Characters (Part II)

In this half of my focus on the characters of RTS, I look at RTS-created characters; rejuvenated and ruined characters; intriguing characters; promoted characters, i. e., a minor character from DALLAS who has been given new life on RTS; and psychos.

Having just completed my outline for this article, I am struck by how many female characters I'm featuring here. On reflection, though, this doesn't really surprise me; DALLAS always maintained a roster of strong female characters, and RTS has done an admirable job of continuing that tradition. Besides, Part I of this article favored the men slightly, so this outing should help to restore the balance to some extent.

Scroll on down to see how your favorite characters fared...

Best New Female Character: Karen Beam Ewing

Karen's entry into the world of Southfork was quiet, at least by DALLAS standards. She was introduced in the very first episode of RTS as the fiancee of core character John Ross Ewing. Of course, things became considerably livelier for Ms. Beam after her fiancé's affair with Pamela Rebecca Cooper was exposed at the wedding- by her father, no less!

Since that day, RTS has done an admirable job of writing Karen as a strong young heroine. Paired off with Christopher early in the second season, Karen is half of one of the stronger couples on RTS, yet has managed to maintain her own identity- no small task in a cast of so many larger-than-life characters. She has been a welcome respite from the usual backstabbing and conniving which is so typical of the Dallas landscape. (Granted, she did plot with Sue Ellen to prevent Christopher from signing over his shares of Weststar to J. R.- but that, at least, was to protect him from himself...) I have found it refreshing to see a character who gets along with most of her peers- and her new family- yet still finds herself in consistently engaging front-burner situations.

This in no way should suggest that Karen is a passive or weak person. Over the past five seasons, she has proven herself more than capable of holding her ground to defend herself, her friends, and especially her man. Pamela Rebecca has given Karen the most practice in sharpening her fighting skills, but she has also taken on Eric Stone (banishing him from her life, then readmitting him- on her terms); her husband, Chris (she took him to task for the aforementioned Weststar stock transfer, his one-night stand with a stripper, and his drinking problem); and even J. R. (she revealed his role in the car wreck which almost killed John Ross to the entire family).

The best thing about Karen is that new layers continue to be added to her character. Last season, RTS revealed her status as a recovering drug addict; I was absorbed by her fight to regain sobriety- often against Chris- after her ex-boyfriend injected her with heroin. More recently, Karen surprised me again by kidnapping the son she had given up for adoption; I found myself cheering her tenacity and courage after learning the circumstances which led her to such a seemingly rash act.

Currently, Karen is absorbed in her new role as mother of two (her son, Austin, and Chris' daughter, Megan), and in her bid to adopt Cole, the leukemia-stricken child who had originally prompted her to seek out Austin in the first place. It remains to be seen how the admission of Eve into her newfound domestic bliss will affect Karen. I'm not worried, though; after all, she has triumphed over much worse in her young life. Whatever the future may hold for Karen, I know it promises to be a wild ride...

Best New Male Character/Most Intriguing Character: Todd Foster

April Stevens was one of my favorites characters in the later seasons of DALLAS. Initially brought on as a troublemaker to shake up the Dallas landscape, April eventually evolved into a more sympathetic heroine, who ended up as Bobby's wife. Tragically, April died during her honeymoon in Paris. Her spirit would live on, though, in the person of her heretofore unknown son, Todd Foster.

I found myself instantly fascinated with Todd in his initial scenes of RTS. He came to town with a warped viewpoint of his fellow man quite unlike any character I've ever seen. A self-proclaimed- and proud- user, Todd wasn't afraid to do whatever was required to get what he wanted. Indeed, "brazen" isn't quite strong enough a word to use to describe his initial contact with Bobby Ewing, his mother's widower. He basically admitted that his main purpose in seeking Bobby out was to get his help in claiming his share of April's fortune from her sister, Michelle. Ultimately, Bobby declined to help him in his quest. Todd would end up throwing his lot in with J. R. to claim his share of April's estate- much like his mother became involved with J. R. all those years ago.

