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S4 EP18 Dallas-The Mark of Cain: The ''Swamp Thing" Episode

• Jett Shae • Episode 282

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amily loyalties are tested when the Ewings find themselves on opposite sides of an environmental battle. Miss Ellie and the Daughters of the Alamo are fighting to preserve a natural Texas swampland, while Jock and Ray are determined to transform it into a luxury resort. Caught in the middle is Bobby, who as a newly appointed senator must vote on the very project that has divided his parents.

Sue Ellen throws caution to the wind, embarking on a brazen afternoon affair with old flame Clint. Far from hiding her indiscretions, she flamboyantly enters their hotel rendezvous in fur and flashy jewelry—a defiant act from a woman who's endured years of JR's betrayals. Speaking of JR, his obsession with public relations consultant Leslie Stewart reaches new heights when she sabotages him by placing a newspaper ad declaring Ewing Oil's sudden commitment to environmental protection, creating a publicity nightmare that forces him to publicly embrace eco-friendly policies that contradict everything the company stands for.

Meanwhile, Pam faces an emotional reunion with her birth mother Rebecca Wentworth, who appears eager to reconnect but hesitant to reveal herself to Cliff. Her complex motivations raise questions about whether she truly wants to make amends or is simply easing her conscience now that her wealthy husband has passed. And at SMU, Mitch struggles with his wife Lucy's growing modeling career and the objectification that comes with it.

"The Mark of Cane" brilliantly showcases how the personal and political intertwine for the Ewings, where business dealings and bedroom affairs create a complex web of power, resentment, and calculated moves that will ripple through future episodes. Have you ever found yourself trapped between family loyalty and personal integrity? The Ewings' dilemmas might feel surprisingly familiar.

Speaker 1:

Yes, sir or madam at the front desk, I am indeed a married woman. I am here for some afternoon delight. Is there a clint? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome, or welcome back to SoFloor, the official gathering place for newbies, novices and OG diehard fans of the golden age of primetime. I'm your host, jed, viewing and reviewing the Sophia Sedzia's primetime storylines of 1981. So, whether you're new to this or true to this, get back to the joy. Tell the kids it's time to play outside or, out of sight, tell babe, no questions, suggestions or concerns for the next 25 to 35 minutes. Everyone else in Airshot Cool Choir kicked out our only options because we are watching our stories. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is Soap Lore. Hello, gorgeous, what's up? Party people and people who party, welcome back to another fun full edition of Soap Lore. We are back in Dallas.

Speaker 1:

Because it is a bit of an oversight, I want to make amends, starting right now, though. We got three episodes to burn through. I was very tempted to do them all in one episode. However, I don't feel like that's fair. I really don't do that with any other things. The only other time I would do that is when I would compare apples to apples, comparing, you know, dallas to Dynasty, to Falcon Crest episode, whatever. I didn't want to condense them because they're boring that's not the case, they're actually far from it but they, they really do. All build on it on top of each other. They all kind of connect where it could have just been maybe an hour and a half and I wouldn't have been bored.

Speaker 1:

Go ahead and pour yourself up something bubbly and bright. I am going to try this here. What is this? I don't even know what it's called. It's very generic. It was a dollar. Oh, that's good God. I love a cheap soda. This isn't even soda, this is sparkling water. But man, sometimes you just you don't need all that fluff, you don't need the backing, you don't need the name brand behind, you, just need the goods. And that's what we're getting today. On dallas 1981's, the mark of cane. There's so much jam-packed into this episode.

Speaker 1:

Quick little recap we got Donna Culver is now Donna Culver Krebs, d-c-c. Donna Culver Krebs. She is living in a little house, little cabin over on the side of the property with Ray. Ray has been working with Jock on the whole Tecopa, t'challa, whatever swamp resort project. On the other end of that was Ellie and the Daughters of the Alamo, which is in San Antonio, not Dallas. Can't imagine why they don't have a different name now that I think about it but they are worried about preserving natural habitats in Texas. But they are worried about preserving natural habitats in Texas.

Speaker 1:

On the last episode, last thing that was said, jock said he is T'Challa the chopper and Ellie was like what the F? And that's kind of where we pick up from. Everybody is like what the F. How do we not know this? How do y'all live in the same house and y'all don't know each other's business? So the old boys not the cartel, jock's new friends old friends, new friends clunky, anderson and them are like dude. I can't believe. This man ain't running his household like he needs to do.

Speaker 1:

And ray, they're all saying this when jock's not there. Mind you, ray, how can you not control your woman? How come you didn't tell us your woman was on this project too? You let it get this far because now it's like it's going to be presented before the senators. They're going to possibly sign it into law or sign it into a bill. Forgive me, my us government is a little bit rusty, but it's damn near putting a kaput on their whole project. It's a.

