The first episode of Dallas begins on a cold, winter day, as Bobby Ewing and the new Pamela Barnes Ewing, married for less than 24 hours, drive north in his red Mercedes. When Pammi says the now famous line, "Your folks are gonna throw me off the ranch," Bobby reassures her.
Meanwhile, John Ross Ewing Jr., or J.R., is at the Ewing Oil building in Dallas, watching Cliff Barnes on TV try to hurt the Ewings as legal counsel to a government investigation. His father John Ross Ewing Sr., or Jock, calls and and demands what is going on, and orders him to get Bob back so he can continue his job as Ewing Oil's public relations man. Bobby seals deals for Ewing Oil using the three B's: booze, broads, and booty.
Coincidentally, Pam is telling Bob how he can do much better for himself. She suggests he become an executive.

Jock drives to a barn somewhere on Southfork Ranch. He asks Ray Krebbs, the ranch foreman, if Lucy was taken to school. Ray acts innocent, saying he has not seen her. He orders Ray to make sure she goes to school. In addition, he asks him to tell Pamela Barnes, Cliff's brother, and unbeknownst to them, Bobby's new wife, also Ray's ex-girlfriend, to tell her brother to lay off the Ewings. Ray says he will try on both accounts, and Jock leaves satisfied. A laugh is heard, and Lucy Ewing appears. Ray yells at her for almost getting him in trouble, but she wins. She seduces Ray to call her Pam, and Ray, who is weak at heart, does so, and they make out.
Pam continues to encourage Bobby to become an executive at Ewing Oil. Bobby agrees that he will do so, and he will tell the family tonight when they arrive home.
Ray gets dressed from another one of his and Lucy's rolls in the hay while Lucy looks around with binoculars. She sees Bobby driving up to Southfork, and Pam is with him! She tells Ray, who asks why. Lucy tells him that they are married when she catches a glint of light on Pam's finger. Ray is not happy. Bobby and Pam walk to the door. Eleanor Southworth Ewing, Bobby's mother, answers the door and is dumbfounded. Bobby proudly says that she is his new wife. When she finds words, Miss Ellie scolds her son for marrying a Barnes.
Jock and J.R., watching Cliff on TV anxiously at Ewing Oil, get a call from Ellie, telling them to come home. Bobby is home with a wife, and it is not just anyone.

During the period of the day known as Cocktails, where the extended family sits in the living room, drinking and talking about their days, Bobby tells them how he got married.
"I said 'I love you,' and she said 'I love you,' I said 'then why don't we get married in this charming city of New Orleans.' Pam said 'why Bobby James Ewing, that is the craziest idea I ever heard!' Twenty minutes later, in the Orleans Parish courthouse, we said 'I will' and 'I will,' and that was that."

Sue Ellen, J.R.'s wife, says that she did not think Bobby was so impulsive. Jock rudely asks Pam when Cliff will get off their backs. Ellie scolds him, saying that no business is mentioned at that time of the day, and Bob agrees. Ray comes in. He gives something to Jock, then at Lucy's insistance, he congratulates them and kisses the bride on the cheek. He then leaves.

J.R. offers to show Pam around. Pam, not knowing yet that J.R. is venomous, accepts. J.R. apologizes for his father's behavior. He then tells her about the living arrangements and about how he wants a baby. Pam acknowledges that by saying that she and Bobby also want children. J.R. goes on to tell her about his brother Gary. After softening her up, he purposely calls her Ms. Barnes. Pam tries to leave, but J.R. grabs her and asks if her brother asked her to be a spy, and he bribes her to leave. Pam gets angry and marches off. Bob comes out and reminds J.R. of the no-business rule.
Later that evening, J.R. finds Jock smoking on the porch. J.R. asks him why he does not quit, then tells daddy that he bribed Pam. Jock scolds him, and tells him that he just be more subtle. When J.R. brings up the subject, Jock says he has nothing against Bobby being an executive. J.R. does not have to run things alone. They hear Bobby and Pam playing upstairs, and Jock tells J.R. that he better get busy or they will present him a grandson first. J.R. walks away and meets Ray in the shadows. He tells him that they are a good team, as judged from a weekend in Waco, and they are going to work together to unseat the new couple. Ray agrees to work with him.

Pam goes to her apartment to pack her bags and send them to Southfork. Cliff is with her and questions her motives. He tells her that she was vengeful once. Pam says that she is a Ewing now, and there is nothing he can do about it. Cliff asks when she will tell their father, Willard "Digger" Barnes. She says not now. She appears to change her mind when she offers Cliff a ride in Bobby's car to look for Digger. Cliff refuses on grounds of touching something owned by the Ewings.
Bobby moves into his office at Ewing Oil. Julie Grey, J.R.'s secretary, tells him that he has a secretary also. He tells her that she wants the safe combination. She talks to J.R. about it. J.R. meets Bobby with a smile. J.R. says that the stuff in the safe is more boring than the background stuff Bobby has been reading. Bobby persists, and J.R. opens the safe with a smile. He hands Bobby the case. Bob tells the secretary that he will be a minute, then disappears into his office. J.R. takes a particular red file, in a red folder, and tells Julie to put it in his safe deposit box.
Cliff and Pam go to a bar. Digger is there, telling some other geezers about how Jock Ewing screwed him. Cliff tells her that Digger is a product of Jock's betrayal. Cliff drags him from the old men and they sit in a booth. Pam tells him that she is married...to Bobby Ewing. Digger is happy until Cliff tells him that she married Jock's son Bobby Ewing. Digger's smile immediately turns to a grimace. Pam rushes out in embarrassment.

Ellie and Sue Ellen are setting the table when Pam gets home. She asks if she can help, but they refuse. Sue Ellen adds that there are certain customs in this house. Pam walks upstairs and runs into Lucy. Lucy tells her that Ray can how her how to ride, then tells her about her life, including Gary's weakness, Valene's futility, and J.R.'s malice.
Pam tells Bob that it only gets worse. Bobby reassures her. J.R. comes in and asks Bobby to go to Austin and dish out the three B's. Bobby says he is through with that behavior. J.R. says to go anyway; he will be done forever after the hearings are over. Pam listens, disappointed. Bob says that it is his family, and he has an obligation to them.
Ray and J.R. wait for Pam. J.R. offers for Ray to take her on a helicopter ride. She refuses, but then changes her mind. J.R. gives Ray quick instructions, then he and Pam leave. Bob comes out and asks for Pammi. He feels bad not saying goodbye to her. J.R. says that it is all right, and they leave, supposedly for the airport.
Ray and Pam stop by a lake. Ray asks Pam what she will do. Pam is undecided. Ray says that he should have asked her to marry him a long time ago. It is not too late. He suggests she swim. She refuses. He manuvers her to where she cannot escape, then he picks her up and they jump in the icy water. She is surprisingly jolly. He suggests they leave and get cozy by the fire.

They strip. Ray's shirt is off, and Pam is naked under a blanket. She admits that she had a good time. She hears a car approach, and she suspects a set up. Ray denies it. Pam orders him to back her up, or she will tell J.R. about Ray and Lucy's affair. Ray agrees. J.R. and Bobby enter the cabin. Pam tells Bob that it was J.R.'s idea. Bob grabs J.R. by the throat as he is trying to explain himself. Bobby says to stop the "little brother" thing, and respect his wife. Past is past, and Pam is here to stay. Pam and Bobby leave. Ray apologizes to J.R. for messing up. J.R. says that it is all right.
"I greatly underestimated Pamela. I will not make that mistake again."

Lessons

Lucy rides to the mailbox on a snowy day. She takes a letter out of the mailbox, then burns it.
Bobby teaches Pam how to ride a horse. Ray enters the barn and orders a ranch hand to drive Lucy to school. Bobby overhears and tells Ray that Jock told him to drive Lucy to school. Ray reluctantly and resentfully agrees. Pam watches the procedings and asks Bob what is happening with Ray, then they go in to eat breakfast.

At the breakfast table, Ellie says that Lucy being away from the breakfast table can only mean trouble. Jock says that as long as Lucy goes to school, she is fine. Ellie says they have to consider her grades as well. Lucy enters the dining room fashionably late, takes some breakfast, then leaves to get dressed. Bobby leaves to get ready for work. Pam signals to J.R. that she has won the second round; Bobby is an executive.
After breakfast, Pam offers Sue Ellen a ride into Dallas. Sue Ellen refuses. Just then, Ray drives up. He asks Pam if he got fired. Pam says that is not the case. Ray says that he does not want to leave his job. He asks her to put in a good word for him, which she does when Bobby comes out. Bobby and J.R. leave for work. Lucy gets into Ray's truck and they leave for school. Pam walks inside.

Inside, Ellie mentions to Pam "the sad charade of Lucy." Lucy thinks that she is fooling the family, but Ellie knows that she is playing hooky. She wanted a daughter, but after seeing the way Lucy has turned out, maybe it was not such a good idea. Lucy was the daughter of the weakest of the Ewing men, and even the strongest of the Ewing men do not have the strength to say no to her. Consequently, she is spoiled. She does not want to lose Lucy, but she wants to do something. Ellie thanks Pam for listening.
On the ride to school, Lucy flirts with Ray. Ray says that he is going to win today, but Lucy gets to him and they drive off the road.
Pam takes a call from Mr. Miller, Lucy's school counselor. Mr. Miller says that Lucy has been playing hooky. Letters have been sent home. Pam vows to solve the problem. She drives to Lucy's favorite barn and catches her and Ray redhanded. Pam demands that Ray leave and Lucy listen. Lucy says that she gets her "education" in the barn. Pam says that she will tell Jock. Lucy laughs. Pam says that she is a Ewing now, and she cares about her. If she does not go to school, Pam will blackmail her. Lucy says no, then as Pam leaves, she reluctantly follows her.

At the office, Bobby asks Julie about J.R.'s powers of persuasion. Julie meekly says that J.R. is a very persuasive man. She retreats to J.R.'s office. She tells him that Bobby is questioning. J.R. says make sure he does not find out the real reason.
Pam takes Lucy to Braddock High School. Mr. Miller greets them. Lucy pushes aside what he says and runs off to History. He tells her to see him after school. After school, a student named Roger offers to tutor Lucy. Lucy wisecracks. Pam drives up. She becomes acquainted with Roger. After they leave, Pam remarks that Lucy should hang out with people her own age, like Roger. Lucy says that Roger is scum. On the way home, Lucy throws the school clothes Pam bought her out the window. Pam orders her to pick them up, and she does so.
At home, Lucy doctors her school clothes. The next day, she meets with Mr. Miller. Roger spies on them. When Mr. Miller is not looking, she takes off her sports coat and runs out of his office screaming and with torn clothes, claiming he tried to rape her.

