Should Chase have returned?

[ClassyCo]

My mother is currently binging FALCON CREST on Tubi, and she's just started Season 7. She texts me throughout the day, telling me what's going on in the show at the moment. Some of it I'll remember, and some of it I don't.

One thing I do remember is the Season 6 finale which brings forth the exit of Robert Foxworth as Chase. If memory serves me, they never officially "kill off" Chase, but leave his destiny ambiguous for the remainder of the series (which, to be fair, I've never made it past the first ten or so episodes of Season 8, so I wouldn't know if anything late in the series handles his death directly). I know there's the whole Nicole Sauget (guest star Leslie Caron) saga at the start of Season 7 that tries to add some added dimensions to Chase's story, but it receives a mixed response from most fans. I personally like Leslie Caron's scenes with Jane Wyman, but I digress.

In saying all that, should Chase have returned to Falcon Crest? If so, why and when? Should Robert Foxworth have returned or would a recast have been acceptable?

 

[Monzo]

First off, I appreciate that the writers developed Chase in season 6 in such a way that his absence wasn't felt nearly as acutely as Bobby's was after his death on Dallas. Chase really wasn't missed all that much.

As for Chase's potential return in the "real" world—given the budget cuts of the later seasons—I would have opted against it; after all, who else would have had to be cut from the cast to make room for Chase's comeback?

Had Falcon Crest faced no budget constraints whatsoever, I likely would have brought Chase back midway through season 9—specifically when Michael Sharpe swindled Falcon Crest out of Emma's hands.

In my "dream scenario", it would have turned out that Angela hadn't merely been in a coma for a few months, but had actually been comatose since the earthquake—that is, for nearly four years. This would have meant that all those characters presumed dead were, in truth, still alive: Chase, Maggie, Melissa, Terry, and Dwayne (who would have been happily married to Emma). Furthermore, Richard would not have been Angela’s son, the Agrettis would never have owned Falcon Crest, and Julia would still have her eyesight. To Angela’s great shock, the various characters would have actually managed to get along quite well with one another in the interim—making it unequivocally clear that Angela herself was the sole reason there was always so much drama on Falcon Crest.

 

[ClassyCo]

I also agree with the storylines leading up to Chase's eventual exit at the close of Season 6 helped his absence to be less of a shock for the audience and in the totality of the show itself. It honestly didn't take very long for me to grow tired of Chase when I went through my binge a few years back. He ended up being a complete jerk and hothead, and he certainly wasn't a character I rooted for. The fact that he was originally supposed to be the "good" to the "bad" presented by Angela and Richard wore out and, for me at least, he ended up doing more that I didn't like, especially in his treatment towards Maggie and his children.

Did I read somewhere that the original decision was to allow Chase to presumably perish at the end of Season 5 in the earthquake? I might be misremembering that, but it would've been an alright time in the show to go ahead and retire the character, if not permanent as it turned out. Robert Foxworth wanted off the show, so his coming back might've been hard to confirm.

As I've stated multiple times before, I've yet to finish FALCON CREST, having stopped perhaps halfway through Season 8. With that, had they decided to have Chase return to the show, I feel like bringing him back at the end of Season 7 or at the start of Season 8 would've been the best time to do that. I'm tiddering on the fence as to whether or not I'd want this to happen, but since I started this thread yesterday, I've pictured Chase returning as Melissa takes control of Falcon Crest at the end of Season 7. Perhaps he doesn't reappear just yet in the finale, but Melissa makes a vague remark, like "And this is all thanks to you...", as the season closes out, and that persons turns out to be Chase at the start of Season 8. In this story, Melissa never dies, either. If not that, then Chase reappears at Maggie and Richard's wedding, ready to stop them for reaching for their happily ever after. Cliché, yes, but I'm there for it.

All that aside, Robert Foxworth probably wasn't going to return with a big pay-out, and FALCON CREST was not in the financial state to that in the later seasons. I'm not sure I would've given up any of the main characters still left on the show to have Chase return, unless his return was handled correctly, and we all know they would've messed up somehow.

 

[Jock Og]

Imho I could have possibly envisaged Chase returning, in a Jeff Freilich driven season 8. Had he remained as the showrunner Jeff had plans for an almighty battle between Melissa and Angela over the control of the mansion/wine business. The other characters would have taken sides. What if Chase had become romantically involved with Melissa, as suggested by Ana Alicia 5 years prior and provided some backup in the Agretti vinter's war with Angela? Such a scenario would've been more exciting than what was served up, in 1988-'89.

If circumstances had permitted and the dollars were not an issue I yearned for Abby Dalton as Julia to enter the wine country again in season 9, to tackle Charley St.James and Michael Sharpe. Those two newcomers would have known their maker then.

Chase states his harvest this year will beat all records.


Angela arrives at the Gioberti castle, to speak with Connie Giannini. 'The Grape Granny' isn't pleased Connie didn't accept her offer, for the family vineyards and winery. Carla Borelli's character is in the living room with Chase and Maggie; (a scene from season 4, 1984 - '85):

Chase meets his aunt Angela, at the front door: "Angela, I thought we would be seeing you today."

Angela: "I bet you did. Behind that fur you look like a cat that swallowed the canary."

Chase: "I don't know what you're talking about."

Angela: "You know I made arrangements to buy the Giannini property and than Connie changed her mind."

Chase: "That's her privilege isn't it?"

Angela: "You talked her into it, didn't you?"

Chase: "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Angela looks over at Connie and Maggie in the living room.

Angela: "Well! What a cosy little group. You're all in this together."

Chase explains about his neighbour's decision to keep her vineyards and winery. Connie then speaks to Angela, telling her why she has done so. Mrs. Channing leaves with a parting shot, which is Connie will sell eventually but the next Falcon Crest offer won't be as generous.