dynasty episode 1 - oil

As the series begins, we meet Blake Carrington, the extremely wealthy C.E.O. and owner of 70% of the voting stock of Denver Carrington.  Blake is elated because he is about to marry the woman he loves, Krystle Jennings - a former secretary at Denver Carrington.  Krystle loves Blake a great deal but finds the transition to becoming a wealthy woman of the manor to be more than she bargained for.  At her wedding shower, Krystle's friends worry that they will never see her again, but Krystle assures them that she will have them over the Mansion all the time.  Spoiler alert - she won't. 

Though Blake is in love with Krystle, he is aware that Krystle has feelings for another man - Matthew Blaisdel, a geologist at Denver Carrington.  Blake has been fortunate since he had Matthew sent away for the past year and a half to some Arabian country.  With Matthew out of the picture, he was able to get Krystle for himself.  But, wouldn't you know it - there is some coup in this Arab country (which oddly looks like a Latin American coup) and Denver Carrington's oil field have been seized and the American employees sent back to the United States.  Blake is less than thrilled to have Matthew return to Denver before he is to seal the deal with Krystle. 

On his way back to Denver, Matthew happens to be on the same plane as Steven Carrington, Blake's son who has been finding himself in New York for the last two years.  On the plane, Steven found himself by becoming excessively drunk.  Steven is upset that his father only sent him an invitation to his wedding and did not have the decency to call his own son.  Steven becomes rowdier which Matthew takes care of with a punch in the gut.  Once the plane lands, Steven miraculously sobers up and believes the Carrington limousine is for him - but it is actually for Matthew.  Steven can take a cab. 

Blakes summons Matthew back to Denver Carrington for a de-briefing, or is it a way for he and Krystle to meet and for Blake to gauge how the two feel for one another.  Krystle sure feels it is a set up.  After leaving Denver Carrington, Krystle returns home and is too upset to worry about wedding preparations, which is fine because the man in charge is a jerk who thinks himself better than Krystle.  Fortunately, Steven, who took a cab home, put this man in his place.  Blake arrives home to see that Krystle called a cab.  She needs some time, but won't take the car because that, like everything else, is owned by Denver Carrington.  (Note - it does not stop Krystle from taking the fur.) 

Blake half-heartedly chases after Krystle - but he has additional problems, Steven, and his daughter, Fallon Carrington.  While Steven was finding himself in New York, Fallon was finding herself with some soccer player in Greece, and now with Blake's chauffeur, Michael Culane.  Blake wishes Fallon will settle down and wants her to escort Jeff Colby, nephew of Blake's rival Cecil Colby, to Blake's wedding.  Fallon feels this is nothing more than a merger because Colby Co is far larger than Denver Carrington.  Blake sees nothing wrong with the arrangement.  Besides, Steven does not look like to be a suitable heir to the Carrington fortune.

Krystle decides to clear her head by meeting up Matthew at some secluded place among the mountains.  I guess a bar or restaurant was out of the way.  Krystle asks Matthew if he still has feelings for her - and he lies by telling her no.  Oh, by the way, Matthew has a wife and child.  That does tend to complicate things.  Allowing Krystle to be with Blake, Matthew is determined to get his life back together.  Matthew picks up his daughter Lindsay, and they go to meet his wife, Claudia, at the sanitarium.  Apparently, Claudia is doing better, because the sanitarium let her go out-patient, and not tell anyone.  Matthew finds her working as a waitress, and convinces her to return home. 

Matthew still needs to work though, and he enjoys his steady job at Denver Carrington.  That does not stop an old associate of Matthew, Walter, a wildcatter, from trying to convince Matthew to get into a deal with him.  Matthew wants to know why, or basically who is it that Walter owes money to.  Guess who it is - Blake Carrington.  Matthew actually agrees to help Walter out for 50% of the action.  Walter, that old coot, is grateful.  He is grateful, that is until he learns that someone sabotaged his oil well.  Who does Walter blame?  Blake Carrington of course.  And, Walter is going to handle this the best way he knows - with a gun.  (More on that later because I jumped too far ahead.)

