Wednesday, July 25, 2012

EPISODE 8 – only this one and 2 more episodes to go until the season ends


When we last saw John Ross, he was in the back of a police cruiser being dragged away by Dallas’s finest.

Cut to a visiting room at the jail, where Elena is asking him what he was doing in FMarta’s hotel room. Sure, don’t ask questions about whether he killed a woman or not, or was involved in a violent crime, demand to know if he was with another woman!

John Ross  as always cleverly positions himself – tells Elena he was there to save her from the stalkery FMarta. Which he was, because he thought FMarta had kidnapped her. Which she wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been shtupping her and conniving with her against his entire family …

Anyway, the police have strong evidence … and they didn’t find a surveiilance camera. Whoooops.

Interestingly enough, he’s been in custody at least 30 seconds and hasn’t given up the Venezuelans yet.

BTW, Cliff Barnes better be in this episode.

Cut to Mommy visiting John Ross in jail. Sue Ellen to the rescue …she’s already hired him a great attorney and thinks FMarta’s death will be ruled a suicide. She also thinks he’s holding something back, and is protecting his father. But who is he protecting exactly, his father, or himself? Or both. He stubbornly doesn’t want JR to be called back in to clean up this mess. He comes clean to Ma about having slept with FMarta, but he won’t tattle to her about the Venezuelans. He says he doesn’t want to mess with her gubernatorial bid, but I would guess the press would already be having a field day about this. He also seems overly concerned that Elena will find out that he had an affair with FMarta. Should we remind him that someone is dead?

You want to believe he actually cares for Elena, but then again …

Cut to Christopher and Knocked Up Rebecca (KUR) in his Tesla, with vanity plates Ewing 6. Who has got Ewings 1-5. Anyway, she says “where do we go from here” which prompts me to break into song from Evita. Patti Lupone is a legend but I liked Madonna in the movie. Anyhoo.

He says he’ll take responsibility for the baby, she throws back in his face how traumatic his parents’ divorce was for him, and how all he said he ever wanted was for their kids to have two parents under one roof. Well I guess she shouldn’t have conned him and scammed him and broken up his previous relationship and gone through his paperwork and tried to set up his family and brought her evil “brother” into the mix. What were we talking about?

Oh right, Christopher’s anger. “will we ever get past that,” KUR asks. “I don’t know.” Powerful stuff. It’s hard to make an angry getaway revving an electric car.

Friendly local po-po is filling Bobby and Ann in on the FMarta situation, who she really is. Says things aren’t looking good for John Ross. Bobby says John Ross is ambitious, but not a killer.

Christopher walks in and says he needs to do something about a rig test blah blah. SOMEHOW in the midst of all the drama he has managed to keep diddling around with his methane stuff. When was he working?

Continuing in the theme of Nobody Knocks, Elena strolls in to the kitchen. She’s upset. I guess about the whole boyfriend going to jail thing. Christopher is unsympathetic, says if you play with snakes long enough you’re bound to get bit. He’s right. She counters that anger at John Ross isn’t enough of a reason to want him to suffer for a crime he didn’t commit. Huh, she’s also right. She reminds Christopher that he and John Ross used to be best friends. Falls on deaf ears.

Christopher chases the 5-0 outside. Oh, he’s the sheriff. Good connections. Asks the sheriff to run a background check on his “wife” Rebecca. I wouldn’t even refer to her as my wife if I were him. Does that mean he’s softening? Does the background check mean he wants to try and trust her again?

Either way, I’ve watched enough police procedurals to know cops get in trouble when they randomly run criminal background checks on people they are not investigating. I guess it’s ok if you’re the sheriff. Which reminds me, why didn’t anyone call the cops on Rebecca and Tommy? And WHY is she still living in their loft? He probably still has a joint bank account with her.

You gotta expect some interesting dirt will come out of that background check, tho.

Back to county lockup. John Ross struts even in an orange jumpsuit. For some reason he hasn’t had a bail hearing yet. The head Venezuelan guy (Vicente?) comes to see him, at John Ross’s request. John Ross asks him where the video footage is … general threatening banter … Vicente basically says he (John Ross) is responsible for FMarta’s death since he ratted on her.

John Ross says he’s going to come clean to the cops. Vicente threatens him in a general manner. Demands his oil again. John Ross gives vague excuses again. Says get me out of here, and you’ll get your oil.

