Goodbye to Jock!

[Jock Og]

One of the most emotional episodes of DALLAS was 'The Search' episode. The end of an era; with J.R. running wild there after and taking the show to new heights, well to season 9 (DVD-10) anyway.

Jock drank his last bourbon in South America, smoked his last Marlboro and gave his last order.

J.R. has been making derogatory comments, about the late Hutch McKinney being Pamela's biological father. Bobby hit him. J.R. is holding his stomach. Jock intervened, otherwise junior would have been on the broad of his back; (a scene from season 2, DVD-3, 1979 - '80):

"Now knock it off, both of ya! You watch that temper of yours Bobby and you J.R. watch that mouth of yours!"

 

[lbf522]

Loved that episode. It was a great send off to Jock. Before this episode I wondered how they were going to deal with Jim Davis's passing whether they would recast the role, kill him off, or just having Jock gone on extended business but never seen again. I had grown up watching soaps so I was used to recasting at this point.

This was wonderful. Loved the flashbacks. Wish Dallas TNT had given Larry Hagman in his role of JR a decent send off but what we got was JR dying in a seedy Mexican hotel.

Jim Davis, RIP,

 

[Jock's Ghost]

I was goofing around with Chatgpt and it went down its many rabbit holes and had a fun plot of JOCK never dying, he was held in a South American prison. He was trying to stop some bad guys doing stuff and gets caught in it. Brother Jason returned with information that his brother might be alive and went to the Texas Ewings for help....

 

[Seaviewer]

I was goofing around with Chatgpt and it went down its many rabbit holes and had a fun plot of JOCK never dying, he was held in a South American prison. He was trying to stop some bad guys doing stuff and gets caught in it. Brother Jason returned with information that his brother might be alive and went to the Texas Ewings for help....

Must have scraped some fanfiction and mistook it for the real thing.

 

[Jock Og]

Posted by @Jock's Ghost:

'I was goofing around with Chatgpt and it went down its many rabbit holes and had a fun plot of JOCK never dying, he was held in a South American prison. He was trying to stop some bad guys doing stuff and gets caught in it. Brother Jason returned with information that his brother might be alive and went to the Texas Ewings for help....'

Now that would have been a turn up, for the books. I'm glad something like this didn't happen, out of respect for Jim Davis. As we all know big Jim worked while he was dying, on his feet. Very sad! As I said when I became a member 25 years ago the great actor Steve Forrest (we all know as the character 'Jock or not') should've put on the cowboy boots, as long lost tumbleweed brother Jason. Furthermore he should have become a permanent character, after DVD-10.

Jock not long before the writing was on the wall, for him.


J.R. goes into Jock's office, looks around his desk and then stands looking at his father's infamous portrait; (a scene from season 4, DVD-5, 1981 - '82):

"I'm sorry daddy! I let you down. I just flat give up. Back there at the swamp you were gone. It was all over. It didn't seem like there was anything left going on for me. I almost forgot. You left us something. You left us the company. You built Ewing Oil from the ground up and whatever it took you did it for Ewing Oil.

I am going to do the same. I am going to pass it bigger and stronger to my son. I'm back Daddy! Nobody is going to take Ewing Oil away from me; or my son or his son." As J.R. finally glances at Jock's portrait he remarks:

"I swear to you, by god, I'm going to make you proud of me!"

Freeze frame; fade to black, the closing credits and the theme tune blasts out over Southfork.

 

[lbf522]

I would have preferred meeting Jason Ewing instead of his freeloading daughter Jamie and her attitude (was glad when JR finally kicked her off Southfork)and later her brother Jack.

 

[Rove]

One of the most emotional episodes of DALLAS was 'The Search' episode.

What makes this brief youtube video so engaging is the HD upgrade treatment. My word. The detail I pick up watching this as opposed to my DVD collection is breath-taking. A pox on Warner Bros for not releasing the Blu-Ray version.

The respect from the producers and writers towards Jim Davis is to be commended. Did I hear/read correctly the producers were still handing Jim Davis upcoming scripts for future shooting despite his declining health?

