nuDynasty Episode Chat S01E17 Enter Alexis (March 30)

[MarkSinacori]

Another great episode!

No Jeff. No Monica. No Cesil. Just how I like it!

Reference to the strip croquet game on Knots Landing!

Fallon shooting her gun in the house.

The fight in the pool between Fallon and Alexis.

Krystle, Alexis' dog!

Only bad thing is still the mention of "My Company" when Fallon obviously doesn't have a company (17 episodes and we don't even see it, plus it isn't even her's anymore!) this is what I hate the most about Fallon. She DOESN'T have a company. We don't see her at work, bossing anyone around like other bosses do on soaps. This was the only bad writing. But it was a reflection on when she had the stupid company. It just seems every episode she has to mention it!

This is how Dynasty should have started off. Not the crap we got earlier in the season with Jeff/Fallon and the company that never was.


By now, I think it's too late. With the ratings it's getting, I, if I worked as a high up would have told the show to close it out by the finale. If it keeps getting low ratings, it's gonna get them if it's renewed for a season 2.

 

[tommie]

Ha! I actually thought Cristal worked really well this episode, sitting there smirking at the madness.

They're obviously throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this point, but hell, they pretty much have to. Normally I'd be hesitant at giving them a pool fight this early, but that and the shootout with Fallon was great.

So is Michael gone now? I didn't see that coming considering they've spent so much time developing him and Fallon.

 

[tommie]

Also is it weird that Alexis's dog has the same name as the original Krystle?

Alexis opted for the subtle approach

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

After my early boredom with the series, this episode has reignited my interest. Nicolette is clearly doing her own thing with the role which is good. A karaoke version of Joan's take on the role wouldn't have worked. The nods to the original were nice touches as was the Knots reference. Moving her into Michael's loft was also a good take on the art studio as I couldn't quite picture them all living in the same house just yet.

@tommie based on what I've seen on social media, I don't think its the last we'll see of Michael. And while I also thought it was a bit early for people to be thrashing around in ponds and potentially bringing in long lost children, I can now see why they're trying to throw in the best of the original so early in order to pull in viewers.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

FYI: John Forsythe used have a dog he'd named "Krystle".

 

[Alexis]

FYI: John Forsythe used have a dog he'd named "Krystle".

Of course he did.

 

[Alexis]

After a great episode last week I just wasn't all that impressed by this one. Fair enough they are doing their own thing with Alexis this time around but a trailer? I'm also really unimpressed with her wardrobe. This Alexis doesn't appear to have a style? Unless that style is manic and trashy? And I'm just not really here for that, it looks like she's just wearing a lot of stuff. However the original did also take a hot minute to establish the classic Alexis look.
The pool fight was utterly ridiculous, as was Fallon shooting up the living room. In fact it was moronic. I rolled my eyes back so far I was almost in 1981 watching the original Pilot! This is what happens when they focus on Fallon, it becomes stupid somehow. I wouldn't be mad if she went for a drive in the desert and ended up on Mars.

There were things I did like though. I loved that this Alexis named her dog Cristal, that was just perfect as was her little speech about how she had to take the dog in and that it was a grubby little freeloader. That dialogue was great, fun and a good extension of the original dynamic. I also like the fact that we have an Art Studio after all and that Alexis has moved in. They missed a trick by not giving her the iconic "I'm moving in" line though.

Joseph and Alexis' relationship seems much different here than on the original show. I get the impression that Joseph is sort of in cahoots with Alexis as he feels that Blake wasn't entirely fair with her and maybe there is some truth in Alexis' story. Even though we have yet to hear Alexis' full story. I feel the writers will have a tough job of selling Alexis' banishment when there is no real affair, no Roger Grimes, no beating with a candle stick etc to speak of so far. Maybe they will pull that all out of their asses in the coming weeks though.

The show continues to flip flop for me. From good/pretty decent to bad/God damn awful. There is no middle ground.

 

[Alexis]

The thing that is sorely missing from this version of the show is any ounce of atmosphere. I mean will we ever get anything as amazing as this? No...

 

[Willie Oleson]

Steven Carrington! That two-faced conniving BITCH! No matter how awful Fallon is, he knows his sister had issues with the fact that she couldn't contact her mother.
Even if Alexis asked him not to tell her (which she probably did) he still should have told her because Fallon is the one he grew up with. So much for loyalty!

