Monday, March 31, 2008

In Praise of Linda Gray

Warner Bros. has released the first eight seasons of the classic soap Dallas on DVD. Next up will be the release of the infamous Season Nine, better known as the "Dream Season". If you lived through the '80s and watched Dallas, you'll remember season nine, 1985-86, as the "dream season." In the season eight finale, Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) had been mowed down and killed by crazy Katherine (played by the fabulous Morgan Brittany). But ratings fell during the '85-86 season, so it was decided that Bobby Ewing would be resurrected from the dead by having Pam (played by Victoria Principal) "dream" the entire season, so he could return in the season ten premiere in '86.

While a lot of the Dream Season was pretty silly, it did have some merit. In particular was Linda Gray's performance as J.R.'s long-suffering wife Sue Ellen. In season nine, alcoholic Sue Ellen hit rock bottom, and Gray was given some great material to work with. In previous seasons, Gray had been sensational as a drunken Sue Ellen, but she hit new peaks in season nine, giving an Emmy-worthy performance in addition to adding some grittiness to the show. So, yes, season nine may have been a dream, but Gray's performance was the real deal. Here are some highlights.



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