Monday, November 1, 2010

My Favorite Scenes: The Dinner That Never Was (VIDEO)


As of today, I'll post several of my favorite "Dynasty" scenes, many of which are not widely cited or known, but for one reason or another, I enjoy watching them.

I'll begin with a scene taken from the 8th episode of season 2 - the Carringtons gather in the drawing room for drinks as they await Krystle to come down and join them for dinner. Krystle, who had suffered Alexis' gunshot-induced miscarriage in the previous episode is slowly recovering from an emotional breakdown.

Why do I love this scene so much?

First of all - I adore season 2 of "Dynasty." It's my favorite season of the show (and I'll get into the reasons for that in an upcoming series of posts on each season), so pretty much anything from season 2 is bound to be among my favorite moments from the show's 9-season run.

This type of scene - the family gathering before dinner - was a staple on "Dallas," but very rare for "Dynasty."

I love everything about this scene - the rare establishing shot of the Filoli mansion on a clouded night; the wonderful background music throughout the scene; and the characters' dialogue & emotions come across genuine.
 
Despite being quick to say something stupid, Fallon realizes she made a mistake and Krystle is being her gentle and understanding self for not reproaching her for the remark (though she is certainly hurt by it).

The story, the music, the actors' performance, and certainly their appearance - it somehow all comes together for me in this scene. 

5 comments:

  1. I love this season also, although season 4 is more of a favorite for me- Fallon and Jeff finally reconciling..Also, PSM's wig is horrible in this scene although not as bad as when she gives birth to LB....

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  2. Season 2 is my favorite season as well. It was a perfect blend of all the elements that made Dynasty a success. The characters were not yet reduced to caricatures and the story lines were believable. I was happy that Fallon and Jeff got back together in season 4, but found it a little too rushed, probably because PSM was leaving.

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  3. I completely agree. It had the beauty of season 1- minus the blaisdels, thankfully, while including Alexis at her best, not the campy caricature which she later became, but Alexis the mother and ex-wife trying to establish herself again...

    I will always wonder what Dynasty would have been like had PSM come back for Season 5, or if she had even returned for the Colbys...

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  4. I know I may get flamed for this; but as far as my favorite seasons go, it's a toss-up between Season II and Season IX. Alexis was a subtler character in Season II, and she was absent half the time in Season IX. The anti-chemistry between Alexis and Krystle really propelled Season II for me--so much so that I was able to overlook cring-inducing Nick Toscanni. That rivalry between the two characters was ratings gold. But as early as Season III, the enmity between them seemed contrived. Contrast the catfight in the studio (when Krystle discovered that Alexis had cost her her child) to the iconic catfight in the lily pond (when Fallon told Alexis that Krystle was a "decent woman"), and you'll see how paint-by-numbers it had become.

    In Season IX, I honestly didn't miss Krystle. I almost feel guilty for saying it because I love Linda Evans so much as a human being and because the love between Blake and Krystle was on element which grounded the whole crazy show. Season IX had a central, overarching storyline (the Roger Grimes murder mystery), much like Season II (Alexis returns and seeks to insinuate herself in the life of her ex-husband). I think that these storylines gave a narrative coherence to both seasons.

    I also greatly enjoyed the end of Season VI and the beginning of Season VII when Alexis was at her nastiest.

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  5. Krystle- Fallon scenes are great. They feel so real.

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