Knots Landing/Gary Ewing

Gary Ewing
Knots Landing
Actors	David Ackroyd (1978) Ted Shackelford (1979-1993; 1997; 2013)
First Appearance	Dallas 2x01 - Reunion (1) Knots Landing 1x01 - Pilot Dallas (2012) 2x07 - The Furious and the Fast
Last Appearance	Knots Landing 14x19- Just Like Old Times films Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-De-Sac (2) Dallas (2012) 2x09 - Ewings Unite!
Series Billing	Dallas Recurring cast (seasons 2-14) Knots Landing Main cast (seasons 1-14) Dallas (2012) Guest star (season 2)
Also Appears On	Dallas, Dallas (2012)

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Garrison Arthur "Gary" Ewing is a fictional character from the series Knots Landing. His character was spun-off from the successful series Dallas, where his character originated. He was portrayed by David Ackroyd & Ted Shackelford from his appearance on Dallas in 1978 all the way to the 1997 reunion movie.

His life in Dallas

Gary Ewing was the second son of three, born to Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing. Growing up on Southfork, the family cattle ranch with all the privileges of the son of an extremely rich Oil Baron should have been joyous. Whilst Gary had an unlimited amount of love and attention from his mother and younger brother, in his father's eyes Gary, a sensitive, caring young man could not hope to compare to his older brother J.R. who was devious and power hungry. In his teens Gary desperate to show his father that he was a strong person took to rodeo riding. The thing was, riding in the rodeo scared him and he could only feel confident after a stiff drink or two! Gary had impressed Jock at the rodeo and it felt good. Gary met Val at the local diner and was so impressed by her good looks and purity of soul that he fell in love instantly and she loved him too. They soon married and settled at Southfork much to J.R. and Jock's annoyance. To help the young couple Miss Ellie bought them a home and gave Gary a job as ranch foreman. A daughter Lucy was soon born to them, the pressures on the young couple increased. Gary couldn't cope and took to drinking again, which caused arguments so Gary just walked out on his family and left. Many years later, Gary bumped into Bobby, who persuaded him to visit Texas and his family. While he was visiting, Lucy his teenage daughter surprised him by reintroducing him to Valene. For the sake of his ex wife and daughter Gary tried to make a go of things in Texas, but soon realized that the old pressures of living up to Jocks expectations and avoiding J.R. deviousness had not gone away. For the sake of his new found sobriety he knew he had to leave Texas and his family once again. This time though Valene tracked him down and they decided to remarry. When Miss Ellie heard that Gary and Valene were to remarry she offered to set them up in a home. Gary knowing that he could never live in Texas suggested that the couple live in California.

Moving to Knots Landing

Miss Ellie found Gary and Val a lovely house in Knots Landing, and furnished the home for them. Val was very happy as she was now living by the Ocean, she had never seen the Ocean! Gary and Val soon became good friends with Sid and Karen their next door neighbors. Sid offered Gary a job in his garage. All was well with Gary's life for once. When Sid offered Gary a promotion, Gary decided to have a drink and celebrate. Gary, an alcoholic, ended the night very drunk. After that, Gary knew he had to get help so he joined a support group for alcoholics.

His alliance with Abby Cunningham

Sid's sister Abby who had recently moved to Knots Landing started to work at the garage, Gary fell instantly in lust with Abby. Abby the ultimate schemer embroiled a hapless Gary into one plan after another, one scheme ended with Sid's untimely death. Meanwhile Val became an established Author when the book she had written at college Capricorn Crude was published. Abby and Gary were at the height of their affair when Valene found out, Gary left Val and moved in with Abby.

Gary the Millionaire

Jock, Gary's father, died in a plane crash. When Abby secretly found out that Gary stood to inherit a lot of money she persuaded Gary to get a divorce from Valene. Just days after the divorce Gary and Val had a one night stand, Gary feeling guilty decided that he should marry Abby so that Val would be forced to get on with her life. Val soon met another man, Ben Gibson. So Gary, with his newly inherited wealth and new wife Abby, decided to buy a ranch and live a quiet life. Abby was having none of that, it would be to boring. So Abby decided to start her own business secretly using Gary's money. While Gary decided to become a record producer and help a young singer called Ciji Dunne.

