Dallas Recap: Season 3 Finale [Two Parts]

We return to the farmhouse where Ann and Emma are being held captive.  Luis is willing to allow Bobby to take Ann, but not Emma.  When Grandma Judith hears the news she is sure they have been betrayed by Bobby, but Sue Ellen confirms that it was Luis’ choice, not Bobby’s.  Ann is embraced by all but Judith.  When asked what she would like, she tells Sue Ellen that she wants a big glass of bourbon.  I’ve gotta’ say that Linda Gray plays it perfectly.  Ann apparently misses the look on Sue Ellen’s face.  She looks stunned that anyone would ask her to pour a glass of alcohol.  We’re going to have to chalk this up to Ann’s shock, but wow!  Sue Ellen agrees to get the drink, but luckily John Ross finishes pouring for her. I almost believe he cares and is so tender in that moment.  As Ann is being embraced by the Ewings, Emma has decided that she will save herself by flirting with one of Luis’ men, Fernando, who is practicing English lessons. She offers to tutor him.  Luis seems amused by Emma’s attempt to seduce the young man.

While everyone is inside worrying about Emma, John Ross is outside with Bum, who has decoded the hidden files on the encrypted flash drive.  He informs Jr. that the flash drive contains bank accounts and lists of operatives who’ve worked with Ryland’s handlers as illegal black ops. When Bum attempts to review the disk again, the banking information has disappeared but the list was still there.   John Ross makes a deal with one of the contractors on the list (seemingly to save Emma). When later confronted by Pamela, who mocks him for pretending to be noble and pretending to care about Emma, John Ross admits that he is in it for himself.  He is using the Ryland’s concerns for Emma to get something for himself.  He makes a deal with Judith after telling her that her son is a CIA informant.  He wants her to set up a meeting with Luis.

Elena is again apologizing profusely to Christopher for her role in everything.  It turns out that Nicholas has agreed to help the CIA by setting up a meeting with El Pozolero and helping to take down the Mendez-Ochoa gang.  He uses Luis’ kidnapping of the two women as the grounds for trying to establish a meeting to determine what the next steps should be as Ryland, Bobby, and the CIA operatives listen in.  Despite seeing El Pozolero sing Nicolas’ praises the week before, we learn that he is highly suspicious of Nicolas’ request for a meeting. Why should they meet, now?  Nicolas tells him that they need to be on the same page and that Luis is putting them all at risk.  None have any idea that John Ross has arranged for a crew to find and then hit the farmhouse, when the time is right.

We see that Emma is still at work on Fernando by practicing her Spanish with him in the dungeon –basement, until Luis comes along and puts an end to it.  She takes the pencil he is using for his lessons to write a “help” message.  She wants to give it to the farm boy who delivers Luis’ vegetables. Her plan comes back is the worst way when the young man attempts to seduce her in the bathroom, stopping her just before she can deliver her message.  Luis catches them, makes Fernando leave, and then finds the note on Emma.  He offers to “help” her with her buttons, since it seems to be taking so long.  The door closes and we can only hope nothing happens to her.

Judith has set up a meeting between John Ross and Luis.  John Ross tries to make a deal with Luis stating that Luis is making a mess of things.  He is going to help him make things better.  Jr. begins to sow seeds of discontent in Luis, telling him that Nicolas gets all the glory and that Luis is an unappreciated asset.  He compares his position in the Ewing family to that of Luis’.  John Ross talks about role doing the things his cousin doesn’t have the stomach to do despite being the golden boy living off of Jr’s work.  John Ross reminds him of Nicolas’ expensive suits, his fancy cars and condos, while Luis is stuck hiding out in the dirty farm house. Luis calls El Pozolero with John Ross’ deal when he is confronted with the kidnapping. He learns that Nicolas has warned El Pozolero about the women being taken hostage and El Pozolero is not happy.  Each side is playing the Mendez-Ochoa leaders against one another.  In my fanfiction loving heart, Luis and Nicolas are brothers, taking down the big boss, unable to save Drew from himself or El Pozolero’s orders.  They had to take his life, knowing they couldn’t save him.  They were too close to bringing El Pozolero down to let Drew break their cover.  Of course, the birth control sabotage is beyond explanation other than the fact that Nicolas violated Elena believing he would soon be dead, and wanting to have a child with her to live on…still… ICK!  Instead, this rivalry is real and both have been working to please a psychotic despot.

