Dynasty - Season 9, Episode 21

Fallon suddenly remembers she's a murderer

"Blast From the Past"
Original airdate: 5/4/1989

Episode summary: Alexis publicly blabs that Jason Colby is not the bio dad of Monica and Miles. Sammy Jo tells Tanner she's willing to dial down their flirtation and just be platonic friends. Fallon finally remembers that it was she who killed Roger Grimes. 

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Recap: Blake is in the Matthews' garage, talking to Charles about any possible link between Tom Carrington and Roger Grimes. Jane Matthews interrupts to show Blake a peculiar piece of paper she found among Tom's stuff: a list of names and European addresses. Charles tells Blake he knows of something that is going to be extremely difficult for him to hear, then suggests they go inside the house so he can sit down while processing the bombshell revelation [off camera].

Later in the mansion gym, a visibly distressed Blake is swatting at the punching ball when Dex ambles into the room. He tells Blake he ran into a dead end inside the tunnels while searching for "the collection". Blake snappishly tells him they neeeeed to find it asap, so Dex tells him that he and Jeff looked over some maps and discovered that an extension had been built near one of the old mine shafts. Blake grumblingly agrees that that lead needs to be checked out, then stares into space with a haunted looking expression. 

Fallon and Zorelli are playfully clowning around as they prepare to paint the decrepit cottage. She remarks on how she can't get the tune that Kristina was humming the other day out of her head...then notices a black briefcase laying nearby. Zorelli explains that it's part of a bugging device he used to eavesdrop on Charles and Jane Matthews...and when Fallon shoots him the stink-eye, he insists that he only did it to help get to the root of her nightmares. He blabs that Charles and Jane talked a lot about Tom Carrington and Alexis, then strongly suggests she talk to Alexis about any scary memories she might still be repressing in an effort to "shake things loose". Fallon starts fiddling with the bugging device and stumbles upon a matching frequency, which prompts Zorelli to hush her, 'cause it means that someone has bugged the cottage and could be listening in on their conversation right now.

Captain Handler, who's the one listening in on their conversation, wryly tells Dennis Grimes that it looks as though their bug in the cottage has been discovered. Dennis says he's bummed about that, not least 'cause he didn't get a chance to hear Fallon talk about her increasingly scary nightmares, and assumes that one day soon she'll finally remember how his father died. Captain Handler says he's less interested in that than he is in blackmailing Blake so he can get his hands on "the collection". &^%!!

Sable is about to enter the Carlton Hotel lobby when she spots Debbie (the photographer who had snapped photos of Jeff and Monica being all canoodly) arguing with Adam. Sable waits until Adam wanders out of hearing range and asks Debbie if she and Adam were, by chance, arguing about the "incestuous" photograph of Jeff and Monica in The Inquisitor. Debbie confirms they were, then explains that Adam had ordered her to take photographs of the two before offering to buy her entire roll of film. She adds that she was livid when Adam then had her photograph doctored in order to misrepresent the innocent [but still weird AF] playfulness she had captured on film between Jeff and Monica on that fateful day. 

Over in the Carlton Hotel gym, an amused looking Monica is reading The Inquisitor article and points out to Jeff that the accusation is patently ridiculous...and that since it was published in a tabloid rag, no one with half a brain would actually believe it. Jeff says he's furious nonetheless, railing about how they've been slandered - just as Sable enters the gym and concurs that, yep, they've definitely been slandered...and that she knows for a fact that Adam was the one who arranged to have the photo taken and then doctored to imply an incestuous love connection. She devilishly adds that Adam just happens to be sitting in the hotel lounge right now, and Jeff perks up at that and storms off to indulge in an all out Alexis-Krystle type catfight the Dynasty writers must have assumed viewers have been craving all season.

