What Was He Going To Say??

[Bobby Southworth]

In episode 21 of season 4, at the end, just before the phone rings, and Sue Ellen finds out that Kristin has given birth, JR and Sue Ellen had been having a reflective conversation about the good times of their marriage. Sue Ellen, at this point seems more motivated(at least to me) about the memories, and just before the phone rings, JR starts to say, "Sue Ellen..". What would he have said had that call not come? I've never seen this discussed, but it mostly just seems to be remembered as a somewhat tender moment between the two before Kristen's call ruined it. To me, I've always thought that JR was going to come out and tell her he wants a divorce because of his infatuation with Leslie Stewart.. If memory serves, Leslie was pushing JR to do just this at the time. Does anyone agree that he was going to say something in regards to the marriage being over, or do you think it would have been something more positive about their relationship?

 

[Julia's Gun]

He was going to ask her to tell Miss Ellie to change the coffee.

 

[Bobby Southworth]

He was going to ask her to tell Miss Ellie to change the coffee.

Or "Sue Ellen, you're a drunk, a tramp, and an unfit mother, I'm marrying Leslie Stewart so I can finally have sex with her"..what a waste that would have been, considering on the honeymoon, they would have both discovered how bad their future sex life would ultimately turn out to be. Quickest divorce in the state of Texas?

 

[LoganRhinewood]

I think he was probably indeed going to tell Sue Ellen about his wish for a divorce. However, knowing JR, he might also simply have said something about Ewing Oil's latest office renovations or something, lol.

 

[DallasFanForever]

When watching that scene I’ve always had the impression he was going to say something more positive, given the honesty of the moment. I won’t even rule out the fact that he might’ve been about to ask her what she thinks about another reconciliation, but as mentioned that doesn’t really fit his plans with Leslie at the time. With J.R. it’s highly plausible he’d say something she wanted to hear just so he can spend the night with her and then the next day continue his plans with Leslie anyway.

I don’t remember ever having this discussion before so a great idea for a thread.

 

[LMLDallas78]

In the scene prior to this JR finds Sue Ellen asleep with baby John on her lap in the nursery. She tells JR the baby has his father's eyes and his eyes were what attracted her to him. JR responds with, "thought it was my money".

They talk in the bedroom and Sue Ellen's tender towards JR (she'd just ended it with Clint) He's still not receptive to her at this moment, but he's enjoying them talking about seeing her with all the other beauty contestants and how she felt when JR brought her to Southfork. He also says the best thing they ever did was sleeping next door.

I believe for a small moment JR felt guilty for his thoughts about Leslie and coming home to find the mother of his son in the nursery and how tender she was being, he suddenly felt caught between his lust for Leslie and love for his wife.


If he was going to ask for a divorce I think he would have. He wasn't that considerate of her feelings, or at least the next morning when Sue Ellen brushes him off refusing to talk about the phone call infront of her son, he would have insisted.


Maybe he lost his bottle which is hard to believe when he later questions her about her latest attack of dedicated motherhood being short lived and wouldn't she rather have an apartment or hotel for her gentleman friends. Attack is the strongest form of defence and he could've easily asked about divorce then.

Of course Sue Ellen was going into town to get clothes for John Ross and Dusty found her.

 

[Bobby Southworth]

In the scene prior to this JR finds Sue Ellen asleep with baby John on her lap in the nursery. She tells JR the baby has his father's eyes and his eyes were what attracted her to him. JR responds with, "thought it was my money".

They talk in the bedroom and Sue Ellen's tender towards JR (she'd just ended it with Clint) He's still not receptive to her at this moment, but he's enjoying them talking about seeing her with all the other beauty contestants and how she felt when JR brought her to Southfork. He also says the best thing they ever did was sleeping next door.

I believe for a small moment JR felt guilty for his thoughts about Leslie and coming home to find the mother of his son in the nursery and how tender she was being, he suddenly felt caught between his lust for Leslie and love for his wife.


If he was going to ask for a divorce I think he would have. He wasn't that considerate of her feelings, or at least the next morning when Sue Ellen brushes him off refusing to talk about the phone call infront of her son, he would have insisted.


Maybe he lost his bottle which is hard to believe when he later questions her about her latest attack of dedicated motherhood being short lived and wouldn't she rather have an apartment or hotel for her gentleman friends. Attack is the strongest form of defence and he could've easily asked about divorce then.

Of course Sue Ellen was going into town to get clothes for John Ross and Dusty found her.

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You might be right. It's also entirely possible the writers didn't put nearly as much thought into what he was about to say as I did..Laugh. The scene was obviously just a build up for what was about to happen with the phone call, but there was something about J.R's tone of voice, the way he said "Sue Ellen", that sounded more discouraging/tired to me. Like he was about to stop her from continuing down this path of memory lane. I suppose we can interpret what would have happened next sans the phone call however we want, though.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Another thing I’ve often wondered about that scene is what exactly Kristin said on the other end and how she worded it.

