Bottom of the Bottle Part 1

Knots Landing

Season 1 Episode 12

Air Date: March 20, 1980

Recap:  Everyone is at the Fairgate’s celebrating Gary’s promotion to vice president of Knots Landing Motors.  Sid thanks Gary for all his work.  Richard pours the champagne and hands out the glasses.  He gives one to Gary, who takes it.  Val is watching him closely as he takes a drink.  When Richard goes to refill Gary’s glass Val goes to him to take it from him, but he won’t let her and makes her go dance with him.  Later on everyone is still dancing, and Gary has been drinking more, Val is really worried about him, when they finally go home, he doesn’t want to go up to bed, and gets angry at her telling her that she is treating him like a child, and that he can handle a few drinks.  He is getting pretty nasty with her and tells her that if she doesn’t like the way he’s acting then it’s just too bad.

   Sylvie calls for Kenny, Ginger tells her that he’s not home, Sylvie tells her that he should be home, since he left her house 30 minutes ago, Ginger gets upset.

   Sid and Karen are still dancing, they talk about how Val and Gary were that night, suddenly they hear them arguing outside, they rush out and see Val trying to stop him from driving away.  After he is gone, tell her that he will come back, but she tells them that he won’t, and tells them that Gary is an alcoholic.

   Gary is at a bar (bartender is deep throat from the x-files), the bartender tells Gary that he’s been where he is, and suggests that he come back the next day, because he is cutting him off.  Gary starts to make a fuss, but a lady comes over and offers him a drink at her place.  Gary goes with her.

   Kenny gets home and when Ginger wakes up she tells him that Sylvie called, she tells him that he’s got  a lot of nerve having his girlfriend call him at home, Kenny tells her that Sylvie is only a client.

   Karen and Sid go over to Val’s, she tells them that Gary hasn’t come home yet, and that alcoholics don’t stop. She says that she is going to go look for him, Sid tells her that he will go with her.  They go to every bar and liquor store, they finally go to the bar that we last saw Gary, the bartender remembers him, but doesn’t know where he went, he calls Sid back and tells him something privately.  Val asks him what he told him, at first Sid doesn’t want to tell her, but he tells her that Gary left with a prostitute.  They go to the motel she works from, they see Gary’s car, and go to her room.  She tells them that Gary left and that he sold her the car.

   At another bar, Gary is starting another country song, which some guys at the bar are getting annoyed with, a fight breaks out.  Sid and Val drive up and see that there is something going on they get out of the car and go see what’s going on and see Gary being handcuffed and put into a police car.

   At the station Karen arrives and Sid tells her what happened, they leave, Val will be taking Gary home once he is released.

   At home, Gary is angry that Val got Sid involved.  He goes upstairs to change for work, Val tells him that he can have the day off, and that no one expects him to go in today.

   The next day at work Gary who seems to be a bit on edge, tells Sid that he’s got a business lunch.  At first Sid tells him that he will go instead, Gary is getting a bet hyper, and agrees, but Sid tells him that it’s ok that he should go. 

   At the lunch Gary is having a hard time concentration, he is looking out the window, hardly listening to the other men at the table, they order another martini, Gary orders a coffee, he watches the bartender making the drinks, then calls the waitress and orders one for himself too.

   Sylvie tells Kenny that she wants them to go away together, she tells him that she is tired of what they’ve got.  He asks her why she called the house.  She tells him she just wanted to talk.  He tells her that he knows that she is lying and that she better not do it again.  She asks when she will see him again.  He tells her to tell him.

   Gary gets back to the dealership, Sid can see that he has been drinking, Sid tells him to go take break in the office, Gary gets upset and wants to know why everyone is on his case.  Gary tells Sid that he can take his job and stuff it, and walks out, he goes to a bar.

   At home Val is helping Karen bring a tree to the backyard.  When Sid gets home he tells Val about Gary drinking, she asks him why he let him go alone.  Sid apologizes, she tells  him that she is sorry too.  Karen tries to encourage her, but Val says that it’s different, because she now sees that Gary doesn’t need a reason to drink, he will drink at anytime. 

   Kenny ask Ginger which picture of Sylvie she like better, Ginger tells him that she doesn’t appreciate him flaunting his affair in her face.  He denies it again.

   Gary goes to the beach, as he walks down the steps of the pier a group of thugs surround him and start hassling him, Gary takes his jacket off to fight them, he deosn’t notice that one of the guys takes him wallet out of his jacket pocket.  Once they have the wallet, they leave him.

