Recap: After returning to Southfork following JR's failed attempt to abduct John Ross from the Southern Cross ranch, a furious Miss Ellie rails at her eldest son for using her love for her grandson to try to manipulate her into doing something illegal, then admonishes him for frequently using people to achieve his aims. JR responds by whining about how desperate he is to extract his son from Southern Cross, where his mother is living in sin with a cowboy who can hardly walk, and return him to his rightful home...and when Miss Ellie asks why Sue Ellen would prefer a crippled cowboy to him, he just kind of shrugs and breezily assumes it's 'cause she's crazy. Miss Ellie tells him she doesn't approve of John Ross living at Southfork without his mother 'cause she's correctly assuming that JR would fob off the day-to-day parenting of the child to a nanny and/or other family members. JR's like, "Well d'yuh" and then comes right out and says he figured that she and Jock could step up and raise him, much like they raised Lucy...and says this as though their horrible parenting skills didn't turn the obnoxious imp into an over-indulged monster. Miss Ellie nixes the idea of raising a second grandchild, then shoots JR a long stink-eye and says, "I saw a part of you I didn't like very much today", makes clear that she has zero tolerance for his underhanded shit, and declares that she's going to take it upon herself to keep him in line as long as Jock is out of town [which, unbeknownst to her, is now a sad, permanent reality]. Lawyer friend Jack tells Bobby that an adoption is out of the question right now, and Bobby earnestly argues that he's been to every adoption agency in Dallas and is running out of hope for a legal adoption. Jack looks alarmed and warns him to not even think about buying a baby on the black market, not least 'cause the Ewing family is too public a clan to ever be able to hide something as salient as a newly acquired child. He urges Bobby to suck it up and go through the standard waiting period like everyone else, but Bobby's like, "Nooo! I can't wait!" before exiting the office. Over at the Southern Cross ranch, Sue Ellen's lawyer, Arthur Elrod, is discussing with her and Dusty the upcoming custody hearing, which is likely to be put on the court calendar before the end credits roll. After the consultation, Arthur privately tells Sue Ellen that if there's anything particularly sordid in her past that could be used against her in court, he should prolly know about it, and that she can disclose it to him during a private tête-à-tête sometime when Dusty and Clayton aren't around. Bobby arrives at The Store to pick up Pam after work...and when he sees that she's not in her office, Jackie tells him she went up to the third floor (where all the baby stuff is). A few seconds later, Bobby finds Pam staring catatonically at a wind-up toy and spacily muttering about how the new cribs have arrived at The Store...and he's like 'oh fer fuuuuuuuck's sake' [sorry, that was me, projecting] and tells her it's time to go home now. Arthur Elrod arrives at the courthouse to schedule a court date with with JR's lawyer, Howard Barker, and is surprised to see that JR has accompanied him on this boring errand. JR manages to say with a straight face that he tagged along 'cause he wanted to see exactly how the wheels of justice turn, then visibly perks up when he learns that Judge Bill Packer has been selected to preside over his custody case. Howard warns JR that, as an officer of the court, he wouldn't look too kindly on him doing anything to influence Judge Packer, but JR just chuckles and assures him that Packer is far too honest a man to be swayed into demonstrating any kind of bias. Cliff admires his fancy new office at Wentworth Tool & Dye headquarters and tells a beaming Rebecca that suddenly being appointed CEO is going to take some getting used to. He then sits at his large desk and fiddles with the phone, which results in him accidentally buzzing his secretary, Marie. Rebecca tells Cliff she's going leave him to his work and heads out...and a few seconds later, Cliff summons Marie, for real this time, and asks her to help schedule a meeting with the company's comptroller, Mr. Forest, so that they can comb through the company's books and see whassup with the finances. Downtown, Punk Anderson hands Ray two checks: one for the original $3 million he borrowed from Donna to invest in the Lubbock housing project, and another for his first payout of $100,000. After Punk and Pat Powers amble off, Ray hands Donna the $3 million check with a thanks for the loan, then says he's going to use his 100K payout to open what he calls "a development account". When Donna wearily asks what that is, he happily says it'll be "ready money" he can use whenever a good deal comes up, adding that he's sooooo happy to have his own pot of money, 'cause having to dip into his wife's savings to make an investment with Punk was pretty humiliating. Donna reacts by staring back at him with a combination of irritation and concern, instead of lightening up, untying the knot in her panties, and just being happy that this housing investment resulted in a nice cash windfall for her husband, who seems super excited to be accumulating his own wealth for the first time in his life.
