• The forum is about to undergo some crucial server updates

    There may be a little downtime, but we'll be back online as soon as possible.

    Watch this thread for updates

Looking Back On It, There's Absolutely No Way JR Or Bobby Would Accept Clayton As "Head Of The Household."

Jock-O-Lantern

Jock-O-Lantern

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Shortly after JR leaves Southfork after Miss Ellie and Clayton tell him and Bobby that Clayton is now co-owner of Southfork, JR returns and wants to come back to Southfork. Miss Ellie welcomes him back with open arms and says "as long as you know that Clayton is the head of the household." After watching that episode, I'm thinking, there's no way a couple of fully grown successful men, both are probably worth $100's of millions, would be OK with another man being the head of a household that they have literally financed and grew up in. It was one thing to go along with that when their dad was living, but I can't think of any scenario where they'd just willingly accept that under Clayton.

I know, I know, it made for great TV and having them all under one roof saved production costs. But there had to be another way to make JR and Bobby not look so submissive. I mean seriously, they both have their sons there and another man is in charge of their homes?
 
Spooky Owl!

Spooky Owl!

Telly Talk Supreme
Yeah, it's an attempt to create conflict, but they should've done it in a slightly different way... When Miss Ellie dies, are Bobby and JR going to be expected to pay rent to Dusty, the new owner of Southfork?
 
Count Jockula

Count Jockula

Telly Talk TV Fanatic

It was very amusing how J.R. reacted when he found out Ellie had made Clayton co-owner, in 1988. He spat some typical J.R. uncouth stuff and then Clayton tried to reason with him.

Angela Chilling said:
JR and Bobby were grown men and multi-millionaires who were still living with their mama, which was ridiculous in itself. Clayton sold his family's ranch so he could live in the house of his wife's dead husband, was also ridiculous. JR and Bobby accepting Clayton as head of the household wasn't the only part of the storyline that was hard to believe.
Click to expand...

The same could be said of Lance and Julia living with Angela, in the Falcon Crest mansion. A case could be made for Emma, as she was special.


Clayton and Sue Ellen are going to have lunch, in downtown Dallas. He tells her Ellie has called off their impending marriage; (a scene from season 6, DVD-7, 1983-'84):

Clayton: "Marriage would cause problems. Problems with the boys, problems with Southfork."

Sue Ellen: "But you’ve been over that ground before. I thought you’d reached some kind of an understanding. Besides, Bobby and Ray are no problem."

Clayton: "I don’t believe any of the boys are a problem."

Sue Ellen: "You don’t think that J.R. has anything to do with it?"

Clayton: "No! Ellie sounded scared and that’s not like her. Very little scares her and certainly not J.R."
Sue Ellen: "Well, he could have made her feel guilty in some way."

Clayton: "No, it has to do with me. I don’t know what it is."

Sue Ellen: "Clayton, how much has Miss Ellie told you about herself? About her life with Jock?"

Clayton: "I think I know most of it. We spent a lot of time together."

Sue Ellen: "But not as together as you would be if you were married."

Clayton: "No."

Sue Ellen: "Then … don’t give up on her. I don’t think she’s told you everything."

Clayton: "Sue Ellen, I do have my pride. The woman says she doesn’t want me and I have to believe her."

Sue Ellen: "Talk to her again."

A waitress approaches, to take their order.

Clayton: "No, no, no. Thank you! Would you mind if we skipped lunch? I’d like to spend some time with myself."

Sue Ellen: "Of course. I understand."

Clayton holds out the chair, for Sue Ellen. They walk off.
 
Scorp Noire

Scorp Noire

Telly Talk Member
Top Poster Of Month
Jock-O-Lantern said:
Shortly after JR leaves Southfork after Miss Ellie and Clayton tell him and Bobby that Clayton is now co-owner of Southfork, JR returns and wants to come back to Southfork. Miss Ellie welcomes him back with open arms and says "as long as you know that Clayton is the head of the household." After watching that episode, I'm thinking, there's no way a couple of fully grown successful men, both are probably worth $100's of millions, would be OK with another man being the head of a household that they have literally financed and grew up in. It was one thing to go along with that when their dad was living, but I can't think of any scenario where they'd just willingly accept that under Clayton.

I know, I know, it made for great TV and having them all under one roof saved production costs. But there had to be another way to make JR and Bobby not look so submissive. I mean seriously, they both have their sons there and another man is in charge of their homes?
Click to expand...
I totally agree. By doing so, and though she may not have meant it that way, she was essentially sending her sons a message that their Daddy had been replaced. Pretty disgusting to do that to your children, even if they're adults.
 
Last edited:
Piggyrella Sanderson

Piggyrella Sanderson

Maximum Member
IMHO, Jock & Ellie spoiled their sons and never treated them as adults. If I were them, I´d have thrown out all three ass*es the day they turned 18. Gary might have been the "official" alcoholic, but J.R. and Bobby also drank a lot, and even in front of another alcoholic, Sue Ellen. That´s a symptom. That family was full of dysfunction, and David Jacobs was the brilliant mind behind it because it was already there on Day One.

Ellie had all the rights to marry another man and even give him the ownership of all Southfork if she wanted to. It actually belonged to her, and also to Jock when he was alive, but that´s all. Their sons didn't care much about the ranch; even Bobby had jobs that kept him away.

I don´t understand how much Clayton is disliked around here lately. He gave up everything he had to live with his new wife, though I wonder if Dusty was ever asked about selling their ranch. He took a lot of bs from J.R. daily and had to see the woman he was in love with, Sue Ellen, also daily.

If the sons were immature and dependent, the blame was all theirs; let´s not blame the parents for every dumb thing the sons did. Jock was a hard worker, and Ellie had to raise her granddaughter Lucy. The point is, if they had lived each in a different house in Dallas, the show wouldn´t have been as fun. More realistic, probably yes.
 
Scorp Noire

Scorp Noire

Telly Talk Member
Top Poster Of Month
I don't dislike Clayton. And I agree she had the right to do what she did. I just don't know that it was the right way to handle it. I also agree about the drinking and that applies to the whole lot all of them, not just Bobby and JR. As for grown adults living in that house, a big part of that falls on her too. But it did make for some excellent dang television and that's why we're all here still discussing it over 30 years later. :)
 
CryptCreeper72

CryptCreeper72

Telly Talk Star
I always liked Clayton (although he did give me creeper vibes when he threatened to put Lucy over his knee and spank her). He gave up a lot to marry Ellie. Neither he nor Ellie ever considered their kids in their decisions though. Ellie was insistent that the boys and their families stay at Southfork, but she didn't seem to care of Southfork stayed on her family after she died.
 
Top