   Karen is sitting with Val, she asks her if she wants her to go, and Val says no, she asks what if Gary doesn’t come home.  Karen tells her that since coming to Knots Landing Gary has become a different person, so it’s reasonable that he had a set back, but that he has Val and Karen knows that she will be able to help him.

   Gary goes to a liquor store and wants to buy some whiskey, but he realizes that he doesn’t have his wallet, he throws a bunch of coins on the counter, the clerk tells him that he’s only go enough for the wine.  Gary tries to take the bottle, but the clerk pulls gun on him, they stand there a moment before Gary takes the wine and leaves.  He goes to the beach to drink the wine.

   Sid, Karen and Val are over at Richard’s making a plan to look for Gary, who has been gone for 3 days.  They go to look for him, but Richard stays behind, Laura tells him to go that Gary is his friend.  Richard tells her that Gary doesn’t like him that he tired to be friends.  She gives him a look that makes him leave the house.

   Gary wakes up under the pier, he stumbles to his feet, and moves towards the water, he passes a bum sleeping, with a bottle in his arms.  Gary pulls it out of his hands, waking the man, who cries for him to give it back, but Gary finishes it off.  The man passes out again, and Gary goes off collapsing in the sand, and starts to cry.
Final Thoughts:  I thought this was a great way to end the season, I don't like the Kenny/Ginger/Sylvie storyline, it will be interesting to see where this is going.

Best Outfit:  Wow, this seems really casual to wear when you are having a party with your neighbors, no shoes too.  The muumuu isn't that youthful especially the pattern at the top.

Call Girl

Dallas 

Season 1 Episode 25

Air Date:  February 23, 1979

Recap:  JR and Bobby are playing racquetball, Bobby leaves when he gets a call from Ray.

   Pam is overseeing a photo shoot.

   Bobby gets home and Ray and another ranch hand tell him that they found some fences down and that they are missing some cattle.  Ray and Bobby decide that they will go to a couple bars later that night to see if they can find anything about the cattle rustlers.

JR is having trouble with the cartel, they want him to get control over Ben Maxwell, then they can work with him again.

   At dinner Jock asks JR about the meeting with the cartel, JR doesn’t want to talk about it right now, but Jock insists, JR tells him that they want to cash in.  Jock isn’t pleased and tells JR he needs to get more independent oil companies behind Ewing Oil. 

   The next day JR is playing racquetball with Ben Maxwell, (he’s the guy that gave Cliff his new job). 

   At another photo shoot, Pam and a model go to the racket club, Bobby might be there.  Pam and Leann talk about how much Pam misses Bobby, Leann suggests that she move in with her, Pam isn’t sure about it, she thinks that it will make the separation seem more permanent. 

   JR and Maxwell go to the bar, he is telling him that Cliff has a vendetta against the Ewing’s.  He doesn’t seem to believe this, but that could be just an act, since I remember Cliff telling him that he was going to bury JR.  Pam and Leann are leaving and come across JR, who introduces her to Ben, Pam introduces Leann to them.  JR asks Ben if he’s interested in Leann, who tells him no, that he’s happily married. 

   JR goes to Leann’s apartment, they knew each other from before, she used to be a call girl, and has done work for JR in the past.  Pam calls her and she tells her to come over in 15 minutes, so she can get rid of JR, he finds a picture of her daughter, she tells him that is why she quit, he gives her some money, which she rips up, she tells him that she only sold herself, but he is a prized pimp since he would sell anyone, even his own family.  JR leaves and watches Pam go into the apartment from his car.

   Pam calls Bobby and tells him that she will be moving in with a friend, he isn’t happy about this, and when Miss Ellie comes in and asks him if Pam is coming home he tells her no, that she’s moving in with a friend, JR is pouring himself a drink and listening, he begins to smile when he hears who she will be moving in with.

   JR calls a police man who’s helped him in the past, he wants him to go to Leann and give her the “B treatment” (wonder what that is).  He goes over to her apartment and tells her that she is being arrested for solicitation (if that is the “B treatment” I wonder what the “A treatment is).