Pam drives up. A student tells Pam that Mr. Miller tried to rape Lucy. Pam rushes inside. Mr. Miller is with Mr. Daly, the principal. Pam says that she will take charge. Mr. Daly says that Pam better be able to dig him out of his hole. After Mr. Daly leaves, Mr. Miller pleads with Pam not to tell Jock.
Bobby asks J.R. about his power of persuasion secrets. J.R. tries to change the subject by saying that Jock was filled with happiness when Bob became an executive, but Bobby persists. J.R. says that while Bobby was having fun, he was learning the oil business, and working hard. There are some secrets that the man in charge must know, and they are allowed secrets if it betters their performance. Bobby leaves satisfied, and J.R. laughs at his gullibility.
Pam yells at Lucy. Lucy agrees to admit that it was a misunderstanding; in return, Pam says nothing. Pam drives off angrily. At dinner, Lucy speaks well of Pam. She gets a phone call from an anonymous person, who forces her to go on a date with him. Ellie thanks Pam for caring about Lucy. After dinner, they retreat to the living room, where Ellie and Jock play one of their now famous games of backgammon. Lucy comes in and announces that she has a date tonight. Jock agrees that she can go.
Pam is upset that Ellie thinks that Lucy is in hand, when she is not. Bob says why she does what she has been doing for Lucy. Pam is not sure. Bobby says it is because she is a caring person. She is empathetic. Bobby tells her to hurry up and get dressed for the grand opening of their disco tonight.

Lucy is picked up by Roger. He says he can clear Mr. Miller, but he will keep his mouth shut if she "satisfies" him. Lucy agrees to the blackmail, but she says that they must move slowly.
Pam and Bobby arrive at the grand opening of their disco in downtown Braddock. Ray arrives with a date. When Lucy dances with Roger, she sees Ray. She asks him for help. They ditch their dates and their dates dance together. Bob and Pam dance. Lucy asks Ray to get rid of Roger. She will not go home with him. Ray objects. Bobby sees them together. He punches Ray, who tells Bob that if he wants to continue, it will be outside. Bob offers to talk, but Ray says they have nothing to talk about.
Pam talks to Roger and blackmails him. If he does not admit what he saw to the principal tomorrow morning, she will tell Bobby that he blackmailed her niece. Roger agrees. Lucy tells Pam that Sue Ellen is helping her, and remarks that Pam is a Ewing, because she knows how to use people. She walks away, and Bob rins after her. He tells her that Pam and everyone else care about her; they just do not have time to give her the guidence she needs. They return to Pam, where Lucy apologizes. Bob says that they can talk later; tonight they dance.

Spy in the House

Work crews building in Bobby's office annoy him so much that he decides to go home to work. Simultaneously, Julie tells J.R. that she is going to get something to eat outside the building. They go down together. She asks about his workload. Bobby says that he is not tied down. She then asks about his marriage. He says that it is okay, and that she could have married him years ago. Bobby leaves. Not by coincidence, Cliff Barnes walks up to Julie and offers to make her tongue loose and use her. She is undecided. He invites her to dinner, and gives her his unlisted number.
Jock and Senator Bill Orloff are meeting at Southfork meanwhile. Orloff says that Cliff is only a minor nuisance, and that he can be taken care of. Jock says that Cliff directs his energy at the Ewings. When Bobby arrives, he meets Orloff, then Orloff leaves the room. Jock tells his son to read and handle red files carefully, and direct Cliff's energy back at him, setting up markings denoting false information to sink him.
Later, while Bobby is working, Pam enters and tells him to take a break to see their quarters. After much coaxing, he agrees. As they are walking outside, Sue Ellen and Ellie arrive home from shopping with Lucy, who they picked up at school. Lucy asks to see their new quarters. Pam says no. She then asks Sue Ellen why J.R. does not come home for lunch. Sue Ellen says that he has a heavier workload, but they both know the real reason.

J.R., instead of being with his wife like he should, is at Julie's apartment. He says that he does not like to have sex with Sue Ellen, and he likes it with her. He starts coaxing her, but she refuses. She says that he could have married her years ago, as she was at Ewing Oil before he knew Sue Ellen, but no. She says that she wants to move on. She eventually submits, and they end up in bed. Later, when J.R. is getting dressed, she pleads with him to stay, but he refuses. He must keep up his good image. He gives her a Ben Franklin, tells her to buy something nice, and leaves. Feeling vengeful for being treated like a whore, she finds Cliff's number and calls him. She accepts his invitation for dinner, and she says that she is buying!

The next day, Julie gives the men coffee, who are in J.R.'s office discussing Orloff. It just so happens that Bobby forgot the Orloff file at home. J.R. tells him to be more careful, and Jock says that he never forgets his friends. Bobby calls Pam and she says that she will bring it on the way to Cliff's apartment. She does so, and gives it to Julie, who says that she will give it to Bobby. She looks through it.
Julie goes to Cliff's place. She says that she has had a busy day. He asks why she did not call him earlier. She says that she did not want to talk earlier. As often happens, they end up in bed. When Cliff awakes, she hands him a "bonus" for the excellent sex.
Cliff shows his associates the document. One of J.R.'s flunkies calls him while they are at the dinner table. J.R. announces to everyone that Cliff is holding a news conference as he speaks about the document. He says that there is a spy in the house. He looks at Pam, the most likely suspect. Pam leaves the table in embarrassment. Bobby has a determined look in his eyes as he prepares to defend his wife. Bobby says that J.R. has no right to accuse Pam of anything. No one else says anything, because they think J.R., whose theory is sound, is right. Bobby says not to make him choose between his wife and his family. Bobby goes outside and tells her that they are going to a hotel until this blows over, and that he believes her. She says that she will ask Cliff where he got the document.
Pam sees Cliff. Not only does Cliff not say anything, but he frightens her. Cliff says that she knew what she was getting into when she married a Ewing. Julie calls, but Cliff tells her they will talk tonight.
The Ewings learn that if Orloff pays them back, they are off the hook. Jock is disappointed at getting down on an old friend. Bobby tells Orloff the bad news; they are calling in the loan. He objects. Bobby says that he can face financial ruin, or reputable ruin. He can keep his house, but ethics would state that he must resign. Ofloff asks how Cliff got the document. Bobby says that they are trying to find out.
Pam tells Bobby that Cliff is a closed book. Bobby says that Cliff is not obligated to reveil sources. Pam uses the process of elimination to take the blame off of Bobby, herself, Jock, or J.R., who would not go so far as to get Pam to leave. She suggests Julie. Bobby downplays her theory. Pam says that they will go to the office early and find out. She says that they will be back at Southfork very soon.

Julie asks Cliff why he does not go after the Ewings directly. Cliff says that if he did so, Jock would think of something to fry him in seconds. Julie feels guilty for betraying her employers.
Bobby is sure that it is not Julie! she says that Cliff and Julie have had somewhat of an affair. Pam shows him Cliff's number. She calls Cliff. He is in bed with Julie. She asks to see him, and he reluctantly agrees. Julie gets dressed. From the radio, he learns that Orloff resigned. He is dispondent. He was using Orloff to get into the Ewing can of worms. She discovers that he is after the Ewings, not crusading for better government. Pam waits outside. Julie tells him that she feels really used, and he responds by saying that she knew what she was getting into. He warned her. She leaves. She runs into Pam. Pam tells her against Julie's objections that she has nothing. She could have had Bobby, but no.
Bobby tells J.R. that Julie was the spy. J.R. laughs. He says that Julie is much more credible than that Barnes woman. Pam has not earned respect like Julie has. Bobby threatens to blow the whistle on J.R. and Julie if he does not admit it. He does not want to, but he will if he must. Just then, Julie comes in and quits. He admits the truth to J.R. She says that she is finished loving, and she is looking elsewhere. As she leaves, Pam enters. J.R. looks at Pam in contempt.
Bobby yells at the family for not believing Pam.
"I'm glad that this damned thing is cleared up, but as far as I'm concerned, my wife has been done a terrible disservice."

"Of course she has," says Lucy. "We all thought she was guily as hell!"

J.R. apologizes for being the hardest on her. Lucy then asks them to kiss and make up. J.R. does so.

J.R. and Ray leave a woman named Wanda and her friend Marilou in the Westerner, a motel in Waco. As J.R. and Ray are leaving in J.R.'s car, a truck with Luther Frick and Payton Allen drives into the parking lot. Frick is looking for his wife, who never came home last night. He is furious, evident by breaking down of a wrong door. He apologizes to the startled man and they find the right door, room 107. Inside, Frick finds his wife naked on the bed. Allen finds her friend Marilou in an ajoining room. Frick slaps his wife and orders her to get dressed. Frick searches the room for clues. He finds a J.R. Ewing business card on the floor.
At Southfork, Sue Ellen gives Ellie food in bed. Ellie is suffering from migranes. Ellie suggests that they make Pam more comfortable. Think of her not as Digger's daughter, but Bobby's wife. She is very good for Bobby. Sue Ellen nods, then leaves. Bobby calls Pam and says that a hurricane may be coming. He asks her to call him in an hour to see if he will be staying in town. Just then, Lucy arrives home. Her school let out early as a precaution. Sue Ellen says that they should take precautions and batten down the hatches. Lucy is "la dee dah" about it. Pam says that she is smart.
Jock tells Bobby that he has make dinner plans with Punk Anderson and some other old boys. Bob says that he is going home. Jock persuades him to stay in town.
Frick tells Allen that they are going to do to the Ewing women what the Ewing men did to their women. Justice will be served.
J.R. and Ray arrive home. By now the winds are blasting past the house. J.R. tells Ray that they must capture the loose livestock. Ray goes to start the job, while J.R. runs inside to change. Sue Ellen asks where he has been, and why he did not call. J.R. tells her that he is in a hurry. Last night, he had to work late. He was too busy to call. J.R. leaves the house to help Ray.
Frick and Allen arrive at Southfork. Sue Ellen answers the door. They say that they are stranded, and they need to make a phone call. Sue Ellen lets them in.

Frick makes the call while Allen looks at Lucy. They apologize for coming to their home; Sue Ellen says not to apologize. She goes to get lunch while Lucy starts a fire. She tells Allen that her uncle and the foreman went to Waco, and they just arrived home. Frick tells Sue Ellen that the auto service company will not be there for three hours. Allen tells Frick what he has learned. Luther becomes more vengeful while Allen laughs with delight. Frick tells him to shut up. Pam comes in, and Lucy introduces them.
Bob listens to the radio. He tells the secretaries to go home. J.R. calls and says to stay there. Some strangers are going to help them round up the cattle. The roads are impassable.
Ray is thrown from his horse in the fierce winds. Lucy gets J.R. J.R. arrives and they pick up Ray, who has hurt his leg badly. They drive back to the house. Ellie gets up. Sue Ellen tells her to stay in bed. She then sees a truck entering the driveway. She runs downstairs. Lucy calls the doctor. Pam and Sue Ellen tend to Ray. While the Ewings are in a commotion, Frick and Allen lock the door, then grin at the Ewings. They say that it is not going to be easy to decide which females to take. The Ewings lookup in horror.

