What's The Real Reason Why People Don't Like Clayton?

[Snowcat]

I've often wondered why Jock was put on a pedestal by The Ewings as well as the viewers. I think many of us were so touched when Jim died so early into Dallas and we respected him as head of the family and part of the ensemble cast even though we knew he was no angel.
Maybe we need to be more forgiving of Clayton (agreed that punch was a cheap shot)

We knew most of Jock's background, but I always felt there was more that was only referred to as regards to his "bad" behaviour in his younger years.

In the episode John Ross Ewing III (part 2) Miss Ellie and Jock discuss marrying into the family and having the Ewing name and money. Miss Ellie says to Jock he was born a Ewing and didn’t have to marry to get the Ewing name. Jock says to her "you did",
Miss Ellie replies, "but I never needed the Ewing name, I was a Southworth and always felt secure in your love, except maybe once or twice". This is before we learnt Ray was his son.

He also said to JR that he never begrudged his boys having a good time
"Hell I did" he told his son.

We knew he could be ruthless in business and went along with JR about finding skeletons in Cliff Barnes' past and to do "Whatever" when JR said if they're weren't any, he would put them there.

It’s kind of the same reason Bobby & Sue Ellen had such fondness of JR after he died. You remember the good & not the bad. I love Jock. He was a man’s man. But he would be the first to admit he was no Angel. In his old age he admitted that he was too harsh in his early years. I don’t mind Miss Ellie remarrying. But it irked me when Clayton tried to assume the head of the household role. He should have been more respectful of the family. I also understand for a Texas man on a misogynistic show it would be hard to move into your wife’s established family home that was built by her first husband. Also Dusty or any other heir of Clayton’s should not have deserved any claim to Southfork at all

 

[LMLDallas78]

But it irked me when Clayton tried to assume the head of the household role. He should have been more respectful of the family.

I'm going to stick up for Clayton here, which I can't believe I'm doing, but it was more Miss Ellie's choice that Clayton assumed that role.

I actually felt for him when the family sat down at the dining table and he's just left standing there unsure what to do until Miss Ellie indicates for him to sit in Jock's chair. What an awkward moment.

I do feel though that Clayton kind of enjoyed seeing JR's reaction to the suggestion and watching Clayton take his seat, which was always his Daddy's seat, at the head of the table.

However if any of Miss Ellie's grown up, adult children couldn't accept Clayton, that was more their problem. Bobby was willing to accept Clayton if he made his Momma happy.

I'm sure it must've been difficult for Clayton to live at Southfork in Jock's shadow. Maybe he should've kept Southern Cross and they could've shared their time between both Ranches instead of all the travelling they did, but I wonder how Miss Ellie would've felt about that? Not giving up Southfork, but spending time in both homes?

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I'm going to stick up for Clayton here, which I can't believe I'm doing, but it was more Miss Ellie's choice that Clayton assumed that role.

I actually felt for him when the family sat down at the dining table and he's just left standing there unsure what to do until Miss Ellie indicates for him to sit in Jock's chair. What an awkward moment.

I do feel though that Clayton kind of enjoyed seeing JR's reaction to the suggestion and watching Clayton take his seat, which was always his Daddy's seat, at the head of the table.

However if any of Miss Ellie's grown up, adult children couldn't accept Clayton, that was more their problem. Bobby was willing to accept Clayton if he made his Momma happy.

I'm sure it must've been difficult for Clayton to live at Southfork in Jock's shadow. Maybe he should've kept Southern Cross and they could've shared their time between both Ranches instead of all the travelling they did, but I wonder how Miss Ellie would've felt about that? Not giving up Southfork, but spending time in both homes?

Good point that Miss Ellie may be more at fault than Clayton. It would only be natural that JR and Bobby would have

certain objections, and as the owners of Ewing Oil, it complicates matters further

 

[Snowcat]

I'm going to stick up for Clayton here, which I can't believe I'm doing, but it was more Miss Ellie's choice that Clayton assumed that role.

I actually felt for him when the family sat down at the dining table and he's just left standing there unsure what to do until Miss Ellie indicates for him to sit in Jock's chair. What an awkward moment.

I do feel though that Clayton kind of enjoyed seeing JR's reaction to the suggestion and watching Clayton take his seat, which was always his Daddy's seat, at the head of the table.

However if any of Miss Ellie's grown up, adult children couldn't accept Clayton, that was more their problem. Bobby was willing to accept Clayton if he made his Momma happy.

I'm sure it must've been difficult for Clayton to live at Southfork in Jock's shadow. Maybe he should've kept Southern Cross and they could've shared their time between both Ranches instead of all the travelling they did, but I wonder how Miss Ellie would've felt about that? Not giving up Southfork, but spending time in both homes?

