and has concluded that she wants what he and Pam have: a solid marriage. When Bobby's expression turns sour, Jenna asks whassup with that reaction...and he's like, "Nuthin'" and reminds her that is the same picnic site they used to sneak off to and smooch. He leans in and gives her a peck on the lips, and then the two stare longingly at each other. At the Daughters of the Alamo health care rally, Donna mingles easily with the wealthy A-listers while Ray stands at the far end of the room in an ill-fitting suit, looking painfully fish-out-of-water. JR remarks on how great Donna is at working the room...and that she's far too attractive, wealthy, and politically savvy to be satisfied by a life in his rural shithole. As he ambles off with a self-satisfied smirk, Ray stares despondently into space. Later that evening, Ray tells Donna that despite his love for her, he thinks it's best if they call it quits. He explains that he finds events like the rally she just dragged him to unbearable and can't see himself hanging around the fringes being "Mr. Donna Culver". Donna's all, "Wuh?", recalls seeing him talking to JR earlier, and asks if he's the one putting these ideas in his head...and Ray admits, yep, that JR did point out the obvious. Donna begs him not to listen to what she calls JR's lies, and insists that they can work this out - but Ray sadly shakes his head, says, "I love you", and dejectedly shuffles out of the apartment.
After the picnic, Jenna thanks Bobby for a fun day and says it was just like old times. Bobby gives her a smooch and says there's no reason for him to head back to Southfork tonight - but Jenna's like, "Whoa dude" and makes it clear that she wants more from him than a one night stand. Bobby stares back at her blankly, struggling to contort his normally wooden face into a conflicted expression. Jerk. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
1 Comment
Amina
4/4/2020 01:12:04 pm
Oh Bobby Bobby Bobby...🙄 Leave a Reply. |
Dallas homepageRecapper: Isabel K. French
Your contributions help keep the site ad-free
|
