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S4 EP21 New Beginnings: The " Cliff! Clint ! and Total Devastation" Episode

• Jett Shae • Episode 289

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In "New Beginnings," Dallas delivers one of its most emotionally devastating episodes as characters teeter between hope and heartbreak. The hour opens with celebration at Southfork as the Ewing family gathers to honor Jock and Ellie's reunion and upcoming honeymoon, but beneath the festive exterior, relationships unravel at every turn. Sue Ellen finds herself confronted by her lover's wife in a lunch meeting that changes everything. Rather than the angry confrontation we might expect, Alicia Ogden calmly requests only discretion while sharing her husband. The quiet dignity of this woman who refuses to give up her husband despite knowing he loves another shatters Sue Ellen's illusions about her affair with Clint. Linda Gray masterfully portrays Sue Ellen's transformation as she realizes she cannot continue destroying a marriage where genuine love exists, even if it's one-sided. Meanwhile, JR operates on multiple fronts – manipulating Ray into taking on a business venture beyond his expertise, alienating powerful Westar executives by backing out of a deal to sell Ewing Oil, and planning to divorce Sue Ellen while his parents are away. Larry Hagman brilliantly captures JR's casual cruelty and the fleeting glimpses of genuine emotion that make him such a compelling character. When JR and Sue Ellen share a rare moment of vulnerability, reminiscing about their first attraction, we see what might have been possible between them in another life. Just as reconciliation seems possible, the episode delivers its knockout punch – a phone call from Sue Ellen's sister Kristen announcing she's just given birth to JR's son. The perfect timing of this revelation, immediately following JR's statement that their son John Ross is "the best thing we ever did," showcases Dallas at its dramatic best. As Sue Ellen's face hardens from vulnerable hope to devastated resignation, we're reminded why this series remains the gold standard of primetime soaps. Don't miss our deep dive into this pivotal episode that sets up explosive consequences to come. Subscribe now to catch all our coverage of classic Dallas storylines and join the conversation about television's most iconic family drama.

Speaker 1:

And she goes. It didn't really matter. He had uranium, titanium, verbanium, flex capacitors. He had androids.

Speaker 1:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome, or welcome back to Soap Floor, the official gathering place for newbies, novices and OG diehard fans of the golden age of primetime. I'm your host, jett, viewing and reviewing the soapiest, studdiest primetime storylines of 1981. Reviewing the Sophia Suds' primetime storylines of 1981. We're back in Dallas for oh, I don't know what to call it Heartache, love, revelation, all the things. So, whether you're new to this or true to this, sit back and enjoy. Tell the kids it's time to play outside, or outside. Tell babe, no questions, suggestions or concerns for the next 25 to 35 minutes. Everyone else in the air shop be cool, be quiet, or you will be kicked out Because we are watching our stories. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is Soapboard. Hello, gorgeous party people and people who party. I have no idea where that came from. I think that comes from mid-90s mtv. I don't really know, but I like saying it, so I'm gonna continue to do so. I hope your day is shaping up well. Mine tried to act a teetotal fool on me, but I said you know what? Not today. Satan, get thee behind me. It is time for me to wind down with a little something, something.

Speaker 1:

Today we're going to be reviewing season four, episode 21 of Dallas, new Beginnings, and there's so many things going on. Most importantly, this is episode 21. Dallas only has 23 episodes. It is my hope and it is my desire to do all of the season finales at the same time, just have a full day where I can just watch them boom, boom, boom, boom and review them in real time. I think that's only fair, and then we can come up with our own conclusions on what season four means, with the exception of Nott's Landing, because it's only season three. Okay, we got a little housekeeping business. I will jump into the fan mail next week. Appreciate everybody, but I got to get something off my chest and I'm hoping to get some replies back in enough time.

Speaker 1:

I found out not even two weeks ago that there is a Dallas sort of convention. They have a Ewing family barbecue every. I guess it's every year. It looks like they had it last year, definitely having it this year, and it's also around my birthday. So I'm like, oh my gosh, I got to go. My family and I were in Arlington a couple months ago. We didn't have time. We're running around doing everything else, didn't have time to go to South Fork.

Speaker 1:

It's on my list I'm not even calling a bucket list On my to-do list. I want to make it to each and every site. I want to make it to the cul-de-sac. I want to make it to the faux mansion in California, the one for Dynasty. I really want to go to the Dynasty Mansion. And then I just found out the Falcon Crest's vineyard is actually open. It's not called Falcon Crest, but it's Falcon Crest nonetheless. Chase and Maggie's house is even still up. I'm literally salivating as I say this. I got to get down there, so it only makes sense that I go to Dallas first. Right, here's the thing. It's called the South Fork Experience and I okay, I said a couple weeks ago, maybe it's two, maybe it's three weeks ago. At this point I don't really remember. But the point I'm trying to make to y'all is that I had the thought, I pursued the thought, I saw the thing, and so when I go to open it up's like, oh, different events to be announced, but it had different pictures of who was going to be there. Sue Ellen will be there, bobby will be there, mitch is going to be there. Lucy's going to be there.

Speaker 1:

That kid from John Tucker must die. He was also on Desperate Housewives. What's his name? You know the one? He's fine. Fine, he was one of those Lopez Fitzgerald's on passions. I can't remember his government name, but he's on name. You know the one? He's fine, fine, he was one of those Lopez Fitzgeralds on Passions. I can't remember his government name, but he's on there. And I know he was on the New Dallas. The other kid that was on the New Dallas is going to be on there too.

