Dynasty - Season 5, Episode 14

In complete indifference
Tom Carrington
Season 5, Episode 14

"The Will"
Original airdate: 1/9/1985

Episode summary: Blake, Dominique, and Alexis travel to Sumatra to witness the passing of Tom Carrington.

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Recap: Krystle tells Blake she's irked that he didn't leave the gala with her and that she got worried when he was MIA for so long. Blake tells her he just went for a drive, snidely adds, "Now you know how it feels", and throws it in her face about how worried he was when she spent all day at Rock Hudson's stables during the previous episode and didn't bother calling to tell him where she was. He dials his bitchitude back when he explains that he got a call during the gala informing him that his father is dying, then says he'd prefer to be alone to mull over this abruptly interjected subplot.

The next morning, Blake arrives at Denver Carrington and tells his secretary to cancel all his meetings 'cause he's off to Sumatra to sit at his dying father's bedside.. then is all, "Ack!" when he finds Alexis waiting for him in his office. She haughtily tells him she heard, third hand, that Papa (Tom) Carrington is dying and that she intends to see him before he expires. She reminds Blake that Tom always liked her and that he had love for their children, but Blake disagrees and snaps, "He's not capable of love." Alexis refutes that by reminding Blake how kind Tom was to her after Adam was kidnapped, and that his frequent phone calls helped keep her sane during that difficult time. She wants to return this kindness by being there for him now, but Blake snaps back that he doesn't want her there...and Alexis counter-snaps that she's coming along anyway, and if he doesn't like it he can suck on it. 

Claudia swings by the mansion to take Danny to his doctor's appointment, but Steven nixes that arrangement and tells her that the tot is all set to go with his nanny, Rita. Claudia says they should probably discuss his near raping of her last night, but Steven weakly explains that his "clumsiness" was a weak, failed attempt to get her back, and that there's nothing left to say. As he shuffles off dejectedly, Adam enters the room and tells Claudia he's off to Washington D.C. to convince the State Department to pressure the Chinese to reopen negotiations with Blake. [LOL, there's far too much to unpack with the implausibility of that unsavory sounding objective.] Claudia says she too is off to D.C. to meet with State Department officials to discuss using La Mirage for a conference. Adam says he'd loooove her company on the flight, and she grins back at him in agreement.  

Krystle offers to accompany Blake to Sumatra, but he tells her she should probably hang around Denver 'cause Kristina is due to be released from the hospital soon. Blake gripes about how Tom is his "mortal enemy" and that he was a giant shitbag to his mother on account of all the drinking and brazen sleeping around with other women he frequently indulged in. Krystle shrugs and says that some marriages aren't meant to be, and that people can change and grow apart. Blake assures her that his feelings for her won't ever change, and that he's optimistic that they'll be able to work out their problems. Krystle concurs and says they're going to need to have a loooong talk when he gets back from Sumatra.

"My father was a miserable douchebag of a husband."

"Looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree."

Over at the penthouse, Amanda is reading a newspaper clipping about military veterans Dex and Rock Hudson titled 'Daring Helicopter Rescue of MIAs in Cambodia' when Dex enters the living room. Amanda shows him what she's reading and asks him to elaborate on the heroic act, but he instantly clams up and snatches the clipping out of her hand. Amanda tells him that Alexis left town on business and says that if he's uncomfortable being alone with her, he should move into a hotel until his wife returns. Dex wryly says he's not remotely tempted to fall into bed with her ever again, and that their previous doink was purely a visceral attraction that didn't mean anything to him...and that if it meant something to her, it's her damn problem. Sounds a bit 'the man doth protest too much'ish - but ouch.

Luke drops by Steven's office to ask him how he's feeling after making a drunken fool of himself the night before...and Steven chuckles at his arsery, shakes Luke's hand, and thanks him for helping him sober up with all that coffee. Luke asks Steven if he's been acting all distant towards him 'cause he correctly guessed that he's gay and assumed he was coming onto him...and Steven looks fake surprised as he exclaims, "Wuh? You're gay?" and somehow manages to deliver the line straight-faced. Luke says indeed he is gay - as anyone with even the lowest levels of gaydar could easily detect - but that he's also quite capable of forging platonic friendships with men. In that vein, he invites Steven to a friendly dinner tonight, and Steven's like, "Why not?" and says he could really use someone to talk to about his wife-beard problems.
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Blake arrives at his father's large house in Sumatra and rushes over to his sickbed. Tom, an angry bearded ogre of a man, glares at Blake and snaps, "What the hell are you doing here?" Blake says he's here mostly to get an apology for all the nastiness he's wrought on Family Carrington over the years. Tom applauds him for always being an honest guy - unlike his shifty brother Ben, who Blake says he hasn't heard from in a very long time. Blake says he also came all this way to introduce him to someone - and a few seconds later, Dominique sweeps into the room. She identifies herself to Tom as Laura's daughter...and when Tom just glares back at her in shocked incredulity, she smugly clarifies, "I'm your daughter."

