A lot of what could be solved during “Everybody Loves the Carringtons” would be through communication. The Carringtons and the Colbys have a hard time talking things out and resolving their issues. The group goes right for the drama and underhanded means to achieve their goals instead of just chatting. Sure, it’s great for all the soapy drama, but there come a few times where you just want the characters to be a bit mature. The comedy verged into sitcom territory; it worked for the tone of Fallon’s daydreaming, but it didn’t feel like Dynasty at times.
“Everybody Loves the Carringtons” continued the trend of Fallon trying to fix everyone’s problems. She stepped in to help the Alexis/Jeff divorce, the Jeff/Dominique family resentment, Sam’s dating trouble with Ryan, and lightly touching on the Blake/Cristal separation. Fallon loves to get involved because she can’t keep herself out of everyone’s business. Even her daydreams have her sitcom character trying to fix relationships and set people up for success. Her need to fix her loved ones could be something she’s carried all these years after seeing her family implode; part of that idea was teased during her conversation with Alexis and how her mother only helps herself. Fallon can’t be independent and free until she puts her happiness first and let her family be.
Her push to get the celebrity interview was partly for her business ventures, but a lot of it was to repair the family image. She wouldn’t have gone to such big lengths if it wasn’t a huge advantage for the family. Fallon would never have jumped into a trash can for anything else. Though, she needs to start listening to Liam and taking his opinion into account too. “Everybody Loves the Carringtons” had many moments where Fallon brushed him off and made decisions on their behalf. Liam loves Fallon and her Type-A personality, but them not acting as a team could eventually chip away at their relationship if left unchecked.
Sam overcompensated too much with dating Ryan. Just because they’re in cities far away, it doesn’t mean that he needs to go overboard with date night ideas. Sometimes the best dates are just talking and getting to know each other. It’s great that he was able to learn his lesson; if he had kept pushing and planting the surprises, Ryan would’ve broken up with him due to the frustration. Plus, the surprise performance by Brian Littrell of The Backstreet Boys was so random, even for a Dynasty cameo. Did he even know if Ryan liked The Backstreet Boys? Music choices would be something you’d talk about in the earlier dates.
Blake’s love life, on the other hand, needs a cold hard look. Cristal has made it perfectly clear that she’s not interested anymore; the marriage is done between them. Blake needs to accept that fact and move on because pushing the marriage will only cause pain between them. And, trying to force the priest into breaking up with Cristal won’t work out in his favor. Even if Cristal ends up single, she’ll end things with Blake again once she finds out he manipulated and ended her relationship. There’s no happy ending for them at this time—they’re better off with other people than fixing something that’s broken.
The Jeff and Alexis fight had an interesting mix of sitcom comedy and soapy flirtation. You could feel the fire whenever they sniped at each other, destroyed something, or lit an item on fire. Fallon dividing the manor in half between Jeff and Alexis was cliché and felt too sitcom; it suited the sitcom tone of their fight, but it wore thin as “Everybody Loves the Carringtons” went on. Jeff and Alexis needed to just resolve their animosity because they were at a standstill that would’ve only progressed into the more petty territory. (Seriously, a makeshift desk in the foyer? Shredding the settlement in tiny papers?) It’s great that they’re allies again—Jeff and Alexis are stronger when they’re working together to take down a target instead of them hurting each other.
Why didn’t Culhane record his conversation with the soccer commissioner? He knew that the commissioner was responsible for all the rigged games and the illegal bettering. AND, he invited the commissioner to his office to have a conversation about what he knew. Culhane had a home team advantage and could’ve recorded everything to ensure he had the evidence to get his way; breaking into Victor’s phone would only get him so far in having proof. Culhane missed out on a big opportunity; now, he’s a risk of being framed for something he didn’t do.
“Everybody Loves the Carringtons” was full of family and couple sitcom drama. Some pairs resolved their tension while others have started new drama. Sure, nothing will ever change the animosity Jeff felt against Dominique, but there was a good shift for the other pairings in both good and bad ways. At best, this adventure at the Carrington Manor could best be described as a filler episode. Nothing major changed the lives of the Carringtons/Colbys, but these latest events were needed to drive them forward in their soapy goals.
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Dynasty airs new episodes Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on The CW and streams Thursdays on cwtv.com.
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