Speaker 1:

There was a whole host of other people that I didn't really recognize. I think I saw Ray, I think I saw Donna. So I'm like, oh my gosh, I go back and I look again maybe a week later and there's even more people, and now I'm starting to get a little bit nervous. They have different packages. Apparently, there's like a dinner where you can sit down with everybody. There'll be a few Q&As.

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But I scroll to the bottom and guess who else is going to be there Valene, the Vidalia Onion Queen, my girl and Abby. Now listen, I say this with the utmost respect. Tomorrow's not promised to any of us, but these people are in their 80s. I don't feel like there's a ton of time. I don't even want to go there. Should I go? Should I go? Okay, let me be real. One of them tickets is absolutely ridiculous. The whole tickets to get to South Fork were a little bit expensive in my opinion. Considering it's Texas and it's a ranch, I'm like I can go to any ranch I want, anytime, but there's no other place like South Fork. I just don't know.

Speaker 1:

My biggest concern is that they've added people. I don't know if these people are on other shows. They don't seem to be on other shows. They seem to have been on Dallas. I just don't want no storyline ruined. For me, that's the gotcha gotcha. With the way I do this here podcast, I'm always sort of setting myself up for a potential, perhaps a storyline being spoiled. I'm more and more conscious of it the deeper I get into the show. Now, granted, like I said, I looked at these people. I don't know who they are. Nothing's ringing a bell, but I bet it will eventually. Which brings me to something extra, extra important. Today's episode is called New Beginnings, season four, episode 21.

Speaker 1:

Now Jock is in this. He's in this very, very briefly, briefly. He's in a limousine. Him and ellie are going on a honeymoon, so he's just kind of giving instructions about what to do when he's on the honeymoon. But I know that he passed away 1981. So my question to you oh geez, without giving anything away, I don't even know if I should ask.

Speaker 1:

My instinct is to ask if they just kind of continue on and maybe bring in another actor, and if that's the case there's no harm, no foul. But if they don't, then my concern is what do I do about Knotts Landing? You see what I'm saying? Because Gary's on Knotts Landing and the thing about this spinoff is that they don't ever really give you a timeline. You don't really know what's going on in any other city, which I love. They don't really bring up Gary, not a? Something has to happen. You know what I'm saying. He can't just be out of the country indefinitely. You know what I'm saying. He can't go to Europe to join the circus or something. He has to do something because they're going to leave Ellie at 75 years old. So I'm wondering what I need to do.

Speaker 1:

Part of me thinks, as long as I stay with Dallas first, like I get a little bit deeper into Dallas season five first, I should be okay. But I'm just concerned, like I don't know. I don't know how they shot the show, I don't know how many episodes they did, cause obviously they probably did some in 1980. Maybe they take a little break, they come back, I don't know. So my question to you OGs is do I, how do I? I want to word this in a way that nobody has to like say anything. They don't want to say Okay, I'll just talk.

Speaker 1:

My plan is to carry on as usual, but I do think I'm going to watch a few more episodes of next season's Dallas before I do Knott's Landing, and I think as long as I'm watching Dallas first, I should be okay. I just don't really know what this timeline is, because if memory serves me correctly, I think we're still in 1981 on Knott's Landing 2. I just don't know how close these shows are. Yeah, it's 1981 there. Okay, I won't worry about it until I have to.

Speaker 1:

But if you have any non-spoiler advice for your girl, let me know. Also, should I head to Dallas? Should I go? Actually, it's in Richardson, which is outside of Dallas. Should I go? Am I setting myself up? What do you think? If you've ever been, please let me know how the South Fork experience is or was for you. All right, that's enough jaw jacking, let's go ahead and jump into season four, episode 21, new Beginnings. Allow me to correct myself. I think I said jog dies. I don't know if jog dies. I know the actor Jim Davis passes away in 1981. That's what I mean. All right, but that's not the case today. Today is, oh God. I love it.

Speaker 1:

When we get close to the season's end they just really start revving up the story. But Dallas revved it up in a way, not with a lot of action, but with just some emotion, and it makes me realize why I love Sue Ellen so much. I think there's so much bubbling beneath the surface, and you'll see what I mean here. So the show actually opens up at a barbecue or some sort of function, some sort of potty at South Fork. Now, every time I see this, I'm assuming they own at least 40 plus acres.

Speaker 1:

I wish they would have the parties elsewhere. I understand sound stages are expensive and you can't be moving people around like that, but they are downwind of all these horses and steers and all sorts of other farm animals In Texas. Lord, I can only imagine what that smells like Cattle dung. Be damned. A party has to happen because Jock and Ellie are back together. They cutesy. They coupled up. They decided you know what, we're way too old to be divorcing each other. Anyway, you can have a piece of the swamp. I'll keep a piece of the swamp. Gary ain't never coming home. No more Ray's here, it's all good, everything is absolutely fine. So they're having a reconnection slash, bon voyage party.

Speaker 1:

Like I said at the top of the show, jock and Ellie are headed to a honeymoon. I don't know where they're going, not saying I don't care, but it ain't important because all the drama is here. Their drama's over. We got to focus on the drama at hand. Now.