J.R. offers Frick and Allen money. Thye refuse it. Their guns are pulled. They do not want money; they want the females. Allen laughs. Frick shuts him up and says that they have come for justice. Ray gets up and tries to disable Frick; Frick bops him on the knee, temporarily paralyzing him. Suddenly, the phone rings. Frick grabs Pam and has her answer it. It is Bobby. Pam, with a gun to her head, says that Ray got hurt, and two strangers are stranded there. He tells her that he is staying in Dallas. She says that to pass the time she will play backgammon with J.R. After they hang up, Bob tells Jock that Pam sounded strange. She was going to play backgammon with J.R. Jock sees nothing peculiar about that, but Bobby says that she has never played backgammon, and that they most go. Something is wrong.
While Frick holds J.R. back, Allen harasses Sue Ellen. When asked, Ray says that he is not married. Frick says that he has a wife, Wanda. She was found in a hotel room. He infers that she was kidnapped and raped. They say that J.R. was there. Sue Ellen is asked what she thinks of J.R. now. Allen tells them what he plans to do to Sue Ellen. J.R. gets up and runs after her. Ray gets up but is bopped on the knee again. Pam tries to fight Allen, but she eventually loses. When the fighting settles down, Ellie comes downstairs and is horrified at what is happening.
Jock and Bobby are stuck on the road. Jock suggests they spend the night in a hotel, but Bobby says that they must go home.
Allen orders J.R. to tie up Ray. J.R. hesitates, but he does so.
Ellie comforts Lucy and orders Frick and Allen to get out. They laugh at her. J.R. returns to the living room. Allen finds a Miss Texas photo; in response, Frick grabs Sue Ellen to look for her Miss Texas bathing suit. Allen laughs at them. Pam asks him if he believes Frick. Allen says that he does not care about Frick; he just came along for a good time, just like Wanda. He will have his good time. They are going to have two for two. Frick already has Sue Ellen. Lucy pipes that Pam is Ray's ex. Pam agrees, and agrees to be taken. Allen says that he does not want Pam; he wants Lucy. Lucy is very frightened now.

Frick takes Sue Ellen to her and J.R.'s partition, then they return with Sue Ellen wearing a trenchcoat and her suit. He orders her to sing. If they do not get a show, they will put on a show of their own. J.R. jumps; Frick lets go of Sue Ellen and puts him in his place. They are going to get what they came for, even if everyone ends up dead. He returns to Sue Ellen.
Bobby and Jock arrive home. Bobby looks in Frick's truck and sees a map with Southfork marked as a destination. Bobby grows more suspicious as he realizes that the strangers are not lost.
Sue Ellen starts singing. She cries whenever they shout at her. J.R. is horrified. Frick grabs the banner in anger. Pam then says that Wanda was out for a good time, said Allen. Frick looks at Allen angrily, then starts crying. He says with sore eyes that they are done here. Allen says that he has not gotten what he came for. He advances toward Lucy. Pam orders him to stop, and take herself instead.
Jock and Bobby enter the house. They find Ray tied up. They ask what is going on. They untie him, then advance toward the living room. Simultaneously, Allen grabs Lucy and they head in the direction of the kitchen. Suddenly, Bob grabs Lucy while Jock beats up Allen. They move toward Frick. Jock pulls his gun. Allen tries to hurt Bob, but Bob wins. Jock orders them to leave before he calls the police. Ellie says that they cannot involve the law. She will explain later. Jock instead tells them to get out, and never return. Luther Frick and Peyton Allen skat. Pam tells Bobby that what happened is a long story, and she will tell him it.
"It was awful. But we came through as a family. For the first time, we've been one."

Only J.R. and Sue Ellen remain in the living room. She looks at him angrily, then she gets up and walks slowly away from him. Ray hobbles into the room. As she is passing, she also looks at him with contempt, then she exits. Ray looks at J.R. with contempt, then he hobbles away, leaving J.R. alone in the living room, looking around.

Barbecue

Bobby returns from his morning exercise to see the caterers setting up for the annual Ewing Barbecue. He finds Jock talking with the head caterer, Sam. Bobby tells him that Digger Barnes is coming. Jock objects. Bob says that now is a good time to bury the hatchet, and then he runs off.
Meanwhile, Pam is dressing up Digger for the big day. Cliff and her cousin Jimmy are also there. She orders them to become hayseeds. Digger says to go on ahead, but Pam says no. Cliff asks his daddy why he is going. Digger agrees that he hates Jock Ewing. According to Digger, he was the nose and Jock the brains of their wildcatting group. However, Jock stole his fortune and his love, Miss Ellie. He says he is only going because Pam asked him to. He smiles at his daughter. Pam leaves, but before she does, she tells them to be at Southfork in two hours.
Pam returns home. Lucy asks about Jimmy. Pam says that she is too young. Lucy says that he is only 19. They greet J.R. on his way out.
Pam returns to her and Bobby's room. Bob is taking a shower. She takes the time to call her doctor. He tells her that the tests were positive. She is pregnant. She is ecstatic now. She tells Bobby to hurry up. She takes off her dress and primps in front of the mirror, looking for a bulge. Bobby appears. He asks about Digger. Pam says that he is fine, and that she has a riddle for him.
"What do you get when you cross a Barnes and a Ewing?"

"You never cross a Ewing."

"A boy or a girl."

Bobby looks in wonder for 15 seconds. After that time, they start celebrating.

The Ewing Barbecue begins. Sue Ellen walks around with a senator. Ray comes with Maureen. Bobby comes out with Pam. Bobby leaves and tells some people that Pam is pregnant. They congratulate her, and Lucy overhears. J.R. introduces her to Susan, a new secretary. When J.R. leaves, she laughs at the new office help.
Sam is surprised at the amount of alcohol being consumed. Ellie tells him to keep the booze flowing. Digger and Jimmy arrive. Ellie greets them, calling Digger by his real name, Willard. Ellie takes Digger around to talk, while Jimmy looks for something to do. Pam finds him and offers to introduce him to people. Sam asks for a word with Bobby; he suggests that Bobby tells the future grandparents the good news first before the Barbecue's worst kept secret gets to them. Lucy watches with envy while Ray dances with Maureen. Lucy asks him to come over, then tells him about Pam's baby. He is not happy. He asks Maureen to get a drink while he broods.
Sam and Kelly, the caterer second-in-command, gossip about Jock and Digger. They Spy Jock sitting alone, smoking and drinking. He gets up and tells Kelly that Digger's claim that he had swindled him is bullshit. Bob finds Jock and asks to see him. He and Pam have some very important news for Jock and Ellie.
Ellie talks about 1930. She says that she married Jock to save the ranch. She did what she had to do. He tells her to stop calling him Willard because no one calls him that anymore.
Lucy tells Sue Ellen about the baby. Sue Ellen is not happy. Rather, she is bitter and envious. She congratulates Pam while Lucy watches. When Sam makes his rounds with drinks, she grabs two of them, marking the beginning of her heavy drinking. She asks to see J.R., who is talking to some business associates.
"It's apparent from your good humor that you don't know the news of the hour."

"I've heard about the Alamo!"

"Waterloo's more like it, yours. I'm talking about your brother Bobby, the apple of Jock Ewing's eye, and his wife and their marriage. Their bountiful marriage...unlike ours."

"Sue Ellen..."

"There's nothing in this world Jock wants more than a grandson; I haven't given him one because of your disinterest in me. She's pregnant! Little brother Bobby and that Barnes girl are going to have a baby named Ewing. Maybe a boy! Think about that!"

J.R. thinks about that, shocked. Obviously, he does not like it.

Sue Ellen talks about Jock's love for J.R. to herself, while others stare. Jock loved him less than Bobby in the first place. She wants him to love her. She starts to cry.
Jock and Digger meet again. Bobby then tells the future grandparents along with Pam that she is going to have a baby. Digger congratulates them; Jock says that he hopes it is a boy. Pam says that she wants two granddaddies for her baby. Jock and Digger are reluctant. Digger says that they can try, while Jock gives him a quick handshake to appease Pam.
Jimmy is having a good time; J.R. is not. He is drinking heavily. Jock announces that the baby will have everything. Digger says not to spoil it, and not to take what is his. He would forgive Jock for the swindle, but Jock took everything from him. Jock tells Pam the truth about Digger. He had made the whole claim because Digger was drunk, and he wanted him to keep his share instead of gambling it away. Ellie and Pam ask Jock to stop. Pam asks why he took everything away from Digger. He denies it. Bobby arrives as Jock leaves. Digger tells Ellie that she lied. She said she cared about him, but she did what she had to do; they were kids. Digger starts drinking, despite Pam's protests that they go home.

Digger dances drunk with a bottle in his hand and sings while everyone watches. Jock tells him to shut up. Bobby tells Jock to respect him; after all, he is also the unborn child's granddaddy. Pam grabs Digger and offers to take him home. J.R. greets him with apathetic empathy. Bobby tells him to sober up. J.R. tells Digger that he agrees with him that the marriage is a bad idea.
Pam goes to the barn. She finds Lucy and Jimmy in the loft. She asks Jimmy to drive Digger home.
Sue Ellen rides around in circles, drunk. She greets Bobby. J.R. follows. Sue Ellen announces that she was about to take her clothes off. Maybe it would have attracted J.R. She wants a baby. J.R. insinuates that the baby may not be Bobby's. Bobby gets angry and punches J.R. in the kisser. Bobby takes Sue Ellen inside. When J.R. recovers, he sees Pam watching the barbecue from the loft.

J.R. ascends to Pam's level. She sneaks up on her. He tells her what Bobby did to him. She says that he deserved it. Angry, she announces that she and Bobby are moving off the ranch. J.R. asks her not to leave. They continue arguing. They are miving backwards from the window, and suddenly Pam loses her balance and falls on her stomach to a lower level.
"She lost the baby."
That is what Bobby announces later after the barbecue. Luckily, no bones were broken, but she is unsure if she can have another baby. J.R. says that he would not do such a thing. Bobby asks why. J.R. gives excuses. Bobby goes up to see her. Jock is angry.

Pam is crying in bed. He says that his family caused all her pain, and as soon as she is on her feet, they are leaving. J.R. will never change. Jock pleads for them to stay. He says that the Ewings are not easy to live with. He says that he wants to keep his family together.
"I do not want to lose another son."

He leaves, and Ellie enters.

"We weren't ready for any of this, for our Bobby and Digger's daughter and everything that has come since...I've worked

Sue Ellen is not happy in the sanitarium. Bobby visits her, and thinks that Cliff is the father of the baby. J.R. visits, which does not make Sue Ellen any happier. She bribes a nurse for alcohol, and leaves, only to end up in a car accident. Sue Ellen ends up in the hospital with the baby's life in danger. Cliff, thinking he is the father, rushes to the hospital!

Writer: Arthur Bernard Lewis Director: Leonard Katzman Guest star: Karlene Crockett (Muriel Gillis), Heidi Hagman (Receptionist at Sanitarium), John Hart, Sherril Lynn Rettino (Jackie Dugan) , Peter Horton (Wayne), Ellen Geer (Dr. Krane), Michael C. Gwynne (Dr. Rogers), Dimitra Arliss (Hatton), Dawn Jeffory (Annie Driscoll), Alan Rachins, Phillip Littell, Nancy Pearlberg, Nicholas Shields

JR gets Ratagan to help him search the studio's film vault, but is given a note from Sue Ellen who says he's wasting his time. He tells Ratagan to find Sue Ellen's film no matter what he has to do. April tells Bobby about the continuing crank calls and they both begin to be convinced that it's Tommy McKay. Ellie and Clayton take the mysterious key to a locksmith and learn that it would only fit a very old bank vault, somewhere in New England.

