This Iconic 1986 Drama Filmed Two Secret Alternate Cliffhanger Endings That Would Have Changed TV History
40 years ago, Dallas aired one of the most shocking plot twists in television history. Now, actor Patrick Duffy has opened up about two alternative scenes that were filmed; if used, they would've sent the series down a very different direction.
During the season 9 finale of Dallas in 1986, after a year away from the series, Duffy appeared as a much alive Bobby Ewing, having been killed off only a year prior.
Reflecting on the way the series kept the cliffhanger a secret, one fan wrote on X, "They pulled it off without it getting leaked. You know the producers were high-fiving themselves in the office for getting away with it."
Duffy has now revealed to The Television Academy that one way the show accomplished this feat was by filming two alternative scenes for his return.
The first showed Duffy in a hospital bed, with bandages removed. "I open up a mirror and say, ‘That's perfect.'"
The second alternative scene had Duffy walking into the Southfork Ranch living room, with no one around. He looks throughout the house and says, ‘They're not gonna believe this.'"
Duffy added that if those options were utilized, it was likely going to be Bobby's twin brother or doppelgänger. "Then, we did the shower scene."
The shower scene aired, and the following season explained that the events of the previous season had been Bobby's wife, Pam's (Victoria Principal), dream, allowing the series to continue as if nothing had happened.
While the revelation that Season 9 was "all a dream" would be controversial amongst fans, it ultimately proved to be a successful storyline for the series, as Dallas would continue for five additional seasons before coming to a close in 1991.
The series would then continue two decades later, for TNT, airing for an additional three seasons before once again coming to a close.
Would you have liked to see one of the alternatives utilized? Or do you think that the "dream" twist was for the best? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Dallas is available for streaming on all major VOD platforms.
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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 3:53 PM.