Customer Reviews

Dallas: The Complete Thirteenth Season

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This to me was actually one of my favorite, if not my favorite seasons. I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through. I know ratings dipped after Linda Gray's departure, but for me she was not the show and I loved what was there. This season had an exciting hip new main title, which now included George Kennedy and Cathy Podewell, as well as newcomers Kimberly Foster, Sasha Mitchell, and Lesley Anne Down. I neglected to mention in my last review that Charlene Tilton also returned to the main title last season and continued here as well. This season was powered by a timely storyline about a Ewing Oil Tanker crash, Bobby's marriage to April, JR's tumultuous marriage with his second wife, and the arrival of the grown son he never knew he had, James. Jessica Montfort also returns to cause trouble, and Clayton and Ellie end up involved in a scheme which will bring Dusty Farlow back later. What is exciting about this year is the setup-you have some classic members of the Ewing family alongside some new ones and new enemies, thus making the year fresh and interesting today for those who neglected it when it first aired. It is the final year for Charlene Tilton, reduced to basically just a recurring character, as well as Barbara Bel Geddes, who left somewhat unexpectedly at the end of the season. The last year is sort of a tragic one about the downfall of the family, thus this year is very interesting dramatically-it is the last time that a full Ewing house and family is present and has some hope for a good future. Perhaps written down in this review one can't see the magic of the season, but for whatever reason, for me in particular, perhaps because for me 89-90 I was 4 and 5,the nostalgia of the era sort of creeps through. I think it was very well done, and I think basically the people in charge gave it their all and did a great job for CBS when they needed them-others may disparage it, but I personally feel that in terms of the whole story and how it was pulled off, it was very satisfying and well-balanced, and for me one of the most re-watchable. Also Starring Audrey Landers as Afton Cooper, Beth Toussaint as Tracey Lawton, Karen Kopins as Kay Loyd, Denver Pyle as Blackie Callahan, and Alexis Smith as Jessica Montfort.

I had a memory that this season was really bad, but it is far stronger than some of the latter seasons and keeps the flag flying for the great series quite well. Of course there is a gap with Linda Gray missing and a few too many new characters, but the invention of JR's long lost son is a stroke of genius and Sasha Mitchell's playing of him is a suitable mix of scheming sexuality and charm. Also introducing a vixen is a good idea, a few too many good girls floating around, we needed an Abby Ewing type to boil the pot a bit. In all, not a bad season, though as with season twelve, the standard of the prints vary enormously and none are of the standard of some of the early seasons of the show. One more season and a couple of telemovies and the collection will be complete. Best scene in the season; Barbara Bel Geddes (in one of her last great moments) giving Larry Hagman the letter from Jock. She is so missed and the last season was much poorer without her.
PS I wonder whatever happened to young Joshua Harris who plays Christopher, he is a fabulous child actor, so natural and unaffected.

I love Dallas,this is one of the best episodes and I can't wait for the next season to come out.Larry Hagman is just great as well all the other actors

While the remaining original stars (Duffy, Hagman, Bel Geddes, and Tilton) try their best, the loss of Linda Gray at the end of the previous season left a void that could not be filled.

This, the actual season TWELVE, has a mixture of pluses and minuses which could be listed as follows:

Pros:
1) The addition of Kimberly Foster as April's sisters Michele
Foster is not only a knockout in the looks department but does a pretty credible job as the girl who will do whatever it takes to become a success.

2) The return of Alexis Smith
Even though the storyline about the mysterious murders is really too "Murder, She Wrote," it's still good to see Smith as the Clayton's loopy sister, Jessica

3) Omri Katz and Joshua Harris as youngsters John Ross and Christopher, respectively
I wonder why the two actors were not asked to reprise their roles in the upcoming TNT "re-boot" of the series but they did get to effectively show their acting mettle in this season.

4) Leslie-Anne Down as Stephanie Rogers
Down is presented as a female equal to J.R. but is underutilized, appearing in only a handful of episodes. It would have been nice if the character had been introduced earlier to see how she and Hagman would've played off each other.

5) Cathy Podewell comes into her own
Podewell, as the latest Mrs. J.R. Ewing, is quite strong as a woman who must cope with her husband's infidelities and his every effort to run her off Southfork. She really gets to show her versatility as an actress, jumping effortlessly from scorned spouse to plotting her own brand of "payback."

Cons:

1) Sasha Mitchell
Perhaps, the idea of giving J.R. a "love child" was a good one but Mitchell's acting was not up to the part. And what was with the guy's hands? It's like the actor couldn't decide what to do with them, constantly moving them in an almost-Joe-Cocker-like-spasm.

2) The number two plus above is also a minus as well. Turning Miss Ellie (Bel Geddes) and Clayton (Howard Keel) into Jessica Fletchers comes across as nothing more than "let's-give-the-old-folks-something-to-do-before-they-ride-off-into-the-sunset." It was just dumb.

3) Jeri Gaile as Carter McKay's wife Rose
Though Gaile plays her part well, the question always arises as to "What's the point of having her character in the show in the first place?"...other than to have her flounce around the house in skimpy attire.

4) Bobby and April
Sorry, but they're about as exciting as Ray and Donna. Let's face it. Bobby (Patrick Duffy) was only interesting when he was with Pam.

5) The season finale
This is possibly the dumbest one in the show's history, ranking up there with a certain shower scene!

The DVD itself lacks in picture and sound quality. Occasionally, there is some discoloration as well as sound fading. Only English subtitles are available.

I WAS GLAD TO GET THIS SEASON OF DALLAS....IT WAS GREAT TO WATCH AND WILL PROBABLY BE WATCHING THE SERIES AGAIN....

Although I miss the characters that are no longer present in the later seasons, Pamela and Sue Ellen amongst others, I still thought this season was a good one and I enjoyed it. There was still plenty of drama and J.R. is up to his usual antics but knowing you are coming close to the end of the Dallas series is sad! I don't like how the family somewhat starts to fall apart and Ewing Oil is no longer strong and powerful like it once was. But I am looking forward to Season 14 coming out!

This dvd came to my house in just a matter of days and in very good condition.

Love this it is the 13th addition to my collection . I will be collecting the whole series. Great condition , sound a little low but so far all of these remastered dvds have had that issue.

First of all its great that this seasons transfers were remastered color and sound and far cry from last seasons year 12 dvd set.Lots of things help this old show stay fresh including a new opening revamped credits and new cast members and good bye to oldies like Donna, Ray, Pam and even Sue Ellen, yet the show carries on with new fresh faces and story lines. I have enjoyed this dvd set immensely

Another great dallas season will be released in 13th of April and only one full season is left to complete the series and 3 tv movies which i hope they will be released after dvd season 14 is being released and i'm talking about the 1986 prequel DALLAS:THE EARLY YEARS and the post series movies, 1996 JR:RETURNS and 1998 WAR OF THE EWINGS.
Season 12 ended with sue ellen threating JR with releasing the movie about him which was hardly a cliffhanger which was normally left out of the fav Dallas top 10 cliffhangers as they were voted by the dallas fans and u can see this top 10 in one of the dallas dvd seasons releases as a special feature. From the 13 regular seasons the three clifhangers which were left out of the top 10 were the clifhangers of DVD SEASON 5 (Clif hospitalised), season 12 (sue ellen treatens JR) and season 13 finale.
With hopes of a new and final reunion movie i leave u to enjoy the rest of the dalla seasons and let's hope we get a full prequel dallas series which will tell the events set between the arise of jock ewing and the events of dallas dvd season 1 in 1978.
I hope if they do this series they do it right.