‘Dynasty’ 4×12 review: “Everything but Facing Reality” exposes the truth of Cristal to Blake

Dynasty Cristal Diagnosis

The CW

Liam is going to have his “I told you so!” moment on Dynasty one day… and it will be worth it. “Everything but Facing Reality” gave Liam’s detective instincts justice when the storyline about his father being murdered turned out to be true. The episode could best be described as both gaslighting Liam and serving up a red herring before revealing the real twist. If you were on Liam’s side all this time, score a win for you, Dynasty fans! If not, now we’ll be left wondering if Liam will be the body in the mysterious flashforward coffin.

The latest chapter in Liam’s mystery brought together both Fallon and Sam to join him in an undercover ruse. As we’ve talked about in previous reviews, Liam and Fallon’s dynamic is always best when they’re teaming up and working together. Sure, Fallon didn’t fully believe Liam’s paranoia about his father’s death, but even a tiny slither of hope was better than nothing. We were treated to full Fallon wig disguise and undercover shenanigans that made this short adventure a fun treat. It’s a shame that we didn’t get more of the pair at the senator’s party because their scenes were the meatier pieces that added tension and excitement. “Everything but Facing Reality” had lighter soapy drama and plot developments comparatively.

Now, the big question: how long will Fallon notice that Liam has been kidnapped? He promised her that he wouldn’t dive deeper into the mystery, but his general attitude should tip her off that he was going to do it anyway. Plus, the lie from the senator’s team that they were spying on Liam beforehand made no sense! The tracing had to cut through Fallon Unlimited, and Liam didn’t make the connection to the senator until well after he left on a trip to explore more evidence. The simple logic of debunking that lie should’ve told Fallon and Liam the senator was lying. Hopefully, Fallon and the team get clued in because it would be a shame to lose him like this.

The CW

Sam and Culhane’s storyline, on the other, could be the sleeper hit that leads to the mysterious body. We as viewers have been so focused on Cristal’s diagnosis, the Liam investigation, and Kirby’s downward spiral that we haven’t noticed the new threat entering the Carrington bubble. Could the encounter with the crooked contractor lead to someone being murdered? The threat with the gun proved that he meant business, so Sam and Culhane don’t have too many options to protect themselves. Depending on how they deal with his shenanigans, their plot could either lead a scandalous confrontation or a bloody end.

Speaking of Cristal, I’m glad that the storyline is now out in the open. Blake needed to know what was going on, especially if the couple was trying to repair their marriage. Keeping a big secret like this would’ve only torn them apart later on when it came out into the open. Between the two, Cristal was in the wrong here: Adam couldn’t ethically/legally reveal anything to his father since Cristal was his patient, and it’s Cristal’s decision whether she told Blake or not. Blake had a right to be worried and upset since he was kept in the dark and just found out Cristal might die. Did she not expect him to react? The pair need to fix their communication style.

Cristal is looking more and more like the body in the coffin. As we discussed in the previous review, the health concerns were too on the nose to make it seem like Cristal will be the one to die. And, her latest reaction to the experimental treatment proved that she might not be long for this world. Is it too obvious that it can’t be her OR is it a red herring meant to lower our guard that it is her? Dynasty could go in many directions now.

The CW

Dominique and Alexis’s latest battle ended with a whimper instead of a bang. Their frenemy status has gone up and down like a roller coaster, but I had foolishly hoped that the schemes would have elevated by now. Sabotaging Dominique’s runway show was the kind of petty drama right up Alexis’s alley. She wasn’t even phased when the plan blew up in her face; even she knew it wasn’t that big of a deal. Hopefully, the teasing about Dominique’s secret husband (the introduction of original Dynasty character, Brady Lloyd) and Alexis’s secret daughter (possibly original Dynasty character, Amanda Carrington?) will spark a wave of new tension and drama in the series. Bring it all on! The original characters were sophisticated, messy, and they embraced their soapy flair.

“Everything but Facing Reality” was a fine filler episode that sparked the next phase in the plot. The majority of storylines each got the go-ahead they needed to begin their more interesting developments, like Liam with the kidnapping, Dominique/Alexis, and the contractor storyline. Dynasty still needs to get back on track, but there’s a little upward momentum in the works.

Advertisement

Dynasty airs new episodes Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on The CW and streams Saturdays on cwtv.com.

Advertisement

Exit mobile version