Dynasty - Season 5, Episode 12

This is going to be awkward when Emma Samms gets cast

"That Holiday Spirit"
Original airdate: 12/19/1984

Episode summary: Blake buys back Allegre from Rock Hudson, with whom Krystle has a past connection. Alexis and Dex tie the knot while Amanda pouts. Claudia confesses her infidelity to Steven.

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Recap: Alexis, Dex, and Amanda arrive at a luxury hotel in London and are escorted up to the super swanky Chelsea Suite, which Alexis gushes is her favorite hotel suite in the entire world. She suggests to Amanda that she take a nap before dinner...and once she's out of earshot, Dex asks Alexis..
1) why she was so anxious to get Amanda out of Denver, and
2) why she so abruptly changed her mind about marrying him.

Alexis retorts that..
1) she's competing with Blake for Amanda's affection and figured that dragging her around the UK indefinitely would somehow preclude Blake and Amanda from ever communicating long enough to discover that they're really father and daughter, and
2) she finally decided 'why not buy the cow even when I'm getting the milk for free?'

She asks Dex if he loves her, and he breathily replies, "Yesssss" and coos about how [despite doinking her daughter in the previous episode] he wants to marry her more than ever.

Blake and Krystle are watching a horse race on TV and cheering on Allegre. When the commentator mentions that Allegre is about to be auctioned, Krystle scrunches her face pensively and wonders aloud why anyone would want to sell the gorgeous beast. Blake says he'd be more than happy to seeing about buying it back for her 'cause she's long overdue for an extravagant gift now that she's given birth to their spawn...and assures her that Denver-Carrington is enough in the black that he can afford to re-purchase the prize-winning horse. 

The camera pans over to the Delta Rho stables, where a Frenchman named La Salle tells Allegre's owner - Rock Hudson (!) - he's interested in buying the horse. Rock Hudson's assistant Charles pulls him aside and tells him that word on the street is that Blake Carrington is also interested in Allegre and will pay anything to buy it back for his trophy wife...then tells him the story about how Krystle sold Allegre to free up some much needed funds after Blake lost millions following the South China Sea debacle. 

Over drinks in New York, Nicole tells Jeff she's skeptical about Fallon being alive, but Jeff disagrees and thinks maybe she's been wandering the streets somewhere, suffering from amnesia. Nicole urges him to stop living in the past and join her on her Indiana Jones and the Solid Gold Bolivian Statue adventure, but Jeff says he's not interested 'cause he's already rich...but then offers to help her find the other half of the treasure map - which apparently Peter was toting around at the time of his death - on the off-chance it leads him to Fallon.  

"I want to scour the U.S. for the missing half of the treasure map, then scour the Bolivian countryside for the gold statue."

"And I don't want to do that at all."

Over at the hospital, the nurse tells Krystle and Blake that Kristina's progress is nothing short of miraculous...and the two head over to the NICU window to gaze at their spawn and gush about her strength and character. Rock Hudson and Charles drop by the hospital for some contrived, unexplained reason...and when Rock Hudson spots Krystle and Blake on their way out, he quietly exclaims, "That woman. No! It couldn't possibly be...?" Yes, Rock. Looks like it be.

Blake is finally able to reach Amanda by phone in the Chelsea Suite, and asks her if she wouldn't mind returning to Denver asap so she can take a blood test and let the doctors either include or eliminate him from the pool of men who could have doinked Alexis roughly nine months before she was born. She agrees and gabbles about how happy it'd make her if they turned out to be father-daughter. As a miffed looking Alexis eavesdrops from the next room, Amanda tells Blake she'll fly back to Denver right after the wedding...and when Blake is all, "Wuh? Wedding?", Amanda explains that Alexis is planning to tie the knot with her pet boyfriend, Dex.

Moments before the horse auction gets underway, Rock Hudson sees Blake and Krystle arrive, stares contemplatively into space for a few seconds, then orders Charles to pull Allegre out of the auction. Despite Charles' protests, an announcement is made over the PA system that Allegre is no longer up for auction.

