nuDynasty Episode Chat S2E18: Life Is A Masquerade Party

I am probably inhaling some of the compounds Jeff is inhaling, but I actually enjoyed the episode.
#1 reason: No Kirby!

For the rest, here goes:

Fallon was tolerable today, which I am sure has to do with Liam and his seductive dimples being around her. She played her usual tricks for a while but Sam set her on the straight and narrow (I know...) and she came clean. And they are together. What could possibly go wrong?

Sam is (I repeat myself sometimes, because Greeks like their Homeric similes) a treasure for the show. He is funny without being ludicrous and emotional without being cloying. I love how he repeatedly thanks the Carringtons that they keep him now that he is divorcing Steven. Hello? Steven himself was not a Carrington. But by the way, "Steven and mine divorce is final" is too terrible a sentence construction for even original Sammy Jo. Or even any of the Gillies on the show. But at least they had him admit his own illiteracy with his mitigating factors.

Cristal and Blake are becoming a bit irrelevant again--or maybe because I want to see more of her hot brother? Or the gambling scheme seems less interesting than shale oil? And what about Atlantix players in their showers? When do we get to see them sweating?

Culhane and Jeff are still inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide and toxic plots. Jeff is sweating, but not in the good way. And Culhane needs to do something about his bizarre brand of corporate beard. I'd prefer the beard and the whole head to go. BTW, original Jeff spent all these hours in his painted office because he was a loser who had nowhere else to go. This Jeff has his own company, and toy cars to race. Why is he in there inhaling all the time?

Fallexis: Gillies has talent with the voices, I give her that. But whoever had bet money that they can't make Alexis any more pitiful and pathetic as a character, fork it over. If these producers ever reboot Dallas, I expect them to have J.R. be a live version of Homer Simpson.

And finally, Adam. I had said I didn't like the actor in the Paris episode, but the guy quickly won me over. He is creepy and dangerous and funny all at the same time. Even the trailer for next week had me laughing out loud. Now, I forget how their algorithm goes: is it the next episode that will be slash-your-veins-witless, or the one after that?

I don't remember how we were able to tell that Jeff was a different kind of jerk due to the compound. Other than his collapse playing tennis, I think most of his behaviour (finally attempting to strangle Fallon, having no clue about the world around him) was rather expected. Oh wait, I do remember now. His hair was messy!

 

Poor Brenda Walsh - first that bitch Kelly Taylor steals her look for the prom and now Fallon Carrington does it too!



Gillies is doing a great job with emulating Nicolette to be honest. And I guess they're now giving her a good reason to go under the knife again for "corrective" surgery.

Probably because he spends so much time there to put in research in his plan to destroy Blake from the inside, which is probably why he wanted that office in the first place.

 

Totally. I wasn't at all keen on the reveal but she managed to make me believe I was watching Alexis - not LG playing Alexis, not NS playing Alexis & not LG playing NS playing Alexis. She just really managed to capture the essence of the character in itself. Impressive!

 

I'm sure the main reason Liz was excited about stepping into the role of Alexis was so she'd be given the opportunity to do something besides talk about Culhane or Liam.

 

If they ever do a remake of the remake, I wonder if there'll be an episode called 'Alison, I Need a New Muffin'.

 

Nu Adam is manipulative, deceiving, like he has a Master plan. So far he's more "original Alexis" than Nu Alexis.

Gillies did a great job, impersonating NS voice. And a pretty decent job impersonating her mannerism. BUT, I am happy it's just temporary.
If NS departure reason's are only because she wanted to spend time with her dying mother (which is something I can relate to, as I lost my mother 6 years ago) then I hope and welcome the idea of her return when her mother will be in a better world. Dealing with my mother loss was very, very, very difficult. Working helped me to get through. (Even if it's still painful when I think about her now)

The ideal plot now is that "wall painted drugged Jeff" goes crazy, marries Fallexis and expires. Fallexis inherits his money, and goes to europe to find the best surgeons to fix her face (because her "Fallon face" makes her family way too uncomfortable.)

When she comes back, she's THE Alexis we know and love : a classy powerful woman with a grudge. She shouldn't forget that despite Blake's father will, she didn't get the mansion. She should remember that she was banished when she was younger, and couldn't stay with her children. She shouldn't forget that Blake used her as a"rebound" after Celia"s death, and didn't give a rats hat of her when he met "real Cristal". She shouldn't forget that Adam put her face in a fireplace ! She should remember the suffering, both moral and psychological. She should have mixed and paradoxal feelings for Adam.

Alexis felt she was directionless. She should come back in season 3 with a real direction. Writers made Alexis a pathetic fool this season, which is enough now. It's like the writers wanted to write Nu Alexis like an Eddie Brit 2.0... If they want influence, they'd better look for Paige Mattheson essence than Eddie's. At least, NS Paige was classy, strong, touching. Paige was no Alexis, for sure, but she was not the directionless clown we had this season.

