Dallas: A Call to Arms Recap

TNT ran two episodes of Dallas back to back on Monday, April 8, “A Call to Arms,” immediately followed by “Love and Family.”

Last week we left off with the Ewings finding out their land had been confiscated by the State of Texas and “A Call to Arms” begins with the Governor giving a big speech about how this is a great thing for the people of Texas. Four Ewings, Bobby, Sue Ellen, John Ross and Christopher are waiting to confront hizzoner with their newly acquired knowledge that McConaughey is in bed with Harris Ryland. The governor calls Sue Ellen a dirty politician and she didn’t even say “It takes one to know one.” Young hotheads, Christopher and John Ross, get in the act, which must have made McConaughey laugh. John Ross gave his most dire look and said: “My father took down three senators, two governors and a vice president, and he taught me everything I know. Your head’s gonna look real nice above my fireplace, Governor.” Well, these young’uns still look too wet behind the ears to be afraid of so we checked up on their ages. John Ross just turned 34 on April 6th. Christopher Ewing is 31. His birthday is on August 18th.

Bobby Ewing tries to negotiate more time to make his loan installment while he tries to dig up evidence on Harris Ryland and his connections to Cliff, as well as what is illegal about Ryland’s trucking business. The search for Christopher’s mother is also on-going and Christopher points out that they need Cliff’s daughter, Pamela, in their corner. She still does not know that Cliff is behind the sabotage. John Ross is reluctant to tell her because of Pamela’s fragile mental state after the loss of her twins. Christopher says he knows John Ross cares about her, but she has a right to know. Why, we ask, was John Ross elected to tell her? But he was, and as predicted, she didn’t believe him.

Elena Ramos wants her bro, Drew, to tell the Ewings about Ryland arranging his bloody beating. Well, Drew can’t open that can of worms yet. She begs him to at least stay away from Ryland’s daughter, Emma, but Drew says he cares about her. Wow, a couple of dates and you’re in love, eh? But Emma tells him that he better stay away from her or the “next time my father won’t be as gentle.”

Governor McConaughey meets with Ryland and Cliff Barnes to convey his worries about the Ewings, but they are not overly concerned. The guv lets them know they should be because if he goes down, it ain’t gonna be alone. Christopher visits Ellis, the U.S. assistant attorney, about his mother, who informs him all her money from her shares of Barnes-Global have been going into a trust which is untouched. For all they know Pamela Barnes is dead. Christopher says: “Good, then get me a death certificate.” The attorney says he can’t just snap his fingers and do that but Christopher reminds him of a past favor. “When do you need it,” the attorney ask and Christopher responds yesterday.

Ann brings flowers to Emma room and sees a messy open dresser drawer. As she maternally rearranges the draw neatly, she finds Emma’s prescription medication. Emma catches her and Ann tells her about Sue Ellen seeing her high and tries a little addict-to-addict talk. But cagey Emma tells Ann Sue Ellen was drunk, not her, and gives Ann the medication saying she doesn’t need it anymore. When Sue Ellen drops by, she is pissed to learn of that point the finger in another direction technique, and warns Ann that mothers have to take a hard stance even if the child hates them. Yikes.

That was a lie that Emma didn’t need the medication anymore so she chases after a ranch hand named McCabe at the Southfork stables to get her some painkillers. She doesn’t have enough money but she has other assets he’s interested in. McCabe scores some Vicodin for her and Drew comes upon them locked in an embrace. Drew says McCabe is a loser and McCabe threatens to squash Drew “like a bug.” Emma’s not interested in being rescued by Drew, she just wants to get high fast, so she crushes her pills, the faster to inhale them, my dear. Doubles Yikes.

Sue Ellen’s quest to find Ken Richards proves fruitless so she call up J.R.’s favorite investigator Bum for help in tracking him down. The last time she remembers seeing Bum was in her rear view mirror when J.R. had him trailing her after her return from England. They share compliments and Bum says he can see why J.R. married her twice. Sue Ellen beams. J.R.’s hero status emerges again during a talk between Bobby and John Ross over J.R’s bourbon. John Ross says he’s lied so much that now, like the little boy who cried wolf, no one believes him when he tells the truth. Bobby pulls out a favorite J.R. quote from from Mark Twain: “A lie can make it halfway around the world before the truth can put on its pants,” and gives him a first hand knowledge about Ewing men and Barnes women: “It’s always Barnes first, Ewing second.”

Christopher announces at dinner that Pamela is as good as declared dead as far as he’s concerned. Sheriff Derrick calls trying to turn up something on Ryland’s shipment, but Ryland was anticipating this and is one step ahead of them. The Ewings try to pay for info from Ryland’s henchman, Roy, at the storage facility. Roy takes their dough, while playing dumb and reports to Ryland as soon they leave.

Cliff Barnes visits his daughter, Pamela, to seek forgiveness for his absence in her time of tragedy. As always, Cliff is on his “the Ewings will pay” kick and he also gives her the papers annulling her marriage to Christopher. But the seed of doubt has already been planted and Pamela is uneasy.

The bankers meantime have sold their loan to Cliff Barnes, and he’s calling it in tout de suite, like you didn’t see that coming. John Ross gives Pamela a call to make a few good points, like why does her father want to buy a worthless company if he didn’t have anything to do with the explosion. Cliff shows up to see her and crows:. “We did it! Barnes Global will own Ewing Energies tomorrow. … I’ll take care of that fine, and we’ll make billions on Christopher’s technology.” Pamela waffles, not wanting to believe what she just heard and asks why he would buy a worthless company. Cliff confirms her suspicions, then callously says about the babies: “I know this may be hard for you to hear, but the babies would have tied you to the Ewings forever. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.” Now Pamela knows and later runs to her knight in shining armor in the rain, for consolation. Pamela cries that Cliff will never love her more than he hates the Ewings, and John Ross picks her up and carts her off to bed.

Elena finds out that Christopher is trying to have his mother declared death. She thinks he’s being cold-hearted, like it’s a “business transaction.” Christopher points out that Pamela left him when he was 7, abandoned him, you might say, without so much as a fond toodle-oo never mind an explanation. The truth, Christopher says, is “she was dead to me years ago.” But Ellis has turned up evidence that Pamela Barnes Ewing might be alive, collecting her payments under the name Patricia Barrett.

Next Episode: “Love and Family“