One thing about this season, you never know who's gonna be in the next episode. A considerable chunk of the lot from last week aren't in this one. Pamela Bellwood (Claudia) said farewell, it seems, and Heather Locklear (Sammy Jo) got the whole week off, sorely missed. At least we were spared that boring contrived unnecessary story-line with Diahann Carol and Ken Howard that's been like a little flim-flam outhouse slapped onto the mansion. Emma Samns is back, returning as Fallon, but I am gonna complain endlessly about her not being able to pull it off as Pamela Sue Martin's replacement. Anytime Emma could have been on the show, do not get me wrong, but not as Fallon, definitely not as once- fiery Fallon. In my opinion, DYNASTY suffers for having tamed Fallon back in Season 1 during the trial of Blake when she suddenly became more reserved. The golden days were when Fallon rode her horse and climbed down Krystle's throat and had the biggest Electra complex on TV. But okay, in real life, Pamela Sue Martin became a mother, and were more laid back in the way she portrayed Fallon, so that perhaps serves to explain, and is not the scriptwriters' fault. But when Pamela quit the scene, Fallon should have been written out of the story, full stop. The series already had that Stephen Carrington switcheroo trying our patience and then they had the audacity to do it to us poor, poor viewers again!
In short, the medicine this show needed, at the time of Emma Samms' showing up, was Pamela Sue Martin. Even if only for a dramatic short story arc. Just to give closure. Emma Samms could have been written in as a child Blake did not know about. Hell, that's par for the course.
The whole DYNASTY/THE COLBYS thing is very confusing, you need to see both to really fathom what's going on. But half the cast of THE COLBYS appear in this episode.
Gerard, Jeanette and Mrs. Gunnerson are the only remnants from the first season besides Blake and Krystle. Just like Miss Moneypenny from 007, the one enduring part.
***spoiler alert*** And be prepared to say goodbye to Catherine Oxenberg (Amanda) soon! This is her last season, as she insisted on a bigger payout, which she didn't get.
Of course, Joan and John and Linda will stay till (literally) doomsday.
