"Oh, Jock, no..."

[Kenny Coyote]

What a great moment in Dallas history this was. The reading of Jock's will.

"Oh, Jock, no..." was Miss Ellie's reaction during the reading of Jocks will right after Harv Smithfield had just read: "Ewing Oil can have only one man at the helm and that's got to be the man that wants it the most."

Do you think she was afraid that Jock was going to give controlling interest to JR? At that particular moment that's what it sounded like.

It shows her favoritism towards Bobby. Miss Ellie should have hoped Jock would give JR controlling interest. It would've been far better for the family than what Jock did do. Bobby had never shown he wanted it as much or even liked it as much as JR did.

JR was the son who had started learning from Jock in the oil fields since he was a little boy. While Bobby was playing football and being a playboy, JR had been the one who was always there to do whatever was needed.

Bobby had filled in for JR at Ewing Oil after JR had been shot and he gave the job back to JR when he decided he would rather do other things. Bobby started a construction company and then dropped that. He became a politician and then gave that up. Meanwhile JR had been the one son who had consistently wanted to run Ewing Oil, showed the necessary aptitude for it, and enjoyed doing it. Taking all of that into account, would anyone have had had any reasonable cause to complain if Jock had given JR controlling interest?

 

[Billy Wall]

They obviously had the contest for dramatic purposes. Jock even told Ellie when she wanted Bobby to remain the president just to keep him at Southfork that “JR did work in the fields” and pretty much told her that JR was the one who put in the work to be president. So yes, JR should have been made president.

BUT, everybody knows, including Miss Ellie, JR is too damn power hungry. It’s not that Miss Ellie favored Bobby, she knew that JR would destroy Ewing Oil, which he eventually did.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

No, it doesn't "show her favoritism towards Bobby", for godssake. Her comment simply shows she realizes her late husband has set the boys up for a battle which can leave no family member unscathed.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Miss Ellie whispering those words was a great moment in a great scene. If I recall correctly, she said it before the full terms of the will were read, but I always had the impression she could tell the direction on which this was going. She knew Jock was a tough man and he was going to put his sons in a tough situation.
My favorite season

 

[Kenny Coyote]

If I recall correctly, she said it before the full terms of the will were read

That's right. At that particular time when she said "Oh, Jock, n0", there was nothing that had been stated regarding a contest. The last things which had been said were: "Ewing Oil can have only one man at the helm and that's got to be the man that wants it the most."

I always had the impression she could tell the direction on which this was going. She knew Jock was a tough man and he was going to put his sons in a tough situation.

It's always good to hear different people's interpretations of a scene. Did Miss Ellie already think the will was alluding to a contest? Maybe. You can look at it either way. A contest between two sons, while great for dramatic purposes, is a very uncommon, unusual way to set things up in a will. Simply leaving the controlling interest to one son and minority interests to the other sons is a much more common, more standard way of doing things.

That makes me think that when Harv read "Ewing Oil can have only one man at the helm and that's got to be the man that wants it the most" Miss Ellie said what she did because she was afraid Jock was choosing to have JR run it.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

for all of JR’s boasting about his wonderful success, what evidence was there that he was anything but a guy who was born on 3rd base and thought he hit a triple? He could pull off clever schemes here and there, but at any given point it seems he could have driven the company right off the cliff.

Sure, the Asian oil strike took the Ewings to the next level, but he was hours away from losing everything, and helped get himself in that situation in the first place by continuing to antagonize Cliff to the point where he ‘sold out’ to take the OLM position and abused his powers there to prevent drilling. (Although Cliff likely would have tried to bring the Ewings down the rest of his life anyway, of course)

What on earth was he expecting the ultimate outcome of the phony Section 40 codicil situation to be with Ames and Garr if the big dummies hadn’t conveniently done themselves in?

Bobby only got in any trouble in his first stint as Ewing Oil president due to JR doing everything he could to undermine and outright sabotage him. If Bobby had done the same to JR, he could have done a lot worse than have him a bit short of the cash needed to go into a smaller offshore deal with the Cartel.

