Dynasty Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Twenty-Three Skidoo
Paul Dailly
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Carrington Atlantic has been around for 100 years, and to celebrate, we got a bunch of twists that are surely going to make Dynasty Season 2 tower above Dynasty Season 1.
Going into Dynasty Season 2 Episode 1, viewers were likely already well aware that Cristal was the one who perished in the fateful fire that rocked the barn on Dynasty Season 1 Episode 22.
This was thanks to Nathalie Kelley revealing that she would no longer be part of the series and the casting of Ana Brenda Contreras as the "real" Cristal. As expected, it took away from the shock factor of Cristal's supposed death.
While Kelley received a lukewarm response for her role as Cristal, I've had a soft spot for the actress since she appeared on UnREAL. An off-screen death is a horrible way to go, but it leaves scope for a return down the line.
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In its prime, the OG Dynasty was filled with twists, and bringing the Cristal we know and love back into the mix down the line, potentially with a new face, would be a solid move.
I'm not digging Cristal Jennings right now, but we only got to meet her for a few short seconds. Her comments about feeling like she knew the family were somewhat awkward, but this could suggest Celia (we'll call her that when we're talking about two Cristals, you guys!) had a more significant connection to this woman than we first thought.
She's been billed as the person who owns the identity Celia took on, so she's bound to have a whole host of secrets and a hidden agenda. Granted, if she wants to get some money, she's going to have to make her way to that beautiful manor before Blake gives all of his money away.
The most surprising thing for me was that Blake was actually upset about his wife's demise. If you watch Dynasty online, you know their relationship was fractured by the lies and the trust issues.
There wasn't a strong foundation, to begin with, and the constant bombshells put them in two separate directions. Him claiming to go on a world tour of all the places he and Cristal planned to go to was probably more about him spinning this whole mess into something positive.
He's starting to grow a bond with Sammy, and that could be attributed to the fact that Sammy knows Cristal more than anyone else in the mansion. I'm getting the feeling that Blake is going to take on a more parental figure towards Sammy going forward because Cristal was the one who raised him and she's now gone.
Did I ever expect Sammy and Blake to bond? Nope, but I am so here to see where this storyline goes. I didn't like the way Blake revealed that Stephen was going to be a father to Melissa's baby at the event.
That was mean-spirited, but he knew Fallon was about to make a deal with the devil, so he just went all out and spilled all of the beans. Sammy handled it surprisingly well and saw this as a beacon of light in an otherwise dark time.
But I still don't fully trust Melissa. She has always held a torch for Stephen, so there's every reason to believe that she could be traveling this route to trap him and get closer to him than ever.
The good thing here is that Alexis has doubts, so look for her to do some digging to find out the truth. That's assuming she even makes it out of the first few episodes without landing in prison.
She can't keep quiet about a thing, and that's probably what infuriated Hank even more. Going on TV to throw him under the bus made for a hilarious segment, but now she's right in the deep end.
He's not going to give up, and Alexis has nobody to turn to because she played a part in the fire that killed Cristal. This is something she's going to have to deal with herself, and it'll be fun to see just how she manages it.
The love triangle involving Fallon, Liam and Culhane got so much more complicated during "Twenty-Three Skidoo," and that was in large part down to Uncle Max showing up with his checkbook.
As a viewer, it's one of the most engrossing love triangles on TV in quite some time. Both Liam and Culhane are genuinely nice men who care for Fallon, so she's in a bit of a tough spot having a faux marriage with Liam while being engaged to Culhane.
Related: Dynasty Casts Maddison Brown as Anders' Daughter
Her dream about the three-way in the shower confirmed that Fallon was conflicted. Would it be too much for them to cut the relationship drama out, and just make this duo a trio?
Her love life aside, Fallon brought her A game in the battle to save Carrington Atlantic. It's an uphill battle, but with Blake taking a backseat to grieve, Fallon was wheeling and dealing to secure the future of the company.
Having Blake and Fallon trying to outmaneuver the other will make for some crazy moments.
Did anyone else feel a little short-changed that Fallon wasn't the one to find Kirby rummaging through her belongings? They both have fiery personalities, so I can totally understand why they don't like one another.
The moment I laid eyes on Kirby, I thought it was Bella Thorne, but then I realized I was the one who wrote about her being cast in the series.
If Kirby tried to set fire to the house in the past, there's no telling what lengths she will go to in the battle to get back inside the mansion. The place is so big that Anders could probably hide her there without anyone ever noticing.
However, she's going to cause some trouble with Jeff Colby, and I can get on board with that. It was a shock that Jeff was still part of the action because he is given storylines that fizzle out quickly.
"Twenty-Three Skidoo" had all of the soapy twists we've come to expect from this CW drama series, and it left me wanting more.
What about, Dynasty Fanatics?
Did you like the premiere? Are you mad about the way Cristal's death was handled?
Hit the comments below!
Dynasty continues Fridays on The CW.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
