It all began with Dallas. Television viewers had an opportunity to enter the world of the insanely rich and sexy Ewing family and get a look at what went on in their lives. With their big oil company and Southfork Ranch empire, the Ewings fought, romanced, conned and made deals that kept audiences gasping at the magnitude of it all.
Within a couple of years there was a spin-off, Knot’s Landing, set in a cul-de-sac in California, there were still Ewing ties, and action.
Gary Ewing, middle child of Jock and Miss Ellie, ditched his heritage, married Valene and moved to California to make it on his own. Living in Knot’s Landing in a cul-de-sac it is difficult to maintain one’s distance from the neighbors, and so Val and Gary became friends with Karen and Sid, Richard and Laura, and Kenny and Ginger.
In season two of Knot’s Landing, a catalyst moves into the neighborhood in the form of Sid’s sister, the drop dead gorgeous Abby Cunningham. Whether Abby is directly involved, or simply in the neighborhood, she has a detrimental affect on the harmony of couples.
Soon everyone is in some type of trouble, and wondering if their relationships are at an end. As if that isn’t bad enough, J. R. Ewing himself comes to visit his little brother, and to stir up some things and settle others with his favorite bargaining tool, wealth. And finally, if Abby is bad news, then just imagine what the citizens of Knot’s Landing will think of Kristin, Dallas’s bad girl. Sue Ellen’s little sister sees California as a golden opportunity to exercise her talent for turning lives upside-down to get what she wants.
Viewers were rushing home to see what would happen next on Knot’s Landing. Being less wealthy than J. R. didn’t make Gary and Val’s story any less interesting. Whether it was a couple with a long term relationship like Karen and Sid, or newlyweds like Ginger and Kenny, love was tested and sometimes found to be extinct.
Crime became a way of life and enslaved one who had valued freedom and honesty, and friends become enemies at an amazing rate. Families are shattered, and the season ends with a cliff hanger of immense proportions.
Knot’s Landing: The Complete Second Season is presented in a four disc packaged set. All 18 episodes are included, and there is a booklet illustrated with stills from the shows. This booklet contains both production notes and synopsis for each episode.
It is nicely compiled to refresh the memory as it has been a few years since the show aired. Season Two began in November of 1980 and finished in March of 1981.
Will Valene’s goodness hold up against Abby’s contrivances and Gary’s new line of work? Can Kenny and Ginger keep their relationship together, or will outside forces tear them apart? Have Richard and Laura come to the end of the road? Meet the folks from Knot’s Landing and enjoy again one of television’s pioneer evening soap-opera style dramas.
Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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