If You Were Gary, Would All The Love You Had For Jock Be Gone After The Stipulation He Put In The Will?

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
Billy Wall said:
How long did Ray have it before he went broke? Again, Gary’s a grown man. He loses that money, that’s on him. He doesn’t need Jock looking out for him. Even though that’s just a cop out excuse for Jock to, one last time, to present Gary as the “weaker” Ewing.
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Gary wasn't the "weaker" Ewing.

Yes he had problems. He was an alcoholic.

He also wasn't perceived as being masculine because he liked poetry amongst other things.

He wasn't Jock's favourite either. That was Bobby.

He had a raw deal Gary. However his biggest failing was the inability to stand on his own two feet and take what his Father dished out!

I guess he was ultimately a weak man and that's also partly why his bequest in Jock's will had that stipulation. :)
 
Mustard

Mustard

Telly Talk TV Fanatic
In some ways, Ray was much weaker. Ray had far more issues with low self-esteem than Gary. Gary always had a certain inner confidence and ability not to dwell on a failure for too long. Ray could eat himself up with his guilt or shame after failures. Gary had certain issues when Jock died, but he dealt with it better than J.R. and Ray (who were a mess), although not as well as Bobby.
 
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Billy Wall

Billy Wall

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Via The Void said:
Gary wasn't the "weaker" Ewing.

Yes he had problems. He was an alcoholic.

He also wasn't perceived as being masculine because he liked poetry amongst other things.

He wasn't Jock's favourite either. That was Bobby.

He had a raw deal Gary. However his biggest failing was the inability to stand on his own two feet and take what his Father dished out!

I guess he was ultimately a weak man and that's also partly why his bequest in Jock's will had that stipulation. :)
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Why should you have to stand there and “take what someone dishes out?” It’s the father’s job to understand the son. Like Miss Ellie said, “you never tried to get to know him.” They could have had a better relationship, but Gary didn’t fit what a true man was to Jock.

Now this is where Miss Ellie IS somewhat hypocritical. Even she implied that Gary was weak because he didn’t stand there and fight like JR and Bobby. Who, I might add, became borderline psychopaths during the battle for Ewing Oil. And even we’ll into their adult years, even after Jock had died, felt the need to win his admiration. Gary wasn’t into all of that. Gary did the right thing and got away from Southfork.
 
C

Chris2

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Billy Wall said:
And even we’ll into their adult years, even after Jock had died, felt the need to win his admiration. Gary wasn’t into all of that. Gary did the right thing and got away from Southfork.
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By real-world standards, Gary isn’t the black sheep at all, but is in fact the most normal Ewing. He left to live his own life as an adult, while his brothers continue to live at home as adults, with mama. It reminds me of that King of the Hill” episode where Hank thinks the “Dallas” theme song has lyrics: “JR, JR, he's a really bad guy who lives on a ranch with his mom.” LOL.
 
Snarky Oracle!

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
Having to subsist for four years on the interest from his share of Ewing Oil seems like a cross one could bear. It might have been wrong-headed on Jock's part -- the whole damned family were alcoholics, for goodness's sake -- but there are worse humiliations than several million dollars per year.

At least Jock didn't cut him out entirely.
 
J

Jock Ewing Fan

Telly Talk Star
It seems a little complicated.

Gary may have been unhappy with Jock's will, but he also may have felt guilt and shame that his behavior
led Jock to such actions - he may have felt that he let down his Father.

I am not quite sure that I remember the backstory of how Lucy was raised at Southfork.
Is it possible that JR was Lucy's biological Father?

Also the writing seems inconsistent.

If Miss Ellie was such a strong woman and she favored Gary, why didn't she stand up to Jock and JR and
defend Gary?

Personally, I think it is because as usual, Miss Ellie only cared about her self-centered interest
and nothing else mattered as long as it didn't disrupt her world.
 
J

Jimmy Todd

Telly Talk Mega Star
Jock Ewing Fan said:
It seems a little complicated.

Gary may have been unhappy with Jock's will, but he also may have felt guilt and shame that his behavior
led Jock to such actions - he may have felt that he let down his Father.

I am not quite sure that I remember the backstory of how Lucy was raised at Southfork.
Is it possible that JR was Lucy's biological Father?

Also the writing seems inconsistent.

If Miss Ellie was such a strong woman and she favored Gary, why didn't she stand up to Jock and JR and
defend Gary?

Personally, I think it is because as usual, Miss Ellie only cared about her self-centered interest
and nothing else mattered as long as it didn't disrupt her world.
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Your post conveys what made Dallas, especially seasons 1-6, and Knots Landing such great shows. The characters were so layered and fascinating.
 
D

DallasFanForever

Telly Talk Supreme
I can definitely see Jock’s side of why he did what he did. It’s his money to give out and he didn’t want to see it squandered. Obviously one can’t control that when he’s gone though. Lots of people are left inheritances and run through it all in a matter of no time so I can see Jock’s point given Gary’s demons.