Speaker 1:

The first piece of drama I consider noteworthy is that Miss Afton is there just singing her little heart out, and this time she is parlez-vous français, all over this ranch. La, la, la, la la. She's singing her little heart out. She sounds good or whatever. But the audacity of JR to have her there singing at this particular event, he's like singing at this particular event. He's looking sue, ellen, okay, let me just wax a little bit poetic about her just for a second.

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The whole ice queen facade. Miss, I'm stoic, I am trained. I will answer each question absolutely perfectly, because I was born for this. I went to finishing school. My mother trained me to be the best gold digger that ever dug anything. Last thing I'm going to do is let you see me sweat, but then when you see her sweat she is giving the worst side eye to this girl, like I can't stand this little half. But once again she's in a predicament where she can't really say anything because that's Lucy's sister-in-law so she has to keep it cute. But I love watching her facial expressions. She does not. I repeat, I don't care how poised she is, I don't care how good she is being imagined. She does not have a poker face.

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Besides the ambiance, the music, you know the happy people who came to celebrate this, what this party produces is two very important meanings. Number one Plunk Anderson has his eyes set on a large tract of land just outside of Lubbock. He wants to develop a housing community and JR overhears this. So he says, hey, why doesn't Ray take over? Ray's a Ewing now Let him go ahead and do his dealings. And this is very reminiscent of the same okie dokie pull to get Gary to flip out and walk away one more time from the ranch. Let me overload you with the reality of what it means to be a Ewing and to wheel and deal. And he knows JR knows that he's going to put a wedge in his marriage. He knows that he's going to put a big strain on Ray at the ranch and he also knows it's probably going to break him a little bit, or so he thinks Time will tell. There's not a ton with that this episode, but that's one meeting that has to happen. Ray needs to figure out how he's going to run the ranch and how he's going to meet with Punk Anderson about this new track and land.

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Now, while Sue Ellen was given after the once over telephone rings, a butler comes and says hey, miss Sue Ellen, you have a phone call. Does it properly? Does it say who it is? Well, the person didn't tell them but didn't blow up her business in front of God and everybody because Sue Ellen has been having an affair. You know what I'm saying? It would be very irresponsible. Well, I guess it wouldn't be irresponsible, it would be frowned upon if the maid service was like hey, your side dude's on the phone. He said something about a hotel. That's not what happens. So Sue Ellen goes to the phone and it's Alicia. You're like who is Alicia? That's what I said. Who is Alicia? Alicia is Clint's wife. You remember her right Sort of We've heard about her. He wants to leave her. He never been in love with her. He was only waiting on Sue Ellen. He jumped on that the first chance he got. It's Clint's wife.

Speaker 1:

Clint's wife is exercising a beautiful form of sales pitch lore where you call to make an appointment. Listen, I'm not great at selling things. It's not really my thing. I think I'm more of an artist. If you want to buy it, cool. If you don't, you don't. I totally get not wanting to buy things. I'm not good at pressuring people.

Speaker 1:

I did have a position out of college where they taught us this phone etiquette and my job was to call and set up appointments for people to come in and look at cars. What they tell you to say is you never ask them if they want to. You say when can you come? Y'all, forgive me, it wasn't the waitstaff, that's a later conversation. It is Lucy who answers the phone, which makes a lot of sense. Lucy has a little dirt sometimes too. You know what I'm saying. She's not really asking those sorts of questions.

Speaker 1:

Miss Alicia Ogden introduces herself as Clint's wife and says listen, I'd like to meet with you. I can be a self-work in 40 minutes. So Ellen's like oh, no, no, no, no, we can't do that. We're having a little family get together, can't do that. And so Alicia asks when that's what they teach you to say Don't ask. Okay, are you interested? What time? When's a good time? When are you coming in? When can you be there? When, luckily, sue Ellen is a lady of leisure, she says you know what Day after tomorrow I am free. We can have lunch 1230 PM sharp at Madison's. Alicia says no problem, I'll be there. In my personal opinion, a day is a little bit too long for me. A day and a half is way too much time. I think my stomach will be in knots because Sue Ellen has almost she's in a roundabout way, she sort of denied it on the phone. Alicia's like I need to talk to you about Clint. And so Ellen's like oh, I don't understand. Okay, you know what Good strategy Deny, deny, deny until you absolutely can't do it anymore.

Speaker 1:

Before we get into all that, I think it's probably important to get the bit players out of the way. Now, mind you, this bit players is a relative term when it comes to the season finale. Everybody is having a story they're clearly building up. Gotta talk about Bray and Donna. So we're fresh off of the heels of the the swamp thing deal. Jr is working his magic for whatever reason, don't really know. I mean he doesn't feel comfortable with Ray being a Ewing, or maybe he just didn't want him that close to Jock, I don't really know. But the encouraging of him JR encouraging Ray to go ahead and pursue this deal with Plunk Anderson, gives me pause, because they didn't really look into it that deeply. But maybe they didn't need to. I don't really know what his end game is here, other than to maybe scare Ray a little bit.

Speaker 1:

Donna was right there when this all went down and she looked absolutely nauseous, like oh God, he doesn't need to take this deal. So she meets JR, or actually she goes to JR's office the next morning and she confronts him about it. She's like you're not slick. I know exactly what you're trying to do. He's like my sister-in-law. I don't know what you're talking about. I have no idea what you're talking about. What do you think I'm doing? You're trying to set up Ray. You know he's not ready for that. He's like now. Well, if you don't believe in him, that's one thing, but he's a year in, about time he starts peeling his weight. Mind you, ray has been running the ranch since he's 15 years old. This conversation her ex-husband's memoir, when Bobby walks in.

