Why is this scene so listless?

[Snarky Oracle!]

Sure, it's from Season 8 and, sure, the plotline is one on which the show will not follow through. But compared to other face-offs between Krystle & Alexis, this one particularly vapid.

I mean, I understand Linda underplaying the moment deliberately, but what happens is just..... dead.

 

[Michael Torrance]

Actually, regardless of the writers not following through, the scene is written well. But the direction lacks any punch, as does the performance of the two actresses. Evans had stopped trying in the role for years (even though this plot held some potential for role) but Collins also seemed resigned. And that is a big problem with season 8: the writers are making an effort, both in arc and dialogue between characters, but so many other elements are lackluster. Like, the camera work is more obsessed with filtering out Collins' age here instead of filming her. And how have they managed to make Evans come across so harsh in terms of her face?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Actually, regardless of the writers not following through, the scene is written well. But the direction lacks any punch, as does the performance of the two actresses. Evans had stopped trying in the role for years (even though this plot held some potential for role) but Collins also seemed resigned. And that is a big problem with season 8: the writers are making an effort, both in arc and dialogue between characters, but so many other elements are lackluster. Like, the camera work is more obsessed with filtering out Collins' age here instead of filming her. And how have they managed to make Evans come across so harsh in terms of her face?

At the time, I noticed the worst they looked anywhere was on DYNASTY itself -- from late-Season 6 thru Season 7, it was the fault of the original broadcast prints, which were so "hot" and splotchy and grainy it defied belief, such that the image was almost lost. (Just as DALLAS would become as blurry as low-resolution video around the same time). That, as would become evident decades later, was fixable. Region 1 DVDs for this period have been restored and look far, far better than they did in 1986.

But Season 8 had Michel Hugo (no doubt at producers' deranged demand) actually lensing Linda and Joan this way. So it can't really be easily fixed if at all: it's part of the original camerawork (as opposed to cheapskate post-production corner-cutting).

But it's a symptom of the creative disarray rife behind the scenes... How could the executives allow this? It's not like the actresses needed this level of uber-frosted filtering.

Paulsen had Hugo remove those filters by his third episode.

 

[Rove]

Perhaps it's the use of that ridiculous fog wave motion to orchestrate to the viewer, you need a history lesson...implant old footage to remind viewers what they missed, because fans of Dynasty are clueless to what happened in the past. Using this style actually weakens the scene between Krystle and Alexis. The other thing I noticed here was I could hardly hear Krystle (Linda) speak but had no problems with Alexis (Joan). Perhaps if Linda was given direction to walk into the office with authority and use her voice to command the attention of Alexis.

 

[Zable]

Perhaps both cast and some production staff felt 'been there, done that' and unenthusiastic about this storyline, which from its start in S8 had undone the story of Jeff's inheritance from Cecil. Though faithful viewers saw the Cecil-is-Logan-reveal scene in seasons past, now in S8 they have to 'accept' that that scene and everything that stemmed from that will-reading never happened at all. All gone as backstory. Instead, the new fact 'from the past' is that Alexis inherited it all from Cecil, only that it is now in S8 that Krystle has it in her head (from things told to her this season) that it wasn't Cecil's choice to cut Jeff from his will but that it was all Alexis's doing. Just what was the point of changing the inheritance-from-Cecil story this late in the seasons? How did it serve? To show Krystle's unreasonable state of mind (going into S9)? Did they want a new feud between Krystle and Alexis but had run out of fresh ideas so they picked a story to redo? (And thought anything connected to Jeff would be a safe thing to undo since they'd radically changed/re-set his Dynasty backstory, and Cecil's, in S6?) Was the lofty idea to recreate Dynasty as a show for the '90s by tweaking done stories a pre-S9 one?

 

[Zable]

I get a sense that there's a push to make Krystle a bit of a go-getter, 'quietly' determined; and a toning down of Alexis, making her more tired with dealing with her life.

 

[Gabriel Maxwell]

A good example I think is around the 2:15 mark when Krystle flashes a perfect and insincere smile and says sarcastically "I doubt that they're false". Then her face turns fake-serious, as if talking to a child, and says "Besides... All I have to do is use your tactics..."I find this behavior to be very un-Krystle like. By which I mean early Krystle. Especially the patronizing part.

