Customer Reviews

Dallas: The Complete Tenth Season

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is one of my absolute favorite seasons of the show. To me actually, this is where the real show begins-I'm a tremendous fan of the later years and these are the releases I have really been waiting for. With Patrick Duffy back, and Dack Rambo in the main title, and also starring Steve Forrest, Deborah Shelton, Jenilee Harrison, and Sheree J Wilson, this season is of course infamous for returning the show to "reality" by making the last year a dream. However, with Leonard Katzman and David Paulsen back in charge of the show, the real Dallas came back after the disappointing and weak year without Bobby. There is excitement, intrigue related to the oil business, bad behavior, reunions and breakups that had been waiting to happen, and huge epic events for the show as a whole. Just in general it is the show at it's best, with yet another classic cliffhanger.

After watching season 10 of "Dallas", I realized a couple of things. First of all, the picture quality is disappointing compared to the earlier seasons. It almost looks like VCR-quality picture at times. Secondly, it is a nice comeback season after the horrible 9th season which turned out to be a dream. Thirdly, while it is enjoyable, it is generally uneven and does not capture the magic of the terrific earlier seasons (seasons 3 through 7).

Some of the major storylines during the season include J.R.'s secret dealings with a terrorist, the return of Jock Ewing in the body of Wes Parmalee, Sue Ellen's master plan to get even with J.R., the whole Bobby/Jenna/Pam/Ray/Donna love triangle, and the whole Cliff/April/Jamie/Jack connection.

First let's start with the best storyline: J.R.'s dealings with a terrorist. With the American oil industry struggling, J.R. secretly comes up with an idea to hire a mercenary to blow up oil fields in Saudi Arabia to help increase the price of oil. With each subsequent episode, J.R. seems to get in deeper and deeper. Eventually it reaches a point where people lives are on the line and J.R.'s money cannot get him out of this situation. You begin to realize that J.R. has really stepped over the line this time. This is more than the blackmailing of a top official. People's lives are seriously put at stake here. However, J.R., true to form, explains it to the family as if he was an innocent bystander sucked into a terrorist's plot and then had the courage to blow the whistle. This storyline and its aftermath ran the bulk of the season and ultimately brought major changes going into season 11. It made for great drama, as you knew that the terrorist was dangerous and you waited for his next move. The aftermath helped to bring Jeremy Wendell to the forefront. In my opinion, the Jeremy Wendell was one of the most underused characters on the show. He was just as ruthless as J.R but unlike J.R., he had no loyalties or no relationships. He was much more of a serious threat to the Ewings than Cliff, Wes Parmalee, Carter McKay or anyone else ever was. Unfortunately, the producers did not seem very keen on the Wendell character and preferred to give increased screen time to lame characters such as Wilson Cryder, Casey Denault, and Ozwald Valentine.

Another good storyline was Sue Ellen's newfound emotional strength. In previous seasons, there was a cycle with the Sue Ellen character. Sue Ellen finds out that J.R. is cheating. Sue Ellen herself cheats. Sue Ellen suffers a setback in that relationship. Sue Ellen turns to the bottle. Sue Ellen reconciles with J.R. and pretty soon the cycle start all over again. However in season 10, the producers decided to break that cycle by giving Sue Ellen a company in which she can use to come up with a master plan to humiliate J.R. and his new mistress Mandy Winger. Instead of being upset when the plan unravels, J.R. actually tips his hat to Sue Ellen. She responds by saying that she learned from the best. This would ultimately lead to another reconciliation going into the next season.

