- J.R.'s friends, family, and business associates vow revenge on him; Bobby and Pam leave Southfork.
- J.R., Jock and Bobby watch the news of their Southeast Asian oil wells being nationalized. Ewing Oil has taken a $250 million bath, but, thanks to J.R. , avoided bankruptcy by selling most of the wells to the greedy cartel. Various Cartel members, including Vaughn Leland, the man who tried to steal Southfork by having J.R. put the ranch up as collateral to buy the SE Asian wells in the first place, barge in, demanding restitution. Jock brushes them off by telling them they knew the risks and should have done what they always did before buying wells -- check out the entire area and situation. The Cartel, however, was too greedy.
Bobby is disgusted by it all. He's had enough of J.R.'s scheming and he's now growing to dislike Jock because his father groomed J.R. He sees how and why Gary left.
Alan Beam, still smarting from Lucy calling off the wedding, tries unwisely to force J.R. into backing off his threat to get Beam out of Dallas. J.R. explains it to him by having Det. McSween bring Alan in and tells him a charge of rape of a woman to be named later will hang over his head if he isn't out of town in 24 hours.
Pam visits a run-down neighborhood in Los Angeles. Following up on her pledge to find her birth mother, Rebecca, after Digger passes away, she talks to a neighbor who remembers Pam's mother. The woman remembers Cliff and that Pam had a brother and sister who died in infancy. However, she does not know what happened to Rebecca. Pam has learned more of her mother's life but still has the original unanswered questions.
Sue Ellen confides to her psychiatrist that she needs to do something about J.R. The doctor suggests she leave him and even head to San Angelo to be with Dusty. Sue Ellen won't because she wants John Ross III to go with her and knows J.R. would never allow it. She leaves the office after telling her doctor she's the only one who can stop J.R.
Vaugh Leland and the other Cartel members continue to threaten J.R., who shrugs off the threats, but hides behind a mask of uncertainty, knowing he has never gone so far with any scheme that it personally threatened his safety.
At the offices of Ewing Oil the next day, Cliff Barnes barges in to a meeting between J.R. and Bobby and shows them a legal document. He says it's a promissory note from Jock to Digger signed long ago that gives half the profits of Ewing 23 (the drilling site Bobby personally opened) to the Barneses. It seems to be legit and even J.R. is forced to acknowledge it. Bobby leaves and J.R. pours Cliff a drink, telling his arch rival he admires a man who has the guts to put one over on him and Jock. He estimates the well could mean half a million a year to Cliff and he knows Cliff will use that money to fund his war against the Ewings.
J.R. then picks up the phone and shuts down all drilling on Ewing 23, leaving Cliff flabbergasted, humiliated and angry enough to kill. He knows the agreement Cliff produced only became valid the day it was presented to J.R., so Cliff will not see a penny.
Alan Beam tries to get at J.R. again by visiting Kristin. She's disenchanted because she made a threat against J.R. and was fired. She and Alan conspire against J.R.
J.R. gets a phone call and it's Hank Johnson. He's still in Southeast Asia. He tells J.R. Kristin wanted him to stop destroying all the company documents pertaining to the wells and, instead, have them shipped to her apartment. Unlike Kristin, Hank knows that company orders don't come from secretaries but from Jock, J.R. or Bobby. J.R. orders him to stick to the original plan.
Cliff Barnes visits his father's grave and confesses that he has disappointed Digger by not winning against J.R. or Jock in the fight to give the family what he believes it rightfully deserves. He vows to put a stop to J.R. if it's the last thing he does.
Alan Beam visits Kristin again to confirm their conspiracy. Instead, Det. McSween interrupts with a warrant for Kristin's arrest for prostitution. She has 24 hours to leave Dallas. Sweeney also reminds Beam his time clock is running out. Kristin has learned the hard way that sleeping with a man with power is not the same as having power.
At Southfork, Bobby tells Jock about Cliff Barnes' letter and Jock is furious. J.R. laughs it off and tells both of them he took care of it. When pressed by Bobby, he informs his brother that he closed down Ewing 23. Bobby demands to know who gave J.R. permission, to which J.R. says he did it all by himself.
Infuriated, Bobby turns to Jock for support only to see Jock support J.R. Jock says he would do the same thing and would never be a business partner with any Barnes. Bobby is heartbroken. He now finally sees where he stands in the family and understands why Gary left.
The oil business is too cutthroat for Bobby's kind of morality. He'll never have the ruthlessness his father has shown and J.R. has surpassed.
In his bedroom, Pam tells him she came up empty on her trip to Los Angeles. Bobby isn't listening, however. He tells Pam it's time to leave. He's had enough of J.R.'s scheming and backstabbing. And he can't live in the same house as his older brother, not when he knows his father will always back J.R.
Bobby breaks the news to Jock and Miss Ellie. Miss Ellie cries and Jock can't convince his youngest son to reconsider, especially after Bobby lays much of the blame on Jock's shoulders. Even that knowledge fails to move his father. Sue Ellen is just outside the doorway, listening.
J.R. comes in and, seeing Miss Ellie's tears, asks what's wrong. Sue Ellen tells him his evil ways have now driven Bobby out of Southfork. Jock and Miss Ellie head upstairs.
Once his parents are gone, J.R. tells his wife she has humiliated him in front of his parents for the last time. He informs her that he is calling the sanitarium in the morning and will personally sign the papers to have her committed.
J.R. heads to the office but gets one more phone call from Vaughn Leland. Leland is desperate to get his money back. He is swallowing the same bitter pill he forced J.R. to swallow -- putting his prized personal assets up as collateral to buy the oil wells. He tells J.R. it will be the last crooked deal he ever makes. J.R. swallows hard, knowing the full measure of the threat.
He goes to a prostitute for comfort but just talks for two hours and leaves.
He goes back to his office and ruminates in the dark, perhaps afraid to go home and bring violence to Southfork. He gets a phone call, but no one answers at the other end of the listen. An omen perhaps? Moments later, he hears a noise in the reception area and goes to investigate.
Two gunshots ring out. J.R. grabs his stomach and collapses to the floor.
He's been shot!
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