The CW’sDynastyreboot follows the ever-growing Carrington family, led by Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies) and Blake (Grant Show), as the misadventures of their lives and wealth continue to be a vast source of content — some of which is undeniably enjoyable, but some of which repeatedly falls flat. As the series progresses, it’s becoming very clear for which characters the well of entertainment has run dry and those who still have much more potential.
We’ve ranked the members of the Carrington family — or, at least, Alexis (Elaine Hendrix), Blake, and their immediate family, as branching out becomes too complex — by who is still holding our attention as we approach the midway point of Season 5.
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Overall, Adam Carrington (Sam Underwood) has turned out to be a bust. At first, he brought a fantastic amount of excitement to the show, as his first unexpected actions — for example, getting Steven (James Mackay) locked in a hospital for the mentally ill and pushing his mother Alexis (played byNicollette Sheridanat the time) face-first into a fireplace — left viewers unsure of what his introduction would bring to the series in the future. However, Adam’s journey has left little to be desired now. He’s just as unhinged as he once was, as he framed his mother for murder at the end of Season 4, but it’s just tired at this point. Adam has shown little growth, and he’s the exact opposite of Fallon, Steven, and now Amanda (Eliza Bennett), where his interest is like Blake’s and continuously falls to money and/or power. At this point in the show, the most exciting part of Adam’s presence is his rivalry with Amanda, who has a much better sense of who Adam is than anyone else in the family ever has. In short, having an unstable Blake Carrington mini-me who will do absolutely anything for his father’s love and praise is not much fun.
Blake, like Adam, is a tired character. Every single story with Blake feels like something that has been done before — if not just once, then about 50 times. His stories are quite repetitive, and his relationships with his children are rather boring now. Blake’s complete failure with every business venture he takes on has proven Blake has absolutely no idea what he’s doing, and it has made it impossible for his children to come to him for advice anymore (at least not often). Blake’s motivations need to change, and he needs to become a more attentive spouse and father. But, seeing as his wife Cristal (Daniella Alonso) was replaced by doppelganger Rita (also Alonso) for multiple episodes, he hardly noticed a difference, and his inability to tell that Rita was an imposter was immediately glossed over and forgiven, it’s hard to imagine that ever happening. The potential for Blake’s future is rather bleak, as he’s had little development over the course of the series and not many promising elements for his future. The only reason he’s ranked higher than Adam on this list is that Blake is not unbearable to watch… most of the time.
Steven, otherwise known as the sibling everyone has forgotten about, has been off of the show since Season 2, Episode 14, where Adam tricked him and, essentially, took his place in the Carrington family. Steven still has a lot of potential, even though the series has tried to make us forget about him. His relationship with former husband Sam (Rafael de la Fuente) ended so abruptly, it felt as though the two had just really gotten together and gotten to know each other when the divorce papers went through. Steven and Fallon’s relationship remains one of the highlights of the series, as the only two people to understand what it was truly like to be raised by Blake and Alexis. Blake and Alexis have had fresh starts with Adam and Amanda, and the series has forgotten how much they still need to make things right by Fallon and Steven. Steven’s extreme distaste for the Carrington lifestyle helped separate him from the crowd, putting his family in tense situations between doing what is right and what is easy. Since his exit, there hasn’t really been anyone to fill that void. It’s beyond time for Steven to return, though it’s sad that he’d return to a family that didn’t even care to question where he was and why they haven’t heard from him in three years.
4. Cristal
Cristal Carrington, Blake’s third wife, is someone with a lot of potential. As a character, she’s often a delight. She has a sense of compassion and is far more grounded than anyone else in her life, so she is often the conscience of the bunch and the one giving advice. As a character, it’s a breath of fresh air to see Cristal on-screen. However, many of the stories that the writers have tackled with this character haven’t really landed, or they’ve been all about Blake, leaving Cristal on the outside of her own life. The Rita storyline in early Season 5 is one of the first times thatthisCristal has been tested in an interesting and enjoyable way. Alonso has proven she’s capable of taking on much more than the series has previously given to her. It’s time for Cristal to get a chance to be in the spotlight with Blake at her side, rather than the other way around. Her war with Alexis is one of the most fun aspects of both characters, and it would be exquisite to see that further delved into and some development for both of these ladies. And, with Cristal officially taking over her father’s company and merging with Blake’s new aviation company, there’s a chance to really show Cristal come into her own, step up as a badass CEO, and finally be more than Blake Carrington’s wife.
As the newest introduction to the Carrington family, Amanda has had a steep learning curve, but we’ve really learned a lot about her as she’s worked her way into the family. Her dislike of Adam has been most of her most enjoyable qualities, and it’s been fun to watch them spar. Amanda sees Adam for who he really is, while the other members of the family are either blind to it or, as in Fallon’s case, don’t pay enough attention to care. Amanda has also brought out another side to Alexis, and this fresh start for Alexis has really taken a weight off of her shoulders to give love and attention to a daughter that doesn’t have such a terrible view of her (and rightfully so, as Alexis has even admitted). There’s so much potential for Amanda because we’re just getting to know her, and all of her relationships are new and fun right now, especially this potentially blossoming romance with Kirby (Maddison Brown). The writers are doing all the right things with Amanda (except not letting her interact with Fallon more), and her future is rather bright.
Where to start with Alexis, the most devious of them all… Alexis has had a rough journey onDynasty. Her arrival marked rock bottom for her, as she hired a man to pretend to be her and Blake’s kidnapped son to get rich again. Adam’s reappearance marked another, as she was forced to rebuild her face with plastic surgery. Then, she returned again to testify against Blake in his murder trial… only to be outed as a liar and a fraud. There’s little Alexis won’t do to get out on top, which makes her so interesting and wondrous to watch. Alexis has the potential to do almost anything, and every move she makes is extremely unpredictable. It’s clear the writers have a lot of fun with Alexis, which easily translates on-screen. And, in addition to sticking by his mischievous ways, Alexis has also experienced quite a bit of development since Hendrix took over the role. She’s started to repair her relationship with Fallon, worked to prove herself to Amanda, and has even found love with an age-appropriate man. There’s so much left to work with. Maybe it’s time for Alexis to take over as the series’ co-lead, giving Blake a break?
Of course, Fallon has to get the top position on this list. As the main character of the show, Fallon never has an opportunity to be boring, not that her personality would ever let that happen. Even the stories that aren’t quite as successful are still enjoyable because of Gillies’ expert grasp of who Fallon is and the ability to make comedic moments out of Fallon’s shortcomings. Her relationship with Liam (Adam Huber) is delightful, and watching the two move forward together gives both characters a chance to grow. Obviously, there are things the writers need towork on with Fallon and her marriage, but either way, there’s never a dull moment. Fallon has her father’s (former) charm and her mother’s penchant for chaos, making her ventures in life thrilling and undeniably amusing. It would be nice for the series to put in a bit more work with Fallon’s relationships outside of Liam, but it’s not necessarily required to continue telling great stories.