I must admit that Todd was hardly a poster boy for the Boy Scouts during his early days in Dallas. By the end of his second season on RTS, he had slept with the judge presiding over his lawsuit against Michelle (this was arranged by J. R.); he seduced the woman who had accused Chris of fathering her child (he seemed to do this a lot- but more on that later); and his attempts to sabotage Donna's mayoral campaign (again, also arranged by J. R.- and this one would come back to haunt him) included sending out misleading pamphlets to trash Donna's reputation, then paying off a young woman to accept responsibility for the deed.

Somewhere along the line, though- much like his mother- Todd developed a conscience (though he probably would have died rather than admit it), as well as a genuine interest in other people. The dollar signs he saw upon meeting Chris and Karen (he had thought to reunite the couple to get on Bobby's good side) ultimately gave way to an admittedly self-serving, yet true sense of justice- which evolved into a genuine friendship with the couple; it was his seduction of Carla which produced the proof that reunited the duo (see Best Triangle, Take Three). His guilt in sabotaging Donna's campaign ultimately overcame him; he would drop his plan after getting to know Donna one night at the campaign headquarters. Indeed, Todd successfully ruined J. R.'s bid for Ray's PetroTech stock; he retrieved a tape showing Ray's affair with Jenna Evans (which J. R. intended to threaten to release to the press), and presented it to Ray, asking for nothing in return. (You can imagine his surprise when he learned that Ray had signed over the PetroTech stock to him...)

Of course, a person as complex as Todd was bound to have a few skeletons shaking in his closet. RTS recently revealed one to good effect: his past as a male prostitute- the secret which destroyed his relationship with Janice Kelly.

Along with being an interesting character in his own right, Todd emerged as a surprisingly engaging young male lead on RTS. From his pairing with Janice (see Most Intriguing Couple) to his kiss with married pal Lucy (he refused to pursue more than friendship with her because of that marital status) and most recent involvement with Wentworth Tool and Die employee Elayne Bennett, I continued to find myself fascinated by Todd as I learned more about him. (Boy, I hope that doesn't sound cheesy...)

Tragically, Todd perished in the fifth season cliffhanger episode. Stunned to learn that Elayne had been spying at Wentworth Tool and Die for Eric Stone- against Bobby Ewing, who Todd had come to respect during his time in Dallas- he told her that he wanted nothing more to do with her. (Elayne confessed everything to Todd after he proposed to her; she wanted to ease her conscience before turning herself in to the police the following day.) Todd had a change of heart after she had left, though, and managed to catch her while she was trying to start her car. He managed to get in the back seat of her car, and was ready to tell Elayne that they could work things out. He would never get the chance, though; a bomb (which Gregor had planted to murder Afton Cooper) exploded inside the car, killing both figures inside. (Rest in peace, Todd...)

Worst New Character: Isabel Rodriguez

I have tried to give Isabel the benefit of the doubt. I have been seriously challenged in doing so, however, based on how quickly the tone of her character has shifted in recent episodes.

At first, I was bracing myself for a wild ride. The niece of the Ewing maid, Theresa, Isabel had gotten involved with the wrong crowd at home in Mexico. Miss Ellie graciously agreed to bring Isabel to Southfork to work as a maid. (Of course, Isabel was hardly grateful for the opportunity to move to the U. S. just to work...)

Initially, Isabel had me in stitches as she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time- especially around J. R. First, of course, was the now-infamous accident which sent Miss Ellie into the swimming pool. That was followed by a series of food-related mishaps, such as the plate of eggs which ended up on J. R.'s suit, and the dirt which ended up in J. R.'s coffee (all right- that was deliberate...)- which had J. R. ready to seriously consider ordering take-out more often.

Her antics took on a far more sinister tone, however, once she started interacting with her peers in Dallas on a regular basis. While her impromptu outing at the carnival with Manny, Jillian and Lucas was amusing (she "borrowed" the truck Manny was using for work- and ended up borrowing him as well!), I have been far less enthralled with her more reckless outings. She has yet to assume any responsibility for the joyride she coerced Lucas into joining- a joyride which totaled the car which they had "borrowed". She also reneged on her promise to Jillian to switch places with her in case they were caught while "borrowing" Manny's jeep (Jillian was driving- without a license).