Of course, I think it was largely the writers’ desire to have us see Bobby as the good guy and JR as the villain that led them to make it look like he could jump right in and do just as well as JR in the president’s chair. They should have shown more evidence of JR’s legit business acumen (other than the ability to trick and blackmail his colleagues) if they wanted us to take him seriously as the clearly superior businessman.

 

[Billy Wall]

for all of JR’s boasting about his wonderful success, what evidence was there that he was anything but a guy who was born on 3rd base and thought he hit a triple? He could pull off clever schemes here and there, but at any given point it seems he could have driven the company right off the cliff.

Sure, the Asian oil strike took the Ewings to the next level, but he was hours away from losing everything, and helped get himself in that situation in the first place by continuing to antagonize Cliff to the point where he ‘sold out’ to take the OLM position and abused his powers there to prevent drilling. (Although Cliff likely would have tried to bring the Ewings down the rest of his life anyway, of course)

What on earth was he expecting the ultimate outcome of the phony Section 40 codicil situation to be with Ames and Garr if the big dummies hadn’t conveniently done themselves in?

Bobby only got in any trouble in his first stint as Ewing Oil president due to JR doing everything he could to undermine and outright sabotage him. If Bobby had done the same to JR, he could have done a lot worse than have him a bit short of the cash needed to go into a smaller offshore deal with the Cartel.

Of course, I think it was largely the writers’ desire to have us see Bobby as the good guy and JR as the villain that led them to make it look like he could jump right in and do just as well as JR in the president’s chair. They should have shown more evidence of JR’s legit business acumen (other than the ability to trick and blackmail his colleagues) if they wanted us to take him seriously as the clearly superior businessman.

Amen.

Coyote’s rebuttal will be quite entertaining. Lol

 

[Kenny Coyote]

They obviously had the contest for dramatic purposes.

There's isn't anything that happened in Dallas which wasn't done for dramatic purposes.

It’s not that Miss Ellie favored Bobby, she knew that JR would destroy Ewing Oil, which he eventually did.

Which again, was done for dramatic purposes. Practically every deal JR made put all of Ewing Oil at risk to go out of business. Power hungry or not, that's a ridiculous thing to do, but it sure makes it fun fun for us to watch..

Ewing Oil wasn't exactly destroyed. Bobby ended up selling Ewing Oil for a whole lot of money. Bobby lost his desire to run the company. Anyone could have predicted he'd eventually quit. In fact, Bobby quit the oil business entirely.

Of course, I think it was largely the writers’ desire to have us see Bobby as the good guy and JR as the villain that led them to make it look like he could jump right in and do just as well as JR in the president’s chair. They should have shown more evidence of JR’s legit business acumen (other than the ability to trick and blackmail his colleagues) if they wanted us to take him seriously as the clearly superior businessman.

Nice post, Taylor! I agree with you on it being the writers' desire to have Bobby as the man who could do anything he put his mind to, get better at it than anyone else, and always manage to save the day. It's a nice role for an actor to get. You get to look like you're Superman.

Naturally, Bobby didn't have to spend his whole life learning the oil business to still become one of the best. He went into politics with about 15 minutes of preparation and won the election.

I don't usually think of Dallas in the terms you described, but now that you bring it up, it's a little unbelievable isn't it? That brings up the question: "How did we enjoy a show as unbelievable as you've described"?

We do it by willing suspending our own disbelief. While we're watching it, we buy into the concept of what this show is about and accept the premises upon which this whole genre of shows is based. We either do that, we accept it for what it is, or we don't watch it. It's a choice.

