Dynasty - Season 6, Episode 31

Dominique and Garrett celebrate their non-engagement

"The Vendetta"
Original airdate: 5/21/1986

Episode summary: Dominique gets shocking news about Garrett during their engagement party. Sammy Jo and Amanda fight over Clay Fallmont. Blake goes ballistic when Alexis takes ownership of Carrington manor.

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Recap: Blake tells Krystle that since he hasn't heard back from Minister Han regarding regaining control of the South China Sea oil leases, he's going to jet to Hong Kong and refuse to leave until he's granted a personal audience with the minister. A few seconds later, Gerard enters the library and hands him the morning paper featuring the headline Ben Carrington Given Oil Leases, Chinese Cancel Deal with Brother, Blake Carrington. Blake rails about how this must be Alexis' doing, calls her office and learns she's due to land in Denver soon, and says he's off to the airport to "strip her bare before the world". Yikes. A worried Krystle asks if this idiotic revenge plot isn't hurting him more than it is her 'cause of how ridiculously consumed with hatred he's been over the last week or so, and Blake's like, "Nope" and insists on stopping his ex-wife once and for all. 

While en route to Denver, Alexis cheerily toasts Ben for being The Winner of the Underhanded Scheme...and when Ben suspiciously asks, "What's the catch?", she tells him she's merely being a good sport. She then points out to Ben that since he's now in charge of the South China Sea oil leases, he gets the fun job of placating Jason Colby, aka the man he has a troubled history with on account of he once screwed Jason over on a big oil deal. Ben's like, "Drats" and suggests she deal with Colby, so she agrees to have a chat with him...then shoots Ben a covert stink-eye.

Over at La Mirage, Jackie meets Richard Daniels, one of Garrett's old college friends who's in town for the wedding. Richard remarks on how Dominique managed to snag "the last of the confirmed bachelors" ... and when Jackie's all, "Wuh? I thought he was once married to a woman named Jessica", Richard's like, "Uh, no" and doesn't seem to twig onto the fact that he and Garrett never bothered to get their stories straight ahead of time. A few seconds later, Dominique wanders over and asks Jackie why she suddenly looks so aghast, and she mutters, "Nothing" and pretends she has to rush off for a fitting.

​Sammy Jo barks at her nanny to have her son dressed and ready so that she and Clay can take him on an outing. Amanda overhears the exchange and stomps over to remind the skanklet that she was ordered by the court not to take Danny off the Carrington estate without Steven's permission. Sammy Jo shrugs unconcernedly and says maybe she's above the law...like she (Amanda) was when she got away with a reckless driving mishap for which she let Clay take the blame. She then glares at Amanda, says she'll do whatever the hell she pleases, and accuses her of acting like a jealous cat 'cause Clay is her beau. 

"Do you think you're above the law just 'cause you're dating a senator's son?"

"Kinda."

Claudia meets up with Blake at her sad looking dried up oil well. She accuses him of syphoning off oil from her well just to spite her, and he tells her she's making no sense and that the thing likely just dried up from natural causes...then is all, "Hey, wait a minute - why are you referring to this as your oil well?" Claudia says that Adam arranged it, then produces the Power of Attorney form Adam made Blake sign when he was too sick to know what he was signing and natters about how first Adam cheated his father, then his wife. Blake says he'll discuss this with Adam, tells her again that oil wells can dry up without sinister intent, then climbs back into his limo. Claudia chases after the car crying, "Noooo!! Don't go! I'm not done with you yet! I'm not as dumb as you think I am!" in a deranged loop.

