Dallas: Series Premiere

“The show has a lot to live up to.” That’s the first thought that may graze the former generation of viewers’ thoughts. Dallas revives the series that ended over 20 years ago. The infamous “Who Shot J.R.” episode still stands as the second-highest-rated entertainment broadcast in American history with 41.5 million people tuning in. In other words, the original Dallas was legendary.

And now it’s back. But can the Ewings be delicious the second-time around? By the looks of the first episode, the people will still be beautiful and the horseplay still brutal.

The episode opens with oil. Being not only from Texas, but also from the big D that is Dallas, it’s highly appropriate. There’s a lot of money in the Lone Star State and it’s easy to forget exactly where it comes from. Most of the business-mogul-estate-owning millionaires made their money off black gold.

We first meet John Ross Ewing (Josh Henderson) drenched in oil. He’s struck success on the Ewing estate and as he dances around in the black rain, we see his greed will cause conflict. He’s also making out with the saucy Elena (Jordana Bewster) who mathematically helped him strike the perfect spot. Little do we know she has other ties in the Ewing family…

Then, there’s Jesse Metcalfe, that dude from Desperate Housewives, as Christopher Ewing. Casting him was smart…because he already has a following. It’s the same type of crowd that will tune into Dallas: housewives. And he’s not just abs and brunette brows; he also has a degree from Tisch. Sometimes it takes the best actors to pull off those soap opera scripts (which Dallas most certainly is).

Looks like there’s a feud on the land. John Ross and Christopher Ewing, brothers but not by blood, both have conflicting views on the future of the Ewing estate. John Ross wants to keep it and make his oil millions, while Christopher has sworn off the corruption that comes with black gold. He’s discovered an alternative, but can he find financial stability within it?

Then there, of course, must be some romance in the mix. Elena and Christopher, we learn, have a tumultuous past. Looks like it will soon be buried because Christopher is to wed Rebecca Sutter (Julie Gonzalo). When Rebecca asks Elena to be a bridesmaid, we see the tension between the two couples. How will this fare on South Fork Ranch?

Then, for all the loyal viewers who tuned in the first time around, there’s the return of Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing. He may be older, but he still holds the reins. He’s as conniving as his offspring John Ross and they’ll work together to maintain power over the estate.

The nighttime soap is in. Daytime? Out. And Dallas delivers the drama the way The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives once did. Networks are catching on that nighttime television is where the audiences are flocking. The writing is nothing shockingly good. Don’t expect the next Mad Men or Boardwalk Empire, that’s for sure. But Dallas has its eye on a very specific prize: that soap crowd. It’s the audience that’s grown out of Gossip Girl and is looking for a new mindless show to watch with a bucket of ice cream and a Cosmo magazine to read during commercial breaks.

Dallas is not my cup of tea, but it’s undeniable that the cast is ridiculously good-looking, the plot thick, and the suspense promising. Who knows, maybe I’ll watch it since I’m from D town and I’ll always be loyal to the Lone Star State…