Dallas Couples JR & Sue Ellen - Swoonalicious Appreciation Thread

[Sarah]

Ok so I find this first scene (and the second even more so) VERY difficult to watch. I know all the words, so I watch them with the sound down because I feel it too deeply.

Interesting thing that comes with no sound, is that you're forced (not that I need to be forced) to watch things even more closely. The expressions, the body language...

Now it is no secret that JR is as mad as hell here - and Sue Ellen is riding the wave of her triumph BUT..... between him shouting I swear I can see pangs of regret and pain in his face....like he never thought SHE would do this to him, never thought she would go.... he yells at her saying she should not have done it, but neglects to own up to any of his misdeeds claiming 'it was business, you know damn well it was' as if she is supposed to excuse it.

Does anyone else see what I mean here? If you turn off the sound you get a better idea of what I mean - would love to know what you think.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I watched it once without the sound and once with and I see what ur saying either way. Of course he’s filled with pain and regret, and I don’t think it’s just because she took Weststar away from him. He’s saying he wants her to leave and he has the sheriff waiting for her but despite his anger he does still care about her. It wouldn’t hurt if he didn’t, and losing Weststar is only part of his anger. I’m sure he also regrets what their relationship has deteriorated to, and he has to be concerned about what their breakup is going to do to John Ross. Yes I know he’s already taken steps to hide their son from her but deep down he knows the boy needs his mother. And even though he was in no mood to admit it here, I’m sure there’s a part of J.R. that has to kinda admire her for what she did. She pulled one of his schemes, beating him at his own game and using one of his mistresses to do it. I’m sure he has to respect that on some level.

 

[Ukdallasfan]

Yes I always felt that. He was hugely annoyed with her but it didn’t change his feelings

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

Not necessarily about their emotions but mine, I always cringe when he throws her cosmetics off the balcony. The cost of replacing all those shattered products hurts my non-Ewing wallet lol

 

[Mrs Bobby James Ewing]

I felt sorry for Sue Ellen when JR throw her clothes and make up at her over the balcony. I am just glad that John Ross and Christopher weren’t there to witness It.

 

[Sarah]

I watched it once without the sound and once with and I see what ur saying either way. Of course he’s filled with pain and regret, and I don’t think it’s just because she took Weststar away from him. He’s saying he wants her to leave and he has the sheriff waiting for her but despite his anger he does still care about her. It wouldn’t hurt if he didn’t, and losing Weststar is only part of his anger. I’m sure he also regrets what their relationship has deteriorated to, and he has to be concerned about what their breakup is going to do to John Ross. Yes I know he’s already taken steps to hide their son from her but deep down he knows the boy needs his mother. And even though he was in no mood to admit it here, I’m sure there’s a part of J.R. that has to kinda admire her for what she did. She pulled one of his schemes, beating him at his own game and using one of his mistresses to do it. I’m sure he has to respect that on some level.

Oh wow thank you DFF!! I was really interested in what people thought as I can't watch the scene without my heart hurting, but when I did, with the sound down I saw things I hadn't seen before. Was it the first part you watched, with him coming home and packing her stuff (some of her stuff!) I agree with what you say and I'm almost sure as she's walking away, he smiles a little bit as he watches her walk down the hall. Thank you so much for the reply - I was worried I wasn't being objective enough but I just had to ask because of what I'd noticed. :bravo:

 

[Sarah]

Not necessarily about their emotions but mine, I always cringe when he throws her cosmetics off the balcony. The cost of replacing all those shattered products hurts my non-Ewing wallet lol

Feel free to tell me about your own emotions. I am very interested and want to keep discussion flowing (like an oil well!):ty:It's really the FIRST scene I'm interested in, not the one with him throwing the 'very expensive' make up off the balcony. I hate that scene. It is so sad

 

[Ukdallasfan]

I hated both scenes which were the culmination of the dreadful plot line involving Kimberley Cryder and the fight for West Star. I know I’ve said it before but how did the writers expect us to believe that JR would just decide to go off with KC when things had been so good with Sue Ellen? It just wasn’t credible and it really annoys me. Plus, I don’t think there was much, if any, chemistry between Larry and Leigh. It seemed forced and their sex scenes were icky. I realise that the writers were probably having to prepare for Linda’s departure from the show but did they really have to twist the story to that?

 

[Sarah]

I agree @Ukdallasfan - if you look very closely at one of the scenes where Larry and Leigh (I refuse to use their character names here) are kidding outside - they aren’t kissing at all. The camera angle just makes it look like they are.

What are your thoughts on the link I posted? (Particularly the first scene)

 

[Ukdallasfan]

I agree with you. Watched it with the sound on mute and there’s a subtlety to JR’s facial expressions that, to my mind, shows a real regret that it had got so far between them and there was pretty much no going back

 

[Sarah]

Thanks for watching @Ukdallasfan - I only noticed this for the first time yesterday which is why I wanted to talk about it. I don’t rewatch anything once the KC story starts as I find it agonising to the point it will put me in a really bad mood.

But as I was in work so early I had YouTube on and it popped up. The chemistry is still off the chart.

As the article I have from that time states, “He should have stayed with Sue Ellen. Despite everything she suffered at the hands of JR, she still loved him. But when he was so hurt by her actions he hid it so well that it was impossible for them to patch up their relationship.”