Speaker 1:

Ray maintains that he and his woman don't talk business at home. You know he don't like smart women. You don't want to talk about money. They definitely don't want to talk about his projects, especially if she's on the opposite end of that. But at the end of the day, donna and Ray aren't really concerned with projects, they're concerned with each other. Ellie, on the other hand, is filling away, which I totally, totally get, because normally I would say, if a friend comes to me and brings me into a project hey, jet, come join the um, plant more trees, we can have shade at the baseball park. Oh yeah, a hundred percent, I'm behind that. I'm gonna support that.

Speaker 1:

But then I find out that, like my husband is in the chop the trees down and burn them up game, oh, that's kind of conflicting. Did you know my husband was in that? You can't even you can't even like open your mouth and say that to someone. How do you say to another person, another woman? Why didn't you tell me my husband was in support of this opposite project? It sounds silly, but at the same time I understand where everybody's coming from.

Speaker 1:

Ellie walked into this blind. Let her tell it. She's like Donna, you brought this to me. Why didn't you find it important enough to let me know that Jock and his company were in it? Donna says you know, I would have loved to for the record. I didn't know the whole time, but when I found out I just felt like that was something he should tell you. This all makes perfect sense.

Speaker 1:

But as the more I watch this episode, I feel like Donna Colbert might be. I might be looking at her all the wrong ways. I feel like I had never been really suspicious of her, but this could be one of the greatest coups of all times. Did she plant this seed knowing this was going to happen? Ray definitely ain't smart enough to work in cahoots with. He definitely stumbled upon this. This all seems like a pretty happy coincidence. However, I'm looking at Donna just a little bit differently after watching this episode because, yeah, ellie's right, you did bring this to my attention. You did bring it to me, so I would hope I would have all the information. If I'm going to be fighting a cause, despite what it is, if you bring it to me, let me know everything. But also also, girl, that's your man. How do you not know the inner workings of your man. Okay, I'm trying to think of who are the bit players. Let's go ahead and do the bit players.

Speaker 1:

This episode, which turned out to be Miss Pam. I was thinking about all the women on the ranch, especially since there's a new, mrs Krebs. She does not go by Ewing because Ray doesn't go by Ewing, but they all have such vastly different lives. She got a Donna Culver who's coming in married to a man that she actually loved he passed away. She has a great relationship with his family, falls in love with another man. She seems to just kind of be going at the pace of life that she would normally go, no frills. She doesn't necessarily want or need the spotlight, she doesn't really want the attention which we'll get to here in a second. She's gotta come and go. If this don't work out, I'm gonna be fine, it's just, it's all choice.

Speaker 1:

And then you look at a Pam who's pretty much the same way. Now she doesn't come from all the money, but it doesn't seem like she ever really needed it. She wasn't really looking for it. She just wants her man. She is somewhat trapped on the property because Bobby is a quote unquote real Ewing, so she kind of has to stick around a little bit more. But she does have the freedom of her job. So if ever she decides to say working out for her or she just can't stand it, she could very well go buy herself some more land. She could go buy herself a home, get herself a little apartment. She could switch it up if she really, really wanted to. People would be sad, but there would probably not be a threat to her life or anything. She would never go through what Sue Ellen went through.

Speaker 1:

Then you get to my girl, sue Ellen. She's been up down in and out, on the best side, on the worst side, in an insane asylum. Drunk in the hospital, baby snatched away, baby given back, face splashed all over the newspapers. In and out of love. Sister sleeping with your husband got knocked up by him. He turns out to be an even bigger douche than she could have ever ever dreamed in her whole life. Falls in love with a man. He ends up dying. Only he ain't dead. Then the blast from the past comes back. So, oh my goodness, that's where you start to lose the benefit of the doubt. She doesn't have that, that hopeful, wishful thinking. She's seen it all, she's been through it all and now it's time to start making some choices. And this episode, she does not disappoint.

Speaker 1:

And then you got the Ellie aspect. Ellie is a little bit of all of them. She was perfectly fine sort of before she met Jock. If memory serves me correctly, their ranch might have been in a little bit of trouble. He was kind of a new guy who had just enough money to save it. She married him, but it seems like she's been iced out of his life ever since then.

Speaker 1:

There's a scene at the beginning of the show where she and Donna are. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like they're crawling up from the subway. Did not know there was a subway in Dallas, for whatever reason. Maybe they're underground parking, I'm not. I'm not really sure. Donna asked her if she's okay, which is a really rude thing. She goes you don't look very good, miss Ellie, are you okay? You look tired. Don't ever tell the woman she looks tired. Two don't tell an older woman that she looks tired. Number three don't tell an older woman she looks tired after she's climbing up steps. Shut your mouth, little girl. I know she didn't mean nothing by it, but shut your mouth.

