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Dallas Wanamaker[1][2] is a character in Deadlocked, the 2016 re-imagined Ratchet & Clank, and the Ratchet & Clank movie. He is a news anchorman and sports commentator working alongside Juanita Alvaro, best known as the main commentator for DreadZone and an anchor on Vox News.

In Deadlocked, Dallas was the main commentator on DreadZone during its run, and an anchorman for many holovision shows broadcast by the Vox Network. He was largely unprofessional, and would diverge from the script, lose his composure, make inappropriate comments toward Juanita, fall asleep on air, or ask inane questions. In the re-imagined Ratchet & Clank, Dallas had a small role as a news reporter.

History[]

Early history[]

Dallas originally pursued a career in ballet, before giving it up.[3][4] He was at some point married and divorced.[5] Dallas had also committed egregious pranks on people he knew, including setting someone named Timmy Aberdeen's backpack on fire (which he was unable to get off in time), and putting a tyhrranoid in the locker of someone named Susie Binkleton (which forced her into therapy).[6]

Prior to joining the Vox Network, Dallas was at some point offered a job at Annihilation Nation, which he declined. He later regretted this decision, citing their "great dental plan".[7]

Ratchet & Clank re-imagined[]

The 2016 re-imagined game is primarily an unreliable retelling of events by Qwark.
The re-imagined game primarily describes Captain Qwark's account of events. As Qwark is an unreliable narrator, and contradictory events are in-universe fiction (though those which correspond still apply). Please see Project:Bulletin board/Canon for the wiki's coverage of canon.
Take down the Warship cutscene 2

Dallas interviewing the heroes.

In the film and Qwark's retelling of events, Dallas Wanamaker was an ordinary news anchor in the Solana Galaxy working alongside Juanita in separate news segments, lacking the hair of his Deadlocked appearance, and having brown eyes rather than blue. Dallas reported on the destruction of planet Tenemule, the statement issued by President Phyronix following it, and Captain Qwark's announcement of the recruitment of a new Galactic Ranger.[8] He spoke to Qwark on Kerwan after Ratchet and Clank destroyed the blarg warship, asking if Qwark would be recruiting Ratchet and Clank. Later, he referred to the failed defense of Novalis as a "complete disaster", and reported on Qwark's apology tour alongside the release of his book, Look, I Said I Was Sorry, Alright?, after the Deplanetizer was destroyed.[8]

Before Deadlocked[]

Dallas at some point joined the Vox Network as the anchorman for Vox News, DreadZone, The 'Zone, and Galactic Glamour, all of which he hosted alongside Juanita. He was still living in his mother's house during this time.[9] Dallas worked at the Vox Network alongside Juanita for six years, during which he sexually harassed her.[6]

Before Ratchet's involvement in DreadZone, Dallas commentated on several Vox News stories with Juanita, often frustrating her by veering off-script and appearing not to believe in the stories he was reading. He detailed slanderous stories about Ratchet and his allies, while also teasing Ratchet's involvement by claiming that DreadZone would soon have a new contestant "whose name rhymes with Splatchet". He also detailed the performance of Captain Starshield, just prior to Starshield's final battle with Ace Hardlight on Catacrom Four. In the episode before the battle, Juanita poisoned Dallas' coffee, which he survived, although he did fall off his chair.[10]

Deadlocked[]

Dallas covered the big dual between Captain Starshield and Ace Hardlight on a pod, in which Starshield was killed.[11] Just before Ratchet's qualifying match in the Battledome, Dallas commentated on the preceding match—the defeat of Mobius Man at the hands of the Eviscerator—before then announcing Ratchet's round by claiming to have never heard of him, speculating that he would merely be "intermission material" for the real act with Gray Thunder and Hydro Girl, and would not survive two rounds.[12] As Ratchet's round began, Dallas introduced him as a lombax who has spent time in prison and "hates candy and children".[13]

News Break

Dallas and Juanita slandering Ratchet on Vox News.

