Dynasty - Season 8, Episode 20

Karen brings a visual aid to court

"The Trial"
Original airdate: 3/9/1988

Episode summary: Blake is cleared of any connection to Sean's gun-running operation in Natumbe. Leslie makes a move on Jeff, but he makes it clear he's not into her. Dana decides she's no longer interested in raising Adam's/Karen's surrogate baby.

---

Recap: While out jogging, Adam tells Dana he's determined to win the custody fight with Karen and bring his son home. He says he's fairly confident they'll emerge victorious, and that he's extremely motivated to prevent another Carrington baby from being ripped away from his family.

Blake is on the phone with a major campaign donor, Dan Ferguson, imploring him to not believe the headline in today's paper: Blake Carrington Involved in Gun-Running Episode. He asks Dan if he's ever done anything to make anyone believe he's a gun-runner, and Dan's like, "Whatever. I'm out" and abruptly ends the call. A dismayed Krystle points out to Blake that he's the one who discovered the weaponry aboard his tanker, and he ruefully retorts that this negative press only serves to provide his opponents with a juicy story that makes him look like a terrible future governor. Krystle says that if Alexis had any decency she would use her newspaper to print the more accurate story, but Blake just kind of shakes his head helplessly as if to say 'in what world would such a thing happen?'

Over at the Carlton Hotel, Alexis admits to Dex that, for whatever insanely out-of-character reason, she married Sean without actually getting to know him...then calls her marriage "a tragic choice", and says it kinda hurts that Sean never really cared about her. Dex assures her she'll find love again, then leans in and stares at her longingly before the two indulge in a warm hug. Alexis purrs, "Ooooh Dex", but then makes it clear that she's not into the two of them reconnecting just yet.

At the hospital, Karen and Jesse remind Dana that she's not supposed to be anywhere near the maternity ward (as per their restraining order). Dana implores Karen to change her mind about reneging on the surrogacy agreement - but Jesse snappishly insists that Karen is not changing her mind about "our son", which prompts Dana to blurt out, "Your son? Who the hell do you think you are?" Karen whimpers that she didn't intend for things to turn out this way, and Dana coldly reminds her of all the times she had gone out of her way to assure her and Adam that they'd for sure be getting the baby once it was born. Karen weakly retorts that a baby is supposed to bring joy to people's lives, and Dana responds by shooting her a stink-eye before angrily stalking off.

Morgan Hess drops by Alexis's suite to drop another bombshell: he learned that Sean was responsible for Jesse Atkinson's return to Denver, and that he egged him on to instigate a custody battle between Karen and Adam/Dana. Alexis stares back at him in horrified dismay, says she needs cold hard proof that can be presented in a court of law, then vows that Sean isn't going to get away with trying to hurt her son. 

Custody hearing! As Adam's lawyer (William Todd) cross-examines Karen, he asks her if her signature is on the surrogacy agreement. She admits it is...and that, yeah, she also had a lawyer explain that it meant she was fully expected to give up her child. Her lawyer (Gloria Wilby) invokes the issue of informed consent and whether or not Karen had a 100% full awareness of the possible consequences of signing away her baby. Karen wails that she didn't know she'd change her mind about giving up the baby and cries, "How can anyone knooooooow?!" William asks the judge to formally admonish the idiot, to which Gloria nonsensically argues, "Karen Atkinson admits to understanding the terms of contract, but she had no way of knowing what the contract would mean until after she had the baby." [Say wuh?] William snidely retorts that Karen is clearly taking advantage of Adam and Dana, to which Gloria pronounces that this case is all about a rich family without morals who is attempting to purchase a baby. Adam screeches, "That's a damn lie!" and rightly points out that the child in question is biologically his. The judge chides him for his outburst, then declares a recess until later in the afternoon.

"Karen signed the contract of her own free will."

"Yes, but I didn't equate signing the contract to actually having to follow the contract."

As Krystle exits the courtroom, reporters swarm around and bark out questions about Blake's current weapons scandal. Krystle haplessly tells them that Denver Carrington deals in oil not guns...while Alexis smugly reminds the reporters that zero guns were found on any ColbyCo vessels.

Over in the Carlton Hotel lounge, Jeff calls Sammy Jo (who's still in Los Angeles) to share that he's feeling glum 'cause he got his divorce papers today. After the call, Leslie wanders over and kind of perks up when she learns of his newly divorced status.