Blake arrives at the airport just as the ColbyCo jet lands on the runway. The press pack rushes over to pepper Alexis and Ben with questions about the South China Sea oil lease situation, and Alexis sanctimoniously tells them that she and Ben plan to handle oil production in an honest fashion...and that, unlike Denver Carrington, ColbyCo always pays its debts. A slowly unhinging Blake starts clapping and sarcastically barking, "Bravo!" as he ambles over and tells the reporters he'd looooove to talk about Alexis' honesty. He proceeds to hold up a copy of Caress's Sister Dearest manuscript and explains to the press pack that it's a trashy unpublished tell all by Alexis' own sister, and that Alexis tried to suppress it by purchasing the publishing company. As the reporters look intrigued by the ridiculousness of this public spectacle, Blake reads a passage from the manuscript describing the way Alexis callously stood by while her sister rotted in a Caracas prison. Alexis strides over and snatches the manuscript out of Blake's hand, calls it a work of fiction that her publishing company has the rights to...and that if any reporter dares print anything cited from "this trash", she'll sue. An unfazed Blake tells the press pack he has copies of the manuscript in his limo, and they're all, "Yippee!" and rush across the tarmac to grab their free copy. LOL. Blake then glares over at Alexis and sarcastically welcomes her home.

"I hold here a copy of the unpublished Sister Dearest, which offers irrefutable proof of what a meanie Alexis is."

"That trash has got to be the most widely read unpublished book ever."

Blake admonishes Adam for stealing a Denver Carrington oil well and gifting it to Claudia, then snarkishly asks what else he's stolen. Adam sheepishly replies, "Nothing", and Blake asks him if this was why he refused to let Steven look at his files, then growls that it's this sort of treachery that made him cut him out of his will. Adam admits making a mistake, but then complains that he's always having to fight for his life as a Carrington 'cause he's never been treated like a true son. Blake's like, "Blah blah...bottom line is that I can't trust you. Now get out of my sight."

Back at the penthouse, Alexis rails to Ben about the unflattering press coverage she's going to get once everyone reads Sister Dearest, then declares war on Blake and vows to take everything he's ever worked for. She tells Ben he'd better be on her side, 'cause she's very confident she'll continue winning and destroy his brother.

Blake tells Bob Ashmore he needs an extension on his loan, but Bob warns that an extension would be highly unlikely 'cause the backers are concerned about his ability to repay the loan. Blake urges him to try...and once he's out of earshot, Bob calls Alexis (aka, "the backers") to ask what he should do, and she crisply orders him to deny Blake's loan extension request.

​Gordon Wales drops by Alexis' office to get her comment about Sister Dearest, particularly the part where she stood by and did nothing while Caress languished in a Caracas prison for a crime she didn't commit. He then asks where Caress is these days, and Alexis says she hasn't the slightest idea, not that she gives a rat's ass about someone she considers dead to her. 

A newly re-incarcerated Caress summons the guard and asks why her urgent message to the Venezuelan authorities hasn't been answered. The guard says that all he knows is that she's supposed to serve out the last two years of her five year sentence, then sympathetically adds, "Sorry señorita." Caress hands him a letter addressed to Blake Carrington and pleads with him to mail it, offering up her diamond ring as a bribe. The guard glances at the envelop, then the ring, and agrees to do her this one favor. Caress moans about how vital it is that Blake receive this letter 'cause her life depends on it. 

"Please mail this letter. It could save my life."

"OK. I'll send it via Pony Express for maximum dramatic effect."

Blake meets with Faruq Ahmed to remind him that the consortium agreed to loan him a billion dollars, and that they can't just cancel the loan without warning. Faruq's like, "Uh, sure they can" now that his collateral in the form of South China Sea oil leases is no more. Blake explains that he's doing his best to sort that out - but Faruq is all, "Whatever" and reminds him he still owes the consortium the $250 million lending fee. An incredulous Blake says he must be joking if he thinks he's going to pay a lending fee on a billion dollar loan he never actually received, so Faruq warns that if he refuses, the consortium will sue him, which means there'll be a lien on his company's assets. Blake finally gets around to demanding to know exactly who is in this consortium, and Faruq admits that it's one person: Alexis.

After Blake's head explodes, he races over to ColbyCo to confront Alexis about using a shadowy consortium as a front for her revenge plot against him, then flatly refuses to pay the $250 million lending fee. Alexis tells him she'd be happy to waive the fee in exchange for $250 million in Denver Carrington stock - but Blake refuses, since that would translate to her getting controlling interest of his company. He growls that he'll see her in hell before she takes Denver Carrington away from him, and she growls back that she intends to get everyyyyything he owns and holds dear. 