The third major storyline is the Wes Parmalee as Jock revelation. While the storyline is entertaining, it is so far-fetched that it actually becomes unintentionally funny at times. In soap operas, a plane crash is a convenient way to kill off a character. It is convenient because, with no body found, it always leaves the door open for that character to be resurrected. In "Dallas" alone, four characters died in plane crashes (Dusty Farlow, Jock Ewing, Rebecca Wentworth, Marc Graison). Out of the four, three were brought back in some capacity. Dusty was brought back as himself. Marc was brought back as part of a "long dream" by Pam. Now, it was Jock's turn to come back. It would have been one thing to actually bring back the real Jock. But to bring him back in the body of someone else who is much shorter and talks differently is another thing. This unbelievability led to many scenes where I found myself laughing for all the wrong reason. Who could forget the scene where he gets up at the Oil Baron's Ball and states the Jock Ewing Memorial Scholarship should no longer exist because he is still alive and that all Ewing Oil business will go through him. I know that the producers were trying to create tension in the family and create a threat to the ownership of Ewing Oil. However, there are much more believable ways to do this without straining credibility.

The fourth major storyline was the whole Cliff/April/Jamie/Jack connection, which for the most part did not work very well. The Jamie and Jack Ewing characters were very inconsistent. All the major screen time that they previously had was erased by the dream season. It was almost as if the producers did not know what to do with them. The Jamie Ewing character was almost a walking contradiction. She hated the Ewings and all they stood for, yet she married Cliff who was really no different. Like with Cliff's previous girlfriend Afton, you were constantly wondering what she saw in Cliff, who treated her like dirt. After the whole battle for Ewing Oil with Cliff, the Jamie character became somewhat useless. Her brother, Jack Ewing, at first came across as very arrogant and self-absorbed. However, some time between the end of season 9 and beginning of season 11, he all of a sudden became morally righteous. Then all of a sudden when you felt that there would be some sort of conflict between him and either Cliff or the Ewings, he just disappeared into thin air. It was to the point where he was referred to more than he was actually seen. Midway through the season, Jack's ex-wife, April Stevens, was introduced. While April eventually becomes a beloved character, she was very lame and unconvincing when she first appeared on the scene. She was almost the exact same character as Marilee Stone, who is impressed with money and sleeps her way to the top. However, I think that the producers soon realized that with Victoria Principal leaving the show, they needed to find a love interest for Bobby. Hence, they decided to make April a much more likable character.

Lastly, the whole Bobby/Jenna/Pam/Ray/Donna love triangle just did not work at all. The Jenna character was one of the worst characters to appear on the show. She had absolutely no charisma and it made no sense why Bobby would be attracted to her. While she should have just been a bump in the road for Bobby and Pam, the producers decided to keep her on the show for 5 seasons (4 real seasons + one dream season). When Bobby left her for Pam, you would think that she would have less screen time or even be banished from the show. However, the producers decided to create a brilliant plot where she becomes pregnant with Bobby's child right before Bobby marries Pam and she ends up in a relationship with his half-brother Ray who is having a baby with his estranged wife Donna who spends most of her time in Washington and is romancing a Senator. Do you follow all that? It almost plays out as bad as it sound. Except for Bobby, all of these characters are just plain tiresome and have long outlived their usefulness. Pam just becomes too emotional and sappy that it seems like in almost every scene she is either crying or berating J.R. or Cliff. With the Ray character, it seemed like the producers always tried way too hard to come up with story lines for him. I mean how interesting can you possibly make a ranch foreman on a show about power and deception. He was once a prominent cast member but being with Jenna really brought his character down. With the divorce, his soon-to-be ex-wife Donna also becomes obsolete to the show. She travels to Washington and becomes so independent of the rest of the cast that you almost felt that she was on her own spin-off show. Her only connection was through occasional meetings with Ray. When the producers thankfully remove her character from the show at the end of the season, you realize how pointless the whole Washington/Senator Dowling angle really was.

To summarize, while season 10 is uneven, it still has some good enough storylines that make it interesting enough to want to keep watching. While the show is long removed from the glory years, it still manages to surprise you and keep you guessing at times.

Dallas is the greatest drama series, I have ever watched. I am glad that Season 10 is coming on January 13, 2009. This season is the last one for Donna Krebbs and Pamela Barnes Ewing. I hope Warner Bros. has plans for the 4 remaining seasons, in the near future. Please release them on DVD, after Season 10! I would LOVE to see all the storylines, of Dallas released on DVD.

