The Price You Pay: Official Discussion Thread

[Luke]

The shaving scene was for me the episodes finest moment.

[Jessie]

The shaving scene with JR , and John Ross was my favourite of the night. I loved seeing Cliff again, his scenes with JR were awesome. My only complaint was where was Sue Ellen? Larry is amazing he is the reason, I loved the show tonight.

[ProdicalSon]

I will bet Miss Ellie checked herself in somewhere around the time of the fire at Southfork. We know she wasn't well & Clayton was keeping news from home from her. So it's very possible she could've had a brief stay in a place around that time. Only Miss Ellie, Clayton & her doctor know for sure, and they're all dead. So I can buy a brief rest for Miss Ellie back around that time.

[ronald mascot]

I always thought, even before this, that Clayton implied Miss Ellie had checked into some sort of clinic or hospital. He kept saying no one could contact her or give her any news of any kind. It wasn't implicitly said, but it was implied.

[F2B&G]

The new series grew some stubble tonight (though not quite a full beard). The increased presence of J.R. was key.

Still, I can't help but feel that due to Larry's rough aging vs. Patrick's graceful aging, J.R. still looks like a shadow of his former self vs. Bobby. Bobby told him, "Let's go fishing", and it was like he was saying that to his old man with Alzheimer's.

[Cutlass Supreme]

Absolutely great. The shaving scene is one of the best J.R. moments ever, and there were so many great exchanges throughout.

A+

[OilBaron10]

I like the way there are building. There just seems to be some subtle history re-writing going on.

1. Miss Ellie was never in a mental institution. Clayton took her to Lake Tokoppa and then
to the Caribbean.

2. Most of the battles on the old series were about Ewing Oil. It was well established
that Miss Ellie/Jock owned Southfork. There were not battles for SF between the
brothers. JR did mortgage it in season 3.

[Barbara Fan]

I like the way there are building. There just seems to be some subtle history re-writing going on.

1. Miss Ellie was never in a mental institution. Clayton took her to Lake Tokoppa and then
to the Caribbean.

Exactly, thank you!!
some thoughts on the 1st half of the show...
Loved the opening scene and JR continuing to shave his son and the quote were you going to cut your daddy out of 2 billion barrel worth of oil

John Ross be very afraid and don’t mess with daddy/JR!

“I don’t blame you for trying to screw up your daddy!

Did enjoy their scenes together and think their partnership will be interesting - Josh Henderson is the best of the newbies for me

Ann and Rebecca – BORING!! Pass to next scsne

Which is thankfully Larry John Ross and Marta
I cant take my eyes of Hagman, he is so charismatic

Bobby in the hospital – zzzzz with Bland Ann – I should care, I love Pat Duffy but I don’t really care, it doesn’t come across as believable and soap opera cancer is a bit of a cheap shot, BBG and her mastectomy touched my heart, and made all the more poignant as she had undergone it in real life, it was part of who she was – but this is kinda tacky!

Larry is just rockin this episode and gets great one liners…
I will get SF back as you shouldn’t have to pay for my sins – classic!!

Christopher and Elena – Boring – fwd to next scene

JR back at SF! Lol at time has not been kind to that face comment to ken K – but great to see those 2 old adversaries together again!
I’ll be there when they put you in the ground Barnes!! Wonderful – KK looks old and frail but nice to see him – pity he doesn’t bring his sister!!

Rebecca and Elena – boring!! Chris and Rebecca – boring

Ken K – don’t let them destroy you like they did Pam

Ann and her shotgun, put it away!! You are boring zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Love JR and his scenes with John Ross as he passes over his mommas secrets

Bobby will find out you are my son from tip to tail –

More thoughts later today, Im tired!!

But most of all I am still loving Larry = he is outshining all his costars and upstages them with great one liners
Long live JR and Larry = its still his show.

[Luke]

BF...up pretty early!!!!

[F2B&G]

The Rebecca character is getting better, I feel; torn between Christopher and her mysterious partner in crime. The other two new ladies are still mostly a snooze.

[Barbara Fan]

BF...up pretty early!!!!

oh............... all in the name of Dallas Going to be tired at work all day today!!!!!

[kristin_shepard]

I absolutely loved the shaving scene. If possible, J.R. is more loveable as an evil old man than he was as a evil middle-aged man. I am thoroughly enjoying Larry's acting.

Good episode,in my opinion. From start to finish.

I'll have to more to say later but off the top of my head is the beginning with J.R. talking to John Ross in a threatening tone while shaving him...classic. Also,the way Cliff first appeared was great...J.R. returning home to SouthFork and finding Cliff there conversing with Bobby.

[CowboyGuido]

... a positive thread without all the nitpicking! #3 was the best episode yet, I agree; Larry was outstanding, his acting and his lines (the writing) ... also lots of comic element ("... but no hair loss?" / "time hasnt been kind to that face!")? brilliant!!!

[vaughnleland]

I found this episode to be the one that really kick started the series! Cliff is back! J.R. is back in the saddle, the family is slowly moving back to Southfork! Dallas has finally arrived!