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I would have preferred meeting Jason Ewing instead of his freeloading daughter Jamie and her attitude (was glad when JR finally kicked her off Southfork)and later her brother Jack.

The Jason Ewing character had a lot of possibilities.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Did I hear/read correctly the producers were still handing Jim Davis upcoming scripts for future shooting despite his declining health?

Yes, they were.

 

[Rove]

I would have preferred meeting Jason Ewing instead of his freeloading daughter Jamie and her attitude

The introduction of Jason Ewing would have put the cat amongst the pigeons, so to speak. While confronting to us viewers a simple set-up explaining his sudden appearance in Dallas would be a call out to Jason from Jock to keep an eye on Ewing Oil and JR while Jock he was in Washington and eventually South America.

I would have preferred a gruff Jason butting heads with nephew JR then the horrid Jack and Jamie. Those characters were weak and didn't belong anywhere near Southfork.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

The introduction of Jason Ewing would have put the cat amongst the pigeons, so to speak. While confronting to us viewers a simple set-up explaining his sudden appearance in Dallas would be a call out to Jason from Jock to keep an eye on Ewing Oil and JR while Jock he was in Washington and eventually South America.

I would have preferred a gruff Jason butting heads with nephew JR then the horrid Jack and Jamie. Those characters were weak and didn't belong anywhere near Southfork.

Imagine Jason siding with JR instead of a weak-ass kids? Awesome.

Must have scraped some fanfiction and mistook it for the real thing.

It was lots of fun. I would have preferred that. It's always better to keep the character if possible. Aint that right, Pam?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Music makes so much difference, by the way -- too much, too little, or the wrong score can sink it.

This is one of Bruce Broughton's iconic scores for DALLAS. But years later, someone decided there was "too much music" (which can indeed happen) and so much of the score for the closing scenes was removed for the original DVD release and some syndication packages.

The music was gone from Ellie coming down the steps in the empty house, sitting down at the dining table, her "I have the rest of my life to listen to you" flashback with Jock (heresy!), and the boys coming in from their search to inform Mama that Daddy was most decidedly dead... All that music eliminated. The score only resuming as JR goes out back to find Jock's medallion in his pocket and get his freeze frame.

Fortunately, all that music has been returned to the episode.

But it did inform me of what they should have done: the moment is more effective when Miss Ellie wakes up, puts on her robe, and goes downstairs in the silence of the empty house, without music. The score only returning as she goes to sit down at the table. (That's how it ought to have been done originally).

Yet another music moment screwed up later: Sue Ellen driving to Holly Harwood's house to catch Holly in bed with JR... The score removed (and presumably since returned).

Now, I'm the first one to agree that, especially in series TV, excessive scoring is often used as a lazy, default creative choice. (Don't get me started about DYNASTY, about which executive Doug Cramer bragged that his show had twice the amount of music of an episode of DALLAS --- as if that's an inherently good thing). But the two scenes where the DALLAS music was later removed -- Ellie's final flashback with Jock, and Sue Ellen on her way to Holly's house -- were particularly effective moments, including musically.

But perhaps that's why somebody removed them: anything that stands out and gets noticed, especially if it's good and really works, is what gets cut. (The same reason serial killers target children: the kids are so delightful!)

Was any John Parker score ever cut? (Although his earlier DALLAS stuff was pretty decent).

Apparently, though, that's all been fixed. (Correct me if I'm wrong --- or gaslighting).

 

[Jock's Ghost]

Often times music gets caught in legal fights. Who owns what? Who paid who? I'm sure Lorimar/CBS had the same issues. I totally agree. Especially when the family visits Amanda and she's talking to Bobby.... so beautiful!!!

 

[Toni]

Music makes so much difference, by the way -- too much, too little, or the wrong score can sink it.

This is one of Bruce Broughton's iconic scores for DALLAS. But years later, someone decided there was "too much music" (which can indeed happen) and so much of the score for the closing scenes was removed for the original DVD release and some syndication packages.