Remember how each episode of "The Wild Wild West" began with "The Night of"? Or "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." used "The ____ Affair" for each installment? Well, the best way to describe season ten (really season NINE, but that's another story) would be to use the word "year" as a reference point:

This season, in no particular order) was:

1) "The Year of Valentine Lingerie" - In this storyline Sue Ellen (the one and only Linda Gray) becomes a worthy equal to husband J.R. (the Emmy-deserving Larry Hagman) as she becomes a successful entrepreneur and manipulator. Deborah Shelton, as J.R.'s latest "fling", Mandy Winger, is stunning as the symbol for the company, especially when she wears a big hat and a color-coordinated outfit. Derek McGrath is hilarious as Ozwald Valentine, the most unlikely designer of "naughty nighties."

2) "The Year of the Awakening" - Fortunately, the controversial "solution" to bring back Bobby (Patrick Ewing) is so quickly introduced in the first episode that viewers can jump into the plot devices for this season.

3) "The Year of the Comic Relief" - While Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) has always been fodder for J.R., in this season he becomes the show's true buffoon, getting involved in one thing after another, in his quest to get the family that "wronged" his daddy.

4) "The Year of Male Chauvinism" - The writers intentionally (I hope) poked fun at the train of thought by having so many sexist comments made by Cliff and others in the cast, as well as situations where the female of the species was treated with less-than-polite respect.

5) "The Year of the Minority" - While there have been minorities seen - and even given a line or two - in the past, this was the season that saw them featured more prominently. Teresa (Roseanna Christiansen), the Ewing's Hispanic maid, gets more screen time and even gets to say more than "Dinner is served". Dora Mae, (the statuesque and always coiffed-to-the-nines Pat Colbert) is shown and heard more frequently to patrons of the Oil Baron's Restaurant and even gets to react to the actions of her customers, especially in a confrontation between Cliff and Jeremy Wendell. J.A. Preston even appears in several episodes as crafty CIA agent Leo Daltry. Daltry gets to deliver one of the more memorable lines of the season, one that makes J.R. speechless.

6) "The Year of Departures" - Suffice it to say, this season sees several "PRINCIPAL" leavings, including one of the original cast members.

7) "The Year of the Secretary" - All three of the "girl Fridays" get some increased screen time from J.R.'s Sly (Deborah Rennard) to Cliff's Jackie (Sherill Lynn Rettino) to Bobby's Phyllis (Deborah Tranelli). Even Sly becomes president of one of J.R.'s "dummy" corporations.

8) "The Year of Jeremy Wendell" - William Smithers as the devious oilman makes a worthy adversary for J.R., fitting in prominently in the season finale.

9) "The Year of Ray and Jenna" - Though just as equally dull as "The Year(s)of Ray and Donna", the story does allow some decent moments between actors Steve Kanaly and Priscilla Presley.

10) "The Year of Wes Parmalee" - This is probably the most absurd of the season's plot lines, but it does allow from some stellar acting from Barbara Bell Geddes (remarkable as always as Miss Ellie), Howard Keel as Ellie's husband Clayton, and guest Steve Forrest as the-man-who-might-be Jock Ewing.

The sound and picture of the DVD are not up to par with previous compilations and there are no "extras," not even audio commentary on select episodes.

I'm looking very forward to seeing this season 10 of "Dallas," for I missed many of it's original run episodes due to having lost interest in the show's "storylines" after the excellent ninth season became a great big "dream."

I believe that anything explaining Bobby's "death" by returning him back to the show would have been much more welcomed by the show's fans, other than the whole ninth season being explained as Pam's "dream." This disrupted the show too much and caused the whole ninth season's great storyline's to unravel and the show's watchers were pretty much being told to "forget" the whole past year's events, due to Pam having had a nightmare. "You've gotta be kiddin'??" Many fans, like me, were no doubt asking themselves. If Patrick Duffy and the show's producers were so determined to bring him back to the show, couldn't the writers come up with something more creative than simply saying the whole ninth season had been a product of Pam's imagination as she lay sleeping? Creative? I don't think so, just plain lazy on the part of the show's writers.

