The second season of ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'' originally aired in the United States on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

from November 11, 1981 through May 5, 1982. The series, created by

Richard and Esther Shapiro Richard Allen Shapiro (born June 27, 1934) and Esther June Shapiro (née Mayesh; born June 6, 1928) are an American married couple who work as television screenwriters and producers, through their Shapiro Film Corporation. They are best known as ...

and produced by

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...

, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Season two stars

John Forsythe John Forsythe (January 29, 1918 – April 1, 2010) was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety s ...

as millionaire oil magnate

Blake Carrington Blake Alexander Carrington is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The role of Blake was originally portrayed by actor John Forsythe from 1981 to 1989. Forsythe returned for the min ...

;

Linda Evans Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tel ...

as his wife Krystle;

Pamela Sue Martin Pamela Sue Martin (born January 5, 1953) is an American actress, who is best known for starring as Nancy Drew on the television series ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' and as socialite Fallon Carrington Colby on the ABC soap opera ''Dynas ...

as Blake and Alexis's headstrong daughter Fallon;

Al Corley Alford Corley (born May 22, 1956) is an American actor, singer and producer. Corley is best known as the first actor to play Steven Carrington in the 1980s soap opera ''Dynasty'' and for his 1984 hit single " Square Rooms". Career In the late 19 ...

as Blake and Alexis's earnest son

Steven Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

; John James as Fallon's ex-husband

Jeff Colby Jeffrey Broderick "Jeff" Colby is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by John James, Jeff Colby was introduced in the show's first episode in 1981 and appeared as a ...

;

Lloyd Bochner Lloyd Wolfe Bochner (July 29, 1924 – October 29, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He appeared in many Canadian and Hollywood productions between the 1950s and 1990s, including the films ''Point Blank'' (1967), '' The Detective'' (1968), '' The ...

as Jeff's uncle,

Cecil Colby ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fam ...

;

Pamela Bellwood Pamela Bellwood (born Pamela King) is an American actress known for her role as Claudia Blaisdel Carrington Claudia Blaisdel Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro ...

Claudia Blaisdel Claudia Blaisdel Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Originated by Pamela Bellwood in the series' 1981 pilot episode, "Oil", Claudia is initially the estranged ...

, the widow of Krystle's former lover;

Heather Locklear Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress famous for her role as Amanda Woodward on ''Melrose Place'' (1993–1999), for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television ...

as Krystle's troublemaking niece Sammy Jo;

Lee Bergere Lee Bergere (born Solomon Bergelson; April 10, 1918 – January 31, 2007) was an American actor, known for his role as Joseph Anders in the 1980s television series ''Dynasty''. Stage Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bergere began his career in ...

as Carrington

majordomo A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large ...

Joseph Anders Joseph Anders is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Lee Bergere, the character is introduced in the series' 1981 pilot episode as the majordomo of Denver oil tycoo ...

; and

James Farentino James Farentino (February 24, 1938 – January 24, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in nearly 100 television, film, and stage roles, among them '' The Final Countdown'', ''Jesus of Nazareth'', and ''Dynasty''. Career Born in Brooklyn, Ne ...

as psychologist Dr. Nicholas Toscanni. The season also introduced

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...

Alexis Carrington Alexis Carrington Colby (; formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''Dynasty''. She is the ex-wife of Blake Carrington ( John Forsythe) whose schemes cause one problem after another for him and their children ...

, Blake's ex-wife and the mother of Fallon and Steven.

Development

In the first episode of the second season, titled " Enter Alexis", the mysterious witness from the

season one Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguat ...

finale removes her sunglasses to reveal British actress Joan Collins as a new arrival to the series. Series creators Richard and Esther Shapiro conceived the character as Blake's ex-wife Madeline, who they intended to be played by

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

for four to six episodes. Writers

Eileen Eileen ( or ) is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín and may refer to: People Artists *Eileen Agar (1899–1991), British Surrealist painter and photographer *Eileen Fisher (born 1950), clothing retailer and designer *Eileen ...

and

Robert Mason Pollock Eileen "Mike" Prince Pollock (March 22, 1926 – December 5, 2012) and Robert "Bob" Mason Pollock (March 19, 1917 – July 11, 2016) were an American married couple who worked as television screenwriters and producers best known for their work o ...

, brought in for season two, renamed her Alexis, told Aaron Spelling that Loren was not right for the part, and warned him that "If you get rid of this character in four episodes, you are throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars." Collins said in 2018 that in addition to Loren, producers pursued

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and

Jessica Walter Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...