The music was gone from Ellie coming down the steps in the empty house, sitting down at the dining table, her "I have the rest of my life to listen to you" flashback with Jock (heresy!), and the boys coming in from their search to inform Mama that Daddy was most decidedly dead... All that music eliminated. The score only resuming as JR goes out back to find Jock's medallion in his pocket and get his freeze frame.

Fortunately, all that music has been returned to the episode.

But it did inform me of what they should have done: the moment is more effective when Miss Ellie wakes up, puts on her robe, and goes downstairs in the silence of the empty house, without music. The score only returning as she goes to sit down at the table. (That's how it ought to have been done originally).

Yet another music moment screwed up later: Sue Ellen driving to Holly Harwood's house to catch Holly in bed with JR... The score removed (and presumably since returned).

Now, I'm the first one to agree that, especially in series TV, excessive scoring is often used as a lazy, default creative choice. (Don't get me started about DYNASTY, about which executive Doug Cramer bragged that his show had twice the amount of music of an episode of DALLAS --- as if that's an inherently good thing). But the two scenes where the DALLAS music was later removed -- Ellie's final flashback with Jock, and Sue Ellen on her way to Holly's house -- were particularly effective moments, including musically.

But perhaps that's why somebody removed them: anything that stands out and gets noticed, especially if it's good and really works, is what gets cut. (The same reason serial killers target children: the kids are so delightful!)

Was any John Parker score ever cut? (Although his earlier DALLAS stuff was pretty decent).

Apparently, though, that's all been fixed. (Correct me if I'm wrong --- or gaslighting).

I put some of those deleted bits here:

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

The show was never the same without Jock.
Jim Davis was great, but there should have been a recast, because the narrative was never as strong without Jock
Steve Forrest should have been Jock
Before that, I would have liked Buddy Ebsen

 

[Seaviewer]

I don't disagree with the concept of a recast in theory but I think it would have been in bad taste to do it straight away. Also, the flow-on effects of Jock's death made for great television on both Dallas and Knots Landing. But by the time of Wes Parmalee's arrival, it's something that could have worked IMO.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I don't disagree with the concept of a recast in theory but I think it would have been in bad taste to do it straight away. Also, the flow-on effects of Jock's death made for great television on both Dallas and Knots Landing. But by the time of Wes Parmalee's arrival, it's something that could have worked IMO.

I agree with the idea of continuing Jock with Steve Forrest It would have been better for story lines not only for Ewing Oil, but also for Howard Keel and BBG

My main issue is that I can't agree with Jock coming back to SF with a hidden identity.
The Jock Ewing that I knew would have proclaimed that he is Jock Ewing indeed, Ewing Oil is his, SF is his and he would have driven Clayton
(who was an outsider and interloper, as JR rightly indicated) off SF

 

[Jock's Ghost]

I put some of those deleted bits here:

The music played when Bobby, Pam and Ellie, and Jock visit Amanda and she mistakes Bobby for Jock- that bit is beautiful.

 

[Svengali]

I would have preferred meeting Jason Ewing instead of his freeloading daughter Jamie and her attitude (was glad when JR finally kicked her off Southfork)and later her brother Jack.

she was a boring character

 

[Jock's Ghost]

The show was never the same without Jock.
Jim Davis was great, but there should have been a recast, because the narrative was never as strong without Jock
Steve Forrest should have been Jock
Before that, I would have liked Buddy Ebsen

Ebsen was 80 years old by then.... No go....

The Jason Ewing character had a lot of possibilities.

Yes, that piece of paper he had. Splits Ewing Oil in thirds. Jocks kin, Jason and Cliff Barnes. And battle that for a couple of seasons.

I would have preferred meeting Jason Ewing instead of his freeloading daughter Jamie and her attitude (was glad when JR finally kicked her off Southfork)and later her brother Jack.

Jaime's problem was the actor. Too young and her mouth moved weird. When JR pissed her off, she squinted her eyes and her mouth did weird stuff. For a tough rough neck oil worker, she sure allowed JR to push her to the brink of tears.