This has got to be the silliest cliffhanger "Dynasty" did. Does anyone like the season 7 finale featuring the 'shocking' return of Matthew Blaisdell and Alexis' car falling off the bridge? I certainly wasn't crazy about it.
By this point in its run, "Dynasty" was unfortunately turning into a caricature of its former self.
There was some good stuff in season 7. Alexis living it up in the Carrington mansion; the introduction of "The Carlton" hotel; the return of Caress (albeit short-lived); and of course - Blake & Alexis rekindling their romance in Singapore. Hey, I even enjoyed the Dominique and Alexis catfight. It scared the pooch.
But then there was Karen Cellini. And that hideous heart surgery storyline. Which then turned into that predictable Krystina's kidnapping storyline. And don't even get me started on Ben all of a sudden turning into a wimp. Or Alexis running around without a storyline for half a season.
The worst of all was that the cliffhanger made little sense. Normally, the season finale is the culmination of all season-long storylines that explode into dramatic events that, hopefully, involve many characters and the consequences of which set the stage for most of next season.
The Matthew Blaisdell cliffhanger seemed to have been simply tacked on (just like the infamous UFO cliffhanger over at "The Colbys") with almost nothing leading up to it. And the "well it was supposed to be an out of the blue shocker" argument won't work as ABC marketing ruined the surprise in the promos.
Many "Dynasty" fans consider season 8 to be the show's most disappointing effort. Well... At least that season had a cliffhanger which made a lot more sense.
Yep, the second part of season 7 was pretty awful (and so was season 8) but I thought the hostage situation during a wedding in the Carrington mansion was a pretty good idea. At least, that wasn't done before in all the prime-time soaps (except maybe in an early Falcon Crest season finale where Lana Turner got killed off). But that's true, that was out of the blue, but how can you finish a season where everybody got along ?
ReplyDeleteMatthew coming back : why not ? But the fact that he never mentionned Claudia was an insult to the viewers.
It wasn't a bad idea, but I thought the execution was lacking.
ReplyDeleteWhat they ended up with was a complete mess of a season.
Well, they shouldn't have done "everybody loves everybody." They should have stuck to their original plan - Ben marries Alexis and blackmails Adam (not Neil McVane) and his sinister past in Australia is revealed (murder accusations).
Yes, he mentioned Fallon, but never said a word about Claudia.
I always felt season 6 was the hard season while 7 was the soft season. In 6 every single character was over the top evil. 7 cooled everybody down. Ben making up with Blake, and getting a daughter. Sammy Jo getting together with Steven. Caress leaving, the Krystina storyline, season 7 just was not as harsh. Even Alexis falling for Blake during the whole amnesia bit.
ReplyDeleteI do agree about 8. I still love it even though it is one my least favorite seasons. I still think Steven should have ended up with a football player instead of Sammy Jo. My only prob with season 8 was Jeff with Leslie, and Sean Rowan.
I agree wholeheartedly. But Season VII was all about Blake trying to regain his empire. Once he did that, and once Alexis mellowed in Singapore--after having been on the warpath ever since she was rejected by Blake after having caught Dex cheating and the king exploiting her--it seemed that the writers didn't have a clue what to do with Season VII. It just sort of limped along after Singapore.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Season VIII was just AWFUL until the very end. So Joseph had some vaguely foreign-sounding son we've never heard of? Why didn't he grow up with the Carringtons, too? Did he never visit his father during all those years that Joseph and Kirby were there? And if he wanted revenge against Alexis, WHY NOT JUST LET HER DROWN?
You're right the two cliffhangers didn't make sense but what on Dynasty ever did? I loved them at the time (and still do) anyway because they happened out of the blue and - if you didn't spoil yourself by reading the newspapers - you were pretty surprised.
ReplyDeleteAnd I absolutely loved and still worship the hearttransplant Krystina storyline. It hadn't been done before and Linda Evans did the best of jobs crying even more than she had before. When those two mothers meet at the airport I cried like never before.
I do agree... Dynasty was unrealistic (unlike Dallas or Knots landing), no need to make sense... It was soap and camp! But season 7 and 8 were dull... I'd say that Krystle should have woken up when Alexis kissed Blake in "a love remembered" (one of my favourites moments) ... Even if it was "no dream" ;)
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