Dallas - Season 10 [DVD] [Dual Disc Format]*

I'd give this season 4 stars if the picture quality was better - after the excellent production values of seasons 7,8 and 9 this season is sometimes like watching Diagnosis Murder!
Anyway once you get used to this the season is actually very good - great to have Bobby back especially, the Wes Parmalee/Is he really Jock? storyline is intriguing and well done, and some great individual episodes such as JR's duel with mercenary J D Calhoun and Bobby and Pam's wedding day when Ray accidentally reveals Jenna is having Bobby's baby just before they are about to tie the knot!
Best of all is the final episode when JR stands outside his former office, seemingly defeated and Ewing Oil out of business, siezes the portrait of Jock that Jeremy Wendell was about to take down, holds it up to his son John Ross and says defiantly " This is Ewing Oil" before walking out of the Ewing building for the last time with his son. The writers of Dallas do a great job making you root for JR in this season, yes he risks starting WWIII in the Middle East, but his enemies are so unlikable - the slimy Wendell or clownish Cliff Barnes and even the rest of the Ewing family who abandon him by the end - you can't help being on his side.
Another thing with season 10 is that it follows the infamous dream season 9 - you do have to make a bit of an effort to remember what happened at the end of season 8 and pick up where that left off and try and forget season 9 ever happened but this doesn't overshadow the season like I was afraid it would.
All things considered I'd recommend this series - perhaps the last of the great Dallas Seasons. Also I think looking back on it now a smirking, scheming Oil Man from Texas trying to increase the price of oil by bombing the Middle East isn't so farfetched!

This season is the morning after the night before - the follow-up to 'the dream' season, so picks up right after Pam wakes up and realises that Bobby is in her shower. Consequently the season starts off without alot going on because, of course, season 8 ended with a single 'biggie' cliffhanger (Bobby's death). There are a few story hangovers though which are mostly nailed within a handful of episodes (only Donna's pregnacy continue's through out).

I think the problem with season 10 is that the family starts to break up and characters start to behave in ways that you knew they wouldn't. Also, no one's at Southfolk, its deserted......Donna's up in Washington; Ray's got his new mini-Southfolk; Sue Ellen's wheeling-and-dealing; even Clayton moves out for awhile. In fact, I think this is the greatest mistake ever made on Dallas - moving the action away from the family and Southfolk meant that they seemed less like a family and more like a collection of couples and groups doing their own thing.

I read somewhere that Larry Hagman was uphappy that too much action in season 9 was centered on other characters and that too many major storylines didn't involve him at all. Consequently, when season 10 saw the return of original producer Leonard Katzman, seemingly its back to the 'JR show'. Its almost as if everyone who benefited from a ramped-up role in season 9 are punished. This results in Pam having nothing too do all season 10 (not one significant storyline involves her - no wonder Victoria Principle left at season end) and Donna is packed off to Washington (which was a huge mistake as she was the only moral compass and 'voice of reason' the show had).

Jenna's got nothing to do except be pregnant and look miserable (seriously, Priscilla Presley hardly cracks a smirk, let alone a smile all season) and gets unrealistically paired off with Ray (who also has nothing to do now that he's left Southfolk and Donna's in Washington).

Sue Ellen become's a tycoon overnight and manages to sweep Mandy Winger (who was a far more interesting character than the awful April Stevens, who was introduced this season) out of Dallas. The whole plot which see's Sue Ellen finally beat the bottle at last and build an empire under JR's nose is complete nonsense - where did she get the money from? I know the Ewings are rich (they seemed to get richer and more powerful every season in fact) but surely JR would have checked his bank statement every now and then and wondered where all his dough was going (since Sue Ellen, unlike Pam, had no major money of her own).

Cliff is made a joke throughout the season - a tight, penny pinching, one goal orientated buffoon who's empire (which at the end of season 8 was near to overtaking the Ewings) now has no money and has to rely on Pam for financial security.

Clayton rides his horse and occasionally rages at JR. Miss Ellie (the awful Barbara Bel Geddes) seems to be on the verge of tears in every scene and has to endure a shocking storyline repeat from season 9 with the return of Jock. What's worse though are the clothes - what happened to Travilla!?!? I assume that Larry Hagman demanded a bigger trailer, office, hat, salary or something and the only way to pay for it was to strip the show of any sense of style as Pam, Sue Ellen and Jenna start staggering around in the most unflattering of clothers - awful flower patterns, cheap looking blouses and jumper-dresses!!

Dack Rambo makes a quick comeback but has less to do this season that he did in season 8 when he was only introduced in the final couple of episodes. Apparently Dack partitioned the producers to have his name added to the opening titles. A waste of time though as he's gone by mid-season and the Ewing Oil secretaries have more lines.

I guess though my complaints and moans won't change a thing. The show went on for four more season's before finally being consigned to history. I can't help but think though that this season was the start of the end and wonder if JR's dominence over all the other characters wasn't the reason for a gradual viewer turn off? Watch it anyway though because its still great TV!!!

Although the picture quality of the early seasons of Dallas was, perhaps understandably, relatively poor, the quality picked up significantly around the sixth, or seventh season and, by season nine, was reasonably good. It was, therefore extremely disappointing to discover that the picture quality of the 10th season has nose-dived. The entire season has been compressed onto just three double-sided disks. The result is that compression artifacts are clearly visible and detract significantly from the viewing enjoyment. Surprisingly, the picture quality is considerably worse than VCR tape. Season 11 has also been compressed onto just three disks and I, for one, will not be tempted to purchase any further seasons of Dallas until a better quality print is released.