nuDynasty Episode Chat S2E19: This Illness of Mine

[Daniel Avery]

Description: "As Fallon prepares for the launch of Liam's book, Liam's mother returns with a shocking announcement that could derail Fallon's plans; Blake and Cristal partner up to pursue a nefarious new scheme; Jeff and Culhane get closer to exposing Blake."

 

[Daniel Avery]

Fallon and Liam are all over one another in her bedroom, but fully clothed. That might have changed if TMZ had not published that photo of L&F kissing at the party. She quickly pulls together a press conference where she says (basically) "Yeah, the book's about me, not Ashley. So the hell what?" She's barely stopped congratulating herself when Liam's mom Laura shows up ready to sue because Liam's "fiction" (which Fallon just confirmed isn't fiction) made her out to be...well, pretty much the beee-atch that she is. She offers to stop the flurry of lawsuits if Liam dumps Fallon.

When that gambit doesn't work, Laura then announces she's got terminal cancer and wants to spend as much time with her son as she can before she dies. So basically she wants him to drop his fledgling writing career and return to NY to be with her. Sound familiar at all?

Blake is going to pull strings to get sports betting legalized in Georgia, and enlists Cristal to help him sway the vote. They are quite the power couple in this episode.

Grant Show looks like he is about to jump out of his skin during his scene with Alexis and her new/old/new face. It's actually quite endearing, in a Twilight-Zone kind of way. But it helps Alexis realize this new/old/new face is freaking everyone out.

Zoned-out Jeff won't even leave the office...and Adam stops in occasionally to watch him decline. It gets really bad, but before Adam finally calls the paramedics, he warns Jeff not to cross him or Blake ever again.

Alexis finds out a key piece of info when talking to her plastic surgeon and she confronts Adam.

Fallon finds out a key piece of information when talking to a phlebotomist and she confronts Laura.​

Turns out Laura had some help with "this illness of hers," but hey, Fallon draws first blood in affairs of the heart. Fallon is gracious in victory, however, by saying she doesn't want Liam to feel the same way about his mother as she does about her own. Laura seems genuinely confused by a display of genuine human compassion.

Michael goes to the cops with a box of papers and tells them he has what it takes to bring down Blake Carrington. I think I yawned.

Alexis announces she's going to Europe to get a new face, and tells Fallon not to cross Adam because "he's worse than you know." Fallon subtly throws down the gauntlet with dear brother, given all she's learned in this episode. That girl sure does take the cake.

 

[tommie]

See ya next season Alexis! I kind of still hope that Nicolette comes back, but I'm not counting on it...

Christ Fallon, for a smart bizniz womin you sure do create a lot of drama in public. At least she's showing some growth by not just throwing Liam's mother under the bus.

Hm, so the poison paint plot is done now?

The plot to take down Blake by Michael and Jeff is so dull.

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

It took hours to download.
Just watched it.
All i have to say is... i can't believe i've stayed up all night for this... and the silly little preview of next week looks like it gets even worse..
Team insta fully in charge once again.

 

[Rove]

Team insta fully in charge once again.

This doesn't bode well

 

[xab]

So Alexis is gone for good? So I'm not sure I will watch this one. Or the following ones. I'm done. Storylines are dull as dishwater ( if I may call storylines this patchwork of pointless scenes and twists). I don't give a f**k about Liam and Fallon. Anyway nobody really gives a f**k about anything or anyone in that show. So, why should I care...? I guess I'll eventually read the recaps or the spoilers here. Maybe I'll be back next season. Maybe.

But for now, Charles, you know what you've got to do...

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

Maybe they can pull themselves together at least for the season finale again a little ... that's my hope. I mean.. it's just 3 more episodes of this very unconsistent season.
I think they managed to roll out 6 or 7 decent episodes .. out of 22. I wish it was the other way around.

 

[ChrisSumner]

I actually really enjoyed this. I feel things are coming into focus as the season wraps up and Adam has been a jolt of energy for the show. My biggest gripe is that Alexis didn't tell Fallon that Adam burned her face. I felt the scene was okay, but it would've raised the stakes a bit if Fallon had to keep a secret like that and it would've forced her to be more careful with whatever plan she has. I was happy she didn't blow Alexis off, but it didn't have the impact it could have had.

The weak part was definitely Jeff/Michael, who have struggled with storylines all season. It's a shame Monica is languishing because I feel she is the most interesting of the three. Maybe instead of Kirby they'll end up pairing her with Adam. I'd be down for that or anything that gives Monica more to do. As always I loved Sam and Anders. I'm getting to the point where I almost want to ship them as a couple but I don't know that CW is ready for an older man/younger man story. It wouldn't be easy to sell, but they are so cute together. I hope we get to see their trip in the next few episodes.

