text: Season 3 cliffhanger: J.R. has made so many people in Texas hate him with a passion: men he has cheated in business, women he has cheated in relationships, family members he has angered, and a Marilee Stone (Fern Fitzgerald), whose husband committed suicide after a particularly disastrous business deal. After all this, somebody waits outside J.R.'s Ewing Oil office late at night, and when J.R. hears a noise, asks who it is and walks to the door, somebody shoots him twice in the abdomen. The cliffhanger to this episode leads to the now infamous "Who shot J.R.?" debates and speculation, and also speculation as to whether J.R. would actually survive the shooting or be killed off.
  Season 4 cliffhanger: Sue Ellen tries to sneak her son John Ross off Southfork, but is caught by J.R., who banishes her from the ranch. Pam later intercedes, taking John Ross to his mother while J.R. is away—throwing J.R. into a rage. Kristin (Mary Crosby) returns demanding more money from J.R., who tells her it is not too late to prosecute her for shooting him. While heading to a late-night business meeting with Bobby, Cliff finds a brunette woman's body floating in the Southfork pool. He jumps into the pool to see who it is, and when he looks back up, J.R. is standing on the balcony over the pool. Believing J.R. is responsible, Cliff says to his rival, "She's dead. You bastard." The face of the body was not shown, leading to speculation over whether it was Sue Ellen, Pam, Kristin or someone else. This was the show's highest-rated season-ending episode.