Jump to content

Knots Landing


Sedrick

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Another great Avery episode is "Night" in season 3 when Richard snaps and holds Laura and Jason captive in the house. Poor Laura, every time she tries to free herself from Richard, she finds herself going back. 

Richard was gross from day 1, but you couldn't help watching him and Laura any time they appeared onscreen.

Re: Gary & Val.....Gary was pretty much over his marriage to Val after he fell of the wagon at the end of season 1. By Season 2 he was barely tolerating her and was  often pissy any time she spoke to him. He even blew her off when she asked his help when she was helping Karen with her show. In season 3 Gary was screwing around with Abby right in front of her. He was looking out the window, climbing the walls, and walked out of the house in front of her to go be with Abby. She also asks him point blank and he gets up from the bed and slams the bathroom door in her face refusing to answer. Wake up Val !!!

Val was desperate to hold onto Gary she made a fool out of herself time and time again....then again, so did all the Ewing women with the brothers. Bobby is always touted as the good Ewing brother, but he often treated Pam like crap and mentally abused her with his macho ego. No wonder she tried to throw herself off a roof.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 3.5k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  • Members

Richard was a very complex, nuanced character to me. His relationship with Karen is incredibly special, and his horrible spiral and treatment of Laura grew partly out of shared behavior that was codependent or mutually destructive. When she was up he was down, and when he tried to be up he could never sustain it, both because Laura had long since lost any respect for him (largely by his own doing) and because while trying to be an upwardly mobile man and provider of the '80s he always fell into a comedy of errors. He'd never found himself. Some of John Pleshette's dialogue and monologues were just brilliant, on par with the great tour de forces William Devane delivers upon his arrival.

As for Gary and Val, I think when they did first reunite on Dallas they were both kind of still arrested adolescents frozen in their past love, and when real life interfered it quickly started to disintegrate. Gary would go through deranged highs and lows of devotion to Val or pure misery, like his bender at the end of S1 and his apeshit meltdown when she had to go into the hospital in S2, and that is not stable behavior. I don't think either of them began to mature and actualize themselves until Season 3-4 (Val) and Seasons 4-5 (Gary). After that they're totally different people from the first two or three seasons. Which is why I can see them reuniting in future.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

That's a very good analysis of those characters. Laura was so sad and pathetic in S1 when she would bend over backwards to please Richard (even sleeping with Chip Todson) to help Richard get ahead in business. 

Yes, Val & Gary were in arrested development when they reunited. For a long time on Dallas, it seemed cruel the way Jock talked about Gary being weak and running away from responsibility. Well, Jock turned out to be right, Gary was weak and self destructive. He even thought it would be better if Val were to die than survive with a colostomy (because it would be too hard for him). I loved it when Bobby ripped him apart over it. It took years for Gary to grow a pair and deal with life head on.

I hate that smug shrug he would do when anyone confronted him about one of his screw ups. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

As I think other cast and crew and certainly Michele Lee pointed out, Murray was supposed to be kind of the big get from movies, etc. when the show began. (He's amazing in Advise and Consent and capped his career not long ago with a wonderful performance in Twin Peaks Season 3) He later noted he regretted leaving after the show ran on and on and on. I really liked him and Sid, but I agree it was for the best. Those first two eps of S3 are absolutely brilliant and it opened up everything that came after.

Episodes like the biker gang from hell (Born Free), Cricket, the ridiculous S2 hostage crisis (Moments of Truth), Three Sisters, the Lilimae Vegas romp (Rose and the Briar) and Silver Shadows all show the upper limits of this approach, so yes it was time to change. And I happen to like Three Sisters and Silver Shadows, but they are off-brand lol.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

That episode about Cricket was one stupid episode. I didn't get why they tossed that into the mix. The S2 hostage crisis episode was cheesy kind of fun, but really served no purpose. If that episode had been during S3, Gary may have secretly wished Val would be offed and Abby survive so he could be with her guilt free....LOL

I wonder why Abby never made Gary legally adopt Brian and Olivia so she could declare them Ewing heirs ? Jeff just disappeared after he kidnapped them and was never mentioned again. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Normally I would skip the first couple of seasons, but this time I’m going to watch it all.