Fallon is actually glad that Krystle is gone - she didn't like her anyway.  Steven wishes Fallon would give her more of a chance.  Actually, Steven wishes his father would actually speak to him.  You can't expect everything Steven.  Meanwhile, Blake tries to woo Krystle back by buying out a florist shop and promising her a cheap dinner (to prove money isn't everything).  Krystle wants Chinese.  So, Blake wastes Denver Carrington's plane flying her to a restaurant in Chinatown in San Francisco- but at least the dinner is under $20.  The ploy works as Krystle is prepared to marry Blake, and is even willing to sign a pre-nup.

Just before his wedding, Blake is finally ready to talk to Steven.  Blake feels that Steven has been living too long off the Denver Carrington teet, and wants him to use his worthless college degree to work at Denver Carrington.  Steven takes some holier than thou attitude about working for some oil company that gauges consumers in the United States and ruining the country.  Blake defends that the allegations are not true and that he does need any morality lesson from a homosexual.  Steven asks his father how he knew, and Blake claims he just found out.  Blake tries a softer approach and promises Steven he will help him pray the gay away.  Steven does not want to do that.  Blake tells his son that he finds it a shame that the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental illness or else he would have set up an endowment in Steven's honor for the study of faggotry.  Blake has no more time for this, he needs to get married.

Obviously, the wedding ceremony is beautiful and actually goes off without a hitch - well, that is until the reception.  During the receiving line, we learn that Fallon is rather friendly with her father's football team.  Fallon finally meets Jeff, who is pretty much a dork.  Fallon is not interested in him at all, but is more intrigued by Jeff's uncle, Cecil Colby.  Cecil, likewise, is fascinated with Fallon, and so much so that he is willing to leave the wedding with her.  Meanwhile, Jeff engages in some conversation with Steven, who pretty much is depressed during this wedding, where Steven, being over-protection, pretty much tells Jeff that he is crazy if he thinks he is going to marry Fallon.  There is also some banter on Oscar Wilde, homosexuality, and late 70s, early 80s politics.   

Claudia is trying to keep it together back at home.  She is hoping to have a physical relationship again with Matthew.  Matthew does offer her some sympathy sex, but Claudia won't go for that.  Meanwhile, Lindsay is being the normal teenager and pretty much walks on egg shells around her mother, with her annoying habit of calling her ma'am.  I think that would drive me crazy too.  At least Claudia has the clarity to ignore some individuals who came to her door teaching about the good book.  Heck, she has already been through hell. 

Just as Blake and Krystle are about to leave and followed by the wedding guests, Walter makes through the gates and meets him.  Walter claims he has business with Blake.  Blake's body guards have no time for this and they let the dobermans loose on Walter - to the horror of Krystle and the guests.  After getting the dogs off, Walter is taken into the garage where he is to be roughed up a bit before Blake is ready to talk business.  Steven contacts Matthew and lets him know he should come get Walter.  Matthew does make it in  time to stop the beating Walter is receiving.  Blake enters and is willing, in his kindness, to up the price on the leases that Walter owns.  Walter is willing to see but Matthew stops him and quits Denver Carrington.   Just then, Krystle appears and Matthew wishes her a happy life.  Blake assures Matthew that he will provide it for her.

Memorable Dialogue 

Fallon:  You're not talking about a marriage, you're talking about a merger.
Blake:  And if I am what is the devil wrong with that. 

Blake:  I'm going to get this family shaped up by the day I get married.
Joseph:  Yes, sir.  Irish whiskey, then. 
Blake:  Make it three, one for each headache.

Fallon:  Well, you're lucky.  He'd sell me into the harem of a shiek for three barrels of crude and a box of cigars.  And I thought we were raised to believe blood is thicker than money. 

Steven:  That's being tough on Krystle.  She's got some nice qualities.
Fallon:  So does a cocker spaniel.  But, I wouldn't want my father to marry one. 

Blake (to Krystle):  Do I really have to be poor to turn you on. 

Blake (to Steven):  With hands as soft as a baby's bottom, talking about building windmills and converting corn flakes into gasohol. 

Blake (to Steven):  Well, how the hell can anyone respect the opinion of a man who would put his hands on another man. 

Blake:  It's too bad, I could have endowed a foundation - the Steven Carrington Institute for the Treatment and Study of Faggotry. . . Now, if you excuse me, I got to get married. 

Matthew:  I'll tell you what, you move over and we'll lock the door.
Claudia:  Dammit, Matthew, I'm not a charity case. 

Christian people:  How do you know won't be going to hell?
Claudia:  Because I've already been there. 

Next Episode - The Honeymoon