[gold canyon]

Great episode. Some random thoughts:

JR's got his grove back, and it only took three episodes to undo the bad years of the original show. Scenes in the SF set seemed to be shot in a set, though. Just a tad bit underwhelmed by the lighting in the house... as I said, it looked like a set when JR and John Ross walked into SF from the back patio. I'm starting to miss the old SF layout but I'm getting used to the new one. I loved seeing ol' Cliff Barnes. It's sort of sad that he's aged so much. But I'm really glad he's back. I agree with everyone who loved the barber shop scene. It was a really creative set up. When JR opened up to John Ross and asked him to give him a chance, Josh did a fantastic job. If you watch him, he almost looked like a hurt little child who wanted to believe that what his father was saying was true. He really loves his father and and desperately wants him back. So, there was some pretty believable vulnerability there. The other observation is that it appears that JR did some soul searching in wondering why John Ross would try to screw him in the SF deal. He was very shrewd in concluding that John Ross was acting as he would have acted. He also gives John Ross a pass because he accepts blame for not being there for him as he was growing up.

Tonight's episode was not as super fasted paced as the first two episodes and I'm grateful. Lots did happen but they were easier to digest. I'm also glad that Bobby had a little more levity to his character tonight...it's good that he isn't so depressing.

[Crimson]

... a positive thread without all the nitpicking!

Sorry to break the streak, but I remain unconvinced. The show has not yet won me over, but neither has it driven me away. Mostly I'm not sure what to make of it.

Television dramas, in the last few years, have never been better (IMO) but "Dallas 2.0" doesn't feel anything like a modern drama. Nor does it feel like "classic Dallas." It feels like -- and someone made this comparison in another thread -- one of the 90s soap operas that came along after the success of "Melrose Place."

I hope to be proven wrong, but I get the feeling this show is just going to be one double cross and back stab after the other -- just like 90s soaps. That gets old real fast, and was such a small part of what made "classic Dallas" originally such a great show. It was a much richer and diverse drama, but very few soaps that have come along since have learned more than one or two of the show's tricks.

It was nice to seen Cliff again, but his scene with JR felt rather toothless. Even towards the end of "classic Dallas", the rivalry between JR and Cliff was exhausted; just two old men sniping at each other. Now it's two ancient old men, both stooped and frail looking and with voices like dust, sniping at each other. The scene, honestly, made me a little sad.

Curious that Hagman, in one scene, will appear hale and hearty for his age, and then nearly decrepit the next. Regardless, he dominates the show completely; the man's screen presence as JR is uncanny. Henderson is going to have to assert himself soon if he has any hope of making this show his. He's the best of the new characters, but I have yet to find him particularly compelling.

[Lovely Linda]

I hope to be proven wrong, but I get the feeling this show is just going to be one double cross and back stab after the other -- just like 90s soaps. That gets old real fast, and was such a small part of what made "classic Dallas" originally such a great show. It was a much richer and diverse drama, but very few soaps that have come along since have learned more than one or two of the show's tricks.

I don't know about you guys, but I for one are sooooo ready for some real good Soap on my TV again. Was so happy to see a show like "Dirty Sex Money" hopping on that nostalgia train again and feel it got ancelled way too soon. I grew up with those shows and if they manage to bring that ol' feeling back - spiced up with some new features and Dallas-style twist and turns, it might just prove to be successfull. At least among the older audience.

Curious that Hagman, in one scene, will appear hale and hearty for his age, and then nearly decrepit the next. Regardless, he dominates the show completely; the man's screen presence as JR is uncanny.

It is. He has a great TV presence and they gave him the best one-liners sofar. I am happy to see that his voice has gotten much better in some scenes. That made him appear way more vital, aggressive and JR-like. Though that hoarse, distinct voice kind of reminded me a litte of Brando in "Godfather"

[Lovely Linda]

I really hope they used Sue Ellen's absence from this episode to decide where to take her character. Wonder what happened between her and JR during the lost years. Have they hooked up again in between? Or just went on hating each other? There is so much potential - hope they use it!

[Angela Channing]

I think episode 3 was the best one yet, mainly due to the amount of screen time given to the ever compelling Larry Hagman as JR. It was nice to see Cliff again but it seemed only to be a cameo for nostalgic reasons rather than to create an opening for him in the show. I think the absense of having a Barnes in the mix is a weakness of the show over the original series which is why I'm hoping Rebecca is the daughter of Katherine so that dimension is not lost from the new series. The scene between JR and Cliff is my favourite so far in the new series.

Lots of nitpicks, as always, but trying not to let that spoil my enjoyment of the new show.

[Pamela Barnes]

I think episode 3 was the best one yet, mainly due to the amount of screen time given to the ever compelling Larry Hagman as JR. It was nice to see Cliff again but it seemed only to be a cameo for nostalgic reasons rather than to create an opening for him in the show. I think the absense of having a Barnes in the mix is a weakness of the show over the original series which is why I'm hoping Rebecca is the daughter of Katherine so that dimension is not lost from the new series. The scene between JR and Cliff is my favourite so far in the new series.

Lots of nitpicks, as always, but trying not to let that spoil my enjoyment of the new show.

JR with lots of screen time was indeed good. It was good to see Cliff and he is in it again next week. He is up to something for sure.

Maybe it's just me but something seems missing, not a character as such but a feeling. Perhaps it's that mix of warmth and hostility that isn't there. I am finding myself rooting for JR and John Ross. I just think the lack of decent characters is shifting the balance in the wrong way. It has some great moments but that's all. Lots of great moments and some dull characters, mixed in with one good one.