The turning point for me, though, was how she obtained the key from Manny in the first place. She badgered him into taking her riding until they came to a grove on the Southfork grounds. She then pretended to seduce him, using his status as a virgin against him; she forced him into a kiss, then stripped off his coat and shirt, tied him to a tree (in her words, “It's more fun this way”...), kneeled down- and took the key to the Jeep from Manny's pocket. She then left him there: half-naked, tied to a tree, and in the middle of winter. I find it hard to believe that Isabel wouldn't realize that Manny could have died as the result of her stunt. (Then again, forethought doesn't seem to be one of her better strengths.)

At this point, it's do-or-die time for Isabel. Having been burned by her lies (or in Manny's case, nearly killed), Jillian and Manny joined forces to have Isabel shipped back to Mexico. While I do hate to send anyone to certain death, I never have gotten a sense of why returning to Mexico would be bad news for Isabel; moreover, she has yet to provide me with a compelling reason to want her to stick around...

Most Rejuvenated Characters: Lucy Ewing Lancaster and Afton Cooper

As you can see, I'm breaking with tradition with respect to this award. Normally, if I picked two winners for an award, each winner would get her own entry in my column. In this case, though, I feel justified in presenting this award to Lucy and Afton as a team, since the same storyline (see Best Triangle, Take One)- essentially resurrected both characters.

Actress Charlene Tilton was largely underused on DALLAS, particularly during her second run on the series. Lucy's storyline on the TV series invariably focused on the man in her life- when she had a story. By sending Lucy off the deep end after Mitch served her with divorce papers- and off to seduce Cliff Barnes- RTS successfully redefined Lucy as the strong, complicated young heroine she was always meant to be. Feisty, likable and driven- but nevertheless the "other woman" in this particular story- Lucy moved to the front-burner of the RTS stove, and has remained there throughout most of the RTS run. RTS even moved Lucy into uncharted territory by sending her to work at Ewing Oil (much to the dismay of her uncle, J. R.).

For her part, Afton never showed any signs of villainy during the DALLAS run. Indeed, she was willing to wait for Cliff after he confessed to her that he was seeing Sue Ellen on the sly. RTS gave her a major attitude adjustment- for the better- after she caught Cliff in bed with Lucy. Under the care of the RTS writers, Afton became a complex, complicated villainess, torn between her love for Cliff and her desire to destroy him for what he had done. Aside from a brief period in the fourth season (after she was shot at the Ewing barbecue), Afton has, like Lucy, been a prominently featured character- and for the most part, I was thrilled to see her in the spotlight throughout her run on RTS.

Recently, these two managed a truce of sorts. Afton agreed to drop assault charges against Lucy's husband, Neil, knowing he hadn't committed the crime; in return, Lucy called for Mitch Cooper to visit Afton so that she wouldn't be alone during the holiday season. It remained to be seen whether or not this truce would be lasting (although Afton's desire to redeem herself made the prospect promising). As it happened, this truce was never really tested, for its negotiation would be the last real interaction between these two former rivals.

During this season's premiere episode- after showing dozens of episodes full of utter ineptitude- Gregor was finally successful in following one of Rex Wentworth's orders: He succeeded in disposing of Afton Cooper. Unfortunately, Afton was determined to charge Rex for the new leaf she wished to turn over; she blackmailed him for money (albeit to start a new charity), using a tape which proved his role in the attempt on her life for which Neil had been framed. That decision would ultimately cost Afton her life, for Rex is not the kind of man to leave such a loose end unattended; he dispatched Gregor to- well, dispatch Afton. Having discovered her in the middle of taking a bath, he seized the opportunity to throw the radio she had just turned on into the water with her, resulting in electrocution. (For good measure, he also stabbed Afton's brother, Mitch, in the back while he was calling 911 on behalf of his sister.)

That leaves Lucy as the only surviving member of this category. It remains to be seen whether or not RTS will continue to provide strong storyline for this Southern spitfire. Given her illustrious RTS past, though- to say nothing of her current battle for her husband's life- I'm confident that RTS will continue to make Lucy's path a compelling journey.

