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Dynasty seems to take place in several different universes at the same time. Or rather, time seems to have no constraints on the storytelling. Has a day passed since the last episode? A week? A month? Who knows. Last week’s episode ended with Liam’s mother making a deal with Blake and this week’s episode appeared to take place the next day. On the other hand, Adam and Jeff just had major surgery, from which the recovery time is substantial (a week in the hospital, six to eight weeks recovery time), but Adam was up and about, fit as a fiddle, ready to wreak havoc on Cristal and her charity. But we’ll get back to those storylines in a minute.
The most useless story this week picks up from last week — so another ‘the next day’ thing — at La Mirage. Kirby wants an assistant because they have a lot of upcoming events (okay, maybe this one is several days, or weeks, later because who asks for an assistant on their second day on the job?) and Sam is open to it … and then he turns around and forces Ramy on her. It doesn’t help that Kirby also knows the truth about the stolen watch but she puts up with it because she needs the job. But Kirby is still smarting about being lied to and Sam thinks she’s over-reacting, but his nonchalance towards her drives a wedge between their friendship. She still shows up for work the next day but … Sam’s office safe has been robbed, probably by Ramy, and he tries to apologize to Kirby for not believing she had his best interests at heart. But Kirby isn’t ready to be friends again just yet.
The Dynasty writers must have a template for this particular plot device because it’s been used many times already, whether it be friendships or romantic relationships. It was used again this week with Culhane, who feels that Vanessa is into him but isn’t thrilled about being part of Dominique’s show. Anders tells him to see how Vanessa behaves when the cameras aren’t rolling, and at his birthday party he hopes to get that chance but Dom manages to steal his spotlight. Anders later shows Culhane video from his cell phone of Dom and Vanessa discussing their next move, out of sight of the cameras, that proves to Culhane he’s just being used for their show.
In another instance, Cristal and sexy priest Father Collins are getting a little too close for a married woman and a man who’s taken a vow to the church, to the point that she lies to Caleb (yes, apparently he and Cristal are on a first name basis now) about a meeting being cancelled and then lies to Adam, who was forced on her by the hospital Board to oversee things, that the priest had an emergency to attend to. Of course Adam bumps into the Father at the hospital and they compare stories, which leads Caleb to confront Cristal who notes that the touching and flirting are an issue. So how do they resolve it? With a passionate lip lock. Great, so now we’re going to go back to Cristal and Blake at odds again? Which means whenever the show resumes production, there will be a fourth Cristal? If that’s the case can we please have one who is actually by Blake’s side? Well, at least Adam has had a miraculous recovery.
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The bulk of the episode, and really the best part, was the plot between Mrs. Van Kirk and Blake to break up Fallon and Liam so Blake could regain ownership of Carrington Atlantic. Blake told Laura he knew exactly what wedge to drive between the couple and its name is Michael Culhane. Blake took Liam golfing to get to know his future son-in-law a little better but wasn’t too subtle about how Fallon’s past relationships have gone and it seems that the only person who’s been there for her, particularly when Liam had amnesia, was Culhane. And Liam’s mother confirms she saw the two together a lot.
But Laura offered to do Fallon and Liam a huge favor. Fallon wants a famous designer to do her wedding gown but someone leaked the terrible employee reviews from her company … well, they were terrible for Fallon as all of the reviews disparaging her were leaked and the designer felt that a woman in business should not behave in the way Fallon was portrayed so she wouldn’t even take Fallon’s call when the designer was on a podcast. Fallon booked herself on the same podcast to prove how nice she is and then somehow Alexis invited herself into the conversation and stole Fallon’s spotlight by giving motherly advice. But Laura Van Kirk knows the designer personally and offers to talk to her about doing the gown.
When Fallon returns to the manor and finds Liam and his mother there, she’s not open to the idea of a wedding dress with so many strings attached, leading the two to have another huge blowout that leaves Laura and Blake smirking. But Laura still isn’t sold on the lovebirds staying estranged for too long. She doesn’t need them broken up forever, but long enough for her to close a deal in Moldavia that will give Liam a share of stock and more say in the family business. As long as he’s not married before the deal closes, he won’t get anything.
I have to pump the brakes here for a minute because any fan of the classic Dynasty knows the name Moldavia. For the fifth season’s finale, a wedding took place there between Alexis’ long-lost daughter Amanda (and to date there’s been no mention of her on the current version of the show) and her Prince. Before the ceremony ended, terrorist burst into the church, gunning down everyone — a Red Wedding long before Game of Thrones came along — leaving fans to wonder who would live or die all summer long. Turned out only two minor characters bit the dust. But with a wedding on the horizon for Fallon and Liam (maybe) and the country of Moldavia being casually mentioned this week, could they be planning a modern take on the infamous Moldavian Massacre? Well, we may not know considering the show had to shut down production before the season finale was filmed (and it looks like the next episode may be the last one completed for this season).
Back to our story — during their fight, Fallon told Liam she was going to Culhane’s birthday party, alone, which only raises his suspicions that there is still something there beyond a friendship. So he follows her to the party, unaware that Blake and his mother are in the production booth watching Fallon and Culhane have a heart-to-heart that ended with a quick peck on the cheek. But all Liam saw was a kiss and his mother was pleased with her son seeing that. So pleased, in fact, that she told Blake she’s firing the guy Jeff and Alexis are blackmailing, which will make the sale of CA back to Blake all the more easy. But Blake also figured out that Laura was using him to break up Liam and Fallon for her own gain. But as long as Blake is getting CA back, that was enough for him to engage in a lip lock as passionate as Cristal’s with the priest.
Ultimately, the joke is on Laura even though she doesn’t know it. After Blake took Liam golfing to feel him out, and Blake admitted that maybe he was trying to break them up at that point but he decided he likes Liam, he revealed Laura’s plan and got Liam and Fallon to play along. Fallon also got Culhane to work with them so everything Laura saw was all for show, so while she played Blake, Blake totally played her. He still doesn’t have CA back yet so Liam and Fallon have to keep their ‘break up’ public — which means Alexis cannot send out the ‘save the date’ announcements she’s had printed up (but she is getting her own ‘Ask Aunt Alexis’ podcast and online advice column thanks to Fallon). But I have to say the writing and acting here was perfect, because I bought what they were selling. I was a little miffed that Blake would so quickly turn on the daughter he had just re-bonded with but overall it was very well played. Now if the writers could just stop with the silly two episode ‘friendships in jeopardy but not really’ storylines, all would be right with the world.
Oh, and what a bit of bad timing to mention that Mrs. Gunnerson was out sick with the flu.
What did you think of this episode? Tell us in the comments section below!
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