Like Father, Like Son Recap: Dallas (TNT)

So where were we last week? Oh, yes, Uncle Bobby got the upper hand. So this week, it’s John Ross’ turn in Like Father, Like Son (Dallas, S3 E6, 3/31/14). In this one, John Ross is getting pretty sick of hearing “you’re just like your daddy.” So are we.

John Ross angrily confronted Sue Ellen after she stabbed him in the back. She keeps seeing ghosts of the past, he claimed, and was out of control. He smelled alcohol on her and said he might be drunk with power but she’s just drunk. Sue Ellen was shaken by his anger.

At Ewing Global, John Ross ran into Bobby and Christopher and took a guess that it was a self-righteous party of two. Since Bobby is the acting railroad commissioner, he signed his shares of the company over to Christopher. John Ross called Bobby a hypocrite, with a reminder of the Cliff Barnes caper. (We called both Bobby and Sue Ellen hypocrites last week too, for blackmailing the governor.)

Christopher told Elena what he knows about Nicolas not being who he says he is. Elena ran to Nicholas, fearing they will soon connect her with him. Nicolas said there’s no way. He was an orphan and Elena’s parents never adopted him. There’s nothing for them to find out so she needs to stay the course and focus on turning Pamela against John Ross, while he goes to work on John Ross who has never been more vulnerable after Sue Ellen and Bobby stuck it to him.

Maybe desperate would have been a better description, because John Ross sure fell right in line when Nicolas began buttering him up. But, you know, John Ross really is like his daddy as far as being a megalomaniac goes. He no doubt knew Nicolas had something up his sleeve but he’s got something up both sleeves. The two decided to go out for a real drink after work, while Elena invited Pamela out for a girl’s night. Pamela asked if she could invite Emma. “The more the merrier,” Elena said and gave Nicolas a little “it worked” nod as he passed by.

Candice, the would-be seductress planted by Harris Ryland, saw John Ross at a table and came on to him, but he sent her away to talk shop with Nicholas. John Ross spotted Hunter McKay, a childhood buddy and grandson of Carter McKay, celebrating nearby. He excused himself to talk to Hunter who made a mint of his own by inventing a video game. Hunter told John Ross how glad he was that he got his own money and how taking his company public was the best move he ever made. He was able to buy a controlling interest. Well, for heaven’s sakes, “controlling interest” surely are two words near and dear to the heart of John Ross and you could see the wheels spinning.

Meanwhile, Elena, Emma and Pamela marveled at the skimpy outfits Candice wears to work. Elena asked if she thought her husband would cheat with his secretary and Pamela said she hoped not. Skeevy Emma said John Ross would never cheat on Pamela. Yes, Candice is not as low as Emma. She’s getting paid to do a job. Emma is just the unforgivable twisted type of bitch that pretends to be friends with the wife of the married man she’s screwing. Elena used the Candice info to hire a private investigator to find out if John Ross and Candice were getting it on.

John Ross immediately went to work to bring Ewing Global public. He got Pamela on board then went to Sue Ellen. He convinced her that he stopped sleeping with Emma and said she was right. It was wrong to cheat on Pamela, whom he loves. He explained how by going public they could raise the money for the Arctic leases and buy out Cliff Barnes’ interest. “Two birds with one stone.” Mama Hen was won over, but pointed out he was going to need more votes.

Nicolas was, of course, the next stop, and was most reluctant to betray Cliff Barnes for a 2% royalty. A 3% royalty sent Nicolas off to tell Elena how that was going to work. They were going to go along with John Ross, then steal the company out from under the Ewings. Remember that guy in Mexico and how Nicolas made his first million? So Bobby’s threat to use his powers as railroad commissioner against Nicolas and his many companies probably had nothing to do with Nicolas’ decision.

Meanwhile, the P.I. sent to spy on John Ross had no trouble getting into Ewing Global to plant a bug. Harris Ryland texted Candice at the end of the day and asked why she hadn’t got what he wanted yet. Candice slipped into the black dress and asked John Ross if there was anything he needed before she left. He didn’t even look up so she entered the room, locked the door and began to undress. John Ross told her to learn to take no for an answer. He is married and it ain’t gonna happen and he showed her the door. So Candice will have to tell Harris the bad news there, but the unintended consequences were just as bad, if not worse. Sue Ellen emerged from her office and saw Candice getting herself back together. “Your son is something else,” Candice said and sailed off to the elevator.

Devastated, Sue Ellen voted no at the meeting to go public, then went home and went on a bender supremo. John Ross showed up to demand an explanation. Sue Ellen told him what she saw and would not believe that John Ross rejected Candice. It really looked like John Ross was close to tears there, didn’t it? But being a man of action, he went off to pull in a favor to deal with Obstacle Mom.

He asked Emma Ryland to get some compromising pictures of a judge from her grandmother’s brothel files so he could get Sue Ellen locked up. Emma demanded to know if he was cheating with Candice because she wanted to be sure she was the only other “other woman.” Then she demanded sex as payment for favors rendered. Oral sex. John Ross looked disgusted with both her and himself but he caved in. “Now go home and kiss your wife,” Emma said when it was over. Elena’s private investigator was still following John Ross and Elena soon had the evidence of the tryst on her computer. Well, Bum warned John Ross he was being stupid!

Christopher babysat for Heather when Bo had to go to Fort Worth for a job. The kid told Christopher that Bo used to be a bull rider and Heather confirmed he was one of the best in Texas until a fall ruined his dreams and he became addicted to pain pills. Moving fast, Christopher told Heather not to worry about money but she didn’t want his money and said their relationship was going beyond casual faster than she thought, but she liked it.

John Ross visited the judge, incriminating photographs in hand. The judge knew J.R. so you know what he said. John Ross said when you hear “you’re just like your daddy often enough,” you begin to believe it. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen, or Stew Ellen as we used to call her on the old Dallas, got so looped she was having trouble uncorking another bottle. She wobbled unsteadily to the door when the bell rang and there were the police with an ambulance and an order to cart her away for a psychiatric exam.

Bobby, Ann and Christopher returned home to find John Ross sitting alone in the dark. As he told them what had taken place with Sue Ellen, where this was going to lead dawned on all of their faces one by one. Sue Ellen’s power of attorney would fall to John Ross and he would take Ewing Global public and, tough luck, Bobby — there’s nothing you can do about it. At least until next week, when it will be your turn to get the upper hand. Unless Nicolas and Elena get it first.