To answer the question this thread asks, if I was Gary I definitely couldn’t have been too upset. The interest alone gave him several million dollars regardless. He didn’t exactly get the shaft in that deal.
 
Mustard

Mustard

Telly Talk TV Fanatic
Jock Ewing Fan said:
It seems a little complicated.
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It is.

Jock Ewing Fan said:
Gary may have been unhappy with Jock's will, but he also may have felt guilt and shame that his behavior
led Jock to such actions - he may have felt that he let down his Father.
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Partly. Gary also feels that Jock let him down. Gary will express regret that he wasn't stronger, but he won't go to Ray's lengths with self-pity or deference.

Jock Ewing Fan said:
I am not quite sure that I remember the backstory of how Lucy was raised at Southfork.
Is it possible that JR was Lucy's biological Father?
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No. What on Earth put that idea in your head about J.R.? A 17-year-old Gary met 15-year-old Valene in a diner after rowing with his family that day. They got married just 3 days later and spent months by themselves. Val was pregnant with Lucy (Gary being the father) before pestering Gary to take her to Southfork to meet his family. She later called this the biggest mistake of her life. J.R. hated Val more than anyone at that time, a poor trashy girl who dared to have the first grandchild of Jock Ewing's?! Jock was like "Gary, you've got responsibilities now, being a husband and father, so you make damn sure you take care of them, or you'll have me to answer to". Gary's instinct now when confronted with all this responsibility is to start withdrawing, start drinking, perhaps run away.

Jock Ewing Fan said:
Also the writing seems inconsistent.

If Miss Ellie was such a strong woman and she favored Gary, why didn't she stand up to Jock and JR and
defend Gary?
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She did, but she didn't die on the hill for it, which she later regretted.

Jock Ewing Fan said:
Personally, I think it is because as usual, Miss Ellie only cared about her self-centered interest
and nothing else mattered as long as it didn't disrupt her world.
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What would Jock and J.R. have done if Miss Ellie had stepped up her protests further? Would it be worth the sacrifice? These are important questions.
 
S

Snowcat

Telly Talk Active Member
Via The Void said:
Certainly not.

Even Gary should whole heartedly acknowledge that he had a drink problem.

The only reason Jock put that stipulation in his bequest was to stop Gary squandering his inheritance.

Gary should be thankful that his Father cared enough about him to do that.

It's clear from that bequest that Jock loved Gary very much, no matter what there differences were when Jock was alive.

Jock only wanted to do the best for all of his sons. And to be honest I think he did the best he could do. :)

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I agree with you mostly, but Jock had just re done his will. He had seen Gary settle down. I don’t think that was necessary
 
the-lost-son

the-lost-son

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
I love these discussions about Gary on Dallas. He only appeared in 6 episodes but he left quite a mark. As I never had the possibility to watch Knots Landing the Dallas episodes are all I can judge the character upon.

Like all alcoholics at that time (SueEllen for example) they were portrayed as weak. That's more or less everything the only information the Dallas episodes are giving us on Gary in contrast to the orher male family members like power-hungry Jock&JR, upstanding Bobby and proud Ray.

If you take a closer look how Dallas producers worked, there is a pattern to introduce characters at one point in order to bring them back later on on a full term basis (Rebecca, Clayton, Donna).
So it's safe to assume that Gary & Valene were intended to return permanently (hadn't Dallas and KL not been the success they were).
In a show which had family, legacy and birthright in its centre the storylines are endless.
In my "dream" scenario Gary & Val" would have returned after Bobby's death. I hoped back then he would stay.

But these six short episodes are quite little for me to base an opinion on.
 
Mustard

Mustard

Telly Talk TV Fanatic
Snowcat said:
Gary & valene left Lucy. No one forced them
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Gary left Lucy. Valene didn't. She went back to get Lucy, had Lucy ripped out of her arms later, fought hard and persistently for some time to get Lucy back, enough for J.R. to issue a death threat. That's Valene all over, i.e. looking vulnerable on the surface but very tough and persistent with every setback. Even that death threat didn't stop Val going back to Texas to work, and to see Lucy in secret when Lucy was a teenager.
 
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Billy Wall

Billy Wall

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Mustard said:
Gary left Lucy. Valene didn't. She went back to get Lucy, had Lucy ripped out of her arms later, fought hard and persistently for some time to get Lucy back, enough for J.R. to issue a death threat. That's Valene all over, i.e. looking vulnerable on the surface but very tough and persistent with every setback. Even that death threat didn't stop Val going back to Texas to work, and to see Lucy in secret when Lucy was a teenager.
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I really liked Valine. She told JR right to his face that she wasn’t afraid of him. And when JR got shot, she didn’t show any sympathy for him. Why should she?
 
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