dynasty Episode 183 - The Set-Up

We get a little more color on how Denver Carrington will be run.  The three children (since Amanda no longer exists) will form an executive committee at Denver Carrington.  In the case of a disagreement, two votes will be needed.  Steven will run the day to day operations of the company.  Fallon is cool with the situation but Adam, of course, is not.  Adam will not make things easy for Steven and pretty much stabs him in the back the first chance he gets.  Adam takes a call from the football coach that Skip has been arrested for selling drugs.  Adam promises to relay the message but does not and this causes Steven some embarrassment.

It also puts Blake in a bit of a hot seat as now mandatory drug testing has become an issue in the campaign.  Blake appears to be in favor of such testing since drug abuse is such a blight.  Remember, this is the time of Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign and the ramping up of the so-called "War on Drugs".  Another safe issue for the writers to explore.  Steven, on the other hand, is not in favor of mandatory drug testing as it is too much of a police state for him.  Blake respects Steven's position and realizes the two will just have to agree to disagree.  Adam's attempt to put a wedge between Blake and Steven has failed. 

Oh well, maybe Steven will sabotage things on his own as his heavy-handed management style seems to be isolating people.  Steven questions Josh as to whether there is a drug problem on the team.  Josh is not interested in this badgering.  Besides, he needs to find a new drug supplier.  Josh airs his grievances with Sammy Jo, but Sammy Jo seems to side with Steven and tells Josh, once again, that there cannot be anything romantic between the two of them.  Another meeting with Steven ends with Josh quitting the team.  Oh, if it was only so easy.  Steven suspects there is something up with Josh.  Pretty perceptive, Steven.

Steven also is pissing off Dex.  Dex is six weeks behind on construction of the pipeline because Colby Co has yet to approve of an easement to allow for construction.  Alexis has no intention of helping Dex get that easement - that is Sean's project.  Steven does not care.  If Dex needs to get the easement, then he better get it and have the pipeline completed on time.  Steven is probably right about it and he does not seem to be too unreasonable, but Dex swears he is and tries to give Steven a lesson in people management skills.  It might be helpful not to scream and yell when you tell another how to handle people.  But, that is just me.

Fallon seems a little upset that she and Jeff cannot seem to get back on track.  Krystle encourages Fallon (who is holding her old doll that was in the attic, but was the same doll that Sarah had given Krystina last season because it was her daughter's favorite) to go see Jeff.  That was not the best idea since Fallon runs into Leslie at Blake's campaign headquarters and tells her that she is aware that it was her voice on the phone.  Jeff tries to explain himself but then admits to sleeping with Leslie.  Fallon cannot forgive that for the time being and the two agree to separate rooms.  If Leslie believes this is her chance to get with Jeff, she is sadly mistaken.  To Jeff, they had nothing more than an one-night stand.  At least Leslie had the good sense to move into the Carlton since it would be awkward (and interesting) to have all three living in the mansion.

The happy newlyweds of Alexis and Sean each have schemes of their own to concoct.  Too bad they don't do these as husband and wife, it would strengthen the marital bond.  Alexis is still determined to sabotage that paragon of virtue, Blake.  Alexis has just been served with a deposition for that madame in Colorado Spring, Cora Van Husen.  How could such a paragon be hanging out with hookers?  Well, Alexis will expose him.  Of course, this is ridiculous because Alexis knows that Cora is the one who provided Blake with evidence that both Alexis and Ben perjured themselves with respect to the death of Blake's mother.  Why would Alexis want to open up that can of worms?

At least it allows us to have another scene inside the overly ornate whore house.  Cora agrees to meet with Alexis but will not help her out because she believes Blake to be a great man and that he would make a great governor.  Has Blake already locked up the whore vote?  Alexis thinks she has struck out but one of Cora's girls tells Alexis she has film of Blake's visit.  Seriously?!?  Now, Alexis just needs an opportunity to show the film.  What better time than at an Old English Fair that she will be throwing at the Carlton.  The Fair will raise money for Krystle's charity - some drug rehabilitation center.  What better way to ensure Blake and Krystle's attendance.  Alexis has set it up perfectly.  She gets Krystle to send her the campaign film regarding the drug rehabilitation center and will, more than likely, show the whore house footage instead.  I would say this is a great plan, but I really don't see the upside here.

Meanwhile, Sean is spending his time finding ways for the Carringtons to destroy themselves.  Maybe he should take a break and give Dex that easement.  Anyway, Sean learns from Alexis that Dana had a botched abortion at the age of 15 and that is why she cannot conceive.  How did Alexis learn that?  Well, Dana was stupid enough to tell her.  Dana really thought Alexis would keep that secret to herself.  She tells Sean and she tells Blake.  Of course, Alexis does all this because she wants to protect the family from that gold digger.  Usually, you should handle these things before the marriage.

Well, if Alexis would spend her days in the microfiche room of her newspaper like Sean does, maybe she could learn the whole story.  Somehow, Sean is able to pull up a newspaper article of an Anna Gregory being named homecoming queen and in the accompanying picture there is Anna with Dana (since you would never use the picture of the homecoming queen with homecoming king).  Sean tracks down this Anna Gregory in Billings and, for $10,000, is able to extract information about Dana's botched abortion.  Sean is more than happy to let Dana know that he knows the complete story and that, for now, Dana needs to trust him.  

What is the whole story.  Well, it seems that a 15 year old Dana was able to get the boy she obsessed about to have sex with her.  Too bad, that boy was too drugged/drunk to remember what happened, so she decided to abort the child.  Oh yeah, that boy is none other than Adam Carrington.  So, Dana refused to trap the object of her obsession back in Billings with a baby but followed him to Denver years later to do so, only to be unable to give him a child because she aborted his first one.  Great plan, Dana!

Memorable Dialogue

Alexis [to Blake]:  Governor?  You can't even run your own family, let alone Colorado.

Cora [to Alexis]:  Now, as one business woman to another, time is money.

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Next Episode - The Fair