I didn’t have a problem with Clayton sitting in Jocks chair. Yes, it irked the boys at first but where else was he supposed to sit. That’s minor. He needed to respect that he was not the boys Daddy. I think he did the best he could. That is a hard position to move into Southfork

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I think in general men like Jock and Clayton, and just about everyone else that made their money in the oil business, were far from perfect. They were from a different era, an era when it was easier to bury the skeletons much deeper in the closet than you ever could now. These were complicated men, men that I’m sure loved their families but trying to get ahead in such a cutthroat business made them do questionable things at times. I’m not excusing some of the things Jock did but given the times and the uncertainty of trying to build an empire during those times I can definitely understand some of those things.

Good post. I reject that Clayton was better than Jock. We know about Jock and his back story as a fully developed character.
We know little about Clayton pre Season 4. In the oIl business, it is likely that Clayton used the same or similar tactics as Jock in building the business. And Jock never tried to seduce his sons love interest, or endangered people by withholding info about a disturbed relative

 

[LMLDallas78]

or endangered people by withholding info about a disturbed relative

Well Jock withheld telling people about JR.

And Jock never tried to seduce his sons love interest,

Oh imagine that! Jock trying to hit on Donna, Pam, Valene or Sue Ellen. Now one of those would've been a story.

Poor ole Jock's head would spin with all of JR's love interests. Of course he did have a thing about Julie Grey.

 

[CeeCee72]

A while back when I was watching Dallas with my daughter, who had never seen it, her reaction kinda changes my mind about some things. When Ellie gave half of South Fork to Clayton, it made me despise Clayton, but my daughter got mad at ELLIE.

Also, her take on the sucker punch at the wedding was interesting too. She said JR deserved it because he ruined his own wedding by inviting Cliff in the first place.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Well Jock withheld telling people about JR.

Who was Jock supposed to tell?

Everyone who lived at Southfork knew that JR was ...JR

The business associates knew that JR could be ruthless.

Jock wasn't keeping any secret from anyone who knew JR

 

[LMLDallas78]

Who was Jock supposed to tell?

Everyone who lived at Southfork knew that JR was ...JR

The business associates knew that JR could be ruthless.

Jock wasn't keeping any secret from anyone who knew JR

I know, I was just kidding!
Forgot to do a laughing emoji LOL

 

[Jock's Ghost]

HATED Clayton. A boring plot character. Should have married Sue Ellen when she divorced JR the first time. He dies of a heart attack she inherits his fortune.

 

[Seaviewer]

I didn’t have a problem with Clayton sitting in Jocks chair. Yes, it irked the boys at first but where else was he supposed to sit. That’s minor. He needed to respect that he was not the boys Daddy. I think he did the best he could. That is a hard position to move into Southfork

No, I didn't either. It was an dramatic and uncomfortable moment, but where else was he supposed to sit?

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

No, I didn't either. It was an dramatic and uncomfortable moment, but where else was he supposed to sit?

On the floor of course!

That carpet bagger should've sat on the wooden dining room floor!

Carpet and dining room chairs are too good for him.

 

[DallasFanForever]

but where else was he supposed to sit?

On Sue Ellen’s lap

 

[LMLDallas78]

On Sue Ellen’s lap

He would still probably accuse her of not realising he had feelings for her, that was her fault of course according to him.


He would probably say "look swellin' I'm sat on your lap as your friend and protector, don't listen to Afton, Cliff or JR, I don't really want you, not then and not now".

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

He would still probably accuse her of not realising he had feelings for her, that was her fault of course according to him.


He would probably say "look swellin' I'm sat on your lap as your friend and protector, don't listen to Afton, Cliff or JR, I don't really want you, not then and not now".

“just in case, though, as a token of my non-desire, I want you to have this ring that I narrowly saved from the tragic fire at the Southern Cross years ago”

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

On Sue Ellen’s lap

No that's wrong. Sue Ellen should've gave him her seat, then she could've sat on his lap and draped herself around him.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

No that's wrong. Sue Ellen should've gave him her seat, then she could've sat on his lap and draped herself around him.

would this be before or after he threw (a potentially mummified) Lucy over his knee and gave her a good spanking?

(what was that supposed to be for, ignoring Donna Reed and spending too much time at the Hot Biscuit with her latest grifter beau?)

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

would this be before or after he threw (a potentially mummified) Lucy over his knee and gave her a good spanking?

(what was that supposed to be for, ignoring Donna Reed and spending too much time at the Hot Biscuit with her latest grifter beau?)

Lucy needed taken in hand, she was starting to drift back into her wild ways again.

So it would've been after he'd administered a good spanking to her!

 

[DallasFanForever]

would this be before or after he threw (a potentially mummified) Lucy over his knee and gave her a good spanking?

He did want to be accepted, so maybe he thought spanking Lucy was part of his duties of replacing Jock.

what was that supposed to be for, ignoring Donna Reed and spending too much time at the Hot Biscuit with her latest grifter beau?)

I think the threat of the spanking was that he told her more than once to call her grandmother and instead of agreeing she took on a resentful tone. He says it so many times that quite honestly every time I ever watched it I paused my DVDs at the end of that scene and called mine.