One of the reasons Cecil had married Alexis was to recruit her to help him destroy Blake. Unfortunately, a heart attack left Alexis alone in charge of Colby Co. to battle Blake. Alexis has no experience running an oil company (or probably even working) and has no idea how she can destroy Blake. Alexis has the good fortune that her kidnapped first son, Adam, has returned and is a sociopath. Adam poisons Jeff and a poisoned Jeff turns over L.B.’s stock (that Blake stupidly gave him) to Alexis. Combined with the stock that Cecil had purchased, Alexis now has controlling interest in Denver Carrington and she is going to use it to force a merger the two companies.
Of course, Alexis is less interested in a merger of the two companies than a merger between her and Blake. And Blake will do anything in his power to stop the merger. Blake has his man in Washington, Congressman Neil McVane, delaying the merger. Alexis has a plan to thwart Congressman McVane - she has learned that McVane has is own Washington Lolita.
Assertive Alexis taking on the old white men.
Colby Co has grossly undervalued Denver Carrington’s assets and Blake demands a meeting with Alexis to resolve the matter. Alexis claims she is too busy to meet in the office but that he should meet her in her apartment after work. Alexis isn’t busy working though. No, Alexis is busy getting dirt on Congressman McVane and preventing Fallon from getting involved with Mark Jennings (Alexis wants Mark to go back to Krystle so she can have Blake).
Blake realizes what Alexis is doing and it becomes more obvious when Alexis changes into a sexier (and not work appropriate) outfit to discuss business with Blake. Alexis is hoping for dinner for two but Blake has a better idea - he is going to call Krystle and have her join them. Enraged, Alexis tells Blake they can meet the following day in the office and after Blake leaves, vows how she hates the man. Ahhhh, there is a fine line between love and hate.
The episode sets up nicely the tension within Alexis and whether she is a feminist icon - an embodiment of female power. You have Alexis enter the Denver Carrington Boardroom full of old white men and pretty much have them do her bidding. At the same time, the motive for Alexis is not business related but personal - she wants Blake back. Further, you have the hard working Blake who chastises his Board of Directors for abandoning him and the company that he built from the ground up. Meanwhile, you have Alexis, who inherited her company and just uses her power and wealth to manipulate others. One wonders how Colby Co functions (at this point because of two men - Jeff and Adam, and soon to be joined by a third - Steven).
Seductive Alexis only using her leverage to win Blake back.
And, who does Alexis blame? Men. There is the scene with Adam where Alexis learns that McVane is thwarting the merger. Alexis is tired of cold, unfeeling men running her life. Women are soft until men ruin them. There is one thing Alexis has learned from these men, “use or be used.” Is Alexis a feminist/self made woman or just a stereotype of female emotionality? She is being driven by emotion (love, hate, revenge) while Blake is being driven by a desire to retain what he has earned.
Through it all, Alexis is terribly entertaining so you cannot help but love her.
Other interesting storylines in the episode:
The tension between an unaccepting Blake and Steven continues and Krystle is caught in the middle.
Kirby feels like a third wheel to Jeff and Fallon even though Jeff is married to Kirby.
Adam, as always, acts like a real asshole.