Sue Ellen summons Arthur Elrod to Southern Cross while Dusty and Clayton are in town so that she can reveal all of the unflattering behavior she's exhibited in past seasons that JR and his lawyer could use as mudslinging fodder during the custody hearing:
She snarlingly adds that JR has hit the sheets with every willing and available woman in Dallas - including her own sister - and that she's far more fit to parent John Ross. Arthur tells her that she and JR exchanging insults isn't going to be helpful during the custody hearing, then points out that, at the end of the day, she's a privileged wife who cheated on her rich and powerful husband...and that since Texas is "the last bastion of male chauvinism", he can't be 100% confident that the judge will rule in her favor. Pam laments to Bobby how increasingly hopeless she's feeling about not getting a baby in the near future - but Bobby half-heartedly argues that there's lots of hope with the various adoption agencies they've been in contact with, then suggests she see a psychiatrist about her neverending 'I wanna baby!' depression. Pam's just like 'meh' 'bout that last thing, and says that talking to a mental health professional isn't going to change the sad reality that they're never going to have a biological child (or a short enough wait for an adopted one). JR arrives at the Doubletree Hotel restaurant with Afton and looks faux surprised when he sees that Judge Bill Packer is there, lunching alone. An unsuspecting Judge Packer looks delighted to see JR, and is openly smitten with Afton when JR introduces her. JR starts nattering to him about a lucrative business opportunity he'd like to bring him in on - a brazenly sketchy move for all parties concerned, so it's unclear why Judge Packer gets so excited about it - and then JR gets a pretend call (from Sly) so he can fib to Judge Packer that he has to leave because of a sudden emergency, and hopes he wouldn't mind seeing that his buxom friend Afton gets home safely. Hmm hmm.. While meeting with the very strange Mr. Forest, Cliff is intrigued to learn that Wentworth Tool & Die is just one of several companies under the umbrella of Wentworth Industries...and that, compared to Wentworth Mining, Wentworth Natural Gas, and Wentworth Machine Parts, it's pretty small potatoes. He asks Mr. Forest why he's never heard of these companies, and Mr. Forest is like, "Dunno", then adds that the late Herbert Wentworth generally liked to keep a low profile. Afton is performing in the Stardrift Lounge - and, as is usual whenever there's footage of her singing in this ugly dive, her crooning goes on for what seems like a really loooooooong fuckin' time. When she sees that JR has entered the restaurant, she takes a break and sashays over to the bar to say hey. He grins lasciviously and asks her how it went with Judge Packer, and she tells him that they just sat around chatting in the hotel restaurant until he called her a cab. She then complains about how tired she is of singing in this decrepit shit-box night after night and wants something more lucrative, but JR snarls, "After today, you're lucky to be working at all. I only pay off on results" and storms out. Mitch, who has witnessed the exchange from across the room, wanders over to his sister and tells her it sickens him to think of her and JR coupling up for whatever unholy reason they've joined forces, and she growls at him to leave her the hell alone.
Elsewhere in the Stardrift Lounge, a woman sitting at a table with her friends starts choking on a chicken bone, and Mitch rushes over and administers the Heimlich manoeuvre. When the woman spits out the chicken bone and resumes breathing, her friends thank Mitch for saving her life, and Afton makes it a point to tell everyone at the table that their friend's saviour's name is Mitch Cooper. Bobby finds Pam laying despondently atop their bed...and when he pokes at her to tell her some positive news about a possible adoption, she remains limply catatonic. He quickly gets on the phone and calls Dr. Danvers, imploring him to make a house call to Southfork asap. After the commercial break, Dr. Danvers tells Bobby (along with Miss Ellie, Donna, and Ray) that he gave Pam a mild sedative, and that her laying in a catatonic state problems are emotional, not physical. He recommends that she continue with her normal activities, and that a renewed enthusiasm for her job might help improve her general mood. Over another home-cooked dinner, Cliff asks Rebecca why she didn't tell him she owned the little known (yet extremely profitable) conglomerate, Wentworth Industries. She sheepishly tells him she was afraid to reveal too soon that she's a very rich widow 'cause she wanted him to love her for her...and Cliff chews on that for a few seconds and says it's just as well, given that he's been blinded by money all his life and has made boneheaded decisions as a result. He then promises to run Wentworth Tool & Die to the best of his abilities and to squash his every impulse in moving too far too fast. Afton drops by Mitch's condo to tell him that the husband of the woman he saved from choking, Frank Waring, wants to meet with him to personally thank him for his lifesaving actions. When Mitch hems and haws about not wanting/needing to be thanked, Afton says she noticed that Mrs.Waring was wearing some pretty valuable looking jewelry, and that being thanked by a rich man could only be a good thing. She hands him a piece of paper with an address on it and says she took the liberty of arranging a meeting 'cause she knew he'd hem and haw about setting one up himself, then hugs him and recommends that he wear something nice. Miss Ellie is breakfasting on the Southfork patio when JR cheerily mentions that he's looking to get Judge Bill Packer, who's presiding over his custody case, interested in a contrived, mutually-beneficial business deal. Miss Ellie wonders aloud if that's legal [doubtful - but at the very least, I'm sure it'd be sternly frowned upon by the Dallas Bar Association] as JR rushes off to work. A few seconds later, Bobby and Pam amble towards the patio to say hey to Miss Ellie, and Pam says she's so embarrassed about her catatonic state last night, then vows to put all of her energy into her day job to make up for her recent slacking. Miss Ellie blandly says she really just cares that she's OK now, and a relieved looking Bobby offers to drive Pam to the office, then pick her up at the end of the day and treat her to dinner in the city.