In other words, JR is King of the Jackasses. :fist:

 

[Ukdallasfan]

I’ve been re- watching season three on Amazon Prime and I’m still noticing things I hadn’t before. I know that their relationship is at an extreme low but I’m left wondering if he would have started the affair with Kristin if Sue Ellen hadn’t rejected him so forcefully? There are times when he’s looking at her so lustfully as though willing her to make an advance or accept one, like that scene where she tells him he’s as romantic as his daddy’s pit bull lol! I know he got fired up by seeing Kristin in her bikini but then she comes out looking so great in that red swimsuit I feel he had genuinely turned his attention to her after that. I’ve also been reminded of how sarcastic she could be with him. For example, when she sweetly tells him that she wished she’d been adopted by him not married to him. He’s not listening to her and just answers “what?” It’s so funny

 

[Ukdallasfan]

Just watched the episode Rodeo from season three. It’s clear right from the beginning that JR is properly hankering after Sue Ellen and wow is he riled when she’s spending time with Dusty at the rodeo. He puts Kristin right in her place when she says Sue Ellen is looking down her nose at her. Then looks SO miserable when she and Dusty are sitting eating and chatting together. Now, Sue Ellen says to Kristin that he’s down only because she’s something that he can’t have but I reckon it’s much more. What do you think?

 

[Alexis Colby Carrington]

Just watched the episode Rodeo from season three. It’s clear right from the beginning that JR is properly hankering after Sue Ellen and wow is he riled when she’s spending time with Dusty at the rodeo. He puts Kristin right in her place when she says Sue Ellen is looking down her nose at her. Then looks SO miserable when she and Dusty are sitting eating and chatting together. Now, Sue Ellen says to Kristin that he’s down only because she’s something that he can’t have but I reckon it’s much more. What do you think?

This is one of my favourite episodes. I loved dusty and I loved how Sue Ellen was when she was with him. The perfect ending for her would be him coming to take her away from south fork. It’s clear to see that JR was jealous. He thought she would always come running back to him.

 

[Sarah]

This is one of my favourite episodes. I loved dusty and I loved how Sue Ellen was when she was with him. The perfect ending for her would be him coming to take her away from south fork. It’s clear to see that JR was jealous. He thought she would always come running back to him.

Linda once said that Sue Ellen ONLY loved JR and she's right. She may have had deep feelings for Dusty but it wasn't the same as what she felt for JR. I would never ever want to see them apart because when it eventually did happen, it was the end of the show as we knew it. Having said that, Dusty would have been a better fit than Don Lockwood when Sue Ellen did leave. Of course JR was miserable when he saw her with Dusty, because he wondered what Dusty could give her that he couldn't. 'I want you to smile at me the way you do that cowboy'. JR resented him deeply - he earned the golden title of 'Saddletramp'. That's contempt.

I think you are right @Ukdallasfan - and it's been explained through the wonderful words of @CeeCee72 on another part of the site. JR always either went to another woman when Sue Ellen had rejected him, or chased what he wanted at any given time - thinking Sue Ellen would always come back to him, which worked for a while, until she decided not to take it anymore (after Kimberley). Kristin was a challenge - but he would never have gone there had he and Sue Ellen not been having problems. Even if he did it was never going to be a long term thing.

My belief is that NO ONE was a long term thing for JR - except Sue Ellen. He figured she'd always be around. He underestimated her and vastly took her for granted. Not only her love but her intelligence too.

I always blame him, because with him, the majority of the fault does lie, but she really needed to put her foot down sooner than she did. Instead of punishing him by staying in a separate room, she should have left the Ranch (until he came crawling back), but I will not blame her for her alcoholism, which overruled many of her decisions back then. She wasn't strong enough. She grew to be stronger than he ever was. And, at the very end, she had him in the palm of her hand.

As Linda said, "She makes him come to her. Come...to the Queen..."

 

[Karin]

I think it's interesting how much background music and dialogue is a part of a scene and how if you replace the sound can convey something different with the same source material. I've noticed it over and over again when I edit together fan music videos. Larry and Linda were perfectly cast as JR and Sue Ellen. They had chemistry and were both really great actors. I think it really comes across when you rewatch scenes with them.

Also a scene that comes to mind especially that got better with a different music background is the scene where she begins drinking again after his funeral on Dallas TNT. It is a really powerful moment and the pain is so visible on her face and yet the first time I saw it the moment was ruined for me with that background sound that really didn't fit. Does anyone else have any thoughts on that scene?

Then as for the early years, I do believe that JR was the love of her life and that Sue Ellen was the love of his. I believe Sue Ellen loved Dusty. But never in the same way as she loved JR and yes JR was jealous of Dusty. He felt like the other man was moving in on what was his. I remember another great scene between the men when they squared off at the Dallas stadium and JR was mocking Dusty because he couldn't keep Sue Ellen satisifed in bed now when he was impotent.

 

[Ukdallasfan]

That scene in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium was epic! Both actors smashed it but JR’s jealousy was all too evident. Despite their difficulties Sue Ellen was always the only one for him

 

[DallasFanForever]

I always enjoyed the scene at the Cotton Bowl. I love the difference in their arrivals, Dusty coming in by helicopter but JR just driving right in to the stadium. Both actors were terrific here and their verbal sparring over Sue Ellen comes off as so believable. One of my favorite scenes of the entire series!

 

[Sarah]

Sue Ellen was the only woman that JR ever put up a fight for. There are many examples.

Here's a question for the deep thinking amongst you - JR is a hard man to love, so why do you think Sue Ellen did love him so much?

 

[Ukdallasfan]

I’ve thought about that and I think it was because when JR was good he was very very good and she was almost addicted to the happy times. Also, despite his power and ruthlessness, when he was down on his luck her protective instinct kicked in. Finally, they had a hot sex life together