Pamela's marriage to Bobby Ewing is central to understanding her character. The couple produced the opening scene of "Dallas" when the show first aired in 1978, with Bobby bringing his new bride home to meet Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing. Their complex relationship has often been compared to that of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". When asked about whether or not series creator David Jacobs had this parallel relationship in mind from the start, he said: "Yes, guilty (laughs)". Relations can be made from William Shakespeare's two feuding families in Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and the Capulets. These families represent the Barnes and the Ewing feuding families, with Pamela being portrayed as Juliet Capulet and Bobby as Romeo Montague. According to Patrick Duffy, being immediately paired off with Principal was a challenge. He said, "We were in a constant state of competition. We were very territorial in front of the camera, and it was a strain." However, their off-screen relationship significantly improved in the show's third season, with Duffy explaining: "I developed an appreciation for her, and I think for the first time she started to trust me. Some of the best scenes on the show were between Victoria and me, and they happened after we got comfortable with each other."