Vicente says YOU’RE TIME IS UP. Duhn duhn duhn!

Exxon Mobil comes to see Christopher, wants to make an offer. He says he won’t license it. Nerdy looking people work at his eco friendly alternative energy joint.

Ann is hanging out with Rebecca, inexplicably. Is being very supportive.  Tries to bolster Rebecca’s confidence, blah blah. Tommy comes strolling in (doesn’t knock). Where has he been? Oh wait, I don’t care. Babbles something about Rebecca being his only family. Ann inexplicably offers Tommy a job on her cousin’s ranch in Oklahoma. Isn’t the guy a creep, a criminal, a conman? Why would you help him and foist him off on family. And why would he seems so excited about a smelly ranch job in Oklahoma, like he can’t get a smelly ranch job in Texas.

I wish they would just out Ann’s secret already so she can stop being guilt-nice to Rebecca.

Finally, somebody knocks! The Venezuelans, on Bobby Ewing’s door. Tells Bobby that they hold a lien on SF until loan is paid off through the oil. Will this force Bobby’s hand to allow drilling on SF??

The other option is the Venezuelans call in the loan and take the BIRTHRIGHT LAND. Bobby narrows his eyes at him … scoffs at the note and the fraudulent deal. Tells Vicente that he owns the land, but Bobby owns the mineral rights. And basically get out of my house. They really need better security at SF.

It’s time for a good shivving! Or at least a good beat down. John Ross gets his ass kicked with a warning from Vicente and a message to Bobby.

Random white dude lawyer says the lien is valid. Bobby wants to pursue the fraud charges and collusion and stuff. Yelling, loud voices, etc.

Family rushes to John Ross’s bedside. Something about internal bleeding. A Latino gang is blamed. Bobby immediately makes connection to the Venezuelans. Smartypants. Bobby wants to help John Ross make bail to get him out of harm’s way.

Christopher looks longingly at Elena who is looking sadly at John Ross.

Sue Ellen deals frustratedly with a coffee air pump in the hospital waiting room. Ann lends a sympathetic ear. Boy, Ann must be working off some MAJOR guilt. Sue Ellen says she’s going to have to cross a line to help John Ross. Ann assures her she’s just trying to be a good mother.

John Ross wakes up, sees Christopher at his bedside.  Tells Christopher that the Venezuelans will kill him just like they killed FMarta if they don’t get oil. Christopher says John Ross needs to come clean … John Ross says the V’s are too dangerous. Tells Christopher about the camera. Wishes he hadn’t been so desperate to drill on SF. Must be some good pain meds he’s on.

JR and his eyebrows are at a bar. Bum calls him and tells him about John Ross getting beat up in jail. JR is still obsessing over the Pakistani dude.  Are they really going to develop that plot line in the last two episodes of the season?

Bobby goes to visit Miss Ellie’s grave. I don’t think I’d want to be buried in my own backyard. He tells the headstone that he’s going to do whatever it takes to protect the family.

Bobby says until they can prove fraud, they are going to have to start pumping oil on SF. Boy he flipflops fast. Christopher says he can give the V’s something better than oil. He wants to start taking care of this family. He’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse. License his technology?

Sue Ellen goes to a morgue. Of course. She wants to strongarm the coroner into ruling the death a suicide. Offers him post of CME when she’s Governor. He doesn’t seem receptive to the bribe. But she threatens him with dirt she’s got on him.

John Ross’s criminal ward, late at night … the guard walks away … THE VENEUELANS ARE COMING! THE VENEZUELANS ARE COMING!

Oh wait, I see eyebrow shadows. It’s JR, back from Vegas and some imaginary high stakes card game.

Christopher goes to see Vicente in his phat Miami Vice type pad. V wants to reclaim his oil from Chavez’s nationalization. Why should he care about Christopher’s chunks of smelly cow fart ice? Christopher has his little pitch down with the ice and the fire.

Christopher tells V that he can harness resources worth more than all the coal, oil and natural gas in all of Venezuela combined .. offers them exclusive South American rights to the technology. They want ‘certain assurances’ that the tech works. He wants the footage. Will C turn out to be the best wheeler dealer in the family?

Wait, was JR really there, or was it a dream? An nice reference to the dream season of Dallas 1.0?