Gary's Troubles

Gary started to have doubts about a few things: Val was pregnant supposedly with Ben Gibson's twins, Gary was sure that they were his babies, but Val denied it. Abby was becoming secretive and devious, he was sure she was just after his money. Gary started drinking again. When he found Ciji dead one morning on the beach he was sure he had killed her. When the police arrested him, Abby made plans to take over everything Gary owned and have him declared as incompetent. When the real killer was finally caught and Gary was released, Gary decided to have his business audited. Gary found out about Lotus Point and decided to give part of Lotus Point to Karen and for Abby, himself and Karen to run the business legitimately.

Gary and Jill and Abby and Val

Gary decided to go into politics and hired Jill Bennett to be his advisor, he had given Abby one last chance in their marriage. Then Valene disappeared, her twin babies had died during childbirth and Val had been convinced that they were still alive and had a small nervous breakdown. Gary was distraught and tried to find Valene. When he did find her, he was even more upset when she failed to recognize him. After a while Gary managed to persuade Val to go home to Knots Landing. Gary lost the election but found a good friend in Jill and they started an affair. Meanwhile Karen and her new husband Mack start to believe Val about the twins not dying. After a long struggle Val's twins a boy and a girl are found and returned to Valene. Gary decides to divorce Abby it costs him a lot more than his divorce from Val. Where Val had only wanted her home and a car, Abby wanted EVERYTHING! Gary got his divorce from Abby, while Abby got a lot of money off Gary. Val and Ben got married so Jill and Gary started to live together. Every thing was calm ... for a while.

Pesky Jill

Ben traveled to South America but failed to return. Gary who had long thought that the twins might be his children starts to visit Val, saying it is only to be a male influence on the twins. Jill gets very jealous and starts to play with Val's mind, by leaving hoax phone calls and sending Val phoney letters from Ben. Finally Val admits to Gary that as well as Lucy being their child the twins are his children too. Jill becomes extremely jealous and plots to kill Val with a near fatal result. Val on coming around from her drug overdose blames Jill, no one believes her, it takes along time and the detective work of Gary and Mack for the truth to finally come out, Jill had indeed tried to kill Val. For Gary this is the last straw and he leaves Jill. Jill is devastated. When Jill is found dead in Gary's car, Gary is accused of murder. Once again Karen and Mack become detectives and solve the puzzle surrounding Jill's death.

Val and Danny and Amanda and Gary

Gary received a mystery phone call he is intrigued by the lady on the other end of the phone and tries for weeks to find her. When he does find her he is amazed to discover that she is the ex-wife of Val's creepy new boyfriend Danny and when, she tells Gary never to trust Danny, Gary is very concerned. Meanwhile Val and Danny get married. Val soon realizes that Danny is a really nasty person, and kicks Danny out of her home. Val and Gary become frightened for the twins when Danny starts to get violent especially when in a drunken stupor he runs over Pat a neighbor, leaving her for dead. So Val and the twins move to Gary's ranch. Danny gets devious, he kidnaps Gary and leaves him for dead in the desert, so when Danny is found dead in a swimming pool the next day and Gary is missing, Gary is presumed to be the killer...again! Once again Gary is found to be innocent.

Val and Gary Together Again

Val and Gary decide that after everything that has ever happened to them, they are still in love. Just before Val and Gary re marry again, Val becomes ill after falling of a horse, it takes a long time for Val to regain her health, but finally Val is better and their third marriage to each other takes place. Gary finds out from Mack daughter Paige about an exciting new project called Tidal Energy. It is everything he has always wanted to do. Unfortunately to develop Tidal Energy takes a lot of money so Gary decides to risk everything and sink all of his money into the project, which fails leaving Gary and Val with nothing except the home they have in Knots Landing. Val is offered a contract to write a book on a friend of theirs, Greg Sumner.

The Last Go-Round

While researching for her new book, Val is kidnapped. Gary is led to believe that Val has died in a car crash and mourns for the love of his life. Kate, a good neighbor and friend of his, helps Gary with Bobby and Betsy the twins, Kate and Gary become close and start an affair. A year after Val disappearance, Gary receives a bunch of flowers asking him to go to the ocean. To Gary's amazement, Val hadn't died but had been kidnapped and had spent a year trying to escape and come home. Everyone is very happy for the couple, especially Kate who decides to leave Knots Landing and move away. Gary and Val along with their children start their lives over again