Cliffhanger from season eight. Rate it

[Richard Denault]

I think it's the worst in the series. Also National Enquirer published it. So not even a surprise. According to this publication

ANGELA SENDS HER SON TO JAIL
Angela Channing proves she’s crazy like a fox — and sends her son to jail in Falcon Crests cliff-hanger. A sneak peek into the May season closer shows Angela (Jane Wyman) rising from defeat to put Rich-ard (David Selby) behind bars for kid- napping her and keeping her in a mental institution.
"Falcon Crest followers like to see Angela at her most devious," a source on the nighttime soap says.
Angela and Richard dueled all season over the Tiscany Valley takeover by a Chicago corporation. Richard was the secret mastermind of the takeover and, when Angela discovered his role, she went after him with a vengeance.
Richard then hired Samantha Ross (Ana Alicia), to pose as Melissa, the late wife of Lance (Lorenzo Lamas). He hoped that if Angela's sanity were doubted — when she claimed to see Melissa alive again — he could become conservator of her estate.
Later scorned by him, Samantha flew to Falcon Crest, proving Angela had not suffered hallucinations. In the cliffhanger, the plot takes some surprising turns:
With Samantha's help and testimony, Angela sets the Securities and Exchange Commission after Richard.
Samantha uses her haunting resemblance to Melissa to lure newlywed Lance.
In another plot, Nick Agretti (David Beecroft) faces the law for his encore role in the mercy killing of his ex-wife.
When Angela proves Richard kidnapped her, the San Francisco police take him away from her. Then Richard's wife, Maggie (Susan Sullivan), says to Angela: "How could we have doubted your sanity? I'll never trust Richard again."
For Maggie, the tragedy of Richard's arrest is compounded by drama concerning her young lover.
She had urged the lover, Tommy, to return to his teenage girlfriend, Kelly. On a boating weekend, a jealous Kelly can see that 'Ibmmy's heart really is with Maggie.
"You think you can fill Richard's role in her life, don't you," cries Kelly, as she grabs the oars of their rowboat.
The young lovers struggle, and the boat capsizes. “I can't swim, I screams Kelly.
Viewers will see Tbmmy swim toward her — and disappear under the water. Suddenly, Kelly goes under too.
Time in next fall.

Where is the suspense

Time in next fall.
Where is the suspense

 

[Chloe-Fusco]

I wasn't impressed by how the 8th season ended, after all the high energy drama from season 6 and 7.

 

[Jock Og]

After the cliffhangers served up before season 8 was meek, in comparison. In many ways how 'Decline And Fall' played out was the closing of a continuous business rollercoaster chapter for Richard and of course Angela triumphant once again. I felt the very last scene was quasi Knots. It was good to have contribution from Ana Alicia, as the episode neared conclusion. The boat accident between Tommy and Kelly was done well. However since Tommy wasn't in season 9 it was an anticlimax.

Angela appears from her study, after having a drop of tea. She notices newcomer Pilar going to the front door. The newbie has been working with Richard, on a business deal that would mean considerable changes to the wine making Tuscany Valley, (a scene from season 8, 1988 - '89):

Pilar: "I'm on my way to see Richard."

Angela: "Well if he kidnaps you don't tell anybody."

 

[Angela Channing]

Yes, one of the reasons why the season 8 finale was so uninteresting was because they dumped the storylines when they got to season 9. Who killed the bookshop owner? Did Nick kill Anna? Did Kelly die in the boat accident and would Tommy be blamed for it? Why did Emma return to Falcon Crest without her husband? All could have been the start of interesting storylines but all were dropped. I thought the murder of the bookshop owner would have been a better final scene especially if they had trailed Lance, Frank, Nick and Pilar as potential suspects.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I think there's something poignantly tired and defeated about the low-key "finale" of the soap that had burned through plotlines like no other prime time soap had ever done before.
One more season of the same and we would literally have seen the actors stop doing their jobs, like, "sorry, I can't do this anymore".

 

[Arlene Halloran]

I thought the 8th season ending was mediocre and the new bosses for the final season just weren't interested in tying up what happened in it. Awful.

 

[Richard Denault]

I think there's something poignantly tired and defeated about the low-key "finale" of the soap that had burned through plotlines like no other prime time soap had ever done before.
One more season of the same and we would literally have seen the actors stop doing their jobs, like, "sorry, I can't do this anymore".

Your comment is very accurate.
David commented in 2014 talking about Susan
Selby says about A Delicate Balance. “The one thing that doesn't change is your respect and how much you care, all the trials and TRIBULATIONS you went through all those years while doing the show
Trials and troubles and events that cause suffering
He was referring to the eighth and ninth seasons, I think.
I don't think David enjoyed the ninth season but he had a contract, Jane got paid for the entire season.
But David had three children and I don't think it's good for an actor to break a contract. Neither financially nor professionally