We don't require proof that JR is a great oilman; we take the word of the other characters who describe him as "one of the best oilmen in the state." We know he's a great oilman because of the way the other top oilmen in the industry regard him and the way they react to him. When Jeremy Wendell says JR may be the only competitor he's ever considered a threat, that's all we need. In soap, that is the ultimate validation that JR is just that damn good. It's high praise from a man who never gives it to anyone else. It's the greatest compliment anyone could get from the man who owns the biggest oil company in the state, a man who, as he describes himself, "has no chinks in his armor."

We accept the premise that these ridiculous, completely unrealistic things happen. We temporarily suspend our own disbelief as we watch and we do it because if we do that, it's one hell of a lot of fun!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Even Larry admitted JR was "a disaster" as an oil man, losing 2 billion dollars over the course of the series.

 

[Rove]

"Oh, Jock, no..."

The moment Miss Ellie quietly spoke those words I knew exactly where the story was heading. She knew Jock better than anyone and feared Ewing Oil would one day destroy the family.

On a side note. Watching Barbara Bel deliver those words shows the depth the actress had. One word....breathtaking.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

The moment Miss Ellie quietly spoke those words I knew exactly where the story was heading. She knew Jock better than anyone and feared Ewing Oil would one day destroy the family.

On a side note. Watching Barbara Bel deliver those words shows the depth the actress had. One word....breathtaking.

I agree 100% with that. Ms. Bel Geddes was a gifted actress, and Dallas was fortunate to have her(Of course, she was lucky to have Dallas and the $$$$).

One line from Ms. Bel Geddes is more memorable than thousands from many others.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

What a great moment in Dallas history this was. The reading of Jock's will.

"Oh, Jock, no..." was Miss Ellie's reaction during the reading of Jocks will right after Harv Smithfield had just read: "Ewing Oil can have only one man at the helm and that's got to be the man that wants it the most."

Kenny, you have chosen what I feel is the very best storyline to write about. The entire season has you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what would happen next.

Here is an idea to make you post even more meaningful. Think for a moment about all of the people who were either killed, or had their lives ruined because of the contest:

Mickey Trotter-- Lucy's only true love and the only one she was ever happy with. Killed by a man gunning for J.R.
Lil Trotter-- Mickey's mother, who will never recover from Mickey's death
Pamela Ewing-- Separated from Bobby because of the contest. And never reunited.
Walt Driscol-- An honest (if boring) administrator whose life was ruined and committed suicide
Bobby Ewing-- Who sadly admitted that much of the "good" part of him was destroyed in the battle
Rebecca Wentworth-- Killed on a plane flying out to stop J.R.

Now. . .

Keep all of this in your mind. Then think about Miss Ellie and her, "Oh, Jock, no. . . "

It gives her words even more meaning.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Here is an idea to make you post even more meaningful. Think for a moment about all of the people who were either killed, or had their lives ruined because of the contest:

Mickey Trotter-- Lucy's only true love and the only one she was ever happy with. Killed by a man gunning for J.R.
Lil Trotter-- Mickey's mother, who will never recover from Mickey's death
Pamela Ewing-- Separated from Bobby because of the contest. And never reunited.
Walt Driscol-- An honest (if boring) administrator whose life was ruined and committed suicide
Bobby Ewing-- Who sadly admitted that much of the "good" part of him was destroyed in the battle
Rebecca Wentworth-- Killed on a plane flying out to stop J.R.

I don't think there was anyone who wasn't seriously adversely affected by the contest for Ewing Oil. It's the reason I said Miss Ellie should have been hoping that Jock was leaving JR controlling interest in his will, along with that it would have been the right thing to do.

Think about Ray: He had to live with what happened to Mickey and the guilt of pulling the plug. Had to live with the fact that if he and Bobby hadn't bailed Driscoll out for the sole reason that JR wanted to leave Driscoll in, Mickey would still be alive and well.

 

[Seaviewer]

the very best storyline to write about. The entire season has you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what would happen next.

I don't think there was anyone who wasn't seriously adversely affected by the contest for Ewing Oil.

An interesting point. A season-long arc, drawing most of the characters in, is something more usually associated with Knots Landing.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Ray is the first one I added to that your list, Lastkidpicked because out of anyone not yet mentioned, I believe Ray had suffered the most loss.

