DYNASTY—SEASON ONE

Like I said in an earlier post, I’ve never been a real DYNASTY fan, preferring to keep company with the Fairgates and the Ewings of KNOTS LANDING. But my hubby, thinking I was devoted to the long-running nighttime soap, gave me the complete first season on DVD a while back for my birthday. I put it away, thinking I would get to it soon enough, especially on a rainy day. As it turned out, it took me a couple of years to revisit the Carringtons but when I finally did last month, the results were more rewarding that I had ever imagined.

First and foremost let’s get right down to business and declare that this is the one without Alexis, played later on by the ever-so effective Joan Collins. Yes, the character does make an appearance at the end of the 13 episode arc, walking in court where Blake, oil guru extraordinaire, is on trial for having killed his son’s male lover; but the woman impersonating her is just a day player (hence the big sunglasses and the bigger hat to hide her face since the producers had no clue who’d play her subsequently). Nonetheless everyone is stunned by the woman’s presence, as they should be. After all, she is Blake’s first wife. You can already feel the tension brewing.

But back to season one as a whole. I have to say it is a rather fetching one, with a strong script, keen performances (especially from weak Claudia Blaisdel), not to mention a well-defined gay theme plot which was considered very bold at the time. If I remember correctly, it even caused some backlash from religious groups and advertisers alike, but ABC held on (by a hair, but that’s another entry) and struck gold. Even more so when Collins joined the cast later on. Suffice to say, the whole Steven and Ted hook up, non hook up (such drama!) was a joy for the gay community. You didn’t even have to follow the series to know about it. It was on everyone’s lips.

Of course, I did take a peak once in a while just to satisfy my curiosity. Yes, I admit, like many of you, I sort of had a crush on Al Corley (and his number one Europop song Square Rooms). How could you not when he seemed to be the only good-looking, not to mention warm-hearted, homosexual on TV at the time. Yes, his onscreen drama was melodramatic at best but that didn’t make him less an effective spokeperson for gays everywhere. Oh, how much we wanted him to be avenged of his lover’s death, and on that spring of 1981, even I tuned in to see the outcome. Well, it proved inconclusive since the verdict never came to be (it was resolved on season two), but it barely mattered, for we too were much stunned by that sophisticated veiled woman arriving in court just before the end credits.

Even though I was around for judgment day the next season, and watched the series sporadically afterwards with the addition of Adam, Dex and Sable (just to name a few), I eventually lost track of the Carringtons and their over-the-top antics. But fast forward to this year and I’m proud to say that these rich folks are back in full force on my flat TV screen. I surely intend to continue on following their troubling lives. If the subsequent seasons are as addictive as the first one, I’ll be geared up for the long haul, you can count on that.

Until next post—Martin