Dynasty power rankings: Dominique arrives, and she’s already up to no good

While Fallon attempts to settle the score with Adam, Dynasty welcomes Dominique Deveraux. Is she after money, power, or both?

Welcome, Dominique Deveraux! We’ve been waiting for you to stir the pot. Michael Michele steps into the iconic Dynasty role of Jeff and Monica’s mother and Blake’s half-sister, and she’s the hurricane they weren’t expecting to sweep through town. Following Jeff’s illness, Dominique swoops in to play the doting mother, but she also packed ulterior motives in her luggage.

Meanwhile, Fallon and Liam team up to expose Adam to Blake, but Blake has much larger issues when Culhane plots a sneak attack. From powerful to powerless, we’re ranking Carrington manor’s best and brightest on their quest for control. Here’s how the power struggle stacked up in the latest episode of Dynasty Season 2. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

1. Culhane

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Fresh off his partnership with the FBI, Culhane must catch Blake on tape confessing to his crimes. But it won’t be as easy as wearing a wire around the office and being extra inquisitive. Culhane spills the FBI news to Cristal, knowing that she’ll run to Blake and formulate a plan.

During the Atlantix opening event, Blake has a private conversation with the senator to “get their stories straight,” but all the while she’s wearing a wire and in walks the FBI to arrest Blake. Who would have expected that of all people, Culhane would be the one to take down Blake Carrington? Bravo!

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2. Dominique

Naturally, Jeff’s mysterious illness (which still hasn’t been given a formal diagnosis) is the perfect occasion for his estranged mother, Dominique, to gracefully reappear in his life. She’s somehow in his home when he returns from the hospital, and she makes the grandest of Dynasty entrances. Of course, her arrival doesn’t sit well with Monica, but Jeff pulls a minor heist to get the mother and daughter to break bread.

Dominique later claims she never made it as a performer and never returned home because she was embarrassed about her decisions. Accepting her story, Jeff gives his mother a $1 million check as a test; the money kicks the door open for Dominique to leave. Jeff and Monica almost catch Dominique slipping out, but she proves to have thrown the check in the trash (mobile deposit is a thing, y’all) and says she didn’t want to disrupt their lives.

However, they ask her to stay, which is exciting for us but won’t be for them. She calls someone who’s in on her scheme and asks how “the kids” are. Clearly, she’s just getting started.

3. Fallon

Even though Liam wants to whisk Fallon away for a vacation from the chaos, Fallon wants one thing and one thing only: revenge on Adam. Liam gets on board after learning Adam slept with his mother, and together they concoct a plan to shatter Blake’s illusion of Adam.

Obviously, that calls for Fallon to pose as Alexis, ask Adam to prescribe her pain medication and proceed to dose him with said medication. Blake’s not having any of Fallon’s sibling rivalry, until Adam confesses to knowing Fallon’s plan, and their feud takes a physical turn. Let’s just say she has the upper hand.

4. Adam

Last week, we presumed that Adam’s house of cards was beginning to crumble, but he appears to have stabilized the shaky foundation… for now. Slapping Fallon across the face — in public, no less — isn’t a good look and should honestly be grounds for arrest. Blake fires him but assures he can still “discreetly” work for the team. What did Adam actually lose?

Well, he’s beginning to lose credibility. He’s scarily adept at gaslighting Blake and everyone around him, but his unsettling obsession with “mother” will be the hand that rocks his cradle. Thankfully, Fallon’s realized she needs to pull at the Alexis thread in order to unwind Adam.

5. Blake

Well, well, well… It’s a bad week to be an entitled rich guy on a CW show. After (spoiler warning) Hiram landed behind bars in Riverdale, it’s Blake Carrington’s turn to smile for his mugshot. Of all the power players in this episode, Blake holds the least power by a long shot. (Hell, even Sam and Anders have more power, and they spent half the episode on a private jet to the Maldives.)

But similarly to Hiram Lodge, Blake’s not one to lie down and accept his fate. He’s still got some tricks up his sleeve and Cristal on his side. Culhane better sleep with both eyes open.

Honorable Mentions:

• First things first, how incredible is Michael Michele as Dominique? That’s some exquisite casting, and they better keep her around through next season.
• What’s going on with Cristal? The direction they have taken her character just feels jarring. One minute she’s connecting with Fallon, the next she’s breaking super bad, and then the next she’s Blake’s sidekick. She’s all over the place, and not in a good way.
• Again, what happened to Kirby?

What did you think of the latest episode? Sound off in the comments!

Dynasty airs Fridays at 8/7c on The CW.