How will Dallas be without Larry Hagman/JR Ewing?

[YRRanger]

I'm wondering how Dallas will be without Larry Hagman's JR Ewing?

As much as I liked everything about the Dallas remake... JR was definitely my favorite part of the new series.
His one-liners stole the show. My best friend stated the same.
We both wonder how Dallas will do without Larry Hagman.

The writing of new Dallas is top notch.
The entire cast is top notch.
The rest of the cast and the writing might be able to pull off Dallas for awhile... but how do others feel (at this time)?
I know it's premature to know how the show will do without Larry... but what does your gut tell you?

RIP Larry Hagman.

[dr.ivankipling]

"How will Dallas be without Larry Hagman/JR Ewing?"

Answer:Missing a huge chunk of it's heart&soul
That's the answer my heart gives. My head tells me it'll be just fine. Losing Larry reminds me of how I and many viewers felt when Jim Davis died. So many worried for the future of the show. I personally thought the show was doomed&heading for a rapid end. Somehow,thankfully,the show went on. We missed&mourned Jock/Jim yet the show/the cast carried on. The same will happen here. While it certainly won't be the same without Larry/J.R. I believe Dallas will be just fine.
I never had courage to post this here but I suspected tptb had a contingency plan in place as far as the void that would be left when the sad day came that Larry was no longer part of the show. I saw evidence that I wasn't too far off in my thinking early on in season one.
Larry will always be in the hearts of those who loved him&enjoyed his work. That will always be a part of Dallas&(I hope and pray)the show will be fine without him.......fine but a bit empty.
I hope this makes some sort of sense lol.

[victor lord jr]

yeah I agree with you its like when jim davis died in the 80s,everyone was talking about what would happen,and that show lasted until the 92.larry will be missed and hopefully they will have a picture of him on there.as they do with jock and ellie,I just hope they dont recast him or years later try to recast him,I think when they did that with jock it was a mess,well at least I didnt like it.

[July Baby]

I didn't like it, either, victor. But I don't think they would try to recast JR - that would be extremely foolish and I think TPTB know it. Larry Hagman IS JR and always will be. I imagine they will keep his name and spirit alive throughout the run of the new show, just as they did with Jock in the original. Maybe John Ross, who seemed ready to take over at the end of season 1, will make it part of his life's work to avenge his father's death, if TPTB decide to have JR meet his demise by being murdered. A large portrait of JR, in his 10 gallon hat, would be very effective in keeping his memory alive. I wish they'd dig out the old portrait of Jock and hang them side by side at the office. I hope John Ross mentions his daddy at least once every episode, and I think he will. I think Bobby and Sue Ellen will do the same - how can they not? JR had such a profound influence, for better or worse, on both of them. JMHO.

[Tulip209]

"How will Dallas be without Larry Hagman/JR Ewing?" Answer:Missing a huge chunk of it's heart&soul That's the answer my heart gives. My head tells me it'll be just fine. Losing Larry reminds me of how I and many viewers felt when Jim Davis died. So many worried for the future of the show. I personally thought the show was doomed&heading for a rapid end. Somehow,thankfully,the show went on. We missed&mourned Jock/Jim yet the show/the cast carried on. The same will happen here. While it certainly won't be the same without Larry/J.R. I believe Dallas will be just fine. I never had courage to post this here but I suspected tptb had a contingency plan in place as far as the void that would be left when the sad day came that Larry was no longer part of the show. I saw evidence that I wasn't too far off in my thinking early on in season one. Larry will always be in the hearts of those who loved him&enjoyed his work. That will always be a part of Dallas&(I hope and pray)the show will be fine without him.......fine but a bit empty. I hope this makes some sort of sense lol.

-------------------Excellent post, DrIvan, you not only make sense, but what you said is most clear. And I agree with all you've said, on all levels! ,,,,,,,,I think we Dallas fans are all asking ourselves if Dallas will be the same. I think your comments about the loss of the incomperable Jim Davis are very profound. .........at the end of the day, yes, Dallas will go on, and hopefully for many more seasons. Will it be the same without JR/Larry Hagman-no, never! But I do have a feeling that the bigger than life presense of JR will always be woven throughout every or most SL's on Dallas. JR, the character will always be an enourmous presense on Dallas! .....It's LH's loss that will be missed, so very much, and by so very many of us. .....