Nicolas has landed his long awaited meeting with El Pozolero but before leaving he speaks with Elena. He tells her that he knows he has killed her love for him but wants her to remember that he was once worthy of that love.  At the farmhouse, Luis takes Jr’s deal, but it will only go through once Emma is back at SouthFork.  John Ross offers to stay behind in her place.  I sure hope this doesn’t get Emma’s hopes up that this man loves her. John Ross has admitted to Pamela that saving Emma is a means to an end – getting his company back.  Luis says it is fine for her to leave, he’s done with Emma anyway – seemingly confirming her assault at his hands.  She hugs John Ross and thanks him, but whispers that they’ll kill him. John Ross tells her that someone will die in the house that night, but it won’t be him. Luis does not know that the operative gave John Ross a lighter that, when lit, will signal the hit on the farm house.  Emma is handed a phone to take with her, by Luis, and is told that they will contact her, later.

Nicolas is at a parking garage, waiting for the boss when five identical vans are presented. Nicolas’ phone, which was supposed to be the tracking device to help them zero in on Pozolero, is left on the ground as the five vans pull off.  No one knows which van holds Nicolas.  All along Christopher has been suspicious that Nicolas was only pretending to set up his boss in order to break free.  Was he right?  In the van with Pozolero and Nicolas talk about the power Pozolero will have when he becomes the new President of Mexico, and that he’s changed his mind about being set free from the organization. It’s still not clear if he’s playing the boss or saving his own life – something feels off base about all of this.

Emma walks through the door with Judith and Harris. Judith gloats as the Ewing plan falls apart and her plan with Jr. works out. She introduces herself to the CIA operative.  She tells him that she’s always glad to meet one of Harris’ work friends. ZING! Pamela stiffens her spine as she hears Emma talks about how John Ross traded his life for hers.  John Ross calls Pamela to transfer the money to finish the deal and she tells him that dying for Emma doesn’t make him a hero, it makes him stupid.  He reminds her that buying the stock will make then the sole owners of Ewing Global – it’s enough to get her to stop challenging him and to transfer the money.  Just as it happens, the boss and Nicolas walk in.  He is not happy and begins his speech about his two very different sons. As he continues on, it’s clear one of them is not making it out of that house – and I’m not sure which one I want to see go (with a different storyline, they could have both been saved). They begin pleading their case, as if they are on some sort of paternal version of “The Bachelor.”Each explains why the other is worthless and he should be considered the sole heir in a soulless organization.

Nicolas is stunned when he sees John Ross.  Luis tells El Pozolero that he’s sold the stock for more money than they were asking for. Luis takes John Ross and holds him at gunpoint proving no matter what it is the boss wants, he can deliver.  Nicolas thinks that act proves that Luis is too rough to be of use to the organization. Pozolero tells him that he has become confused about who they are.  They are not businessmen who commit crimes, but criminals who do business.  Pozolero feels that he’s coddled Nicolas too much, never asking him to get his hands dirty.  Psycho dad tells Nicolas that murder is a bonding experience and that it proves that he is committed to their future together.  Right now, I can imagine Pamela celebrating the possibility of becoming the sole owner of Ewing Global, should Luis, Nicolas, Pozolero or some combination of the three take out her husband.  I hope Jr. has that lighter on hand!  Nicolas asks for the gun.  John Ross tells him he doesn’t have the balls.  Nicolas grabs Jr and throws him against a bookcase.  He tells the room that Jr. violated his one true love by getting her drunk and taking her to bed.  He whispers to John Ross to drop when he tells him to drop –it seems, for now at least, that Nicolas is trying to redeem himself.  Just then, Luis – who may as well have “F—k Redemption” tattooed on his forehead, puts a gun to the back of Nicolas’ head and tells him the time for talking is over, someone has to die.

Season Finale, Part II

Command central at SouthFork is beside itself. Bobby is trying to reassure Sue Ellen, as everyone else is just trying to get by, when we hear Pamela say that luckily John Ross’ heart is too small for a bullet to find it.  I need to hug the writer who wrote that line.  Everything has been so tense to this point that I was afraid to blink in case I missed something.  PERFECT line.  Back at the farmhouse, Jr flicks the lighter and Pozolero’s men start dropping when sharp shooters take the armed gunmen out.  Pozolero makes a break for the door when he’s stopped by John Ross’ men. Oh my word! John Ross has momentarily shifted from shamed loser to international hero in ONE week.  When the son of JR Ewing makes a comeback, it’s big. John Ross turns the tables and holds a gun to Luis’ head.  He is screaming and angrily shaking when he’s told to put the gun down, the Mexican Marines are on their way.  He fires several bullets just above Luis’ head.  Luis cowers.  BRILLIANT!

News hits SouthFork that John Ross has been rescued.  Nicolas is returning with him. The 52% shares of Ewing Global stock are part of the frozen assets of the cartel, the sale appears to have been blocked and it seems that the Ewings will get their stock back.  Pamela looks crestfallen.  Harris lets George know that he’s done with the CIA.  Their deal is still on, but Harris chooses to not send his mother to prison for her deal with the cartel. He asks for the recording back because despite wanting peace in his family, he knows that peace is often short lived.

