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 does not 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. does not know (and what Ray does not tell him upon his surprise entrance during a bar room brawl set up by J.R.) is that the Krebbs ranch is in serious trouble, and Ray has mortgaged it several times and is in crippling debt (Ray has been living in Switzerland for several years with his wife Jenna).
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.
J.R. meanwhile is keeping one eye over his shoulder, he narrowly escapes death when a limo assigned for him explodes. Luckily J.R. was using Sue Ellen's limo but Sue Ellen later dismisses this feeling that J.R. set this up much like the car crash he was supposedly killed in the previous film (J.R. Returns). This time however the threat is legitimate and J.R. once more escapes death when a mystery assailant attempts to shoot him but misses. He employs a private detective to find out who is behind this whilst plotting his Ewing Oil takeover.
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. Sue Ellen refuses to sanction McKay's entrance to Ewing Oil as she does not want to take advantage of Ray's misfortune and believes he only wants in to get back at J.R.
The day of the auction comes, with one of McKay's associates (Peter Ellington) 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. The kidnapper was McKay's associate (Ellington) and revealed that the kidnapping was not McKay's doing but his own. Ellington was therefore responsible for several attempts on J.R.'s life (the Limo bomb and the shooting). When J.R. confronts Ellington after Sue Ellen is held hostage Ellington shoots him much to the horror of Sue Ellen. Sue Ellen rips off J.R.'s shirt to reveal a bullet proof vest which J.R. said he wore since he was first shot at.
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 as he has spent $50million on land worth only $10million.
Bobby leaves with Jennifer for a break in Europe but punches J.R. for setting up a cattle rustle at Southfork. J.R. did not tell the rustlers to use guns but they did and Bobby is angry as someone could have been killed. Ray had found out from a rustler in a bar that J.R. had set it up. Speaking of Ray he heads back for Europe $50million better off and thanks J.R. for unwittingly helping him out but is aware that the bidding by J.R. was more to set up McKay then to help Ray. Sue Ellen also punches J.R. who ends the film grinning away as usual.
[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.[citation needed] Many fans found the second reunion an unsatisfactory conclusion to the series.[citation needed]
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 retrospective TV special, Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork.[citation needed]
The TV movie placed 41st in the ratings on Friday, April 24, 1998. In 2007 it was reported that Dallas creator, David Jacobs and Dallas writer/producer, David Paulsen are working together on a script for a third Dallas Reunion movie that would included the majority of the original cast, including the role of Pamela Ewing. It has not been made clear whether or not Victoria Principal will reprise the role.[citation needed]
