Bobby Ewing
| Bobby Ewing | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dallas character | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing (2012) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Patrick Duffy | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1978–85, 1986–91, 1996, 1998, 2012— | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | April 2, 1978 Digger's Daughter | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | David Jacobs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Dallas: The Early Years Dallas: J.R. Returns Dallas: War of the Ewings Knots Landing | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Robert "Bobby" James Ewing[1][2] is a fictional character in the long-running TV soap opera Dallas. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy between 1978 and 1991, although both the actor and the character left the show briefly during 1985-1986. The show was originally planned to center around Bobby's Romeo and Juliet-style marriage to Pamela Barnes (Victoria Principal), who was from the rival Barnes family. However, the show ended up being centralized around his older brother, J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), as it became clear that he was the breakout character. Still Bobby retained his central role as the show's primary hero, and the Abel to J.R.'s Cain.
Background
Bobby was born February 16, 1949 on Southfork Ranch. Bobby became a successful (though reluctant) oil baron, like his father and brother, but he lacked J.R.'s ruthlessness and insisted on playing fair which resulted in his limited success. Bobby would also take part in the raising of cattle on the family ranch, Southfork. He was also a state senator in Austin for a while.
Character
Bobby's most defining character trait was his altruistic desire to do the right thing. This almost always put him in the cross-hairs of his older brother J.R., who was far more ruthless. Yet Bobby did on many occasions use ruthless tactics in order to attempt to beat J.R. Bobby was one of few people to openly take a stand against J.R. on numerous occasions (at times physically), yet the two never forgot they were brothers. In addition to the differences between their treatment of others, as well as their conflicting views on morality, another reason for J.R. and Bobby's rivalry was their father's preference for Bobby (their mother, Miss Ellie, favored middle son Gary). Growing up, and even into adulthood, Jock made no secret of the fact that Bobby was his favorite son. This caused a major rivalry with J.R., who was jealous of the unearned favoritism Bobby got from Jock.
Storylines
In 1978, Bobby bought his new wife to meet his family at Southfork Ranch. However, they were furious to discover that Bobby's bride was Pamela Barnes, who is the daughter of their enemy - Digger Barnes. Bobby adopted a boy named Christopher, who was the son of J.R's deceased sister-in-law, Kristin Shepard and raised him with Pam, who had always wanted a child but was unable to have one of her own. His sister-in-law, Katherine Wentworth, has unrequited crush on Bobby and began to become obsessed with him. Katherine broke up Bobby's marriage to Pam by writing a letter (pretending to be Bobby) addressed to Pam. However, Bobby turned to Jenna and they became engaged. Katherine ran Bobby down with her car, where he later died in hospital form his injuries. However, the storylines of the preceding season, including the accident, were nothing more than a lengthy dream of Pam's. Bobby and Pam were reunited but Jenna reveled that she was pregnant with his child. Bobby wasn't interested and Jenna later gave birth to his son, Lucas Krebbs. When Pam was involved in a car crash which resulted in her suffering severe burns, she disappeared from the hospital and Bobby never saw her again. Bobby became close to April Stevens and they began a relationship and eventually married. However, while on their honeymoon in Paris, April is kidnapped and later shot, where she dies in Bobby's arms.
Bobby is first on the scene after hearing a gunshot from J.R.'s room uttering the words "Oh my God." The camera never shows what Bobby actually saw and it was thought J.R. committed suicide, although in subsequent films it was explained J.R. shot a mirror.
"J.R. Returns" and "War of the Ewings"
In J.R. Returns and War of the Ewings, Bobby had a relationship with Julia Cunningham (J.R. Returns) before taking over Ewing Oil. In the follow-up film War of the Ewings he is no longer with Julia and the reasons are not even explained. He eventually starts a relationship with European oil heiress Jennifer Jantzen, who was a business associate of his brother J.R. and whose father's company Jantzen Oil was saved from bankruptcy by J.R.[3]
Dallas (2012 TV series)
By 2012, Bobby has remarried again, this time to a woman named Ann Ryland, and is the owner of Southfork Ranch, according to the terms of Miss Ellie's will. Bobby has retired from the oil business, believing that alternative energy is "the future", a belief he shares with his now grown adopted-son Christopher, and is content to raise cattle on the ranch. He has decided to sell Southfork, due to his contracting a Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and resulting fears that he will not be around to keep the ranch safe, and that Christopher is not yet ready to take over from him. Once again, this brings him into conflict with his older brother J.R. and his nephew, John Ross (who has discovered oil on the ranch).
Knots Landing Appearances
- Season One
- Episode 1: "Pilot". Bobby accompanies his brother Gary and sister-in-law Valene to their new home in California.
- Season Two
- Episode 13: "The Loudest Word". Bobby vists Val in hospital, where she is awaiting sugery. He also persaudes Gary to support Val during her illness.
- Season Four
- Episode 6: "New Beginnings"
Trivia
- Bobby Ewing appeared in almost all the episodes of the series, was frequently seen in 326 of the 357 episodes (missing 31 episodes, at the start of the 1985-86 season - when he left the show to focus on TV movies, and 1 episode at the end of the 1989-90 season).
- Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal didn't appear in the same scene when he returned at the end of Season 8. Principal had her scene shot on her own whilst Duffy had footage of a soap commercial merged into the scene.[4]
- Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman first co-starred in the 1974 made-for-TV movie Hurricane, but had no scenes together.
- Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal reprised their Dallas roles of Bobby and Pamela Ewing at the end of the Family Guy episode, "Da Boom", which was a live-action scene referencing the revelation that Bobby's death was all a dream and showed that the Griffins going through the end of the world on Y2K was a dream as well.
References
- ^ Chris B. (2012-060-08). "Extra: TNT's 'Dallas,' a Good Show Poised for Greatness". Dallas Decoder. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Randy Zisk (director), Robert Rovner (writer) (July 4, 2012 (US)). ""Truth and Consequences" (Dallas Episode)". Dallas. Season 1. Episode 5. TNT.
{{cite episode}}: Check date values in:|airdate=(help) - ^ Gates, Anita (1998-04-24). "TV WEEKEND; To Recap, J. R. Is Older; Pam's Still Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
- ^ Daley, Steve (1986-09-02). "Bobby Ewing's Return Is Nothing Viewers Haven't Come To Expect". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
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