Knots Landing

[DRW50]

@Vee I was wondering what you thought of the episode about Ginger being stalked over her abortion (sadly, more timely than anyone would want, and one of the better attempts at a thriller on KL for me, even if it's all very campy) and also the episode with Val's cancer, which due to Ted Shackelford's performance is one of the most ridiculous episodes of the show for me.

[Vee]

I thought the stalker episode was okay, and one of the only ones with Ginger that has been any diversion for me so far. The calls, tapes, etc. were very creepy and could've been part of a longer storyline. I always enjoy seeing Priscilla Pointer (the crazed mother).

As for Val's cancer, I believe that's the one I am coming up on right now. The show really picked up about midway through Season 2. I liked the ambiguous conclusion to the arc with Sid's female mechanic, though I have my doubts anything happened.

[DRW50]

Sorry, I thought that was already aired. 

I enjoyed seeing Priscilla too, who I suppose was more known for her work on Dallas around this time.

You probably already know this, but the hooker in the season 1 finale was played by Carolyn Conwell (Mary  Williams).

Now that you are talking about season 2 I am reminded of how strange the opener with Conchata Ferrell was, much as I loved seeing her. They try to do a variation of this class warfare in a season premiere many years later...I will save my rants for when you get there. 

[Vee]

She was a hoot! I hadn't realized it was her. The actress playing her daughter, the extremely obvious con woman was A Lot to endure though - she did everything but throw cheeky winks at the camera. There was a very specific type of super-affected acting in the '70s and early '80s among certain performers that that woman embodied and it was both painful and mesmerizing to watch.

I didn't know Priscilla Pointer was on Dallas at all - I know her from horror films, and the Nightmare on Elm Street series (much like Brooke Bundy, who did two of them as Patricia Arquette's rich bitch mom). And no, I had no idea that was Carolyn Conwell but I knew I recognized her from somewhere.

[Vee]

Ah, the intense loss of dramatic gravity one feels when they realize Kenny and Ginger are one of the main plots in an episode. Kenny walks through the park staring vaguely at happy couples as saccharine music plays; when he retells the story to Ginger he sounds like a 10 year old. "It was great! He put his hand over where the baby was..." And when Ginger rightly mentions she can't depend on him he shrugs and says 'sure you can!' Ginger leaves, Kenny scratches his ear and purses his lips. Every time I see Kenny I want someone to taser him in the junk.

I forgot to mention re: Jane Elliot's exit as Judy: The famous moment where Abby asks Gary if he's ready for her overshadows a key bit of Scenes From a Marriage-esque brutal insight into Gary when he talks to Judy. He tells her that Val is his only measure for himself of a moral compass or of being able to succeed as a man. Judy (rightly, to an extent) says, "Gary, that's pitiful!" But Gary stands behind it and is resolute in seeing himself only through Val's eyes. That is a kind of profound character exposure of someone you don't get tossed out everyday, and the show doesn't tell you how to feel about it - or, it may increasingly seem going forward, about Gary.

As for the Val cancer episode: Gary is not taking this search for a tape recorder at the house well! Sid has karate kicked the front door of the Ewing home. This is hysterical.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Vee

[DRW50]

I never noticed how much slow build they really did put into Gary's change of personality until you mention it. 

The best thing about Kenny is his looks. They probably should have done more with that and less of him as a high-flying record producer. 

(I guess the Kristin episode has already aired?)

[Vee]

It has. I'm surprised Dallas didn't make more use of Kristin, it's my understanding she dies not long after that appearance when she goes back to Dallas. Mary Crosby was pretty good from the handful of episodes of both shows I've seen. (I am watching each KL/Dallas crossover ep in chronological order)

I did edit my thoughts re: this cancer mess so far above. There are five episodes left to S2 after this one. To her credit, Michele Lee sells this hammy silliness; she is crying right along with Ted Shackelford even just doing reaction work to his monologue.

Bobby's little speech to Gary about being a coward at core, not having the guts is grim stuff, and you wonder how much of it is the real creative vision of Gary - seeing as Bobby told Sid he did mean it. I think the truth is somewhere in between.

On to the home invasion!

Edited May 20, 2022 by Vee

[Chris B]

Vee, I'm loving your thoughts on the early years! I'm glad you see the appeal of the Avery's. Laura's life is so damn miserable, but I love that she doesn't give up and tries to change things for herself. Richard is such a slimey weasel, but I loved him and I sympathize with him for some reason. I loved his relationship with Abby, which highlighted how pathetic he is. 

