Lifting the Veil Recap: Dallas (TNT)

“You’re just like your daddy,” “you’re just like your daddy,” that’s the constant refrain in practically every conversation someone has with John Ross Ewing and “Lifting the Veil” (Dallas, S3 E4) was no exception. Despite it being the Southfork wedding day of John Ross and Pamela Ewing, we lost track of how many people couldn’t find something more original to say. Well, at least Afton slapped John Ross in the back of the head. We love punctuation!

John Ross had to run off on an errand on the morning of the big day because his secretary Candace set up a meeting with Stanley Babcock, the railroad commissioner, who needs some convincing to let the lesser prairie chicken be endangered. Frack that chicken! On the way out, he runs into Emma and lets her have it for the lingerie stunt she pulled in “Playing Chicken.” She screws like a woman, he says, but acts like an attention-starved brat. Bingo. Emma storms off like the brat that she is.

Sue Ellen is skulking around, meantime, sneaking drinks between trying to deal with her son’s infidelity. Ann won’t hear of her saying a word about it and humiliating Pamela, who was originally Christopher’s bride and humiliated him. There were a couple of nods to the first Pamela going by her middle name Rebecca wedding. Lucy Ewing and Ray Krebbs were in attendance this time, too, and Lucy said it felt a little like déjà vu.

Who Plays Who on Dallas

It’s Harris Ryland, not Babcock, waiting to meet John Ross. Harris wants his files back in exchange for getting the fracking permit approved. John Ross offers to give him one – the one he wants the most. Harris agrees and gives him an hour to come up with it. Now John Ross has to make nice with Emma to get it. That gives Emma another golden opportunity. She stalls delivery so she can make John Ross late for the wedding.

And it also gives Harris a chance to get some photos of John Ross with two ladies he plans to use in a blackmail scheme. The file exchange takes place in some kind of club where Stanley Babcock is in a room with a girl in a dog costume. Can this be a brothel? At one point, Judith is even referred to as “the Madam.” They run a trucking company, a brothel and Harris works for the CIA? Pretty implausible, but hey, we don’t write this stuff. If we did, you wouldn’t be hearing “you’re just like your daddy” every 5 minutes. Before John Ross leaves, Harris warns him that if he’s smart, he’ll stop sleeping with Emma.

Back at Southfork, Christopher has wasted no time telling Elena that Nicolas is married. Elena claims that she is playing Nicolas but goes off to question him. Nicolas already knows Christopher knows because Elena’s brother is hiding out in his compound and tipped him off. Drew is wracked by guilt and grief over his part in the crime that cost Christopher and Pamela their babies and wants to come back to Dallas to turn himself in. But Nicolas tells him not to break his mother’s heart, to hold tight and stay where he is.

Afton, Pamela’s mom, came close to getting into it with Sue Ellen and she is still on the warpath when John Ross finally shows up. He pleads with Pamela to believe that everything he does, he does for her. But Pamela has already heard this lie from her own daddy, Cliff Barnes, one too many times. John Ross assures her they were meant to be together, just like he very recently assured Emma that he cared about her, and even more recently, assured Sue Ellen that his relationship with Emma was just business. In short, a John Ross assurance isn’t worth doodly squat.

Pamela relents and Bobby Ewing walks her down the aisle. Christopher jokes with John Ross that he knows where to go if he needs any advice from someone who has already been down the aisle — with the same bride. After the ceremony, Christopher sits alone and shoots a rueful glance at Elena dancing with Nicolas. John Ross stops by the bar, orders a bourbon and branch and informs Bobby that the “chickens have come home to roost.” His permit to frack is about to be approved. Vowing to stop him, like he did you-know-who, Bobby storms off and calls Babcock who says it’s a done deal. There is no way anyone is going to see him on the local news cavorting with a dog. Well, he didn’t say that, but you know that’s why. Bobby is about to blow a fuse for sure as Sue Ellen walks in. He has no more moves left, he rants. Sue Ellen says she does.

And so do Judith and Harris Ryland. John Ross’ secretary Candace has been on Harris’ payroll all along and their scheme to compromise John Ross involves those photos, a “Monica Lewinski” kind of dress and Candace, who sure as hell doesn’t look 16, does she?

After John Ross and Pamela drive away for their honeymoon, we see a panorama of how the couples and singles wound up that night. John Ross and Pamela in bed; Nicolas and Elena in bed; Christopher getting it on in the barn with Heather, the ranch hand and some time cocktail waitress; and po’ little ol’ Emma Ryland all alone in bed crying.

Nicolas has a big surprise in store when he returns to his penthouse. His wife, Lucia, is there and she wants them to give their marriage another try. At the very least they owe it to the children. If Nicolas doesn’t do what she wants, the Ewings are going to find out who he is and who he owes. Nicolas agrees but hola! The Ewings may find out without Lucia’s help. Bobby has already put Carlos Del Sol on the case.