Could Merilee Had Won Her wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Ewing Oil

[Billy Wall]

I'm no lawyer, but it appears that she had a decent case. With her assets (not those assets lol) she could have and should have fought the Ewing's. I'll never understand how she so easily let Bobby intimidate her into dropping the lawsuit. And how did she fall for Bobby's "our families go way back" nonsense. She should have told him, "why didn't you tell your brother?"

Instead, she throws herself at the brother of the man who led to your husband's suicide. SMH

 

[LMLDallas78]

Marilee should've been a much bigger bitch, she was so good at it!
From the very first time we see her in "for love or money" as Sue Ellen's friend (what happened there?) I imagined she was going to be so good. And she was at times.
I agree she gave in far too easily to Bobby's soft talk and then persued JR. Easily could've taken her case against JR a lot further.

Marilee would've been successful enough without chasing JR and should've been a more powerful force against him to take her revenge.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I never could understood how Marilee ended up sleeping with J.R. considering she blamed him for her husband’s death. I loved Marilee on the show but I feel this actually weakened the character.

Marilee had the money and power to be a thorn in the Ewings sides for years. She should’ve gone after them with a vengeance. She could’ve been the female version of Wendell.

 

[lbf522]

I though it was strange for Marilee to be having sex with JR in later episodes instead of going after him and Ewing Oil. I am not a lawyer but she could have had a case against Ewing Oil and should have gone with it. Its like with Holly Harwood and Katherine Wentworth. They were not allowed to be a challenge to the Ewings in business.

 

[LMLDallas78]

They were not allowed to be a challenge to the Ewings in business.

Dallas couldn't possibly have women that were too strong willed or powerful who could get the better of a Ewing.
Both Holly and Marilee were wasted and could've been so much better.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

It's like when Donna told JR on one of the earlier episodes that she would destroy him. Despite the fact that with her money, connections and intelligence Donna was a credible threat, it never went anywhere after that. The women of Dallas were not going to be significant challenges unless they resorted to a handgun.
Marlee could still have been a third on JR's side as part of the cartel and Working with Cliff on occasion. She did the latter, but then I think she.betrayed him for JR.

 

[Toni]

It's like when Donna told JR on one of the earlier episodes that she would destroy him. Despite the fact that with her money, connections and intelligence Donna was a credible threat, it never went anywhere after that. The women of Dallas were not going to be significant challenges unless they resorted to a handgun.
Marlee could still have been a third on JR's side as part of the cartel and Working with Cliff on occasion. She did the latter, but then I think she.betrayed him for JR.

I remember that Donna told JR that right after being discouraged by Jock about Ray. She probably was very pissed off. Besides, not long after she became part of the family and you don´t destroy brothers-in-law, do you...?

I agree that Marilee was wasted and used for fun or as a pawn in the business plots. However, when they did sleep together, I thought that they were occasional lovers when did bidness...That scene where Marilee is rejected by him was megadumb, because until then, none of them had talked about marriage and she seemed to be beyond maximum humiliation. What a couple of scoundrels!!

"I wanna dine at Southfork and wear Travilla!"
(At least she accomplished one of her wishes...)​

 

[lbf522]

Dallas couldn't possibly have women that were too strong willed or powerful who could get the better of a Ewing.
Both Holly and Marilee were wasted and could've been so much better.

I agree especially with Holly Harwood. I mean her father passes and no one who helped him run the company is there to help her run it so she goes to this person she does not know or heard from. Now its a stretch to me that someone in the oil business would not have heard of JR Ewing and Ewing but put that aside, you are telling me that it would not occur to her to have this person checked out before she gives him a part of her company?

 

[Crimson]

Marilee was my favorite of DALLAS' third tier characters, and the one supporting character that I wish the show had done a lot more with. She's the only female character the writers ever successfully presented as being close to a female JR: shrewd, devious, lusty. I hated how they treated her a joke in the later seasons, but they did the same to JR so, at least, it wasn't misogyny so much as consistently bad writing.

I have no problem with her going from wanting revenge on JR to sleeping with him. Capriciousness is a hallmark of soap characters, but I also think it suited her personality. We never saw much of her husband Seth, right? I recall thinking he was a weak man and, once past her initial grief, Marilee might just have been a merry widow. Plus she was a calculating and pragmatic lady, so I don't find it hard to believe she'd see JR as a good match.

 

[CeeCee72]

I'm not so sure she could have successfully sued for wrongful death. Yes, JR's actions lead to her her husband's suicide, but killing himself was his choice. A good defense lawyer would rip the case to shreds and imply that being married to HER caused her husband to kill himself.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

I don’t know if she could have won, but I’m pretty JR would have done anything to avoid discovery!

 

[Billy Wall]

I'm not so sure she could have successfully sued for wrongful death. Yes, JR's actions lead to her her husband's suicide, but killing himself was his choice. A good defense lawyer would rip the case to shreds and imply that being married to HER caused her husband to kill himself.

I actually looked it up. She could have a case considering JR's actions led to his suicide.

 

[Sarah Danner]

She bedded J.R. after the counter-revolution proved successful. All that money came in and she pushed forward with her whoring ways.

 

[LMLDallas78]

with her whoring ways

I don't recall Marilee being called a whore (despite her whoring ways as you described) even by JR.

It was Rebecca he referred to as a whore when Pam told him baby John belonged with his mother.

He told Sue Ellen the paternity suit wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been "whoring around".

Infact was Marilee even called a "tramp" by anyone?
Another favourite JR word.

 

[Richard Channing]

I don't recall Marilee being called a whore (despite her whoring ways as you described) even by JR.

Although he did once say "Marilee, if you don't hurry someone else is gonna get your street corner".

 

[Billy Wall]

Infact was Marilee even called a "tramp" by anyone?
Another favourite JR word.

No, because she was probably seen as one of the boys after Seth committed suicide. They all had a use for Marilee so she escaped the insults that other women that wasn't in the oil industry had to endure.

 

[LMLDallas78]

No, because she was probably seen as one of the boys after Seth committed suicide. They all had a use for Marilee so she escaped the insults that other women that wasn't in the oil industry had to endure.

Love that analogy, seen as one of the boys, but useful to JR and Cliff when required.

I'm not sure JR was as loose with his mouth to other women as he was with Sue Ellen.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

In real life, wouldn't Ewing Oil have been sued for deceptive business practices?
That probably would have bankrupted the company.
It might have been interesting to see the Ewings battle their way back from that,
with the Ewings and the Barnes forced to ally, but then...there would have been
no tv show as we knew it.

 

[Billy Wall]

In real life, wouldn't Ewing Oil have been sued for deceptive business practices?
That probably would have bankrupted the company.
It might have been interesting to see the Ewings battle their way back from that,
with the Ewings and the Barnes forced to ally, but then...there would have been
no tv show as we knew it.

Absolutely. The entire cartel would have been suing Ewing Oil.

 

[LMLDallas78]

I actually looked it up. She could have a case considering JR's actions led to his suicide.

Was it down to JR's actions though or did Marilee actually murder her husband and JR was blamed?
She very quickly got over her husband's so say suicide.
Maybe she dunnit all along to gain full control of her husband's company. She certainly forgave JR without too much hesitation after Bobby's chat.