Should DYNASTY have had seasons of the year?

[Spooky Owl!]

The 1964 TV version of PEYTON PLACE had them -- but of all the '80s nighttime soaps, the one where I always want to see the different seasons of the year is DYNASTY.

I don't necessarily mean four seasons per every year of the series, rigidly held to, necessarily. But some representation of the weather changes which occur during a normal 12-month period would be nice.

DALLAS always seemed to be summer, as that's when the show -- and its stock footage -- was shot in Texas. Any whiff of winter was almost non-existent as those episodes filmed during the winter reflected a southern California winter which tends to be extremely mild. (nuDALLAS, for all its neutering flaws, filmed entirely in Texas, usually in the fall and winter, and in so doing gave us a bit of a throwback vibe to the 1978 miniseries).

KNOTS LANDING had the beach and southern California right there 24/7.

FALCON CREST filmed in Napa around June, but there was no real variation in seasons for that show either -- although a harvest autumn for the rest of the year once they were off location would have seemed to have "fit," even though they didn't do much of that.

Aaron Spelling always dictated that DYNASTY would make no effort to reflect the snowy winters of Colorado, presumably because it would be too expensive and/or time-consuming to scatter an L.A. park with gypsum to match stock footage of Denver and the Rockies in the snow (has anyone ever spied a shot of Filoli in the snow? It does flurry occasionally outside San Francisco...)

 

[AndyLaird]

I agree, it would have given some reality to the background setting that would have made a nice counterpoint to the heightened nature of the plot.

I am grateful that they at least gave us a Christmas episode once, which Dallas never did.

And there were occasional allusions by Alexis to bad weather (being English she should be used to that!), and of course the fur coats, which suggested winter.

Given that international and syndication broadcasts would be at different times of the year, though, I can understand why they kept it vague as to season most of the time.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

Krystle, wearing a big fur coat, walking in the snow, looking sad and pondering, melancholic music....a man walks towards her, and she whispers "Matthew...?", but it isn't Matthew and he passes her without even looking at her.
Krystle feels a bit silly and she can't decide whatever it is she wants to decide. But she turns around, only to literally bump into her biggest nemesis, Alexis.
The snow-y scenery turns from melancholic into something more sinister, you can almost feel the cold and unfriendliness.

Fallon, Steven, Jeff and Kirby are having a snowball fight, Adam enters the scene and they start throwing all their snowballs at him. He gets upset (because he's such childish psychopath, although I think I'd be angry too) and he stamps back into the house.

Autumn is...Alexis, after she's taken the mansion from Blake. She gets upset (almost irrationally) because of the autumn leaves - they're everywhere ("get rid of them, now!").
But it serves as a metaphor, she's no longer they youthful mistress of the house, and it's a house without a master. She doesn't want to admit it but it feels like a shallow victory. And someone is going to pay for it (Krystle, probably).

The mansion looks quiet, and very very dark. Suddenly, a flash and a boom! The thunderstorm seems to challenge the mansion, like a CLASH of titans.

It's so easy to enhance Dynasty.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

I remember one particular season-time-jump on Peyton Place: Steven and Betty Cord's post-winter marriage.
A different season is a perfect way of showing that some time has passed.

Should Dynasty have done time-jumps? Was it possible to let things be the way they were for a while? And when should that have happened?
Should Rita have been mistress of the house for the entire summer or autumn or winter? And should Krystle live like an animal in the attic, almost de-humanized?
"Flow.....ers, flow......ers...wawa (water).....wawa, wawa!"

 

[Ked]

Krystle, wearing a big fur coat, walking in the snow, looking sad and pondering, melancholic music....a man walks towards her, and she whispers "Matthew...?", but it isn't Matthew and he passes her without even looking at her.
Krystle feels a bit silly and she can't decide whatever it is she wants to decide. But she turns around, only to literally bump into her biggest nemesis, Alexis.
The snow-y scenery turns from melancholic into something more sinister, you can almost feel the cold and unfriendliness.

Fallon, Steven, Jeff and Kirby are having a snowball fight, Adam enters the scene and they start throwing all their snowballs at him. He gets upset (because he's such childish psychopath, although I think I'd be angry too) and he stamps back into the house.

