How should new Dynasty be different?

[Rove]

It seems utterly bizarre to me that Krystle being Cristal was a selling point. I mean my mind reels... how is that a selling point? How did networks think that was a good idea? A name change?

I thought it odd when I first read the NEWS of the Dynasty re-boot. I'm not sure how re-tooling her name changes anything especially if the other characters remain the same.

 

[Ked]

Also, and this is just a random detail, I think they should make Cristal into a total Mama Bear for her stepchildren (and yes, that does include Fallon and Adam). I mean, Krystle had shades of this, but it was never fully explored or developed. I would have loved seeing Krystle fiercely come to the defense of Steven, Amanda, and the rest of the "children." In some ways that kind of behavior would make sense, since Krystle desperately wanted children but couldn't have any, and all four of the Carrington children were in one way or another abandoned by their birth mother:

Alexis was paid to stay away from Steven and Fallon for 16 years, making absolute no contact with them whatsoever;

she handed off Baby Amanda to Rosalind and her husband to raise;

and arguably, she gave up searching for Baby Adam (though this matter is way more understandable, plus she wanted to search for longer than Blake did).

And since Alexis cost Krystle the life of her own baby, it would be the most fitting moment of karma for all of Alexis' own children to end up preferring Krystle as a mother figure.

And there are plenty of opportunities in the new show for Cristal to have plenty of Mama Bear moments, protecting her stepkids from abusive romantic partners, from their father's temper, from their birth mother's meddling and emotional manipulating, from any evil scheme Cecil Colby or any other corrupt executive might have in store for them, from random attackers, and heck, even from each other! ^^

Cristal could be the type who would move mountains for her children and anyone she considers a child figure. Who wouldn't want to see that? After all, Sable was a Mama Bear (as well as A Woman Scorned, thus probably making her the most dangerous woman on the show), why not let this be the case for the show's main heroine?

Oh gosh, imagine if one of Cristal's stepchildren got into a rivalry with one of Sable's children! 0_0 Imagine the mother figures at odds with one another...

 

[stevew]

It seems utterly bizarre to me that Krystle being Cristal was a selling point. I mean my mind reels... how is that a selling point? How did networks think that was a good idea? A name change?

I agree. She can be Hispanic and be named Krystal for crying out loud. It's not like the name was overly WASPy in the first place.

 

[stevew]

The decision to do a reboot was the right one. There's a great story there, if it can be rescued from the popular perception that Dynasty was only about glamour, catfights and creaky dialogue. If they get the tone right (brooding) and play it with a straight bat from the first outing, then it may have a chance.

I agree. Unlike Dallas there really doesn't seem to be a continuation option. The kids were a sideline it seems compared to John Ross and Christopher being key - at least John Ross key for JR to carry on the Ewing family heritage. But in this case I don't feel that. I think a reboot makes senses - plus gives them more wiggle room to do there own thing. Personally I think they should cover the whole series in 1/2 the first season and then do their own thing with the show - take what they need to establish it and then write their own stories, not spend years taking and tweaking what already has been done.

 

[stevew]

No, the selling point is that Krystle/Cristal will be Hispanic, a nod to an effort to make the reboot more ( I hate this word) diverse. The name change is only a reflection of the ethnicity change.

But they don't need to change the name to do that.

I don't mind diversity. I think it's a good thing here. Like Falcon Crest was part WASP part Italian immigrants. They had a Black leader of the 13 and Angela's best friend and confident was Asian. Her husband was Greek. I think when they tried to force feed that this Hispanic family was there the whole time, when they had other Hispanic characters, they lost it. The feel should have not been poor me I'm Hispanic. That's not how Peter came off or Cho Lee or anyone else.

Krystal already has that poor me I'm just the hired help thing. I'd changed that up if they're going to make her Hispanic. She doesn't have to be super rich, but at least make her middle class and well educated. She can still be the poor outsider. You could make her dad a multimillionaire and she'd still be poor to the Carringtons.