I really don't get it : in season 1, Alexis was literally introduced as the Antechrist : she walks in the church, and the cross on the wall get upside down... Celia/Cristal looked at her like she was scared about her, like she could be a real threat for her relation with Blake. This led to nowhere

 

I also have to give it to Liz Gillies, she did an absolutely fantastic job. I'll even go further - if I separate what this version of Alexis is compared to what I want her to be, some of the characterisation felt quite authentic despite the outlandish premise. Though I still don't get why Alexis is taking no issue with Adam. Am I not paying attention and missing something that explains it? It's like there's an element of Stockholm syndrome/abusive relationship there but with absolutely no build up to it.

This is what I'd like to see too. I want to see her angry...scratch that, I want to see her furious. The cumulative impact of humiliations that she's been through. One of my favourite Nicolette scenes is one that doesn't really get talked about, when she and Blake faced off in her trailer in season 1 "I will fight you harder this time because I have nothing to lose". I want them to play Alexis's sense of injustice more as the original did (when it could be arsed).

 

Yes, Gillies really found NS's voice. The second time I played the episode, as a background sound (well, what else could Peach Dynaty be ? Just kidding) and I was even more amazed by her rendition of NS Alexis.

About Fallexis, I guess she feels she is not in position to confront Adam. Not right now. She has nothing. She's not confident about her face. And worst, Adam can blackmail her and reveal that she faked Hank's DNA results. Remember how much we were shocked that she was able to use her own tragedy (her son kidnaped) to get (lots of) money. How could Blake and Steven could forgive her ? (Fallon wouldn't care, as she care only about herself)

About Fallon, I'm concerned by her lack of intelligence. Original Fallon at least was intuitive. Ok, she was always attracted by bad guys (and didn't care about good and sweet original Jeff) but inside her, she knew those guys were trouble. I Mean, she was attracted to Original Adam for God sakes (before she knew he was her brother) and later, she knew her brother was trouble and she could never trust him.

Nu Fallon is so self-centered that she's just snarky with him. She's not clever enough to be really suspicious. Everybody (but Jeff) has welcomed Adam like he's the best new guy in town. I mean, we need balance. Blake is blind (well, not literally. Not yet) but Fallon shouldn't "buy" Nu Adams' game. She should be cautious and mistrustful about him. And this should be a source of confrontation between her and Blake. But no, just let her make sarcasm or funny comments...

It's not just a Fallon problem. Blake is also self-centered enough to ask for help to NS Alexis (when Cristal lost her baby). But didn't have even a nice word to say to her when she was burned... Some fans here pointed at this lack of concern... And I never got the chance to say how much I agree with them.

Anyway I don't know why there is such a turn over with the actors when the writers are the real problem. There is no balance in this show, since episode 1. I mean, they wrote Fallon as self-centered bitch, Celia as an almost bitch, Alexis was written as a self-centered selfish bitch, they introduced us to Kirby as a crazy bitch (and thank God they changed the characters's direction very soon) and now, will Dominique be a bitch too ???

I mean, even Sam (who is not a bitch so far. Maybe a leech) is so self-centered that he thinks it's normal to have a party to celebrate his new celibate statut in the very house of his ex husband, with the money of his ex's family. And no-one to really object this ? "Yeah, let's crap on Steven a little bit more. After all, we are Carringtons. We have no dignity". I don't mind that Sam is selfish and superficial. And that he loves money. Original Sammy Jo was money obsessed in the early years, before she became a decent and nice human being) but at least; Krystle, Alexis, Fallon, objected to her selfish behavior. In Nu Dynasty, no, no real human reaction. I mean, If i had a son or brother getting divorce, would I happily welcome and finance a party for his ex ? No mater how insanely rich I am.

Even Nu Nu Cristal has no consistency. Who is she exactly ? A sweet zen healer with compassion ? A smart woman fighting back her rival (NS Alexis), a clever business manipulator ? (buying the real estate field under Jeff's nose). Well, I guess I must be grateful that they didn't write her as bitch so far...

Peach Dynasty is not a soap, not a drama, not a comedy... Take english original Absolutely Fabulous sitcom (first 3 seasons), the 2 main characters Eddie & Patsy were hilarious because they were selfish old bitches, but also because they had a counterpart (Saffron, a nice, generous, moral compass, mature, shy girl)...

Peach Dynasty has no balance. No substance and no identity. It's like the (not so) funny but embarrassing relative we all met once. This Dynasty is trying to hard to be clever when it's not. (Maybe because the writers are not clever themselves, I don't know... Maybe I am the stupid fan not getting it). At least, they should know that sarcasm is not a plot.

 

Near the end of the episode on the party, she seemed to start getting suspicious...about how Adam got the book. It could be wishful thinking on my part and chances are high that writers will completly forget about that again... but there's a small chance that she really starts to misstrust him.. (?)