“Hi sis, it’s me. I just gave birth to your husband’s kid” really isn’t the best way to start a conversation.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I think the conversation between JR and Sue Ellen had become too intimate, so JR was about to passive-aggressively shut it down --- but then Kristin called.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

When watching that scene I’ve always had the impression he was going to say something more positive, given the honesty of the moment. I won’t even rule out the fact that he might’ve been about to ask her what she thinks about another reconciliation, but as mentioned that doesn’t really fit his plans with Leslie at the time. With J.R. it’s highly plausible he’d say something she wanted to hear just so he can spend the night with her and then the next day continue his plans with Leslie anyway.

I don’t remember ever having this discussion before so a great idea for a thread.

Of all JR's activities, His being with Leslie would have been a major ick factor. She was the least attractive of all his affairs/potential affairs.
JR would have wanted much more attractive women

 

[Bobby Southworth]

Of all JR's activities, His being with Leslie would have been a major ick factor. She was the least attractive of all his affairs/potential affairs.
JR would have wanted much more attractive women

I think it was more of the fact that he couldn't get her that had his lust raging. She was an attractive woman, but let's be real. He had been with Kristin and Afton, and well, not to mention his lovely wife! It was rather hard to believe Leslie could have such a hold on him. Leslie arc was a slump for the second half of season 4. It just kind fell flat in almost every way. The sex even fell flat, but that was probably the best part of the whole story-line. The writers obviously even realized it wasn't working, and that was a funny send off to the story. She was written or played in too dull of a manner.

 

[LMLDallas78]

She was the least attractive of all his affairs/potential affairs

Aww poor Leslie, I wouldn't call her unattractive but they had her looking all wrong.

Far too reserved in her dress sense and oh so slow talking, but maybe that's why JR was attracted to her! Because she WAS different and not his usual type, but then she was a woman with a pulse so I guess she was his type.

She also "made" herself unavailable to him and of course JR loved the chase.

 

[Chris2]

Susan Flannery was compelling performer and an attractive woman. But that white hair. Ugh. She was in her early 40s at the time. And the clothes didn’t help either.

 

[DallasFanForever]

J.R. and Leslie just wasn’t a good fit. I don’t know if it was the actors themselves or the boring storyline that never seemed to end but something seemed really off. Two of the very best actors of prime time and daytime respectively but for some reason when they put them together it just didn’t work.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

for some reason they had Leslie styled and talking like someone from the Mad Men era, but even more conservative in dress.

I could see JR being intrigued by someone intelligent and assertive and not easily attainable, but when she was wildly insubordinate with that “People, Not Profits” environmental nonsense, then outright looking to sabotage Ewing Oil by using her recordings on the Texas Senate witness stand… How could he just brush that aside and still be smitten to the point of wanting to marry her?! Preposterous!

 

[LMLDallas78]

How could he just brush that aside and still be smitten to the point of wanting to marry her?

You're right, JR would never normally stand for that especially from a "broad".

He would want to exact his revenge on her, not continue to want her the way he did. He would have got good old Dirty Harry (McSween) to have her done for soliciting or maybe not being as she was such a let down for JR.

 

[tommie]

J.R. and Leslie just wasn’t a good fit. I don’t know if it was the actors themselves or the boring storyline that never seemed to end but something seemed really off. Two of the very best actors of prime time and daytime respectively but for some reason when they put them together it just didn’t work.

I've never truly thought Susan Flannery had good chemistry with her male paramours on screen and in hindsight it makes sense That sort of anti-chemistry worked for Stephanie Forrester, who was meant to be the cold matriarch, but having JR go completely crazy over Leslie to wanting to marry her really just made the lack of energy stand out. Like @Bobby Southworth mentioned, the sex falling completely flat was the best part of the story because it was funny. If anything I would've played it like they had sex only because it would seem a given for the two of them because of the sort of people they were (ruthless and stepping over people) and been like wow, this is bad. lol

 

[LoganRhinewood]

Add me to the "Nah I don't feel the whole Leslie Stewart relationship" list as well. It's not because she wasn't JR's type - we all go against type occasionally, it happens - but more because of the lack of chemistry between both the characters and the actors. I always wonder what a marriage between Leslie and JR would have been like because I absolutely CANNOT see Leslie Stewart at Southfork having breakfast with the rest of the family. She wouldn't fit in AT ALL.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

in that scene where Leslie upset the Cartel by advising JR not to join them in their strip mining venture, Marilee should have marched over and started smacking the hell out of her. Jordan Lee and the dynamic Andy Bradley (and many viewers at home) would have been titillated senseless.

 

[LoganRhinewood]

in that scene where Leslie upset the Cartel by advising JR not to join them in their strip mining venture, Marilee should have marched over and started smacking the hell out of her. Jordan Lee and the dynamic Andy Bradley (and many viewers at home) would have been titillated senseless.

Yes, please. I'm a HUGE fan of Marilee. I would have LOVED to see that!