[Tulip209]

I didn't like it, either, victor. But I don't think they would try to recast JR - that would be extremely foolish and I think TPTB know it. Larry Hagman IS JR and always will be. I imagine they will keep his name and spirit alive throughout the run of the new show, just as they did with Jock in the original. Maybe John Ross, who seemed ready to take over at the end of season 1, will make it part of his life's work to avenge his father's death, if TPTB decide to have JR meet his demise by being murdered. A large portrait of JR, in his 10 gallon hat, would be very effective in keeping his memory alive. I wish they'd dig out the old portrait of Jock and hang them side by side at the office. I hope John Ross mentions his daddy at least once every episode, and I think he will. I think Bobby and Sue Ellen will do the same - how can they not? JR had such a profound influence, for better or worse, on both of them. JMHO.

--------------I completely agree with you on both counts, July Baby, No one could ever replace JR-and it would be foolish to recast him! Also agree that JR will be a part of Dallas-no matter how long it will be on! I just posted this in another thread before I saw what you wrote. No matter what SL's are to come-JR will be at the heart of them-inter woven into the canvas of every show. I would expect nothing else!!

[dr.ivankipling]

-------------------Excellent post, DrIvan, you not only make sense, but what you said is most clear. And I agree with all you've said, on all levels! ,,,,,,,,I think we Dallas fans are all asking ourselves if Dallas will be the same. I think your comments about the loss of the incomperable Jim Davis are very profound. .........at the end of the day, yes, Dallas will go on, and hopefully for many more seasons. Will it be the same without JR/Larry Hagman-no, never! But I do have a feeling that the bigger than life presense of JR will always be woven throughout every or most SL's on Dallas. JR, the character will always be an enourmous presense on Dallas! .....It's LH's loss that will be missed, so very much, and by so very many of us. .....

Thank you so much Tulip!

[EW1NG_1]

it wont be the same without him there physically! but the show will go on still and like Jock Ewing in the original series died but his spirit lived on in the show via Ewing Oil and his family, his name was always mentioned constantly in every season

the same will happen with JR - his legendary character which was a treasure to our screens all these years, will never be forgotten and the show will never stop mentioning his name
till it ends forever!

[victor lord jr]

it wont be the same without him there physically! but the show will go on still and like Jock Ewing in the original series died but his spirit lived on in the show via Ewing Oil and his family, his name was always mentioned constantly in every season

the same will happen with JR - his legendary character which was a treasure to our screens all these years, will never be forgotten and the show will never stop mentioning his name
till it ends forever!

well they better mention his name alot or jr will come back and haunt them.lol.I could see larry doing this.

[bill75]

I want to first say that my thoughts are prayers are with Mr. Hagman's family, friends, and castmates in their time of grief.

The next caregory would be his fans. I was only three when Dallas premiered, but there are certain things I do remember about the early seasons. You see, I was usually at my grandparents' house on Friday nights wihen I was really little, and Dallas was always on. IIRC, the two people "from TV" that my grandmother talked about the most were GL's Roger Thorpe "the weasel" and J.R Ewing "the scoundrel."

I grew to love both shows, but by the Dallas was "over" I was in high school. Much like GL, Dallas was faltering in a lot of ways. But I still loved it, and I loved to hate "the scoundrel." I always "respected" the fact that when J.R. Ewing said something, he damn well meant it.

Anytime a show comes back from the dead, there will many questions., Will the magic still be there? Will it be the same? Etc...

I will freely admit that when the theme song hit, I shed tears. It was surreal, like having a familiar friend who you haven't seen in years just walk right back into your life. I was hooked instantly. The mix of the familar faces and fresh new schemers was wonderful. Of course, it was all held together by good ol' J.R. But there was just one nagging question: Larry Hagman is now an older gentleman, but still rocks as J.R. What if something were to happen to him? I don't know if anyone else thought about it, but I did a few times.

