Love Quadrangles Abound in Dallas’ ‘The Last Hurrah’

Forget love triangles, Dallas is upping the stakes with a love quadrangle. Chris, Rebecca, Elena and John Ross are all flustered as they try to establish themselves romantically in this week’s episode. Of course there is also crazy Marta trying – and failing – to keep John Ross from Elena. While the younger generation pines for each other, J.R. continues to fight diabolically for Southfork. His brother, Bobby, saves a calf and offers his son love advice. All of this episode’s activities lead up to a “farewell Southfork” party that we’ll likely see more of next time.

Chris and Elena continue to stare into each other’s eyes and have lingering hand touches, until Bobby offers some wisdom to his son. Bobby says that Chris needs to make a decision one way or the other, and Chris seems to agree. In an effort to distance himself from Elena, Chris insults her on a very personal level, attacking her character. He then returns to his wife and once again declares his love for her.

However, that bliss may be short-lived. As we learned last week, the email that broke up Chris and Elena was sent from Rebecca’s computer. Unfortunately for Rebecca, that information falls into the hands of John Ross. He uses it to blackmail her into obtaining scandalous pictures of a man. Why? So that he can blackmail someone else. Rebecca attempts to do this, but ends up sympathizing with her potential victim and tells John Ross she couldn’t do it.

Meanwhile, Elena talks with John Ross about going back into business together. At first John Ross is reluctant, but Elena’s powers of persuasion convince him. The two secure the rights to drill on Miss Henderson’s property. After John Ross gains Miss Henderson’s permission to drill, the woman shrewdly comments, “You got your daddy’s charm, let’s hope you didn’t get his morals.” It may be too late for that, Miss Henderson. John Ross and Elena celebrate by playing provocatively with a hose and, of course, J.R.’s hired hand takes pictures of it.

Linda Gray as Sue Ellen Ewing. Photo: Zade Rosenthal – © TNT

Why does J.R. want pictures of his son frolicking with Elena? It turns out he plans to make a new deal with the very easily jealous Marta. After showing her the pictures, J.R. convinces Marta to join him in cutting John Ross out of the Southfork deal. Marta is able to take the incriminating photographs that J.R. needed, so he uses them to blackmail his lawyer into creating a new contract. According to J.R., John Ross can ‘wait his turn’ for Southfork. J.R. also finds time between all this scheming to bitterly complain about Cliff Barnes, who is spending more time with Sue Ellen.

The episode ends with the big Southfork bash and plenty of loose ends to tie up for next time. Rebecca plans to tell Chris the truth about the email before John Ross can. Elena is hurt by Chris’s earlier attack and wants John Ross to be her date for the party. J.R. expresses his distaste of Cliff to Sue Ellen, who says that J.R. lost the right to have that kind of opinion a long time ago. Rebecca’s brother, Tommy, installs spyware on Chris’s computer. What is he plotting? How will this complicated love quadrangle play out? Will John Ross be able to get over his father’s betrayal?

Though Bobby gives a heartfelt speech about how the people associated with Southfork will carry their memories of the ranch with them, it seems unlikely that some of those people will be going anywhere. Find out how the rest of the party unfolds Wednesday, July 11 on TNT.