'Dallas' Finale Postmortem: Patrick Duffy on the Shocking Conclusion and What's Next (Video)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN WEDNESDAY’S SEASON ONE FINALE OF DALLAS.

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Dallas: TV Review

Wednesday’s Dallas finale dropped a bomb on viewers, revealing that Christopher Ewing’s (Jesse Metcalfe) bride Rebecca (Julie Gonzalo) was out for more than just his family’s money. The show gave fans their biggest clue yet into Rebecca’s mysterious background, revealing her father: longtime Ewing rival Cliff Barnes.

Ken Kercheval reprises his longtime role for the reboot, and though he has been spotted in a few episodes prior to the finale, he now takes center stage with a key role in the plotline.

PHOTOS: Reviving an Empire: Behind the Scenes of TNT's 'Dallas'

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray expressed their excitement at the soapy season one ender.  

“To use Kenny integrally… the key to Dallas has been the Barnes-Ewing feud, and nothing cements that Barnes-Ewing feud like a Barnes-Ewing,” says Duffy, referring to Rebecca’s character. “Which is now what we have to build this whole conflagration on. It’s gonna be crazy, but it’s so brilliant.”

Duffy notes that the longtime rivalry between the two Texas families stems all the way back to the first episode of the original series in 1978.

“To me, it’s so historically correct to end the first season that way as a launching pad for whatever they want to do now,” he adds. “We have no idea what the next 15 episodes are gonna be, but I know it starts with that aha moment at the end of the season.”

The cast is currently prepping to begin filming the second season of TNT’s reboot, in the city of Dallas, Texas, with their first day on set slated for Sept. 24. And while the network has not yet set the premiere date, fans can expect to see the show return to the airwaves sometime in January.

TV REVIEW: Dallas

But can we expect even more blasts from the pasts next season?

“A lot of the cast members will start to reemerge if the script and the stories need them to, they’ll come back, absolutely. Anybody who’s still alive has the possibility of coming back,” promises Duffy.

While many viewers undoubtedly dropped their jaws at the big reveal, Duffy says that there were a few diehards that had already sniffed out the connection.

“Even Cynthia [Cidre] was surprised at the depth of knowledge of our fan base. And when she used a character’s name -- and I’m not even sure she used it on purpose -- but a fan went, ‘Could that be named after…?’ and went all the way back into the history of the show and went, ‘There was a Rebecca Barnes in season two’ or something, and everybody went, ‘Gee I don't know.’ And sure as hell… it was a shocker, but you could kind of feel it coming,” he explains.

“I’m one of those fans that goes, ‘Oh, no! I didn’t know that was going to happen,’ and I’ve ready the script!” laughs Gray.

For more from THR’s interview with Duffy and Gray, watch the video above. Below, the duo sound off on their favorite moments from filming season one.

Email: Sophie.Schillaci@thr.com; Twitter: @SophieSchillaci