I just hope they don't play up the diverse issues - just let it be. So she's Hispanic. Don't make many issue of it. Like I wouldn't make any issue of Steven being gay - beyond Blake accidently killing Ted as that was really a main story line. So Krystal helps Blake co d to terms with his anger, anger at Alexis cheating on him, anger at his son for being gay, at his daughter for being slutty, angry at the person who kidnapped Adam and the people who couldn't find him. Helping him get passed that anger makes him a transformational character without needing to make an issue out of her being Hispanic. Then the diversity I believe will work.

 

[stevew]

I don't understand that either unless they are really going to go into her back story. Something the originals how didn't do. I don't see how changing the ethnicity of the character has any real bearing on the story.

I think just to attract a broader audience not just older white people who watched it back in the day but to give something got a growing Hispanic audience to watch too.

Problem is if they make a big deal out of it, it won't work. Like in Dallas 2012. They made a big deal out of the Ramos's being Hispanic. They didn't do that with Carlos DelSol and his character worked. No issue with Nick and his character worked. Even Drew worked for me. He wasn't a Hispanic poor keep got caught up in a bad situation. He was a poor kid, got caught up in a bad situation who happened to be Hispanic. They could have easily made Carmen Teresa's sister and just let it ride. They didn't have to go with I'm poor Hispanic Elena who made it good for herself now I'm gonna be all bad to the Ewing's. To much forced story lines.

If they want this to work with Krystal they'll leave the name and just make her Hispanic. She'll embrace her culture without making it an issue. She'll be a smart, educated, accomplished woman over her head among American royalty but still sweet and loving and trusting.

 

[stevew]

They actually SHARE A SCENE WITH ONE ANOTHER? ...oh no wait, there was that *one* scene in the original series... only both characters were being played by the recasts... ugh, it gets more bizarre the more I think about it.

Heh, but yeah, I say build up a strong relationship between the two - but by 'strong' I don't mean have them be on good terms. Fallon is Daddy's Jealous Little Princess and often views other women as her rival. And now here comes this Surprise Little Sister who gets to lay claim to the title that has only ever belonged to Fallon: Blake Carrington's daughter. That would drive her *crazy*.

Plus, there should also be a Fallon/Steven vs Adam/Amanda thing going on as well, with the older, dark-haired siblings being the ambitious career-driven sharks with the younger, blonde siblings acting as their respective sibling's moral compass.



Have her reach out to them. Fallon rejects her because of the whole "gold digger stole my father" thing, whereas Amanda gets along just fine with Cristal, which causes not only more tension with Fallon, but also with Alexis ("How DARE you try to move in on my daughter, you Mexican bimbo!").

I like just drop the "Mexican" part. Alexis wouldn't think less of her for being Mexican. I'm sure while in Mexico she was whooping it up with rich Mexicans, Arabs, Russians, Chinese - you name it, they hand money and power and Alexis would have invited them to the party.

 

[stevew]

I think they should explore lots of diversity though I'd keep the Carringtons WASPy. They were like the Bushes to me except they went to CO not TX. Also as if George devoriced Barbara who was was England and more like Barbra Cartland. Could even give them a ME vacation home. Always struck me as funny these rich family's only had one home.

As I said I'd move the whole story along fast so the writers could get working on their own stuff, but here are a couple of other ideas:

1) Alexis has been a successful business woman for years and married to Cecil for years. The idea she married him on his death bed and just learned to run a billion dollar empire over night was absurd.

2) Fallon runs a piece of Blake's empire not just a single hotel, but something that shows she's breaking the glass ceiling too, must just get mother.

3) bring stuff up we know about sooner. Mention Blake's heart ache over Adam sooner. Have Alexis an issue before she even shows up. Bring up business deals with Moldova from the start. That kind of thing.

4) more Colby's then just Jeff (and Cecil until he dies). I've mentioned this before, I'd make them black from South Africa. I'd have. Colby Industries be a conglomerate in mining, oil, finance, etc. I'd merge the Dominque and Constance Colby characters. I'd bring on Jason once Cecil dies. I'd explore a rivalry between Blake and the Colby boys that goes back to boarding school.