On the other hand... we were complaining that they went from plot to plot to plot, without letting things develop. Maybe it's just too early to already expose evil Adam..? What reason does she really have to misstrust him right now?
On O-Dynasty it took till the end of the season until Fallon finally made the connection that Adam could be the one behind the poison paint, and Adam had been there many more episodes then.

It's a dramedy!
If we like that, is another thing.

 

You're right about the book and Fallon starting to have suspicion. That's why I was talking about Fallon's intuition. Sometimes we don't need reasons to feel that someone is no good. We just feel it.

And I don't mind with the show taking its time to develop. But you need a vision, to develop something. So many times, Peach Dynasty deceived us. At least, me. I mean, Showrunners said than they would develop Alexis/Fallon's relation in season 2. And there wasn't much development. The character were just bouncing between "I kind of like you/not so much/I hate you" episodes. In season 1, before NS arrived, Alexis was a big deal to Fallon. The letters she wrote to her but never sent, where she asked and begged her to come back.

When characters talked about her, it was implied that Alexis had her own company, had a secretary... She wasn't supposed to be a white trash trailer broke middle age woman. So what was their vision for Alexis ? To develop something, you also need a direction.

Sometimes I feel the show is kind of schizophrenic

 

When was this mentioned? The closest we got was that she tried to trademark the Carrington name for a cosmetics line, but Blake pretty much shut that down. If Alexis claimed to have a secretary, well, that's just one of Alexis's many claims.

Either way, it's pretty obvious that Fallon isn't exactly thrilled with having her new brother around and finds him creepy. At this point there's not really anything for her to go on, plus there's the fact that Blake has really embraced his psycho son. Having her snoop around trying to find dirt on him at this point would be tiring since they'd have to make up excuses for her not finding out anything until they're ready to expose him.

 

I don't remember exactly, but Fallon (or Steven, i really don't remember) said that for his/her birthday Alexis would send a card, but actually it would be her secretary doing so. Maybe other fans here have a better memory than me and can give the exact quote.

 

"And apparently her face."
Said Anders.
​

That line from Anders had me in stitches. Overall I thought the episode was tame. I'm enjoying Adam popping up in the most unusual circumstances, like walking in on Michael in the wine cellar. Adam appears to have a penchant for wanting to know everything and everyone's business - something I thought Anders should have been. Speaking of which it was nice to see the writers pair up Anders and Sam again though I'm still puzzled why Anders hasn't been to Paris. A real pity the creative team haven't revisited the shocking revelation Steven is Ander's son.

Can someone give me a quick breakdown of the conversation occurring between Cristal and her brother. I'm not sure if there was an issue with Netflix as there were no subtitles so I feel like I missed half the details. I thought it odd Cristal's father made the trip to Atlantic only to make peace with Blake. Perhaps the writers have something in store later on but I'm still having issues with this Mexico angle. What's the fascination with Mexico? I thought the scene between Blake and Cristal's father on the private jet was odd and had a gut feeling something terrible was going to happen to the jet, especially after Blake had left. Towards the end of the episode when Blake and Cristal are lying in bed and he is looking towards the ceiling I had a sense we'd cut to a scene with a jet blowing up mid-air. That would have been a nice touch - to show us how ruthless Blake really is.

I'm still not buying Jeff and Michael playing detectives. Michael in particular just frustrates me. A year ago he was cleaning cars and Fallon. Now I'm expected to take him seriously in the corporate sector? And once again the writers don't appear to understand their own creation. Jeff is a billionaire right? Head of some Tech company? Why is he shuffling through papers looking for dirt on Blake? Jeff is an amateur. Crusty old JR could teach Jeff a thing or two how to infiltrate someones computer.

The final reveal didn't have the effect I was hoping for. A real pity the producers thought it best to drop that scene in during last weeks episode. There wasn't enough tension revolving around Alexis. It didn't help matters when early in this episode Fallon shrugged her shoulders again in reference to her mother. They've made a real mess of one of the most iconic characters in television history.

Bo made a brief appearance

 

That's one thing that I really hate... reading subtitles on a TV show. I did not learn english to then having to read subtitles on an American soap because they let the people speak some other language. Something that bothered me with the new Dallas as well. Then something goes wrong with the damn subtitles and you maybe miss something important for the plot. Just stupid! Let them speak broken english or dub the dialoge, but please don't let me read f*cking subtitles every episode, i am not deaf!

 

Indeed. It's one of those things that would have driven me insane if I had any belief that one is supposed to make sense of peach Dynasty. (Luckily, I don't). I mean, a divorcing husband has to move on, but not a father.

 

But if Steven had died or was in some serious condition, because of what Adam injected him before he left... we would have heard something... wouldn't we?!

 

I'm hoping they make Steven a regular again next season. We need him back.