Dallas 2.0: Discussion Thread

The critical reaction has been surprisingly strong too, though nearly everyone seems to think the yougn cast needs to get more interesting (I think one problem is, true to most modern youth soaps, they just are so pretty--so was the original Dallas cast but they also had more distinctive and different looks from one actor to another, not so homogonized).

They're not even that pretty - I have a tough time looking at most of them. I guess they're Hollywood pretty, but they're "attractive" in the same way the Ford brothers were.

I didn't watch the second TV movie but I didn't think the first one was that bad. It's not like most of Dallas was superbly written.

I keep hearing people talk about the great writing last night. Did I miss it? It had it's moments but I wouldn't throw out the word great yet.

I heard about Hagman's drinking awhile ago I believe from Barbara Eden.

They're not even that pretty - I have a tough time looking at most of them. I guess they're Hollywood pretty, but they're "attractive" in the same way the Ford brothers were.

I didn't watch the second TV movie but I didn't think the first one was that bad. It's not like most of Dallas was superbly written.

Loves me some hot shirtless men, but I have to agree. They just don't do it at all. Their lack of charisma and Metcalf's corpse like acting takes away from the looks some say they have. Shirtless Christopher did nothing for me! Nice body, but I needed someone else's head on his shoulders. It's severely ridiculous casting! Ford? I'd turn lesbian before I ever allowed myself to salivate over his ass!

I keep hearing people talk about the great writing last night. Did I miss it? It had it's moments but I wouldn't throw out the word great yet.

I heard about Hagman's drinking awhile ago I believe from Barbara Eden.

He'd been drinking that long? With who's liver?

He had a liver transplant in the 90s--didn't he? I thinkt he article said that... But yeah, they talked about how he'd have "soft" booze (it sounds like Champagne was his tipple of choice lol) in the morning until he felt that "click" as he called it (which I think is a reference to Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof who talked about needing to drink till he felt the "click") and then he would do his thing--never slurring or missing lines on set, so nobody really intervened.

They're not even that pretty - I have a tough time looking at most of them. I guess they're Hollywood pretty, but they're "attractive" in the same way the Ford brothers were.

I didn't watch the second TV movie but I didn't think the first one was that bad. It's not like most of Dallas was superbly written.

No, you're right, Dallas rarley had brilliant dialogue or anything. I saw the tv movies when they aired but remember nothing, and didn't know the show well enough back then.

I agree they're not pretty--what I meant is they sorta fit into the boring, safe, homogenized version of TV pretty we so often get now. Interchangeable. That's what I meant--the original cast was attractive as well, but in a more interesting way, but this has become more and more of a problem with TV in general.

I keep hearing people talk about the great writing last night. Did I miss it? It had it's moments but I wouldn't throw out the word great yet.

Agreed, though I haven't yet read anyone claim the writing ws spectacular.

Edited June 15, 201213 yr by EricMontreal22

On another message board I kept seeing gushing over the great writing.

I agree they're not pretty--what I meant is they sorta fit into the boring, safe, homogenized version of TV pretty we so often get now. Interchangeable. That's what I meant--the original cast was attractive as well, but in a more interesting way, but this has become more and more of a problem with TV in general.

It's a real mistake, because the whole point of the original Dallas, with the Ewing brothers, was that Bobby was the perfect son, the handsome god. Gary was damaged. JR was desperate and insecure and very charming. You don't have those dynamics when the leads are putty-faced mannequins. What this blandness means is there is no reason to care about any of the new characters, because they are all the same.

Edited June 15, 201213 yr by CarlD2

It's a real mistake, because the whole point of the original Dallas, with the Ewing brothers, was that Bobby was the perfect son, the handsome god. Gary was damaged. JR was desperate and insecure and very charming. You don't have those dynamics when the leads are putty-faced mannequins. What this blandness means is there is no reason to care about any of the new characters, because they are all the same.

true that...to all of it

Watching the very first eppy, and while I'd like to see Ken Kercheval, I'm not looking forward to punk ass Cliff. He was such a loser. We were supposed to feel bad for him after he'd start something with JR and lose. Those were the good ole days!

SInce it did well in the ratings, can they please get started on that Dynasty reboot as well

The new women on Dallas are so blah, there wasn't a single interesting one in the bunch. Seriously, they couldn't get ONE big name on this show, in terms of new characters? They need someone to liven things up.

Dallas had some great writing in the early years.

"I am Tokopa!"

the scene where Aunt Lil Trotter recounted what happened to Mickey

"JR, we don't make love anymore!"

Digger selling Pam for $100

Clayton falling for Sue-Ellen and silently being crushed because he was so old she had no idea

Jock's first wife Amanda thinking Bobby was Jock

Cliff buying and candy for Rebecca

Solid writing episode in and episode out

Seriously, they couldn't get ONE big name on this show, in terms of new characters? They need someone to liven things up.

Enter (the new) Charlotte "Charlie" Wade:

I'm sure Lindsay Lohan will be available soon.

I enjoyed it quite a bit.

There are a few false notes, notably Jesse Metcalf and whoever the bland actress is whose playing his wife...Metcalf is just so weak and fake and terrible in every role he does. There are scores of actors who would have done better in the role, although it takes a lot of charisma to take a 'good guy' character places. See Duffy, Patrick. He wrote the book on it.

I like Jordana Brewster and Josh Henderson, I buy them as 'Pam' and 'JR' like characters.

Wonderful to see Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman back. Gray looks phenomenal and if she's underused this season, that is a major error on the part of Cynthia Cidre, not that I'm surprised. Hagman is the star of the show for obvious reasons, his performance was terrific, especially as JR came out of his catatonic state, Hagman's face came alive.

The emphasis should be on the established Dallas vets and more of them should return...the chemistry that Hagman, Duffy and Gray have can't be faked and created overnight, something Cidre should have realised in terms of the younger cast.

If Cidre & Co. were smart, they'd kill off Christopher toward the end of the season, and use that as a launch pad for Victoria Principal's return. I mean, just imagine: the last shot of the season, before hiatus, and it's Pam (after we pan up, of course), standing over her son's fresh grave.

She won't come back though... (Who played her brief return with the new face?)