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Dynasty: Discussion Thread


dragonflies

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It was horrible. For a show called Dynasty, something we have been waiting for decades. If it was presented as a new version of Titans it might be ok.

No style, so substance, no drama, no emotion, no conflict, no surprise. 

The thing I hated most was this harmless version of Steven, which belongs to a play from the 60s. Always holding a drink, talking about Fallon's hair or helping her with it, always trying to be witty. One of the most fascinating characters in the original was Steven, a tortured soul, a sexual creature, adoring his sister, trying to prove himself to his father, trying to make it in a difficult working arena, always getting in trouble, missing his mother, being nice to Krystle, trying to hide his pain and his sensitivities. Someone I adored and someone I felt really close to me as a viewer. And we get this?

Fallon did nothing for me. Basic spoiled girl from a 2007 teen series.

Blake should be less horndog, more cruel businessman. His new bride Melania served no purpose. Not nice enough to root for her, not mean enough to hate her. Just a woman for the catfight scenes, someone who has never watched Dynasty might this this is enough. And then we have the boring guy from Revenge and the primetime soap twink that gets to sleep with the rich son is back for another show. 

 

I don't feel that the new PTB ever watched the original. Just read a synopsis and watched some classic clips. Then they decided to bring the show to 2017 by making the new Mrs Carrington a Latina and make Fallon's love interests black. Plus a gay stereotype from a 60s play. How modern and open-minded are we? I don't get why this show had to be called Dynasty, just because of some similiarities in the structure. It might as well have been Another World with Mac, Raquel, Iris, gay Sandy, gay Jamie, and Steven with Alice instead of Matthew and Claudia.  

 

No opening. No tribute to the original. Nothing smart. Nothing creative. Nobody said something interesting within the episode, they were walking bad soap opera cliches with even worse music background.

 

No fun. I don't think I will watch again, unless I am bored to death and not a single person answers my calls.

Edited by Elsa
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And this Steven was even upset that Blake set him up with his kind of guy. The original Steven would have done cartwheels if Blake gave any interest by setting him up with a guy. This Steven is plain horny and has no substance to him.

Edited by Hunk Chandler Massey
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It was much more decent than I expected it to be (especially for a pilot and it's worth remembering the original show had THREE HOURS to do all this in its disposal), except for that opening narration. Although I am not sure about this ambiguous direction they're taking Cristal, I think in a few episodes' time, when all is revealed, they'll have positioned her as good by revealing the 'secret' is not really her fault or there's a good explanation or something. I just want the actress to not play her as catty. The catfight with Fallon was actually fun, and the feud with Anders was great.
 
Grant Show fit in perfectly for the Blake of 2017, and it seems like they won't be shying away from his ruthless side.
 
Fallon: I enjoyed her. They can't possibly make her worse than the original show did.
 
Steven was funny and a cutie. I thought he had great chemistry with Sammy Jo. The story of Steve's gayness was groundbreaking in 1981 but I'm glad they're not continuing that now. Besides, the show DID allude to issues between Blake and Steven because of his gayness.
 
I loved all the little callbacks to the pilot (the pool playing, Blake saying he won't send a parade of flowers) and then mentions of Alexis, which are setting everything up nicely for when she does show up (Season 1 cliffhanger?).
 
The explosion and Matthew's death caught me by surprise. The moment the windwill broke off was especially strong. I think a whodunit on his death is a great idea. Hope they handle it well. 
 
The most surprising thing was that moment with Michael, after Jeff thought he was a waiter. I really felt his disappointment, that look he gave after Fallon left. That was an unexpected move and handled very well.
 
Overall, I'm actually interested to see how they develop this. Looking forward to the next episode.
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I'm going to watch it on demand tomorrow, but I'm with DaytimeFan... I can't imagine anyone else playing Alexis (if the show even makes it that far) without doing some sort of Joan impression or failed attempt to reinvent the Rolls Royce wheel.  Her look, the way she moved in clothes, the signature brown paper cigs, I'm just not interested in seeing anyone else play that part which was so perfectly portrayed.  I feel similarly about other characters, but Alexis is particularly iconic... just like I'd never want to see anyone else play J.R.

 

A few years back, Esther was talking about a prequel series, a "period piece" Dynasty, which I'd have preferred.  Young Alexis and (then) Cassie's relationship, their father, mother, aunt and first cousins Sabella and Francesca; the assorted relationships/affairs/flings with Blake, Ben, Jason, Philip... Sable's rape... Adam's kidnapping... There were so many plot twists brought about because of casting, and a number of single lines meant to establish relationship, all with the potential to be fleshed out into full storylines.

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T bh, the original show wasn't masterpiece theater...it did provide the blue print for current CW and reality shows....and don't forget Alexis made throwing shade an art form.

 

However, I have read interviews with the showrunner...who did watch the original...and she has a good rapport with esther..so I think that makes me feel a little better.  Contrast that with cidre..who never watched the show nor wanted to listen to David Jacobs.

 

Melinda Clarke is who I could accept as Alexis if she must be recast.

Edited by Soaplovers
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There is no point trying to replicate the Joan Collins mould for this Alexis. If Cristal is now a latina, Jeff Colby is black and Sammy Jo is a MAN then why not put a new spin on the Alexis character. I think Melinda Clarke, who played Julie Cooper Nichol in The OC, could be great as a bitchy new Alexis, or Kelly Rutherford who could take the character in a total ice queen direction. At this point they have nothing left to lose.

 

I feel bad that it tanked in the ratings but they did this to themselves, there was no joy in the pilot, the way it was shot made it look really dull and lifeless when it should be glossy and glam looking. The wedding, for a billionaire and his new bride, looked cheap and dreary, and the inclusion of David Bowie in the soundtrack to make it "edgy" failed miserably. 

 

I do agree the characterisations of Fallon and Steven are very cliched (00s teen drama bitchy girl, 60s play harmless gay) and more work could have been done with them. I would have liked for the coin to be flipped where Steven is concerned. Why not take him down the road of a bisexual version of Ryan Phillipe's Cruel Intentions character, Sebastian? Rich playboy who flip flops between men and women all in a bid to get attention from his father, who still wont take him seriously? Blake pushes him away because he sees nothing but Alexis in his son with his manipulations and trouble making. As for Fallon, they've got something right with her wanting Blake to take her seriously and treat her as an equal, but why not use her as a perfect representation of how women are still fighting for equality with men, especially in Trump era 2017? Blake could be urging her to be the perfect pampered heiress doing fluff charity projects and having an Ivanka-esque powerless position within Carrington Atlantic (don't even get me started on the fact this doesnt nearly have the same ring as Denver Carrington) only for Fallon to oust her father from the company after a series of schemes to show her power and ability. She's your Tiffany Trump right there, not taken seriously by her father but this Fallon is determined to show him, and the world, that she's a force to be reckoned with.

 

The Cristal/Sammy Jo having secrets that threaten to expose Cristal's new wealthy lifestyle plot is something straight out of so many failed late 90s/early 00s primetime soaps. Why not choose to portray Cristal as an educated, successful in her own right businesswoman? Why does she need to be a gold digger from the wrong side of the tracks? Wouldn't it be more interesting if, in this version, Cristal was just as much an equal to Fallon and Alexis? Able to outmanoever them while still remaining kind and pure?

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