As for Fallon's "creative marriage", I had expected Liam to be the troublemaker but it's actually Fallon who keeps him around. I don't think he's going anywhere (or maybe the writers are just testing how he fits in with the rest?)
Fallon rocks as the cool Sopranos chick, she's a good physical actress. Her OTT smart-ass attitude isn't going to change so I may as well get used to it.
Personally I thought the elevator fight with Jeff was more interesting than the pool fight, but then again, fighting in deep water almost never looks good.

I think Alexis is a Sammy Jo/Alexis mash-up, maybe it works better with the sleazy and weaker NuBlake. It looks like it's going to be a fun-trash battle.
And speaking of trash, why is Cristal walking around half-naked?

Alexis Jo is not happy that Steven is engaged to Sammy Jo. Maybe this could work as the original Alexis-Krystle feud because everyone likes Sammy Jo.

 

[MarkSinacori]

Ratings went up but were under 1 million as usual...Still it's cancellation material, regardless of the netflix deal. If they keep going up before the finale, good. If they stay under 1 mil, forget it. They should keep going up each week now. If they don't, I'd cancel it or close it up with a short season 2.

 

[Daniel Avery]

They said that Michael's father was ill, so it made sense that he left the estate to go see about him. But it didn't make sense that he quit his job entirely, since I was led to believe his family lived right there in Atlanta. They left out the part where they explained why he quit what was apparently a very lucrative gig (early on, they said he made six figures as the chauffeur), and why he vacated his loft so quickly. At first I thought Alexis was just moving into his loft with his stuff still there, kind of 'sub-letting', but she acts as if the place is permanently vacant, not temporarily (while Michael's "away"). An explanation is definitely in order (I'll wait).

His sudden disappearance, along with Jeff's non-appearance and last week's decampment of Monica and Cesil and countless gears shifted in various stories gives me the idea that a whole lot of mapped-out story is being thrown out and redone, that these back-nine episodes are being rewritten and reworked to fit in a lot more events. Fallon and Jeff's wedding (with the attached plotting and scheming) seemed incredibly rushed, and the whole "epic tale of the Colbys out to ruin the Carringtons because [reasons]" has basically been plowed under. Similarly, Steven's sudden plan to run for office and Ted's return to ruin Steven's romance with Sammy Jo were both conveniently plowed under as well. One minute, Sammy Jo looks to be a suspect in an attempted murder and Steven was being forced to pretend he and Ted were a couple for the sake of his campaign. Now nobody seems to care about Ted and his 'accident,' and Steven is proposing to Sammy Jo in public, "campaign" be damned. So much of Alexis's story was set up and knocked down in this episode (she doesn't have a claim on the estate after all; she's pretty much broke; she had been in the area for months before showing up at the funeral) that I have to wonder if they're knocking all this down now because they have a lot bigger fish to fry. All those discoveries (especially Alexis's little trailer an hour out of town) should have played out over several episodes and played for all the drama they deserved individually, but like I said, they were set up and knocked down quickly. Tossing in the pool fight (in January--I got to hand it to those two actresses for agreeing to that one) seemed to be an extra "please look at us!" moment that may or may not have been needed. I think Fallon's OTT gun play was just as spectacular and got the point across.

The suspicious part of my brain is now whispering that Liam is somehow connected to/working with Alexis. He's just too calm and accepting of all the stuff going on around him. I still kind of want him to be Adam, but knowing that Alexis had already been in town for a while got me thinking she was doing more than just visiting with Steven.

 

[Willie Oleson]

but she acts as if the place is permanently vacant, not temporarily

Well I think that is the explanation for Michael's resignation: he literally had to make room for Alexis so they tossed him aside like an unwanted item. Harsh!
I mean, could he not just have visited the hospital?

Now nobody seems to care about Ted and his 'accident,' and Steven is proposing to Sammy Jo in public, "campaign" be damned

Yeah, that seems a bit retooled (and this is just the first season, peeps!)

knowing that Alexis had already been in town for a while got me thinking she was doing more than just visiting with Steven

It's hard to imagine Alexis just sitting there waiting for Tom to die
They managed to un-do Tom's will (giving the house to Alexis) rather quickly and without any sort of momentum but I think we already knew this was not going to happen anyway.
But if you missed that one sentense (Fallon's explanation) then it doesn't make sense anymore.

 

[RottenSkipper17]

@Daniel Avery Your post has actually got me thinking about the possibility that the writers/producers may be throwing out storylines and characters that they believe aren't working or may simply have lost interest in. That would explain why Ted was ushered out so quickly, Steven's campaign storyline has been quietly dropped and now Michael appears to be thrown to the wayside and with his storyline with Fallon having appeared to change gears so abruptly in just a couple of episodes.

