DVD Review: Dynasty - The Fourth Season, Volume One

1983 was not a year that Dynasty fans will look back at and say, “They had a gay old time.” It was the year that both Dallas and Dynasty felt the heat — literally. Just by coincidence, both series aired previous season cliffhangers that threatened some main characters with death by inferno. Southfork ranch was set on fire during a fist fight with half the characters trapped inside, and on Dynasty, Alexis (Joan Collins) and Krystle (Linda Evans) were last seen locked in Steven’s remote cabin after it too had been set ablaze. Krystle’s ex-husband Mark Jennings heroically comes crashing through the door, which had been locked from the outside, and rescues both damsels in distress.

In the weeks that followed, everyone in the cast is accused of trying to murder the two grande dames of the series. It is eventually discovered that master butler Joseph went crazy and set the fire in an attempt to kill Alexis. In his insane state of mind, he thought he could stop the Colbyco/Denver-Carrington merger by murdering her, which is revealed in a suicide note he left behind after shooting himself in front of Blake and Jeff.

We also find that Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin) is still obsessed with her suspicions that Adam poisoned and nearly killed Jeff last season. When Adam discovers that Fallon and Jeff have succeeded in getting positive proof against him in Montana, he tricks Alexis into signing some contracts. What she didn’t realize is that the second and third copies are falsified receipts for mercuric oxide, the toxin Adam unsuccessfully used on Jeff. When Blake confronts his ex-wife with the false proof that she tried to murder Jeff, he doesn’t believe her denial. Without enough time to prove her innocence, she reluctantly drops her attempt to force Blake to merge Denver/Carrington with Colbyco.

Meanwhile in true soap opera form, the power struggle between Adam (Gordon Thomson) and Jeff (John James) for influential control of Colbyco while Alexis convalesces continues. When Alexis solidly puts Jeff in charge and Adam in his place, Adam leaves in a huff to go and work for his father at Denver-Carrington. A few weeks later, and much to Adam’s chagrin, Jeff forces Alexis to trade his stock in Colbyco for hers in Denver/Carrington and becomes a 47% owner and member of Blake’s board of directors… becoming Adam’s boss once again.

Article Author: Jet Gardner

Jet likes to collect books, music, chess sets, and friends. Favorite quote: "Evil only succeeds when good men do nothing." In 2004 his "good life" came to an abrupt end with a robbery and near-fatal beating. …

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