Most Ruined Character, Take One: Pamela Rebecca Cooper

Tunnel vision can be an interesting character flaw, as I mentioned while discussing Sue Ellen (see Outstanding Female Character). When tunnel vision becomes the extent of a character's personality, however, the results are bound to be less than compelling. Such was the case with Pamela Rebecca Cooper.

When RTS first started, I found myself very much interested in her. I waited to see how her relationship with Christopher would unfold. Of course, I didn't have to wait for long; her pregnancy by John Ross was revealed during his wedding to Karen, and Chris walked away from her in disgust. Then I found myself pulled in by her attempts to snare John Ross away from Karen; in fact, her schemes were among the high points of a fairly quiet first season. Ultimately, though, this would establish a pattern which Pamela Rebecca- and RTS- was never able to break.

Her house of cards came crashing down when it was revealed that Chris, not John Ross, was Megan's father. That, plus John Ross's affair with Melissa McSween, pretty much put an end to the pair. Despite the revelation of Megan's true paternity, though, Pamela Rebecca was determined to hold on to John Ross. He, however, had other plans; he kicked her off of Southfork- just before her mother was shot by a crazy gunman at the Ewing barbecue.

RTS wisely used this opportunity to send Pamela Rebecca off to Boston to be with her mother during her rehabilitation. Giving Pamela Rebecca- and us- a break from the "John Ross or bust" storyline offered the prospect of a new direction for Pamela Rebecca upon her return.

Unfortunately, that new direction never came to pass. Upon her return, Pamela Rebecca blackmailed Megan's doctor into calling Chris to inform him that Megan was not his daughter after all; after Chris insisted on a new paternity test, she enlisted her newly discovered half-brother, Eric Stone, to readjust those paternity results to show John Ross as Megan's father. She took a job at the Clifford Group as a public relations expert with the primary purpose of impressing John Ross, and solidifying her hold on him. When she got wind of the time Chris and Melissa were spending together (Melissa was supporting Chris in his battle with the bottle), Pamela Rebecca intimated to John Ross that the pairing was more than platonic.

I trust you see my point.

Ultimately, Pamela Rebecca's schemes would unravel around her. Melissa overheard her talking to Eric about the rigged paternity test; she would present taped proof to Chris and John Ross of Pamela Rebecca's scheme. By the end of the 100th episode of RTS, Pamela Rebecca would lose her man (John Ross wanted nothing more to do with her) and her daughter (Chris took Megan away from Pamela Rebecca's home, and promised to sue for full custody).

This resolution, while satisfying, left Pamela Rebecca written into a corner; RTS used the opportunity to send her off of the RTS canvas again. With nothing more to live for, Pamela Rebecca confronted Melissa with a gun at her apartment, fully intending to kill her. Melissa anticipated the possibility, however; a friend stopped her from pulling the trigger just in time. Melissa instructed him to send Pamela Rebecca far away, where she would never trouble anyone again. (At least, hopefully, not until she gets a new hobby...)

Most Ruined Character, Take Two: Jenna Wade Krebbs

I believe I have previously mentioned my dislike of plotting story at the expense of character. Here we have an extreme example of such a scenario. In the case of Jenna Wade Krebbs, however, her character was not merely ruined; it was assassinated.

I held high hopes for a Bobby/Jenna/Ray triangle to emerge from the remnants of Bobby and Jenna's Switzerland adventure. Of course, I was stunned when Pamela Barnes Ewing was returned to Southfork by her son, Christopher. I saw that, though, as an opportunity to convert the triangle into a compelling quadrangle.

Of course, it didn't turn out that way. Bobby and Pam locked gazes and forgot about the rest of the world. In particular, Bobby forgot about his pledge of love to Jenna in Switzerland. Unfortunately, he also forgot to mention to Jenna that his heart now belonged to Pam. Then- well, I've already told this story before (see Worst Triangle, Take Two).

