Who did J.R. actually love and actually hate?

[SlyestFox]

J.R. antagonizes pretty much everyone in the show but Jock, Miss Ellie and John Ross, often for seemingly no reason but to be a jerk. But who did he actually hate? And for that matter, who did he love deep down?

[RedBeetEggs]

I would say he even antagonizes the three you mentioned as well.

Who he hated: Pamela and Cliff.

Who he loved is more difficult because he said he loved Sue Ellen, John Ross, Bobby, Jock, Ellie, Vanessa; but did he really or did he say it to convince himself that he should or was it just "in the moment" when it would benefit him the most?

He definitely had the "no one really loves me" complex and projected that onto any relationship he had.

[BJ Ewing]

Who he loved? Jock, Ellie, Bobby, Sue Ellen, John Ross, Mandy, and of course himself.

[SnarkyOracle!]

These questions are always so interesting, as people use the word "love" rather freely, or at least differently.

Is JR free enough of narcissism to truly love anybody? I tend to doubt it.

[PAMANDBOBBYFOREVER]

He loved himself. I think he loved John Ross. That's about it.

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[Jessie]

I think JR hated Cliff, Pam, Gary, Ray, Donna, Jamie, Dusty, Clayton, and Jeremy. He was friends with Ray in the beginning, but it all changed to hate.

He loved Ewing Oil, John Ross, Jock, Ellie, Bobby, Sue Ellen, and he did seem to care for James. I would say he seemed to care for Mandy, and Vanessa too.

[Scarlett]

It is easier to name the people that J.R. hated: Cliff Barnes, Pamela Barnes Ewing, Carter McKay, Jeremy Wendell, etc.

Love is more of a touchy subject. You could argue that J.R. loved his parents (though he wound up disapointing and isolating them both throughout his life). You could say that J.R. loved John Ross (once he found out that they were flesh and blood). J.R. claimed to love Bobby and Sue Ellen (family) and while he very well may have, his love for them did not seem to be strong enough to keep their best interests at heart.

[Fajita Mel]

Self-love is a funny thing. Yes, he was narcissistic as hell, but at the same time he was soooooo insecure. You see, I think Sue Ellen (and Pam, too) could see right through him and that's why he butted heads with both women.

[Swami]

I think the only one he truly hated was probably Wendell - he didn't like Cliff and generally enjoyed seeing him suffer, but he definitely had more dislike of Wendell. And while he disliked Pam (and Donna, also), he had a begrudging respect for them - although he would never have admitted it.

The ones he loved - Jock, Miss Ellie, John Ross, Sue Ellen (he had strange ways of showing it sometimes) and Bobby.

Swami

[vaughnleland]

I dont think J.R. hates Ray. In fact I would say J.R. doenst "hate" many people...The short list... Pam,Wendell,McKay,Kristen (in the end),Val, Dusty.

I think he loved to goad Ray,Clayton,Lucy,Gary, and Donna.

hel oves.. Jock,Ellie,John Ross..and in his way Sue Ellen..and for a time mandy and callie..but J.R. is not the kind to be able to be romantically faithful.

as for Cliff.. he began by hatin him..but I think ythe hatred softenedas the years went on..and he pitied him more than hated him. and he saw it as a big game.

[JR_fan]

Everything's already been said but I do want to touch on the love aspect. I really think that other than himself he truly loved Jock. It's a shame that Jim Davis died relatively early on and even towards the end he wasn't well enough to do a heavy workload but I think its evident that JR wanted the love, attention and respect of Jock. I think if Davis had lived longer we probably would've seen a scenario where JR crosses the line to the point that Jock disowns him which would create a crisis for JR not unlike the period when the family found out Jock was dead except that JR would have to face his father's disappointment every day and have to deal with it.

He also loved Miss Ellie and in a strange way he wanted to be the patriarch which is why he had such disdain for Clayton in the beginning though that softened a bit but there was too much animosity in the beginning for both men to let it slide in later years though JR finally acknowledged that Clayton was a part of the family whether he liked it or not.

BTW I think VaughnLeland hit it on the head with the Cliff comment. There was a genuine hate early on but because Cliff was such a punching bag early on that it became a bit of a joke and JR saw it more as sport than anything else though any time Cliff even came close to being a true competitor JR's fire would start to burn again and he'd put Cliff back in his place. Truthfully by the end it became more of a "two cranky old guys" kind of grudge.