The writers could have brought Patrick Duffy back to "Dallas" with a lot more creative options, such as; (1) Explain Bobby's death by saying that Weststar kidnaps Bobby from the hospital and allows the family to believe that Bobby has died. Keeping Bobby held prisoner at their business compound, they subject him to hypnotists, who try to learn more about what he knows about Ewing Oil and the various business' dealings concerning Weststar interests. Bobby escapes and returns home in "Season 10." (2) Mark Graison bribes some dishonest and greedy doctors at the hospital to fake Bobby's death and has Bobby moved a secluded medical facility. Mark learned that Bobby may live as a human "vegtable" and he didn't want Pam grieving her life away for him. Bobby recovers completely at the medical facility and at the end of season 9 we see someone in medical bandages sitting in a chair. A doctor and nurse are slowly removing the bandages from this person's head and face. A hand held mirror is held up to reveal the face...it's Bobby Ewing! Imagine the suspense of Season 10's first episode!

Just thinking about the many other possible "situations" that could have explained Patrick Duffy's return as Bobby Ewing, make me realize how much more fun the show could have been in future seasons and may have even extended the show's run for several more years. I'm a huge fan of all of the `80's prime time soap operas and enjoyed watching them as they originally aired, but I'm pleasantly finding that I'm enjoying seeing the ones that are available on DVD a bit more now than then! All of the "Dallas" seasons are highly entertaining and regardless of what season set you enjoy seeing the most, all of them are far superior to anything that's on T.V. at present.

Here is a listing of "Dallas: Season 10" episodes:

Dallas - Season 10 - 1986-87

1- Return To Camelot (Part 1)- Pam's stunned to find Bobby alive in her shower, the events from his death onward all a dream; J.R. seeks to divorce Sue Ellen; Cliff tries to unite independent oil companies; Ray and Donna's marital strife continues.

2- Return To Camelot (Part 2)- J.R hopes to get Donna away from Dallas; Jenna has problems with Charlie; a disaster strikes Ewing 12; Sue Ellen tracks J.R. and Mandy; a new ranch hand is hired at Southfork.

3- Pari Per Sue- Sue Ellen decides to embarrass J.R.; Wes Parmalee begins asking questions and seems oddly familiar to Miss Ellie; Donna's lobbying further strains her marriage to Ray; Cliff wants Jack's piece of Ewing Oil.

4- Once and Future King- J.R. tries to save the oil industry amid growing restlessness over Sue Ellen's lingerie business; Miss Ellie makes a startling discovery in Wes' belongings; Cliff zeroes in on getting a share of Ewing Oil; Charlie continues her rebellious ways.

5- Enigma - Wes makes a stunning claim to Miss Ellie; Donna is shocked when she calls home from Washington; Ewing Oil seeks a loan; J.R. uncovers some of Sue Ellen's treachery.

6- Trompe L'Oeil - Miss Ellie reveals Wes' claim of being Jock; Pam and Bobby's wedding preparations continue; Jack's ex-wife, April, comes to Dallas; J.R. starts expanding Ewing Oil; Sue Ellen's revenge continues.

7- Territorial Imperative- Wes' claim of being Jock is investigated; Cliff is interested in April's share of Ewing Oil; Jenna worries endless arguing with Charlie are affecting her health; Sue Ellen and Mandy continue embarrassing J.R.; Donna worries Ray is cheating on her.

8- The Second Time Around- Bobby and Pam's wedding day arrives, with Ray making a startling announcement; Wes corners Miss Ellie into having a meeting; J.R. tries to get Jenna to the wedding.