Some other primary victims of the contest who could be added to that list are:

Lucy: She lost the only good boyfriend she'd ever had - a man she loved and who loved her.

JR: He had to live with Mickey's death being a result of Driscoll ramming a car he though was JR's car. He lost his wife for all intents and purposes, after Holly set him up to be found by Sue Ellen. They remained legally married but that's it. He also had the ordeal of thinking his wife and his son were going to give in the fire on the night when Ray tried to kill him. They would have all died in that fire if Bobby hadn't arrived just at the right time and saved everyone.

Sue Ellen: See above. A ruined marriage after Holly set her up. Sue Ellen also had to live with the guilt that Mickey wouldn't have been injured at all if she hadn't tried to drive drunk. Had she been sober, Mickey wouldn't have had to get in the car to try to protect her.

There is also someone who I don't think belongs on that last and I'll explain why.

Rebecca Wentworth. Did the contest necessitate her being on that plane? Frankly, she was on that plane because she couldn't mind her own business. The plane crashed and it was pilot error. We don't know if it was her pilot or the pilot on the other plane who made the error. Either way, it's hardly fair to blame pilot error resulting in her death on the terms of Jock's will.

Rebecca was on that plane because she was deliberately trying to ruin one of JR's deals so Bobby would win the contest. It wasn't a deal involving Wentworth Industries. It had nothing to do with her. It wasn't Cliff's deal either. Cliff wasn't trying to buy that refinery. In fact, Rebecca was helping Bobby win, not because she loved Bobby so much, but because she wanted to see JR lose the contest. It was her way of getting back at JR for all the times he and Cliff had competed and Cliff had come up on the losing end of things.

When you really think about it, to get on a plane to go fly somewhere, not for the purpose of helping your son in a business deal he had going (because it wasn't a deal Cliff was involved in) but for the purpose of trying to hurt someone else's business deal that you aren't even a part of...how petty can you get? I'm sure it got under her skin that Cliff was, let's face it, a loser. But why was he a loser? Rebecca abandoned Cliff when he was 5 years old and Pam was just a baby. She left them in the care of an alcoholic father and she never came back to even visit them. Rebecca Wentworth was an awful woman.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

It would have been wonderful if on TNT Dallas John Ross asked Lucy why she never settled down with anyone, and her response was that after she never really got over the loss of Mickey and he was her one true love. That would have been great continuity and would further emphasize how profound the effects of Jock's will were. Lucy and Mickey. Now there is a real "Romeo and Juliet" story.

 

[Chris2]

That would have been a nice line in TNT Dallas, but it would have required Lucy to be on the show for more than 30 seconds.

I agree that Rebecca was an awful woman. I could never stand it when she got up on her moral high horse.

 

[Barbara Fan]

No, it doesn't "show her favoritism towards Bobby", for godssake. Her comment simply shows she realizes her late husband has set the boys up for a battle which can leave no family member unscathed.

Totally agree @Snarky's Ghost - her favoritism towards Bobby isnt remotely what her comment is about, its her realisation and insight that Jock has pitted her boys against one another and it will turn into a battle zone for control and power of EO

 

[Kenny Coyote]

I agree that Rebecca was an awful woman. I could never stand it when she got up on her moral high horse.

I remember at some point Cliff says: "Mama you are vengeful"! Coming from Cliff, that really says something.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Totally agree @Snarky's Ghost - her favoritism towards Bobby isnt remotely what her comment is about, its her realisation and insight that Jock has pitted her boys against one another and it will turn into a battle zone for control and power of EO

I'd agree if she'd said that after it had been explained that Jock was seeing up a contest, but she said that before the contest was mentioned. She'd just heard these words: "Ewing Oil can have only one man at the helm and that's got to be the man that wants it the most." That sounds like he's describing JR and is about to explain that he's giving JR controlling interest.