I just got through Lilimae’s intro. I really appreciate that even in later seasons she still maintains her self-centered, at times delusional behavior.

The Avery’s are the kind of complex couple that you could easily have seen on prestige television today. I could see them on Mad Men, on Succession, etc.

They were lucky to get Joan Van Ark. This time around I am really paying attention to her, and she has to carry a lot of the emotional weight of the first few episodes.

Val gains a core of strength and Gary grows up. Abby is a catalyst, but the truth is they all needed each other to get where they wanted/needed to be.

Even with ribbons in her hair and her sweet dresses, Valene is always herself in each stage of her life. And Gary is so uncomfortable with himself until he gets to the ranch, and uncovers Abby’s betrayals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Season 6 where he knows it all (well, mostly) and accepts her as is ("God help me") is the peak of their relationship for me, and probably one of the key reasons it is my favorite season. I totally wasn't expecting that turn and him being secure in their match for what it is. I understand why it ended but that could've gone a bit longer in that state.

I always found that so strange. He should've returned to be a thorn in her side.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The Val/Gary/Abby triangle ushered in Knots Landing peak era and drove so many storylines for years. The triangle worked not because of the triangle itself (let's keep it real here, Gary was no prize) but because of the character arcs it lead to. Val moved on with her life after losing her first love, Gary manned up, and Abby got the come up that she was all about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

We have talked about this before, but I love their relationship and now that I have seen most of the big moments play out again, I see the more nuanced sides too. Gary knows nothing he does would destroy Abby. He can hurt her, but not the total heartbreak it causes Val. That gives him some freedom to grow.

And I stand by the belief that Abby does love him. She used him too. I think the first chipping away in her love for him was when she sees him in detox after Ciji. But they come back from that, and even though she is stealing from him to set herself up in case it happened again, they find their way to being more like equals in season six. Until Val is pregnant, and she knows they are his. Once that happens, I think the love is pretty much gone.

As stupid as the Chopper Bunch episode is, Valene’s conversation about the police and the good ole boys could be used today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

To be honest, once Laura got with Greg she pretty much became second fiddle to him. I thought the direction they seemed to take her in season 5, where she was poised to be a more morally ambigious character and not quite have the killer instinct that Abby had, but at the same wanting to get hers was interesting. Unfortunately, it just feels like they dropped the ball on her once she wasn't in the manic cliffhanger and taking her away from the cul de sac lessened her relationship with Val and Karen. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Somebody at Lorimar must have liked Barry Jenner as he was on all three CBS primetime soaps. He was on Falcon Crest for two episodes in 1989. 

For me and many of my generation (1990s teens), Barry Jenner will forever be Lieutenant Murtaugh of Family Matters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   1 member




  • Recent Posts

    • How did I never notice how tall Colton was?

      Please register in order to view this content

    • They didn't need to have some slutty gay dude as their representation. Just a 'normal' guy getting involved with another guy or two (or three). Just like the straight characters. Thinking about it, they missed the boat by not having a few other single charcters at the beginning. Maybe Naomi or Ashley could be shown meeting Derek/Jacob and  we could follow their romance. Too many characters were coupled up at the start. As a tattoo hater I was surprised to see Tomas so inked. Don't find it attractive or sexy. I'm surprised an actor would do that as it's definitely a statement and may not be appropriate for some roles. Suppose they can cover if necessary. I didn't buy Kat being all girly and then paying off Darius to get into Eva's room. Way too cliche. She should have just come along when the housekeeping was leaving and breezed in saying it was her room. And her smug looks in the hotel room and 'Now I've got you!!' talks to herself at Orphey Gene's...no.  
    • Omg I was so annoyed. Like girl calm down. Coming on way too strong. Omg I forgot about this

