We learned last year that the American channel the CW offered the reboot of the famous series of the 80s with 9 seasons, Dynasty. This reboot, broadcast on the channel since October 2017, and also available on Netflix, was designed by Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage (both writers/producers of Gossip Girl and Newport Beach) and Sallie Patrick (writer/producer of Revenge and Limitless among others).
Synopsis
The wealthy Carrington family rules the city of Atlanta (United States) through its multibillionaire company Carrington Atlantic. But despite champagne, caviar and an attractive appearance, the dynasty actually indulges in lying, manipulation and blackmail. Conflicts within the prestigious mansion or with various rival figures (including the Colby family) as well as power struggles to run the company give rise to many dramatic events. Not to mention the many love stories…
A plot that works despite its lack of originality
The stories of rich families and large companies are not lacking in the world of cinema and series. Dynasty does not escape the luxurious setting of rich American families that we already know from the previous series of the three producers, such as Revenge or Gossip Girl.
The common thread is also predictable and remains the same throughout the season (and certainly during the one (s) to follow): who will return the fortune and the family business?
Nevertheless, the writers managed to re-inscribe this series dating from the 80s in a modern environment. The sets of the many exclusive events, the eccentricity of the many adventures and the performances of the actors distance us from the first episodes of this lack of singularity. From romantic stories to action scenes, the series quickly becomes catchy for fans of Devious maids drama series and we gladly get caught up in the game, despite some endings sometimes a little far-fetched.
Clichéd characters, yet endearing
The central character of the series is Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies). Fallon expects to soon get the CEO seat of the family company where his father, Blake Carrington (Grant Show) currently sits. Of course, he does not see things the same way. Around these two protagonists evolve other characters like Fallon's brother, Steven (James Mackay). Steven, the opposite of his sister, plays the role of the selfless child wishing for the common good and not getting involved in the family's shenanigans. Finally, of course, we do not escape the roles of the greedy stepmother (from Fallon's point of view), Cristal (Nathalie Kelley), and the faithful butler, Anders (Alan Dale).
Elizabeth Gillies perfectly plays the role of Fallon, a stereotype of the spoiled little rich girl who is denied nothing and who meddles in everything. As for Grant Show, the role of the tough and manipulative father fits him like a glove. We will gradually discover the intentions of Cristal who, in the end, will prove to be a relatively interesting character.
The characters are generally not very deep, remain predictable and very cliché. Despite this, most actors have been able to seize their role, making their character funny, endearing or, on the contrary, hateful. In the end, we find ourselves adoring superficial characters that we hated at first and vice versa.
An explosive finale
The scenario is reinforced as the episodes go on and makes the series more and more interesting, until we almost become addicted to the end. The decrescendo ratings during the broadcast on the American channel The CW (the first episode will have attracted 1.259 million viewers against 0.557 million for the last) show that many viewers, mostly curious to see the reboot of the series of the 80s, drop out quite quickly. A piece of advice; Hold on! The last episode, colorful, definitely marks the best moment of the season and the final plots are worth staying until the end. In these conditions, we can only wonder when will arrive season 2 whose production was confirmed on April 2, hoping that it will keep viewers in suspense from beginning to end.
Dynasty is therefore a series that will make dependent those who love "gossip" drama series, but also a good entertainment for those who are simply fed up with the police and science fiction. The script, sometimes a little weak, is skillfully compensated by a quality cast as well as parallel plots.
