Someone earlier here mentioned the possibility, or their wishful thinking at least, that Catherine Oxenberg would have been brought in as Alexis. Honestly, I like that idea a lot, but I don't know if I'd like her replacing Nicollette Sheridan. Had Oxenberg came in first, I think she might have done well, although, in the process, the reboot would have retained Alexis' English origin from the original. I imagine the CW saw larger viewing numbers -- from original fans and fans of serialized night time TV -- when Sheridan was tabled as a possible rebooted Alexis. She had been on Knots Landing and Desperate Housewives, as we all know, for a number of years. In the former, Sheridan herself says she started out as the vixen, but ended up the heroine, while in the latter, to the best of my knowledge, she was a sidelined neighborhood troublemaker.
Watching this rebooted Dynasty, and being the Alexis fanatic while watching the original, I was naturally concerned about how this new version was going to treat Alexis and exactly how well Sheridan would do with the role. After seeing it, however, I have to admit that I was pleased with Sheridan's rendition of Alexis. When I found out she was leaving, it did make me a little sad, and I was shocked to hear that Elizabeth Gillies was going to step into her shoes. I wasn't too fond of that idea at all, but I think it was a serviceable last resort, and I believe the producers made the right decision in riding themselves of Gillies as Alexis after three episodes. I haven't the slightest idea whom I'd like to see replace Sheridan, but I will admit that whomever it will be I'll certainly be giving them the cold shoulder at first although, I might, warm to her after a while.