Speaker 1:

But Ellie, she keeps saying you know, this is just yet another secret that Jock has kept from me. So can you imagine 40, 50 years of marriage to a man who is wildly successful and you only know about some of that? You had the freedom that is technically your ranch, you got the kids. You probably have enough of his wealth at the time where she could walk away if she really wanted to. But it's a different sort of it's just kind of varying levels of quote unquote freedom when, yes, she and Jock aren't necessarily at each other's necks all the time. She don't really know him like that, she don't really know what's going on. She will always be kept out of the loop, especially after 50 years. If he's never told her anything, he's not going to start.

Speaker 1:

Back to Pam Pam's minding her own business, growing into her Rick James haircut, examining silks and all the fine sort of textiles that Dallas has to offer. When in walks her birth mother, miss, some lady from Houston, she's in Dallas. Hey, girl Pam is floored, mr. She is Mrs Rebecca Wentworth and unfortunately Mr Wentworth has passed on. I hate that I'm doing this, but all I can hear and I knowworth and unfortunately Mr Wentworth has passed on. I hate that I'm doing this, but all I can hear and I know you're doing it too. Call JG Wentworth 877-GASNOW, 877-gasnow. So Rebecca Wentworth is in Dallas. She's made between Dallas and New York because that's where all her kids live. Pam's like oh mother, mother, of course I'll help you, I'll take you wherever you need to. You know, mrs Wentworth has big money, so she's like I think I'm going to stay here. I would really like to get to know you and Cliff. Where is Cliff? Have you told him about me yet? Ugh, cliff, where is Cliff? Have you told him about me yet?

Speaker 1:

This is very uncomfortable to watch, because Rebecca Wentworth saw Cliff in the flesh at the little party, but she didn't want anybody to know because she had a whole husband. I'm not saying her kids weren't important, but there's no need to mince words at this point. They were not important enough to let her husband know that she'd had a whole, nother life before him. You could say, yeah, well, he was fragile, he was on his deathbed and and he was on his way out one way or another. She didn't want to jeopardize that. I'm sorry, that's how I'm looking at this. She did not want to jeopardize. That Doesn't mean that she didn't have affection for her kids, but at the end of the day, she understood she chose herself first. You don't have to live with that. Pam is just completely forgiven her.

Speaker 1:

But the mom keeps bringing up Cliff this whole episode. At first Pam tries to change the subject oh, mama, they have the best Caesar salad here. Change the subject oh, mama, they have the best caesar salad here. But rebecca really, really wants her to know, wants cliff to know that she's alive and that she's there. She's all eager about it. I do not like that.

Speaker 1:

She is putting this on pam. I understand this is a weird thing to reveal to your own son, considering the circumstances. But also, I don't care if Pam and Cliff were two years old and four years old, I don't care if they're 84 and 86, whatever six. They're still the children. In this situation, mama, you need to step up and figure out how you're going to approach the situation.

Speaker 1:

Don't put that on Pam. Pam's like well, mama, I mean we can't do that today, but why don't you come have dinner with Bobby? Oh, darling, I've been through so much in Dallas. I don't think I can do that. I don't want to dislike her and I don't. It's not even you know. I'm not even pointing fingers in an accusatory way. However, why are you really here? What is it? How do you reframe this?

Speaker 1:

This is very sad to me if I think about it for too long. Yes, they missed out on an entire lifetime with her. They thought she was dead. She knew they were alive, she knew who their father was. You left these kids with a drunkard and a good aunt, not saying beat yourself up forever, but come, come on. Now you got to meet her halfway, so you want to fly under the radar until Mr JG Wentworth is dead. Then you want to come in and hey, pam, help me find a house. But I can't really be meeting your family like that because it's too painful. It's different time, I suppose I suppose it's. I just, I just don't really like it doesn't mean she's a terrible person. She seems perfectly lovely. But also, who are you fooling? They look alike whoever casted them. They did a really, really good job because she. They look very much alike.

Speaker 1:

Pam is pretty much able to just stave off this reunion. She's not really saying why, and rebecca doesn't seem to be any the wiser as to cliff's true feelings, like pam just is kind of dancing around it. Pam is the only person. Her and bobby know that this woman is alive. She's deciding to put down roots, so I guess we'll have to see how that develops. But she but she has to know. Yes, you've been through the roughage. You've been through a lot. I think it's probably easier for Pam to accept this, because she never knew her at all, like you, never, ever, ever had a mom. And now you have one. It's going to be amazing. Cliff had a mom, his mom left, he. He thought she died, but you find out that she's been living and breathing and spending the wentworth money and making jingles and whatnot. It's gonna be hard to swallow. Speaking of having and losing and gaining.