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I thought it got stale before Jocks death lol. His death picked things back up for me.
    • 1976 Pt 5 Tony is summoned to the reading of the will in the Llanfair library,as he’s a principal in the will. He tells Joe there’s not a chance of coming to terms with Dorian, as he is sure she brought about Victor’s death by torturing him emotionally when he was her helpless prisoner after his stroke. Ironically, Chapin hand delivers to Viki a letter her father wrote before his stroke, praising Dorian and asking Viki to befriend and support his widow when he was no longer there. Viki feels a responsibility to her father’s wishes and vows to try with Dorian. Victor’s will leaves the expected amounts to members of his family and staff, with the lion’s share of his stock and property going to Dorian. Victor’s will explains that his son Tony expressed the desire that he not be “bought from the grave,” and, in keeping with his son’s wishes, the only bequest to him is the knowledge of his father’s love and respect. Tony is deeply moved. Dorian’s first attempt to use her new power is the recommendation of Peter as head of the Merideth Lord Wolek hospital wing, claiming that naming Larry would be virtual nepotism. Peter, who has devoted considerable time and effort to helping Jenny get over Tim’s death with gentle, affectionate support, is happy at this suggestion, but Jenny points out Dorian is merely using him to hurt Larry. Viki disregards Dorian’s ingenuous assurances that she’s not trying to wield her new power but is merely putting Peter up for consideration for a future opportunity, if not this one, and tells her she won’t be able to fulfill her father’s desire that they be friends unless Dorian stops interfering. Larry, fully understanding Dorian’s personal motives, warns her he’s going to fight for the appointment no matter what. Realizing that she has made a tactical error, Dorian announces that she won’t even attend the board meeting but will give her proxy to Jim. She admits to Matt McAllister, still her confidant, that this was humiliating, but it was a necessary protective tactic. Dorian manages to win her next round at Joe’s office when, after he praises her decision to yield on appointing Peter, she expresses concern for Viki “at a time like this.” Joe, of course, jumps on her words, and Dorian, pretending great distress at having mentioned something she shouldn’t have, is “forced” to explain that she knew about the congenital heart condition Megan had and that any child of Joe’s is likely to inherit it. She overheard the doctors discussing it at the time of the accident, she continues, and naturally assumed that Joe already knew.  Joe arranges a meeting at home with Viki and asks her how she could live a lie like this; how she could go through their lives as if everything were fine while every moment was a lie. He is further upset when, in trying to explain that it was out of her love for him that she kept the truth from him, she mentions that Jim and Larry also know but Cathy still hasn’t been told. Viki tells Joe that Dorian deliberately told him this way to hurt their marriage, and she is very upset when he starts toward the door, pleading that they have always talked things out in the past. Joe coolly points out that she didn’t do that when she learned about Megan and continues out the door.  A tearful Viki is shaken and when Joe later returns, having spent several hours in a bar drinking only soft drinks,she breaks down, crying that she was convinced he’d left her. Joe assures her they can get through this despite everything, because their relation is based on love and mutual respect. 
    • If you think about it, DALLAS and DYNASTY grew stale right about the same time, even if the ratings were slow to reflect that.  FC and KL, on the other hand, tried to stay fresh, but KL was way more successful at it, I think, than FC.  (That [!@#$%^&*] with The Thirteen does not hold up well, lol).
