Do you remember on Dallas when J.R. would sneer about "losers" whose yearly salary wasn't enough to buy one of his trademark Stetsons? Well, this is where those losers lived. Warner Bros. has finally released Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season, a full three years after Season One debuted on DVD. A smartly-crafted 80s soaper about the lives and loves of the inhabitants of Knots Landing's Seaview Circle cul-de-sac, Knots Landing's second season finds the series beginning to transition from its original Scenes From a Marriage inspiration (according to the producers), to a more...Dallas-like mélange of bed-hopping and back-stabbing, courtesy of minxy Donna Mills' Abby Cunningham/J.R Ewing-in-drag character, who makes a splashy debut here. Original fans of the series will probably be the best fit for this long-running drama.

A brief rundown of the series' backstory. Weakling alcoholic Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), finally reunited with his backwoods bride Val (Joan Van Ark), has moved away from the destructive family forces (namely Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing) in Dallas to the upper middle-class Los Angeles suburb of Knots Landing, where Gary's mother, Miss Ellie (Dallas' Barbara Bel Geddes, who doesn't appear here), has bought the couple a rather comfortable house on quiet cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Gary, forever battling his weak willpower to dive down to the bottom of a bottle, has taken a job at Knots Landing Motors, where he's worked his way up to Vice-President. K.L. Motors is owned by mechanic/engineer Sid Fairgate (Don Murray), who just happens to be Gary's neighbor. Easygoing Sid is married to loud-mouthed activist Karen Fairgate (Michele Lee), and the couple have three children: teenagers Diana (Claudia Lonow), Eric (Steve Shaw), and Michael (Patrick Petersen). Gary's and Val's other neighbors are newly married Kenny and Ginger Ward (James Houghton, Kim Lankford). This season, the pair are split up because Kenny, a record producer, was caught having an affair with one of his singers. But will they get back together if Ginger really is pregnant? Also hanging out on Seaview Circle is out-of-work attorney, Richard Avery (John Pleshette), a snotty, sarcastic womanizer who likes to knock back a few when he's not either pawing some other woman or insulting his wife. His long-suffering wife, Laura (Constance McCashin), is moving quickly up the ladder at her real estate office - and making more money in one commission than Richard made all year. Into this heady mix comes Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills), Sid's kid sister. Charging around the Circle in her short shorts and high heels, Abby flirts with anything in pants (even her nephew, for chrissakes), before she sets about trying to destroy both Richard's and Gary's marriages.

Running a long, long thirteen-and-a-half seasons from December, 1979 to May, 1993, Knots Landing held my attention for a couple of years in the middle of its run when some particularly good story arcs involving William Devane (always great), Keven Dobson (a favorite from Kojak), Alec Baldwin (thin), and Lisa Hartman (Tabitha!) were running (and of course: the kidnaping of Val's twin babies - the penultimate Knots Landing storyline). By that point, the series was both a critical and popular success, a combination that gave Knots Landing a "must see" cache. I didn't watch these first few seasons because Knots Landing always seemed to be sold as some kind of "chick's soap" - not exactly a come-on for a teen boy. You only watched it if your girlfriend or wife (or horrors...your mom) had it on the tube. Dallas was more to my liking - still a "man's soap" in 1980 that appealed equally to women, before Dynasty-creep eventually took the edge off of it. Interestingly, Knots Landing, which technically was a spin-off of Dallas, was conceived first by producers/writers David Jacobs and Michael Filerman. CBS, looking for a nighttime soap with more scope and sweep (and wealthier characters), went with the team's Dallas concept, instead - which incorporated the seeds of Knots Landing in the Gary Ewing character. Eventually, when Dallas became a surprise hit with viewers, CBS saw a convenient way to expand the franchise by green-lighting the earlier Knots Landing concept, and the series debuted mid-season for the 1979-1980 schedule.

