On this week's "Dallas," J.R. Ewing will be put to rest with a long-awaited funeral.
The most decorated villain in TV history, portrayed by the late Larry Hagman, met his end in last week's "Dallas" and this week, his TV family and real-life friends will say goodbye with a funeral for J.R.
"Everybody was still in this place of grief and sadness and [wanting to] celebrate [Hagman's] life. Everybody was still very connected -- and still is -- to Larry," "Dallas" executive producer Michael M. Robin told TV Guide. "It was hard for everybody but what it gave root to was a real, honest performance in every one of those scenes because everybody was in that kind of place. That's how they felt about the person, Larry, while they were talking about how they interacted with that character, J.R."
The "Dallas" cast has been open about their struggle with Hagman's passing. "I knock on his trailer door every morning," Patrick Duffy, who's played J.R.'s rival Bobby Ewing for decades, told The Huffington Post in January. "It reminds me of our 35-year relationship. Every time I would go to work, I would knock on his door and go in before I did anything else. I don't expect him to answer the door -- I'm not that crazy -- but it's more just my connection with him. I respect the ongoing friendship I have with him that will last in my life until I die. It's just my little moment. If I could have a glass of champagne with him I would."
Because of the heightened emotion of this week's "Dallas" with J.R.'s funeral, there will be a special version of the show's famous theme song in tribute J.R. and Hagman, TV Guide reports. "We were watching the morgue scene and [it] was very powerful. That was the first time we had seen it and then it goes from the morgue to this light theme that 'Dallas' has had for 30 years, and Mike was like, 'No, that is so wrong,'" executive producer Cynthia Cidre told the website.
Here is TNT's official episode description for this week's "Dallas," titled "J.R.'s Masterpiece":
The Ewings are forced to put aside their differences when J.R. Ewing is found killed. The family and old friends come together to mourn, leading to a shocking revelation that changes everything.
"Dallas" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