JR and Bobby prepare to head to Texas City to talk to a refinery owner named Shaughnessy about providing him with oil to keep things going now that Weststar's gone with the European deal. They're told that 200,000 barrels are needed, which Bobby feels is too much for Ewing Oil to handle because he refuses to cut off his existing customers, despite JR's protests. JR decides to hang around to see what other business he can find. After Bobby leaves, JR tells Shaughnessy that Bobby's hedging was just a business ploy and says it will be no problem to provide the crude he needs. He also makes arrangements to buy some smaller companies in order to make the deal work.

Cliff returns to Dallas and talks to Dave Wallace about what happened in Louisiana, and he is advised to just be patient until Afton surfaces again. Bobby tells Cliff he's going to have to decide whether he's really committed to Ewing Oil or not. Van Buren is traced to Charleston, South Carolina and Cliff and Wallace head out to talk to him again. They find he's in jail and so they'll have to wait another day.

That evening, Bobby is surprised to find a very nattily dressed Tommy McKay at the office, who shows him that he just got off a plane from Orlando a few hours ago and so could not possible have been making the threatening phone calls. He claims that he just got out of rehab and is clean and sober. He says he just wants a fresh start in Dallas and intends to stay away from April and the Ewings.

Tommy returns to see his father at home that evening, who is overjoyed to have his apologetic son back. He says he wants to work with his father at Weststar and do whatever it takes to re-earn his trust. Bobby tells April about the new development, and they head back to her apartment to get some of her things. They are surprised to find someone already there - a woman, who turns out to be Michelle, April's sister, who's moved in to her guest bedroom after quitting her job.

A phone call arrives at the ranch for Jock, to the surprise of everyone. It turns out to be the son of the man who sent the key to Southfork, who explains that Mallory and Jock were war buddies, and the key should fit a lock at a bank in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Tommy meets with Boomer, a pal of his, who turns out to be the one making the bothersome calls. Boomer's other talents include gun-running...and explosives. Tommy asks him to prepare a briefcase-size bomb for a "friend".

JR learns that one of the companies he needed to buy to satisfy Shaughnessy has decided to sell out to Weststar for double the price. He glumly realizes that he's in a lot of trouble.

JR scrambles to meet Shaughnessy's deadline, which comes up in three days. Bobby continues to try and garner business on his own, and ends up making a deal which will tie up of most of Ewing Oil's excess crude. Cliff and Dave Wallace find that Van Buren's been bailed out and learn that it was Afton who did it. For some extra cash, the greedy bondsman agrees to tell them where Harrison is.

April comes to Michelle's hotel where she finds her chatting up a couple of hunks. They rehash a whole bunch of sibling rivalry, old and new. Michelle reminds her of all of the dirty things she did to amass her fortune, which prompts April to respond that she's a much different person than she used to be.

That evening, the family cabbages what's been learned about Jock's mysterious key, and Ellie announces that she plans to head to New England with Clayton to investigate further. Lucy takes Cally to an art gallery after having one of her paintings framed, and Cally is told that she has real talent, which she should put to good use. He puts her in touch with a friend who can help her out. The friend tells her that he wants to display the pictures for a public viewing the next day.

Bobby and April take Michelle to lunch and bump into Carter and Tommy, bringing back some bad memories for the elder Miss Stevens. The McKays assure her that she has nothing to worry about, and Carter gets in a shot about stealing the Ramirez deal away from the Ewings. Michelle comes to Ewing Oil the next day to see Bobby, who turns out to be a confirmed one-woman man, devoted to her sister. While on her way out, she introduces herself to JR.

Cliff and Dave find Harrison again and the smooth talker tells him that he's willing to provide proof as to Pamela Rebecca's parentage - for an extra ten thousand dollars. To Dave's dismay, Cliff agrees.

The Farlows meet Mallory, who turns out to be a priest. They take a look inside the safety deposit box, which contains a very expensive bottle of wine, some photographs and papers, and some more mysterious keys. One of them fits a strongbox at Mallory's home, which contains a note alluding to a boarding house in which Jock lived when he struck his first well.

Lucy and Cally are introduced to Alex Barton, another gallery owner with bad teeth and a passing resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor. Barton seems even more interested in Cally's work than the other guys. Tommy gets his special briefcase from Boomer, which he's told is on a twenty-minute trigger.

Van Buren visits Afton at her apartment, with Cliff listening outside the door. They talk about all sorts of things and it comes out in the conversation that Harrison is really Pamela's father. Finally convinced, Cliff gives Van Buren his money and tells Afton the he still cares for her and wants to be with her. Afton says she's fed up with the lies and doesn't want to see him again. Cliff leaves as Harrison comes back in, thankful that their act worked. He assures Afton that as long as the checks keep coming, no one will ever no the truth about her daughter.

Faced with no other choice, JR goes to the Ewing refinery and tells them that Bobby has ordered the crude redirected to Shaughnessy's refinery.

JR tries to buy the oil he needs on the open market, and is promised that he'll have what he needs by the time he needs it. Tommy visits Bobby at the office [attache case in hand] and reconfirms that the air is cleared between them. He conveniently leaves the case behind in the office and quietly leaves - until Bobby catches him at the elevator to give it back.

Rolf Brundin comes to Dallas to give Weststar a check for part of the OPEC deal. There are still hard feelings about the way the deal was handled, and Tommy seems even more upset than Carter about it. Tommy checks in with a rehab counselor and assures him that he's in no further need of help because he's devoted himself to his work with his father.

Ellie returns to Dallas and enlists the aid of all of the Ewing secretaries to check up on Ewing Oil records. Nothing is found, so JR suggests that she talk to Punk Anderson or Jordan Lee. Jordan Lee remembers that Jock's first strike came at a place called Pride, Texas. April learns from Bobby that Michelle came to see him. They discuss the Ewing Oil executives and April drops some hints that both JR and Cliff are off limits, piquing her interest.

Bobby learns about the diversion of oil from the Ewing refinery to Shaughnessy's facility, and puts an end to it. He returns to the office, sends the secretaries home, and heads into JR's office to confront him about it. They argue about priorities and JR is told that if he defaults on Shaughnessy's deal, he's on his own because Ewing Oil won't cover the costs. JR tries to convince Shaughnessy to take higher-grade oil for the same price, if he can wait a while for it, but is turned down. Cliff returns to work and assures Bobby that his mind is focused on business now.

Lucy and Cally have lunch with Alex to discuss Cally's burgeoning art career and Lucy confides in Alex that she knows that Cally's marriage won't last long. That evening, JR and April talk about how Bobby has changed in both the boardroom and the bedroom, since he doesn't seem to be so scrupulous about avoiding JR's ex-lovers. Cally overhears from the hallway and asks him about it before bed. JR admits that he's been around but is totally devoted to his new wife.

Tommy McKay finds Brundin again out on the street and tells him that he plans to ensure that his father isn't hurt by anyone anymore - least of all some swishy European. He pushes Rolf in the way of a truck, causing his instant death. He then heads home to ask Boomer to make a new bomb for him.

April and Cally talk about April's past relationship with JR and Cally resentfully says that their friendship is over because she feels that April practically lied to her by not saying anything about it. April decides to leave Southfork and return to her apartment, despite Bobby's protests. Cliff leaves a message on April's answering machine asking to meet, which is intercepted by Michelle. The younger Miss Stevens shows up for their date. They get acquainted and seems to hit it off.

JR learns that his broker could only come up with part of the oil he needed, and he'll still have to get it tanked in. JR is put in touch with a guy named Al Halliday, who says he has no tankers for hire but is willing to sell one to him. JR is wary but the used tanker salesman says "Trust me."

Tommy visits Boomer to get his latest briefcase explosive, guaranteed to incinerate anything within 10 feet of it once it goes off.

JR tells Bobby he's got the Shaughnessy deal taken care of. April tells JR that she wants to sell the Ellis County land and end their partnership. Michelle questions her about the deal and April tells her that the deal was originally Cliff's idea. A fire alarm, pulled by Tommy and Boomer, empties the Ewing Oil office. Boomer sets the explosive in Bobby's briefcase, as Tommy pockets the pendant that Bobby planned to give April.

Rose Daniels [AAAH!] comes back to Dallas [wearing the WORST outfit I've seen since Pam woke up] and comes to visit Carter in his office. She tells him that she's started a beauty shop with the money he loaned her. He invites her to stay at the ranch with him, and she gratefully accepts. That evening, Carter takes her to dinner with Tommy, who seems to resent her return into his father's life.

JR finalizes the deal with Al the Pal to obtain his oil tanker and says he'll hold Al personally responsible if anything goes wrong. John Ross gets a call from Sue Ellen to visit her in England, and JR allows it. Bobby asks Christopher to go and get April's present from his briefcase but stops him just before he opens it to let him know he just scored Cowboys tickets. Cally learns from Alex Barton that one of her paintings just got sold to a very rich old art collector, who invites her over for tea and instantly puts her on the map.

April and Michelle go riding with Bobby and Christopher, and April offers the Ellis land to Bobby, who turns her down as JR predicted. Bobby asks her to withhold the news from Cliff until he finds the right moment to break it. Michelle visits Cliff at his place just as he's ordering Chinese take-out. She tells him about the conversation earlier, which gets Cliff predictably upset. He confronts Bobby about it the next day and Cliff glumly realizes he'll always be third best around the office.

That morning, just after breakfast, Tommy angrily confronts Rose about latching on to Carter. Messing up her makeup, he tells her to get out of town if she knows what's good for her. Getting impatient about his bomb going off, he calls Ewing Oil, posing as a jeweler, telling Bobby that the pendant he purchased may be flawed and should be checked immediately. Rose decides to cut her visit short and return to her beauty shop. Tommy's counselor warns Carter that the younger McKay still has deep-rooted psychological problems and is capable of anything.

Bobby visits April at her apartment with his briefcase, still believing it contains her gift. April gets antsy over seeing it so Bobby holds the briefcase away from her, and they chase each other over to the balcony. The briefcase drops to the sidewalk below and explodes before their disbelieving eyes.

There's worrisome news in Dallas - Bobby Ewing hasn't exploded, to Tommy's dismay; and a tropical storm endangers JR's tanker. JR figures he might have to buy Marilee Stone's company, despite the high price. Cally worries about Marilee's habit of chasing after every man in her sights.

Bobby and April want to tell the police about Tommy, but realize they have no proof of any wrongdoing. Bobby formulates a plan by getting another briefcase made. He takes it to Tommy's office the next day, under the guise of presenting a business opportunity. Tommy calls security, but Bobby manages to get to Carter and warn him. Carter returns home with police, and finds Tommy searching for a revolver, determined to kill Bobby. They struggle and the gun accidentally goes off, killing Tommy.

Bobby tells JR that he wants to attend Tommy's funeral and he thinks JR should be there too. Tracey Lawton returns and finds that Carter has returned to his old habit of suppressing his emotions and immersing himself in his work. Alex Barton continues his societal education of Cally, and gets her a studio with a great view to do her painting.

