In the second season, Pamela Rebecca Barnes and John Ross plan to re-acquire half of Christopher's stakes in Ewing Energies. They seem to be trying to satisfy her father's desire to take revenge on Ewings before it is too late, and Ryland's mother, Judith, tries to be more dangerous than before as she proves she is as evil as her son. On the other hand, new evidence emerges during this period indicating important things in the Tommy disappearance case.
No one would have wanted Hagman... to leave Dallas this way. But in playing the hand that was forced on them, the show's actors, writers and crew seem to have stepped things up.
I can't say that I was eating my heart out wondering when Judith Light would be returning to series TV, but she has a regal, frosty veneer here that promises some impressive dragon lady bitchery.
The Ewings are still prime-time's serial drama royalty, not from the standpoint of prestigious awards but from the sheerly entertaining, oft-dopey melodrama of it all.
Monday's episode, titled "J.R.'s Masterpiece," seeks a balance between becoming an hour-long tribute to a pop icon and staying true to the show's mission as a fast-moving soap opera.
Although Dallas definitely lost one of its shining stars, I think that if they handle all of those irons right (and after these episodes, I'm hopeful), they will live on in the name of Larry Hagman.
Judith Brown Ryland, played with venomous vigor by the reliably ferocious Judith Light. Gives one hope. If Dallas must continue without J.R., maybe a first-class Queen B---- is the answer.
Monday night's return of Dallas is a joy, too, and everything fans could ask for -- the past, present and future all skillfully bound up in a high-gloss melodrama full of deceit, greed, Velveeta and (surprisingly enough) even love.