    • GH 1976 Pt 8 Heather takes advantage of the situation by asking Jeff to come and look at Tommy. She uses sympathy, compassion, and her own feminine wiles, together with his misery and his pills, to lure him into bed. Later, sober, he apologizes. Learning from Pearson that Monica has seen a divorce lawyer, Jeff confronts her, and she insists it’s a lie. Avoiding his attempts to kiss her, she musses her hair and tears her blouse, then rushes to Rick’s, claiming that she can’t stay with that maniac any longer. They wind up in Rick’s bed, and after making love he confesses he always loved her. Rick replies to her question of whether he wants to marry her by saying he has to talk to Jeff. Monica insists that Jeff not bear any pressure from their problems. As she leaves, Rick gives her a key to his apartment. Jeff, having spent the night drinking, misses his surgical assignment, and Steve, informing him that his personal life can’t interfere with his profession, puts him on suspension. Rick can’t persuade Steve to reverse his decision, but Mark, sensing what’s at the heart of Jeff’s problem, convinces Steve to lift Jeff’s suspension and transfer him to Mark’s service. Rick asks for his key back, telling Monica they can’t do anything as long as she’s under Jeff’s roof. So she has a duplicate made and moves into intern’s quarters, explaining that Jeff’s violence drove her out. She tells Jeff she needs privacy to work things out, and tells Rick Jeff wanted her out. Thinking that this is the preliminary to a divorce, Rick tells her she can come to his place. In New York, Leslie’s abortion is delayed by a mix-up in scheduling, and she calls Terri to commiserate. Rick overhears Terri’s conversation and forces the whole story from her. He flies to New York to stop Leslie, feeling responsible for pointing out how evil Cam was, and arrives to find that she has decided she can’t deny her child the right to live. Monica, meanwhile, expecting that Rick will be home, uses her key to let herself into his apartment and is shocked to find Mark there; knowing that Mark was uncomfortable at the hotel, Rick offered Mark use of the apartment in his absence. Monica is upset to learn that Rick is in New York with Leslie, and Mark doesn’t know why. Mark does advise Monica to play fair with Jeff, but she resents his interference. The next day, while covering for Leslie at the clinic, Monica discovers Leslie’s lab test report and jumps to the conclusion that the baby is Rick’s. When Rick and Leslie return, Monica wastes no time in accusing him. He is dismayed to see that she is still as suspicious and possessive as she was before he went to Africa, and points out that her making a duplicate  key proves she hasn’t changed. Terri encourages Leslie to see Rick in a romantic light and then suggests to Rick that Leslie is interested in him. Rick likes this idea and tells Mark he’s growing ‘unwilling to cope with Monica’s unreasonable demands. But Monica immediately recognizes the threat Leslie represents and decides to attack. She goes to Leslie and tells her flatly that she and Rick are having an affair and he’s her exclusive property. Leslie, who realizes she has been falling in love with Rick, is hurt, and Rick is mystified when he feels Leslie pulling away from him. Monica’s big moment comes when she brings Rick a housewarming gift and seduces him into letting her stay overnight. She is in the bedroom when Leslie stops by to apologize for refusing his dates, and makes a dramatic entrance into the living room draped in Rick’s bathrobe. Leslie turns and runs out. Rick later informs her he’s disappointed in her, because she prejudged Monica and him rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt. Heather tries to arrange another tryst with Jeff, but he replies that he still loves his wife. Heather decides there’s only one way to get Jeff to be pregnant with his child. She manages to overhear Monica putting Jeff down by telling him he no longer turns her on and should look for someone he does. Heather goes to Jeff and tells him that she heard Monica and that she is the one he’s looking for. She manages to get him into bed again, and sweetly assures him this is right. She then sets the stage for future meetings. Steve, meanwhile, offers to help Monica and Jeff work out their problems. Jeff is willing, but Monica turns the idea down. Instead, she presses Terri to convince Jeff to end the marriage. Terri now knows that Monica isn’t a good wife for Jeff and promises to try. But Jeff makes it clear to Monica that he still loves her and won’t let her go. She is bitter and upset, as she has already implied to Rick that she will soon be free. Audrey is upset to find that Florence Andrews has been inquiring about Tommy and herself. She goes to Florence’s home and finds she’s away now. Florence has gone down to Mexico to sign a sworn statement that she purchased a false death certificate for Tom, to protect his son after his wrongful conviction. Tom, learning from her that Steve and Audrey are to be married and Steve is planning to adopt Tommy, tells  Florence not to do anything, as there’s still no assurance that he’ll ever get out. But the judge does accept the statement, and, ironically, on the day that Steve  and Audrey are married, Tom is released from prison.