The hero returns home to be embraced by his mother. He claims that he knows he’s done so much wrong that it was time for him to do something right.  Bobby praises him, Ann embraces him, and Emma – in the presence of an angry Pamela, embraces him as well.  Pamela walks away.  Ann notices Pamela’s reaction.  John Ross gives mama Ryland a knowing glance as he passes her.  Emma becomes emotional and apologizes for all of the horrible things she’s done.  To Judith’s surprise, she walks by her without embracing or acknowledging her.  It may be becoming clearer to Emma that her grandmother used her anger to turn her against her mother and father and heightened her anger against them, putting everyone at risk.  It may also now dawn on Emma that her grandmother is not much better than the men who held her captive in how they debase women.

Elena agrees to meet with Nicolas to allow him to explain everything, much to Christopher’s chagrin.  El Pozolero and Luis notice that Nicolas is not in lock up.  Psychodad promises that Nicolas will choke on a stew made from the flesh of his loved ones, as well as the Ewings.  THIS is why you plan this sort of dialogue to air well after the dinner hour.  I just turned vegan.

Ann is resting, just as Bobby is about to tell Sue Ellen about his conversation with Carlos Del Sol.  They are interrupted when Tracy McKay shows up at SouthFork (holy crap, I forgot about her and Hunter).  Sue Ellen becomes angry and tells Tracy that she has nerve to show up at their home after what her nephew did to their family and her father did to JR.  Bobby gets Sue Ellen to leave – telling her that they can talk about his conversation with Carlos, later.  Tracy thanks him when he reminds her that the night they met, she knocked out a linebacker, he thinks she can take Sue Ellen.  Ouch! She is sad thinking about how her father poisoned Hunter and wishes she’d done more to save him.  Ann walks in as Bobby is hugging Tracy, trying to console her.  Tracy takes passive aggressive behavior to an art form when she tells Ann that she’s happy to meet Bobby’s latest wife.  Ann looks like she wants to take about 40 years of human misery and slap Tracy with them.  Bobby stays quiet.  Good man.  He later moans to Christopher that traveling down memory lane with a wife and ex-girlfriend isn’t as much fun as it sounds.  Only a man could have written that line, right?  To whom does that sound like a good time?

Sheriff Derrick (my favorite hottie police officer who needs to become a full time character) comes in with news about Drew’s death.  They realize that his body was moved and now realize it was murder.  Christopher wants to inform Elena, but she’s at the condo waiting for Joaquin-Nicolas. She’s returning his things when she sees, hidden in one of his bags, a cell phone – her phone.  Bum realizes she’s turned it on (Christopher had him put a tracer on it earlier) and calls Christopher, who calls Elena.  He tells her that Hunter and Drew’s deaths are connected.  In the same pocket as her phone, she finds her brother’s medal.  An angry Elena goes to confront Nicolas. She holds his St. Christopher necklace and says that they should thank the St. for keeping him safe.  When he reminds her that he never takes the necklace off, she points out that she never takes hers off, either. Holding up the third necklace, she tells him that neither did her brother but his was missing when his body was found.  Nicolas lies again and claims that his men found Drew, dead, and they took the necklace because suicide is a sin.  She is not buying it and shoots him in the arm.

Christopher arrives to help Elena, not realizing that she is not the person who needs help.  Nicolas continues lying as he escapes on the elevator, bleeding from his wounds.  He offers to take “Ellie” away so that no one knows that she was in the conspiracy with him.  He tells her that he will keep her safe.  Just as the elevator closes, (St.) Christopher Ewing arrives and tells her he’ll take care of everything for her.  Of course he will.  Why do these two put me to sleep every time?

Harris and Ann are meeting.  Harris proclaims his love for her and tells her that when he saw her, he wanted to hold her and tell her how happy he was to see her.  Let the games begin!  Harris-Ann-Bobby- Tracy quadrangle coming up!  Ann says that nothing will happen with them, she loves Bobby and wants to make things work.  Something tells me Harris won’t give up that easily.  He gets that from his mama, who happens to be at SouthFork with a gift for John Ross.  I love the way she puts her hand on his derriere when he gets into her limo.  It’s cute and creepy at the same time.  She gives him back Candace’s blue dress and the digital files from the set up that day.  She tells him no strings are attached.  She just wants to know what happened to Emma when she was held captive.  She says that she’s seen that look in her girls when they were with violent and sadistic men (betting there is no mental health plan in her establishment).  She wants John Ross to be a friend to Emma. She wants information on her son’s work with the CIA as well.

Ann and Bobby talk about rebuilding, from the foundation up, as the burned out wing of SouthFork will have to be rebuilt the same way.  So… it doesn’t help when Tracy sends a thank you text, punctuated with XOXO’s. Oh dear.  The specter of cheating becomes a reality in another Ewing relationship.  John Ross catches Pamela with Prince Nassir and attacks him when Pamela reminds him that she’s not his wife any more, and hasn’t been since she downed those pills.  She tells him she plans to own Ewing Global without him since the Prince will give her the loan to buy Ewing Global back.  She’s still married. How she plans to own the company without her husband is a mystery, but seeing Nassir without clothing is still a nice perk to a failed plan.

Bobby and Sue Ellen pull the mother of all moves.  They beat Pamela to the punch.  It turns out that Carlos Del Sol called to offer them a loan to buy Ewing Global. They bought the shares before Pamela could make her play for the stock.   Pamela snarked at Bobby and Sue Ellen, just moments before learning they’d bought the company, and told them that she could do whatever she wanted, including rename the company Barnes, again.  She is stunned and angry.  John Ross, who exits his office in time to hear the news, is livid.  Pamela sees it as the Ewings pulling the same moves on her that Jock pulled on Digger, and that JR pulled on Cliff.  She tells them they are starting another war… seriously, those things don’t end well for the Barnes family.  She might want to reconsider this move.  Either way, I think Cliff just found his way out of prison. She’s going to need an ally.  She hits John Ross with a parting shot telling him that he was, at least, screwed too.

Bobby and Sue Ellen think of themselves as holding the peace for the family with this move.  John Ross thinks his mother stole his birthright.  She tells him that she is doing what is best for him, just as he did for her when he had her committed.  Hot Damn! Petulant Jr storms off.  In a rare moment of humanity, he breaks down in the elevator under the weight of it all.  He calls his voicemail to hear his father tell him that he’s proud of him, and welcoming him to big oil.  He calls his operative, Walter, to ask for something he can use on Judith.  Walter gives him Harris’ recording of Judith’s “cocaine pipeline” conversation with Luis.  John Ross give the recording to Judith.  He agrees to help Emma.  John Ross, a man of his word when it suits him, asks Emma to have coffee with him because no one else will understand what they’ve gone through.  They can talk things out together.  She wants to know if he was in Mexico to save her or if there was another reason.  He says he wants to tell her the truth, there have been too many lies between them.  He tells her that he went to Mexico for business, he was not there to be her hero.  She tells him that her father was compiling a blackmail file on JR before JR died.  She says that while her father was in jail, a package arrived.  She was holding it to have leverage over him.

He reads the file and looks bewildered for a moment.  She thanks him for saving her, and he thanks her.  This can’t be good.  Not thankful is Harris, who receives his recorder back and instead of the recorded message of his mother with Luis, it is a recording of Mama Ryland telling Harris she forgives him.  Still thankful are Bobby and Sue Ellen, who talk about being happy, and feeling free of JR.  John Ross comes back to gloat, introducing the family to the new railroad commissioner… JUDITH RYLAND!  She is connected to the governor through a few ladies they know in common… shocker.  It seems that the Ryland ships needed to drill in the arctic, the ships John Ross made a deal for with Judith, can only enter and exit through the ports in Texas – which are regulated by the railroad commission.  Bobby tells him that partnering with the devil won’t make a difference – he will always see it coming. He tells him JR never got the best of him and he was twice the opponent John Ross was.  John Ross declares that he is not his father. He gets in Bobby’s face to tell him that his is worse.

We end with El Pozolero and Luis being killed by one of Luis’ seemingly loyal men.  It turns out the killer is loyal to Nicolas, who has taken over the organization.  He tells his henchman not to worry about anyone in Dallas, Elena will return because he has made sure that she is bonded to him in a way she never was before.  She’ll return on her own in 8 months or so.   On the way home with Christopher, they stop at a convenience store as Elena is vomiting and taking a pregnancy test – positive, but who.is.the.daddy?  As she leaves the store and approaches Christopher’s car, a mysterious man begins dialing the phone and Christopher’s car explodes.  If this is the cliffhanger, no dice, folks.  There is no way (St.) Christopher dies.  We are stuck with Elena and Christopher next season, I’m sure.  My guess?  He was in the store, or in front of the car and thrown into the bushes.  He’ll wake up with memory loss and it will take time before he realizes who he is.  He won’t care that Elena doesn’t know if his cousin or her drug lord, brother-murdering, boyfriend is the father of her child. He’ll fall in love with her all over again.  Such agony.

Here is the real cliffhanger.  JR apparently has a daughter.  Bum is going to find her for John Ross.  My guess is that she will be a game changer, having inherited a significant share of the company, resetting the balance of power.  WHEN Dallas returns, I guess we’ll find out!

That’s right, I plan to be back here for Season 4.  Don’t break my heart, TNT!

 

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