Dallas' slanderous commentary of Ratchet continued throughout the show's run. Dallas linked Ratchet to organized crime, illegal sales of cigarettes to children, and accused him of dabbling in occult, piloting a tanker ship filled with radioactive waste for Zexxon and crashing it into Aquatos while drunk, and ascribed to him a "hatred of sunshine, puppies, and chocolate".[14][15] Dallas nicknamed him the "Butcher of Bogon".[16][17] Nonetheless, Dallas was at times impressed with Ratchet's performance, as despite betting against him[7] and doubting his survival even in the final battlecourse,[18] he praised Ratchet following the prison break on Maraxus that had exceeded previous DreadZone contestants.[19]

Sneaky Lombax 1

Dallas and Juanita on the final episode of DreadZone.

When Gleeman Vox loaded DreadZone Station with nitroglycerin and set the station to explode, Dallas commentated on what would be the final episode of DreadZone and broke into tears live on air. While greatly fearing for his life, Dallas changed his tune on Ratchet completely, thaking him for being a "great role model and a pillar of our community" and rooting for him to save them.[4] Fearing for his life, Dallas made confessions about his cruel pranks to Timmy Aberdeen and Susie Binkleton, as well as his sexual harassment of Juanita.[6] Dallas also had wagered 500 bolts on Ratchet defeating Vox, which infuriated Juanita that he would gamble with their lives. This prompted him to lash out in anger at her, as she had never cared before.[20]

Death of a Salesman 3

Dallas escaping from the DreadZone station on the shuttle.

When Ratchet defeated Vox, Dallas managed to escape in the final escape shuttle, which carried Ratchet, Clank, Al, Merc, Green, Slugha, Venus, Vernon, Eugene, and the two test dummies.[21] Dallas began a new reality holovision show, Juanita and Dallas, in which he married Juanita for holovision ratings. Though the marriage was supposed to have been a stunt, Dallas switched in a real Justice of the Peace for the ceremony. The two then lived their lives in "marital bliss", though a still from the show depicts Juanita trying to kill him with bear traps, an anvil, a bomb, and the Harbinger.[22]

Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

Dallas Wanamaker is a member of an unnamed green humanoid species. He is tall and slender, surpassing Juanita in height, and has green skin with darker colorations of green located on parts of his body. Dallas has two antennae on his head, pointed ears, a nose full of ridges, and brown hair (which Juanita first claimed was a wig or hair plug, but Dallas insisted was real[23]). Dallas' typical attire is a blue suit with a white shirt underneath, accompanied by a red tie, and black shoes. He is also known to wear pink-frilly underpants.[9]

Personality[]

Dallas is a more eccentric and excitable host than Juanita, and is very unprofessional. He frequently makes inappropriate comments towards Juanita, veers off-script (in a way that often undermines or calls into question the Vox spin),[9] makes unfunny jokes,[24] asks inane questions,[7] gambles on outcomes,[7][20] and in the final episode of DreadZone, lost his composure on air in fear.[4] Compared to Juanita, Dallas is less bloodthirsty and sadistic, but still partakes in her enjoyment of violence.[14] Dallas also partakes in a slandering of both Ratchet and other news networks,[9][14] though he is quicker to give Ratchet credit when he outperforms Dallas' expectations.[19] Dallas' hatred of Ratchet during DreadZone appears to not be genuine, as he very quickly changed his opinion for the final episode;[4] coupled with his frequent undermining of the Vox narrative,[9] this suggests that few of Dallas' opinions as stated on-air were his own.

Deadlocked epilogue 3

The Juanita and Dallas show.

