Dallas: War of the Ewings

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Dallas: War of the Ewings was the second of the two Dallas reunion movies. It aired on CBS on April 24, 1998, a little less than a year and a half after the first movie, Dallas: J.R. Returns, was broadcast.

[edit] Plot summary

The movie begins with a scene reminiscent of the shower scene with Bobby and Pam Ewing from the original series, but with Sue Ellen Ewing coming in and kissing Bobby. Once again, this is a dream ... of J.R. Ewing's. With Bobby and Sue Ellen in control of Ewing Oil, J.R., who had taken control of Weststar Oil from Carter McKay in J.R. Returns, looks to regain the company that was once his, and in doing so would be in control of the top 2 independent oil companies in the state (Weststar ahead of Ewing).

J.R. first goes to apply for a loan to use in a hostile takeover attempt of the oil company, but is told that he doesn't have enough money to cover such a loan.

At the same time, Ray Krebbs' ranch has been discovered to have oil on it, and J.R. seeks to use it as collateral for the loan. What J.R. doesn't know (and what Ray doesn't tell him upon his surprise entrance) is that the Krebbs ranch is in serious trouble, and Ray has mortgaged it several times and is in crippling debt.

Being unsuccessful at getting the loan, J.R. decides to try a "divide and conquer" style tactic, trying to split up the Bobby-Sue Ellen partnership. His tactics backfire when Sue Ellen tells him that there is another man trying to get involved in Ewing Oil...Carter McKay, who lost Weststar Oil to J.R. in the previous movie.

Meanwhile, back at Ray's ranch, J.R. sets up a cattle rustling, which fails when Ray and his ranch hands force the rustlers to surrender to the police.

J.R. then enlists the help of the female CEO of another oil company (Jennifer Jansen of Jansen Oil) to con a good deal for Ewing Oil out of his brother. The plan, which involves the keeping of the conspiracy under wraps, backfires when she lets slip that she knows about Carter McKay, after which Bobby returns to Southfork (where J.R. and Ray are arguing about his plans to buy the ranch from him) and lets J.R. know that he knew what was going on.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Jansen has a crisis of conscience and decides that she wants to start over with Bobby, which they do.

Then, Carter McKay reveals to Sue Ellen and Bobby (who found McKay untrustworthy, contrary to Sue Ellen) that the oil reserves are indeed under Ray's ranch (no one knew before), and that as of that business day, he and J.R. were in the running to bid on them.

The day of the auction comes, with one of McKay's associates taking Sue Ellen hostage at gunpoint, with the condition for her release being that McKay must win the bidding for the ranch. After the bidding reaches $50 million, J.R. backs off, but not before revealing the hostage situation to Ray and Bobby, who save Sue Ellen.

However, McKay's victory is an incomplete one. While he now owns the ranch, J.R. reminds him that Jock Ewing made sure that the Ewing family would have exclusive drilling rights on it. Therefore, McKay cannot profit off the oil drilled on the land, and just owns the property, and he is not happy about it.

[edit] A Third Reunion

For years since 1998 fans of the show have expressed a desire to see one final reunion movie which brings a fine conclusion to the long series. Many fans found the second reunion an unsatisfactory conclusion to the series.

In 2001 it was reported that Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman were writing a script to a third reunion movie. However, plans for this fell through in favour of the 2004 TV special, "Return To Southfork" which was a documentary of the show.

The failure to see a 3rd reunion movie has been put down to low viewing of the 2nd reunion and the lack of original cast members.

It is hoped that if a 3rd reunion is ever made that it will resolve the mystery of Pam's disappearance.