JR is forced to write Shaughnessy a million-dollar check for being late in delivering his oil. He visits Marilee that evening, who offers to give him her oil reserves in exchange for sex. Faced with no choice, JR heads out to embrace her - until he gets a call from Sly saying that the tanker has just arrived at the refinery.

JR celebrates the next day with Sly and Kendall until Michelle crashes their party looking for Cliff. She ends up heading to lunch with JR, who confides in her that he would be very grateful to anyone who helped get Cliff out of Ewing Oil. April tells Cliff that her sister has been known to be a user and asks him whether they've slept together. Cliff angrily responds that it's none of her business.

Tommy's funeral passes quietly. April tries to offer her condolences to the McKays but finds Carter aloof and Tracey still bitter. Boomer places a baseball on the grave. JR tries to whisk Cally away to avoid Marilee but is unable to. She makes a subtle reference to the incident of the previous night. Cally asks him about it and JR tells her that Marilee tried to seduce him but he turned her down.

Tracey warns Bobby that her father is capable of anything at the moment and he would be wise to stay out of Carter's way. Tracey tells her father she'd like to stay with him, but he says he doesn't want her or anyone else around. Bobby takes April home and she puts a rubber band on his finger, asking him whether they should get married. Bobby says he'll think about it.

That day, Sly finds a very unctuous and persuasive dude in JR's office, who says he insists on speaking to the man himself. JR arrives after the funeral and the guy introduces himself as James Beaumont, Vanessa's son.

JR rekindles his old relationship with Vanessa and her abrasive son as the two try to size each other up. Cally is disturbed by the news but allows herself to be convinced to go to dinner with JR and James. Meanwhile, James enjoys drinks with Kendall and gleans some inside information about the power structure of Ewing Oil. For some inexplicable reason, Kendall agrees to spend the night with him.

Ellie and Clayton head towards Pride, Texas, and are told by a gas station attendant that the town is relatively abandoned. They find Jock's old boarding house, which has been foreclosed on by the bank. They find the bank's housesitter, Mr. Sparks, unwilling to let them in. Clayton is frustrated by his attitude but Ellie formulates a plan. The Farlows return the next day after buying up all the property in the small town and begin a thorough search of the place.

Carter finds April in the midst of a jog and says he wants to buy the Ellis County land. She tells him to take a hike at first but then he makes an unrefusable offer. When she tells Bobby, he's angry at first but realizes that it'll work out in Ewing Oil's favor.

Cally starts up her painting at her new studio and tells Alex Barton about some of the things that happened to her in Europe. During the dinner with James, Carter McKay stops by and starts to rub the deal with April in, but James slyly hints that the planned supercollider project has been cancelled by the government. JR starts to worry that Cally's been spending a little too much time with the wacky Alex, who continues to fill her head with ideas of becoming the next Picasso.

Bobby and April accompany Christopher on his roller skating date and Bobby channels the spirit of Pam and gets all worried about how fast his little boy is growing up. He decides that it's time for "the talk", especially after Christopher and his date kiss each other goodnight.

Clayton and Ellie continue to tear up the boarding house but find absolutely nothing - until Clayton spots a tiny lock on an old cuckoo clock into which the key fits. The cuckoo reveals a miniature map of the area near Kalispell, Montana and an indication that the object of the search lies near there. The Farlows make plans to head out immediately and find some small farmhouses in the area - with mailboxes indicating that the "Ewings" and "Mallorys" live there.

As JR and Cally head out to enjoy a Sunday together, they are surprised to see a limousine pull up, bringing Vanessa Beaumont to Southfork. She says she's come to Dallas to collect her son.

Ellie and Clayton find no one home at the farmhouse, and Ellie thinks it's all a hoax, but she gets convinced by Clayton to stick around for a while and investigate. They learn from a waiter that the inhabitants have gone into town for a day. Once they leave, the waiter tells a fellow named Stanley Mallory about it.

JR tries to find James at his hotel, but learns that he's out. Turns out he's sunbathing with Sly and propositions her just as he did Kendall, but to no avail. Kendall worries why James hasn't been calling her.

James returns to his room to find his mother there and Vanessa wonders whether James has informed JR that he's his biological father. James says he hasn't, but is considering moving to Dallas permanently, despite his mother's apprehension about it. Cally is forced to miss lunch with Vanessa because of her tea with Mrs. Evander.

Bobby and Cliff both arrive at the Stevens apartment and the two duelling couples argue for a few moments before going their separate ways. Cliff doesn't show up at the office next day, so James gets to accompany Bobby to the Ewing refinery. They talk about JR and his drive to be just like his father - for the sake of leaving a legacy for his son.

The next day, Ellie and Clayton return to the farmhouse where a woman suddenly comes out and gives Clayton a hug. They end up walking into a surprise party - where Jock and Ellie are the guests of honor. The woman says her name is Sarah Ewing and the whole group is shocked to learn that Jock and Tom Mallory are dead. Sarah tells the Farlows that Tom Mallory stumbled upon them during a hunting trip four years ago. It turns out that during World War II, Sarah's family, who were hiding from the Nazis, saved Jock and Mallory after their planes were shot down. Jock managed to return to mainland Europe and bring the family to England. Sarah's last revelation is that she has kept a letter from Jock to JR from those many years ago.

When Cliff finally arrives at the office, he and JR get into an argument about his truancy and offers to buy him out of the company, but Cliff says he wouldn't give him the satisfaction. News comes over the wire that a Weststar oil tanker has crashed in the Gulf of Mexico and is heavily leaking oil. JR is thrilled at the news, while Carter is predictably livid and orders a full investigation in his inimitably special way. He later learns some more disturbing news which causes him to storm out of his office.

At the Oil Baron's Club, Michelle advises Cliff to leave Ewing Oil despite the joy it would bring JR. The Ewing clan happens to come by as well to have dinner with James and Vanessa, and Michelle tells JR that Cliff is as good as gone. JR proposes a toast to Jock, and Bobby reminds him that there are other Ewings not present, including Ray. JR starts bad-mouthing Ray for being illegitimate, which prompts James to pipe up and tell everyone present that he also happens to be an illegitimate son. Needless to say, everyone is rather surprised.

Vanessa confirms that JR is James's father. Cliff rubs it in on JR as well as April for being part of JR's stable, which earns him a slap. Cally grows more and more uncomfortable by the moment, figuring that Vanessa had it planned all along to steal JR back from her. Carter McKay arrives a few moments later with reporters hanging off his tail. He tells everyone that the Coast Guard says that Weststar's tanker is leaking oil as a result of being hit by JR's tanker. JR tells Bobby to stonewall everyone until the damage can be assessed and is shocked that Bobby wants to pay for the cleanup effort, and Cliff gets upset at being continually left out of the plans. JR tells Halliday to accept public responsibility for the sub-standard tanker, or else he'll make Al the Pal's life a living hell.

Vanessa comes to Southfork which initiates a shouting match with the vulnerable Cally. Cally tells her that if she really's not out to cause trouble, she should take her son and leave Dallas. Vanessa counters that the ball is in Cally's court, because JR will listen to her. JR gets miffed at Cally's whining when he returns home the next morning after a long night and tells her that he can't deal with her insecurity right now. James advises Vanessa that she is really the woman that JR wants and she should stay in Dallas to make him see it. She declines but he insists that he wants to stick around.

McKay mobilizes his public relations troupe and gets a visit from Halliday. Al the Pal says that in exchange for a retirement fund, he'll provide Weststar with very useful information about the tankers. Cliff reaffirms to Michelle his desire to quit Ewing Oil for good. Weststar holds a press conference in which Carter makes public the information that the Ewing tanker was unseaworthy and its captain had been reprimanded several times for heavy drinking. He introduces Cliff as the man who's going to be heading a committee to look into the accident and make sure that the guilty parties be punished.

Cliff comes to Ewing Oil the next day to clean out his office and gets an earful from the Ewing brothers. Bobby even goes so far as to say he wants Cliff to stay away from Christopher. Michelle is next to come to the office, expecting her reward for getting Cliff out of Ewing Oil. JR declines because Cliff defected to Weststar's camp and Michelle tells him that he'll regret spurning her. She then heads over to see McKay for a reward. Carter says that instead of money, he'll offer her one open favor whenever she decides to call it in.

After hearing about the potential dire financial straits, April offers to help Bobby out with some cash but he declines. Bobby asks Clayton to keep Ellie away from the ranch for a while until he can straighten things out. Heading out to work, he finds that the Southfork pool has been vandalized and dirtied with oil. After JR surveys the mess, he says that he no longer feels that he can be a part of Ewing Oil. Bobby laughs it off and says that there's no way he'd let JR squirm out of the mess he created. April berates Cliff for abandoning Bobby and learns that Michelle has decided to move in with him. Many of Ewing Oil's customers come to see Bobby and tell him that unless he manages to salvage the situation, they may have to take their business elsewhere.

As Vanessa plans to head back home, JR asks her to stay and work out some of their unresolved issues. She painfully tells him that he's got her son now and hopes that James won't take his knocks the hard way from now on. James moves into Southfork and JR reconfirms that he's glad to have another son around. Cally predictably seems ambivalent about the new arrival.

James tries to fit in to life at Southfork and gets a short introduction about JR's past from Lucy. He also worries about what's going to happen when John Ross arrives at Southfork later that day. After coming home, John Ross is a bit perturbed at having to stay home while James heads off with JR to Ewing Oil. April brings Michelle's heaps of clothes over to Cliff's place and says she doesn't want to have anything more to do with either of them. Clayton and Ellie return to Dallas and are harassed by a reporter until the Ox summons his strength and threatens the guy.

Bobby calls in some of his markers in Austin to try and keep Cliff off of the committee investigating the tanker crash, but finds his old buddies cold to the idea. Hate mail continues to pour in to the office, and Jackie talks to Bobby about her future at the company. JR suggests that James take over Cliff's office and she stay on as his secretary, which she graciously accepts. Carter McKay arrives and presents the brothers with an all-encompassing civil suit for everything they're worth.

John Ross worries about his role in his father's life with James around. JR tells him that he'll eventually stop resenting his new brother, and become as close as [ahem!] JR and Ray were. Bobby and James talk in the exercise room and they agree to remain civil as long as each knows the others' role. Bobby and April have a picnic the next day and continue their discussion of marriage.

Marilee bumps into JR and James at the Oil Baron's Club and they take predictable jabs at each other. JR and James head back to the office as Michelle stops by. James seems to be smitten with her at first sight, as they ask Michelle to be a spy in Cliff's home. Michelle declines for the moment but leaves possibilities open. James visits Michelle at Cliff's place the next day and a cheap porn scene ensues.

Cliff [did you guess?] is named the head of the Blue Ribbon committee and says he'll ensure that justice is served. Cliff and Carter discuss future arrangements for Cliff's political career and McKay says he'll only continue to back him if Weststar comes out smelling like roses.