Now, one could argue that she had altered her fighting approach and adjusted to her sparring partner, but I think it's still contrary to the core of the character. Contrary to that inherent goodness that made her such a compelling (and difficult to genuinely pull off on screen) character early on. She doesn't have to be this vapid to take on a snake like Alexis.

And say what you want about season 3, but in 1983 Linda Evans was still able to pull off a well-timed pregnant pause with an accusatory look to deliver a more lethal threat than this fake posturing. Collins is a little better here, but both actresses seem to be on auto-pilot by this point.

I actually found this storyline to be full of potential in an otherwise tedious season 8, but to them it's just another clash between Krystle & Alexis. One of a million scenes they had done already. Same old, same old. And that's how it comes off on screen. Of course, I equally blame the people behind the scenes who should've recognized and corrected these acting choices.

My second issue with this scene - aside from the aforementioned filter - is the godawful season 8 background music. You may appreciate they had ditched the hysterical full-blast orchestral score of the preceding years, but to me it's exactly the same thing, just on the other side of the spectrum. It's like - why even bother to have any music at all if you're going to play this barely audible ill-timed crap?

You should be able to tone the music down, but still deliver effective transitions between flashbacks and the primary scene, enhance tensions in the dialogue and then pack a strong final punch for the freeze frame with the yellow letters. This? It comes off like a score in a low-budget B-movie. It's very badly done and it only helps drain more energy from an already problematic scene.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Perhaps both cast and some production staff felt 'been there, done that' and unenthusiastic about this storyline, which from its start in S8 had undone the story of Jeff's inheritance from Cecil. Though faithful viewers saw the Cecil-is-Logan-reveal scene in seasons past, now in S8 they have to 'accept' that that scene and everything that stemmed from that will-reading never happened at all. All gone as backstory. Instead, the new fact 'from the past' is that Alexis inherited it all from Cecil, only that it is now in S8 that Krystle has it in her head (from things told to her this season) that it wasn't Cecil's choice to cut Jeff from his will but that it was all Alexis's doing. Just what was the point of changing the inheritance-from-Cecil story this late in the seasons? How did it serve? To show Krystle's unreasonable state of mind (going into S9)? Did they want a new feud between Krystle and Alexis but had run out of fresh ideas so they picked a story to redo? (And thought anything connected to Jeff would be a safe thing to undo since they'd radically changed/re-set his Dynasty backstory, and Cecil's, in S6?) Was the lofty idea to recreate Dynasty as a show for the '90s by tweaking done stories a pre-S9 one?

Although I'm okay with an umbrella explanation, if done correctly. Krystle could find enough people and evidence that Cecil's will was re-written (as it was) just prior to his death, not just to include Alexis, his soon-to-be bride, but perhaps at her behest -- which could be spun to sound mercenary at the very least.

Especially with a little creative writing.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It's been a while since I've watched a Dynasty episode, therefore I actually enjoyed this scene. And I really like Linda's voice in this scene.
Sorry, I can't hate it.

 

[Michael Torrance]

It's been a while since I've watched a Dynasty episode, therefore I actually enjoyed this scene. And I really like Linda's voice in this scene.
Sorry, I can't hate it.

I don't hate it. Beside the parts I love, there are parts of DYNASTY I hate (Joel and Rita, Galen, Sarah Curtis, Sean) and parts where I regret the wasted potential. This is one of the latter.

 

[Zable]

Although I'm okay with an umbrella explanation, if done correctly. Krystle could find enough people and evidence that Cecil's will was re-written (as it was) just prior to his death, not just to include Alexis, his soon-to-be bride, but perhaps at her behest -- which could be spun to sound mercenary at the very least.

Especially with a little creative writing.

Thanks to Cecil's lawyer, Krystle had a copy of Cecil's second-to-last will, in which Jeff inherited -- in whole IIRC. Blake said words to the effect that the final will didn't prove that Alexis forced Cecil to change his mind, that it was natural that Cecil would make it in her favour once he decided he wanted to marry Alexis. Making Alexis sound like a mercenary was what Krystle was doing all along, bolstered by her interpretation/understanding of what the folk she questioned at the hospital (where Cecil died) told her. This storyline went nowhere because Krystle wasn't doing any proving of her suspicions/accusations.

