Kenny Coyote
Telly Talk Star
I've never seen him in anything but Dallas. I think the actor was alright; I don't think he was a bad actor. It was the way the character was written that limited his possible value to the show.
Jack was one of those people who thinks his problems all come from the place where he lives so he keeps moving from town to town. People like him are looking for a geographical cure for their problems, not realizing that they are the cause of their own problems, so of course they have trouble in every single different place they move to.
Jack and Jenna got along well for a while. I never got the idea Jack would have had the kind of maturity Ray had to be able or even willing to become a stepfather for Charlie. Jack had some immature notions besides his search for a geographical cure for his problems. He didn't seem to think he needed money to live, but we all do. Who would turn down 200 million dollars for a piece of paper that said he was part owner of a company that he had no say in how it was run? He didn't even work there (in season 10) and didn't seem to have any other full time job either, but he'd rather have the sentimental value of owning 10% of Ewing Oil than the money? Then he sells his $200 million dollar share of Ewing Oil to Jamie for a dollar. He acted like such a child!
Also whenever something would go wrong in his life, or become difficult, he'd pull a Gary and run away. He wasn't even responsible enough to tell anyone, even his sister, where he was going. He'd just disappear. So I really don't see that he was even close to being mature enough to get married and become a stepfather to a teenager.
When Dallas began, every character was written in a way that he or she had intrinsic value to the show. Every character was written in a way so as to be valuable to the show. Jack was not written in that way. He was one of those characters they added to the show much later on but just added to the show without any real vision as to what value he'd contribute to the show. In running a TV show, just like running any other business, without vision you perish.
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Snarky Oracle!
Telly Talk Supreme
Or remove the sock.
But, no, Rambo wasn't a dreadful actor. His character arrived just before the dream and left just after it, so the bizarre transition mid-series didn't benefit Jack & Jamie's identities.
But, no, Rambo wasn't a dreadful actor. His character arrived just before the dream and left just after it, so the bizarre transition mid-series didn't benefit Jack & Jamie's identities.
Rove
Telly Talk Warrior
Agreed. I had no issues with Dack as an actor but unfortunately he got caught up in the shenanigans going on behind the scenes. It didn't help the stories post Swan Song were not up to the standard that Dallas had achieved.
Lastkidpicked
Telly Talk Dream Maker
Jack Ewing is one of the characters who had potential, but they just didn't know what to do with him after the dream season.
What potential?
I'm glad you asked!
When J.R. tried to buy out Jack's share of Ewing Oil, Jack told him, "I don't need a lot of money. What I do need is to have fun. And sticking around to be a thorn in your side sounds like fun to me."
And this is just the kind of irritant that Larry Hagman plays against so well. There is nothing he can to to Jack. He can't buy him off, he can't scare him off, he can't get rid of him!
Add to this, what other character can we name who is sticking around just for the fun of it?
Rove
Telly Talk Warrior
I did have Ray in mind but he would respond to JR's taunts with fists rather than being a thorn in his side for the fun of it.
Seaviewer
Telly Talk Warrior
On that I agree. I think he had unrealised potential. And then Duffy's return made him "surplus to requirements".
stevew
Telly Talk Star
Some major writing mistakes too. Owning 10% means you get income from the profit of the company. So it might be worth $200 million in one lump sum but you could be making ten million or more a year, every year. That’s reason enough to keep it. And you can’t just sell such an asset to your sister for $1. That equals a gift of $200 million dollars - $1 - $10,000 (at the time if I remember correctly) allowable annual gifts to one person = a lot of gift tax. The rates range up to 40% today, don’t recall at the time but I’m certain similar if not higher at the time. So just applying some reality to the situation and the character would have been more believable in his actions. Plus I’d say there was a lot of room for him to grow. If Bobby hadn’t come back from the dead I think he could have developed into something more substantial of a character.
stevew
Telly Talk Star
Given the right woman (or man) in his life and this attitude would have changed. People do grow up. This leaves lots of room for growth - and that’s an interesting story. Not the same old guy over and over again.
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stevew
Telly Talk Star
Agreed - at that time you saw the potential for the character.