You mentioned the Gary/JR scene when JR crossed over, but the real gold for me is whenever Val and Gary had a scene together. I don't think Larry Hagman had better chemistry with anyone than Joan Van Ark. I love that Joan always played the backstory and the hurt over what he did to her. She could tell so much with just a look. Val really starts coming into her own in season four. Season three I feel belongs to Karen, but lord does JVA give some amazing Emmy worthy performances in season four. 

That season is also the only season where Kenny and Ginger are fully integrated in the cast and actually interesting. I'm curious how you'll react to them at that point.

[Vee]

I think Richard has some very sweet moments here and there, like with Laura in the first season where he finally consents to letting her work and handle their money but asks her not to make him give up his dreams, and when Abby lets him down (relatively) easy and then he goes back to Laura and says he is proud of her and seems to recommit. Of course that all is dented big time when he realizes she has just made his yearly salary in one escrow; presumably that is why he is back to trying to pick up chicks at the bar by Episode 14 (Moments of Truth), which I have just begun but will probably finish watching later. I have been moving through this show at a pretty rapid clip while procrastinating on work, in large part because I am hoping to get through at least Season 4 before something happens to the online source. This is the kind of show that could definitely use a Y&R/B&B-style Onedrive vault, if there isn't one already.

As odious as Richard can be, John Pleshette is a brilliant actor and it seems writer. I can see why they kept him for as long as possible, the character is just great.

I mentioned the cancer episode a bit more above in edits, but that was something to be endured overall and one of the weakest of an uneven season for me. So saccharine, whereas I thought the more muted and mixed Gary/Val scene where she confronted him over the affair with Judy was stronger. In that sequence Val gives this long monologue on the beach about how they missed their chance to get it right, Gary tries to speak and recommit himself, she slaps him, finally lashing out, and then they embrace and go home. Their relationship is deeply imperfect and a lot of this is still profoundly unresolved, and that's the way life happens sometimes.

Everybody always talks about J.R. and Val, but I actually really like the stuff with Karen and J.R. as well (he was still down bad for her by the time of Lucy's wedding on Dallas). And J.R. seemed especially fascinated by Abby because he had found an equal in the unlikeliest of places.

[Vee]

These home invaders look for all the world like members of Black September, fresh from the Munich Olympics. Who would have thought Diana would emerge as the Bruce Willis of the group, evading capture and outwitting the thugs? Not moi, as a little Diana already goes a long way with me. If cracked-out Michael were in the house these crooks would be in real trouble.

Karen immediately hitting the floor facedown on elbows and knees cracked me up, seeming to fling herself to the ground and let the other women take the hot lead if necessary. For a couple scenes I'd thought she'd just swallowed her wedding ring rather than give it over. That'd be a conversation with Sid at the nearest bathroom when this is all over.

Gary Graham from TV's Alien Nation is the deranged and horny male burglar here. The scenes with Abby and Karen commiserating over their plan are great work from both Lee and Mills though, with the connection and respect between them, while all the overheated stuff with the men is largely a competition over who can go apeshit the fastest to make up for the lack of overt male heroism in this silly episode. (I don't blame the cast, but it feels like the writers straining to give the men meaty stuff to sink their teeth into here that verges on William Shatner turf) The class struggle 'message' with the lady burglar is embarrassing given the times, then and now. A war is coming, Karen, between your kind and a host of out of work character actors hoping to be on next week's Love Boat!

How does Abby know Laura used to get around (a brilliant plot point from her rape episode dropped entirely afterwards, perhaps due to network concerns - the ending of that ep, as Val watches Laura pick up her next man, was searing and it doesn't seem to ever return)? That conversation between those two could've been a lot smarter.

Sure enough, Abby essentially takes the whole house herself. Why couldn't Black September shoot Kenny when he ran outside?

Edited May 20, 2022 by Vee

[DemetriKane]

@VeeGreat insights! I love your thoughts on Abby and Gary. Loved Laura and Richard, the most interesting couple of the early years, definitely my fave. John Pleshette gave one of the most fascinating male performances on this show, for sure! 

What are your thoughts on Richard's relationship with Karen?

Ginger is a character, much more complex than she gets credit for. I think she could have survived longer, with a bit more attentive writing. I would have preferred Karen smothering her, over smothering Val, she stuns Valene's growth, IMO. 

[Chris 2]

I’m guessing you meant to type “whenever Val and JR had a scene together.” If so, I totally agree. I love the scene between them on the front lawn of Southfork after he’s driven Gary way again and she tells him that he’s taken everything from her, but he can’t buy her off. I also love the scene where he drops by her book signing and asks, “Do you have a kiss for your favorite brother in law?” And she hisses under her breath, “You are disgusting!”

They wrote a scene between the two of them for Dallas 2.0 where Val goes charging into his office to confront him. Hagman sadly passed before they could do it, so Sue Ellen stood in for JR in that scene and it really didn’t make a lot of sense since there wasn’t much history between Val and Sue Ellen. But I can picture him saying the lines and it would have been great.

