Dallas Recap: ‘Where There’s Smoke’ [Episode 8]

 

 

The show opens with Elena pacing and staring out the window – worrying about Drew, who has gone missing.  She tells Nicolas/Joaquin about her brother’s newly found hatred for her and her secrets and cries that things have gone too far.  Ya’ think? She wants it to stop before things get out of hand.  How can she be this maze dull?  Nicolas/Joaquin, of course, begs her to not give up, yet.  That dark side her mother talked about, the side that fought for his soul, is clearly winning. 

Bobby approaches John Ross in the midst of a planning a new master bedroom suite for Pamela who is following a romantic trail of rose petals to the new site.  While walking, she finally picks up the video of John Ross and Emma that Nicolas/Joaquin sent her the night before. Just like that, writers? Way to blow a girl’s world apart!

Christopher wakes up in a cold sweat – no doubt thinking about his fight with Drew as he checks his hand.  He runs off to meet with Heather.  They share yet another warm embrace and discussion of how good she is for him. He feels less broken with her. He tells Heather she’s a breath of fresh air and he wants to take the relationship to the next step (WHAT!?!?!? I’ll ship for Chreather/Histopher/whatever, but it’s definitely too soon! Maybe!).  Heather tells him that she has to put Michael (Doodlebug) first and that she can’t risk his heart after the heartbreak his father continues to put him through.  She doesn’t want someone who just wants to wake up in her bed… Damn, I like her.  Just then she gets a phone call letting her know that Bo has taken Michael from school.

Bum calls John Ross to let him know that he was right about Candace.  They need to talk.

Sue Ellen looks damned good!  She and Ann are about to have tea when they notice water spilling in the hall way outside the kitchen.  They rush to help Pamela who is sitting by the side of the tub as the water overflows.  She shows them the video when they ask what’s wrong.  She’s stunned, horrified, and humiliated when they tell her it’s already over.  Pamela is angry that they decided to protect her rather than tell her the truth from the beginning.  She’s his wife and deserves to know who her husband is screwing and what she wants to do about it.  Tonight’s episode just as well may have been titled, “Dallas: The Women with Steel Spines Edition.”  YES!

Except, Sue Ellen starts caressing a bottle as Bobby walks in and hears their conversation – learning about Jr. and Bobby is livid with “Annie.” He wants to know why she keeps lying to him about the most serious events in her life. Ann is defending Emma against Bobby’s charge that sending the video was cruel, implying Emma was at fault. He wants her out and wants her father to be responsible for her safety.  One crap storm to the next, Bobby walks out to Chris and Heather meeting with Sheriff SexyPants (Derrick). Damn, I’m all kinds of wrong for being happy that the occasion brought the Sheriff to SouthFork.

John Ross is missing the excitement at SouthFork.  He’s in the midst of meeting with Candace. He tells her that he knows he wasn’t paying her enough to afford her current digs.  He realizes that being taken to the “whorehouse” is no coincidence when paired with her push to bed him. He knows she use to be a call girl and that she’s working with Harris Ryland. He offers to help her if she’ll give up the truth.  He later tracks down Mama Ryland. He reveals what he knows about their plan (HA! Emma! He knows about the dress!).  Jr. warns her that they need to stop coming after him, & that Mama Ryland needs to put a leash on her son to avoid jail time. He compliments her about how the women in the family have the business sense. When she asks about his intentions – he admits he’s married and has no honorable intentions toward Emma.  They pull out their dinkies to measure against one another as each states that they’ll do what’s necessary to protect their families.  Emma comes out from behind the bookcase when he leaves and says that they enjoy each other and she doesn’t need more.  Mama Ryland tells her to use the photos of John Ross with the 16 year old to her advantage.  Emma never had a chance to be normal.  Never.