All in all they gave me enough to get excited for Dominque's arrival and what will happen with Adam going forward. I'm curious what the cliffhanger will be like and what homages they'll play to past cliffhangers. I doubt it would be this season but I wonder when they'll eventually recreate the Moldavian Massacre and how insane that'll be.

 

[tommie]

So Alexis is gone for good?

Alexis told Fallon she's going to Europe to fix her face, and that she'll be gone for "quite a while". I assume this means she'll reappear next season at some point, either as Nicolette or a new actress.

 

[Michael Torrance]

Alexis announces she's going to Europe to get a new face,

Like "somewhere in Europe." If only there were some specific European city she could visit where her son had been committed...

 

[thomaswak]

I fast forward all the scenes between Jeff and Michael. SO it was a good episode. Not as good as I was hoping for. But in the NuDynasty standard it was okay.

I'm happy that Fallexis is leaving to get a new face. As much as I praise Gillies performance, the face is too awkward, too weird to enjoy it. I mean, I know that the fact that it makes other characters uncomfortable is on purpose. But it made me uncomfortable too, sometimes. Either that, or I was paying attention way too much to the FX and prosthesis. Anyway, Fallexis going to europe was the most logical and obvious road. I foresaw it last week. My theory was both right and wrong : "The ideal plot now is that "wall painted drugged Jeff" goes crazy, marries Fallexis and expires. Fallexis inherits his money, and goes to europe to find the best surgeons to fix her face (because her "Fallon face" makes her family way too uncomfortable.)"

I was right only about the Europe part, and the uncomfortable thing. Only because it was obvious. I mean, many watchers here surely foresaw that too

Anders & sam work well together. I love their relation.

Adams is creepy, as usual, but I love him. He's so fucked up. The moment he's crying in Falexxis arm is priceless. Like Fallexis, it made me wonder if it's genuine or manipulation. I think it's both. I mean, the actor's take is interesting : at this point I didn't know when he was sincere and when he was not. I mean i know, he's messing with their lives on purpose. But when he starts crying, I think it's on purpose too at the beginning. But I also think there was some truth in his pain. Maybe I am the crazy one, looking for subtlety in NuDynasty

Spoiler for next episode (preview at the end of the episode) :

Spoiler

Oh the beginning of the catfight between Adam & Fallon in the preview !
I laughed so much when I saw Sam's reaction and face, looking at Anders

 

[Tony]

Fallon vs Adam is the best thing about NuDynasty right now. I'm looking forward to Fallon and Liam teaming up to take down Adam next week.

The sibling rivalry is something that should have been developed more in the original Dynasty, and the writers should have stuck to the original bible of Fallon taking Alexis/Adam to court over LB's shares in Denver Carrington; Adam bringing Michael Culhane back to discredit Fallon - but Fallon takes a back seat in the latter half of season 3 and is unfortunately stuck with Mark. The rivalry picks up again when Fallon discovers that Adam was behind the poison paint.

Most disappointing character development for me this season is Cristal 2.0. She really should have been the moral compass but the writers seem to be taking her down the same path as the first version.

Also, someone in the production must be a Talking Heads fan. That's the second cliffhanger this season which ends with one of their songs.

 

[thomaswak]

Most disappointing character development for me this season is Cristal 2.0. She really should have been the moral compass but the writers seem to be taking her down the same path as the first version.

As I said once, the writers seem to be unable to write a character with moral compass. So there is no balance in the show. Ok, moral compass characters tend to be boring. But they are necessary ! The writers were so wrong when they decided that NuCristal in season 1 should be a kind of bitch. I mean, there was already a bitchy character : Fallon. There was no fuckin balance. Especially when we knew that Alexis would come later. Writers really messed up both Cristal and Alexis. It's a shame, because they had a pattern. They had a working exemple with original.

So far, I really don't get who the NuCristal2.0 is. She's so different from her early episodes. I think they should have kept the first Cristal. Again, I don't mind Brenda. But I really don't see the point to recast and create this new character... I think that Kelley had more chemistry with Grant. And when her Cristal was trying to help Michael about the reasons of his father's death, she was starting to be a moral compass. By the end of the season, I really liked her character. The writers did good, and I think they were trying to redeem her. And they did. Maybe the recast and the Cristal 2.0 was a broadcast decision. At least I'm sure Steven off the show is a Network decision.

