You tell him, honey
In “Let Me In,” a second-season “Dallas” episode, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) is seated at a table in a posh lounge, where where she’s served a drink moments before Ken (Lee Majors) arrives.
KEN: Sue Ellen, I really shouldn’t be seen with you tonight. The only reason I came was to tell you about your nephew. He’s out of control. He came after me today.
SUE ELLEN: If he strangled you, I would sit back and watch the show.
KEN: Sue Ellen, you must know that I’m not jerking your family around.
SUE ELLEN: Did you ever really care for me?
KEN: Of course.
SUE ELLEN: What you’re doing now – covering up what really happened on our rig – is wrong. It’s morally and ethically wrong. And you know it. Understand me, Ken: When the Ewings unite, nothing can stop us. So you’re either on our side or you’re among the casualties – after we have taken down everyone who has screwed us. [Smiling] I hope you’re on our side.
She grabs her purse and leaves the table.
Dallas Decoder 
I really enjoyed this scene. Sue Ellen played it perfectly. I cannot express enough how happy I am that the writers choose to see the light and moved Sue Ellen into an Integral role in the family. It was my one big complaint from season 1. It was a disservice to the character and the actress to put her on the outside of the family. This scene was great.
Btw….the shot of alcohol….she is still drinking and is being very covert about it. She is not losing control, with it….but like Gary told her…we never just have a single setback…
I have said it before…this team doesn’t do something randomly. I think something is going to happen…some type of fallout… I am not sure what, but so etching is going to happen with this drinking. Every episode since the funeral has shown her drinking.
At first I was kind of surprised that JR3, Bobby, or Ann didn’t follow up with her about it. Then. I realized that since she had been sober for 23 years, they probably assumed that it really was just a momentary lapse…especially since she was so open about it. Plus, Ann never saw how bad her drinking could get and JR3 was only 10 the last time she was drinking and I think was quite shielded from the worst of her drinking. It was only Gary who fully understood how bad it actually is. She admitted to him that she desparately wanted a drink and then later fell totally off the wagon. He knew exactly what she was really doing….but she convinced him otherwise. She is really hiding the problem….which means it probably isn’t going away easy. I am quite curious to see where this goes. While Sue Ellen drinking is an old story, they are handling it it a very different fashion than ever in the past.
Great observation, Hel. I also think it’s worth noting that the show has a lot going on right now, which might explain why we haven’t had a scene where Bobby checks up on Sue Ellen. Maybe the show hasn’t had time! I do agree that this is all leading to something. I’m eager to see where it goes.
Yeah, I am okay with not seeing Bobby check in with her. Like I said, he probably feels everything is fine in that regard. She is not following the same old patterns that he would recognize from the past. I think he will be shocked to find out that she is continuing to drink.
I wouldn’t blame him, Hel. I’m shocked too! I didn’t think the show would keep her off the wagon this long, but I think it’s smart storytelling that they have. Every scene she’s in now crackles with an added dose of tension. It heightens the drama!
the thing about Sue Ellen is that shes the most relatable of the Ewings. Shes somewhere between Bobbys goodness and JRs badness.the fact that shes drinking again, after the loss of her one true-love, makes sense .. her struggle with alcohol has been explored before as we all know,but it has given Linda Gray some of her best performances of the entire series and i agree that it is being handled differently now and i look forward to seeing how Sue Ellen gets sober again. as a sidenote, i really enjoyed Lee Majors on the show. i hope he comes back if theres a 3rd season.
Great observation about Sue Ellen, Todd. That’s very true. I’ve often thought Gary is the most “human” Ewing, but you make a good case for Sue Ellen deserving that distinction.
(I might suggest Linda’s character occupies the “gray” area between Patrick and Larry’s, but that would be an awful pun so I’ll resist.)
As far as Lee Majors: I really like him on this show. I’m glad Ken turned out to be a good guy. It would just be wrong to have Mr. Majors play a heavy.
Thanks again for your feedback. I appreciate it.
Chris
I agree with you about Sue Ellen. She is so enjoyable to watch. She doesn’t fit into a simple description. You can get 100 Dallas fans discussing her and will end up with a 100 different opinions of what or who she is….yet she is a well defined character….and yes, I know that sounds irrational. In a show where most characters are either black or white……she is solidly gray (no pun intended). She is a good person who can act and behave in ways that runs the gamut from complete goodness to utter sweetness and concern for others to misguided motives to deliberately bitchy to raw vulnerability to vengeful anger to morally questionable. And different viewers respond to her in quite varied ways. I know among the group of Dallas fans at work….we all agree that she is wonderful to watch…..but we all disagree on what she is about. I personally love the character….love, love,love the character.
I love that scene and when Bobby says My son’s right you can stick it up your ass
yea i agree about Gary and i think thats one of the things that made his scenes with Sue Ellen so meaningful,even if theyve never been close in the past etc..the two had tangible chemistry and a bond was established that could have lasting implications down the road.. hopefully. as for Sue Ellen,while not a Ewing by blood,she has certainly more than earned the Ewing name!
This was a no brainer for scene of the day.
I think we all stood up and cheered during the payoff of the scene when she reads Ken the riot act. But I’m troubled by the preamble “Did you ever really care for me?” That is just too overwhelmingly hypocritical from someone who has no feelings for the man and is working the fact he is “sweet” on her. Has JR done much further in his manipulative days? Absolutely. It just doesn’t sit right with me when Sue Ellen does it.
I considered a few other scenes, including the one with Harris and Emma in the parking garage. But since I wrote about that one pretty extensively in the critique, I decided to go with this one.
As far as Sue Ellen asking Ken if he “ever really” cared: I thought the same thing, Dan, but for maybe a different reason. It felt like their relationship hasn’t gone far enough for him to demonstrate the depth of his feelings for her. I think this is only the third scene Linda and Lee have had together. Of course, maybe their relationship has been progressing off camera.
Sue Ellen showed some teeth in this scene. SHe mentions the he is sweet on her, before meeting with him. I feel that she made a strong case the the Ewings are not a sinking ship. It looks like Ken realizes that he would rather Sue Ellen on his side than the Governor of Texas. Sue Ellen made it clear that the truth is on the side of the Ewings. Cover ups usually have a small shelf life. I like how Sue Ellen uses fear and sweetness to win Ken over – “Did you ever really care for me?” and “When the Ewings unite, nothing can stop us.” I was wondering where this relation ship was going. It looks like Sue Ellen enables Ken to decide. I hope we see more of Lee Majors in season 3. I think he is great on the show. I guess he is just going to be on one more episode this season. Wouldn’t it be hilarious some people go to rough him up only to find out he is “The Six Million Dollar Man!!!” (Maybe I am getting carried away)
I read the comment ‘did you ever care about me’ as simply a reminder to him that he had agreed to help her because he said he liked her. He then gave her valuable information and then allowed it to be covered up. She was very up front from the beginning that she wanted something from him. I thought it was a legitimate question. He had given clear indication that he liked her and had agreed to help her as a friend and then allowed the Governor and all to charge Ewing Energies a billion $$$ fine. If someone had did that to you, wouldn’t you ask the question ‘did you even care for me?
Yes, she was working on the premise that he is sweet on her…..but she was pretty clear that the reason she called him was to get help from him.