Speaker 1:

Back again, my girl, sue ellen, is dealing with the resurrection of Dusty as best she can. He has disappeared from her life once again but luckily for her, another old flame has swept in now Clint God, I wish they had totally different names Clint Clip. All this is way too close for my liking. Clint is now some sort of computer mogul. In the early 80s Got it bad for Sue Ellen because, according to him, jr stole her from him in college. So Sue Ellen has completely tossed caution to the wind. Mind you, she's been through all the things I mentioned a few moments ago and back. Like you, just don't wake up one day and decide you know what? Let me just walk the straight and narrow. Been there, done that Been on the wild side, been on the bad side, I've left, I've come back, I've been in jail, I've been in an asylum. What more? What does she have to lose at this point? Husband's a douchebag. It's just going to be what it's going to be. So she and Clint decide to meet up again. She comes downstairs Now JR's on the phone trying to win back Miss Leslie Stewart.

Speaker 1:

We'll get to them here in a minute. But as soon as he goes upstairs the phone rings again and it's Clint. He says hey, sue Ellen, I just wanted to remind you of our wonderful afternoon yesterday. They went down to the Hotel Motel Holiday Inn and had a good time apparently. Well, he hopes so. He just wants to remind you. So it gave a little. Um, excuse me, miss, um, do you think it's possible that you could maybe look at me again? And um, remember our coitus from yesterday? Yes, yes, clint, I recall. I'd like sure we can do it again today. No problem, now clint is really putting in the effort. He buys champagne, he gives a little caviar for before or after, I don't really know. They're going to have snacks and there's going to be champagne, so she's more likely to come.

Speaker 1:

Everybody knows if you want people to show up to an event you got to mention, there's going to be food, they're more likely to show up and Sue Ellen shows up. Just, maybe all the caution she ever had is to the wind. Sue Ellen is conspicuous with a capital C. She wants everybody to see her and know I mean, hell she's. They might as well just go to the ranch and do it there, but sure I'll show up. I'm'm going to wear fur in Texas. I'm going to wear the biggest Zsa Zsa ring. Yes, sir, or madam At the front desk, I am indeed a married woman. I am here for some afternoon delight. Is there a clint? Thank you, I'll go up to that room. Thank you, hi everybody.

Speaker 1:

Baby, big Zha Zha jewelry, big fur coat, little jacket with a big fur collar. She's loud, it's the middle of the day, she don't give a damn. And why should she? Her husband clearly doesn't give a damn. There's nothing left to this. So JR only briefly asked her about this one morning at breakfast, when he just wants to cause a little trouble. He said ask her if she's going shopping. She's like I am going shopping. We both know what shopping means. We all know what shopping is. He says my goodness, I don't think I have seen anyone shop as much as you Mind. You. Jr's whole secretary whose name was Suella, or Luella very much sounds like his wife is keeping his dirty secrets while he's trying to sleep with Leslie. How are you going to be the woman? I'm not even going to go there, but it is pot calling the kettle black. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Speaker 1:

She goes to talk to Dr LB, who is truly her only confidant. And she's like man, when I'm hooking up with Clint, we're having, just you know, lawless, irresponsible sex in the middle of the day, in the middle of Dallas, in the middle of my life, god, it just feels like nothing else matters. Dr Elvey says okay, but this is so soon after, dusty, do you think this is a good idea? She's like yeah, I mean, clint is one of the happiest memories I have. This was somebody I was in love with back in college, back in the day where I was young and had my whole life in front of me. I had his love. I was Miss Texas, like it's just one of the better times of my life.

Speaker 1:

Dr Elway doesn't think it's a good idea to go backwards. You shouldn't be looking back, swetlyn. You should be looking forward. Only when you think about a woman like her, what is there to look forward to? Many, many more years of the same old, same old. You'll have the highs from when your husband likes you. You'll have the lows from when he doesn't. Anytime you have true love, it is crumbled, it is messed up, it is a mangled heap that you are left to just sort of deal with in the most painful of ways. She's not back on the bottle. She's like listen, this is what it is today. I'm going to enjoy it. For today.

Speaker 1:

Dr Elvey pulls a question that I don't think is unfair, but I also feel like it's not everything. It reminds me of the Knott's Landing episode the other day, where Kenny mentions you know baby, two names and tells ginger, isn't that enough? And she's like no, it's actually not. I love the baby, but it's not enough. Dr elvie's like well, what about your son? Isn't that the love you need in your life? It is, but you know what? It's not enough. And she tells him as much. It's just he's great, but the relationship with your children and the relationship with yourself is is two totally different things. The relationship with the outer world at large is totally different. So she's just trying to enjoy this the best she can.

