Dallas Recap: ‘Like A Bad Penny’ [Episode 7]

[Photo: TNT]

We open with Bobby and Ann battling for Sue Ellen’s freedom unaware of how far gone she really was – and with John Ross firing Candace’s sorry backside. Committing his mother to a hospital has made the kid a little sharper.  He sends Bum to investigate Candace, stating that no woman has ever worked him as hard as she tried.  Elena is replaying the sex tape of John Ross and Emma when Drew calls.  He’s still feeling soul-searing guilt over killing Pamela and Christopher’s babies.  She tells him to stay at Joaquin’s. Joaquin/Nicolas is afraid that Drew will figure out what they’re up to and ruin their plans. Elena assures him that he won’t.

Meanwhile, John Ross is telling Pamela that he did what was best for his mother.  Seeing her drunk caused him to re-live his childhood, when she was out of control (smart use of Dallas history).  He talks about taking control of Ewing Global with the new I.P.O. revealing that before his death, JR was working on a deal with Sheik Sharif Ali in Abu Dhabi – the Sheik needs to partner with an American company to bid on the Arctic leases.  Ewing Global will cut him in on the leases in exchange for the capital.  The power couple plans to meet up with the Sheik in Vegas to broker the deal.

From Power to powerless: Christopher, who still foolishly still trusts Elena, tries to warn her to not trust Nicolas. Elena defends him and tells Christopher that she’s found out about his past.  She gives a skeptical Christopher the file of a scandal free “Javier Hernandez.”  Christopher wonders how Elena managed it when Carlos Del Sol, the most connected man in Mexico, was unable to. Elena deflects from the question and claims that Nicolas erased his past to protect himself from the parents who abandoned him.  When Elena admits she has feelings for Nicolas, Christopher tells her that hiring her was supposed to bring the two of them closer together.  At that very moment Drew is hitchhiking his way back to Dallas.

Papa Ryland Smurf is not feeling his smurfiest smurfy self.  He’s taking back the car and townhouse he and Granny Smurf gave to Candace – who cries she’ll have to go home and she just can’t go back there (where does she live that prostitution is a better gig?)

 

[Photo: TNT]

Ann is visiting Sue Ellen, who still wants to tell Pamela about John Ross’ cheating. She believes that had she been warned about JR she wouldn’t have become an alcoholic.  Hearing from Ann that John Ross fired Candace doesn’t gives her any comfort – knowing about Emma.  Speaking of, Emma is confronting Candace and offers her a job with Ryland Transport. She pretends she wants to keep Candace away from her friend’s husband. Candace blurts that it was Ryland who just fired her.

The Sheik’s family will have nothing to do with John Ross. They are aware that he wasn’t planning to keep the deal between the two men (JR and the Sheik) and that he is only there because he has no other options.The Sheik’s son, Prince Nasir, dismisses him telling John Ross that he’s dishonored JR’s memory.

Christopher is getting into his car to go home from Ewing Global, when Drew approaches saying he wishes he could change what happened. An angry Christopher begins hitting him, flashing back to the day the babies were killed.  Christopher refuses to finish him off, telling Drew that he also has to live with the pain of the infant’s deaths.  Christopher lands on Heather’s doorstep and she nurses the bruises and cuts on his hands.  He shares his grief with her.  Heather tells Christopher that they found each other because he helps her get over Bo.  He finishes by saying that she is giving him another chance at a family.

Papa Ryland finds out that Emma is no Smurfette.  She believes that John Ross is a better man than her father thought by turning Candace away. Daddy says that he’s still married and that Emma is too content being the piece on the side. He then drops the staged photos of Jr, informing Emma that one of the girls in the photo is 16. Emma doesn’t ask questions about the photos or how her father knows about the girl.

 

 

Pamela looks SMASHING as she and John Ross crash the Sheik’s poker game.  Pamela trades her “Catherine the Great” earrings which are greatly admired by the Sheik’s wife, Sheikha Nadia, in order to buy John Ross’ way into the game.  Someone should tell her to save them to buy the services of a really good divorce attorney – or a one way ticket to anywhere for Emma.

[Photo: TNT]

Bo shows up at Heather’s to beg her to take him back. He sees Christopher and faults “the Ewings” for taking his job and wife.  Christopher warns him that he’s going to wake up Michael (DoodleBug). Bo falls while trying to attack Christopher, who not only drives him home, but drops his car off the next day and offers him a job. Bo has no intentions of playing nice.

Elena and Nicolas talk about the PI’s video. She suddenly has a conscience and says she doesn’t want to send the video. Nicolas agrees but then (SHOCK!) has his PI send the video to his email.  This time?  I hope John Ross really is like his daddy.  Nicolas eventually sends Pamela the video.

At the poker game, Jr. throws JR’s watch in to play his last hand.  He loses (intentionally) and gives a roaring speech about knowing how important promises are, what the watch means to him. I expected the Sheik, his son, and poker buddies to cry. Not really. Jr. tells Pamela that without the watch he can now be his own man – he also comments that the “sometimes the only way to win is to show the other person that you’re not afraid to lose.”Awesome schemer.

John Ross’ scheming even saved his mother. Sue Ellen’s blood alcohol was so high, when committed, that the hospital fears a lawsuit if she’s not properly detoxed. Bobby and Ann agree to take full responsibility for her. I’m sure they love her, but Sue Ellen has been reduced to a pile of walking stock at this time.  She might be better off in the hospital. Bobby has a buddy at Goldman Sachs who can underwrite the IPO and make sure that they can control where the shares go. Seeing that Sue Ellen is back and has her shares, Jr. realizes he’s beat, not being able to wait for the Arctic shares to sell and allows his Bobby’s friend, Calvin Hanna, to underwrite the I.P.O.  Bobby and Calvin anticipate Jr. trying to manipulate him.

[Photo: TNT]

Emma confronts Candace, again, getting the truth about the blue dress plot and John Ross. Rosemary had a second baby, her name is Emma.  Have you met her?  She now owns the blue dress and apparently plans to set John Ross up, herself.

Jr’s plan worked.  The Sheik is in – sending Prince Nasir to deliver the news.  He even returns JR’s watch.  Sheikha Nadia is not giving up those earrings.

Drew, having found the “swapped land” deeds, has shifted from sorrowful to sullen and plans to pay back those “greedy Ewings.” Joaquin/Nicolas promises Elena he’ll help Drew.  Elena has no idea that Joaquin/Nicolas is meeting with Hunter McKay (also out to get the Ewings –DUH!) and the same Cartel/Rebel army the CIA is investigating via Harris Ryland. Hunter will set up the shell companies buying stock.  Nicolas/Joaquin tells them they will be able buy controlling interests in order to launder their drug money for years to come.  Nicolas/Joaquin isn’t so smug when the lives of his children are threatened should he fail.

When do we find out that Joaquin/Nicolas faked the land deals to set up the Ewings in order to steal a legitimate company to launder money through – using his former family in the process?