Now Dallas fans will face the fear of fears. There will either be a season three of TNT's Dallas without J.R., or worse, there may be no season three at all. There are questiopns aplenty. Will the young cast pick up the ball and roll with it? (I think they can,) Will Patrick Duffy and linday Gray be enough to satisfy the "old school" Dallas crowd, or will other veterans need to be brought back on a permanent basis?

SouthFork will not be the same without J.R. It could never be. But, I am willing to give it a chance. But first, I am going to enjoy the last work of Mr. Larry Hagman. Rest in paradise, good sir.

[victor lord jr]

bill that was wonderfully said and I agree with it.he will be missed,but I will feel that jr would want us to cont.to watch the show he loved so much

[soapfan72]

may I offer some thoughts when the creator of star trek died during the tng series it went on for many years hopefully that will be the same here

[Viki&Charlie]

"How will Dallas be without Larry Hagman/JR Ewing?"

Answer:Missing a huge chunk of it's heart&soul
That's the answer my heart gives. My head tells me it'll be just fine. Losing Larry reminds me of how I and many viewers felt when Jim Davis died. So many worried for the future of the show. I personally thought the show was doomed&heading for a rapid end. Somehow,thankfully,the show went on. We missed&mourned Jock/Jim yet the show/the cast carried on. The same will happen here. While it certainly won't be the same without Larry/J.R. I believe Dallas will be just fine.
I never had courage to post this here but I suspected tptb had a contingency plan in place as far as the void that would be left when the sad day came that Larry was no longer part of the show. I saw evidence that I wasn't too far off in my thinking early on in season one.
Larry will always be in the hearts of those who loved him&enjoyed his work. That will always be a part of Dallas&(I hope and pray)the show will be fine without him.......fine but a bit empty.
I hope this makes some sort of sense lol.

Dr.Kipling, your post captured how I feel about the loss of Larry Hagman. I remember being pleasantly surprised when I found out about the relaunch of Dallas over the summer. It was wonderful having Larry, Patrick, and Linda back at Southfork. I was aware Larry was ill prior to the premiere. The thought of TPTB having a contingency plan in place should something happened to Larry did cross my mind at one point.

I truly admired Larry's zest for life along with his indomitable spirit. He will truly be missed by us all.

[dr.ivankipling]

Thank you Vikie&Charlie.
I echo you&agree completly,Larry will be missed immensely!!

[thetommyboy2k]

Hey everyone!

Let me first start off by offering my prayers to Larry's family. Even though Larry was 80, I was still shocked to the core at his death.

I have RARELY posted on SoapCentral, but because I have been a lifelong fan of Dallas, from the time I was 5, to this very day (I'm 30 now), this thread made me want to come out from lurking to respond with my opinion on the future of Dallas. Dallas was a tradition in our family. My Mom, Dad and I would rush home to see it every Friday night. We loved the entire show, and especially J.R. I have watched the entire series including last season. I refuse to call it a reboot or call this past season the 1st one or the next season the 2nd. Patrick Duffy said himself it was a continuation, so for me we're entering the 16th season of Dallas (I think I'm right about it being the 16th). I lost my Dad earlier this year as he lost his battle with bladder cancer at the age of 80, so Larry's death hits me in much the same way. My opinion will probably undoubtedly be the unpopular one, but I will share it as I feel like I should as a longtime fan of this show...