Later, Leslie calls the mansion and asks for Jeff - but Krystle informs her that he moved out, then gives her the address of his new apartment. After the call, Krystle suddenly looks faint, then sits down and rubs her head while moaning, "My God.."

Leslie is packing up her stuff when Dex returns home. She thanks him for his help - but now wants to pursue a relationship with newly single Jeff, who likely wouldn't approve of the two of them shacking up together. Dex is like, "Whatever - just don't ever use me again", and Leslie says she's gonna go full guns a' blazing after the guy she's really into...and advises him to follow his heart's desire by putting some effort into wooing Alexis back.

Jeff has just emerged from the shower when the doorbell rings...and he slips into a bathrobe and is soon dumbfounded to find Leslie standing on his doorstep with several suitcases. When she gaily announces that she's moving in, he blurts out, "Are you crazy?" and says that her bizarre assumption that she'd be welcome to live with him makes absolutely no sense. Leslie explains that since he's divorced, they can now be together - but Jeff informs her that he has enough complications in his life and doesn't need another. He goes on to make it painfully clear that their hookup in New York was nice, but "not real" ... so she stupidly argues that that's 'cause he never let it be real, and thinks that his bad reaction to her presence in his apartment right now is the result of her "coming on too strong". Jeff takes a deep breath and tells her in no uncertain terms that there is no future for them - now, ever, and for all of eternity - and Leslie finally lets the reality of Jeff's complete disinterest in any kind of relationship with her penetrate her tiny brain as she contorts her face into a sad expression. She nonsensically describes her idiotic behavior as "a failure to communicate", then gathers up her suitcases and bids Jeff a tearful goodbye.

"Our relationship is a figment of your wild imagination."

"I will translate that to mean I should try to make my imagination run less wild."

Back at the courthouse, Gloria apologizes to Dana for her 'rich people have no morals' insult, then proceeds to ask Dana exactly why she's unable to conceive a child of her own. Dana confesses that years ago she had had a botched abortion when Adam knocked her up in high school...hastily adding that Adam had a serious alcohol problem back then, but has since cleaned up his act. Gloria chews on that for a few seconds, then informs the court that Adam was arrested for being drunk and disorderly as recently as last year. Oops.

When Jesse is called to the stand, he testifies that Adam paid him 100K to leave Denver - but then he returned the money when Karen got upset and said she didn't want anything to do with the payoff. William surmises that Jesse's sole motivation during all of this surrogacy drama has been to either get rich or win his wife back, and that the only two people who have wanted the surrogate baby from the get-go have been Adam and Dana.

Fallon is on the phone in Steven's office, desperately trying to track down Harry Thresher, who seems to have disappeared. When Steven enters the room, she tells him she can't locate Thresher, aka the one person who could clear Blake's good name. Steven chews on that for a few seconds and points out that a man like Harry wouldn't just walk away and leave everything he owns behind...then reminds her that they have less than a week (before the gubernatorial election) to sort it all out. Steven calls his pilot to fuel the corporate jet for an impromptu trip to Natumbe - and Fallon tells him she's already arranged the flight, and that it looks as though the two of them will be making the trip together.

While Adam is on the stand, Gloria reminds the court that, in a typical adoption, the mother has the right to change her mind about wanting to give up the baby. Adam rightly argues that this situation is not a typical adoption, given that the baby is biologically his. A few seconds later, Morgan Hess slips into the courtroom to show Alexis the documentation he dug up that proves Jesse came to Denver with the purpose of instigating a custody feud. When Alexis blurts out these findings, Jesse looks sheepish...and Karen shoots him the stink-eye before she gets up, heads for the exit, and glares at the Carringtons while vowing, "None of you are going to get my baby!"

While strolling through a luxury car show, Adam tells Alexis he has a funny feeling that Dana doesn't want the baby as much as he does - but then says he's optimistic that the two of them will somehow work it out. Alexis rolls her eyes in general disapproval of Dana, then assures him she's more than ready to fight for him and his yet unnamed baby.

Jeff saunters into campaign headquarters and tells Blake he heard about Dan Ferguson withdrawing his support 'cause of the gun-running/Natumbe scandal. Jeff tells Blake he feels bad about how rudely he spoke to him after the Denver Carrington stock buy-up, and that he's always thought of him and the whole Carrington clan as his own family. Blake assures him that he'll always be considered family, then invites him to return as campaign manager. Jeff looks touched, leans in for a hug, and immediately gets back to work.

