The battle of the Fallons

who was the best Fallon


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Matthew Blaisdel

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Yikes this is hard. Too bad there isn't a third choice saying it's a tie, as I really liked both Fallons.

Thanks to you and me, Emma got at least 2 votes. Poor Emma. :(
 

Matthew Blaisdel

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Was TC Fallon's habit of running away from conflicts markedly different from ole Fallon's, or not?

Fallon always ran away from conflicts before Dynasty S9. Before she was always written that way.
She ran away from parties (car-crash), motherhood and all kinds of problems in S2, from Jeff in S3 and 4 (even at the wedding) and later on TC as well.
The character stopped running somewhere in Dynasty's S8. And i loved that change.
 

Alexis

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Fallon always ran away from conflicts before Dynasty S9. Before she was always written that way.
She ran away from motherhood and all kinds of problems in S2, from Jeff in S3 and 4 (even at the wedding) and later on TC as well.
The character stopped running somewhere in Dynasty's S8. And i loved that change.
Because she was always running away from the truth... That she killed Roger Grimes. She was always supressing it. Until season 9!
That's always been my theory on Fallon and all her crazy shit.
 

Zara

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PSM had more depth in her portrait. She walked her own way.
Alexis was all evil and scheming, and PSM could be really despicable, like her mother, but at the same time she had a sensitive and soft side of Fallon too.

ES was more shallow, and lacked "Fallons" strong will and "streetsmartiness"(that word may be a bit too Swedish;)). Though she was beautiful in a more classic way than PSM.

So, PSM in my book!
 
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kitkat1971

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I voted PSM but that doesn't mean I disliked ES. Her only problem was the wsy she was written, and that slippery slope had started in Season 4 but I guess it wasn't as noticeable as it was a gradual change. All eyes were on new Fallon, and new Fallon was very obviously a victim and rather wet and simpering, even after getting her memory back. Yes, Fallon of the first 3 seasons could be vulnerable and hurt, but there was always a defiant petulance along with it.

Once they started writing Fallon.as Fallon again, Emma was great. A more than worthy successor.

But, from pure ratios of good stuff for their tenures, PSM had two fantastic season, one good one and one patchy one. ES had one great season, one reasonable one and two horrendous. So, on those stats, PSM wins for me.
 

ArchieLucasCarringtonEwing1989

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Emma Samms' Fallon was quite streetsmart in season 9.

I liked how in the season 8 cliffhanger ES sports her red hair that has been a trademark since season 1 of the Colby's and in the season 9 premiere which takes place in the same day, ES hair is done in the style of PSM's Fallon from seasons 1-2 signifying that the real Fallon really has returned home ;-)
 

thomaswak

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Emma Samms' Fallon was quite streetsmart in season 9.

I liked how in the season 8 cliffhanger ES sports her red hair that has been a trademark since season 1 of the Colby's and in the season 9 premiere which takes place in the same day, ES hair is done in the style of PSM's Fallon from seasons 1-2 signifying that the real Fallon really has returned home ;-)

I felt the same. Fallon was back, in look and attitude. That was so refreshing.

About this battle of the 2 Fallons, I voted for Emma.
PSM is the best Fallon imo, and I was about to vote for her. Then I saw that poor Emma had only 2 votes, so I chose her instead. Emma deserves an award for swallowing all the crap the writers gave her all those years, without complaining ever. She surely felt relieved with the season 9 scripts.
 

colbyco

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Although I personally believe Emma Samms was the more attractive Fallon, I am on board that Pamela Sue Martin was the better Fallon overall.

I think both were good actresses, but with different strengths. Martin played Fallon as a stronger, more devious individual. That I liked. She wasn't too keen on her stepmother, she wasn't always on speaking terms with her mother, and I liked how she could be independent. On the other hand, Samms played as more of confused victim. She came in during Fallon's amnesiac "Randall" phase, and from I gather, she never regained her strength, nor did she ever again have a "true" personality. Let the record show that I have only seen a little of Samms' portrayal of Fallon.
- Yes Emma was the far more attractive Fallon (especially in S9) but PSM played it more special and overall it depends on the scripts. Emma´s Fallon always felt like a victim for me until Paulsen came in ... so she only had 1 great year + some good scenes durring S8 (fighting with Adam & Steven, dancing in Natumbee for example) and I really liked her home comming scenes durring S6 and S7 (and the only Fallon / Amanda scene; even it could have been much better ...) PSM had one great first season (she had the best lines until you know...) + the special brother/sister thing with Steven, hating Krystle and later becomming friends and her special scenes like dancing & jumping in the pool durring the roaring 20´s party and stuff like this ... she later also became a victim but it didn´t feel so long like Emma´s Fallon ...
so PSM started great and Emma closed great - between it would have been better to sent her into a coma (S4-S7)

I ended up voting for Emma. Might be because I have just watched "The Colbys" and also the last season of Dynasty again.

In a way I think both Fallon's were different and I think why most people think PSM was best in the role was because she was Fallon first and made it her own. I imagine if we had seen Emma's Fallon first we probably would have thought she was better in the role. So it's all a question of what we are used to really.
- I had seen Emma´s Fallon first and years later was shocked to see a different Fallon /PSM (the same with Jack and Al) ... and I needed time but years later both Al and PSM became my faves ... Jack & Emma looked better but Al & PSM had the better scripts and acted better
 

xab

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Maybe the right question should be which Fallon was best written... ?

