Ahead of the season finale, Dynasty delivered a supersized penultimate episode.
The back-to-back episodes raised the stakes, changed the game, and then flipped the narrative on its head.
Nothing was the same, and no one is coming out unscathed.
The most heartbreaking turn of events was the expected but unnecessary demise of Liam and Fallon.
Things between them were pretty bad this season when Fallon prioritized her career (and quite literally everything else) over her relationship with Liam, but the damage wasn’t irreversible.
It’s not the kind of stuff you want to see from newlyweds that are still supposed to be waist-deep in their honeymoon phase, but this is a primetime soap, so drama is par for the course.
Liam instituted a break, but not the Friends version of a break; all he really wanted was some time and space to figure things out.
Eventually, he did while talking it out in the Truth Tent.
Liam realized that he wasn’t just upset that Fallon was investing so much time in her career. He was projecting and taking his frustrations about himself out on her. In reality, he felt less than and inferior to his boss babe wife.
This was the very definition of “it’s not you, it’s me.”
Of course, Liam’s behavior up until now wasn’t excusable as he made Fallon feel guilty for being such a go-getter, but it made sense.
Marriage comes with its fair share of gray areas, but communication and over-communication are the keys to working it all out.
Sadly, Fallon broke the cardinal rule when she let her inhibitions go and slept with Colin.
Yes, I know she was being manipulated by Eva, but that doesn’t excuse Fallon’s behavior.
Regardless of how sad and lonely she was feeling about the possibility of Liam wanting a divorce (which was a lie planted by Eva), she knew better than to cheat.
She’s a grown woman who can clearly understand the consequences of her actions.
Plus, she was simply guided by assumptions rather than waiting for Liam to explain himself. Does she think so low of him that she thought he’d seek a divorce without even talking to her about it?
But most importantly, Fallon’s biggest mistake was allowing too many people into her relationship. She’s trusting, which is nice, but too many people had a hand in this demise that shouldn’t have even been involved.
Had it not been for Fallon’s deception, she and Liam would’ve found a way back to each other and likely stronger than ever.
Of course, Liam is also at fault because he allowed Eva into his life as well by being so friendly and kind.
Eva just jumped in and took advantage of it all.
Dynasty — “You Vicious, Miserable Liar” — Image Number: DYN420a_0002 — Pictured: Rafael de la Fuente as Sammy Jo Jones — Photo: Wilford Harewood/The CW — © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Fallon and Liam’s crumbling marriage played exactly into Eva’s hand. Fallon confided in her, and she sold the supportive employee and act friend all too well while being a meddling menace in real life.
Sometimes the biggest villains look the sweetest.
Eva set her sights on Liam, and there was no stopping her. I wonder if she purposefully took the job with Fallon because she wanted Liam, or if she decided to pursue him after she got the gig.
You would think someone as obsessive would be sloppy, but her approach was pretty strategic and impressive.
Sadly, that delusional book will be her undoing. I just hope Fallon figures it out before Eva does any real damage since she’s a serious threat to Liam.
Liam might be hurting after what happened with Fallon, but I don’t think he’d just jump into bed with Eva as he considers her a friend.
And if he rejects her, I could see Eva snapping.
The biggest surprise with this storyline (aside from my disappointment in Fallon’s actions) is that Eva and Colin weren’t working together. Wouldn’t that have made so much sense?
Eva would’ve pursued Liam, while Colin could’ve taken over the company. I guess, in the end, Eva didn’t need anyone.
While those two weren’t in cahoots, Alexis and Brady surely are. I’m not sure what the connection between them is but considering Brady showed up shortly after Dom told Alexis about him, it’s not a surprising twist.
Though I was rooting for Brady to be a good guy, I realize there’s no fun in that!
Whenever a woman gets any bit of success, there’s always someone ready to bring her down and take it from her.
You would’ve hoped that Alexis would’ve learned her lesson by now as she’s already alienated most of her children.
Colby is losing it, which doesn’t bode well for any of his space race plans.
It’s unclear why he stopped taking his neurotoxicity medication, but it’s also a nice loop back to that storyline and a reminder that Adam Carrington was once a really dangerous man despite taming his ways and finding the light or whatever.
The writings of a mad man on the walls could either be a stroke of genius or something genuinely concerning.
Only time will tell.
Adam may not be poisoning people or stuffing their faces into the fire, but he’s not that innocent either.
He stole research from Dr. Larson, a former colleague, to inform his own drug anti-aging drug trial, which he fast-tracked in hopes of making millions and starting his own dynasty.
It’s strange that I find myself rooting for Adam in the Adam versus Amanda saga because it’s clear that Adam is in the wrong, but he’s turned into such a likable villain.
Amanda is hard to stomach, even if she is helping a man take back the research he’s entitled to.
Shouldn’t Amanda just be above all of this?
Adam was ruthless in his pursuit by calling in every “IOU” card.
Cristal and Sammy both came through for him, reluctantly.
You can say whatever you want about Adam, but at least he’s had both of their backs. He was there for Cristal during her brain tumor scare, and he helped Sammy eliminate Leo after he was hurting his business.
The Carrington family may be a lot of things, but they rarely turn their back on family.
Sammy learned just how much he mattered to the family when Cristal and Blake sold him out to the media to divert the negative attention away from Blake’s campaign.
While Sammy was hurt by their actions, Blake reminded him that it’s how the family treats each other.
However, Cristal really came through this episode and managed to right the wrongs and deliver on promises.
She convinced Blake to hold his campaign gala at the hotel as his support would restore La Mirage’s image.
And when Blake decided to pull out of the Senator race and disappoint Culhane, she found a way to play to Blake’s desire for more power in order to convince him to stay on the ticket.
Cristal is proving that she’s a real one, and it’s nice to see her finally get a strong storyline of her own.
She’s no longer Blake’s shiny accessory — she’s the brains behind. the operation. Blake’s motivations for running may be vain as all he really wants is the land for his airport, but Cristal wants to power to evoke real change, and she wants Culhane to also have that ability.
The two of them are doing it for charity and community. Culhane’s storyline is also a nice circle-back to his father’s death. The writers are embracing some continuity, and it makes the storylines that much stronger.
And then there’s Kirby. No one pays really notices her, but she’s the one that actually yields all the power.
Thanks to Anders’s burn book, she has the power to destroy the whole dynasty!
While it was noble of Culhane to suggest that they destroy it to keep her in check, I’m glad Kirby had copies stashed in her drawers.
Even if she never uses it, she’d be stupid to destroy that kind of leverage. Anders loved Blake beyond words and still wrote down all those secrets as collateral.
Kirby’s made some pretty stupid decisions but this wasn’t one of them.
And my guess is that the copies will come in handy one day when Blake finally crosses her.
Other Carrington Musings
- The scenes with the medium were pretty pointless but hilarious, nonetheless. Sammy is a scene-stealer, and it’s all because of his great chemistry with Fallon.
- Sammy and Kirby bring such a lightheartedness to the series — her quirky comments and his telenovela acting at the hospital were some of the best parts of the episodes.
- Seeing Liam cry made me really sad. He was so hurt and broken.
- Colby’s self-funded space mission is going to bankrupt him!
- The question isn’t whether Beto will sabotage Blake’s campaign, it’s how.
- Who would have thought we’d ever see Blake in plaid!
- I’m just waiting to see Blake and Fallon get revenge on those who wronged them; it’s going to be delicious.
What did you think of the two episodes — Dynasty Season 4 Episode 20 “You Vicious, Miserable Liar” and Dynasty Season 4 Episode 21 “Affairs of State, Affairs of the Heart.”