I have always thought the contest for Ewing Oil was overrated. It was good in the way it became interwoven in everyone,s life with, in some cases, tragic results. But wasn't it telegraphed to the viewer early on that Bobby's Canadian deal would come in at the last minute? Was there ever any doubt? It was essentially Rocky II with "Rocky" getting pummeled for 14 rounds and then beating Apollo Creed to his feet in the closing seconds of the 15th round.
shareYeah, Bobby winning was a letdown because JR should've been able to beat Bobby with ease. JR had decades of experience working in the company while Bobby had just a few months before quitting and giving it back to JR.
Jock's letter should've mandated that the brothers share the company with JR winning and always reminding Bobby of that when he got on his high horse.
Bobby always winning is one of the things I loathed about the new Dallas that was on a few years ago. John Ross never had a chance because Bobby always swooped in and saved Christopher's behind. It was irritating.
The contest itself was a great storyline, I believe on of the best of the series. The ending was a letdown, but that doesn't mean the season-long storyline in season 6 wasn't great. I do think Bobby's last minute win was kind of hokey. Perhaps, they should have stuck with the truce J.R. and Bobby made that they would share the company (even though J.R. intended to renege if he won).
shareThe contest made no real sense.
If you assume that Jock was a savvy businessman, you have to look at more than just short-term profit as a measure of performance.
Jock knew his sons and had to know how "ruthless" JR would be and how Bobby would have to respond.
Jock had already admitted that he spoiled Bobby rotten and he turned out to be the best of the lot! He also told Bobby that real power is something you take!
Yes, Jock knew his sons...
The contest for Ewing Oil was as bad as the equally stupid voting shares storyline. Like Jock would ever trust Gary, Ray, or idiot Lucy with anything dealing with his company. And Gary giving his shares to Lucky instead of JR was childish and stupid.
Back to the contest of Ewing Oil, yes it was dumb especially since JR had been groomed to one day run Ewing Oil and had started working there since he was 15.
Finally, Jock and Ellie were awful parents in how they played favorites with their sons.
I think Miss Ellie really couldn't be accused of favoring Gary to the detriment of her other sons. Miss Ellie and Gary shared a special bond that didn't really qualify as favoritism.
Jock's overt favoritism of Bobby, however, damaged JR and Jock knew it but allowed it to go on. Makes one wonder about Jock's relationship with his own father.
Nice analysis. Shame we never got to know Jock's family. Jack and Jamie were OK but not what I would have done. I would have liked to have met Jason and any other kin of Jock's. I never got Jock's favoritism to Bobby when JR was his eldest.
shareI agree. The actress who played Jamie Ewing was not well suited for the part and became too annoying. I think having Jason show up and begrudgingly joining Cliff and the cartel to take part of Ewing Oil would have been far more entertaining.
shareJamie was super annoying. But I did like her brother Jack.
Yes Jamie was annoying just dropping on Southfork and expecting them to take care of her freeloading over them. I did not blame JR for kicking her off the ranch.
shareI don't think Jamie expected to freeload off the Ewings. She had just lost her father and was estranged with her older brother, Jack. She wanted to form some family connection with the only family she had left. Maybe a little misguided but she meant no harm.
shareI like your analysis of Jamie.
shareI would have liked to have met Jason and any other kin of Jock's. I never got Jock's favoritism to Bobby when JR was his eldest.
There was actually some validity to the storyline. By that point, J.R. had antagonized most of the local oil people in Dallas, including the cartel. Plus, remember that Cliff became part of the cartel by that point when Rebecca bought Barnes-Wentworth Oil for him. So they were actively trying to thwart J.R. during the battle. So it's not like J.R. had it easy during that year. He had to double deal and cheat just to gain the slim advantage over Bobby that he had going into the last day of the battle. Plus, let's face it, if J.R. were running the company outright, it would have been damn near impossible for him to keep it afloat much longer with how many people in Dallas despised him. There were a lot of business people who only agreed to do business with the company because of Bobby and they knew he was more trustworthy and reliable than J.R.
shareIn real life a competition like that would probably destroy the company. Just imagine two guys talking in a bar about it.
"Hey, what happened to that good job you had at Ewing Oil?"
"The founder set up his will so his two idiot sons would compete for sole ownership. They were both taking extreme cost cutting measures at the expense of the other, and each thought the other would pay the company's bills. Now the company's bankrupt and they laid us all off. But I sure am glad that those two creeps didn't lose their fancy cars and their ranch house with the swimming pool."