Bobby tells JR that if there's a Ewing Oil left after the committee's findings are made public, he'll be turfed. JR returns home and tells Ellie that he thinks Bobby is right - he's not fit to be a part of Ewing Oil. He heads back that evening to gather his things and Ellie follows him with the letter that Jock wrote to him from Europe. In it, Jock tells JR that the real test of a man is to succeed when failure seems certain, and exhorts him to never tire of continuing the Ewing legacy.

JR returns to Southfork, ready to take on the world - and his wife. Cliff tells Michelle about his plans to get the investigating committee and drops a few names to her about potential problematic members. JR and Bobby learn that the Weststar tanker was undermanned during its voyage. Bobby decides to talk to the captains of the tankers to gather information, but finds that his wife is bitter at the world and sick of talking to people.

James buys a new motorcycle and decides to take John Ross out for a spin, leaving Christopher alone at the house. They have a brotherly talk in which James tries to convince John Ross that he just wants to feel like part of the family and doesn't want to interfere with the family dynamics. He also manages to get John Ross a dirtbike so they can ride together. That evening, John Ross taunts Christopher about being the baby of the family and a fight predictably ensues. Christopher goes to his room and starts firing darts at a picture of John Ross until Bobby makes him see what his older cousin is going through.

James and Michelle go out for a night on the town and she says she's decided to help Ewing Oil out in their fight. That evening during a night of passion James tells her that he really wishes Cally wasn't in the way of her mother's relationship with JR.

That morning, JR tells Cally that he's gotten a business call from James, but later she spots him at a hotel, meeting with Michelle. Alex Barton tries to convince her that it might not be what it seems, but she's convinced that her marriage is practically over. Cally rushes home and tells Lucy about it, and she says she's not surprised. Lucy stupidly tells her that Michelle is staying at Cliff's place and Cally head over there in a huff.

JR and Michelle join James in a hotel room to watch the beginning of the investigative trial, and she gives him the names of the potential Ewing supporters on the committee. One of those members, Diana Farrington and Cliff argue about the rumors that he's more interested in nailing the Ewings than in justice. Carter McKay also stops by to drop his two cents in. JR finds the other member, George Middleton, and tries rather untactfully to convince him to be on his side. He does manage to learn where Diana Farrington is having dinner.

Bobby manages to find Jack Bouleris, the captain of the crashed Ewing tanker, at a local pool hall. He confronts him for the truth about the accident and is informed that he's been sober for four years and wasn't at fault for the accident - but he's been through so much that he's content to let the Ewings go down in flames.

Cally comes over to Cliff's place to confront Michelle, who lies and tells her point-blank that she most definitely is sleeping with JR - just like nearly every other woman in Dallas has. Cally next heads over to Ewing Oil but finds JR to be Austin - which Michelle claimed was her next destination. She leaves just as Kay Lloyd arrives. Kay tells Bobby that the Justice Department is considering revoking Ewing Oil's charter because of the accident. Meanwhile, Cally heads over to Alex's apartment and says she's planning her revenge on JR.

JR buds in on Diana Farrington's dinner with her husband and manages to get her ear for a while. They make arrangements to have a private meeting to discuss Ewing Oil's side of the story. Diana later hears George Middleton tell the committee about the subtle bribe JR offered them. Meanwhile, Bobby and Kay get reacquainted and he tells her that he's become involved in another relationship.

Cally comes home and confronts JR about sleeping with Michelle and he, of course, denies it. She counters that she spent the night at Alex Barton's place. JR promises her that she and Michelle will both regret what they've done. JR heads over to warn Michelle about it and she reminds him that he needs her to spy on Cliff; he says that unless her information improves, her ass will be grass. Cliff finds Jackie at her exercise club and asks her to keep her eyes open around the office.

James finds Cally beginning a vegetable garden and offers to be a shoulder for her to cry on. She explains the instability of her marriage as James surprisingly tries to soothe the situation over. Carter McKay plans a massive PR campaign to put a good face on Weststar's cleanup efforts in the Gulf, despite the fact that Bobby is personally financing most of it.

April returns to Dallas and finds Bobby in a meeting with Kay. The three of them have dinner with Dave Culver and April's left out of the political talk. They confirm that Ewing Oil will likely be out of business if Cliff finds them to be mostly responsible. April drinks her way through the night and back at her apartment, she wonders why things are so difficult for them when he seems so relaxed with Kay. She tells him she wants some time apart until he decides that she's the one he really wants. Later, Bobby and Kay discuss how her presence is disrupting his love life.

JR's next stop is Cally's studio, where Alex Barton stops by. JR offers him a choice: a one-way ticket back to England, or being strung-up on statutory rape charges, courtesy of Ratagan and a couple of Lolitas. Surprisingly [to me] Alex makes the wise choice and starts packing, but tells JR that his night with Cally was the best of his life.

Cliff comes home from Austin early, to Michelle's surprise. James arrives soon afterwards and smartly realizes what's happened. He puts on a tough-guy act and pretends to be angry at Cliff for trying to ruin the Ewings. Later, James makes some humble suggestions for ways to get some cash for Ewing Oil and Bobby finds that they agree on most points.

Kay comes to April's apartment and tells her that their on-again, off-again relationship is distracting Bobby from his business travails and she only wants what's best for both of them. April is in no mood to hear it and tells her to get lost.

JR offers to set up Diana's husband in whatever business deals he needs in exchange for her support on the committee and she gladly accepts in the shower later. When he returns to Southfork, he tells Cally about Alex's departure and another argument ensues. Cally reveals that nothing happened during her night at Alex's place and she only said so because she thought JR slept with Michelle. JR doesn't believe it, of course, and throws his latest affair with Diana in her face. He heads over to watch Alex's plane take off and the Englishman confirms Cally's story that they just talked. JR rushes back home and finds Cally unconscious on their bed next to an empty bottle of sleeping pills

Cally's bluesy guitar plays in the background as she is tended to by paramedics. JR seethes as Lucy admits that she told Cally where the sleeping pills were but later is distraught after seeing the shape his wife is in. Cally explains that the whole thing was accident because she didn't understand the nuances of pharmacology. She wonders whether JR would allow Alex Barton to return to Dallas and JR says he got the governor to pass an ordinance against bad teeth, though he encourages her to continue painting. Later, Lucy tells Cally she just bought an art gallery and so her career is back on track.

Bobby begins the painful process of selling Ewing fields to raise cash. Bobby calls April, who's stopped answering her phone, and heads over to Kay's place for a dinner party, arriving early. They rehash their relationship and realize that they still have different priorities which complicates things for them. April goes out and buys a huge new office for April Oil.

Carter McKay heads to Follett, Texas to find Rose and bring her to Dallas to be his wife. After their wedding night, Carter tells Rose he needs her help to try and defuse the tanker crisis - by using her body. Rose is righteously upset that Carter would ask her to do such a thing, but he says that he feels his back is against the wall. The next day, Cliff is accosted by Rose at a bar and after some small talk, he's convinced to accompany her to a hotel room. During a business confab the next day, Carter shows Cliff a tape of him with Rose, and reveals that the young woman is now his wife.

JR takes James down to Austin and they meet with Diana Farrington again, who says she's still interested in JR's fringe benefits in exchange for her continued support. James is surprised JR would even consider cheating on Cally, but he says it's only for business and it's not much different from the way he convinced Michelle to join their side. The next morning, James tells JR he's glad his mother never married him if this is the way he chooses to lead his life. JR is surprised at how alike they really are.

Bobby finds Captain Bouleris again and questions him about the crash, confirming that he did everything possible to prevent it and confirms that he was definitely not drunk at the time. He returns to the office and finds that Ewing 14 was sold for top dollar, to his surprise. Kay comes by and says she's going back to Washington where she feels she can help Ewing Oil's cause more. Bobby comes over to April's apartment later that day and after some arguing back and forth, he says he's decided he wants to get married.

James feels terrible about returning to Southfork knowing about JR's infidelity. Coming home, he and JR find that Cally has painted a portrait of JR to hang in his office. JR is incredulous at Bobby's decision to rehire Captain Bouleris and an argument ensues over the brothers' methods. James tells Michelle he wants her to move out of Cliff's apartment because he doesn't like having to sneak around to see her.

Carter returns home to find a disillusioned Rose dressed as the whore she feels like. He promises to get rid of the tape as soon as the committee hearings are over. Cally has another gallery showing and all of her paintings get sold, to Lucy's delight.

Bobby visits a Coast Guard office and argues with an official, claiming that proper procedure wasn't followed when the authorities arrived at the crash site, with a cover-up ensuing to avoid bad publicity for the Guard.

Diana tries to get Cliff involved with some political connections in an effort to distract him from his vendetta against Ewing Oil, but he doesn't bite. JR plans to go after another committee member to garner support. He finds Billy Joe Bates very receptive to his cause. Michelle learns from Cliff about McKay's blackmail tape. Carter meets with his tanker captain and instructs him how to lie at the hearings about the fact that the radar was unmanned.

James talks to Diana privately about calling off her affair with JR, for Cally's sake, but she doesn't care for the idea at all. That evening, just as James leaves them in JR's room and heads down to the lobby, he spots Cally there, waiting to surprise JR. He  rushes back to the room and hears another knock on the door. Figuring it's Cally, he makes it look like he's the one who's been with Diana - but it turns out to be Michelle, who espies Diana and calls off their relationship.

Michelle tells Bobby about Carter's setup of Cliff, and later finds James knocking on her door trying to explain again what happened. The predictable fight ensues and they decide to end their relationship for good. Bobby visits Rose and tries to convince her to sell the blackmail tape to him. She tells him off but he warns her that she'll be sinking with her new husband before long.

An ensign from the Coast Guard visits Cliff at his office. He says that he stayed on duty longer than he had to the night of the collision and monitored the tankers' progress, which he claims was definitely just an accident.

Cliff debates his dilemma at Digger's grave and in the committee room. News comes over the airwaves that Captain Bouleris apparently committed suicide in his guilt over the situation. In Pride, Texas, Clayton tells the distraught Ellie [can you guess?] that she doesn't need to rush home to be with her sons. Bobby meets with Harve to see what legal recourses might be available to save Ewing Oil. Rose doesn't really feel like joining Carter in his preliminary celebration of victory.

JR comes to Michelle's new apartment looking for information but she says she's out of the spy business. When he wonders what's changed her mind about things, she tells him to ask James. James explains what went down in Austin and JR tells him to do whatever he has to to win Michelle back, but he refuses. April confronts Michelle about things but ends up soothing her hurt feelings. Michelle later tells Cliff about her spying, and after his initial anger, he feels more determined than ever to put the screws to JR.

McKay offers Bobby the chance to sell out Ewing Oil before the company is completely lost. Bobby glumly says he'll have to think it over. The next day, Carter tells April about his offer and tells her that it's in her best interests to convince Bobby to take the offer because Bobby certainly wouldn't marry her if he suddenly lost his wealth. The next day, Bobby remembers who his father is and tells McKay where he can put his offer. [Editor's note: damn, I'm proud of that boy!]

At the site of Jock Ewing's first strike, Ellie waxes nostalgic and wishes that her life hadn't been so intertwined with the dog-eat-dog oil business. Cliff confronts Diana about her liaisons with the Ewings and she retorts that Cliff is obviously in McKay's hands. Later, Diana confirms to JR that the committee is deadlocked and Cliff has the deciding vote tomorrow.