Over at the hospital, Dana is staring at the surrogate baby through the nursery window. She tells Krystle (who's standing behind her) that she hopes the tot never learns about this ugly custody feud. She then stammers about how she thought she had the solution to her sterility all figured out - but now feels as though some force is trying to tell her that it isn't the right thing for her to be doing. Krystle advises her to tell Adam that she's having second thoughts about pursuing custody of the baby, and Dana responds by staring contemplatively into space.

"Mystical forces are telling me that raising a baby with Adam would be a very bad idea."

"Honey, that's just your common sense finally kicking in."

Jesse admits to Karen that, yeah, he did return to Denver for the bribe money - but then quickly realized that she and their kids are the most important thing in his life...and Karen's just like, "Yeah whatever" and rushes off. When Adam and Dana appear, Jesse snarlingly calls them "the proud parents" and admonishes them for distressing Karen, and tut tuts them about how ashamed of themselves they should be [I guess for expecting Karen to honor a contract in which she voluntarily entered and for which she was well compensated].

Across the globe in Natumbe, Fallon and Steven are meeting with Minister Kotey, trying to persuade him to release information that can clear Blake's good name. Kotey tells them that the investigation is proceeding at a glacial pace 'cause apparently a number of higher-ups in the government were involved in Sean's/Harry's gun-running scandal...and so he will release all of his findings probably in the distant future. Steven's like, "But the gubernatorial election is in a few days!" (lol) and implores him to cut through the red tape. Kotey mulls that over, and quickly decides that because of the enormous amount of respect he has for Blake, he's going to call the Prime Minister to see how big of a shit this world leader cares about helping Blake become Colorado's next governor.

Karen returns to the courtroom with her baby cradled in her arms, and explains to the judge that she thought it was important for him to get a gander at the tot before he rules on who should get custody. She lifts the infant and barks, "Look at him!" and ambles towards the judge, chiding him and the lawyers for being overly focused on contracts, consent, and money. She wails, "What gives you the right to take a child from its mother?" and needlessly points out that she was the one who carried him for nine months. The judge looks less than impressed and warns her to get herself under control...and to maybe let her lawyer appropriately represent her while she's in his courtroom. 

"What gives you the right to decide where my baby lives?"

"Mmm...my legal authority as a state appointed judge..?"

Dana interrupts the proceedings to declare that she's no longer interested in fighting to take this baby away from Karen, 'cause she doesn't believe it can fill the emptiness that her decades-old sterility has brought to her life. She pronounces, "The baby belongs with his mother" and rushes out of the courtroom, leaving Adam and Alexis staring after her in stunned horror.

Back at Carrington manor, Fallon and Steven proudly present Blake with all of the documentation needed to clear him of any kind of gun-running scandal. [I guess the Prime Minister did give a big shit about Blake's political career.] As Blake and Jeff excitedly discuss how to get the word out about his innocence before voters hit the polling stations, Krystle suddenly gets another debilitating headache and has to sit down.

Steven drops by Alexis's hotel suite to inform her that he and Fallon went to Natumbe to get Blake cleared of the gun-running scandal, and Alexis says she would have been much happier about this if he'd been exonerated after the election (heh). Steven then tells her that the body officials found in Natumbe (wearing the watch she had gifted Sean) was identified as Harry Thresher, and that he had been shot in the head. Alexis is all, "Wha-a-a-at?" and says she's worried that her demented scoundrel of a husband is still alive. 

Adam tells Dana he's moving out of their bedroom 'cause he's too mad about what she said in court. He angrily says, "I can't look at you. I can't live with you, knowing what you've done." 

A Q&A Magazine reporter runs into Dex at the Carlton Hotel and says he has a lot of questions about Sean Rowan, and how his marriage to Alexis is negatively impacting her run for governor. Dex irritably makes it clear he's not interested in providing dirt and refuses to comment, and the reporter says he fully intends to write the story regardless.

Dex drops by Alexis's suite to tell her she should drop out of the race, not least 'cause it's ruining her life by making her an assassin's target, and more recently a target of the media. Alexis rejects the prospect of dropping out and insists that she's going after what she wants, and implores him to not fight her on this. After Dex leaves, Alexis gets a phone call from someone who just breathes heavily...and on the other end we see that the call is coming from an empty red telephone booth. Alexis cries, "Sean? Sean? Is that you?"

​Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!

---