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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James from London" data-source="post: 17415" data-attributes="member: 22">27 Mar 85: DYNASTY: Reconciliation v. 28 Mar 85: KNOTS LANDING: A Man of Good Will v. 29 Mar 85: DALLAS: Sentences v. 29 Mar 85: FALCON CREST: Justice For All Following an almighty explosion (probably the biggest in Soap Land history) in the opening scene of this week’s DYNASTY, Blake Carrington and Daniel Reece find themselves in the same position as previous Soap Land plane crash survivors — JR and Bobby in early DALLAS stand alone episode “Survival”, Sam and Field in a Season 2 ep of FLAMINGO ROAD -- that of erstwhile adversaries obliged to put their differences to one side for the sake of their mutual survival.As is tradition, the Carrington women remain anxiously at home while the remaining male characters join the search party. Usually, it’s the female scenes that carry more weight, but this time the drama is pretty much evenly distributed between the genders, with enough macho rivalry to keep the rescue scenes bubbling along nicely. Inevitably, the search is hampered by adverse weather conditions and the men bicker over how best to proceed.Just as it was honorary Ewing son Ray Krebbs who came to JR and Bobby’s rescue by helicopter back in ’78, so it is Blake’s surrogate son Jeff who locates he and Daniel in their hour of need. (This is preceded by a laugh-out-loud scene in which Jeff lands a sucker-punch on Steven to prevent him coming along on the precarious 'copter ride.) Also like Ray, Jeff spots the men thanks to three distress-signal fires lit by Blake (and before him JR). Oddly, this is the second time in as many episodes that Daniel Reece has been rescued from a life-threatening situation. Last week, Dex went undercover to spring him from a military prison in Paraguay — but whereas that entire operation scarcely took up two minutes of screen time, this week’s rescue spans two-thirds of an episode.Despite their estrangement, Krystle has been keeping vigil for Blake at the mansion. Her joy at his safe return is tempered when Blake politely thanks her for her concern and offers to have her driven back to La Mirage. This is the same lesson that Sue Ellen learnt when JR returned home after his plane crash — not all marital differences can be healed with an “I’m so glad you’re all right” hug. Blake and Krystle are reunited later in the episode, however — an inevitable development, perhaps, but one that feels surprisingly earned and believable.Another DYNASTY reconciliation takes place when the ordinarily aloof Amanda, having realised that she does love Prince Michael after all, tells him she wants to go ahead with their wedding. Conversely, on KNOTS LANDING, the previously passive Cathy Geary shows signs of rebellion regarding her engagement. First, she angrily rejects the wedding dress Joshua has picked out for her, and then fails to show up for a meeting with Reverend Catherine to discuss their vows.If Cathy’s starting to question her choice of men, she’s not the only one. Having recently dated a con man and a madman respectively, it’s not too surprising that DALLAS’s Lucy and FALCON CREST’s Emma should both be feeling a tad dejected about their love lives this week. "I keep picking men who are wrong for me,” laments Lucy. “Romance is just not in my plans,” says Emma firmly. However, you can’t keep a good victim down for long and by the end of this week’s FC, Emma has fallen head over heels once more, this time for Damon Rossini (yet another Tuscany Valley newcomer with a secret identity and an ulterior motive). Meanwhile, all it takes is the mention of her ex-husband Mitch Cooper to make Lucy’s eyes light up all over again.Back at the Carrington mansion, a recuperating Blake receives a visit from Alexis. His anger over her involvement in Amanda’s engagement (“You sold her!” “I bought her a chance at happiness!”) reignites their feud, prompting Krystle to order Alexis out of the house. “This was my house while you were living in a shack somewhere!” Alexis snarls as Krystle manhandles her down the stairs and tosses a bouquet of flowers after her. It’s been a long time since the two rivals have interacted so physically and I’d forgotten how much fun it could be. Over on DALLAS, another classic conflict also comes back into focus. Following her return from Hong Kong, Sue Ellen is unhappy to hear that JR has been “flaunting” his relationship with Mandy Winger in her absence. He has a solution: “You can divorce me … but no matter what, John Ross stays here with me.” He hasn’t spoken to his wife this coldly in years and there is an immediate sense of urgency. “I’ve got to do something before JR drives me over the edge again,” Sue Ellen tells Pam.DYNASTY’s Ashley Mitchell may share a title with DALLAS’s Lady Jessica and a profession with KNOTS LANDING’s Ruth, but it turns out the Soap Land character she most resembles is recent FALCON CREST arrival, Connie Giannini. Both are American women who became experts in their chosen fields while living in France — Ashley was "the best young photographer in all of Paris” according to Dominique, while Chase hails Connie as "the first woman winemaker at Montret”. They also share a perpetually sunny disposition (in spite of Ashley’s widowhood and the recent untimely deaths of both of Connie's parents) as well as an inappropriate interest in the husband of their respective show’s most wholesomely married couple. Upon hearing of Blake’s plane crash on this week’s DYNASTY, Ashley finally stops smiling long enough to admit to Dominique that she came to Denver to seduce him, before realising how hopelessly in love with Krystle he was. Meanwhile, the neck rub Connie elicits from Chase on FC is at least as provocative as the kiss Ashley gave Blake at the end of her first ep. It is followed by a bedroom scene where Chase, still aroused from being in such close proximity to Connie, takes Maggie by surprise by getting into bed and kissing her passionately. (“Where’s