Autumn is...Alexis, after she's taken the mansion from Blake. She gets upset (almost irrationally) because of the autumn leaves - they're everywhere ("get rid of them, now!").
But it serves as a metaphor, she's no longer they youthful mistress of the house, and it's a house without a master. She doesn't want to admit it but it feels like a shallow victory. And someone is going to pay for it (Krystle, probably).

The mansion looks quiet, and very very dark. Suddenly, a flash and a boom! The thunderstorm seems to challenge the mansion, like a CLASH of titans.

It's so easy to enhance Dynasty.

Love all of these.

 

[Gabriel Maxwell]

The only two instances where I got a certain (albeit brief & mild) sense of a season was, surprisingly, in late season 4.

The first credit goes to composer Gerald Fried whose opening music in #4.20 [The Voice - Part 1], a version of the Dynasty theme, always conveyed to me nature waking up from a winter dream, I could almost picture buds in the gardens around the mansion opening up (not that the stock footage depicted that, let alone the preceding episodes fortifying that feeling with a wintery flavor to the episodes).

Then a few episodes later, during LB's birthday party, Nolan Miller's dress choice for Alexis, the one with a flowery print, as she floats around the mansion grounds and into the dining room where she and Krystle have a rare season 4 interaction ("even worms can procreate") and we get the first clue of a fourth child, I can for some reason almost feel a warm spring breeze from the outside creeping into the mansion with her.

But it's all probably in my head only.

 

[Rove]

I am grateful that they at least gave us a Christmas episode once, which Dallas never did.

For nearly 40 years I've been curious why Dallas never appeared to touch the holiday season or religion for that matter. Anytime a Dallas marriage occurred the good ole' Southfork Driveway was put to good use, even in TNT Dallas.

I think Dynasty could have benefited from filming in and around Denver, it gives me a sense of belonging. I bet my house that Denver did not benefit from the exposure of Dynasty like Dallas did to Dallas.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

For nearly 40 years I've been curious why Dallas never appeared to touch the holiday season or religion for that matter. Anytime a Dallas marriage occurred the good ole' Southfork Driveway was put to good use, even in TNT Dallas.

Indeed, DALLAS never focused on birthdays or holidays, but that somehow felt right for the show -- the Ewings living within their own little self=contained reality. That said, I still want Clayton and Ellie dressing as Santa & Mrs Claus in some later season.

I think Dynasty could have benefited from filming in and around Denver, it gives me a sense of belonging.

Absolutely. DYNASTY existed as much in its own self-contained world as DALLAS did, but while that was a strength of DALLAS, it didn't fit for DYNASTY which, as Season 2 best illustrates, needed to be more outwardly-looking and jet-setting.

Of course, bad scripting was the main problem for much of DYNASTY. When the plots and dialogue make little sense, it's hard to create or maintain any sense of atmosphere. Everything felt totally inorganic.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

When the plots and dialogue make little sense, it's hard to create or maintain any sense of atmosphere. Everything felt totally inorganic.

One of Dynasty's most opulent and "scenic" scenes was LB's birthday party (so, according to Gabriel's impression that would be birthday and season in one) but those scenes - apart from Krystle and Alexis' conversation - had very little plot. It was showing off just for the heck of it which isn't necessarily a bad thing for Dynasty.
But the strange thing is, that garden party looked bigger than entire Moldavia.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

One of Dynasty's most opulent and "scenic" scenes was LB's birthday party (so, according to Gabriel's impression that would be birthday and season in one) but those scenes - apart from Krystle and Alexis' conversation - had very little plot. It was showing off just for the heck of it which isn't necessarily a bad thing for Dynasty.
But the strange thing is, that garden party looked bigger than entire Moldavia.

Isn't that interesting? I agree about the spring vibe you can almost taste with the S4 garden party -- it even continues when Krystle and Alexis wander into the dining room... Is it the gowns? Is it something else we're not sure how to single out?

But DYNASTY always cried out to be less insular and neurotically antiseptic than the Pollocks or whoever kept it. Even the S5 Christmas episode was just dead somehow, cold-cold-cold -- and not in a good wintry way.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

Is it something else we're not sure how to single out?

Then it has to be the eye-catching cake! That could never be an autumn or winter cake.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

I'm even fine with each year of the show having one season which defines it.