9- Bell's Are Ringing- News of Jenna's pregnancy with Bobby's baby interrupts the wedding; banks' fears over Wes' claim make them freeze Ewing Oil's credit; April plots against Jack; J.R. continues her scheme to raise the price of oil.

10- Who's Who At The Oil Baron's Ball?- Clayton feels he's fighting a losing battle with Jock's ghost for Miss Ellie; Sue Ellen looks to make a movie about her life with J.R.; Wes makes his claim public at the Oil Baron's Ball.

11- Proof Positive- Wes offers to take a lie detector test to prove he's Jock; Jenna is taken aback by an offer from Pam; April continues to look for a way to cash in off of Jack; Sue Ellen applies more pressure to J.R.

12- Something Old, Something New- Bobby returns to Jock's crash site to seek evidence to disprove Wes' claim; J.R., warned by the CIA, tries to disassociate himself from B.D. Calhoun; Donna's lobbying in Washington continues; Miss Ellie remains undecided on Wes.

13- Bar-B-Cued- The turmoil over Wes Parmalee finds J.R. and Clayton finding common ground; Bobby arrives with the truth about Wes, but someone beats him to telling Miss Ellie; Donna meets a charming senator; Pam forms a partnership with Cliff; Jack surprises Jamie.

14- The Fire Next Time- Clayton goes on a hunt for Wes Parmalee; Donna comes to a decision about her marriage to Ray; Jeremy Wendell makes an offer to Cliff; J.R. thinks the Middle East situation has calmed.

15- So Shall Ye Reap- With Cliff waffling over his offer, Jeremy Wendell seeks to team with April Stevens; J.R. hopes to contain the situation with B.D. Calhoun; with her pregnancy making things increasingly tense, Jenna tries to cut ties to Bobby.

16- Tick, Tock- Bobby feels Pam is overprotective of Christopher; Jeremy Wendell continues his plot to take down Ewing Oil; Ray and Clayton team in a horse-cutting business, each looking to forget their woes; Calhoun makes contact with Sue Ellen, who's unaware of his true identity.

17- Night Visitor- J.R.'s anxiety makes Bobby suspicious he's done something to put the family in danger; Cliff decides on Jeremy Wendell's proposal; April continues to seek her old share of Ewing Oil; Ray wants custody of him and Donna's child.

18- Cat and Mouse- J.R. confesses to Bobby about the B.D. Calhoun situation; Ray goes to Washington to be with a hospitalized Donna, but is miffed when Senator Dowling comes to visit; Sue Ellen is feared to have begun drinking again when she doesn't make it home one night; Cliff proceeds with Jeremy's plan.

19- High Noon For Calhoun- J.R. and Bobby take their families to California in attempt to avoid Calhoun's wrath; Cliff's risky deal with Jeremy Wendell continues; Donna is courted further by Senator Dowling; Miss Ellie and Clayton begin to reconnect.

20- Olio- J.R. recuperates from the shooting, with Bobby filling in as head of Ewing Oil; Cliff demands to know where Pam's loyalties lay; Donna and Senator Dowling grow closer; Charlie wonders why Ray is staying away from her and her mother.

21- A Death in The Family- Jamie's death puts ownership of 10% of Ewing Oil into question; Ray ponders smearing Donna during divorce proceedings; J.R. and April search for Jack; Sue Ellen gets a new Valentine Girl for her Dallas store.

22- Revenge of The Nerd- Cliff claims he'll own Jamie's 10% of Ewing Oil, setting off J.R. into accusing Pam of plotting with her brother; Ray decides how to best handle his divorce from Donna; Miss Ellie snaps over the continued unrest at Southfork.

23- The Ten Percent Solution- J.R. seeks to get Cliff blamed for Jamie's death and acquire her 10% of Ewing Oil at the same time; Cliff seeks money to pay back Jeremy Wendell, as Pam's doubts about their relationship continue; Donna grows cold towards Senator Dowling.

