Sue Ellen and Clayton

[the-lost-son]

The relationship between Sue Ellen and Clayton was very interesting to watch for me. When I watched these episodes the first time around I‘d never know which direction their relationship was supposed to go. Later it was solely a friendship. But today I wonder if the producers were testing the ground if the audience was willing to accept a romance between the two of them. Although I‘m happy that they kept JR/Sue Ellen and later Ellie/Clayton I wonder if they ever realistically considered pairing the two. Linda Grey could have pulled it of (like everything else she did).
Maybe they later realized that Clayton needed to be a white knight (because Ellie deserved nothing less, same like Mark Graison to Pam).

It‘s quality TV when not every hinted storyline needs to be played out (eg. Holly Harwood, Clayton/Rebecca...)

Do you think a romance between SE and Clayton ever seemed possible?

 

[Billy Wall]

I don’t think it was ever a possibility. Sue Ellen was destined to go back to JR and Clayton was bound to be with Miss Ellie. And his attraction to Sue Ellen was wrong to begin with. She was just with his son/nephew Dusty, now he’s after her?

 

[Justine]

I'm currently watching season 5 and I think if Jim Davis/Jock hadn't died then Clayton and Sue Ellen would have been a definite possibility - there was definitely a chemistry between the actors that went between romantic or father/daughter as it played out to be. Dusty and Sue Ellen's relationship was destined to fail because of his insecurities over being impotent, so it could have been interesting if Sue Ellen stuck around at the Southern Cross and a romance developed with Clayton. He and Jock would have butted heads over John Ross no doubt, I would imagine the writers would have still had J.R. interfere in the relationship and start up an affair with Sue Ellen. Even if that kind of storyline had happened, I think it was inevitable that Sue Ellen remarry J.R. and then Clayton would have been a 2-3 season character.

 

[Chris2]

You could have had Sue Ellen marry Clayton, and then after he dies of a heart attack, she becomes wealthy in her own right and and becomes a rival of the Ewings. Yeah, they did it on Dynasty with Alexis, but might have been more interesting than JR and Sue Ellen’s second marriage and divorce.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I would’ve had no problem with a Clayton-Sue Ellen relationship. I really enjoyed their scenes together and I think they had excellent chemistry. Obviously she was going back with JR at some point and Clayton with Miss Ellie but I could’ve accepted them as a couple. I could see them being very happy together.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

Married to Sue Ellen and not Miss Ellie, Clayton probably would have retained his original ‘noble badass’ persona and not gotten so watered down as ‘Mr. Ellie Ewing‘.

I thought he was a great character initially, but kind of got subsumed by the Southfork Ewing aura.

 

[Richard Channing]

I doubt if a relationship between the two was ever on the cards. I think they needed to give Clayton something to do while they let enough time pass after Jock's death for him and Miss Ellie to get together. So that's probably why they had him infatuated with Sue Ellen for a while.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I doubt if a relationship between the two was ever on the cards. I think they needed to give Clayton something to do while they let enough time pass after Jock's death for him and Miss Ellie to get together. So that's probably why they had him infatuated with Sue Ellen for a while.

This seems the most plausible, imho. The major reason I think would prevent a Clayton and Sue Ellen romance is Dusty. The way Clayton's character was written I can't see him want to pursue a romance with SE because it would hurt Dusty. There's too much awkwardness and humiliation that would ensure, and Clayton is too noble to want to be the cause of that. As @Taylor Bennett Jr. rightly said, Clayton was the "noble badass."
I thought his feelings for SE made for a good storyline though, because it added some tension to seasons 5 and 6 in the relationships of SE, JR, Afton and Miss Ellie. I particularly liked when Afton pointed out his feelings to SE, (who was appalled ) and told her if she herself was being pursued by JR and Cliff, she would toss them both aside for a man like Clayton.

 

[CeeCee72]

Like so many of SE's love interests, Clayton was completely incompatible with her. Cliff was believable to me because she liked using him against JR. Dusty and Nicholas were believable too because of the physical attractions.

Clayton was a ridiculous choice. She saw him as a father figure and she had a long term relationship with his son. Peter was ridiculous - not only because of his youth (nothing in common) but because he LOOKED like a boy and SE liked MEN. Don was ridiculous too - just because he was sooooo bland (would say the same thing about Kenderson in the dream season) and SE liked drama and excitement

So,I guess what I'm saying is that I never found Clayton and SE together to be plausible,and honestly, I rolled my eyes at every one of those scenes - especially the one where he had the engagement ring. Clayton wouldn't have married her because of Dusty and SE wasn't even the least bit romantically interested in him.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I really couldn't see Sue Ellen and Clayton together as a couple. I felt they had more of a Father daughter relationship more than anything else.

If Clayton was developing romantic feelings for her he had to push them aside once Sue Ellen decided to go back to JR.

Clayton's character worked better with Miss Ellie. Those two were a great couple.