Bobby has a meeting with Cliff that evening and tries to convince him to leave their personal issues out of it, but Cliff isn't too hot on that idea. He subtly invokes the ghost of Pam, who would have advised Cliff to just do the right thing and let his conscience be his guide.

That evening, Carter burns the blackmail tape and tells Rose he wants to make a fresh start in their relationship. Ellie and Clayton have a rather confusing ceremony in the town of Pride which...is supposed to mean something...I guess.

JR tells Bobby that he feels that Jock's portrait doesn't belong in his room any longer, and he offers Bobby a document taking full responsibility for the accident and absolving Ewing Oil in the matter. He tells Bobby about Jock's letter from forty years ago and says that the torch has been passed down. At the committee hearing, Cliff declares the collision to be an accident, causing JR to tear up his document and feel on top of the world again, as McKay just walks away seething.

Being the man of the hour, Cliff appears on "Austin Today" to further his political ambitions. He returns home to find a magazine with his face on the cover, but empty inside. Curious, he contacts a phone number inside and arranges a meeting. He ends up meeting PR expert Stephanie Rogers, who says she wants to make him the hottest thing on the political scene.

With the brouhaha out of the way, Bobby gives April an engagement ring as fairy music is sprinkled through the background. Carter visits April at her offices, currently being furnished, and asks to buy the three fields she bought from Ewing Oil. She turns him down flat but has a concerned look on her face as he leaves. That evening, Carter and Rose bump into Bobby and April at dinner and McKay tells Bobby that April was the one who bought his fields, not Weststar as was originally supposed. It leads to a predictable argument over who cares more about who, and a rift develops.

JR returns to the ranch to celebrate with Cally and John Ross, and they decide to ride out to Pride to meet up with Ellie and Clayton. JR learns from Ellie that she thinks there's still oil in the area which might do Ewing Oil and the community some good. He channels the spirit of the wildcatting days and pledges not to rest until he strikes.

The next day, Carter overhears April putting her fields on the open market. Just after her broker tells her he sold the fields to Weststar, Bobby arrives with a huge apology card and a check to buy back the fields. After she tells him what happened, they have another argument about not really knowing each other, and April tosses his ring back at him. 

Lonely James goes out on a date with lonely Kendall and they bump into Michelle and her date. The two erstwhile lovebirds step towards an elevator to argue but end up in a passionate embrace. Later, Michelle tells April they should head out together to drown her sorrows. While out, they come up with the idea of a place for women to hang out without being hit on.

James tries to drum up some business on his own, as Bobby tries to keep the company going while getting April out of his life and his mind. He tells his major customers they'll have to take temporary reductions in their deliveries, and they tell him they just might do business with Weststar.

Clarence Melville, a hot-shot chemical engineer, arrives at the Pride drilling site and raises the ire of JR by knowing as much as he does. Despite their best efforts, no oil is found.

Bobby takes Phyllis out to make up for snapping at her the other day, and from across the room he spots a woman who's a dead ringer for Pamela.

Bobby chases after the mystery woman, but she's in a car before he can reach her. He manages to speak to her friend and learns that her name is Jeanne O'Brien, a realtor, and she's apparently new in town.

After the fiasco in Pride, JR tells the family to head back to Southfork while he checks out some information on the road. Cally makes a fuss about playing second fiddle to business. JR gets some information about a guy named Blackie Callahan who lives in Barkley, Oklahoma. He heads over to see him but ends up meeting his daughter, Meg. He explains that he wants Blackie to help him find the oil in Pride and is told to come back tomorrow.

Cliff gets a private investigator to check out Stephanie Rogers and see if she has any connection to JR. They have lunch at the Oil Baron's and get to know each other a little better. After a TV appearance, Cliff's PI confirms that Stephanie has nothing to do with JR or Weststar, and she's impressed at his thoroughness.

April and Michelle continue to discuss their new "hot spot" idea and are joined by James, who Michelle wants to bring in to the plan. April tries to contact Bobby, but fails. James and Cally discuss the troubles being caused in their lives, one way or the other, by JR, and a friendship develops.

Bobby is put in touch with Jeanne and goes to see a house with her. He's visibly disturbed by the striking resemblance to Pam but manages to keep his cool. He finds that just like his ex-wife, she came from a not-so-well-off background. Jeanne learns from a girlfriend that Bobby's divorced and she might have a really good chance with him. Bobby takes Cliff to meet with Jeanne, and confirms that Bobby isn't hallucinating - but she's definitely not Pam. The three of them have dinner, and Cliff warns Bobby not to indulge himself too much. The next day, Bobby tells Jeanne about why he's so smitten with her.

Meg takes JR to the county jail, where Blackie currently resides. To JR's dismay, he says he likes it there because his friends are there; the warden confirms that he keeps breaking in to jail, and if JR can convince him to stop, he can have him. JR learns that Blackie is willing to help him out, but only if he can arrange a night of passion with his favorite babe - who's about eighty. JR gets Ratagan to find a young look-alike, and Blackie appears satisfied. The next morning, Blackie says he wasn't fooled but appreciated the effort so much, he doesn't mind helping JR out.

On the way to Pride, Blackie tells JR that the reason he was in jail for a while was because his last oil project failed and some investors got really mad at him. JR gets awfully worried about it, especially after they discover that some of the landmarks Blackie remembered are no longer there, but Blackie assures him after a long walk that he's standing right on top of it, and that he should get his crew over there. It takes a few days of round-the-clock work, but Blackie and JR manage to strike a gusher.

April and Michelle check out some space in the warehouse district for their new project. She spots a travel poster of Salzburg and reminisces about that wonderful night with Bobby in Episode 305. They later meet with Eugene Inagaki, who represents the company who owns the property and refuses to sell because he has plans of his own.

Jeanne tells her girlfriend about the weird vibes she's been getting from Bobby but is encouraged to use it to her advantage. That night, she heads out to a barn dance with the Bob-man. Their night goes surprisingly well. The next evening, they happen to stop by the same haunt as James and the Stevens sisters, and the elder one starts to clue in to what's happened to he relationship.

An old friend of the Ewings named Duke Carlisle comes by the office and talks to James about a huge new racetrack he wants to build near Southfork. He invites James over to his place the next day for more details. Once there, James is introduced to his horny daughter Melinda, who tries to entice him into a game of strip archery. James declines but discovers that she seems to be the key to earning the deal with Duke. At another Carlisle meeting, Melinda lays it out plain and simple for James: either he sleeps with her, or she blows his deal.

April tells Michelle that she's lost her enthusiasm since the break-up with Bobby, and is considering leaving Dallas. Michelle counsels her to forget her troubles and ensures her that she'll get the property they need within a week. Michelle visits Carter and calls in her favor - she asks him to convince Inagaki to sell to her.

Blackie is brought to Dallas for the celebration of the new strike, which Bobby foregoes in order to see Jeanne. During a dance, he also has memories of the night with April in Salzburg. He heads over to April's place afterwards, and in a bizarre twist, he asks her for a little bit more time to settle what he terms "unfinished business". She tells him she doesn't feel she has any more time to spare for him and is sick of dealing with his hang-ups.

The next day, Bobby breaks his lunch date with Jeanne but agrees to be at her place that evening. When he gets there, he finds Jeanne dressed in one of Pam's old dresses, and ready to be his ex-wife for him. At first, Bobby holds back but is unable to deny that it's what he wanted all along

At the Carlisle party, James continues to be harassed by Melinda until he bumps into Cally - and JR. JR breaks up James' deal with Duke, to James' chagrin as well as Cally's. Clayton and Ellie get word that an old friend, Atticus Ward, just died and his will is being read very soon.

Carter McKay visits Eugene Inagaki about the warehouse property. Inagaki declines, saying that his plan is part of a greater plan to keep the Far East economy dominant, and to finally extinguish the Texas oil "dinosaurs". Carter tells Michelle that the negotiations are tough but she insists that he keep his promise.

Bobby and Jeanne discuss the somewhat sicker aspect of their relationship, and she tells him that she puts up with being a "stand-in" for Pam because it's the only way she could ever have a chance with a guy like him.

Cliff is pushed to become the head of the Oil Regulatory Commission, which irks JR, especially after his dinner at the Oil Baron's is pre-empted by one of Cliff's private parties. JR returns home and an argument with James ensues over the Duke incident. JR later calls Ratagan to find out who's behind Cliff's popularity.

Cally starts to get frustrated at not having JR around, so she decides to accompany Lucy to a new club opening - at which they happen to bump into April and Michelle, who are beginning to realize how dumb their idea really is. Insults are traded about who's sleeping with who [and in April's case, who isn't] and Cally almost gets violent with Michelle for flaunting her "affair" with JR. She settles for tossing a drink in her face, prompting April to respond in kind. More arguments occur the next morning when JR confronts Cally about not coming home that night.

JR learns about Stephanie's aid of Cliff and heads over to see her. He says he wants her to devote her time to improving Ewing Oil's image - at any cost. She flatly turns him down, saying she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Cliff rubs in JR's pathetic attempt at the Oil Baron's later.

Christopher's best friend moves away and he tells Bobby that he wished he had the chance to give him his baseball glove - or even to say goodbye. It gets the Bob-man thinking...

Carter brings in the Chairman of Inagaki's company to come by and inform him that the company has decided to exchange the warehouse property for some land in the Bahamas. Inagaki protests but eventually accepts the well-deserved smackdown.

Clayton and Ellie come to San Angelo for Atticus Ward's will-reading, and are told by Atticus's twin brother Arlen that he was lost at sea and no body was found. Carter comes by later as well to view the tape, which bequeaths the bulk of the estate to a man named Curley Morrison, after a 30-day waiting period. It's decreed that if Curley dies, another dude named Rabbit Hutch gets it all; and then it falls to Arlen Ward. Suddenly the lights go out...but Curley's okay. No! Wait! He keels over... [Cue the ominous music.]

Bobby visits Jeanne that evening, and tells her that he's realized why he was so infatuated with her - because he never got the chance to say goodbye to Pam. He finds, however, that his "unfinished business" is settled by saying goodbye to Jeanne - and Pam.

In the aftermath of Curley's collapse, fingers begin to point at Rabbit Hutch. The preliminary reports indicate that Curley died of a heart attack, but later it's discovered he was poisoned - and Rabbit's fingerprints are found on the milk carton that he drank out of. Ellie and Clayton bail Rabbit out and offer to help him out with his case. McKay is incredulous at Clayton's decision to help Rabbit out, claiming that he was safer there until the will is settled. The Farlows visit Rabbit to check up on him, but find that he's tragically hung himself.

Cally tries to rekindle her relationship but ends up driving JR to the Singletree. JR tells Bobby that he doesn't feel that he has anything in common with his wife any more. Stephanie calls the office and tells JR to turn on his TV, from which he learns that Cliff has been named head of the Oil Regulatory Commission. JR visits Stephanie in an apologetic mood, congratulating her on making something out of nothing with Cliff. He invites her to have dinner so that she can see what Cliff is up against.