At the La Mirage, Nicole tells Jeff she's having second thoughts about embarking on a Raiders of the Lost Ark type adventure to unearth a Bolivian statue. She reasons that there's no place for her on this mission, not least 'cause Jeff only seems to care about finding Fallon. Jeff admits that while he was in love with Fallon, he feels the need to channel Indiana Jones so that he can finally close that chapter in his life in as nonsensical a manner as possible. Nicole poutishly tells him he'll have to close this chapter without her...and Jeff stares at her mutely for a few seconds before exiting the room.
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Blake and Dominique take a break from standing around Tom's sickbed to sip tropical drinks delivered by a tiny servant boy. Blake reminisces about the only loving memory he has of his father from his childhood: when the two got stuck at the top of a Ferris wheel during a storm, Tom comforted him by holding his hand (sadly, it was the only time he'd ever held his son's hand). Alexis suddenly sweeps into the room and smugly tells Blake she defied his order not to come 'cause nothing was going to stop her from saying goodbye to Tom. The nurse pops into the room to inform Dominique that she can spend a few minutes with Tom now, which prompts Alexis to glare at Dominique and ask Blake what right she has to be here. Blake mumbles that it's none of her damn business.

Dominique demands that Tom acknowledge her as his bio daughter, but he refuses and snarks, "You're not!" Dominique says her mother told her all about getting knocked up by one Tom Carrington, then asks him if he really truly wants to die being hated by his own daughter. Tom snarls at her to leave him alone, and that he hardly remembers his former mistress, to which Dominique barks, "Liar!" and insists that he and Laura bore her out of love...and that, by golly, she now wants her rightful last name. She yells at Blake to come into the room, then orders Tom to acknowledge her as his bio daughter - but Tom again refuses and shrieks, "Get her out of here!!"

"I desperately need someone to acknowledge me as a Carrington."

"You are aware of what a truly shitty bunch we are, aren't you?"

Blake calls Krystle to give her an update about Tom's deathwatch and to report that Alexis just showed up in Sumatra unannounced. Krystle pensively replies that she'll be spending some of her time today at Delta Rho to visit the new colt, then will head over to the hospital to pick up Kristina.

Claudia cuddles Danny after his doctor's appointment, then has coffee with Krystle. She laments her tedious marital problems, then confides in Krystle that she was unfaithful to Steven 'cause of how needy she is, and faintly hopes they can somehow work through their trust issues.

Alexis enters Tom's room to pay him a last visit. He appears thrilled to see her, and the two reminisce about how they danced the tango at her/Blake's wedding. After a blechy coughing fit, Tom asks her how Fallon is doing...and Alexis avoids telling him that she's been presumed dead, and instead opens her wallet to pull out a pouty looking photo of Pamela Sue Martin. Tom grins approvingly, then coos flatteringly about Alexis' beauty and spunk and assures her that she's included in his will...and asks her to please use some of the money to buy something special for Fallon.

Dex returns to the penthouse and finds Amanda asleep on the couch. He smiles at the sight of her, then gently pokes her awake and tells her she should go to bed. She smiles up at him and shoots him an unmistakable come hither look...but when he flinchingly backs away, she snarks at him to get lost 'cause she doesn't need his concern. When he quickly darts off, she stares after him in poutish longing.

Claudia drops by Adam's D.C. hotel room so they can carpool to the State Department. He suggests they get together for dinner that evening, and she happily accepts.

The Carrington servants titter excitedly at the imminent arrival of baby Kristina. As Gerard opens the door, Krystle sweeps in with her baby in her arms...and the two bowl shaped 'do lads - Little Blake and Danny - scamper over to peer at their tiny aunt. As Krystle stares proudly at her spawn, who she's wrapped in a very poofy satin blanket, the two lads assure Krystle that she's a very beautiful baby.

"Is Kristina going to have a bowl shaped 'do like us once she grows hair?"

"No. Hopefully she'll take after her mother and be more of a side hair wings type of gal."

Later, Jeff watches Little Blake as he rides his tricycle around the mansion. He promises to take the tot to the zoo...and when Blake moans, "I wish mommy could come toooooo", Jeff promises to bring a recast version of her back to him, asap.

Jeff drops by Nicole's La Mirage room to apologize for being so Fallon-focused earlier. He tells her he's ready to move forward with her towards a new, happier life, and that he's really into the idea of going on a fool's errand to track down an elusive gold statue. Nicole pulls out the treasure map, hands it to him, and smooches him...and Jeff gets all into it as he flashes back to smooching with Fallon.

A tipsy Claudia follows Adam back to his hotel room. He puts on some music and asks her to dance...and after the two sway together and get into some smooching action, she backs away and says she should probably stumble back to her own room now.

Back in Sumatra, Blake, Dominique, and Alexis are standing around Tom's bedside, waiting for him to finally go gentle into that good night. Tom tells Alexis that she's a pistol and implores her to never change, apologizes to Blake for being such a disaster of a father/husband, then urges him to look after his sister. Dominique perks up at that as Tom adds, "She's family. Be good to her." Dominique rushes over to sit beside him and take his hand into hers...and he stares at her tearfully and tells her she's just as beautiful as Laura. He then invokes the Ferris wheel memory from Blake's childhood and admits that he's frightened of facing death...and a few seconds later he quietly drifts off as everyone stares sadly into space.

"I've decided to leave an insane amount of my fortune to my illegitimate love spawn."

"The fuck he just say?"

At the will reading, Tom's lawyer announces that each servant will receive $5,000 (cheap bastard), and that the bulk of his $500 million estate will be divided equally between Blake, Dominique, and Alexis...and that Dominique is to be appointed the will's executor "for reasons that are to forever remain private". Alexis objects to Dominique being in charge of her children's legacy and snarks, "I'll fight this travesty!" ... and Dominique wryly says that despite all the hatred among the three of them, "we're all one big family now".

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