Sue Ellen goes to see John Ross at the hospital, detective walks in, says charges have been magically dropped. Sue Ellen looks smug … but turns out charges were dropped since the camera was mysteriously located on the roof of the hotel. Either Christopher or JR had something to do with it.

SE cashed in her chips for nothing. The ME ruled it a suicide even tho it clearly wasn’t which means he screwed up, put his career and life on the line, for nothing and now a killer goes free. Oh well.

John Ross and Christopher make up. They are just two good ol’ boys trying to make their daddies proud. John Ross limps off with Elena.

Now that John Ross is safe, they need to figure out a way to get SF back.

Christopher is now dancing with the devil. 

Sheriff dropped off the background check.

SE confesses to Ann that she bribed a medical examiner. Now she’s regretting crossing that line. Probably because she did it for naught.

Christopher goes to Rebecca’s place – oh wait, his place. Tells her the background check came back clean. But he’s not sure he can let all the anger and distrust go. He asks her if there any more secrets. Of course she says no.

I don’t think this is something that a couple can move past …

WITHOUT KNOCKING, Tommy storms back in. he knows about Exxon going to see Christopher and the potential value of the technology. He wasn’t happy with the engagement and wedding rings she tried to pay him off with (shouldn’t Christopher have demanded those back? Dumass.) and he wants to sell it to the highest bidder. He gives Rebecca a big ol smacker on the lips and threatens to tell Christopher all their dirty little secrets.

I TOLD YOU THEY WEREN’T BROTHER AND SISTER. And no Cliff Barnes. Drat. 

Description of this episode, per the channel guide:
Ewings try to clear the family name; Christopher is approached by oil company.  

6 comments:

  1. Great recap. Thoughts:

    Why did it take this long for the show to reveal that dude isn't Rebecca's real brother? I knew it from the minute I saw them, because no one is ever what they claim to be on a soap opera.

    Fbrother's entrance: most egregious example of the lack of privacy and security at SF. Not only did he, a con man and virtual stranger, just walk in, no one even bothered to feign surprise.

    By the way, no chance Rebecca is having those babies. Miscarriage coming, perhaps after some kind of violent episode with her fbrother. Or, she has them but dies in child birth. Let's all agree: she's got to go away so Christopher can be with Elena.

    Is it wrong for me to be kind of disappointed that the jail thugs just beat up John Ross instead of using a homemade shiv? Is there any other kind of shiv? I guess we call commercially-made shivs "knives."

    I'm concerned that JR might be senile. His obsession with Cliff Barnes is awkward. Jeff claimed that when he lackey told him about John Ross' beat down, he probably paused for a brief moment, and then started complaining about Cliff again...

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    1. ARF, thanks for the comments. It is surprising that in a season with only 10 episodes, they wait for 8 to reveal the fbrother. I didn't think about the not carrying to term angle ... intriguing. I figured they would be the leverage she has to continually hang over Christopher's head ... and the show will torture us forever with the Elena sexual tension. I too presumed that there would be a shiv involved, what self respecting jail thug doesn't use one? Or a 'knife' for that matter. This whole Cliff Barnes lackey plot line better be satisfying, because yes it is odd at best and distracting ... like JR's eyebrows.

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  2. John Ross was the least-secure murder suspect of all-time. He had like 9 unsupervised visits in the 8 hours he was in jail...

    Also, I like how the Venezuelan dude is instantly convinced Christopher has solved the clean energy crisis becaue Christoper is able to set an unidentifiable white rock on fire...

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    1. Haaa guess Dallas PD better beef up their security. I'm telling you, Christopher has that methane pitch DOWN. how many hours do you think he sat around practicing lighting that igniter thingy? and am I the only person worried about what burning methane must smell like? Vicente is going to have to send all his white furniture, rugs and drapery to the cleaners to get that smell out.

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  3. Finally got to watch. I'm also thinking that the babies are not going to make it, especially after I saw the potential violence in fBrother. I was even wondering if KUR's scar was caused by previous beatings administered by fBrother.

    BTW nice Porsche Sue Ellen drives!
    Marcela

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  4. Things aren't looking good for the ftwins I guess, shame. I'm hoping they work the scar into the plot I need to know the backstory on that! Good call on the fbrother being the potential culprit. Wait until you see tonight's episode! I do like SE's Porsches. they have nice rides but I'm kind of surprised they don't all drive American. xo

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