Dynasty midseason grade: Season 2 could be heading for explosive finish

Dynasty midseason is good time to evaluate how the CW show is doing so far. What is working for the show and what could be improved to help get it renewed for another season?

When Dynasty was rebooted in 2017, the co-showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage appeared determined to make this show their own. Instead of bringing back any of the original Dynasty cast, they chose to bring in a few people from their own creations, such as OC alum Alan Dale who portrays Anders, and Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford who plays Mrs. Daniels. The rebooted Dynasty brought in a strong cast, starring Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington, Grant Show as Blake Carrington, and James Mackay as Steven Carrington.

Be forewarned, there will be discussions of potential spoilers from here on out.

Dynasty Midseason

Right before the midseason break, we have just learned that Steven is missing on his return from Paraguay. Earlier in the season, actor James Mackay announced that he is off the show, and that this as not his wish. He explained that creative changes happen in this business. Pop Culture explained that this was a “creative overhaul” of the CW show.

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Yet, there are now some rumors that Steven will be back in a surprise twist, and Mackay’s recent Instagram indicates a breakfast reunion with Rafael de la Fuente, who portrays Steven’s husband Sammy Jo. Perhaps he will be returning? This appears to mirror the original Dynasty, but for different reasons.

In the original Dynasty, Al Corley left the show at the end of season 2, because the actor felt that Steven was a humorless character. Corely was looking to play someone more animated. The show writers used an oil rig explosion as the reason for the change, and Jack Coleman went on to play the altruistic Carrington for six more seasons.

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Old Cristal Or New Cristal

The biggest Dynasty off season shocker was the departure of Nathalie Kelley. In a highly unusual move, the Aussie actress shared the major spoiler of her departure during the off season. The Tokyo Drift star seemed relieved that she was getting her “life back.”

The producers then announced that Ana Brenda Contreras was joining the show as the new Cristal. The Por Amar Sin Ley actress appeared in the beginning of season 2. The storyline was that she was a friend of the original Cristal. The new Cristal played hard to get with Blake and in no time, she was engaged to be the next Cristal Carrington. In the midseason finale, we learned that it was Claudia (Brianna Brown) who killed the original Cristal, forever closing the book on old Cristal.

But, there is still something in new Cristal’s past that is still unclear. She has a great love of soccer. Several episodes ago, she even pulled out a box with some soccer clothing, and caressed the jersey. Was this jersey once worn by an ex? A brother? Why is she keeping this love of soccer such a secret? While Contreras is a fine actress, the writers have still not given her anything really interesting to do except upgrade her wardrobe and have a few physical and verbal fights with Alexis (Nicollette Sheridan).

New Characters

This season brought in Kirby Anders, portrayed by former Aussie model, Maddison Brown. Originally, it appeared that Kirby was going to be brought in to further torment Fallon. Instead, Kirby is spending a lot of time trying to prove she is a good person. All of her torment is from the past, off camera. Thus, this sort of redemption story is not very interesting. The audience has no emotional attachment to the wrongly accused Kirby, so watching her redeem herself is quite a snoozer.

Currently, it makes zero sense that Brown is a show regular as the writers have not given us anything to move the story forward, or to add entertainment, like Rafael de la Fuente, whose Sammy Jo is a delight. Yet, his storyline is also flat with the absence of Mackay.

Then, there is Katherine LaNasa as Ada Snow. LaNasa, who is Grant Show’s wife in real life, has portrayed the mysterious and vengeful Ada Snow to perfection. Every time she has popped on the screen, the audience jumps in shock along with Culhane (Robert Christopher Riley). Although LaNasa is only on for mere minutes of each episode, she has proven to be the most interesting character in the most entertaining part of Dynasty season 2.

Dynasty Midseason Grade So Far

What sort of grade do I give the first half of the second season? I give it a B, and this is more for the bigger story that I believe the writers are setting up for viewers. Hopefully, the Dynasty writers know what they are doing as the ball is firmly in their court. My grade could deteriorate  to a D if they don’t give us something substantial soon.

This season has certainly brought some visually stunning and campy scenes that have made the show worth watching. So far in season 2, there has been some intoxicating decadence. The Great Gatsby inspired party and the Wizard of Oz dream sequence, with Fallon as Dorothy, were particularly sensational. This is exactly why viewers tune to Dynasty.

On the other hand, Monica’s (Wakeema Hollis) new club opening should have been more memorable, although the Fallon-Kirby fight was classic Dynasty. Even “Blake Time” was a silly diversion, which gave Grant Show an opportunity to loosen up, although this was also not too interesting. Hank/Adam (Brent Antonello) added some humor to the script and with the occasional Fallon one liners, the overall script has often felt too soapy, not snappy.

What Dynasty Needs Now

We need more over-the-top opulence. Where are the tantalizing shots of decadent food, and sumptuous clothing that tempts even the most idealistic people to chuck their moral compass in order to be a Carríngton hanger-on? Writing the Carringtons out of Carrington Atlantic without giving them a vehicle to contrast why the VanKirks are worse people has not served the story well. While no one can disagree that an energy business is not terribly sexy, there are a lot of things that the writers could have done to increase the drama of this reboot.

Most of all, where are the Colby’s? Last season ended with the shocker that the Colby and Carrington families are related. When are we going to see Jeff and Monica’s mom? And what about Jeff Colby? With the exception of a matchbox car race and a poker game, we have seen little of Sam Adegoke’s stylish character. The Colby’s were such a complex and interesting family on the original Dynasty that they had their own successful spinoff. It is disappointing that the new Dynasty doesn’t have a more interesting storyline for this family.

More Fallon Please

Most of all, we need to see more of Fallon Carrington. Fallon needs something to do. Liz Gillies is best portraying her fast talking character when she is able to snap off some witty dialogue. The writers could have her embark on a singing career, or do something else that makes her character more active.

Elizabeth Gillies is the clear star of the reboot, although it appears that the producers believe it is Nicollette Sheridan. While the former Desperate Housewives star brings a lot of gravitas and camp to the CW show, the writers have failed her as well. Alexis clearly has a back story that they have failed to uncover. Thus, Alexis is hardly sympathetic, and they are wasting Sheridan’s exceptional talents.

While this review may be a little harsh, it should be noted that Dynasty’s ratings are harsher. The show may not have improved enough to warrant a third season, and there is now speculation that the CW should decide what their plans are in case the writers have to write a show finale at the end of season 2.

in order to improve Dynasty, the showrunners need to make sure that the focus is on good storytelling and fun, not on “creative overhauls,” hoping that the show will improve with merely a cast change. This is distracting to viewers and it has caused negative speculation that there is a lot of chaos behind the scenes of this CW show.

The second half of Dynasty season 2 starts on the CW on January 18, with the episode entitled “A Champagne Mood.”