Watching this second season of the series (and having gone back and watched the first half-season, as well), you can see where the producers have made the decision to "jack up" the inherently lower-key domestic proceedings of the show's original concept, to more conform with its successful parent show, Dallas. The most obvious sign is the introduction of the Abby character, played with feline salaciousness by "good girl" Donna Mills (a total switch from her previously most memorable role as Clint Eastwood's sweet girlfriend in Play Misty For Me). Prior to her arrival in the Circle, Knots Landing didn't really have a permanent central villain who could constantly stir the pot and keep multiple story arcs moving along (the grumpy Richard character was probably the closest thing to that in half-Season One). Having learned their lesson with the phenomenal, breakaway success of Larry Hagman's portrayal of evil sonafabitchin' J.R. Ewing on Dallas, the producers probably recognized that Knots Landing would need some kind of boost to not only jump-start the frequently After School Special-y nature of the storylines, but also to start grabbing the attention of the only fair-to-middling audience numbers out there (in its first season, Knots Landing only managed a three-way tie for 30th place in the Nielsen's).

The series isn't exactly subtle when it comes to parading around the obvious charms of Mills (she's either in a bikini, a one-piece for the hot tub, or various sexy casual wear ensembles), elevating the "I hate that bitch" factor for female viewers when Abby's casual attitude towards stealing other women's men is factored into the equation (Laura's sneering, "You're such a slut," to Abby's face during the "home invasion" episode is probably a season highlight). Indeed, operating much like her male counterpart J.R., Abby survives and even thrives in this male-dominated world by matter-of-factly using her sex to get what she wants. During these first seasons, the producers brought over cast members from Dallas to spike interest in the series, and this season, Bobby (Patrick Duffy), J.R., and even Kristin (Mary Ann Crosby), show up. And of course, to both literally and metaphysically canonize Abby's ascension to the throne as Knots Landing's resident "bad guy," the producers have none other than J.R. Ewing himself come to Knots Landing to nail Abby in a hotel room. And thus a new evil horndog is crowned. As Abby moves from Richard to J.R. to Gary, the women watching at home love to hate her...while perhaps, just a little bit, they also envy her prettiness and her ruthless ability to bend weak men to her desires. When Richard gets the final brush-off from Abby, he mumbles, "But I need you," to which Abby coldly and matter-of-factly replies, "I don't need you." She may be a homewrecker that women love to hiss at, but with such weak, spineless, stupid men...who can blame her?

Often perceived as literally a "poor woman's Dallas," the obvious step-down in luxury and gloss from the oil-soaked Ewings informs the scripts, as well. While I always find it amusing to read other critics labeling obviously wealthy TV characters as simply "middle-class" (Seaview Circle is decidedly "upper middle-class" if not outright "wealthy"), the class envy angle is played frequently here this season, and to good effect (in Dallas, such a story theme was usually just a pretext to allow J.R. to crush some unsuspecting poor boob). It seems like the writers, despite attempts to make the stories in Knots Landing seem more "ordinary" than the epic wealth battles over on Dallas, are aware that the denizens of Seaview Circle have it pretty goddamn good. In the "Sid-arrested-for-rape" story arc, the chiseling little hustler who's framing innocent Sid lives in a squalid dump with an equally conniving mother who, when confronted by Karen with the rigors of what a trial will do to them both, incredulously waves her hand around her rat's nest and snarls, "Look at this place! Trial is going to be a vacation!" And later, in Moments of Truth, a vicious gang of thugs invade Ginger's baby shower, with the female head honcho telling an incredulous Karen: "Husband, kids, decent house, nice car. Great American dream, right? People like you: rich, pretty, privileged people. You buy what you want. People like me - we never could. And it gets harder every day. Lady don't you understand? There's a war going on between the haves and the have-nots. People like you and people like me. Except it's just the beginning. And it's going to get a whole lot worse" (sounds like the garbage coming out of Washington today...).