Speaker 1:

But it's very, very clear that clint wants more. My girl is just like hey, hey, nobody said anything about running away, let's just keep meeting at 3.30. Save your money on the caviar. Next time I'll pick up a pizza or some Tex-Mex. I mean, it's Dallas, she's just trying to have a good time, thank you, thank you. You know who's not really having a good time? Bobby, to no fault of his own. You want to talk about just minding your own business for real, for real and things just happening in your life. That's Bobby.

Speaker 1:

So he took the senate seat because Ms Donna Culver did not want it. This is where I'm saying. You see what I'm saying. She didn't want the seat. Bobby is now in the Senator seat, which is always going to. It's going to put him in a weird position. He's either going to look like he's helping Ewing oil sometimes or he's going to, you know, have to go against his family. It's an uncomfortable position. Now you could say, joc, that's a coincidence, is it? Though? I don't know if she has any, I don't know. Jury's still out. I just I just want to state that for the record.

Speaker 1:

Now I'm looking at you at the side of my eye because of the the following events so, because of this whole tachaka tachapa lake situation, where jock and his brand new development company want to build a, an exquisite resort, ellie and the daughters of the alamo would rather that just remain untouched. Texas beauty, you know why you, why you got to build something on top of something. Sometimes we just want some wildlife. That's where he she's coming from. Which sort of tracks? Do you remember that whole Mimosa Park situation, where she didn't really want them to build a housing development? I had it all wrong at first. I thought she didn't want poor people in the park, but what she didn't want is a large swath of land to disappear just so you could build houses. She's like you know these people are. They got money, they can live other places. It's how she put it. It was a little bit out of touch, but when it comes to raw land, she wants to keep it as raw as possible. So a couple of things are happening Now that Bobby is on the Senate.

Speaker 1:

Unbeknownst to him, he's also inherited a few committees. One of those committees is going to have to make a decision about the T'Chaka, t'challa, the lake situation. This is called the swamp thing. I'm getting tired of trying to remember the name. I'm disrespecting the Black Panther, I'm disrespecting everybody. Swamp thing is on the docket.

Speaker 1:

They got to make a decision about it and Bobby's like well, damn. In his mind. He's like well, I'm going to go ahead and piss off mom because I can't go against my dad. Now Donna Culver slips in and she says hey, why don't you just vote your conscience? Do you really need to build something else? Are those men really going to suffer, you know, without one more project? So now he's all in his head. Now he's uncomfortable because he's either he's either going to piss off his mom, who's already walking around super pissed off, or he's going to piss off his dad, and he doesn't want that. If it's me from the outside looking in, do I want to piss off an old man from Texas or an old woman from Texas? I'm pissing off that man. I feel like that woman. The blowback is going to be devastating for years to come.

Speaker 1:

She's just playing a different game. And in Ellie's case she is sick and tired of being sick and tired. She's tired of the secrets. She's tired of every time she turned around he's got a new project she didn't really know about. She's tired of him sticking his big, raggedy blow-upable oil rigs all over the place. I don't want to see that. Sometimes she just wants to look outside and see cow dung and dust and stuff. I don't want to see this damn oil rig erected and then he wants to put it in the swamp. Do you know how difficult it is to mess up a swamp? But you know who can, jock Ewing. Let Ellie tell it anything. He or no good firstborn son touch turns to filth. And now they want to touch the swamp. And you know what? Now he's got a new son and he wants to touch the swamp too. And you know who? She doesn't get to touch her son. Now he's on the west coast doing the absolute most with no oil rig and she'll be damned if Jock puts an oil rig in that swamp At this point. It's just the principle. Yeah, I like raw land but I also like causing you an inconvenience and I'll be damned if I back up from this.

Speaker 1:

And then Bobby again, was off somewhere trying to sell solar panels. He comes home and everybody's pissed off at each other. He's like, oh my God, what'd I do? Well, he does the first thing he can think of. He goes over to Ray's house. It occurred to me on this episode. It's 1981, but besides banging his niece Lucy, which is beyond gross, Ray doesn't really do much of anything else. He likes to ride a horse, he likes to look at dirt, he likes to go to the stockyards, he likes to drink beer till two, three in the morning, go home, sleep for 45 minutes, wake up and do it all over again. That's his life. When he's perfectly content, he's even more content to have his own little piece of land. He lives in a one room, all browned out home, just like pa ingles on little house in the prairie. He wants his one room shack, his girl with long hair and that's it. He's a happy man.