. According to Collins, "They were waiting for Jessica until the very last minute, so they didn't cast me until two weeks before we started shooting." Collins's Alexis Carrington blazed a trail across the show and its story lines. The additions of Collins and the Pollocks are generally credited with ''Dynasty''s subsequent rise in the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

. Esther Shapiro said the season one DVD commentary, "When Alexis came into it, it changed the tenor...And that's the way they are now on television: you have your traditional villain, and I think that plays to a different denominator." The Pollocks "soft-pedaled the business angle" of the show and "bombarded viewers with every soap opera staple in the book, presented at such a fast clip that a new tragedy seemed to befall the Carrington family every five minutes." The second season was ranked #19 in the United States. Corley left ''Dynasty'' at the end of the second season in 1982, after complaining publicly in ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

'' that "Steven doesn't have any fun... He doesn't laugh; he has no humor". Corley also lamented Steven's "ever-shifting sexual preferences", and stated that he wanted "to do other things".

Plot

The surprise witness at Blake's murder trial is his ex-wife Alexis, Fallon and Steven's mother. Her testimony about his character is damaging, and while Fallon is icy to the mother she feels abandoned her, Steven is drawn to Alexis. The former Mrs. Carrington's testimony notwithstanding, Krystle is immediately put off by Alexis's condescending attitude and manipulations. Later, Krystle's discovery that Alexis had caused her miscarriage by intentionally startling her horse with a gunshot settles Alexis as Krystle's implacable nemesis. Other new characters of the season are the psychiatrist Nick Toscanni, who tries to seduce Krystle while bedding Fallon and plotting against Blake; and Krystle's greedy niece Sammy Jo Dean (

), who marries Steven for his money. The season finale sees Blake left for dead on a mountain after a fight with Nick.

Cast

Main

Krystle Carrington Krystle Carrington (maiden name Grant; formerly Jennings) is a fictional character from the 1980s American TV series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Linda Evans, the character was introduced in the 1981 pilot ep ...

Fallon Carrington Fallon Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off ''The Colbys''. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro, the role of Fallon was originated by Pamela Sue Martin in the show's first episode in 1 ...

Steven Carrington Steven Daniel Carrington is a fictional character on the American prime time soap opera ''Dynasty''. Steven is noteworthy as one of the earliest gay main characters on American television. Despite identifying as homosexual, Steven has relationship ...

* John James as

Sammy Jo Carrington Sammy Jo Carrington (born Samantha Josephine Dean; formerly Fallmont) is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The niece of central protagonist Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans), Sammy ...

as Dr. Nick Toscanni

Recurring

Peter Mark Richman Peter Mark Richman (born Marvin Jack Richman; April 16, 1927 – January 14, 2021) was an American actor in films and on television, who was for many years credited as Mark Richman. He appeared in about 30 films and 130 television series from th ...

Andrew Laird ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...

Betty Harford Betty Harford (born January 28, 1927) is an American actress. She appeared in numerous classic television shows such as ''Gunsmoke'', ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'', '' The Paper Chase'' and ''Dynasty''. Career Harford appeared in numerous Joh ...

Hilda Gunnerson ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fam ...

* Virginia Hawkins as

Jeanette Robbins ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...

* Lance LeGault as Ray Bonning * Hank Brandt as Morgan Hess * Tim O'Connor as Thomas Crayford * Paul Keenan as Tony Driscoll

Notable guest stars

Lloyd Haynes Samuel Lloyd Haynes (September 19, 1934 – January 1, 1987) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the Emmy Award-winning series ''Room 222''. Biography A native of South Bend, Indiana, Haynes served in the U.S. Marines from ...

as Judge Horatio Quinlan *

Brian Dennehy Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...

Jake Dunham ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...

Diana Douglas Diana Love Webster (née Dill; formerly Douglas and Darrid; January 22, 1923 – July 3, 2015) was an American actress who was known for her marriage to actor Kirk Douglas from 1943 until their divorce in 1951. She was the mother of Michael and ...

as Mother Blaisdel *

John Saxon John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Western (genre), Westerns and horror film ...

Rashid Ahmed Rear-Admiral Rashid Ahmed (Urdu:رشيد احمد; b. 1918–2005), , was a two-star rank, two-star rank Two-star admiral, admiral in the Pakistan Navy, who is known for serving as Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Navy, Chief of Staff under Command ...

Viveca Lindfors Elsa Viveca Torstensdotter Lindfors (December 29, 1920 – October 25, 1995) was a Swedish stage, film, and television actress. She won an Emmy Award and a Silver Bear for Best Actress. Biography Lindfors was born in Uppsala, Sweden, the da ...

as Adriana *

Christine Belford Christine Belford (born Christine Riley) is an American television and film actress. She has sometimes been credited as Christina Belford. Early life Christine Riley was born in Amityville, Long Island, New York to Joseph J. Riley and Mary Be ...

as Susan Farragut ;Cast notes

Episodes

Reception

In season two, ''Dynasty'' was ranked #19 in the United States with a 20.2

Nielsen rating Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...

References

External links

* {{Dynasty 1981 American television seasons 1982 American television seasons Dynasty (1981 TV series) seasons