5) it was mentioned is it a business show with a family or a family show with the business. Personally I like the business show with the family. But I don't think that's Dynasty. They should go with the family show with the business, but the business should be accurate enough to be plausible. I see the Colby's like the Koch Brothers if Koch industries controlled ExxonMobil. I see the Carringtons like the Bushes if they controlled Halliburton (oil services). Blake a bit Dick Chaneyish. Cecil a bit like Marc Rich. But at the heart of all this are really the family issues.

 

[ArchieLucasCarringtonEwing1989]

For me the one thing I'd want is the series to make up thier mind on what Steven is, gay or bi, I have no issue with either, in the original series they never really had a term for bisexuality that wasn't as broadly used unlike today, if Steven were to be bisexual, he should be a Nolan Ross type character, introduced as gay at first then one episode we see him get out of bed and there's a woman there, he's not doing it to impress his dad nor is he in torment over it, he's a Kinsey 4.5 while mostly gay, can "entertain" women some of the time, he's sexually fluid.

If Alexis were to appear in the second season then I'd have her bring Amanda with her, Alexis will have raised her on her own and brought her up to hate Blake, this would put her at odds with Fallon and Steven of course, but she would become friends with Krystle (or Cristal rather) Amanda would look down on her American relatives as she was once the step-daughter of a Lord so and so of somewhere-shire who is a relative of the queen, which is how Moldavia could be introduced if they are going to mention it.

 

[Ked]

If Alexis were to appear in the second season then I'd have her bring Amanda with her, Alexis will have raised her on her own and brought her up to hate Blake, this would put her at odds with Fallon and Steven of course, but she would become friends with Krystle (or Cristal rather) Amanda would look down on her American relatives as she was once the step-daughter of a Lord so and so of somewhere-shire who is a relative of the queen, which is how Moldavia could be introduced if they are going to mention it.

That's cool, I like that.

In my own version of DYNASTY, Adam and Amanda are introduced to the family almost simultaneously, and almost immediately join forces to back one another up, so that they enter the world of the rich with an ally. What's that got to do with anything? Nothing, really. I just wanted to say so.

 

[stevew]

That's cool, I like that.

In my own version of DYNASTY, Adam and Amanda are introduced to the family almost simultaneously, and almost immediately join forces to back one another up, so that they enter the world of the rich with an ally. What's that got to do with anything? Nothing, really. I just wanted to say so.

I like it. Blake's trail brings Alexis to town which reveals Amanda and that brings up the issue of Adam brining him out of the woodwork and right into Alexis's arms.

After fighting:

Blake learns to accept Adam is truley his son as Alexis does from the start.

Amanda learns to accept Blake as her real father and Alexis as not so perfect.

Alexis learns to accept Fallon who's just like her and her father as not so perfect.

Steve learns to accept Alexis as his loving mother and Blake as well, despite their issues with control.

Krystal helps them all out as someone there for them, even the girls who don't like her at first.

And the Colby's show up . . .

 

[stevew]

Cecil's dead. Alexis inherits his share of the family empire and she's not letting go.

Jason hates Blake as much as Alexis going back to boarding school with Cecil and Philip.

Sable hates her cousin Alexis going back to their childhood. Sable goes after Blake who Alexis stole from her when she finds out Jason's cheating on her with Alexis.

Constance has always liked Blake, more like a son or brother, (I'd merge her character with Dominique), though she loves her brothers she hates Alexis. When Tom dies they find out that she had affair with him. She gets 1/3 along with Alexis and Blake cutting out Ben. She also hates Sable.

Jeff was raised by Constance and Cecil after his father's death and his mother left. He's Constance's sole heir. He's in love with Fallon of course.

Miles and Jeff as rivials is also in love with Fallon. She wants to rise to the top of the business like her mother not be in love.

I don't know if you need Monica and Bliss if you don't have the Colby spin off.

Bring on the Fallmonts.