Digger Barnes - What if he lived?

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I sometimes think it was a mistake to write out Digger Barnes, especially having been portrayed by David Wayne and Keenan Wynn, two superb actors.

Consider the following:

Digger is deeply depressed, and wakes up in a field after a drinking binge.
His ability to sniff Oil comes in handy, because he senses oil.
He reconnects with Rebecca, Wentworth Company drills, finds oil,
Cliff joins Wentworth, and the Ewing Barnes feud is on somewhat equal terms.
Digger can't run the Company but Cliff can.
Katherine feels dissed for an entirely different reason, and plots a takeover.
Pam and Bobby are caught in the middle of an intense fight.
The battle for Ewing Oil after Jock's death leaves Ewing Oli vulnerable.
JR wins Ewing Oil outright, Bobby and Pam break up as a result of the fight
Bobby becomes a Senator/Congressman, finds Donna to be an ally/lover
finds himself heavily involved in the rivalry
and finds Jenna Wade and marries her.
Pam is alienated on all sides, still loves Bobby,
heads up an environmental organization that is at odds with the Oil Industry
and meets Mark Graison.
JR funds a business venture for Sue Ellen, and she has an affair with Cliff Barnes (again)
A bitter Ray Krebs leaves Southfork, has a relationship with Katherine
Jock would almost certainly have to be recast,
and Jock/Ellie/Digger/Rebecca have a new rivalry/relationship.
JR can't set up Cliff so easily,
Jeremy Wendell tries to manipulate the situation to Weststar's advantage,
maybe allies with Katherine

OK, its fan fiction, maybe not even good fan fiction
but its fun to paint another scenario

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Donna would also be a high level appointee in Texas or Washington
Sue Ellen's business ventures would evolve into supplying equipment to the Oil Industry, leading to some
interesting dynamics

 

[the-lost-son]

Dallas early years were outstanding. But one storyline leaves me back scratching my head, that is Digger's death/Hutch McKinney as Pam's father.

Obviously the producers tried for something big as this was at first intended as the season's finale. But it was pointless. Two episodes later JR was shot with a guessing audience if he might survive. Hutch McKinney as Pam's dad did not work either. It was obviously designed to start Pam's search for her mother. But it could and should have been accomplished without such a cheap stunt for shock value. (Btw I dislike the suggestion of some of us to make Digger JR's father for the same reason in the series' finale.) It's cheap, the often quoted plot-driven writing for shock value and nothing character-driven in it which Dallas managed to portray so well.

Digger (and later Rebecca) left too early. Dallas was at its best with many Ewings and Barneses around. It worked best for me with the Barneses as a counterpart to the Ewings with a matriarch/patriarch.

I would have loved many Digger/Ellie scenes during the Takapa storyline. And maybe Digger getting into business with Rebecca or running Wentworth Tool&die together with Cliff. I would have loved to have him at least one more season, maybe two.

And I would have loved Rebecca to stay around. I know they needed her off the show to let Katherine run wild but I wish there had been another way.

I just love it when these two big dynasties/families sitting at the oil barons' ball staring at each other.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

If Jock has to be re-cast I can think of no better actor than the late Steve Forrest.

His performances as both Ben Stivers and Wes Parmalee were sublime. He is an excellent actor and had great chemistry with Barbara Bel Geddes. His friendship with both Clayton & Ray was a joy to watch until they both started to believe he was a conman out to defraud the Ewing's, which of course he certainly was not. Well, at least in my opinion he wasn't.