Mitch arrives at Dr. Frank Waring's swanky estate and is ushered by the maid to the spacious backyard, where Frank and his wife Beverly are having breakfast. Frank thanks Mitch for saving his wife's life and hands him a check for $5,000 as a gesture of appreciation - but Mitch refuses to accept it, then explains that he just graduated from medical school and is hoping to specialize in research. Frank looks intrigued by the young man's chosen career path and says he'd loooove to further discuss this area of medicine with him at a future date. That evening, JR tells Miss Ellie he hopes to soon have Judge Bill Packer in his hip pocket after bringing him in on a lucrative business deal...and says this as though she didn't just chide him at the beginning of the episode for the shitty way he's always using people for his own nefarious purposes. A few seconds later, Howard Barker calls to inform JR that the custody hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow, and JR frowns unhappily at that news. At breakfast the next morning, Miss Ellie forbids JR to sling mud at Sue Ellen in court, and JR whines about how miffed he is that he doesn't have more time "to work on Judge Packer" - then agrees that, yeah, he'd prefer his young son not find out what a tramp his mother is. He chides Pam once again for helping Sue Ellen abduct his son and snarls at her to mind her own bidness, and Bobby growls at him to shut it...then stares concernedly after Pam when she spacily heads off to work. Cliff and Rebecca are about to drive off somewhere when a cab pulls up to the apartment building and an attractive young woman climbs out and yoo hoos at Rebecca. Rebecca rushes over and greets her happily, then ushers her over to where Cliff's standing and introduces her as his half-sister, Katherine...and the two half-siblings grin at each other. Custody hearing! Howard Barker tells the judge that JR simply wants his son raised in a wholesome environment, insisting that Sue Ellen abandoned her husband and is exposing the tot to immoral conditions at the Southern Cross ranch. Arthur Elrod interjects to inform the judge that there's nothing immoral going on between Sue Ellen and Dusty, on account of the two have separate living quarters and have not engaged in any clothes-less hanky panky since her arrival at the estate. Arthur says he can provide depositions from servants corroborating that claim, along with medical records from several highly regarded doctors...and when Judge Packer is all, "Wuh? Doctors?", Arthur pauses to glance over at Sue Ellen, who glances over at Dusty, who curtly nods to give Arthur the green light to proceed with his bombshell statement. Arthur explains to Judge Packer that Dusty was recently in a terrible plane crash that resulted in some below-the-waist injuries that preclude him from walking without the aid of a cane and having the penile ability to knock boots with Sue Ellen. He hands Judge Packer Dusty's medical reports, somberly emphasizing that Sue Ellen's love for Dusty is very pure, pronouncing, "She did not leave her husband for reasons of the flesh." JR's all 'the fuck?' and stares over at Sue Ellen in stunned bewilderment as Judge Packer abruptly calls for a recess so that he can privately determine how Dusty's flaccid member is going to impact his ruling on John Ross's custody.
Bobby gets a call from a concerned Jackie, who tells him that no one at The Store has seen Pam in awhile...and that she seemingly disappeared after she went upstairs to Liz's office (but then never arrived). Bobby's all, "Ack!" and says he'll be right over. After the recess, Judge Packer orders JR to issue to Sue Ellen a monthly alimony payment of $5,000, then decrees that John Ross will remain in her custody and that she'll receive an additional $1,000 in child support. A thrilled Sue Ellen shoots Dusty a happy grin, while a visibly miffed JR glares over at her hatefully. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
1 Comment
Dawn Rella
11/18/2023 03:08:41 pm
I am loving these recaps! Well done! Leave a Reply. |
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