Dallas: Season 9

Admittedly, this has become my favorite season (so far in the series). I actually debated whether I should skip this season altogether, since we know now that it wasn't "real". This season had such stellar performances and storylines, that it was actually disappointing when I started season 10, and they were all returned to their whiny, self-absorbed selves that they had been at the end of season 8. It was especially sad to see that the whole storyline with Ray and Donna losing their Downs Syndrome baby and then adopting Tony, never happened. ALL the characters had come so far in this season, that it didn't even seem worth it just to have Bobby back. Of course, we all know how famous this "dream season" is in the history of television, but looking back, it really is a shame that some of the stories and arcs couldn't have been continued in the coming seasons. Even though it brought Patrick Duffy back, it seemed to create the end for so many of the other characters (Pam, Donna, Ray, Jenna, Jaime, etc). Obviously, some may have left the show regardless, but it definitely has changed the entire "tone" of the series for me. Of course, I'm only 4 episodes into season 10 at this point, so I may change my mind on this as it progresses.

I am a huge 'Dallas' fan and yet I find myself on the fence about this Ninth Season. When stacked up against the previous seasons released, the ninth is just strange, oddly paced and not as exciting and thrilling as the previous ones. Is it good? Yes, of course, but it's just an average good, not the 'great' stamp you could put on the other seasons.

What you'll like about The Ninth Season is how we finally get a break from all the 'fight for Ewing Oil' saga. There is a plot element of this season that I won't spoil that has someone new moving into Bobby's now vacant office, but I never really perceived this as a fight for control as in the previous seasons. With Bobby out of the picture, the show seemed to shift the focus from the Ewing men to the Ewing women. Did it work? I thought so. Linda Gray's performance early on in this season is just beyond words. We get to see Sue Ellen's descent into pure drunkdom and how she falls to pieces as a result. I liked that Miss Ellie (played again by Barbara Bel Geddes) steps in this season and instead of always being whisked away by Clayton to some exotic vacation as in the previous seasons, Miss Ellie stays put at Southfork and realizes that she needs to keep everyone in line. We see a very strong, determined, motherly but wise Miss Ellie pretty much set everyone straight. The other women of the show including Donna, Pam and Jenna all have rather big plot arcs that dominate the season. The show even added a femme fatal character, Angelica Nero, to shake things up. I enjoyed the break from the usual oil and fight for the business plots and the focus being on the family and the characters as they cope with Bobby's lost and try to find new paths and directions in their lives.

What you won't like is the pacing. I found this season to be rather uneven, unfocused, always seeming to shift and switch to different plots which left me as a viewer feeling jarred and confused. I still don't really understand the entire Angelica Nero plot; she seemed to be added in just to wear fancy clothes and threaten J.R. and Jack Ewing. Then we have Pam in the middle of the season going off to Colombia ... something else that left me wishing the focus of the show stayed on the city and happenings in and around Dallas, Texas. Sue Ellen's sobriety seemed to come too quickly from her departure from the sanatorium. There is also a point in the season where things that happened early on seem to be forgotten; Sue Ellen's re-adjusted quickly and not speaking of her early-season troubles, J.R. oddly goes from wanting to do away with Sue Ellen to being obsessed with re-capturing her heart, Jenna is over-the-top obsessed with Bobby until the final episodes of the season ... it was just confusing and a jumble of plots and odd behaviors and plots.

I won't touch the final episode of the season 'Blast from the Past' though many have already spoiled it. I think it's that episode that really leaves me on the fence about this season. The show appeared to have taken a big chance with many characters and even some plots such as Donna and Ray's pregnancy/child situation, but one episode pretty much undoes it all. An entire season of development, of confrontations such as one between Pam and Jenna that was a major twist, or Cliff finally coming to respect Jamie, undone to be re-written for the next season. Depending on your take of the season, it may have been a good or bad thing.

In all, this season was just okay for me. It is fun to watch knowing that it's a dream because there are sudden hints and allusions dropped throughout the season that hint that most of this is just a dream. There was a grittier feel to at least half the season - the second half felt more soap opera, over-the-top like similar to 'Dynasty' rather than having the drama edge of the past seasons. I also felt the quality of the DVD transfer could have been a bit better. In all, good, but not a great season. Check it out.

I actually liked this season a little better than season 8. Once we get past the episodes about Bobby's passing and Sue Ellen's drinking it becomes fairly enjoyable.
The first few episodes have JR unfairly lashing out at Sue Ellen, Dusty and everyone else over Bobby's death. This seems a bit contrived or something to me. After all this is the ninth season that we have had to suffer through JR and Sue Ellen's most recent separation, divorce and custody battle and reconciliation. The episode that begins with Sue Ellen having a nightmare about being chased through the woods is bit much. Thankfully, they finally have Sue Ellen drying out and at least we have the impression that things can go forward in a different direction as this recurring conflict between JR and Sue Ellen had become dangerously close to self parody.

This season did seem to offer an attempt to go forward in a different direction. Bobby's death, Pam taking his place at Ewing Oil, Mark Graison's return, Sue Ellen drying out, etc. Only a few of the story lines seem kind of far fetched or just plain dumb.

The Emerald mine story seemed just plain dumb; as if Pam, after being sent on a wild goose chase last season to find Mark Graison who is presumed dead will suddenly venture to the jungles of South America for what ever reason she went there. Surprisingly, it seemed to make sense that upon her return she decides to sell JR her shares of Ewing Oil, thus giving JR what he's always wanted anyway, as well as Pam ridding herself of what she seemed to feel caused the all of the family's problems. JR has always been the only one who actually cared about the company anyway. This would also end the tiresome worn out, recycled story lines about who will control Ewing Oil this season and finally let JR have it.

The second weak story line is even dumber than the Emerald Mine story. The Angelica Nero story line - Angelica's husband Dmitri Marinos is either dying or already dead and has apparently written Angelica out of his will. Angelica finds that Jack Ewing is a dead ringer for the ailing Dmitri and plans to have Jack stand in for Dmitri at a masquerade ball on board a yacht in Greece. This will convince the public that Dmitri is still alive and well. Angelica will then forge Dmitri's signature on a new will naming her a sole heir of Dmitri Marinos Shipping. Jack Ewing standing in for Dmitri and cousin JR will be killed during an explosion on the yacht and Angelica will inherit Marinos shipping. However, something goes wrong with her plan. Jack and JR both look just plain ridiculous in the costumes at the ball. Angelica begins to suspect someone in her inner circle has betrayed her. Her assistant, Grace has actually fallen for Jack and warns him and JR that they are in great danger. At the ball when all Hell breaks loose Jack and JR head for hills or more accurately back to Dallas. Angelica gets caught in her own trap when she tries to kill JR. Since this is the dream season we never find out what became of that explosion at Ewing Oil or Jamie's car explosion which was meant for Jack. Strangely enough, of course, or maybe not so strangely the weakest storyline was the return of Bobby in the very last scene when we find out that it was all just a dream.
Another noticeable flaw is that we continue to see JR's schemes fail to accopmlish anything. Remember back in the classic Dallas era JR Ewing always covered his tracks and never left any stone unturned. This will eventually turn JR into a loser and more a black sheep, screw up rather than a villain.