24- Some Good, Some Bad- J.R. and Bobby receive surprising help towards getting Jamie's 10% of Ewing Oil; Cliff is questioned in Jamie's death and Pam learns of his shady deal with Jeremy Wendell; a visit to Ray's house leaves Bobby stunned.

25- War and Peace- Pam accuses Cliff of having a revenge obsession against the Ewing's; a court rules in the matter of Jamie's 10% share of Ewing Oil; Ray adjusts to life with Jenna and Charlie; Mrs.. Scottfield furthers her plot against Ewing Oil; Sue Ellen wants Mandy back at Valentine.

26- Ruthless People- Jeremy Wendell seeks revenge after J.R. and April screw him out of 5% of Ewing Oil; Mandy returns to be the Valentine Girl, but is actually after more; the family is outraged over J.R.'s ties to terrorists; Ray attends his child's birth.

27- The Dark At The End of The Tunnel- J.R. acquires Bobby, Ray, and Miss Ellie's shares of Ewing Oil, and is tested for loyalty by Sue Ellen; April seeks revenge for past wrongs against her; Clayton confronts J.R.

28- Two-Fifty- Miss Ellie has to deal with the thought of losing both Clayton and the family company at the same time; Jeremy Wendell continues to force Mrs. Scottfield's cooperation; Bobby and J.R. go to Washington to try to keep Ewing Oil alive; Cliff is suspicious of Pam's loyalties.

29- Fall of The House of Ewing- Jenna gives birth; Christopher learns of his adoption; J.R. and Bobby continue negotiations with the Justice Department; Mrs.. Scottfield and Jeremy Wendell reveal their plans; Sue Ellen and Mandy fight over J.R.; Pam receives wonderful medical news, and races toward home to tell Bobby.

On to "Dallas: Season 11" and beyond!!!!!!

Wish tv today was like this. U still get glamour, sex, violence and intrigue without everyone revealing their personal lives on television. THis age of reality tv we are in now just plain *beep*.

Let me first say, I LOVE this series. It is my favorite show ever. My low score of this review has nothing to do with the series, and everything to do with the penny-pinching way Warner Bros. is starting to put these DVD sets out. When they first started releasing this series they actually did a great job, spreading the episodes out across double the amount of discs they do now. Starting with Season 9, however, they started squeezing more episodes onto the discs. The trade-off has been a less and less clearer picture. Think I'm joking? Pop in a disc from the first few seasons and compare the picture quality to the that of Season 9 or 10. You will see a noticeable difference both in picture and audio. The reason, in order to fit more shows onto one disc they have to compress the information (squeeze it, in a matter of words) in order to make it fit. It's like watching a VHS that's been recorded at SLP and one at EP.
Season 10 is by far the worse. They have forced 5 episodes onto a single side of a disc. That's nearly 5 hours. And as a result the picture is fuzzy as hell and the opening credits are jagged and flicker. It's unbelieveable Warner Bros. would give such shoddy treatment to a series that made ungodly amounts of money. The only bright side is they didn't start doing this until last season when most of the series has already been released.

Who knows, maybe the next season they release they'll find a way to squeeze the whole thing onto one disc. They can always edit the episodes down into Cliff-note 1/2-hour versions.

This 1986-1987 dallas season was THE LAST season in which all original cast members were present in the post jim davis era excluding charlene tilton who came back the next year of the show.
With bobby's return from "the dead" the show came back to reality with the bobby-pam-jenna triangle and with JR'S scemes as usual.
Remember this was the last season for pam and donna who were never to return after this season.
Ray and jenna would leave after the end of the next season and sue ellen left after season 12 so this season is the beginning of the end for the golden era of the show as it was the last who had all original cast members and the last which remained in neilsen's top 10 (almost as it was in #11).
Let's hope that the new dallas 2008 reunion will be featured in the future dallas season releases and until then we can find out what happened after pam woke up and saw bobby's "ghost" in her shower...