I honestly believe Dallas should end after the 16th season (this upcoming season). To the poster who beautifully mentioned Jim Davis, I agree the show needed to go on. I disagree however on J.R.'s death vs. Jock's in the sense of going on. While Jock was an integral part of Dallas (and this is in NO way putting him down... I loved Jock), J.R. was already the one the show was forming a center around. The show could survive Jock's death. Unlike Jock, J.R. was the heart and soul... the core if you will of Dallas. This in no way takes away from any of the rest of the cast. The whole cast is awesome. Having said that, even if John Ross and Christopher's characters continue to develop, they cannot fill J.R.'s shoes. There is too big a hole. Dallas was by and large centered around J.R. and his antics. John Ross and Christopher, despite the awesome actors who portray them, I don't believe they can carry the show with J.R. gone. I don't even believe Bobby, Sue Ellen and Cliff can either. I don't want to see Dallas turned into something it's not like it had started to become towards the late 80s/early 90s. I feel like without J.R., there truly isn't a Dallas. I think the writers should craft an ending befitting of J.R. Ewing to pay homage to his legendary character... but I also believe the writers should put a final end to the series and leave it to our imaginations how the Ewing family goes on. Trust me, it kills me to even have to say that, because had Larry Hagman lived and still wanted to portray J.R., I would have loved to seen the show go on as long as possible. With J.R. gone though, I feel the time has come to wrap up Dallas once and for all.

Even if we disagree on whether the show should continue onward, please know that I love Dallas and have ever since I was very very young. I'm very saddened that we lost not only the character of J.R., but most of all, the loss of the extremely talented man who portrayed him, Larry Hagman. R.I.P. Larry.

[leehaven24]

Well, I totally respect your thoughts, but I'm going to sit tight and watch Season 2 and hopefully the questions will all be answered. I imagine the producers have a contingency plan and while they hoped to NOT have to use it, (didnt we all) they are right now crafting a bridge from a " JR Dallas " to the next phase.

[July Baby]

I refuse to call it a reboot or call this past season the 1st one or the next season the 2nd. Patrick Duffy said himself it was a continuation, so for me we're entering the 16th season of Dallas (I think I'm right about it being the 16th). I lost my Dad earlier this year as he lost his battle with bladder cancer at the age of 80, so Larry's death hits me in much the same way. My opinion will probably undoubtedly be the unpopular one, but I will share it as I feel like I should as a longtime fan of this show...

I honestly believe Dallas should end after the 16th season (this upcoming season). To the poster who beautifully mentioned Jim Davis, I agree the show needed to go on. I disagree however on J.R.'s death vs. Jock's in the sense of going on. While Jock was an integral part of Dallas (and this is in NO way putting him down... I loved Jock), J.R. was already the one the show was forming a center around. The show could survive Jock's death. Unlike Jock, J.R. was the heart and soul... the core if you will of Dallas. This in no way takes away from any of the rest of the cast. The whole cast is awesome. Having said that, even if John Ross and Christopher's characters continue to develop, they cannot fill J.R.'s shoes. There is too big a hole. Dallas was by and large centered around J.R. and his antics. John Ross and Christopher, despite the awesome actors who portray them, I don't believe they can carry the show with J.R. gone. I don't even believe Bobby, Sue Ellen and Cliff can either. I don't want to see Dallas turned into something it's not like it had started to become towards the late 80s/early 90s. I feel like without J.R., there truly isn't a Dallas. I think the writers should craft an ending befitting of J.R. Ewing to pay homage to his legendary character... but I also believe the writers should put a final end to the series and leave it to our imaginations how the Ewing family goes on. Trust me, it kills me to even have to say that, because had Larry Hagman lived and still wanted to portray J.R., I would have loved to seen the show go on as long as possible. With J.R. gone though, I feel the time has come to wrap up Dallas once and for all.

Even if we disagree on whether the show should continue onward, please know that I love Dallas and have ever since I was very very young. I'm very saddened that we lost not only the character of J.R., but most of all, the loss of the extremely talented man who portrayed him, Larry Hagman. R.I.P. Larry.

