"Dallas" will send J.R. out with a bang

Larry Hagman's tragic passing on Nov. 24 served a double blow to the cast and crew of TNT's "Dallas." Not only had they just lost a dear friend, but they also had to come up with a way to write J.R. Ewing off the show without derailing their planned storylines.

VIDEO - Larry Hagman Charms in Final ET Interview

Today, TV Guide magazine reports that the 2012 redux will take a page from the seminal series' most iconic moment and have J.R. Ewing murdered by an unknown assailant towards the middle of the show's upcoming second season.

VIDEO - Matt Damon: Larry Hagman Impacted My Life

This, of course, pays a haunting homage to the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliffhanger from the "Dallas" 1980 season finale. The ensuring storm of speculation that swirled throughout the subsequent summer led to the highest-rated TV episode in U.S. history (at the time) with an estimated 83 million people tuning in for the season premiere, "Who Done It?" -- which was higher than the number of voters in that year's presidential election.

"Dallas" premieres Jan. 28 on TNT.

[Eshoree]

I was so sad to hear of his passing on, but his legacy on Dallas has seriously gone unmatched by any other actor on a show. I heard about some incredibly episodes with Hagman when I went into my DISH office the day after he passed from several of the older women I work with. He's held a very accomplished career, and I'm looking forward to witnessing the grand finale of it on the new season of Dallas. I'm particularly happy that my DISH Hopper is able to save up to 1,250 SD or 450 HD hours because I want to keep this season for as long as possible. I have enough memory to save future seasons, other shows and movies, and I won't have to worry about choosing what to erase to make room for more recordings.

[twmat311]

I think he might have enjoyed this "rerun" - I think during the 1980s "Who Shot JR," he had a little fun with it, including doing an outtake where it panned back to show him (as a double) "shooting" himself.

Great actor, who knew when to enjoy a light moment even at his own expense.

[99Judy]

Stupid sick bastards, why won't they let Larry Hagman just rest in peace?