Speaker 1:

Bobby wanted to talk with Ray about this cattle that was about to show up. Ray's been so busy he hasn't been at the ranch as much. Bobby's so busy now he hasn't been at the ranch as much. I almost forgotten that for a little bit. Bobby just wanted to take care of the ranch, but then he got into the solar deals. That didn't work out. Now he's a senator, so he was never going to stay put.

Speaker 1:

Ray has always been a sure thing and now he's not. The question on the tip of my tongue is is Ray's success a little bit threatening to those around him? Now I understand they're all wealthier than he is. They're all probably doing what they want a little bit more than he is at this point in his life. But also, he's always been there to take care of. Something could be reaching there. I don't know. I don't know what their intentions are, especially if he had already started handling the deals or at least been in the presence of Jock. I mean, you'll never know until you try. Well, donna was telling Bobby that Ray was struggling the night previous reading over all of the paperwork for this deal. I don't think she thinks he's dumb, but I think she just thinks he doesn't have a head for business. Okay, so that's happening.

Speaker 1:

Young Miss Dallas, lucy Ewing is in the weirdest splits position. Now, I'm not one to critique somebody's body. However, I am one to talk about Spanx and undergarments, as a woman myself. We do the most sometimes. I think this is one of the biggest differences between the boomer generation, the silent generation, probably the very early Gen Xers I'm talking all those Gen Xers, maybe in the 60s maybe and then the Gen Xers born in the 70s, the Zillennials, millennials, gen Z, whatever.

Speaker 1:

Nylon, pantyhose. There's a line in that movie, steel Magnolias, where Dolly Parton is appalled because some girl has not walked out of the house without her pantyhose on. She's like girl, I ain't been at the house without nylon on my leg since I was 14 years old. Her friend's like because you were raised right, and I've always laughed at that line because pantyhose are so uncomfortable. I remember being a little girl, my mom putting them on and she like pinching my leg to get me. Oh, I hated them so much. They do make your legs look good. But even as I heard that line in that movie I just kind of laughed. I thought she was joking. The more I watched these soap operas from that era, the more I realized she was not messing around.

Speaker 1:

Nobody did anything bare-legged, except maybe jog and not slanting they kind of. I mean, I think Abby was in the swim pool a couple times. Seems like it was just skin. But Lucy has laid out by the pool in nylons. Sue Ellen has laid out by the pool in nylons. Every woman on this show has done that. So Lucy's in the privacy of her own home, busted open. She's in a spread eagle splits on the floor doing some sort of exercise, but she has on nylons and all.

Speaker 1:

I'm a little distracted because you know that men might not know this Pantyhose it's like they cover your legs. You know that men might not know this pantyhose it's like they cover your legs. But the the area around your growing and your trunk, your lower trunk, is kind of double wefted, I suppose, so that it's supposed to fit a little bit snugger, not really a big deal if you're moving about in a skirt or a dress because you're not going to feel it. But if you wear that in pants and the crotch is just a little bit misaligned, it feels funny and it kind of gives you an old lady stomach. Lucy got a full on old lady stomach.

Speaker 1:

At first I was like what the heck is she Does? She stuff a pillow in her shirt. God, I feel bad talking about that. But it just looks silly to me, like okay, I guess she needed to wear that. I guess she needs to be on the floor doing the splits.

Speaker 1:

I guess she needs to do all that for us to know that good old Mitch has gotten over himself just a little bit. She and he are going to go sneak away to a cabin for their own second honeymoon. Love is in the air. I think these two, it's just it's timing. At the end of the day, mitch needs to realize that he was always going to be busy. It's really unfair to expect her to be waiting at home for him by herself. I think it's good that she has something to do and, like I said, she can't help. But her face card are so lethal. It just it is what it is. Yes, she happens to be rich. Yes, her auntie happens to know the guy who was running the contest. Yes, that guy happens to be in love with her auntie, but at the end of the day, if she was unattracted or untalented, it wouldn't warrant the success that she's having. But that's that on that with them.

Speaker 1:

Oh, back to Ray. Ray basically talks to Bobby one morning at breakfast, real quick, and he says I can do it all. I can herd cattle, I can go home, wash my behind, go to a meeting, sell some land. I can do it all. Don't worry about it. That's not the Ray, I know. I expected him to fold and Bobby's like yeah, me too. I guess he's getting a little bit big-headed or the man has had a little bit of experience. He's doing what every other Ewing did trying. Maybe he'll succeed. Maybe he won't kind of get the feeling he won't based on the way everybody's acting. But we're to find out a little bit later.

Speaker 1:

You ever notice in like a sitcom or shows like Dallas, whenever there's pictures of the cast in any capacity within the space of a certain character, it's always like the headshot, it's always this glamorous photo. This stood out to me when I was watching Dynasty. There's a picture of crystal. It's clearly her headshot. And then on this episode of dallas oh gosh, too many. Cliff cliff is in his apartment and he has a picture of pam that just chills on his coffee table and it's clearly a headshot. I'm like they don't have any. Why don't? You? Would think maybe day one or week one of the show they could just take like some casual pictures of people standing around at lakes and stuff. Just, you have a more natural looking picture in your house, doesn't matter. Clint loves his clint cliff. Third cliff cliff cliff loves his baby sister, pam, and he misses her.