McKay hands the Stevens sisters the property lease, but April still seems disenchanted with the world and continues to ignore Bobby's messages. Bobby heads over to the apartment but finds out from Michelle that April's left town. April calls him later, and says she's gone to her mother's house in Ohio. Amy Stevens advises her daughter to think about settling down in her hometown.

Bobby comes to the Stevens home and gets a cold reception from Amy. He assures her that he just wants to make things right between them, and she directs him to a nearby park where April's hanging out. They talk for a while and agree to allow some time for her to sort out her feelings. [Where have I heard this before?]

JR and Stephanie have lunch [instead of dinner] and have another round of the battle of the sexes. James and Cally spend the day together, frustrating JR yet again in his attempts to mold his marriage. James advises Cally to hang tough and not let JR dominate her life. Serena Wald returns to Dallas and tells JR that she's moved back to Dallas. The predictable "business lunch" at the Singletree ensues, and JR decides that enough is enough and it's time for a change. Heading back to the office, he uses a marker to mask out the "Ewing" from Cally's signature on his portrait.

Clayton and Ellie meet up with Arlen Ward and tell him about Rabbit's apparent suicide. Arlen seems way too happy about it for the Farlows' comfort. At Curley's funeral, the interested parties are told that Rabbit was actually poisoned and was then made to look like he killed himself.

James and Michelle find that a zoning law has conveniently been invoked to prevent her project from proceeding forward. They confront Carter McKay about it, who denies involvement, and James offers him a cut of the project in exchange for his help to twist some arms.

April talks to old friends about how wacky her life in Dallas has been, and how things are so hectic there. She seems to become more and more convinced that moving back home is the right thing. She and Bobby have dinner with a couple of her friends and get a close look at smalltown married life with kids.

JR tries to dig up dirt on Stephanie but is unsuccessful. He decides to get Serena to join her ex-husband for dinner, while he heads back to tell the family that he's sorry he's gotten himself so wrapped in business that he's ignored them. He tells Cally that he's made an appointment with a marriage counselor to sort out their troubles.

Cliff and Stephanie talk about JR, and he warns her that JR has only two motives for anything - libido and greed. Stephanie seems rather interested in that characterization. Meanwhile, Serena tells JR that Stephanie's ex-husband told her that she keeps meticulous notes about everything she does.

Ellie channels the spirit of Jessica Fletcher and she and Clayton begin to wonder whether Arlen might really be Atticus. Clayton realizes that "Arlen" seems to adopting all of Atticus's old habits, including tugging on his ear when nervous. The case seems solved, and after learning that whoever-it-is has foregone protective custody, they head over to tell him that they're on to him and soon they'll have proof.

Bobby confronts Amy Stevens about making life way too comfortable for April. They have some relatively meaningless conversation in which Amy is disappointingly made to accept his argument. Bobby tells April he feels he's done all he can and he's decided to head back to Dallas.

JR and Cally see Patrick, the marriage counselor, and she continues to see him privately. The counselor tells Cally that JR's pattern of behavior is unlikely to change and she had better prepare herself for the worst because their age barrier is relatively insurmountable. After hearing the diagnosis, JR angrily tells Cally that the doctor doesn't know what he's talking about and he plans to deal with him sternly. JR does head over to see him the next morning - but only to congratulate him for doing such a great job in discouraging his wife from sticking around.

April arrives at the airport too late to stop Bobby from boarding his plane back to Dallas. She confides her confused feelings in her mother and tells her that she's worried about not having Bobby's undivided love. Amy reminds her that life isn't always a bowl of cherries and she shouldn't remain alone any longer. Bobby decides to take Christopher to Paris to get away from it all.

Mr. Ward takes a lie detector test under the watchful eye of the Farlows, and they confirm the evidence that the police seem to have found: he's really Arlen Ward. Ward promises Clayton that he won't forget all of the trouble he was put through. In a fantastic bit of detective work, Ellie realizes that whoever murdered Curley must have known the contents of the will in advance, so they decide to visit Atticus's lawyer. They learn that Arlen was outside the office when the lawyer was viewing the videotape but the police are frustrated by the neverending meddling and tell the Farlows to knock it off.

Cally tells Patrick that she thinks that JR's sweetness lately is a sign that her relationship is salvageable. JR is mortified that his plan has failed so far and is told that he's going to have to deliver the final blow to his marriage. Later, Cally accompanies Lucy to be on a talk show, and she's asked to be on an upcoming show about young women married to older men. JR is against the idea but in order to keep his charade with her, he allows it.

JR enlists Serena's help to try and get Stephanie's private notes. Through her ex-husband, Serena finds that the notes are kept in the office and manages to distract Stephanie's secretary so JR can get inside and find Stephanie's safe. Ratagan is called in to crack it and does so with relative ease.

Work begins on the singles club, and James gets upset at Michelle's blind ambition and spending habits, prompting a fight. She later apologizes over dinner. James accompanies Cally to her talk show appearance, which has the typical Sally Jessy, Springer-wannabe atmosphere. Cally hears the story of one other woman who had a marriage like hers which turned completely bad after her husband lost interest.

Bobby arrives at Ewing Oil to find his office turned into a mock miniature of Austria, with April back after deciding she really wants to be with him. They later discover that their warehouse has been condemned.

The Farlows go to Arlen's place to apologize to him and find that he's installed a high-tech security system for his home. They bump into the incoming Carter McKay on his way out. Their next appointment is with Honey North, who is discovered to have been working the day Curley was killed. After some pressure, she admits that Arlen asked her to lie but she knows he's innocent. Heading over to Arlen's place with the police, they find him dead in his aquarium. 

As JR persuees Stephanie's diary, he gets a visit from a guy who he pays off for an undisclosed job well done. Later, Patrick plays another tape of a conversation wth Cally, in which she indicates that James is helping her through her difficult time.

Bobby and April discuss the kink in the warehouse project and he resolves to find out who's behind the delay. He confronts McKay who claims complete innocence in the matter and even offers to help Bobby get in touch with people who can help him, but Bobby says he's got it under control. April asks Michelle to be the maid of honor at her wedding and that she's backing out of their project because she doesn't feel she can devote enough time to it, which gets Michelle completely upset at being abandoned by her sister once again. James and Michelle discuss April's pullout and he offers to help her out with the financing and stand by her.

The remaining friends of Atticus Ward assemble in his lawyer's office and discover there was a codicil to his will, establishing a new order of inheritance in alphabetical order - meaning that Clayton's first. Carter tells everyone that Atticus controlled 25% of Weststar's stock and made a deal to buy it from Arlen, which is why he was so interested in the will. He offers Clayton the same deal but is told to wait.

As the family settles in for dinner, Bobby and April announce they plan to get married next month. April and Cally work out their earlier differences and agree to be friends again, as Cally confides her fears to her. Meanwhile, Bobby and JR discuss the same marital issues.

Clayton returns home with armed security and learns from a newscast that Atticus was found on a deserted island and on his way back to Dallas. Atticus tears up his will after hearing about his friends' deaths. The Farlows are still suspicious, of course. At a dinner at the Oil Baron's Club that night, Atticus tells McKay that he intends to continue his takeover bid of Weststar. While Debbie is distracted, Clayton's drink gets a few drops of liquid from an eyedropper. Atticus ends up taking the drink and keels over, dead.

The next morning, Bobby learns from the guy that was paid off at the beginning of the episode that JR was behind the whole thing. All of the principals are informed, and James gets righteously upset over it. Bobby confronts JR about it, who claims to just be protecting his son from Michelle's wacky plans. Later, JR and James argue and he says he plans to marry Michelle so they can be one big happy family.

JR returns home and lays a classic guilt trip on Cally for turning James against him and pushing him towards Michelle. Much like Sue Ellen, Cally is so devastated that runs crying up to her room. JR calls Serena and tells him that Cally's ready to go over the edge. She calls back a few moments later to confirm an upcoming rendez-vous, prompting Cally to start packing her bags. John Ross overhears her saying goodbye to Lucy and tearfully rushes out of the house to stop her. He tells JR, who's watching from the balcony, to make her stay, so he's forced to retract everything he said.

Cally tells JR that things will have to change in their relationship or she'll leave for good and let the world know why. Cliff returns from wherever he's been and learns about Bobby and April's wedding, and is asked to be the best man. James buys a well-placed restaurant that he feels can be turned into a perfect club for Michelle.

At the Oil Baron's, Carter makes the suddenly forgetful Farlows remember that the poison was obviously meant for Clayton, sending Ellie into a worried tizzy. Realizing that Atticus's original will is now in effect, she formulates a plan to find out what's in it. She enlists a surprised JR's help in obtaining the necessary skills.

Cliff tells Stephanie that he wants her to stay away from JR as long as she's running his campaign, leading to a predictable argument. Cliff insists and tells her he's willing to dump their relationship if she doesn't comply. JR comes by the office later with Stephanie's favorite flowers and jellybeans (her secret passion) and makes reservations for her favorite restaurant.

Michelle comes home and finds JR in her apartment with a briefcase and his "you're leaving town" ultimatum to keep her away from James. JR reveals James' intention to marry her, which makes her resolve to stick it out in Dallas and refuse his offer. Unfortunately, the next day, James tells Michelle that he only told JR about getting married to ruffle his feathers. Another predictable argument [I've been saying this a lot lately] ensues and yet another breakup occurs.

The Farlows are put in touch with Ratagan and an expert safecracker, who manages to get in to Spangler's safe easily. They are flabbergasted to learn that Atticus's will leaves most of his estate to Dusty Farlow. Clayton can't figure it out and so he decides to talk to Jessica to find out the reasons why, but learns that Jessica was released 6 months ago, claiming to be headed for Southfork. A day or two later, Clayton gets a call from Jessica saying that she plans to see him - sometime soon. The Farlows decide to head to a quiet hotel until things boil over.

JR manages to arrange it so that Cliff will see him and Stephanie at dinner that evening. Bobby, who arrives soon after, and Stephanie both realize that JR orchestrated the whole thing to separate her from Cliff.

Eugene Inagaki meets with Michelle and says that he was so impressed with her vision that he wants her to go to the Caribbean and run a resort for his company - and leave immediately. Michelle is so impressed with the money that she almost instantly agrees. Before leaving, she says goodbye to James and they realize they have different outlooks on the world, and their relationship. As Michelle's plane leaves, JR thanks Eugene for a job well done and says he'll have his warehouse back real soon.

That evening, after poisoning the police guard outside their door, Jessica enters the Farlows' room and prepares an injection.

Just as Jessica is about to strike, the phone rings and wakes Clayton up. She manages to get away as Detective Marshall informs them that Jessica's fingerprints were on Curley's fatal milk carton. Bobby foregoes a tuxedo fitting to be with them. They all attend Atticus's funeral and eagle-eyed Bobby spots Jessica getting into a limousine. He trails her back to her hotel and while stalling her until the police arrive, he learns that Atticus was Dusty's father.

JR arranges another visit to England for John Ross so as to finally get rid of Cally once and for all. James and April find Michelle's apartment devoid of clothes, but with a note explaining her sudden disappearance. They question Inagaki about it and during their conversation they find that he's been in contact with JR. Jame