In the fortunes of life, there are always winners and always losers. You can't have one without the other. While the Ewings seemed to live by a different set of rules, one man struggled with his own demons of modest successes and huge failures.

Willard “Digger” Barnes had a long running feud of 40 years with the Ewings, going back in time to when he was the drilling for oil with Jock. Somehow, he lost his share of the fortune in that partnership.

Digger also had a romance with Ellie Southworth, and despite the fact she cared for him a great deal, Ellie chose to marry Jock Ewing to save her family from complete financial ruin. Years later, this would add to the sufferings of Diggers' dependency on alcohol, eventually alcohol contributed to his death.

In the mini-series cliffhanger, Digger arrives at Southfork with his nephew, and they receive a tour by Miss Ellie Ewing. After the tour concluded, Digger Barnes had to confront his old enemy Jock, and together they had to accept the news that Bobby and Pamela were married and she was expecting a baby.

In his personal life with his children, Digger Barnes told them that their mother had died, and that is why they were raised with help from Aunt Maggie. Yet, in the cruelty of misfortune, Digger revealed that he was not Pamela's biological father, but another man by the name of Hutch McKinney.

As he lay dying on his deathbed, Digger Barnes revealed the fact that he had killed Hutch and buried his body on Southfork Ranch.