Speaker 1:

This whole Rebecca JG Wentworth thing is coming between them. He don't like it. So he shows up to the store, tries to take Pam out to lunch. She's not interested. I can't believe you traded mama that way. And he's like listen, linda, listen. You can't expect me to feel the way you feel about someone I don't know. This woman walked out on me. I thought she was dead. Now she's not. Now I'm supposed to be doing back flips. It's not fair, it is unfair. I don't have to feel how you feel. Pam's like okay, cool, but how does she feel you're hurting her feelings for absolutely no reason. She wants you. Yeah, she made a mistake, but she wants you. Well, he gets upset and he's like you know, I don't want her. I don't want her in my life because you know what? She's driving a wedge between the two of us. He storms off and leaves. But then, I guess, after a long day, he picks up some takeout. He comes home, he stares at Pam's headshot and decides you know what, fine, fine, fine, fine, I love my sister, I need my sister. I'll call JG Wentworth. So he picks up the phone. He asked for the operator. Operator's like hello, who this? Hey, this is Clint Clifford Cliff. I need a listing for JG Wentworth, rebecca Wentworth. The operator probably tells him the number is 877, cash now. And he scribbles it down, dials it, but then has a change of heart.

Speaker 1:

Heart cliff's drinking has multiplied at least three times this season. He's spending more and more time in that seedy little bar that afton sings in, and by this point she knows who he is. So she comes over. She needs a little rendezvous. He needs a little rendezvous. So they take it back to his place.

Speaker 1:

Uh, post coitus, he's trying to catch a nap and afton is all chatter, chatter, chitty, reading whatever. She crawls over to him to tell him it was so great. I had a really great time. You're about the best lover I ever had. Now I don't know why she's saying this. I'm kind of thinking does she need a place to stay? Clint's more concerned, though. Cliff oh my gosh, I hate his name.

Speaker 1:

Clifford Cliff is more concerned with if he's a better lover than JR. She's like yeah, you are, and considering I'm not brainsy and boobsy, I'm no longer dealing with JR. He's chasing this broad called Leslie Stewart. Clifford Cliff is like that's nice, dear, he's still trying to get to sleep. She keeps talking. It's like that's nice dear, he's still trying to get to sleep. She keeps talking. Afton goes on about how she's not pretty and JR got turned down by brains. But you know, I never had a mind for his kind of business and he always had a lot on his mind, always talking about this or that.

Speaker 1:

Now this is when Cliff thinks, hmm, afton has had pillow talk. That's why she's so chatty. She's had pillow talk with JR. So she's talking about phone calls from here and there, whatever. So he rolls over. He's like do tell, so JR is super busy. Huh, he likes to be on the phone with you when he's with you. What does he call it? She's like I don't know, he goes. Well, why don't I make you some breakfast? You can tell me about those phone calls, or any of them to like foreign governments somewhere overseas. She's like, yeah, I think so, something like that. He looks so pleased, much more pleased than he did when he was rolled over of sleep. So Cliff has an opening.

Speaker 1:

Who knows what information she does or doesn't have? She doesn't strike me as the spying type. I really do think she was kind of smitten with jr in a way. I don't think she's as clever as chris who was, you know, keeping tabs on him, and she's certainly in a leslie stewart who is recording him. But that's kind of the long and short of it. He and aft I breezed over that. Yeah, clint cliff is sleeping with afton. Afton is sleeping with everybody's brother or brother-in-law. It's so weird.

Speaker 1:

Okay, speaking of Leslie, leslie is minding her own business. It's clearly after 11 pm. She is in bed, got on her silk robe, when she hears a rat-a-tat-tat on the door, she goes get it in edge, jr. He has come clear across town with an ice bucket, with a champagne bottle and two glasses. He wants to celebrate what he about to do? What he's about to do is divorce Sue Ellen.

Speaker 1:

Now Leslie is still playing her part. She's got her eyes on the prize, mind on the money, money on the mind. She says, darling, I hardly think that's a reason to celebrate. And he's like, of course it is. So they start discussing what else is about to become reality. And the reality is that with Jock and Ellie still together, there's no selling Ewing Oil.

Speaker 1:

But Leslie Stewart had a very, very interesting meeting that morning. She went over to Westar, knowing that they're one of the bigger companies in Dallas and she's trying to get her PR firm off the ground. So she presents them with a couple of free ads showing them what she would do on this project or that project. Free ads showing them what she would do on this project or that project. And the main guy, whose name escapes me at the moment, knows that she is associated with JR, and so he starts asking her hey, you know, this is all the work you do for him. I can't get JR to answer my phone calls. Jr is ducking and dodging him because they gave gave JR paperwork to have Jock sign so that they can go ahead and buy Ewing Oil. Only that never happened. Remember they went home. Jock ended up going over to Ray's house where he and Donna set up a reconciliation with Jock and Ellie. Anyway, that guy is trying to let's call him the chairman of Westar.

Speaker 1:

Chairman of Westar is trying to get with Leslie. He's trying to fill her out. Like are you sleeping with JR? Is what he's saying, without saying it. What kind of work do you do? You have to know we already have our own PR department. She understands that. But she's like well, I'm just here, I know you guys do outside projects. I'd like to be considered for one of those. So he starts asking again the chairman's like well, has your position changed lately? Is anything going on?

