The premiere of the new season of ”Dynasty” took place on the 11th of October 2019, on the CW. The American soap opera reboot based on the 1980s’ „Dynasty” series is about to premiere its’ third season on Netflix as well on the 23rd of May 2020. Due to the current, unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic the fourth season will include this seasons’ last two episodes.
The delicious songbird Fallon Carrington is back with her friends and family to bring more drama in the new season.The first season of ”Dynasty” premiered in the United States on October 11, 2017, on the CW. A day later it premiered on Netflix internationally. Almost every episode title of the series refers to lines from the original 1980s’ ”Dynasty” starring John Forsythe. The ”Dynasty” series was developed by Sallie Patrick (”Revenge”), Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz. Stephanie Savage also developed ”Hart of Dixie”, a comedy-drama series and with Josh Schwartz she created the beloved ”Gossip Girl” series with which ”Dynasty” greatly resembles.
WHAT’S WITH ALL THE DRAMA?
The show follows Blake Carrington and his family, a powerful family whose petty squables, fights, and all sort of fellonies have either financial, blackmail, marital, sexual or coercion and murder implications. The accent is placed on the developing (or not) characters who have to make it work but each one wants something different so they rarely meet halfway. The family’s serious yet witty and high-spirited Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies) is very set on becoming the COO of Carringon Atlantic, her father Blakes’ (Grant Show) company. She and her brother, Steven (James Mackay) come home only to find, to Fallons’ dismay, that she has a soon-to-be-stepmother, the attractive Cristal (Nathalie Kelly). Fallon is a complex character who plays the bad guy and the good guy in her attempt of getting what she wants and in her many attempts of getting rid of Cristal. Because Blake chooses his new wife over his own daughter, Fallon decides to forge an alliance with Blake’s nemesis Jeff Colby (Sam Adegoke) another extremely wealthy American family: the Colbys’. The contionuos dramatic turns of events of who sides against who is as well unsettling as it is interesting, like Sammy Jo’s (Rafel de la Fuente) first impression when he arrives at the manor. From here on out, relationships flourish, desiccate, stop, start than stop again, another major factor in these being Alexis Carrington (Nicolette Sheridan), Blake’s ex-wife and Fallon and Stevens’ biological mother who seems as cold-hearted and selfish as she is.
The glue that keeps this family together and who tries to share some of his wisdom with the Carringtons, who think their smarts are maxed out, is none other than Anders (Alan Dale), Blakes’ butler. Michael Culhane, the Carrington family chauffeur plays another part and not only in Fallon’s love life.
The rivalry between the Carringtons and Colbys accelerates at an alarming pace. Just when you would think things are going to settle down they rise back up to the peak. That is the way Carringtons work: they lose the family company, Fallon tries to salvage it, she marries Jeff Colby than Michael Culhane than falls in love with Liam Ridley. After being in competition with her father she launches a publishing company called “Femperial” which she strives to keep on the floating line. With mommy as well as daddy issues Fallon is a very stylish, empowered, fashion icon for the world, whose dirty secrets come up no matter how much she tries to manage the situation. After Cristal is murdered, Blake remarries with a woman of the same name, Cristal (Ana Brenda Contreras) so she would not get questioned while he is in jail. Alexis and Blake find their long lost son, Adam, Fallon and Stevens’ brother. Adam (Sam Underwood) is very fond of his father and that drives him to do crazy stuff. The pile of wrongdoings keeps growing especially in the final episode of season 2.
What is really blinding is the resemblance of Fallon Carrington with Blair Waldorf, a former character on “Gossip Girl”. They both are about the rich and well dressed, however Dynasty projects more on family implications and bitter battles royal. The two shows resemble each other a lot and the most alluring factor is definitely Fallon Carrington. Elizabeth Gillies, former star on Nickelodeons’ “Victorious” an American sitcom. Dynasty took the very best from Elizabeth Gillies, including her musical talent, and created a well defined, bubbly young lady which not only reminds of childhood but can also teach further-in-life behavioral and thinking prospects as well as wardrobe, social media and money related lessons.
Also, the scenes in which the characters are thriving rarely seem dark and gloomy. Every scene is bright, vibrantly colored so Fallons’ blue eyes can pierce not only her enemies’ soul. It makes you feel as if you are there at the Carrington Manor having a wide-as-the-table breakfast or getting dressed for galas every night, swimming in a pool or riding around town in a limo. Like Fallon, you can sip every bit, every turn of the camera, because you will always turn to drama or trauma and either way it is going to be fabulous, or dressed in Michael Kors, Gucci or Christian Louboutin and wearing Swarovski.
SEASON 3- Three Cristals and a new Alexis
Believe it or not, we managed to get to a third Cristal portrayal for Blake. Daniella Alonso replaced Ana Brenda Contreras in the new season. It was not a very aggressive change but it was definitely noticeable. For some reason, the next Cristal always seems to be worse than the previous. It was a bit of a let-down. The second season finale left me wandering if Fallon, Blake and Cristal be arrested? Will Liam die?. These are the major plot twists the third season of ”Dynasty” was expected to fall onto, and it did. The substantial news is the unexpected return of Alexis Carrington, now played by Elaine Hendrix, known for the movie ”The Parent Trap”.
Fallon’s patience is rapidly put to the test in the first episode but she doesn’t let that get the best of her can do attitude. It is a very challenging time for her especially because she starts feeling guilty. The feeling of guilt overwhelms her so she manages to put a certain powerful family member at risk. She is set on not doing his or her bitting anymore. Adam, lets his sibling rivalry go to far and is now hated by everyone. As Blake tries to save his skin, the always prone to dramatic entrances Alexis Carrington returns. In an even more shocking turn of events, she has changed her marital status. For what others see as disturbing regarding her marriage she seems to find as a pretty normal alliance. Not only Fallon is put to the test: Cristal and Blakes’ relationship takes a few hits as well. No one is safe, at least not around Adam but karma is real for him. After all his scheming, this was exactly the blow up in your face, come to your senses, new beginning he needed.
Sam tries to make his hotel ”La Mirage” a thriving business. As the season progress Sam becomes more loveable, an easy to attach to character. Blake and Cristal cheat on each other, however the biggest jolt of shock is what Cristal and Blake do. What they do to each other seemes a little bit hair-pulled but then again hair-pulling is in the Carrington horizon.
Judging with a critical eye, the third season is better than the second, however it begins to be clear that Fallon is carrying the whole show. There is no inbetween breather which spares us of the constant hurricane of family clashes and emotional warfare. ”Dynasty” is a good means for relaxation with completely unnecessary gossip, backstabbing trauma and drama which makes watching it all the more necessary. One of the best things about this season is that we get to hear Fallon singing again making it all the more interesting and soothing.