[Swami]

I don't think he hated McKay, certainly not to the extent that he loathed Wendell.

Swami

[Ome]

He loved power/control and loathed the Barnes and Wendell

[J. R.'s Piece]

J.R. claimed to love Bobby and Sue Ellen (family) and while he very well may have, his love for them did not seem to be strong enough to keep their best interests at heart.

If there was truth in that, his view of what may have been in their best interests may not have been what they considered to be in their best interests. I was thinking about when he tells Sue Ellen that he did everything in his power to keep Gary around and mentions that he tried to annul Gary's marriage. ...trying to influence who his brothers were married to.

Everything's already been said

Ambivalence?

he was soooooo insecure.

Well, he was when Gary was around...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg7zawevWpY

[Rachael Leigh]

(New here guys!)

I don't honestly think JR "loves" anyone totally, except maybe himself. But there were a few I guess came close to "love".

His mama, his daddy, John Ross, Sue-Ellen (well sometimes), Bobby (I think out of all the siblings, Bobby was the one who is his equal. He obviously never considered Gary his equal...Gary has always been weak (not to mention the fact he was SO jealous of Gary because Elle favored Gary because he was kind of the runt of the family, so to speak). Ray was always the "half-breed"). I think he "liked" Cally, for a while at least, until she got in his way. James' mom he loved I guess. Never liked her though. Same goes for Mandy Winger. He loved her too I guess....ick.


Hated: Wow this list will be ALOT bigger. LOL. But I will keep it to a minimum. The top contender? Cliff Barnes or anyone w/ the name Barnes. That was driven into his head by Jock at an early age. I really don't think he liked Gary much...at ALL. He tolerated Ray and he's even seen accepting him as a brother a few times. Creepy Windell and Mckay were two he didn't seem to like much. Dusty too.

an honorable mention: Clayton, the man who replaced his Daddy. I think if he could have gotten away with it, he would have gotten rid of him.

[Pam&Bobby4ever]

Pamela for sure - "Damm, I hate that woman" LOL

[Rachael Leigh]

Pamela for sure - "Damm, I hate that woman" LOL

I remember numerous times him saying "That Barnes woman,"
ROFL

[Ewing27]

It was very difficult for JR to love but i think he loved his daddy most of all and his mama,bobby,john ross and cally.

[Swami]

(New here guys!)

I don't honestly think JR "loves" anyone totally, except maybe himself. But there were a few I guess came close to "love".

His mama, his daddy, John Ross, Sue-Ellen (well sometimes), Bobby (I think out of all the siblings, Bobby was the one who is his equal. He obviously never considered Gary his equal...Gary has always been weak (not to mention the fact he was SO jealous of Gary because Elle favored Gary because he was kind of the runt of the family, so to speak). Ray was always the "half-breed"). I think he "liked" Cally, for a while at least, until she got in his way. James' mom he loved I guess. Never liked her though. Same goes for Mandy Winger. He loved her too I guess....ick.


Hated: Wow this list will be ALOT bigger. LOL. But I will keep it to a minimum. The top contender? Cliff Barnes or anyone w/ the name Barnes. That was driven into his head by Jock at an early age. I really don't think he liked Gary much...at ALL. He tolerated Ray and he's even seen accepting him as a brother a few times. Creepy Windell and Mckay were two he didn't seem to like much. Dusty too.

an honorable mention: Clayton, the man who replaced his Daddy. I think if he could have gotten away with it, he would have gotten rid of him.

Hearty salutations from the Swami, by the way!

Swami

[J. R.'s Piece]

He obviously never considered Gary his equal...Gary has always been weak (not to mention the fact he was SO jealous of Gary because Elle favored Gary because he was kind of the runt of the family, so to speak). Ray was always the "half-breed").
I really don't think he liked Gary much...at ALL. He tolerated Ray and he's even seen accepting him as a brother a few times.

When Gary came to Southfork when Jock was in South America and when the scene where James Beaumont is revealed to be JR's, son, JR seems less accepting/tolerant of Ray than Gary, describing Ray as a bastard in every sense of the word.

He obviously never considered Gary his equal...Gary has always been weak.

By his own admission, JR thinks that Gary is capable of making his life miserable.