The original Dallas had its Lucy, the tarty little blonde played by Charlene Tilton. The new Dallas on TNT has its version of loosey-goosey Lucy in the character Emma Ryland, played by pouty Emma Bell.
Since Emma/Emma was introduced a few weeks ago as the long-lost daughter of Bobby Ewing’s second wife, Annie (Brenda Strong), she’s bedded and bedeviled half a dozen men. And she’s barely 20.
This week Emma engaged in some energetic smooch-fu with main squeeze Drew Ramos (Kuno Becker) on the site of his father’s grave. The girl can’t help it. She’s always on the prowl for male attention, this one.
Since Emma/Emma was introduced as the long-lost daughter of Bobby Ewing’s second wife, Annie, she’s bedded and bedeviled half a dozen men. And she’s barely 20.
After graveside groping, she picked up a good-looking silver fox (Dallas actor Jack O’Donnell) at an upscale watering hole, only to have her evening interrupted by her controlling daddy, Harris Ryland (Mitch Pileggi). Pops then drove her over to see a bruised and bloodied Drew, who’d been pounded like a flour tortilla by one of the Ryland family’s thugs.
Emma just stared. Didn't even offer her boyfriend a Band-Aid.
Plot-wise, this week’s installment, “Let Me In,” written by Aaron Allen and directed by Millicent Shelton, was pretty flat. You could pick up most of the story points from this short promo.
Let’s skim:
Look who’s here: It’s actor Steven Weber (Wings, Brothers & Sisters) as a new character, Texas Gov. Sam McConaughey. He just happens to be a crony of aforementioned villain Harris Ryland. Together they’re determined to bring down the Ewings once and for all.
You try saying it: Slow clap to luscious Linda Gray whose Sue Ellen character had to utter a mouthful of bad dialogue this week. Like, “Harris and the governor are putting pressure on TESHA to cover up the sabotage and put the blame on us.” (TESHA is a made-up state environmental agency looking into last week’s explosion on a Ewing oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.)
Plot advances: Too few. But we learned that the hooker who was with J.R. when he died in a skeevy Mexican hotel was only there “to talk.” No funny business. Also, Bobby sussed out that his son Christopher (Jesse Metcalf) might own a third of Barnes Global (the rival oil outfit) if Christopher’s mother and Bobby’s ex, Pamela (played by Victoria Principal in the 1980s but a no-show on this version of the show), is dead.
Locals spotted: Theatre Three actor and director Jeffrey Schmidt played the TESHA bigwig who dropped the news on Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) that he owed a billion-dollar fine to the state for spilling oil in that explosion on the Gulf rig (which was sabotaged on the orders of Cliff Barnes).
Jack O’Donnell, the dude flirting with young Emma at the swanky bar, had only one line, but it was a good ’un, spoken when he saw her bald-headed daddy drive up out front. “Is that your husband?” he asked, before slinking away.
J.R.’s bedroom has a lot of visitors: Now that he’s dead, J.R.’s boudoir is a popular gathering spot. This week Bobby was in there fingering J.R.’s Stetson and some family photos. And in came J.R.’s son John Ross (Josh Henderson), who has moved back to Southfork. Again.
Nice props: Like any good dad interfering in his daughter's love life, Harris Ryland presented his background report on daughter Emma’s boyfriend Drew all bound neatly in a tidy red leather folder like this one.
The Dallas Register:Dallas’ name for the city’s major daily. Written in a familiar font.
Eminent domain: How Gov. McConaughey seized the Ewings’ major oil operation, which means they can’t pay the billion-dollar fine, which means they’ll have to sell Southfork or somesuch.
Where there was more action this week: On Bravo’s reunion finale of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Lisa Vanderpump makes Sue Ellen Ewing look like a wimp.
Coming up next week: A special two-hour episode starting at 7 pm, Monday, April 8. More Steven Weber as a venal, conniving, money-grabbing Texas governor in cahoots with all the wrong people. Shoot, it’s almost reality TV!
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New episodes of Dallas air on Mondays on TNT, with frequent reruns on cable TV and online.
Steven Weber as Texas Gov. Sam McConaughey on TNT's Dallas.