**NOTE- This review contains spoilers**

Who would have thought that so deep in its run, and after the off-the-rails fiasco of the "dream season", "Dallas" could bounce back so quickly with one of its best seasons ever?

After Patrick Duffy agreed to return to the show as Bobby Ewing in the second most-famous shower scene in history (behind "Psycho"), the writers had their work cut out for them in how to explain away the events of the previous season. This makes for some awkwardness in the storylines as the writers are forced to do some serious backtracking to get the plots rolling again. This gives the early episodes a strange sense of deja vu.

Pam and Bobby remarry but not before Ray blurts out that Jenna is pregnant with Bobby's child. Jenna comes off as especially bitter and angry this season, but Priscilla Presley delivers her best performance on "Dallas" during the scene when Pam offers to adopt the unborn baby.

Steve Forrest's original character Ben Stivers had to be re-written, because you don't just fire an actor like Steve Forrest. So now he's Wes Parmalee, who still has a mysterious interest in Miss Ellie--for good reason. It seems Wes is the reincarnation of the late Jock Ewing, which has Miss Ellie questioning her own sanity and culminates in a great showdown between Wes and Clayton (Howard Keel). Naturally J.R. is suspicious of Wes but it's Bobby who comes off incredibly hostile. Later, there's another great fight; this one between J.R. and Clayton.

Mrs. Krebbs Goes to Washington: Donna (Susan Howard) is still pregnant, but the baby no longer has Down's Syndrome. Howard looks positively radiant without makeup in the hospital scene after she's given birth to a baby girl. Her decision to get back into politics puts the nail in the coffin to her marriage so Ray hooks up with Jenna and she and daughter Charlie (who's now a defiant teenage party girl who hangs out with bikers) move in with him.

Sue Ellen secretly purchases a trashy lingerie franchise and makes Mandy Winger (Deborah Shelton) the face of Valentine Lingerie. The "pornographic" ads serve their purpose when they turn J.R. off Mandy for good and her clever scheme earns Sue Ellen his respect. Deborah Shelton really ups her game this season and delivers her best work on the series.

Jamie (Jenilee Harrison) looks stunning this season but she and Cliff divorce because he can't seem to help treating her badly. Later, Sue Ellen gets the phone call that Jamie has died offscreen in a hiking accident.

Shelton and Harrison depart "Dallas" in the same episode and Sheree J. Wilson debuts this season to fill the void (and move into Mandy's condo). Wilson plays April Stevens, ex-wife of Jack Ewing (Dack Rambo), who uses her kittenish, sly feminine wiles to play both J.R. AND Jeremy Wendell to get whatever she wants.

J.R. toys with the idea of bombing oil fields in the Middle East and hooks up with crazy mercenary B.D. Calhoun, but when things get too heated, J.R. sells him out to the Feds--an act that has serious consequences when B.D. retaliates by kidnapping John-Ross and luring J.R. to an amusement park for a showdown. It's all too over-the-top for it's own good, even for "Dallas". Jeremy Wendell blows the whistle on the whole scheme and the CIA catch up with J.R. for his actions which results in a huge scandal for Ewing Oil. This allows Wendell to finally be able to purchase the company.

The season ends with the surprise return of Katherine (Morgan Brittany) and the heartwarming news that Pam will finally be able to conceive a baby and carry it to full-term. That is, until the explosive season-finale!

Episode 13 of the season does appear time-compressed with everyone speaking in high-pitched voices.

A huge improvement over the dreadful "dream season" and being the last season with Victoria Principal, really the end of an era for "Dallas".

Four stars.

I was wondering were some of these epidosdes shot on videotape? Every other episode or so the transfer looks so bad. the show never looked pristine but all other seasons you could tell the show was shot on film and generally very saturated with color.

I am currently watching the 10th season and can't believe how bad some of these look. The writing and storylines for season 10 are the best the show had in several seasons, deminsihed by poor video quality.

Are Seasons 11-13 Just as bad?