this coming from? Are you on new vitamins or something?” she asks) By Soap Land standards, this is pretty frank stuff. This is a genre in which the concept of a “happy marriage” has been so idealised that the very notion of a husband fantasising about another woman while having sex with his wife (a wife played by a beautiful Hollywood star!) is all but inconceivable. Even in KNOTS LANDING, for all its self-consciously “down to earth” depictions of married life — for example, the running gag in last week’s ep regarding a blocked sink in the Mackenzies’ kitchen — it is unthinkable that Mack would ever find Karen anything less than highly desirable. Therefore, in its own quiet way, Chase’s libidinous behaviour feels as subversive as Val Ewing lacerating her own appearance in that motel room scene earlier in the season.Speaking of quiet subversion, it transpires on this week’s KNOTS that, in contrast to virtually every other red-blooded male in Soap Land (with the possible exception of Ray Krebbs), neither Eric nor Michael Fairgate has any interest in taking over their father's business. In a genre where father-to-son legacies are of paramount importance, Michael’s matter-of-fact dismissal of Knots Landing Motors (“I work there part time and I hate it") sounds a similarly blasphemous note to Donna Krebbs' recent exasperated plea to her husband on DALLAS: “Jock is dead, Ray — do something for the living!”The Fairgate boys’ attitude comes to light after Sid’s widow Karen receives a very handsome offer for the dealership. In spite of the offer and her sons’ feelings, she still finds herself unable to let it go — in contrast with Miss Ellie’s recent conclusion on DALLAS that Ewing Oil is "just a company.” At first glance, given what else is happening at this point in the KNOTS saga, specifically the somewhat space-age developments at Empire Valley, this hearkening back to Sid’s era feels slightly incongruent but is actually quite timely. The scene at his grave where Karen relieves Eric of any filial obligation towards KLM (“Your father … never thought you had to do what he did — he just wanted you to be happy”) seems to signify a passing of the torch: the days when Sid was the dead patriarchal figure whose shadow loomed largest over KNOTS are at an end. Thanks to the shock twist at the final scene of this week’s ep, that distinction now belongs to Paul Galveston.In fact, these week’s DYNASTY and KNOTS have similar endings. Adam Carrington is dismayed to overhear Blake telling hero of the hour Jeff Colby (not even his real son!) that he intends to leave him control of Denver-Carrington in his will. Meanwhile, Laura Avery is a bystander when Gary Ewing informs Abby that Paul Galveston (not even his real father!) has left him and not Greg all of Empire Valley in his will. Adam goes nuts, ranting at a framed photograph of Blake (“Denver Carrington is mine! It’s mine! IT’S MINE!”) which he then smashes. Gary goes nuts in a different way, unleashing his high-pitched hysterical laugh as he embraces Abby and lifts her off the ground. With no photograph of her own to smash (she did that last week), Laura just hovers awkwardly then does an interesting sideways look with her eyes.Soap Land’s current trials both reach their conclusion this week. While the Ewings file into court for Jenna’s sentencing on DALLAS, the Channings and Giobertis anxiously await the verdict in Lance’s case on FALCON CREST. The icy blonde judge on DALLAS (who slightly resembles the icy blonde prosecuting attorney on FALCON CREST) casts a dispassionate eye over Jenna's complicated history. "You have woven yourself quite a tangled web, Mrs Marchetta,” she coolly observes, making no allowances for the fact that Jenna lives in a soap opera world where tangled webs are unavoidable. Indeed, the juxtaposition between Jenna’s melodramatic ordeal at the hands of Naldo and the coldly sceptical scrutiny she has received from the legal system since her arrest has been the most interesting and satisfying aspect of this storyline.Conversely, on FALCON CREST, the legal system is part of the melodrama by virtue of the fact that the judge presiding over Lance’s trial is being bribed-cum-blackmailed by Richard Channing into ensuring a guilty verdict. Jury deliberation subsequently becomes a Soap Land plot point for the first time when the jury in Lance’s case declares themselves unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Defence lawyer Greg Reardon moves for a mistrial but under pressure from Richard, Judge Holder orders them to continue deliberating until they have reached a definitive verdict. Eventually, Lance is found guilty.Having proved ineffectual on the witness stand, Bobby Ewing and Angela Channing each now attempt to pervert the course of justice on behalf of the accused. Angela tries to bribe Judge Holder into granting Lance a suspended sentence but is unsuccessful. Lance, like Jenna, is sent down for seven years. Bobby, meanwhile, perjures himself during Jenna’s sentencing hearing. Fearing her daughter Charlie will be made a ward of the state, he claims to be the girl’s real father. Jenna having already told the same lie on Charlie’s birth certificate, he is believed.As well as the same prison term, Jenna and Lance are awarded similar freeze frames. FALCON CREST’s shows a stunned Lance being led away from his fiancée Lorraine in the courtroom while DALLAS ends with jailbird Jenna instructing her fiancé Bobby never to visit her again. “You’re free!” she tells him bravely but tearfully.Freudian flubs of the week: During a conversation with her daughter Amanda, DYNASTY's Alexis mistakenly blames King Galen himself for sabotaging their teenage romance instead of his father (“When Michael’s father forced us to separate, I thought I’d never love another man again …”). Over on DALLAS, while talking to Lucy, Ray erroneously refers to Mickey Trotter as his nephew rather than his cousin.And this week’s Top 4 are …1 (-) DALLAS2 (2) DYNASTY3 (1) KNOTS LANDING4 (-) FALCON CREST</blockquote>

Verification: 6 + 4 =