Well, I totally respect your thoughts, but I'm going to sit tight and watch Season 2 and hopefully the questions will all be answered. I imagine the producers have a contingency plan and while they hoped to NOT have to use it, (didnt we all) they are right now crafting a bridge from a " JR Dallas " to the next phase.

thetommyboy2k, please accept my sincere sympathy on your father's passing. I'm glad you expressed your opinion as a long-time fan. There are probably a lot of fans who feel the same way, and I respect and certainly understand your viewpoint. Of course, JR was the central figure and the heart and soul of the original "Dallas" and w/o him there would have been no show. However, the way TPTB have set up the continuation (and I agree with you - this is not a reboot - it's a continuation of the saga), I had the impression from season 15 (season 1 of the new series) that the younger Ewings were intended to be the central figures, at least eventually, if not in the beginning. I think an indication of this was the way the opening credits were done, "Starring" the younger cast members, and "With Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman". Also, IIRC, John Ross and Christopher had more screen time than the older generation, with the possible exception of Bobby.

I think they set it up to have the old-timers help with the transition to the new Dallas, by "introducing" the younger generation and thus contributing to the continuity of the Ewing saga. By having both generations together in that first/15th season, I believe they successfully made the transition to the next generation. So, IMHO, as another long-time fan, the foundation for the bridge leehaven 24 mentioned from a "JR Dallas" to the next phase has already been laid. I think the producers and network knew, going in, that LH might not be able to continue long-term, even if he had lived, because of his age and health. And who knows how much longer the other old-timers will want to do the show. Hopefully they will for many years, because they make the series that much richer and they cement the continuity. But for the show to be successful in the long run, I think the young ones have to step up to the plate and make the show their own. JMHO. (Continued in following post)

[July Baby]

(Con't): Also, just because won't see JR's physical presence doesn't mean his presence won't be felt. As the writers did with Jock's passing, similar s/ls can be written for JR's death as far as his will is concerned. Knowing how competitive, tough and devious JR was, he probably set it up so that John Ross would have to prove himself in order to earn his inheritance. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if JR's other heirs, whom we haven't seen or heard from yet (James and Callie's son), suddenly appear, wanting to claim their piece of the pie, causing all sorts of rivalry, resentment and havoc within the family. I can also envision a scenario where other supposed heirs pop up out of nowhere, since JR had so many affairs. So, as with Jock, JR, from the grave, will continue to dominate and have a profound effect on the whole family. This is just my own speculation on how TPTB can weave the very sad loss of LH into the fabric of the series, keeping JR's memory and spirit alive and enabling the show to continue successfully.

[midwestdj]

I really don't want this to be the last we see of Dallas '12.
I am with those who consider the upcoming season season 16, yes it's a continuation and not a reboot. I don't think that Dallas '12 was intended to have JR as the lead character as he turned out to be in Dallas '78, so I'm OK with '12 going on for years and years to come.

[victor lord jr]

i really don't want this to be the last we see of dallas '12.
I am with those who consider the upcoming season season 16, yes it's a continuation and not a reboot. I don't think that dallas '12 was intended to have jr as the lead character as he turned out to be in dallas '78, so i'm ok with '12 going on for years and years to come.

i agree ,if its wrote well i think it will be ok,and hopefully they do.tnt seems to really believe in dallas so thats a good thing

[Scoot2TheResQ]

There could be sooooo many twists and turns that could help all of us cope with losing J.R., yet, keep him around, as well. One such way is South Fork, itself. Remember last season when J.R. sat alone when he signed over the deed to South Fork? He immediately took that deed upstairs and laid on Bobby's bed. We never saw that deed notarized, nor, was it ever mentioned. J.R.s death on the series could open a huge legal battle over South Fork if the writers want to take it in that direction. Since the deed wasn't notarized, does it legally go to John Ross, since he is J.R.'s son? Does Bobby get to reclaim it? Hmmmmmm....I think we could be in for an incredibly exciting latter 16th season. And, J.R. will still be right in the thick of it all because of the lack of a notary public. Remember, ya'll...this is Dallas. Anything, and I mean ANYTHING can happen. How truly fitting of a sendoff this will be for a man like Larry Hagman, who poured his heart and soul into creating a character that we've come to love and hate at the same time. I think Dallas has a very secure future. In the meantime, when January rolls around, I'll soak up every moment of Larry's final moments he'll leave us with in his incredible acting career. Stay tuned!