[Vee]

Were Gary and Val back together by the end of their Dallas 2.0 appearance? I've heard varying things and Wikipedia is unreliable. I noticed JVA had no accent in that scene with Sue Ellen on YT (and her face work looked a lot better there than it had several years prior). It was pretty thin and camp script-wise.

Little Olivia is adorable. I know Tonya Crowe supposedly auditioned for some daytime parts in the '90s, but I don't know what roles or when.

I think Karen so far seems to tolerate him much more than many others would despite his endless foibles and bad behavior, from his affairs to bungling Sid's case. But that's Karen's nature. She keeps giving Abby chances too, at least for now; she was able to sympathize with her during the hostage crisis right after their first big throwdown re: Richard and Gary.

[Vee]

The angel dust episode with its Dutch angles, handheld camerawork and broad performances and lines at the teen party was a trip. But what are you going to do, that was the times. I did really like the array of reactions back at the Fairgate house, with the younger Gary and Val starting out clearly quietly amused when the joint is discovered, and Karen caught between Sid's apoplexy and her being more grounded and realistic about modern times, not wholly dissimilar to Diana (who offers up a rare restrained moment). Michele Lee's deadpan reaction to Sid's speech about 'tying [Eric] down and sitting on his chest' til he comes of legal age was great.

I also just loved watching the interplay at the house for another dinner party with the neighbors over, the family and the kids and Michael knocking around as well. That's the kind of real life stuff the show does so well with the cul-de-sac environment, and which we almost never seen on soaps today - everything is plot-driven, not character-based or location-based in everyday life, with this episode's weekly plot rising up around the backdrop and the circumstances. Granted daytime soaps have a different temporal rhythm and reality in general and always have, there's less time/narrative elision than in primetime, but still, I'd like to see more hangout moments on daytime again.

Steve Shaw has shaved the poor attempt at a mustache and also appears to have grown a couple inches since he was last seen. People roast these kids and who knows how rough their acting turns out when they get older, but I like them (even Diana, at times) and I always enjoy seeing the Fairgate family interplay. Shaw did a really good job in this episode, and you can tell Lee took her role as their mother seriously with all three, even the brief moments with Michael spilling his food; it's imbued in every moment she's onscreen with them.

Abby's visible unease about handing the kids off to Jeff as he keeps asking for more clothes and provisions was haunting to watch. I did like the scene where she goes to talk to the Averys about it - Laura is sympathetic and concerned despite everything, but Richard, still bruised over her rejection, brushes her off.

Such cheesy Mod Squad music as Eric chases Ginger's stoned sister through the night, then later our adults. Any time the show tries to put the cast in Action!! scenarios thus far, the ancient music cue library straight out of Mannix or Hawaii 5-0 throws it off. And of course Grinnin' Kenny is drafted to play Drug Gumshoe for the kids because he is young and With It. (What is with Karen's camo cap?) I assume after the situation was resolved he chased down Discount Lance Kerwin and asked for some more angel dust. I would've liked to see the Ewings put to use in that situation more instead - Val is tougher and smarter than she is often given credit for this season, and when Gary is not on a rage bender he can be pretty canny, just not about himself.

The episode takes a deeply camp turn when Ginger's mom shows up to do her off-Broadway party piece and recite the episode title over and over for a bit of business someone on staff clearly thought was brilliant. It reminded me of Michael Malone drilling his overly embroidered purple prose poetry into the scripts during his second run on OLTL in the early 2000s. That sequence was the kind of outré theatrics we understood and enjoyed or at least tolerated when viewing TV from the '60s and '70s, but by this point, on the cusp of the full-on '80s (and the early '80s were often weird like that still), it's just so silly.

I'll try not to do a long one of these for each episode, that would be terribly annoying. I'll try to compile my thoughts in blocks of episodes a bit more.

Lord, Eric, come on:

Doctor: She's comatose.

Eric: What's that mean?

Doctor: It means she's in a coma.

Edited May 21, 2022 by Vee

[DRW50]

If you want to keep doing long thoughts on each episode, that's fine with me. These first few seasons are so different week to week and also very  different to how streamlined the show is going to get around season 4 or 5, so this is the best chance to explore these thoughts. 

I had totally forgotten about this episode so appreciate the recap.

Steve Shaw was never much of an actor, but to me he was the soul of the Fairgate family. Once he leaves that setup becomes more and more ossified and Karen becomes more and more of a caricature.

I was always much more drawn to Val's friendship with Laura, which we don't get as much of. Karen and Val are...fine, but also tends to veer on forced.