Jock Ewing is “Dallas’s” original grand daddy. He instilled ambition and an unrelenting drive in his eldest son J.R., openly favored youngest son Bobby and struggled to connect with middle son Gary. Toward the end of his life, Jock discovered he was also the biological father of longtime Southfork ranch foreman Ray Krebbs, whom he welcomed into the family fold with open arms, even though it rankled other members of his family.
Your #DallasChat Daily question: Was Jock Ewing a good father?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
Dallas Decoder 
No, I don’t think Jock was a good father. What father puts in his will that he wants his oldest and youngest sons to compete for the presidency of his company simply because he could not decide who should run Ewing Oil? He was partly responsible for Gary running away from SF and JR became the man he was b/c of Jock. So I do not believe Jock was that good of a father.
I agree for the reasons you say here. I would add that Jock also liked to play favorites as did Ellie. Bobby was their favorite (which I never understood) and yes pitting JR and Bobby over Ewing Oil was silly especially since JR was groomed to one day run the company since he was 15.
Gary was Ellie’s favorite. That’s made clear in season 2 when Gary (played by the first actor) and Valene return briefly. Jock wasn’t a good father for the reasons others have given, plus, he and Eillie were suffocating. They could have let Gary live in Dallas and pursue his own thing, but they insisted that he live at the ranch and work with the family, which drove him away.
I would agree that Jock was not a good father. He was a great grandfather, and a good husband over time. I think he was on his way to becoming a good father had he lived longer. I think had he stayed alive, he would done right by all his sons and resolved the Gary issue as well. But based on everything already mentioned, he was not a good father to Gary, an OK father to Bobby and a not-so-great dad to JR.
Jock wasn’t a great grandfather either. Where Lucy is concerned can you say enabler?
Jock did not have the “unconditional love” that all parents should have for their children. He had extremely conditional love. “Oh by the way that drunk guy you thought was your father is right, I am you real daddy.” Most likely the reason J.R. is such a jerk has to do with trying to be a person that his father could be proud of. No, he is not a good father.
He is one of my favorite characters on the show and his character is one of the reasons “Dallas” is my favorite show. He is the man.
No he was not. He created the monster called JR and held his son Gary in disdain. He also kept Lucy away from her mother. Miss Ellie was not a great mother either.
Jock was in the unique position of having started an empire. So he had less time for his sons. But he instilled in them toughness & strength in business. He got J.R. & Bob involved in the family business, thus ensuring continuity & with his famous contest showed that a good fight between warring factions can serve to make a company & a family better & thus more willing to work together 2 stop threats directed at the Ewing family & company’s. So yes I’d say he was a good Daddy!
What would possess a man to order the kidnapping a child (Lucy) from her mother’s (Valene’s) arms? I know the storyline mostly blames JR, but if he was 21/22 at the time, Jock being the powerful man he claims to be should have ordered JR to give Lucy back to Val.