What's You Opinion On Early Season JR And Sue Ellen?

[Billy Wall]

The main reason I'm asking this question is because of the two part episode "Whatever happened to baby John?" JR and Sue Ellen got on my nerves in this episode. It really bugged me that Bobby, Pam and even Cliff took more of a hands on approach to finding out what happened.

Meanwhile, Sue Ellen looks totally out of it and JR even went to the office. Jock and everybody else was quick to call Gary weak, but did they ever pay attention to JR when things got bad domestically? Or maybe they looked the other way because JR was essentially the bread winner of the family?

 

[Mustard]

J.R. treated Sue Ellen terribly at the time, even from a "business" perspective, i.e. it's not a good look for the Ewing family's image. I think it's clear that J.R. and Sue Ellen became self-conscious that they couldn't really compete with Bobby and Pam on a love level, with J.R. driving himself even more into work, and Sue Ellen being more annoyed, jealous, fed up, sometimes checking out by going to the bottle.

They call Gary "weak" because he doesn't play their power games, and doesn't want the responsibility of it.

 

[lbf522]

I had not thought of it at the time but you are correct that it should have been JR and Sue Ellen who should have been at the forefront getting their son back. But the writers were heavy handed in making Bobby and Pamela the main focus.

 

[CeeCee72]

Actually, the behavior of both JR and Sue Ellen seem exactly right to me in that episode, given the circumstances.

Sue Ellen had a horrific case of postpartum depression and was completely unable to bond with her baby. In cases that severe, it's not unusual for mothers to be completely emotionally detached unfortunately.

JR didn't think the baby was his, so it makes some sense he wouldn't go out of his way to find it. If the John Ross had been a Barnes, the disappearance would be a pretty convenient solution for JR.