Who was JR's biggest business rival and the biggest influence in his life?

[LMLDallas78]

Who caused the most grief for JR in business?

Cliff
Jeremy Wendell
Carter Mckay
Clayton Farlow
Bobby - although Bobby saved his tail more often than not, he would also rat on him too e.g. JR being behind Cliff running for Congress and re mortgaging Southfork.



Who was the biggest influence in JR's life?

Jock - always looked up to his Daddy and taught him the business.

Miss Ellie - Kept JR on the straight and narrow. He respected her when he wasn't opposing and when Momma spoke, he listened.

Sue Ellen - Constantly reminded him about needing Jock's approval and his love so maybe that spurred him on. She was the only one who knew the real JR and provided the confrontations that JR often craved. She covered up his abusive side.
Was the only one JR could really confide in.

Bobby - Kept most of JR's secrets. He kept JR in line. Had good business sense that JR should have learned from.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

JR's biggest rival? In a way himself.
Competing with both himself and Bobby for his Father's approval

 

[DallasFanForever]

Who caused the most grief for JR in business?

I would have to go with Jeremy. If it wasn’t for him backing Mrs. Scottfield J.R. might’ve gotten away with the Calhoun scandal. Wendell helped take Ewing Oil away from him and no one else could claim that up to that point.

Cliff was able to cause more grief than he was able to before after finally striking oil due to J.R.’s scheme backfiring. Once Cliff finally hit pay dirt he became an important player. Not to mention taking the Ewings to court in season 8 and almost gaining the company.

We can say Bobby gave J.R. a lot of grief by winning the contest. That had to embarrass him on so many levels but since they decided to split everything and work together it really didn’t matter in the long run. So overall I’d say Jeremy was the biggest thorn for J.R. in business.

Who was the biggest influence in JR's life?

Definitely his daddy. He patterned himself right after him and went to pieces when he died. Jock taught J.R. everything he knew and he was always looking for daddy’s approval. All of the dirty deals he contrived were to make Ewing Oil #1 and it didn’t matter as long as Jock was proud of him.

 

[LMLDallas78]

I like to think Clayton got the better of JR over him trying to shut down Farlow refineries.

I wish there had been more opportunities for Clayton to get the better of JR in business and not just by being in his Momma's life.
Clayton never feared JR and there could have been some great business dealings with these two.

Cliff was more of a nuisance most of the time but did manage to rattle JR a great deal.

Jeremy was most probably his greatest business threat.


I really believe Sue Ellen was JR's biggest influence. He craved the love of his Daddy, but was still the same person without that love.

Was he ever really the JR we all knew before he married Sue Ellen?

It's been said on this forum many times that without Sue Ellen, JR was much less.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Jeremy Wendell was a great rival because he was methodical, analytical and cool in his approach.
JR's other rivals were hot-headed (Bobby, Clayton, McKay) and/or emotional (Cliff, Pam)
That made Wendell his most difficult rival

 

[LMLDallas78]

Jeremy Wendell

Ahh yes that beautifully cold creature Jeremy certainly kept JR on his toes.

That's what I say about Sue Ellen. No one kept JR on his toes like she did.

I do keep saying it; Jeremy and Sue Ellen would've made a good team in business and otherwise.
I'm sure her knicker business could've melted him and his steely stare!

 

[Karin]

I think Cliff was JR's biggest business rival. They were on uneven footing for most of the show as JR was more powerful than Cliff. But towards the end it changed and Cliff even ended up with Ewing Oil. If JR hadn't hated Cliff so much he wouldn't have done so many evil things to him. He never went to as much trouble to destroy the other rivals. I think the reason why he hated Cliff that much was because of his affair with Sue Ellen.

I think John Ross should also be on that list as JR did a lot of things for his son. So he was also a major influence in his life.
Sue Ellen knew JR like noone else though since she was married to him. He abused her the most and yet she stood by him for so many years.
Jock taught JR everything he knew. JR always wanted his father's love and for him to be proud of him. But he was always second best to Bobby. It hurt him.