Rock Hudson requests a one-on-one meeting with Blake, and tells him he wants to sell the horse directly to him in order as a reward for Krystle's act of loyalty in selling Allegre when money was tight. Blake scrunches his wrinkly face in puzzlement as he questions Rock's motives...then returns to the limo and tells Krystle he just got a business proposition he needs to wrap his brain around.

Alexis announces to Amanda that after a brief honeymoon, she wants the three of them to enjoy a looooong Caribbean cruise, far away from Denver. When Amanda objects to third-wheeling it with her mother and [sexy] new stepdad, Alexis rebrands the vacay as a family holiday, and urges her to invite some friends...or a beau perhaps. Amanda stares into space and poutishly says she has no friends or beau, so Alexis tells her it would mean a lot to her if she tagged along anyway...and Amanda reluctantly agrees.  

"It would be super fun if you accompanied Dex and I on our extended honeymoon celebration."

"Sounds like a good reason for me to look even poutier than usual."

Amanda asks Dex if he’s actually going to go through with the wedding despite last episode's doink, and he says it was a regrettable lapse in judgment, and that he has no intention of ruining the only relationship that, for some God-only-knows-why reason, really matters to him. When Amanda poutishly chides him for forgetting about her and her feelings, he assures her he won't forget her...and Amanda perks up at that and asks if he cares for her. He's like, "Um, I dunno...I guess, sorta", though not enough to put a stop to the wedding. Amanda slaps him hard across the face, yells, "I hate you! I loathe you!", and storms out of the room.

Wedding day! Inside a ginormous, empty cathedral, the vicar is performing a lackluster looking ceremony to bind Alexis and Dex in matrimony. When he gets to the part where he asks if "anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony", Amanda glares forlornly at Dex, but remains mute.

Steven asks Claudia why she seems so restless, so she confesses to hitting the sheets with Dean Caldwell while he and Luke were flirting it up in Santa Barbara. She says she only did it 'cause she's been so desperately lonely, then promises it'll never happen again. Steven does his best to emote disapproval and asks her if he's not man enough for her...and when she tries to cuddle him and assure him he's plenty man enough for this wife-beard, he shoves her away and storms out of the room.  

Blake takes Krystle to the Delta Rho stables, where Allegre is led out with a big red bow around her neck. When he tenderly says, "Merry Christmas, darling", Krystle lets out a happy squeal and leap-hugs him.
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Rock Hudson tells Charles he's cancelling his plans to spend Christmas in Monte Carlo so he can hang around Denver and get the ball rolling on his (sadly) short-lived Dynasty stint. When Charles scrunches his face confusedly about why he'd want to pass up the opportunity to vacation in Monte Carlo, Rock offers up a nonsensically incoherent explanation.

While Alexis and Dex are away on their two day honeymoon, Amanda meets up with her Aunt Rosalind and complains that Alexis hid her passport so she couldn't fly back to the States unattended. She then implores Rosalind to reveal who she thinks might have knocked up Alexis around the time she was banished from Carrington manor.  

Blake and Krystle drop by the hospital to gaze lovingly at Kristina through the NICU's glass window.

When Alexis and Dex return from their honeymoon, Amanda puts her extra pouty face on and accuses Alexis of confiscating her passport. Alexis chuckles breezily and says she merely had it put in the hotel's safety deposit box, then gives her the key and bitchily tells her she's old enough to go down to the lobby and fetch it herself. Amanda smugly informs her she's flying back to Denver to give Blake the good news about her paternity - courtesy of Rosalind, who could no longer hold herself back from spilling the beans. She poutishly warns Alexis to not retaliate against Rosalind (or else!), then flounces out of the room...leaving Alexis glaring angrily into space.

