Dynasty: Discussion Thread

[Faulkner]

 

[j swift]

I have mixed emotions.

I think the idea of the re-boot was excellent.  Diversifying the cast, correcting some of the errors of the past storytelling, and retelling the plots within a modern context were great ideas.  The sets and costuming was some of the most appropriately extravagant stuff I've ever seen on TV.  Jeff Colby should be wearing Gucci, and Fallon should be wearing Chanel, not some Nolan Miller knock off where somehow everyone in Denver looked the same (forgive the hot take).  Also, the humor was totally underrated, all of the winks to the audience about the ever changing Cristols was fun.

However, in the past two seasons with the change in writing and production staff from season one, there seems to be an insistence on self contained episodes rather than long canonical stories.  I blame its popularity on Netflix, because I think story arcs loose their appeal when binge watching a series.  If you're going to watch five episodes in a row you want them to get to a conclusion, not keep stringing you along as you might enjoy if the episodes were weekly.   As a result, the episodes became so repetitive.  Fallon works too hard, Liam berates her, she promises to do better, rinse and repeat.

In the end, maybe this isn't the right atmosphere for a primetime soap?

Edited May 12, 2022 by j swift

[Liberty City]

Shocked. Hoping Netflix offers a reprieve, especially since they're reaching their 100th episode this season.

[Vee]

CW also appears to have ordered both a Supernatural and a Walker prequel, plus yet another DC show, this one about Batman's various sidekicks (Gotham Knights).

[DRW50]

Did they ever explain why they wrote Steven out and never brought him back?

[DaytimeFan]

I thought it was awful and such a slap in the face that none of the original cast were involved, so I won't mourn this one at all.

[j swift]

They fired the actor, but then the production staff that fired him was fired, so we'll never know.

To be fair, it was a re-imagining, not a continuation, so they recast all of the roles with a multiracial cast, and redid the old storylines, so there was no place for the old cast.

[DRW50]

I didn't watch much but I liked him and I preferred this version of the Luke/Sammy Jo story. I'm sorry it never got a resolution.

[j swift]

Steven was fired, Cristol and Alexis were recast, it is a lot of cast changes for an audience to accept.  One wonders if after the fiasco of three Cristols in 3 seasons, the network and production were reticent to recast more rolls.  And, given that they filmed in Atlanta, it wasn't as if there were an infinite number of actors just hanging around (except at Tyler Perry's pool house, but I'm not one to gossip).

[DaytimeFan]

Totally understand, but they could have easily written in former cast members in new parts (Joan as Blake's mother for a guest shot, for example) as a nod to the past. 

[Liberty City]

While that would have been cool, as a nod to the original, I also think they wanted this new Dynasty to stand on its own accord.

[kalbir]

Queens, Promised Land, Dynasty all cancelled. No word yet on Our Kind of People but I'd say its done. This season has not been good for primetime soaps.

[Taoboi]

THIS.

[pdm1974]

I've watched the show all 5 seasons, and I have to admit that season 5 has been quite boring. I thought the first two seasons were actually pretty good with OMG shocking twist. But, the last couple of seasons they seemed to really be struggling to decide what kind of show it was supposed to be. Some episodes came off more "sitcom" than "soap" and it began to feel more episodic than "soap" as well.

EG has been amazing as Fallon and has spun gold out of some pretty bad storyline. A home shopping network for Fallon? Is this 1985??? 

EH has done an admirable job with Alexis, but the writing never presented her as much of a threat to Blake and Kristal. She was more of a joke.

I never got Adam's purpose. He's creepy and weird...and??? What's the point of him? Again, he also comes off as more of a joke.

I loved Sam, but I'm so disappointed they wrote off Steven and never brought him back. Sam has never had a story as good as when the two of them were going back and forth.

Kristal #3 has been the best, but they didn't really even give her a strong storyline. Even the double story could have gone much further. The double SHOULD have slept with Blake, and he should have grown closer to her.

Amanda and Kirby had some potential this season though.

I'm hoping production had enough notice to at least wrap things up after 5 seasons.

I do think the cast as a whole was very good, but the writing never matched their talents.

Edited May 13, 2022 by pdm1974

[soapfan770]

Mixed emotions here as well about the show being cancelled. No it was never setting the world on fire but it has been entertaining for sure and I think the cast excelled at what they were given to do.

The show was entertaining enough for its first 4 and a half seasons for sure. This season so far started out alright but overall has been slow as molasses and I have noticed just about all the episodes have been indeed self-contained this season with no well defined overreaching arc as in seasons past. Not to mention the show brought on Dex but he’s been so ill defined. 
 

I had assumed it would at least get one more season before ending but alas. I do hope for a proper resolution and not some dumb cliffhanger. 

The schedule for that show has been extremely erratic all season long too. I think it’s gone on it’s 3rd hiatus again this season again with new  episodes not resuming again until June, yikes!