Speaker 1:

So bobby comes over, as ray is. I guess he's doing his taxes or something. Bob comes over, he offers a man a beer next thing, you know. Bobby's like hey, you need to tell daddy to back off the swamp bank project. Ray's like no, I don't think I can do that. Well, I mean your wife in this too. There he goes, bobby starts pointing fingers at him. Well, seems like daddy's only listening to you nowadays.

Speaker 1:

Ray's looking at him like Bobby, you, this is good man. Is this because I'm his son? I mean, damn, nothing has really changed. I'm just, I'm not finna, get in it. If him and your mama have a problem, I hope you know that I personally don't want any trouble for them. I just want to sit in my one room hut and you know, look at these taxidermied animals. Drink a little beer, wake up, go smell cow dung in the morning. That's all I'm trying to do, bobby. Why don't you leave me out of it? Bobby's like you know what. For someone who wants to be called crabs, you sure are sounding like a ewing, an insult called a little bit flat, considering you are ewing and he was at his home minding his own business.

Speaker 1:

This is all becoming way too complicated and I can totally see why donna didn't want it. Why would she? Couldn't win. You can't win for losing. I understand the sentiment of hey, make sure I know what I'm getting into if you invite me to it. But who wants this To make matters worse when Bobby goes to work and he has to go sit on said panel.

Speaker 1:

That Cliff reminded him. Cliff told him about it and he's like hey, by the way, your family has a lot of businesses. This isn't going to be the first or the last time. Well, this is the first time. This won't be the last time, but you'll have to make decisions that may or may not affect your family personally. So you need to think about that and make sure that you're going to do the job, or you shouldn't have taken it. I love it, cliff is he's not super pumped that Bobby got the position over him, but also he's making sure that he keeps his head on right. Hey, you said you were going to do the job, making sure that he keeps his head on right. Hey, you said you were going to do the job. Put on your big boy panties and do the job Only when he gets to the little panel with the rest of the chairman. Now they're looking at him out of the side of the eye like we kind of think you need to reach out to the governor and just not do this. Bobby, we don't think you should be on this committee because we just don't see how you can come up with this with a fair solution. It just seems like you're going to be biased. Now, no disrespect, there's plenty of us on here who own oil companies as well. But you, my friend, you seem like a liability. I don't think you should do it Ever.

Speaker 1:

The determined Ewing, the one who's just going to be the stand up guy, he goes home and gets his mind together. He comes back and he's like not only am I not leaving, I'm happy to make a decision about the Swamp Thing project. It does make you wonder. Like what did he think he was going to be doing? Like it's a celebratory moment for the Ewings. It's like okay, we have someone who's going to be on our, who's going to defend us, who's probably going to help us push things through. So I mean not saying he knew there was going to be dirt on his hand, but he knows at this point he's running you and all he knows it's going to be a little bit sticky from time to time, but being in between these two people must be a complete and total nightmare. So jog wants jr to do his very best to get back into the cartel. Now things are looking good. Only now they're not leslie stewart, who has been recording all of their conversations together, basically through a wrench in his plans.

Speaker 1:

At the last, uh cartel meeting. She's going on and on about this, uh, this, mine or something that is unethical, etc. Which is the last thing you want to say in front of an oil cartel. Far as I tell, oil companies do not like environmental companies in any capacity. They are mortal enemies. They are the Capulet and Montagues of the environment, industrial world, whatever you want to call it. She knew what she was saying by saying that out loud in front of the cartel. Now, no harm, no foul, not really. They just don't want to mess with JR at this point.

Speaker 1:

He's seduced him. Once he can do it again, only his mind's, not 100% of the game, because he is obsessed and I do mean obsessed in a very unhealthy way with Leslie Stewart. This strikes me as odd, considering he is such a playboy. That's the whole thing with a lover boy, though. They're going to make you feel like a million bucks when you're with them, but they're always in love with somebody else too.

Speaker 1:

I can't understand why he's so fixated on this one woman. Is it because she's saying no? Is it because she won't let him have her? And either way, she has got him distracted. It also helps that this is an older woman. She's been around the block a couple times. She's not as easily duped as these little young girls. He's able to bed with no problem.

Speaker 1:

So she's going to make him work for it. And she's making him work for it by pretending to be wounded, disappointed, not in his lack of faith in her, because he's never actually even disrespect her, but she is upset, wink, wink, that she wasn't able to pull through and secure the promises she made to him. A brand new image she promised him for Ewing Oil. I'm going to make you the biggest name in oil. You're going to be worldwide by the time I'm done with you. But because of the slip of the tongue yesterday, she can't do that.