Earlier Mama Ramos hoped that Drew would leave town and heal, when he left a note for Emma with her.  No such luck.  He’s in the back seat of Nicolas/Joaquin’s car. Creepy. Drew calls for a blood feud referring to his father as Drew’s father, as well (he definitely doesn’t know that Nicolas/Joaquin is sleeping with “their” sister).  He wants blood to settle the score and vows to get Ewing blood on his own.  Nicolas/Joaquin chases after Drew but can’t catch him.  The cartel General agrees to find him.

John Ross and Emma speak.  Emma claims that she threw the dress away to protect him – as she’s holding the dress and the green “Pamela’s Honeymoon” lingerie.  She’s at the Omni waiting for John Ross and won’t take ‘No’ for an answer. She dangles the fact that her grandmother is training her to take over Ryland Transportation.  Slick.

Sheriff Derrick tells Christopher and Bobby where to find Michael.  It turns out that Bo took Michael to the Rodeo.  Heather confronts Bo’s brother who makes excuses for him taking the child from school and fighting with five officers.  Bo’s brother also attacks Christopher for taking Bo’s job and family.  Bo, too, is headed to SouthFork to take everyone on. 

Elena is crying, again, and says that she finally realizes she’s turned on everyone who ever loved and cared for her.  No one hurt her family but J.R. and he’s dead. Nicolas/Joaquin tells her that he is her family, too (What?).  She tells him that she’s used him too. He absolves her of her guilt.  I expect him to hurt her… soon.  As he leads her to the bathroom and asks her about her favorite comfort food, I begin to wonder if she dies by drowning or poisoning.  He’s that evil.  Son-of-a-BITCH!  He pokes a hole in her diaphragm.  Squicky sick bastard.  Sadly, I have no sympathy for her if she’s tied to him for the rest of her life. I could give a crap about Elena.  I just hope Lucia comes back to make him pay for his actions.  HER? I like.

Harris Ryland is nice to Ann again when she faults herself for Emma’s behavior.  He faults himself and invites her in for a drink.  I love Ann. I don’t love it when she lacks commonsense. She accepts.  When they’re together, I almost think there is something real between them.  Ryland also blames himself for not standing up to his mother when they were young.  He says that they should never have stayed in the house with her.  He says that his mother destroyed the most important part of his life, Annie.  He kisses. She doesn’t exactly stop him.  Mama Ryland gives the evil eye from an upstairs window.  I wonder if she ever mistakenly calls him “Norman.”

Sue Ellen apologizes to Pamela for trying to protect her from the pain of Jr’s cheating.  Pamela tells her that she’s not a weak sniveling drunk like Sue Ellen.  Pamela has tracked her husband to the Omni.   Sue Ellen has grabbed a bottle and started drinking.  Emma is wearing the honeymoon lingerie she may very soon die in if she’s not careful. Pamela enters the room – having paid a maid to be let in (love details, writers, thanks).  She stands there watching them when Emma notices her and John Ross jumps out of his cowardly skin. Both watch her slowly pull her hand from her pocket.

Looking at the lingerie, she compliments Emma by telling her she loves what she’s wearing.  What.The.F***!?!?!?  Pamela is wearing the same lingerie and asks to join them. Emma looks afraid as Pamela reaches for her, caresses her, and then kisses her.  Emma gets into it.  John Ross does not look happy, even when he eventually caves.  I’m with you, brah’.  Sue Ellen is weak?  Would someone please point Drew and/or Bo in the direction of the Omni?  Have either make a pit stop at Nicolas/Joaquin’s.  The baby making begins.

At SouthFork, Sue Ellen is still drinking and eventually passes out.  A fire starts.  We don’t know how it starts other than seeing a man (Bo?) standing outside.

The final scenes are interspersed.  Pamela begins gasping.  She’s apparently taken a bottle of pills.  Sue Ellen passed out on the floor, Pamela is gasping, Bobby and Christopher are knocked out by falling debris.  911 has been called. The fire rages.

I can’t believe this is the last episode.  I can’t wait for the next season!