Dominique drops by Alexis' office to offer up her personal assets in order to settle Blake's debt, but Alexis refuses and says that right now this vendetta is the most important thing she has going in her life. Dominique clucks sympathetically about how her life resolves around her hatred for Blake, then vows that once her engagement party is over, she'll deal with her in the 'down and dirty' kind of way she's always dealt with her kind of filth.

At Carrington manor, Adam tries to explain himself to Blake - but Blake isn't interested, tells him to get lost, then grumbles to Krystle about Adam's betrayal. Krystle argues, "He's still your son" and that clearly Adam needs his father's help and guidance - but Blake shuts her down and says that just 'cause Adam is his son, it doesn't mean he's on his side...then cites the shittiness of his brother and ex-wife as other examples of treacherous family members.  

Jackie stops in at ColbyCo looking for Dominique...and when Alexis sees that she's visibly upset, she urges her to unload her troubles and dish about whatever's on her mind. When Jackie looks hesitant, Alexis lays it on thick about how she and Dominique are very similar in that they're strong businesswomen, and - under entirely different circumstances - would probably be friends. Jackie mulls that over, then spills the beans to her about the shock of discovering Garrett's never-been-married status.

Dex drops by the penthouse looking for Alexis, and Ben says she's not in and reminds him again that their marriage is kaput and that Alexis regards him as scum for bumping uglies with Amanda. Dex reacts to that last thing by punching him, then receives a kick to the face...and the two launch a ridiculous looking brawl across the main level of the penthouse, overturning large houseplants as they punch, wrestle, and pose with what I can only assume are karate style hand gestures to psych each other out. LOL. Alexis returns home a few minutes later, smashes a large vase to get their attention long enough to yell at them to stop, then orders Dex to get the hell out of her trashed penthouse. 

Thwack!

Thump!

Ben demonstrates a unique form of karate

But Dex doesn't appear fazed

Blake tells Krystle he's miffed at the lack of communication he's been getting from Minister Han, not least 'cause if he can't get his oil lease conundrum resolved, he stands to lose everything. Krystle somehow refrains from screaming 'I fucking WARNED you this might happen!' and urges him to take a break from worrying about losing his empire and accompany her to La Mirage to attend Dominique's/Garrett's engagement party. Blake says he'd rather sit by the phone in case Han calls - but then decides he'd like to talk to Garrett to see if he's willing to be, in any way, useful to his cause. 

Engagement party! Sammy Jo is cozily dancing with Clay...and makes a show of looking even cozier when she spots Amanda staring over at them in dismay. Jackie arrives at the party and is standoffish to Garrett, who figures he can remedy whatever's bothering her by asking her to dance. Alexis makes her grand entrance to smugly offer Dominique a personal gift...and by personal gift she means ratting out Garrett for lying about having had a wife named Jessica. Dominique chuckles and calls her a liar, and Alexis chuckles in return and tells her she should look into it with her lyin' fiance. An enraged Dominique responds by slapping her hard across the face, and an unfazed Alexis says it's Garrett she should be slapping...and as she flounces off, Dominique stares after her worriedly.

Dex seats himself beside Alexis and asks her if she's truly happy, and she says that since she's accomplished everything she's always wanted in life - money and power - she couldn't be more thrilled with herself. Dex shakes his head in dismay, chides her for hanging out with a creep like Ben, and reminisces about how awesome they were together. He sadly adds that he barely recognizes the revenge-obsessed freak she's morphed into.

In the ladies room, Krystle smugly tells Alexis that she doesn't have the important things in life - Blake, a mansion, a loving family - then smugly says, "You'll never have what I have." Alexis somehow refrains from letting that interaction deteriorate into a messy bathroom brawl and sashays back to her table to tell Ben that it's time to move on to "the main event". She hands him a piece of paper and says she got to Bob Ashmore first, and that there's no limit to the amount of feces she's willing to fling at Blake. 