    • 1976 Pt 12 Final part Laurie agrees with Stuart that Peggy is rushing into marriage to prove that the rape didn’t ruin her life.  She points out that the only way Peg can be sure is to make love with Jack before the wedding. Stuart admits she’s right but points out that he can’t suggest that to Peggy. As the wedding approaches, Peg seems happy that Jack’s become close to the family. However, her happiness is shattered by a nightmare in which her loving bridegroom turns into a leering Ron Becker, forcing her to cancel the wedding. Jack reassures her he’ll wait as long as it takes, and Chris confides that she and Snapper didn’t consummate their marriage on their wedding night because of her own rape experience, but Peggy tells Chris she might never be ready.  Despite her desire to keep Karen as her own daughter, Chris helps a police artist create a sketch of Nancy so it can be printed in the newspaper as part of a search for her. When the attempt proves fruitless, however, Chris asks Greg to file application for permanent custody of the child. Greg points out that adoption is the only way to prevent Ron from returning and claiming the child, and that it will take quite a while. Meanwhile, a nurse in the psychiatric ward sees a resemblance  between the newspaper drawing and her autistic patient, Mrs. Jackson, but since “Fran” doesn’t respond to the name Nancy and no one else sees the similarity, she fears she’s mistaken. Jill is horrified to overhear Kay, when brihging baby Phillip a Christmas gift, telling the child she remembers the night he was conceived. Kay has to then admit to Jill she saw her with Phillip in the bunkhouse that night. Jill is aghast to realize that Kay new the truth all along and put her through such agony in spite of it, denying her baby his father’s name. Lance tells Laurie they’ll marry on Valentine’s Day. He laughs that it’s corny but agrees, secretly wishing it were sooner, as Vanessa has vowed to prevent it. Indeed, Vanessa makes an unprecedented venture out of the house to visit Brad, telling him to rebuff any advance Leslie might make to him, as she’s reaching out to him only from a sense of duty. But Laurie then makes a concerted effort to reach Vanessa. Without being sure why she’s trying so hard, she tries to assure the woman she’s not losing Lance and she, Laurie, will help her find a plastic surgeon somewhere who can help her. Grudgingly, Vanessa seems to be reconsidering her view of Laurie, and Laurie is delighted when Lance offers her a choice between two diamond necklaces, explaining that her preference will be Vanessa’s Christmas gift. Learning from Les about Brad’s blindness, Stuart tells Brad he could have turned Leslie away only out of great love. Knowing that Les is going to see Brad again, Laurie warns him not to bring the baby into their discussion, as Leslie will come back only she’s convinced he loves her, not for the babies sake. Leslie finds Brad disheveled and sloppy, and proceeds to straighten the apartment, stating that she can't respect him if he lets himself go. Realizing that neither Brad nor Les will make the first move, Laurie hurries things along by refusing to help Brad with his grooming, saying he should ask his wife. Then, having learned  that Brad offered Les the use of their piano, Laurie untunes the Brooks' piano forcing Leslie to accept his offer. By refusing to cater to his  blindness, Les manages to get Brad to stop wallowing in pity, and by the time Leslie’s Christmas braille message of her love and her need for him arrives, they are husband and wife again Lance takes Laurie on a business trip on New Year's Eve, and tells her, on board his plane, she won't be  won't be able to call him “Mr. All Talk and No action” after tonight. When Laurie protests that waited this long and will continue to wait until married, Lance delights her by instructing his pilot to land in Las Vegas, where they are married immediately.
    • Yeah, not sure why Jack and Jen didn’t rush to Marlena - or even Carrie - to offer their condolences. A few flashbacks would've been a nice touch too. Instead, we got a whole episode of them talking about Chad and Abby? Come on. On the bright side, I loved Anna’s scenes with Marlena and Carrie - sweet and heartfelt, felt like a real 80s throwback.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy