Dallas Recap: ‘Lifting the Veil’ [Episode 4]

 

While Nicolas Treviño/Joaquin is back in Dallas getting busy with his not-sister, Elena, Mrs. Treviño is staunchly defending her gentlemanly husband’s character, and unwittingly giving Christopher more clues about his past, informing Christopher that he was once an orphanWho needs so many armed guards?  Christopher makes a point of letting Mrs Treviño know that her husband’s conduct in Dallas is not that of a married man. Christopher is not gentleman, himself, at that moment.  For just a second I was enjoying their chemistry.

John Ross is about to make the prior night up to Pamela when Candace calls to let him know that Stan (Babcock) will meet with him – but only that morning.  He leaves, promising to be home in time for the ceremony.  In another room, Sue Ellen tells Ann that she knows that her son and Emma are sleeping together, and she wants her gone from SouthFork but Ann reminds Sue Ellen that Harris’ issues with the law have placed Emma at risk. Sue Ellen really doesn’t give a damn.  Ann promises another solution.

Outside, John Ross is not amused by Emma’s game and tells her so. He tells her that she screws like a woman and behaves like an attention starved brat.OUCH!  Emma makes a beeline for Pamela and asks about the romantic evening and the lingerie.  Pamela lies and tells her she decided to save it for later.  Sue Ellen gives Emma the evil eye when she sees them sitting together and glowers even more when she hears Pamela say that “this time” the wedding feels right.  Emma rubs in the fact that John Ross is off taking care of business on their wedding day.  Isn’t she a little too young for all that mean?  Sue Ellen walks away & the flask comes, out again

Treviño/Joaquin takes a call from Drew, who is still guilt ridden over planting the bomb that killed Christopher and Pamela’s unborn babies Treviño/Joaquin is only moved by the news that Christopher met his wife, Lucia. (Cliff and Elena sure can pick ‘em.)  Drew is convinced by Treviño/Joaquin to stay in Mexico rather than come back and turn himself in.  Once home, Christopher tells Bobby about his trip to Mexico– after a brief flirtation with Heather.

John Ross shows up to the meeting with Babcock, only to find Harris Ryland in his place. This can’t be good.  Stan has offered to shut down Bobby’s investigation, on Harris’ behalf.  Harris tells John Ross that all he has to do is return the files.  He offers Ryland the one thing he wants most from the files – which turns out to be an orange grenade-shaped flash drive.  Harris gives him an hour to produce it.

During The Wedding Prep

Afton arrives to browbeat Pamela about all of her choices including hairstyle.  Sue Ellen supports Pamela. As Emma’s phone rings, Sue Ellen and Ann watch her, realizing she’s talking in code to John Ross.  He wants her to meet him at his downtown penthouse, bringing the drive with her.

Carlos vows to help figure out Nicolas’ secrets, and is curious about why Nicolas wants to free Cliff.  My guess is the Rhonda Simmons is right – Cliff followed J.R. out of the bar.  She has said all along that she didn’t see what happened, but I think Cliff went home and Nicolas killed J.R., revenge for the Ramos family.  He wants to clear Cliff to clear his conscience, but also plans to use Cliff to bring down Ewing Global. Maybe?

Jr. and Emma are downtown and he apologizes for his earlier comments reminding her that she didn’t take her father down for him, but for the both of them, each for their own reasons.  She foolishly believes they can be partners? He gives her the “stop pushing me away” speech. She proves she’s childlike and buys it.  The fool kisses her while on the street and tells her to run home and get the drive. Just as Harris calls warning him to bring the drive now, John Ross watches Emma drive back to SouthFork.

Lucy and Uncle Ray are at the ranch and greet Christopher –I wish it had been a longer moment. It’s interrupted by Christopher running to confront Elena. John Ross has reached Ryland at an upscale home where it appears that Ryland has been holding swinger parties – cameras in every room, of course.  We see Commissioner Stan role play a plushie fetish with a woman dressed as a dog. I didn’t need to see that, folks.  Jr. goes in to strike a deal with Stan (Is he seriously trusting Ryland to not record the blackmail?).

Christopher confronts Elena with the truth about her lover.  She tells him that her values haven’t been compromised, that she’s playing Treviño/Joaquin.  Christopher is not so sure.

John Ross claims that he didn’t bring the drive because he didn’t want to be the victim of a shakedown, and that the drive is on its way.  Bum waits for Emma who apologizes for being late with the drive. She smirks, stating that she hopes John Ross doesn’t miss the wedding.  At the house, Afton makes the “apple-tree” comparison. Sue Ellen burns Afton by telling her the most despicable thing JR ever did, was her.  She leaves the room, the flask comes out.

At the swingers party, Harris tries to compromise John Ross, who tries fighting off the women Harris sent to seduce him.  Bum arrives. He has copied the drive but realizes the files are encrypted – he doesn’t know it, but they are CIA files.  John Ross gets a copy of the disk of the commissioner, Harris gets the drive. John Ross rushes to his wedding, but not before Ryland warns him to stop sleeping with Emma.

Waiting for John Ross to get dressed, Treviño/Joaquin swears on the lives of his children that he is only waiting for a settlement for his marriage to be over – liarface?. I can’t wait for his wife to show up, you know she will.

As John Ross brags on getting the upper hand on the commissioner, Sue Ellen confronts him on Emma.  He explains it away as “just business”, Sue Ellen tells him that he’s like his father and she won’t let him destroy Pamela as his father destroyed her.  He retorts that the alcohol on her breath has made her forget her loyalty.  When she tells him that she will tell Pamela, herself, he responds with an even deeper cut, telling her that she’s looked away her whole life, one more time won’t hurt. Suddenly, he’s not sexy any more.

[Photo: TNT]

The wedding comes off without a hitch, despite Pamela’s speech that John Ross is too much like her daddy, chasing power and money, she marries Prince Machiavelli and they drive off into the moonlight. John Ross leaves a little joy behind by informing Uncle Bobby the permits are issued.

[Photo: TNT]

Emma is alone and crying.  John Ross and Pamela are making up for lost time. Christopher and fancy panties Heather are hitting the hay (literally) – in the horse barn. Sanctimonious Elena is doing the deed with her married not-brother, and I think my TV screen needs clearing from the other side.

Lucia Treviño shows up.  Treviño/Joaquin is not a liarface, AND he’s just probably not the most dangerous person in that marriage, after all.  She convinces him that they need to remain together, in the eyes of the church and for the sake of their children. Moon flowers my ass.  Those armed guards are hers, not his. She’s scary.

Speaking of scary, we end with Ma Barker and her boy discussing how to stop John Ross.  The failed attempt at seduction wasn’t wasted.  One of the girls in the photo with him is 16.  Candace, who has been working for Harris Ryland all this time, will put the dress on to get a (ahem) sample from John Ross. Mama Ryland is pleased. The Rylands are all evil all the time. John Ross is a tool, and right now, doesn’t feel all that clever, any more. Cameras. Swinger Party. Bum’s warning.  Argh.