The biggest users

In “Mother of the Year,” a third-season “Dallas” episode, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) visits Cliff (Ken Kercheval) at his apartment, where he asks about baby John’s wellbeing.

CLIFF: Look, Sue Ellen, please tell me what’s going on.

SUE ELLEN: [Gets up from her chair, walks away from Cliff] I’m fine, the baby is fine – and neither of us can get you to Washington, so you can stop wasting time your precious time worrying about either one of us.

CLIFF: You have no right to say that.

SUE ELLEN: [Turns toward him] If I don’t, who does? You used me like you used everybody else to get ahead and to destroy J.R. Ewing – and to hell with anybody else.

CLIFF: I loved you, Sue Ellen.

SUE ELLEN: You made love to me. You never loved anybody but yourself. You never cared about me. You used me to get at J.R., and when I wanted you and needed you, you left me.

CLIFF: So I used you?

SUE ELLEN: Yes, that’s what I think. I think men are users.

CLIFF: No, Sue Ellen. You are the user. You used J.R. to get position and wealth. And when that started to go sour, then you used me to get back at J.R. because you knew that I was the one person that could do that – and then you got your hooks into me.

She begins walking away. He grabs her arm.

SUE ELLEN: Let go of me.

CLIFF: No, you’re not going anywhere, Mrs. Ewing. You’re going to listen to me, because it concerns my son. Because what you are really doing now is using the baby as a weapon so you can keep the Ewing name, which you care about. Because you’re a parasite! You’re incapable of loving. Even your son!

She slaps him, walks toward the door and opens it.

SUE ELLEN: You are wrong. I love my son.

CLIFF: You can’t love anyone. All you can do is use.

She leaves.