 

[Rove]

Okay. I know I’m watching Peach Dynasty, it’s television with fictional characters. But to use cancer in such a frivolous manner is a low act, even by its own pathetic standards. A character using a terminal disease to manipulate others can be used to great effect as long as it’s played straight – unlike Peach Dynasty with its continued nudge nudge, wink wink attitude. Watching this episode, I actually felt disgusted they could use such a horrific disease, which affects so many around the world in such a cavalier way.

There was nothing remotely decent about this episode. Blake and Cristal masquerading as Bonnie and Clyde meandering around the boondocks was laughable. Seriously? I thought that was a job for Anders. Can you imagine back in the day watching Blake (John) dressed in his finest Hugo Boss suit and Krystle (Linda) wearing a Nolan Miller creation bejewelled in Harry Winston refinery acting out a scene like this?

Someone on the writing team is clearly a Neighbours fan and knew of Alan Dale’s acting past because his throw away line about binge watching Neighbours was the only time I chuckled. Sam has become a joke. Time for that character to move on. I have zero interest in Jeff and Michael. In fact, we all know where this will end up – one or both will die or end up in prison – because the writers and producers would dare not do anything with the character of Blake.

Kudos to Liz on her portrayal of Alexis. In such a short period of time it's uncanny how she managed to display Nicolette’s voice and mannerisms. I’m thankful the writing team have shipped Alexis to Europe. Hopefully when she returns the writing team may get serious about the character in Season 3 though highly unlikely.

Bo makes another appearance and steals the scene

 

[Daniel Avery]

It's a shame Monica is languishing because I feel she is the most interesting of the three. Maybe instead of Kirby they'll end up pairing her with Adam.

Nah, they already dipped into 'cousin lovin' with Jeff and Fallon, and it wasn't pretty.

Alexis told Fallon she's going to Europe to fix her face, and that she'll be gone for "quite a while".

To which I chuckled, "How on Earth do you plan to get through customs with that face?" It takes forever to get a passport these days, and the TSA won't let her board a plane to Europe with a passport photo that looks so little like she does now. Pesky logic has no place in Dynasty, I guess. But if she does drop by to visit Steven, he might have a setback once he gets a look at her.

Bo makes another appearance and steals the scene

When Bo was 'assisting' Sam in his initial efforts to verify who took the photo, I thought "At least we know who's the brains of the operation." Sam's selfie collection rivals the Library of Congress, but at least it had a use.

BTW, is Sam really going to the Maldives, or was that just their usual silly banter? I don't think we've had a single episode in which Sam did not appear, and it would be a terrible time for him to leave, what with Fallon marching off to war with Adam. He's always been the able leader of her Dirty Tricks Squad, and she will need him!

I saw the 'Laura in bed with Adam' revelation but didn't catch the timeline. Did Adam actually get her to come to town, or did he bed her after she arrived? I assumed he allied with her (and gave her the tacky 'terminal cancer' idea) after her "lawsuit threat" stuff didn't gain traction, since it was such an abrupt change of tactics. Love Laura's shock over being exposed: "You stole my blood!" (straight out of a famous Monty Python skit).

 

[Rove]

To which I chuckled, "How on Earth do you plan to get through customs with that face?" It takes forever to get a passport these days, and the TSA won't let her board a plane to Europe with a passport photo that looks so little like she does now. Pesky logic has no place in Dynasty, I guess.

That's an issue I take with many series nowadays. When the audience is smarter than the writing team you know they have problems.

 

[ChrisSumner]

Nah, they already dipped into 'cousin lovin' with Jeff and Fallon, and it wasn't pretty.

They’ve under-utilized that twist so much I completely forgot Monica and Adam are related LOL!

 

[Willie Oleson]

Selfie-whores, crime skanks and name-dropping bitches.

Cheerio!

 

[Daniel Avery]

[sings] These are a few of my fa-vo-rite things...[/sings]

 

[Willie Oleson]

It looks like that other writers team is back from "vacation" *cough*loony bin*cough*
Cristal is happy to assist Blake in creating an empire she's run away from all those years ago. What a garbage plotline, I hate her.

Alexis was gazing into the fireplace and I wondered...will she or won't she?
Adam was not supposed to rescue Jeff! What's the point of all this?

p.s. Jeff and Michael may not be the most entertaining characters, but I think their scheme is the most exciting part right now. Someone is going to get burned, but who and how?
I'm not sure I understand why Adam is doing these things to Fallon, shouldn't he be causing trouble between her and Blake?
It just seems like a lame excuse for an endless lover's quarrel storyline between Fallon and Liam. Yawn!