Maybe TPTB don't believe Michael & Fallon's relationship is bringing in the ratings they want or maybe Michael doesn't really fit into their current plans, so that could be why now he's seemingly replaced with Liam, the man that they probably believe is Fallon's one true love. At any rate I still don't really buy it and it really bothers me because Michael is one of the few characters that seemed to be working consistently. And if it does turn out to be true that Alexis is somehow in cahoots with Liam, then I don't see Fallon ever forgiving him and she might be more eager to divorce him.

Honestly I thought Blake was the horrible parent based on everything we've seen so far but now I think Alexis is a whole lot worse than he is. Thank God Fallon has Cristal in her corner because it feels like she's basically on her own here.

 

[Richard Channing]

It's all good fun but as @Alexis has said before the problem with the show is the tone. It's all too slapstick. A bit of comedy is fine but there needs to be darkness and light and so far this is Dynasty Lite. Alexis need to bring with her a sense of danger and menace but this is sorely lacking. And her 'fashion' is awful! The show has gotten more interesting in recent weeks but the pacing is problematic. They burn through so much in an episode, events that could create more suspense if stretched out over several episodes. I guess it's just a different style of story telling than the original but it doesn't leave me dying to know what happens next and hating that I have to wait a week till the next episode, which a good series should do.

I did like the 'she's just taken Krystle for a piddle' line.

 

[Alexis]

They have really missed the mark not having Alexis be at least born British but live mostly in America. She looses that snobbish, always has the upper hand thing. That was really part of the Alexis appeal, the words she used, how she delivered lines. A tongue like a dagger. Even with the implication that Alexis was living a seedy life with beach boys and not really living the high life. When she showed up she was very intimidating. There was a trashiness in the back story but she certainly knew how the other half lived and knew all about the finer things in life. She could walk the walk, wear the clothes and talk the talk.

Knowing this Alexis lived on a Buckhead farm, and has since been living in a trailer is overwhelmingly disappointing. That British snob thing has been totally done away with. If there is ever an Amanda she probably works at Dairy Queen.

And yes the clothes are awful. Like some of it is Paris Hilton circa 2001. Give me power suits, cinched waists, full length gowns, satin lounge wear and turbans, picture hats, veils and furs. Monochrome, blood red and hot pink. Ruffles, beads and bows.
Lose the mini skirts and thigh boots now please.

P.S
The trailer thing is very Julie Cooper looses everything on The O.C.
I really could have done without that.

 

[Richard Channing]

If there is ever an Amanda she probably works at Dairy Queen.

Lose the mini skirts and thigh boots now please.

Yes, more high class slapper and less low rent stripper.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Maybe TPTB don't believe Michael & Fallon's relationship is bringing in the ratings

Liam, the man that they probably believe is Fallon's one true love

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with changing Fallon's "true love". They're working Liam into the story right now and Michael appears to be an obstacle.
It's much easier for her to ignore him if he's not there.

And if it does turn out to be true that Alexis is somehow in cahoots with Liam

Then Michael returns to save the day. It's all about using people, RottenSkipper.

Alexis need to bring with her a sense of danger and menace but this is sorely lacking

I like this Alexis with this Blake and I'd love to see more heated arguments like the one in the trailer.

And her 'fashion' is awful!

Cristal should call it "trashion".

They have really missed the mark not having Alexis be at least born British

This Dynasty version is far more physically aggressive, so maybe there's no room for Euro-pussies.
The very idea that she was born on (not then) Carrington land is mind-boggling! I wonder if she has any brothers or sisters...are her parents still alive?

 

[Richard Channing]

are her parents still alive?

 

[Willie Oleson]

Are you sure?

 

[Daniel Avery]

Her clothes would have to reflect a sort of "past their prime" quality, since she's obviously not able to pop down to Phipps Plaza and drop a hundred thousand on the newest duds. She's living off stuff she bought in past years (or had some Sugar Daddy buy for her). When Donna Mills was appearing on General Hospital a few years back, her character was in a similar "destitute but trying to fool everyone into thinking she was rich" situation. The only one who was not fooled was her would-be daughter-in-law, a fashionista who famously told Madeline her suit was "dated" and "hideous". Fallon would be the one to do this to Alexis, since she holds nothing back and could tell her mother she was wearing "last year's colors" or some such. It would be funnier if it were Cristal, obviously, but right now Cristal seems to be pulling back and assessing the enemy rather than actively engaging her. There will have to be a point in the near future where Alexis is more than just an amusing, overdressed bull in a china shop, but right now the introduction is being played for laughs because everyone had gotten so darn serious.