Dallas has many sociopathic traits. This is most immediately evident with him making light of or enjoying the violence on DreadZone,[14][25] and the cruel pranks he admitted to pulling that led to one death and another requiring therapy.[6] In addition, Dallas makes many unsubstantiated claims on-air about Ratchet, including calling him "criminally insane",[26] without hesitancy, and gambled on the outcome of the final match of DreadZone that could determine his own survival.[20] The most clear example of these trait is in his behavior towards Juanita. Dallas makes frequent inappropriate and sexist remarks at Juanita in spite of her clear frustration, and even after admitting his behavior amounted to harassment, remarked dubiously that she loved it anyway.[6] Juanita would respond often with violence towards Dallas, hitting him on-air, and even poisoning his coffee;[9] the reality show in which the two were married depicted Juanita using deadly weapons against Dallas.[22]

Behind the scenes[]

Dallas Wanamaker concept art

Concept art of Dallas Wanamaker.

Dallas Wanamaker was voiced by Daran Norris in Deadlocked. In the 2016 game, he was voiced by David Kaye, the voice of Clank, and in the movie, he was voiced by Brian Dobson.

Both Dallas and Juanita make a brief appearance on the Corson V of Rivet's dimension in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

Dallas and Juanita Rift Apart

Dallas and Juanita's cameo in Nefarious City, Corson V (Rivet's dimension) in Rift Apart.

Unused audio[]

According to one unused audio file, Dallas left messages for Hydro Girl, but she never returned his calls: when Hydro Girl was freezing to death in the Temple of Shaar as part of a DreadZone course, Dallas remarked that she probably wished she had returned his phone calls in light of her current situation. He also remarked that he had stolen her X-Ray Sunshades.[27]

In other unused audio files, it was mentioned that Dallas once threw a "Dallas Loves Everything Charity Event", with Shellshock being hired to be the door greeter. Shellshock apparently beat up those who left the charity depending on how much they had donated, being softer on those who had donated more.[28]

Non-canonical appearances[]

In the non-canon Ratchet & Clank: Bang Bang Bang! Critical Danger of the Galaxy Legend manga, Dallas appears as anchorman for DreadZone alongside Juanita. His appearance is very similar to his Deadlocked appearance, and the only noticeable difference between the two is their smaller antenna sizes in the manga.

Citations[]

  1. Ratchet & Clank (2016 game)
  2. Ratchet & Clank (movie)
  3. Deadlocked script § "Ace Hardlight Battle (gameplay)"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Deadlocked script § "Sneaky Lombax"
  5. Deadlocked script § "Showdown with Shellshock (gameplay)"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Deadlocked script § "Destroy the Central Core (gameplay)"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Deadlocked script § "Dallas"
  8. 8.0 8.1 Ratchet & Clank (movie)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Insomniac Games October 24 official website 2005
  10. Insomniac Games October 28 official website 2005
  11. Deadlocked script § "Not Captain Starshield!"
  12. Deadlocked script § "Time to Blow $!% Up!"
  13. Deadlocked script § "Advanced Qualifier (gameplay)"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Deadlocked script § "Eviscerator Battle (gameplay)"
  15. Deadlocked script § "Climb the Tower of Power (gameplay)"
  16. Deadlocked script § "Close and Personal (gameplay)"
  17. Deadlocked script § "Boo Ratchet"
  18. Deadlocked script § "The Grinding Chase (gameplay)"
  19. 19.0 19.1 Deadlocked script § "Showdown in Delta Block (gameplay)"
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Deadlocked script § "Defeat Gleeman Vox (gameplay)"
  21. Deadlocked script § "Death of a Salesman"
  22. 22.0 22.1 Deadlocked, Extras § "Dallas and Juanita"
  23. Deadlocked script § "Swamp Fever (gameplay)"
  24. Deadlocked script § "News Blues"
  25. Deadlocked script § "Speed Trap (gameplay)"
  26. Deadlocked script § "Static Deathtrap (gameplay)"
  27. Deadlocked unused dialogue § "Dallas and Juanita"
  28. Deadlocked unused dialogue § "Dallas Wanamaker"

References[]

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