Dominique drops by Blake's office to thank him for inviting her to spent Christmas Eve at Carrington manor, then toots her own horn about what a great financial partner she's been to him, and how helpful she proved herself to be during the ill-fated-for-Ahmed Istanbul operation. She says she'd like him to publicly acknowledge her as his half-sister - but Blake's like, "Whoa, Nellie..." then tells her he tracked his father down to see if the [I'll assume] centenarian would confirm siring an illegitimate daughter. Blake reports that his father denied ever sleeping with her mother...and Dominique shrieks, "He's lying! I'll find a way to make you accept the truth!" before getting up and storming out of the room. 

"My father denies ever hitting the sheets with your mother."

"I expect you to overrule that assertion."

Claudia is reading Danny a Christmas story when Steven enters the room, scoops up his bowl-shaped hairdo kid and snaps at Claudia to get lost so he can be alone with his (meaning: not her) child. Ouch.

Amanda tells Blake what Rosalind told her: when Alexis arrived in Switzerland after being banished from Carrington manor, she confided in her that Blake, and not some random ski instructor, was her unborn baby's father. Blake and Amanda squeal happily and collapse against each other in a hug, and Amanda coos about how relieved she is that the writers have finally gotten around to establishing that he's her bio dad.

On Christmas Eve, a group of carolers make their way to the mansion to entertain the Carrington clan - a scene that goes on for what felt like a really loooooong time. When they finally wrap it up, Gerard hands the caroler-in-charge an envelop and gives them all the bum's rush out the door - just as Santa (!) appears on the top of the staircase. He scampers down the stairs, then leads Little Blake and Danny into the living room so everyone can sit around the tree and open their gifts. Krystle's gift to Blake is a large portrait of Fallon (the Pamela Sue Martin version) ... and Jeff stares at it sadly, while Little Blake mutters, "It's mommy. I love you mommy." A few seconds later, he and Danny are whisked off to bed by the nanny.

Steven pulls Claudia aside and apologizes for his bitchitude earlier, and Claudia just shrugs indifferently and says she's fully aware that she's not Danny's bio mom. 

Blake proposes a toast to the family's newest addition...prompting Dominique to grin in happy anticipation, then contort her face angrily when Blake formally welcomes his long lost spawn, Amanda, to the family. As everyone crowds around the two and gushes about the Carrington's newest member, Dominique can bear the snub no longer and storms out of the room. Adam discreetly remarks to Claudia that he doesn't trust Dominique and is pretty sure she wants something from Blake...and Claudia says she's so intrigued by this boring-as-fuck subplot that she'd like to help him uncover what the interloper is really up to.  

Blake presents Amanda with a bedazzled locket...and she looks touched and thanks him - just as Alexis (clad in a red gown with extraordinarily poofy sleeves) and Dex appear in the doorway. She orders Amanda to give mummy a kiss, then pack up her gifts and return with her and Dex to the penthouse. Amanda's all, "Noooo, mummy!" and explains that Blake has invited her to live at Carrington manor indefinitely, so Alexis haughtily pronounces she's cancelling that invitation. LOL. Blake reminds Alexis that Amanda is not a child and can make up her own mind about which parent she'd be most comfortable sponging off of, and Alexis snarks at him to shut it and once again orders Amanda to leave with them. When Amanda continues to refuse, Alexis orders Dex to order Amanda to leave with them...so Dex half-heartedly tells Amanda that both he and Alexis would be delighted if she were to return to the penthouse. Amanda visibly perks up at that, but just stares mutely at the two of them.

"I'm cancelling Christmas, so pack up your shit and come home with us this instant."

"I refuse to obey...unless Dex asks me sexily."

Krystle gets a package in the mail, which turns out to be a gold framed photo of her sister and Rock Hudson, who apparently was once her sister's boyfriend. Blake studies the frame and remarks on how expensive it is, then demands to know why a man other than himself would give her something so extravagant. Krystle tells him to shove his suspicious 'tude, then storms over to Delta Rho to angrily confront her sister's ex.

Krystle snappishly tells Rock Hudson she's returning his package, then growls, "How daaaaare you come back into my life after what you did!" and glares hatefully at him.

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