I want Season 1 to have a predominantly autumnal vibe -- although I always want to see some snow for certain scenes from Cecil's birthday party episode which explains why they choose to fly down to New Orleans for the dinner.

Season 4 -- I want more of a European flavor, regardless of the weather. This is the year DYNASTY should have had the most naturalistically posh vibe, pre-the-OTT stuff which came later.

Season 7 -- I want the first half of the season when Alexis occupies the mansion be very autumnal, even halloweeny. And the latter third to be very spring like.... This is a year I want the cast to return to Filoli to do a few scenes.

Season 8 -- I want a cloistered wintry vibe, especially mid-season, perhaps even a multi-episode Christmas blizzard arc amongst all the gubernatorial campaigning and whatnot.

All of that is totally subjective, I'm sure. But I always want it, for some reason.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

Should Krystina run a Cookie & Chocolate empire in the Dynasty sequel series?

 

[Spooky Owl!]

Should Krystina run a Cookie & Chocolate empire in the Dynasty sequel series?

Well, I did want a Godiva Room off the lobby of The Carlton in S7 and S8.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

Season 8 -- I want a cloistered wintry vibe, especially mid-season, perhaps even a multi-episode Christmas blizzard arc amongst all the gubernatorial campaigning and whatnot.

Is that when Krystle gets stranded in a snow storm while on her way to a public speech (on Blake's behalf) and Alexis has sabotaged the road/traffic so that Krystle doesn't make it in time because she has to make a detour, which leads to her dangerous, snow-y fate?

"As you can see ladies and gentlemen, neither Mr nor Mrs Carrington found it important enough to attend this meeting. I think it's very telling how they feel about the people of Colorado!"

in the meantime: "Oh my god...somebody help me! Blake!"

 

[Spooky Owl!]

Well, she did it to Blake in Season 6 and again in Season 8. She probably did it to Krystle too, just to hear her moan.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

Is that when Krystle gets stranded in a snow storm

But wait a minute. Maybe Alexis should also suffer the impact of the snow storm.
When the Q&A held in, say, Denver's Town Hall is over, they are told that it's too dangerous to go outside, they're already busy picking up people who got stranded in their cars.
Eventhough the Q&A is over, some reporter asks Alexis something...personal, or about ColbyCo. Something Alexis doesn't want to talk about, and that's what she says to the reporter.
But then another person asks "Why not, Mrs Colby? Since we're going to be here for a while, let's talk some more!".
The town's folk are getting restless, and the atmosphere turns from awkward to hostile.
It will be Alexis' Night Of The Living Common Folk.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

But wait a minute. Maybe Alexis should also suffer the impact of the snow storm. When the Q&A held in, say, Denver's Town Hall is over, they are told that it's too dangerous to go outside, they're already busy picking up people who got stranded in their cars.
Eventhough the Q&A is over, some reporter asks Alexis something...personal, or about ColbyCo. Something Alexis doesn't want to talk about, and that's what she says to the reporter.
But then another person asks "Why not, Mrs Colby? Since we're going to be here for a while, let's talk some more!"The town's folk are getting restless, and the atmosphere turns from awkward to hostile. It will be Alexis' Night Of The Living Common Folk.

I did envision something like this for S8 -- Alexis and all the Carringtons winding up in the same limo after a TV debate, they get lost or stranded on the wrong side of Denver, and are chased and molested by the ghetto denizens in a bizarre scene chock full sociologic metaphor.

So either you've read my idea or, if not, we're both listening to nature: we simply know S8 wanted to do this.

 

[Screamboat Willie]

if not, we're both listening to nature

Well, the Carringtons went public, so you'd think they would do something with it.
This could have been a whole new chapter, a Dynasty with different angles. But it was mostly a family matter i.e. are they going to support mother or father? Been there done that.
I'm not saying they had to change everything, but sometimes it only takes a different perspective to make it look fresh and exciting again.

If there was ever a reason to introduce a new main character, this was it: the third candidate (why not Sean Rowan?) with his own third candidate storyline.
The Blake vs. Alexis battles had become predictable, a third player could have caused some paranoia amongst the Carringtons.
And would he start a romance with both Krystle and Alexis? All right, that's cheesy, but I think it would be fun.

 

[Spooky Owl!]