Speaker 1:

She's a bright woman, she's a PR professional, so she knows better than anybody when the ship is about to go down. She knows what to say, she knows how to present it to the public. She quickly deduces that JR was going to sell Ewing Oil. She also has tons of recordings of him. But she figures it out pretty quickly that that's who he was going to sell it to. And Mr Chairman keeps making moves with her. Like well, you know, if we are to share some common interests with Ewing Oil here in the future. We'd love to have you on board, really really love to have you on board, basically, offering her a job and then trying to get in her skirt.

Speaker 1:

She doesn't say much. So back to her and JR. Jr denies the whole thing. Well, no, this is not a good time. I would never sell Ewing Oil right now. That's just not going to happen is not a good time. I would never sell Ewing oil right now. That's just not going to happen. She pours a little champagne down his neck. So he'll have to leave. I can't sleep with you, jr. Good luck telling Sue Ellen your marriage is over. Blah, blah, blah. He leaves.

Speaker 1:

Tell me why she goes in her bedroom when her ex-husband is laid up in the bed. This woman has a plan and she follows it precisely at any time of the night. They can't even catch her off guard. And she follows it precisely at any time of the night. They can't even catch her off guard. Okay, yeah, jeremy's his name. Jeremy from Westar was trying to get at her. Jeremy from Westar also visits JR.

Speaker 1:

This episode, like I said, jr has been ducking and dodging him like he's a bill collector or something. Jeremy ends up bringing another guy from Westar to JR's office. Finally they catch up and they're like dude, you've never screwed us over personally. When are we going to get those papers signed? Jr says you know, my father and I spoke about this extensively and we don't think it's a good time to divide up the company. It's still going to happen. It's just not going to happen straight away.

Speaker 1:

Well, this pisses Jeremy from Westar off. He's actually very upset about this. He's like what do you mean? We have a deal. I expect you to follow through with that deal. Now I have to go to my board and tell them this isn't happening. Do you know how embarrassing that is? Do you know how frustrating that is, jr? Jr just plays coy like hey, listen, it is what it is. We've made our decision. He holds gosh. He has no shame. You have to be shameless to say these things with a straight face. But unbeknownst to him, clint Cliff has been on his scent for a little bit. Leslie has been recording him, so if she ever decides to jump ship, she has all the evidence she needs. Now. He's went and pissed off Westar.

Speaker 1:

So Westar goes back to his office, jeremy that is, and he talks to Cliff's homeboy from college. I think his name's David, the guy who's supposed to feed Cliff information. He just basically tells him okay, it's all out war. At this point he tells him I want you to go scorched earth, I want you to dig up every piece of evidence, talk to every single person you can think of in Southeast Asia. I want receipts, I want reports, I want everything and then I want you to give it to Cliff Barnes. I will not be satisfied till Ewing Oil is in bits and pieces and I want JR in jail. He done pissed off the wrong one.

Speaker 1:

That day there was a really funny scene. You know they all eat breakfast outside. Well, jr wakes up. I feel like he only went down there. He only ate like one piece of bacon. But he went and poked fun of everybody and just started a bunch of ish and left Very big brother energy. Okay.

Speaker 1:

So the piece de resistance, this episode is really our girl, sue Ellen. Sue Ellen, if you recall, has just ended things with Clint because she wanted to. He's not really her first choice. I've kind of thought for a while. He was just available. Jr doesn't love her, clint does love her and Dusty is totally unavailable. So she's like if I can't have Dusty, I don't really want JR, I'll take Cliff Clint for a little bit.

Speaker 1:

So day after tomorrow comes, 1230 sharp, she goes over to Madison's. Alicia is sitting down and she looks her up and down, down and up. Why, sue Ellen goes everywhere. Now Her costumes are getting bigger and bigger. She's wearing cream and she's got like this little shoulder shawl thing. She's wearing this big giant cream hat sticking out like a sore thumb.

Speaker 1:

So she says with Alicia, and Alicia just is pretty straight with her. She says I know that you and Cliff are having an affair. Sue Ellen says I think you have a wonderful imagination. Gaslight, gaslight, gaslight. Alicia's like well, I've known from the beginning that he was having an affair. I only recently put two and two together. I know it. It's you.

Speaker 1:

I'm not here to ask you to stop. If you could, that would be freaking amazing. But if you can't, all I ask is that the two of you do not embarrass me. Please be discreet. Please don't go gallivanting all over town playing tennis and little tennis skirts with my man on your arm. Please don't wear any ring that he gives you Basically, please don't embarrass me. So it's pretty clear that he doesn't know that. His wife knows he's not good at duplicity. But she could tell right away. She could tell the day he started having an affair that he was having an affair. She knows he doesn't want to hurt her. But she also knows how important Sue Ellen is to him. So she's like, okay, we can share him. Please don't embarrass me.

Speaker 1:

Sue Ellen is taken aback. She goes well, how, how, alicia, how could you live with this? How do you live with knowing your husband is having an affair? Alicia's like I love him, like he's my person, I'm in love with him. Sue Ellen says well, don't you want to leave him? No, I can't leave him because I love him. So it's a flip switches in Sue Ellen. Now, I don't think a flip switches at all. I think it's one thing to have an affair that's very casual with a man who's unhappy in his marriage and his wife is unhappy in that marriage. You know, if nobody's happy, then there's really no super love loss. It's still disrespectful. But I mean whatever On TV, on TV on TV Seeing this woman sit across from her and basically Jolene her by Dolly Parton, like please, just don't take them, we can share them, please don't embarrass me.