Other "hot button" issues of 1980 get the Knots Landing treatment, including "hyperkinetic" kids, teen drug use, and teen sex - amid all the humping by the adults. And for the most part, these contentious issues are handled here with a degree of skill not expected for this kind of series (Diana's first time having sex is done with knowing sensitivity). Usually, both sides of an argument get an airing in these episodes (Sid gets to stay mad at Eric for taking drugs to a party; Karen is allowed to forgive him), but that even-steven approach can sometimes seem like the writers are bending over backward to be issues-oriented, when increasingly, the bedroom antics of Abby and everyone else are getting the lion's share of viewers' attention. Still, for an 80s prime time soap, Knots Landing walks a pretty fine edge between exploitation and education - a feat it accomplishes more often than not.

Here are the 18, one-hour episodes of the four-disc box set Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season, as described on its insert:

DISC ONE

Hitchhike
No good deed goes unpunished: Sid picks up a hitchhiker, who promptly accuses him of rape.

Hitchhike Part II
As Sid's rape drama draws to a close, a new drama begins: gorgeous, conniving Abby Cunningham settles in Knots Landing.

Remember the Good Times
Gary introduces fellow alcoholic Earl Trent to A.A.. Karen has her first showdown with Abby.

Chance of a Lifetime
Career moves: Gary cozies up with crooks; Richard quits his job for a plum post with a big Chicago law firm.

Kristin
"She's from Dallas." Not content with ruining loves in Big D, Kristin Shepard extends her talents to Knots Landing.

DISC TWO

Step One
Karen and Diana patch up their tattered relationship when they Put On a Happy Face.

Breach of Faith
The scandal is juicier than a T-bone steak when tempers and libidos heat up at a cul-de-sac barbecue.

Scapegoats
After a run-in with Frank and Roy, Gary needs $50,000 - fast. Who has that kind of dough? Enter J.R. Ewing.

A Family Matter
J.R. is in town for an oil convention - and a round of backstabbing and power plays. So Cal style.

Choices
Rejections slips. Sid is oblivious to Linda's seduction, Richard gives Laura the brush-off and Abby tires of Richard.

DISC THREE

A State of Mind
When her ex files for custody of their children, Abby fights back with her most effective weapon: sex.

Players
Linda finally has Sid right where she wants him: lip to lip and miles from home after their car conveniently breaks down.

The Loudest Word
Brotherly love. Bobby Ewing arrives in Knots Landing to lend Gary support when Val undergoes surgery.

Moments of Truth
Ginger's baby shower ends in suspense and terror when armed robbers take the partygoers hostage.

DISC FOUR

Man of the Hour
A visiting teen's weakness for weed ensnares Eric in lies, family strife and near tragedy.

More Than Friends
Earl Trent suggests a can't-fail plan to Val: sleep with me to get revenge on our cheating spouses.

Designs
J.R. is back in town. So is trouble: Sid's new, unpatented engine design is stolen.

Squeezeplay
White-knuckle time: Jeff kidnaps his kids, the FBI runs a sting to nab Frank and Roy, and someone drains the brake fluid from Sid's car.

The DVD:

The Video:
As with the various Dallas DVD releases, the full-screen, 1.33:1 video transfers for Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season are far from impressive. Compression artifacting is present (no doubt due to cramming five hour-long episodes on the first two discs), and a generally fuzzy, soft picture with faded colors and print damage (from the original source materials). The smaller the monitor, the better.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English mono audio track accurately represents the original broadcast presentation. All dialogue is cleanly rendered, although hiss is a factor on a good sound system. Subtitles in English and French are available, as well as close-captions.

The Extras:
Unfortunately, there are no extras for Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season.

Final Thoughts:
Knots Landing gets its own horny evildoer (just like parent show Dallas) in the guise of sultry sex kitten Donna Mills. Let the humping begin! Actually, everyone starts hitting the headboards in Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season, ratcheting up the fun quotient while the socially-conscious plots start to take an almost imperceptibly backward step in deference to the bedroom shenanigans. I'm not sure if new viewers to Knots Landing will get as much out of it as returning fans, but it's still a great example of 80s TV drama. I recommend Knots Landing - The Complete Second Season.

Paul Mavis is an internationally published film and television historian, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, and the author of The Espionage Filmography.