Blake approaches Garrett at the bar and tells him he'd like to hit up Jason Colby for a giant loan, offering Denver Carrington as collateral. Garrett's like, "Seriously?" and says he'll go through the motions of presenting the request to Jason, but that he already knows what the answer will be: fuck no. He then informs Blake that Alexis phoned Jason the other day to discuss the logistics of transporting oil out of the South China Sea, and Blake growls that he shouldn't be doing business with the she-devil who's responsible for swindling his oil. He assures Garrett that he's expecting good news from Minister Han any minute about having control over the oil leases reinstated, but Garrett says that until that actually happens, there's nothing much Jason can or will do for him. Blake vows to fight this injustice and snarkishly orders him to pass that message along to Jason, and Garrett's like, "Yeah, whatever...you can fuck off now."

Dominique storms over to Garrett, demands to know if he bullshat her twenty years ago about being married to a woman named Jessica, and Garrett avoids admitting that Jessica never actually existed by weakly insisting he loves her. Dominique snaps, "Leave me alone!" and huffs off.

"Did you ever have a wife named Jessica?"

"Let me pivot from that question by professing my love for you."

Blake receives a message that someone is waiting for him at the mansion, and Blake assumes it's a Chinese representative who's there to deliver good news and hastily leaves the party with Krystle.

Amanda is standing by the La Mirage's outdoor swimming pool, enjoying the night air, when Clay wanders over. He flirtily tells her he's wanted to dance with her all night, so she pulls him into a slow dance and apologizes for all the times she was so abruptly rude to him. Clay assures her that all is forgiven, then leans in for a smooch - just as Sammy Jo appears alongside the pool, carrying two full champagne glasses. She promptly empties them, struts over to the dancing duo, and sweetly asks Clay if he wouldn't mind getting them something to drink. Once Clay is out of earshot, Sammy Jo snarls at Amanda to run along now 'cause Clay is her date for the evening. Amanda smirkingly tells her to "enjoy him while you can" ... and when Sammy Jo asks what that's supposed to mean, Amanda grabs her and leaps with her into the pool while chirping, "Here's your answer!" The two half-heartedly wrestle in the water in their gowns and high heels as Sammy Jo vows, "You'll never get Clay!" as if he's the man-prize of the century.

Back at the party, Steven spots Adam boozing it up and tells him he's had enough to drink, and Adam explains that he's been binge drinking 'cause of how depressed he is about Claudia, wherever she may be.

Claudia is in her La Mirage suite, spacily pacing the room while muttering, "Liars, liars.." She then strikes a match and lights several candles while naming them: Blake, Adam, Steven, Alexis, Krystle, Sammy Jo...all of whom are again summarized as liars. A few seconds later, one of the candles topples over and sets the drapes ablaze, and Claudia stares at the quickly spreading fire in stunned muteness.

As the engagement partygoers continue to enjoy the evening, smoke starts to spread through the vents...and Claudia's room is now fully ablaze.

Blake and Krystle return to the mansion and are perplexed by the sight of luggage stacked at the foot of the grand staircase. Ben strolls towards them and smugly informs Blake that a cable from Minister Han just arrived, and that his response to Blake about reinstating him as the primary holder of the oil leases is a definitive no...which he translates to mean that Blake is financially wiped out. Alexis, meanwhile, appears on the second floor landing holding a property deed and smugly declares that she now owns Carrington manor, then orders Blake to pack up his shit and his blonde tramp and get the hell out of her house. Blake starts to mentally unravel as he climbs the staircase while insisting that this is his house...and when he gets to where Alexis is standing he shrieks, "I'm going to kill you!!" Alexis stares back at him in horror as he advances on her, wraps his hands around her throat, and starts choking the life out of her...ignoring Krystle's desperate pleas for him to stop.

"It's official. I now own this mansion. So suck it, Blake."

"My sassy mouth is going to be the death of me!"

Thanks for reading! That's a wrap for Season 6.

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