Under the guise of this storyline, RTS transformed Jenna into a woman I barely recognized. Although her relationship with Pam had always been tense, due to their history, it had at least been civil. Not long after Bobby and Pam's first night spent together after Pam's exile, Jenna became a catty witch who seemed to have lost all sense of reality, not to mention decency. She saved most of her venom, of course, for Pam, with a healthy dose directed at her son, Christopher, as well. Despite the circumstances, though, I never really bought this sudden turnaround from her- or her inexplicable, sudden indifference for Ray (her husband, in case you forgot; heaven knows she did).

Even if I could accept her personality change, Jenna reached the point of no return after she schemed to frame Pam for J. R.'s attempted murder. A plot of this magnitude was simply too much coming from the Jenna I remember from the TV series- especially considering two people actually died in the fire.

Ultimately, Jenna hanged herself at Southfork's Halloween party after her role in the Oil Baron's cruise fire was exposed. To add insult to injury, it was revealed that Jenna- not J. R., as many people had believed- had conspired with Katherine to send Pam out of Dallas all those years ago. At least, that's the story that Katherine had set up. Actually, Katherine had threatened Charlie's life to coerce Jenna into assisting her with that scheme It was later revealed that Jenna had been suffering from a mental, delusional disorder, and therefore had little control over her behavior. Unfortunately, this didn't come to light in time to save her...or her character.

Best Psycho: Katherine Wentworth

RTS was able to reclaim Katherine as an active character fairly easily, after the season in which both she and Bobby died was written off as a dream. I do admit to being thrown, though, when she volunteered to provide Christopher with Pam's true location. I had to wonder if she really had had a change of heart where Pam was concerned. Actually, her hatred for Pam was still very much intact; she had merely decided on a "hands-on" approach to torment her "dear" half-sister...

Katherine's psychotic behavior was marvelously consistent with the history from the run of DALLAS. She had never been able to forgive Bobby for spurning her all those years ago- or Pam for holding on to his heart. Everything she does is based on that long-simmering hatred, from the bomb she planted at Bobby and Pam's attempt at a Southfork wedding to her unearthing of Pam's history with Mark Graison- and the child they had shared. She also recruited Kaitlin to masquerade as her twin, Kristin, in a bid to alienate Chris from Pam.

RTS even risked a temporary "turn-back-the-clock" story that worked, introducing us to a far kinder and gentler Katherine than we had ever known, on either RTS or DALLAS. A car crash in Paris left Katherine with total amnesia; she was unable to remember any of her many past misdeeds. It gave Pam a chance to get to know her half-sister in a more personal way than she had ever been able to do previously. (Of course, it also caused a greater rift between Bobby and Pam than Katherine had ever done with her memory intact- see Best Triangle, Take Two). We also saw Katherine get a brief chance at happiness with an employee on the Oil Baron's cruise, Kurt McKinney (no relation to the former GUIDING LIGHT actor of the same name).

Of course, this was only a brief reprieve. Katherine would get her full memory back, courtesy of J. R. (and a well-placed bump to the head). She fully intended to pick up where she had left off in her campaign against Pam (I just love consistency, don't you?), using her "amnesia" as the bait. Katherine was shocked, though, when Pam refused to go quietly; in fact, Pam would end up shooting her half-sister in self-defense to escape the trap that Katherine had planned for her.

Katherine may be dead and buried, but her spirit lives on in the person of her half-brother, Rex. Maybe someday, once Rex starts to open up a little bit more (say, to Kaitlin), we'll have a chance to meet the sweet woman he met only a couple of years before her death. Until then, though, Katherine's reign of terror remains a classic RTS legacy which may never be equaled.

Worst Psycho: Arliss Cooper

I like to see some sense of logic whenever I come across a storyline involving a psycho. Erratic behavior based on history is far more compelling than random acts of chaos- or, worse, psychosis without any obvious basis. The latter issue is my main problem with Arliss Cooper as a wacko.

Sent to Dallas by her son after learning of Cliff's alleged misdeeds towards her daughter, Afton- including the baby she had just lost (which only Afton knew was fathered by J. R.), Arliss went to the Barnes residence to support her daughter and read Cliff the riot act. Her rage took over, though; she hit Cliff over the head and held him captive.