Speaker 1:

It breaks her heart. Because all Sue Ellen wants is love and if she has to get it from Cliff, that was fine until it wasn't. She can't stand the thought, based on her actions, of this woman being in love with this man and sharing him with someone else. That's not what she wants. She's like you know, I might be a side chick, but I ain't no killer. I can't destroy your heart like that. I couldn't do that to you with the knowledge that I now have.

Speaker 1:

So she does call Clint Cliff, clint Gosh I keep saying the wrong name. She calls Alicia's husband and she tells Alicia's husband they need to meet. Guess where he wants to meet. Oh, we can meet at Madison's. No, no, no, we can't meet at Madison's. Can we meet at the hotel? He says sure, sure, I kept the room. I had a feeling he is so pumped.

Speaker 1:

She does wait till she gets to the hotel room to tell him hey, this is just wrong. I can't really do this. I'm so sorry. This has to be the end of us. She tells him you have a wife who waited for you. Your wife loves you so badly that she waited for you. She basically knows you don't love her like you love me, but she wants you. And he's like but I've never wanted anyone but you. She goes. Clint, it's not possible. We're trying to make something work that didn't even work in school.

Speaker 1:

It's run its course. I thought I could live with you loving me this way, but it just I can't do it and I can't. Please don't leave your wife. I cannot break up your marriage over this. This is a fantasy. This isn't even real life. He is absolutely beside himself. He's still a gentleman gentleman. He didn't call her out her name, he's like but I love you, I love you. Alicia loves me. I love you. She goes. You know I I love you too. You were my first love, so I'll probably always have some sort of love for you, but it's never gonna be like that. So this has to end. I'm so sorry. This is it.

Speaker 1:

She goes home to play with her baby. Pam stops in. They have a quick conversation. By the way, rebecca Wentworth thinks that Pam should go to a doctor to make sure that she can't have kids. She feels like she probably can, but they're going to go together. So Sue Ellen tells Pam that she's always been looking for love, but the love she needs is right there in that room. It's all about baby John Ross Ewing III. I wonder if they're going to give him a little nickname. It's kind of a shame they gave Jock the name, because I feel like Jock should be the littlest one, but I mean it makes sense for him to be the oldest. So John Ross is eating grapes quietly and reaching for his mother off set while they have this conversation and as she's saying this, I'm just like I'm thinking to myself.

Speaker 1:

This woman does nothing but settle. She has been bouncing around. She wanted JR so bad. At first she wanted to hurt him when she got with Ray. Then she wanted to hurt him when she got with Cliff. She found Dusty. That didn't really work out. She's with Clint for a little bit.

Speaker 1:

She's just taking whatever piece of love she can get and although she loves this baby, I don't think that's the kind of love you're looking for. I don't know. I don't know if that's the kind of love she's looking for. I don't know if it's really filling that void or if she just like. I'm so tired of bouncing around, I'm so tired of being disappointed and I'm so tired of disappointing people and myself. Let me just focus on being a mom. Let me let that be enough.

Speaker 1:

It immediately reminded me of non-slanding the whole Ginger and Kenny episode. Is it enough? It's a lot and it's wonderful and it's irreplaceable. But I think she wanted to build her life with someone. It's one thing to go through all that pageantry and all that training and land a husband, but it isn't just the money you want. You want a good marriage too. So by episode's end she is resolved to just spend her time with this baby. This is what she's going to do.

Speaker 1:

Jr made a dig at her that morning about her not being an active mother. She didn't really give a damn. She's like whatever, I'm going to spend the day with my baby. He comes home, nobody's there and he thinks Sue Ellen is out running around with her babooski. To his shock, awe and surprise, he goes upstairs and she's in that fever dream of a nursery rocking John Ross Ewing III to sleep. Only John Ross Ewing is wide awake and she done passed out in the rocking chair. It happens.

Speaker 1:

I remember being a kid and I would always want to watch a movie with my mom. Our whole thing was we would watch those really cheesy movies on Lifetime. We'd spend the whole day on Lifetime doing our hair and watching those movies. But if I put on anything outside of that, she would, without fail, pass out. She'd be knocked out. I used to get so frustrated but I kind of get it. I don't really sleep through movies with my kids because I love film and television so much. But you know what? Sometimes I'll put a movie by myself and I do the same thing. What was it? I was trying to watch A Promising Young Woman. I think I had to start it over like six times. I kept falling asleep.

Speaker 1:

There must be something about seeing her in that chair with his son that does something to him. You can tell he was coming home to pick a fight to justify divorcing her so he can marry Leslie. He wanted to do it while Jock and Ellie are on their honeymoon, figured that was the best time to announce it. He expressed this much to Leslie, who wasn't super keen on the idea, but I know that's what he's doing. He's been trying to pick little fights with Sue Ellen so that he feels good about dumping her, but something about seeing her in there with that kid. It's like you can tell he's all uncomfortable.

