One thing that was great about the scene has much to do with the title of this thread: "How Important is the Name Ewing Oil?"
There is one three letter word that was chosen very carefully and it sets the tone for the whole season.
Imagine this in Jock's gravely (and in this case angry) voice:
"And who in the hell do you think Ewing Oil is? It's ME!"
Now, let's notice the little three letter word that changes everything. Jock did NOT say, "What the hell do you think Ewing Oil is?"
He said, "Who the hell do you think Ewing Oil is?"
The subtle difference changes everything. "What do you think Ewing Oil is?" is one thing. "Who do you think Ewing Oil is? shows that Ewing Oil is an extension of Jock. It is part of him. It is in his life blood.
Jock is Ewing Oil and Ewing Oil is Jock. The two cannot be separated.
Then Ewing Oil must die as a “who” it cannot go on forever, which sadly it does not. He built a company, not a family. The ranch is a “what”, something the Southworth’s built and Jock saved and goes on beyond any single life. Yes a “what” can be destroyed or changed, hence the TNT house, but it can go on. A “who” never can. Hence the reason for the thread, must Ewing Oil be laid to rest and another another company take its place with the family if the show is to continue?
Let’s examine a far more success businessman, Bill Gates. His company is not an extension of his father’s wealth. His company is not an extension of him. From day obe it going public he began to sell his shares, such a small piece ever day no one noticed. Today he owns very little of the company, a conks year focused on software which will live beyond him. His money instead has gone into a private company of his, a company of diversified investments, which may not out live him long as he’s promised to give away his wealth.
Or another man, Henry Ford, and in this case with his son Edsel. They gave away most of their fortune to the Ford Foundation and diversification as well and their tiny (2%) share in the company they left behind still carries with it a controlling vote with great great grandchildren involved. A company he viewed as an extension of himself until the family his son (his son having died before him) built was left to clean up the mess of his repeated machinations which lead to the company’s ruin.
Building a business “empire” didn’t make Jock “right” or even brilliant, maybe lucky, tenacious, ruthless even. To often we confuse making or having money with great wisdom. There a myriad of reasons people have a lot of money. I’ve found wisdom or even broad (beyond the area from which they made money) are seldom among them.