Dynasty Discussion Thread

[Soapsuds]

So I bought(actually got it free) an episode on HD from Amazon. There is no difference between the HD version and the DVD episode. The Dallas remastered episodes are superior to the Dynasty HD episodes.  The Dynasty opening credits haven't been cleaned up and the episodes are grainy.

[te.]

Actually, CWs app supposedly had more cleaned up episodes for a while, but for some reason they haven't put those up again. I never watched those myself, so can't verify, but it would be odd that they haven't put those up elsewhere again.

[Liberty City]

CW Seed did have an actual remaster of the series. A couple of previews (screen captures only):

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I genuinely don't know why the remaster isn't available again!!

[Joseph]

I could be wrong but I Believe that's the Quality of the Torrents I Downloaded! Not 100% sure though, and Season 5 is Missing Anyways I'm pissed at that

Edited June 14, 2023 by Joseph

[Cheap21]

How was the Dynasty reboot? Worth checking out?

 

[Khan]

Unfortunately, @Cheap21, I don't think the reboot is worth checking out.  The reboot should have been an opportunity to retell the story for the late 2010s-early 2020's, with a greater emphasis on character development.  Instead, it took the worst aspects of the original series - the paper-thin characterizations, the improbable plot twists, the emphasis of style and gloss over substance - and turned them up to eleven.

[AbcNbc247]

Gordon Thomson called it an abomination. That was all I needed to know

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[j swift]

Not to be a contrarian, but I was a fan of the re-boot.

Pro's -

1. By re-telling the story in a modern context, they had the opportunity to side step many of the earlier mistakes, for example Fallon was really the central character because the actress was in every season and didn't need to be re-cast. 
2. It was also more deliberately funny, they played with genre by adding musical episodes and dream sequences
3. The costumes were exquisite (Nolan Miller made it look like everyone in Denver shopped at the same boutique, but the reboot had characters in everything from Gucci to quiet luxury brands). 
4. They also tweaked the story just enough so that there was still a sense of mystery.  For example, when Alexis goes to jail for throwing someone off of her balcony, it touched on all of the original details, but changed the culprit.
5. The diversity was fun if you were a fan of the original.  Making Sammy Jo into a Latino male, having the Colby's be Black in Atlanta, and making Cristol South American, were interesting methods to modernize the story

Con's -

1. Much like the original, the reboot was filled with recasts, there were three Alexis's, and three Cristal's - it became an inside joke within the series, but it definitely limited the storytelling.
2. Multiple writing staffs meant that the tone changed varied wildly from season to season.  The first season was sexy and mean, the later seasons were cute and funny
3. For whatever reason, they chose more of a closed episodic structure over longer story arcs, and it became very repetitive.  Fallon was forever learning the lesson that putting business before her love life was foolish, she would seek forgiveness, and then engage in the same conflict in the next episode
4. Why does every version of Dynasty need to sideline Stephen?  He's one of the most interesting characters, but no matter the decade, he's always pushed aside in favor of Adam as the focus of the story.

Edited June 14, 2023 by j swift

[Vee]

It seemed like they very quickly leaned into just turning it into a camp factory of gags, setpieces and in-jokes and not much else in order to survive based on the loyal audience for that. Which worked for awhile on the CW, but wasn't a recipe for longevity. Although tbh I think the handful of long-running network dramas these days are equally formulaic or desperately hyper-paced.

Edited June 14, 2023 by Vee

[j swift]

I would add that Liz Gillies was an excellent Fallon.  She balanced vicious and vulnerable in a very captivating way, and they clearly played to all of her strengths.

Sam Underwood was the epitome of Adam.  He played creepy and charismatic in ways that Gordon Thompson could never hope to achieve. 

Adam Huber as Liam and Sam Adegoke as Jeff were written as strong enough to be Fallon's partners, rather than the one dimensional Jeff in the original version. 

Alan Dale's Anders was a mysterious, moody and tender foil for Rafael de la Fuente's Sam.

Of course, nobody will ever be a better Alexis than Joan Collins, John Forsythe and Grant Show were equally adequate, and arguably some Cristols were better than others, but the new cast was mostly superior. 

Edited June 14, 2023 by j swift

[Liberty City]

I was always thoroughly entertained by the reboot, and liked the nods they threw to the original series. I recommend it.

[te.]

The CW reboot was everything I expected a Dynasty reboot be on the CW, so it never really disappointed me - it's not how I would've done it necessarily and there are points where the show is stronger in places and weaker in others, but if you go in knowing what to expect it's enjoyable. 

[kalbir]

CW Dynasty was designed so that the Google generation could binge watch.

[Beetle Bailey]

I am rewatching the original Dynasty on Amazon.  While the first season is one of my favorite seasons along with 2, 3 and 9, I completely understand why Matthew, Lindsay and Walter were axed.  They were all good actors, but for me, Matthew and Walter felt like Dallas characters, Lindsay seemed like she belonged on Family hanging with Buddy and Willie.  However, she should have been brought back the next season like Claudia.  Maybe she would have been less depressing if she had interacted with Sammy Jo or Fallon.  As far as the rest of the show, the Carringtons felt fresh and more sophisticated than the Ewings, so I could see why all of them returned for the 2nd season.

[Jagger1966]

When the CW version of Dynasty began I thought the first few episodes were dreadful but I stuck with it and I think the turning point was around episode 7 the Thanksgiving episode.  They really amped up the crazy and from then on the tone of the show turned to a lot more comedic one liners and campy storylines and I was hooked.  It ended up being one of my favorite shows and I looked forward to it every week.