Speaker 1:

So he's calling all morning looking for her. Only she turns up at the office first and lets him know that she's resigning, she's not going to be able to do this any longer. And of course he tries to talk her back into it. She's like I'm sorry, this won't work out, I'm not selling enough. She's really laying it on thick without emoting anything. She keeps a very level head, same tone. She's never changed her tone. She never really looks rustled. She's very much in control, but she's telling him. You know, I was wrestling with my conscience the entire night. I spent the whole night walking and thinking, thinking and walking, and I will no longer be able to serve you in the calmest possible voice. So all seems well enough, right?

Speaker 1:

They're all outside. Okay, you know how the Ewings have breakfast and lunch or breakfast and dinner together. They're outside having breakfast. Or rather, ellie is sitting outside chilling. She's been out there for hours. The rest of the family starts to sort of trickle in. For hours the rest of the family starts to sort of trickle in. This is where jr asks uh swelling, if she's gonna go shopping, aka hook up. She's like absolutely. Jock walks out in this giant 10 gallon hat and the look ellie gives him like she goes inside. Pam comes out just kind of nonchalant to the world because you know what? That ain't her problem today.

Speaker 1:

Phone rings and it is Jordan Lee in his thick mustache. He's pissed. Jock, what is your boy doing? What is wrong with this man? Jock's like well damn, I haven't even had the paper yet, let me look. Hangs up on him, walks over to Bobby and I guess he sees an ad. Now we walks over to Bobby and I guess he sees an ad. Now we don't get to see what it is. Pam is kind of staring off into space. The phone rings again. She picks it up. It's the Wall Street Journal and they want to talk to Jock. So by this point we're like what is really going on Now on the other side of town?

Speaker 1:

Jr has made it to the office and when he gets to the office it is standing room only. There are reporters everywhere inside the and they're asking him all these questions and he's like what Ecology? What Huh? Lou Ellen, give us a minute. Lou Ellen, make everybody some coffee. Blah, blah, blah. Takes Lou Ellen in the office. He's like you didn't think you should meet me, maybe in the lobby or maybe give me a call before I got here. She's like I'm so sorry, I didn't have a chance. He goes well, why are they all here? Oh, you don't know. Clearly I don't know why are they all here. She hands him the paper, turns out Leslie Stewart, in a final act, does put out a full page ad basically saying that strip mining is raping the land. It is despicable what they're going to do.

Speaker 1:

Ewing Oil stands for more than just profit. Yeah, we take oil, but we're about the environment too. This is a huge taboo. I can only imagine how big this taboo would be in 1981 in the oil community. Doesn't look real good. He's like oh crap. So you would almost expect a weaker man to crumble under the pressure, not JR, with 30 seconds worth of knowledge. He puts on that bright smile, he walks out there and he invites them all in his office to answer their questions personally. He is giving it an impromptu. We believe in the environment speech.

Speaker 1:

One of the reporters is like sir, is this true? Do we expect you to go on more crusades? He's like absolutely Ewing, we put the land before profits. Sir, is this true? Do we expect you to go on more crusades? He's like absolutely Ewing, we put the land before profits. Blah, blah, blah. Now, whether he's aware of this or not, this is obviously going to piss off Doc. I'm sure he knows that. But by saying we profits are second to anything else, ie the environment, doing things above ground, making sure everything is good, that only makes the whole Swamp Thing project look that more abrasive, look that much more and even glare like an even bigger thorn in Jock's side now because, okay, you have publicly sort of denounced this sort of stripping the land of its true value and natural beauty, but you're going to build this resort. It just creates a whole nother problem.

Speaker 1:

I have faith in this man, though, if anybody, if you're that slick and he is completely unrattled, he's going to talk his way out of this, no problem whatsoever. He remains unrattled when jordan lee comes barking through his office. Hey, do you know what you just did? Do you realize, by you jaw jacking the way you did, you're gonna cost me and the boys a bundle. They're gonna do all these investigative reports on the strip mining. Blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 1:

Jr plays it very cool. He's like listen, the whole world ecology crazy. Of course I'm gonna say that. Do you realize that when you and the rest of the cartel left me high and dry after those asian oil wells, I had to think of new things? One of these new things is attracting eastern money. By being ecology crazy, I'm gonna get the funding. Jordan lee's like well, what about the investigation they're probably gonna do? Jr is like you know, that was on its way one way or another. Now, listen, this is going to be uncomfortable in the moment, but ultimately, hey, it had to be done. He's not backing down and I'm looking out the side of my eye like why isn't he backing down? All will be revealed in time.

Speaker 1:

Last thing we got to get to is Mrs Mitch Cooper. You know how Mitch hates money and Lucy is now making money. Not only is she making money, she's making money off of her face card, not even her family name at this point, just her beautiful face and apparently her ample bosom, because her being Miss Dallas, that puts her on the cover of all these magazines. So rich. Mitch comes home one day and there is this whole setup. There's like a reporter, there's a lighting guy, there's like a director. Mind you, they have a tiny apartment, so he's like what the hell they're like be quiet.