Bobby did affect JR. But I think JR had a bigger effect on Bobby's life than viceversa. Maybe due to being the older brother.

I do keep saying it; Jeremy and Sue Ellen would've made a good team in business and otherwise.
I'm sure her knicker business could've melted him and his steely stare!

Nah have you forgotten how Sue Ellen was repulsed by Jeremy?
She even told him. "I'd rather sleep with JR than with you and I'd rather sleep with a carnival geek than with JR" or something to that affect when he tried to romance her. She simply wasn't interested in him in that way.

 

[Kaleid]

I'd have to say Jeremy in business, and its not even close.

For life influence, I'd go with Jock. J.R.'s entire life revolved around his father, whether he was trying to emulate him as an oilman, win his approval, live up to his legacy or even the way he raised John Ross and later latched onto James and made it his mission to continue his legacy through them. If Jim Davis had lived, future stories could have well cut J.R. as a somewhat sympathetic figure in the way he was always chasing the love and validation that he never properly received from Jock.

 

[LMLDallas78]

Nah have you forgotten how Sue Ellen was repulsed by Jeremy?

I do remember, but I've always been fascinated by Jeremy. I know all Sue Ellen wanted was to be loved and Jeremy was indeed incapable of that.

I'm surprised she wasn't seen in public with Jeremy just to rattle JR, but she was the better person.

I think the reason why he hated Cliff that much was because of his affair with Sue Ellen.

Their families feud was bad enough then after the affair JR was out for blood and never truly got over it.

He abused her the most and yet she stood by him for so many years.

She also knew the real JR, how he could be vulnerable, scared, lost and would still turn to her and she couldn't resist him.
Sometimes she gave as good as she got both physically and verbally.

John Ross is a good point although JR did try to make him grow up fast and abused his mommy infront of him and he appeared to have that control over his son, but John Ross did grow up loving and respecting his parents.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

This is an interesting question because it shows one thing: J.R.needs a rival in order to enjoy life.

Closing the big deal wasn't the fun part. The fun part was rubbing Cliff's nose in it.

Look at the times Larry Hagman delivered that trademark sly smile. It was always when he was locked in a bitter struggle against somebody.

Do you remember when Bobby died and J.R. finally had Ewing OIl all to himself? J.R. realized that didn't make him happy. He even went into Bobby's empty office and said it just wasn't the same.

Oh, yes. J.R. loved the rivalries, it's what gave him his energy.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I'm surprised she wasn't seen in public with Jeremy just to rattle JR, but she was the better person.

I would’ve been okay with a Sue Ellen and Jeremy pairing that season, at the very least just to see how it would drive J.R. mad. Part of me wishes she would’ve forgone the “carnival geek” speech and met him halfway. Could’ve been quite the power couple.

 

[Toni]

I think Cliff was JR's biggest business rival. They were on uneven footing for most of the show as JR was more powerful than Cliff. But towards the end it changed and Cliff even ended up with Ewing Oil. If JR hadn't hated Cliff so much he wouldn't have done so many evil things to him. He never went to as much trouble to destroy the other rivals. I think the reason why he hated Cliff that much was because of his affair with Sue Ellen.

I think John Ross should also be on that list as JR did a lot of things for his son. So he was also a major influence in his life.
Sue Ellen knew JR like noone else though since she was married to him. He abused her the most and yet she stood by him for so many years.
Jock taught JR everything he knew. JR always wanted his father's love and for him to be proud of him. But he was always second best to Bobby. It hurt him.

Bobby did affect JR. But I think JR had a bigger effect on Bobby's life than viceversa. Maybe due to being the older brother.


Nah have you forgotten how Sue Ellen was repulsed by Jeremy?
She even told him. "I'd rather sleep with JR than with you and I'd rather sleep with a carnival geek than with JR" or something to that affect when he tried to romance her. She simply wasn't interested in him in that way.

That scene and pinching the wedding balloon were the high points of Linda in her last season, where she was wasted, of course.

​

 

[LMLDallas78]

high points of Linda in her last season

And towering over leather clad Don Lockwood!