With few resources at her disposal, Arliss drugged Cliff with her heart medicine while she decided on a new course of action. Cliff surprised her one night, and turned the tables on her- but before he could do more than tie her up, he realized that Arliss wasn't breathing. Panicked at having killed his ex-mother-in-law (though by accident), he enlisted Lucy to dispose of the body.

Sounds like the story ends here, doesn't it? Well, it would have- except that Arliss inexplicably turned up at her daughter's home a few weeks later, very much alive. Arliss shared the entire experience with Afton, and vowed to punish Lucy for her crimes against the Cooper women (Cliff having been presumed dead at this point). Arliss did manage to give an unknowing scare to Lucy in an elevator once- but oddly enough, most of the physical manifestations of her rage against Lucy and Cliff would be aimed at the one person she was trying to help: her daughter, Afton.

Indeed, it became clear to Afton fairly quickly that there was something seriously wrong with her mother, after Arliss forced her against a coat rack, and shouted at her right into her face- then went on as if nothing had happened. Ultimately, Afton was forced to call the police for help after Arliss turned on her. Arliss returned to Afton's home, weeks after disappearing- as if she had only been out shopping. Afton attempted to call a mental institution to get help for Arliss, but her mother tried to grab her. Afton fled to her bedroom- where she had previously shot Cliff during one of his drunken rages- and called the police from there.

Very little was heard about Arliss following her arrest- until the shootings at the Ewing barbecue. A concealed gunman took aim at the crowd (hitting Eric Stone) and at brawlers in the Ewing pool (hitting Afton). John Ross apprehended the gunman- who turned out to be Arliss. Determined to kill Lucy and Cliff, she had shot her own daughter instead, completing the story of utter betrayal- and leaving me completely puzzled.

Had more of Arliss's venom been directed at Lucy- and less at her daughter- or if I had been given more insight into Arliss's mental condition, I might have been more taken with this psycho turn. As it stands, I've filed this away in my "what might have been" compartment- much like Arliss is currently locked up in a sanitarium with Jessica Montford and Patricia Shepard...

Best Promoted Character: Sly Lovegren

DALLAS featured many minor characters during its thirteen-year run. While not featured in any major stories of their own, their presence added a realistic texture to the otherwise larger-than-life DALLAS canvas. As a fan fiction site, RTS has the unique option of upgrading minor characters from the TV series run to featured status- a "promotion", if you will. While many such formerly minor characters have been upgraded for the RTS story, Sly Lovegren stands out among the pack.

Sly was the loyal and efficient secretary to J. R. during the DALLAS run (aside from a period in one of the later seasons when J. R. had briefly fired her). Initially, RTS continued to use her in much the same way. Sue Ellen hired her as a secretary at Ewing Oil- and thus was able to spy on J. R.'s behalf (but her guilt eventually overcame her; she left Sue Ellen a letter of resignation which told her the entire story). Afton Cooper briefly hired her as an assistant for her TV show, DALLAS DISH.

Ultimately, J. R. would rehire Sly yet again after discovering that his own secretary was spying on him. (A little delicious irony here, wouldn't you agree?) Her role continued to be minor in nature- although J. R. did enlist her in his bid to ruin Gary. (Sly would arrange to buy unstable land from a stubborn landowner, then transfer the land over to J. R.)

In fact, it was only this past season that Sly's potential as a full character has been realized. RTS has infused Sly with a real personality (her face-offs with fellow secretary, Phyllis, have been hilarious) and a sense of morals (Sly refused to help J. R. or Melissa in their battle over T. J.).

Best of all, however, is her budding romance with new character Wade Sawyer. Anchoring Wade to a character with which we already have a strong familiarity was a smart move. I have found myself transfixed in the potential romance between these two. (Now if only Sly would stop asking Wade about his past- and if Wade would start answering...)

RTS has been wise not to push Sly as a full character too strongly. At the same time, though, the fact that this "new" face on the RTS landscape is actually an old friend makes the transition much easier to accept. Hopefully, RTS will continue to feature this familiar face in its stories for years to come.

IT'S YOUR TURN

It's long past time for me to shut up- wouldn't you agree? Now we want to hear from you. Scroll on down to the voting poll to give us your opinions on some of the character archetypes I've discussed in this outing.