Never mind creative writing, how would you or anyone else prove that Alexis did 'manipulate' Cecil into not giving Jeff anything? How would you prove that Cecil took Alexis's 'advice' and not his own? In the original story, Cecil's lawyer continued to do work for Alexis after C's death. In this altered story, the lawyer said Alexis had fired him straightaway, insinuating Alexis was the baddie. How to prove he wasn't manipulating Krystle for his own agenda? How sustainable was this S8 storyline, truly?

 

[Willie Oleson]

I also like Alexis' nondescript body language in the freeze frame. We don't know what she's thinking of (maybe nothing), and it's better than the usual "get out" or "o my god"-face.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Thanks to Cecil's lawyer, Krystle had a copy of Cecil's second-to-last will, in which Jeff inherited -- in whole IIRC. Blake said words to the effect that the final will didn't prove that Alexis forced Cecil to change his mind, that it was natural that Cecil would make it in her favour once he decided he wanted to marry Alexis. Making Alexis sound like a mercenary was what Krystle was doing, bolstered by her interpretation/understanding of what the folk she questioned at the hospital (where Cecil died) told her. This storyline went nowhere because Krystle wasn't doing any proving of her suspicions/accusations.

No, the storyline went nowhere because the writers didn't give a crap, not because there was nowhere for it to go.

Never mind creative writing, how would you or anyone else prove that Alexis did 'manipulate' Cecil into not giving Jeff anything? How would you prove that Cecil took Alexis's 'advice' and not his own? In the original story, Cecil's lawyer continued to do work for Alexis after C's death. In this altered story, the lawyer said Alexis had fired him straightaway, insinuating Alexis was the baddie. How to prove he wasn't manipulating Krystle for his own agenda? How sustainable was this S8 storyline, truly?

That was the writers' job, and they didn't bother, as per usual. Let's face it: the Carringtons' history and backstory is hardly written in stone (and barely on paper) and had been contradicted constantly throughout the series. All I'm saying is that umbrella scenarios can be introduced to include those seeming contradictions (when possible). But the Pollocks' just weren't those kinds of "brilliant constructionists" (to quote Esther).

 

[Alexis]

I don't hate it. Beside the parts I love, there are parts of DYNASTY I hate (Joel and Rita, Galen, Sarah Curtis, Sean) and parts where I regret the wasted potential. This is one of the latter.

Oh Joel was fabulous. Rita could have been great, if she was actually Iris. Maybe tracked down by Sammy Jo. I mean if you think about it, Iris actually being alive and well and being able to fool Blake and the rest of the family is more believable than the plot they used.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Rita was playing the biggest role in her entire career. Let's not forget that.

 

[Alexis]

Rita was playing the biggest role in her entire career. Let's not forget that.

She should have been her sister. And she should have died. There just wasn't enough tragedy on Dynasty after a while.

 

[Zable]

True; because Dynasty developed a taste for resurrections. Behold Krystle!

 

[Grant Jennings]

The flashbacks ruin the pacing of the scene; it also doesn't help that there is too much exposition. Krystle should make her points about the nurse and the doctor but she doesn't need to go into so much detail.

 

[Angela Channing]

I kind of like the scene because I was hoping that eventually Alexis would get her comeuppance for the way she married Cecil to inherit his fortune. However, the problem I have with it is that Linda Evans rarely sounds threatening so almost everything she says lacks any real punch and credibility. The tone she sets is no more menacing than what she would do if discussing the weather rather than attempting to ruin her rival's reputation.

Talking about the weather, what the hell was Krystle wearing? She's dressed like she off to visit a group of inuits in the Arctic and left the hanger in the shoulders of her coat and it all distracts from her dialogue.

I agree the pace of the scene also doesn't work because it is interrupted by the flashbacks so it is never allowed to successfully build to a climax.

 

[Luke Fuller]

What an interesting choice of scene from this period. Maybe it represents both good and bad sides of season 8. We have Alexis and Krystle in all episodes, very often with interaction, but it lacks passion and sparkling. We got some plotlines with good potential, but the result was usually avarege, but still acceptable (for a hardcore fan). Flashbacks and characters from good old days are often presented (like Chris Deegan, Dr. Edwards, Gordon Wales, Morgan Hess - even in 5 episodes, Gerald Wilson, Neil McVane), but mostly only to remind us that good old days are forever gone. And the best plotlines are usually short (like Krystle trying to blackmail Alexis), while long plotlines are not really bad, but a little boring... Never mind, I like season 8. At least because I know that this is not the real end of the show and the cliffhanger is solid and with some "aftermath".