PSM's season 1 was far better and wilder than Emma Samms season 8...
... but Emma Samms season 9 was far more interesting and wilder than PSM' s season 4 De Vilbis fiancée ...
 

DallasFanForever

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Like I said in an prior post I grew up watching Emma Samms in the role so to me she was the only Fallon I ever knew. But now when I go back and watch PSM in those early seasons I can’t honestly fault anyone for preferring her as Fallon either. I guess I just adore Emma so much that I’m a little biased.
 

Chris2

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I love Emma Samms and think she’s such an appealing performer. But she was never right for Fallon. Yes, she was better in season 9 when she had better writing. But she never had the same mix of vinegar and ice in her line delivery that PSM did so well. Perhaps it would have been easier to accept her had she played the role from day one. But PSM is such a unique performer and was a tough act to follow.
 

rayray

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I love Emma Samms and think she’s such an appealing performer. But she was never right for Fallon. Yes, she was better in season 9 when she had better writing. But she never had the same mix of vinegar and ice in her line delivery that PSM did so well. Perhaps it would have been easier to accept her had she played the role from day one. But PSM is such a unique performer and was a tough act to follow.
I often think Emma would have made a marvelous Amanda, or a different child of Blake and Alexis. She wasn't right for Fallon as originally written, but as others have said, the Fallon being written at the time of PSM's departure was light-years away from the far more interesting and acid character of seasons 1 & 2 -- so Emma was as good as anyone to play THAT Fallon, Mark 2.
 

thomaswak

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The incredible thing is that despite not being season 1/2 Fallon, Emma Samms was loved enough to be kept on the show.
I mean, if she was not popular/loved enough, the powers that be would have fired her à la Cellini without a blink.
 

thomaswak

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Also, I have a confession to make : I used to write to Dynasty actors to get autographed photos. I got some !
I unfortunately I think I don't have them anymore (I really can't remember where they can be, I have moved so many times) and I was like 12 years old when I used to send letters to the production ins USA.

The photos I received were real photos, and were "hand signed" (was it really the actor signing ? I will never know. Little chances I think)

For Emma, I think I wrote 3 or 4 times. And I received two answers, with the same printed photo. It was not a photograph, but like a printed card. Even her "signature" was actually printed. I got the identical thing twice. But I also remember that in the envelop with the "photo", there was also a printed letter from Louise Samuelson (Emma's sister) saying it was really important that we (fans) keep writing to Emma, as the show measured the popularity of an actor by the letters the production get...

EDIT : I found on internet the printed "photo" I got twice. It's the exact same thing :

 
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MenaceTheDennis

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Pamela Sue. Duh? Emma did improve in season 9, but not enough to make me forget her really bad years from 1985 through season 8. And certainly not enough to forget PSM. Emma’s speaking voice was just really weak. And the covering up (or lack of) her English accent was horrible. You would think Aaron Spelling would’ve invested some money for an acting and dialect coach to help her. She just wasn’t the best actress for this part.
 

colbyco

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Also, I have a confession to make : I used to write to Dynasty actors to get autographed photos. I got some !
I unfortunately I think I don't have them anymore (I really can't remember where they can be, I have moved so many times) and I was like 12 years old when I used to send letters to the production ins USA.

The photos I received were real photos, and were "hand signed" (was it really the actor signing ? I will never know. Little chances I think)

For Emma, I think I wrote 3 or 4 times. And I received two answers, with the same printed photo. It was not a photograph, but like a printed card. Even her "signature" was actually printed. I got the identical thing twice. But I also remember that in the envelop with the "photo", there was also a printed letter from Louise Samuelson (Emma's sister) saying it was really important that we (fans) keep writing to Emma, as the show measured the popularity of an actor by the letters the production get...

EDIT : I found on internet the printed "photo" I got twice. It's the exact same thing :

- I also got (in the early 90´s) some cast black/white picture from Spelling which were handsigned (Joan, John & Lida, Catherine, Jack, Gordon, Emma) ...
- in some tv special they also said Heather got a lot of fan mail and that´s why they hired her again ...
Pamela Sue. Duh? Emma did improve in season 9, but not enough to make me forget her really bad years from 1985 through season 8. And certainly not enough to forget PSM. Emma’s speaking voice was just really weak. And the covering up (or lack of) her English accent was horrible. You would think Aaron Spelling would’ve invested some money for an acting and dialect coach to help her. She just wasn’t the best actress for this part.
- Why did they have to re-cast an american actress with an british (like Amanda, the other way round) - a different accrent makes the cast change even more unbelievable ..
 

Monzo

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In latest issue of Soap Opera Digest there's an interview with Emma Samms in which she claims she never watched Dynasty and General Hospital before joining both shows. Do actors really don't take a look at the show they are auditioning for?

Emma says that she was kind of a replacement for Laura (as Luke's love interest) on GH and viewers loved her, so when she joined Dynasty as a real replacement she had no problem with it. She also said she had gotten the offer for Dynasty as if she never auditioned for it. I always thought Sela Ward was Spelling's first choice as Fallon recast and Emma only got the job because she was the best of the rest.
 
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Chris2

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Sela Ward would have been great. She was the best thing about Emerald Point, also from the Shapiros, and where she played a similar role.
 
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