Speaker 1:

This is probably one of the more dramatic episodes when it comes to JR. I haven't really seen him behave like this other than the time Sue Ellen crashed into that pole and had John Roshie win the third. Even then he wasn't as emotional as he is in this one, and I mean he ain't crying and carrying on, but he sees her. They go and he puts the baby down, they go to their bedroom and Sue Ellen starts talking to him. Like you know, my mom didn't want me to get with you. She had this other dude picked out. She tells him the guy's name. I totally forget it at this point, but JR makes a slick comment about how fat the dude is now and she goes. It didn't really matter. He had uranium, titanium, verbanium, flex capacitors. He had androids, the phones and the rocks. He had basically every mineral, every piece of whatever that's worth, something. He had it. Her mama wanted her to go for the highest one, but she just couldn't do it. She went for JR, she goes.

Speaker 1:

You know why I picked you? Because those beautiful eyes of yours are always hiding a little secret. There's always something going on. You see everything. You're keeping it to yourself. I was lured by your beauty, by your eyes, and he's like dang, you can tell that that's hit him right where it needs to hit. And he's like OK, wow, really Well, that's insane. She wants to know hey, what did you see in me? I was judging this Texas pageant and all those hot young girls and fine little bodies were bouncing around boopity, bopity, boo and looking all good and whatnot, trying to show off. And then there was you and I was thinking at first like where's he going with this? But he says you were just effortless. You have this effortless beauty about you. You didn't seem to care who else was in the room, you didn't care about anything else, you just were you. I just I had to have you, couldn't take my eyes off of you.

Speaker 1:

So he's, he's feeling it and he's sitting back in a chair, like with his head tossed back. You can tell he's kind of struggling with the thought, probably struggling with those new emotions, like dang. I mean, I was in or I still see her and she still does something to me. She threw him completely off at this line of questioning and these confessions and making him make these confessions. So I don't know. It's almost as if she wants something, she needs to feel something. Yes, the baby is enough, but he's also not enough. It's almost as if she broke him down a little bit. He's not going to say I want the divorce. He's not going to say it. She's looking at him. He's looking at her. She's just like why can't we just start afresh? Why can't it be like it was when we were first together? I mean, this man called her beauty, her sex appeal and her poise a deadly combination. He said it was absolutely devastating, and I can't stress this enough. He's in the moment. He's reliving all this.

Speaker 1:

They start talking about the first time she met Jock and Ellie. She was freaked out of her mind and he's like no, they loved you from the start. They loved you right away. They do now too. She goes on about you know, we had some good times. He's like, yeah, we did, we definitely did. Best thing we ever did is that little boy sleeping in the next room and she's like I'm saying, though, why can't we just, why can't we go back to what we were? Let's start afresh, let's get that old thing back.

Speaker 1:

Well before he can say too much, the phone rings. She reaches over. I'm kind of thinking it's jock or ellie or leslie, somebody. I don't know who. I thought it was. So sue, ellen's like hello, and she's listening. And then you see her kind of raise up, like her body posture changes a little bit and then you start to see her face drop the more she listens. She was that sweet, you know, kind of smiling, vulnerable. I love you, sue Ellen. But then you see the mask come on again. Sue Ellen, but then you see the mask come on again. It's almost like watching water rise in a picture. It just kind of okay, let me go back into survival mode. She tells him it's Kristen.

Speaker 1:

She just gave birth to a baby boy. You have another son, jr. What? Oh, oh, oh, my God, ladies and gentlemen, I couldn't even be mad. I knew that was in the back of my mind. I'm sure I've said it probably in the last 10 episodes. I knew that was in the back of my mind. Part of me was like well, are they ever going to talk about it? Is she just gone? Are they ever going to bring it up? I should have known better. Kristen, sue Ellen's baby sister. Right, and this is the part that sucks the most. He just said the best thing we ever did is that little boy in the next and we created something beautiful. That pretty little boy next door and her baby sister calls to say I just gave birth to your husband's son. I just gave birth to your son's brother slash cousin. Oh my gosh. Now this is going to be very, very interesting, because I don't know. They brought it up so I don't know where the kid is, I don't know where Kristen is is I don't know where Kristen is. I guess they're still in LA.

Speaker 1:

How do you introduce the child? Because eventually you know, and Ellie too. Ellie's gonna be able to look at him and be like god dang. He looks just like John Ross, who looks like JR, doesn't look like Sue Ellen. They're gonna have to make up some horrible story about a dormant Jean and great-grandpa uh, phidias, ulysses, whoever and how. That's who the baby looks like. Or he looks like a girl, but it kicked her.

Speaker 1:

I'm so concerned now. I'm so concerned. I know this is gonna drive her over the edge. There's no way. She's not. She hadn't been drinking all this time. She's going to start drinking again. I am so concerned.

Speaker 1:

But damn, shout out to whoever wrote that Baby. That's diabolical. That is diabolical. They were right. I don't know if I'm rooting for them to get back together. I like them either way.

Speaker 1:

You can forgive and forget a lot of stuff, but my little sister, who I have to see forever, and now she has a baby. Who I have to see forever is my oh my gosh, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm. Jr, you dirty dog. I hope Afton ain't pregnant either. I'm surprised he didn't have more kids ripping and running all over Dallas. Oh my gosh. Ladies and gentlemen, that's it. That's all for this episode. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. You can check the show notes. There is an option to send a text. I will hit you back up or you can email me at soplorepodcast at gmailcom. In the meantime, in between time, oh my gosh, I don't even know what to say. I don't know what to say. Stay hydrated, stay moisturized, mind your own business, do not introduce your baby sister to your promiscuous husband and keep all of your drama on TV. Thank you, bye.