Speaker 1:

Lucy is giving a tour explaining how she keeps house and manages to be a wife, and the new young miss dallas. So she's. She's asked to sit on the couch and they keep asking Mitch to move back. But the director slips and calls him Mr Ewing, which is the ultimate form of disrespect. He swallows it, he takes it, but he also says this is as far as Mr Ewing is going to go, this is as far as you can push him. Lucy hears this, but she can't fully acknowledge it in the moment because she has to go. It's as far as you can push them. Lucy hears this, but she can't fully acknowledge it in the moment because she has to work. She's giving the interview blase blase.

Speaker 1:

So the next day Mitch is at what we would call the Peach Pit, slash the Max, some sort of restaurant at SMU, which is Southern Methodist University. He, he's sitting in this, this, like the student version of the restaurant, and the guys on the next booth are going on and on about lucy's rack. Oh my gosh, look at her. Who's that man? Lucy ewing. Why does that ring a bell? Now mitch is trying to keep his cool. His blood is starting to boil. He's trying to turn into mr hyde. If they keep talking about his wife and her ample bosom, one of them says well, no, her name inside the magazine is cooper, but that's because she's married to some med student. Oh man, it must be so cool to study anatomy with her. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so right about that. He's like oh no, hell, no, he's about to jump up and open a fresh can of well.

Speaker 1:

Now I don't think Mitch can fight. I don't. But he is from Mississippi. I'm going to assume he grew up near some sort of cornfield, he might have been in a fight, but I think he would have got stomped three ways from Sunday by these three good old boys. That doesn't happen because one of his lovely classmates comes up and pretends to need some notes or something and mitch, just he starts to pour out his heart a little bit like dang.

Speaker 1:

This is. Do you know how tough it is? They're talking about my wife. She's like I understand it's uncomfortable, but also just let her do her job. She basically tells him you need to live with it. This is who she is, this is what she does. Like he's kind of got to live with it. This is who she is, this is what she does. He's kind of got to live with it. Easier said than done. So the final scene is good.

Speaker 1:

Old JR, who has basically just sort of burned the bridge between he and the cartel, ends up going to Leslie Stewart's apartment. Now she's sitting on the couch chilling. Once she realizes it's him, she's like oh, I'm sorry, I'm not dressed. She's fully dressed. She goes into her bedroom, she pulls out two suitcases, puts them by the door and then allows them to come in.

Speaker 1:

Hey, jr, how goes it? And he's like oh, you look so lovely. What's going on? She goes I'm leaving town. I've been offered a really big partnership back east with this firm and I'm going to take it. I definitely should have done this a long time ago, insinuating that you know, this is her opportunity to own her own thing and be her own person. And he goes don't worry about that, baby, big daddy got you. Big JR will take care of anything you need here. I'll financially back you. Don't even worry about that. You can have your own firm right here in Dallas. She goes oh, that's lovely, jr, that's great.

Speaker 1:

There's just one other thing, though, I also want you. He's like oh, I'm all yours, baby, I'm here. She's like no, no, no, no, no, can't do it because you're married. You see, I could never come between you and your wife. He's like trust me, not an issue, not a problem, which we all know is definitely not a problem, which we all know is definitely not a problem. But she's like no, I just, I could never be someone's mistress.

Speaker 1:

He hears all this and he says wait, so are you telling me? She basically says I can never, nothing will ever happen. That's not how I get down. Married men are always trouble. As long as you're married, we can work together. We can, but nothing and I do mean nothing, ever, ever, ever will happen between us. So he's like so you're saying I should divorce my wife? No, that's not what I heard, but that's what he heard. She's like you do whatever you need to do, jr. The ball is 100% in your court. And the last thing we get to see is him pondering the situation Hmm, divorce and see well, and then I can bang. Leslie Stewart Seems like a lot, considering who he is and his attention span.

Speaker 1:

Another marriage. You really want to do that, jr. You really want to do that, and I imagine he would pretend to be divorced. But the whole gotcha gotcha in the situation is that she has been secretly recording him. For what I don't really know, but I trust that she will use that to her advantage. This is also interesting because over on Dynasty the story is sort of similar with the whole Tracy situation. Let's see how PR should, could and needs to be done. All right, guys, that's it. That's all for this episode. Not bad right, it only gets better. Join me next time as we dive into another delectable episode of vintage prime time. Oh we goodness. In the meantime, in between time, read the paper as soon as you wake up. The last thing you want to do is be bombarded with a bunch of do-gooders who want to ruin your family's land raping cartel. Stay hydrated, stay moistrous. Moisture, stay moisturized and keep all of your drama on tv, on TV. Bye.