   Bobby and Ray get to another bar, and they see a fight break out, it’s a bunch of older guys against one young guy.  They jump into the fight and soon the whole bar seems to be involved.  Of course Bobby and Ray get the upper hand and get out before the other guys can get up, the young guy is Kit Mainwaring, from another oil company.  He tells them he’s doing the same thing they are looking for rustlers.  They plan on going to talk to the sheriff in the morning.

   The cop tells Leann to remember that she has powerful friends and lets her go.  When she gets in her apartment she finds JR inside, he tells her that he wants her to set up Ben Maxwell and Pam.  He wants her to convince Ben that she is really interested in him, then bring him home so they can take some pictures.  She asks him why he wants to set Pam up, he tells her he wants to kill two birds with one stone.

   Jock isn’t happy that they lost the refinery deal, thanks to the cartel backing out on them.  Bobby tells the whole family about the bar fight, and what they learned about the rustlers.  Kit comes over and Bobby introduces him to the family.  After they go to the sheriff’s, Jock tells JR it would be a good move to get in to business with the Mainwaring’s.  Lucy thinks this is a great idea, she thinks he’s gorgeous, and asks Miss Ellie to invite the Mainwarings to their next party.

   Leann comes up to Ben at the racket club, she tells him she’s waiting for Pam, he asks her to join him till she gets there.  She calls Pam later and tells her she left her keys for her with the landlady, and that she shouldn’t wait up for her.

   JR hires a photographer, he tells him that he doesn’t do that kind of work anymore, but JR is very persuasive. 

who wouldn't want a large lion in their living room.

   Pam gets to the apartment and looks around the living room, she looks around, it looks like she thinks she will be happy here, and why not with this lovely piece of art.

   Leann gets a ride home with Ben, she asks him to come up for a nightcap, (so much for being happily married), JR is watching and once they go inside he drives away.  Inside she gets him the drink, and tells him she’ll be right back, she opens the curtains in the bedroom where Pam is sleeping, the photographer is outside.  She changes and opens the door to the room, Ben comes to her and they kiss.  They move closer to the bed, where she gets him to fall on the bed, Pam wakes up and the photographer begins to take pictures, Ben realizes that this was a set up and runs from the apartment, Pam is confused about what happened.

   The next day Jock shows JR the paper, with the photon on the front page.  Miss Ellie doesn’t believe it, and gets upset that Jock and JR are just still there talking about business.  JR shows Bobby the paper, he grabs JR and punches him.  Jock steps between them, Bobby rushes off, and Jock tells JR that if he finds out that he had anything to do with this then he will give him a good beating.

   Leann calls her mother and tells her that she is going to come get her daughter, she tells her she has enough money now to take good care of her.  Pam comes out and asks her about what happened last night.  Leann tells her that she is leaving town, she tells Pam that she wouldn’t have done it if she could have helped it.  She gives her the newspaper and leaves the apartment. 

   JR is having a meeting with the cartel, he asks them if they heard the news about Maxwell resigning from the O.L.M, they still aren’t happy since Cliff is still working there.  They tell JR that with Cliff still at the O.L.M then Ewing Oil is just like any other independent oil company and to call them once Cliff resigns. 

   Bobby finds Pam leaving the apartment.  He tells her he’s come to bring her home, she says she can’t live at Southfork with the scandal, he tells her that everyone knows it was a set-up.  He tells her that it was JR, but he can’t prove it.  If she doesn’t come back then JR has won, but if she comes home and that together they can win.  She tells him that she loves him, and they go back to Southfork. 

   Pam tells Bobby that she’s happy to be home, Lucy runs out and tells Pam how much she missed her, Miss Ellie and Jock come out, and she asks if she needs to explain what happened, and Jock tells her that there is nothing to explain.  Sue Ellen is the only one who isn’t happy to see her, she tells Pam she is a disgrace.  Bobby tells Jock that some of the rustlers were arrested.  JR comes home and is surprised to see Pam there, Bobby tells him that they would like to thank the person who leaked the picture to the newspapers, because it got them back together.

Final Thoughts:  So JR has failed in his latest attempt at getting Pam out of Bobby's life.  I find it really amazing that Miss Ellie and Jock are so blind to what JR gets up to.  I haven't mentioned this before, I must have forgotten about it, but I know Sue Ellen is a drunk, but I can't believe that they have her drinking so much, it's those little things that make the show dated, otherwise the stories are relevant.

Best Outfit:  Wow those are some short shorts

Fight Count: 2 (Bobby, Ray and Kit vs group) (Bobby vs JR)