Jeff finds Adam sitting on the couch aside other hotel guests [who aren't given any warning to move out of the way], and his stunt double mindlessly pounces atop Adam's stunt double and starts pummelling him while an amused Sable looks on. Adam weakly pretends to not know anything about The Inquisitor article, while also pointing out that he's been "all over" Monica in public. At one point, Adam is able to make a break for it and flee to the nearby staircase, but Jeff grabs his legs and drags him back downstairs, shrieking, "She's my sister!" to which Adam cries, "That makes you a pervert!" Jeff yells about the injustice of the incest accusation and punches him some more - until Alexis makes an appearance in the lobby after her return from Europe. She orders the flunkies who are managing her luggage to break up the fight, given that the Carlton Hotel doesn't appear to have any security guards on active duty.

Jeff's stunt double probably should have let the innocent bystanders get off the couch first

Sable and Monica enjoy the show

While Jeff refuses to let Adam escape by crawling up the stairs...

...so he can continue pummelling and publicly berating him some more

When Alexis asks whassup with all the brawling, Jeff blurts out that Adam publicly accused him and Monica of incest. Alexis says that that's not actually possible, then reveals to everyone within earshot, "Monica and Jeff are not brother and sister." Jeff stares back at her with an expression that looked to me like one of stunned relief, while Alexis directs her attention to Monica and curtly informs her that Jason Colby isn't her bio dad. An incensed Sable seethes, "How daaaaaaare you."

After the commercial break, Sable lunges at Alexis while shrieking, "I will kill you!!" while Jeff punches Adam some more. The camera then pans out to provide viewers with a needless aerial type view of the simultaneous ruckus-ing, which looks to be spiralling out of control. In the midst of this relentless idiocy, a hapless hotel guest cries, "Somebody call the police!" Lol.

Sammy Jo drops by the Teen Rec Center looking for Tanner - but instead runs into Father Shea, who's working in the adjacent greenhouse. He sadly tells her that Tanner isn't confiding his troubles in him like he always used to, then compares potting soil to a priest's religious foundation, which he subtly accuses her of messing with. He then gives Sammy Jo directions to the church in which Tanner is praying, and mumblingly puns to himself that he hopes God will also give her some direction. 

Back at the Carlton Hotel, Sable grumbles about Alexis's big mouth, revealing the secret that she had confided in her years ago, while Jeff ices his bruised face and asks her if she was ever planning on telling Monica and Miles that Jason isn't their bio dad. Sable's like, "Er no", 'cause she didn't want to hurt them, then shares that when she finally got around to telling Jason that another man had sired the twins, he abruptly cut himself off from the family. Jeff clucks sympathetically, says he really feels for her right now, and no longer wants them to be at each other's throats. A few seconds later, a distraught looking Monica enters the suite, and Jeff takes that as his cue to give them some private mother-daughter time. 

Over in Alexis's suite, Adam is icing his face and faux insisting that he was merely trying to protect Jeff and Monica from themselves. Alexis says she doesn't buy that - but also doesn't give a rat's ass, 'cause she's far more concerned about the lawsuit Sable has launched, given that it could financially destroy her and her empire. She complains that, while she was in Switzerland, every time she tried to protect one of her European assets, she was legally blocked from doing so. She then changes the subject and asks Adam if the police questioned Elsworth Chisolm again, and Adam informs her that the old man turned up dead after someone threw him out of his living room window. He then tells her that the appraiser he hired to evaluate her painting told him it was a worthless piece of junk...but he didn't believe him and went to a second appraiser, who revealed that the painting is a work of Friedrich Stahl. He then sits her down and says they have to discuss in detail the significance of that.

Sammy Jo arrives at the church and finds Tanner sitting in a pew, praying. She seats herself in the pew behind him and says she'd like to make a detailed confession, then proceeds to tell him that she has a bad habit of falling in love with the wrong men:

• Steven, who couldn't give her the hetero love she craved
• Josh, who was too much of a drug addict to function in a relationship
• Jeff, who's still too hung up on Fallon to truly love anyone else

She mournfully adds that he too is unavailable to her, given his lifelong commitment to the priesthood. An anguished looking Tanner apologizes for letting their flirtation get this far [even though it hasn't really gone much of anywhere], and Sammy Jo assures him it's all A-OK...and that even though she totes in love with him, she's more than happy to settle for friendship. 

Sable tearfully explains to Monica that when she became impregnated, it happened after she and Jason had been trying, unsuccessfully, to have children. When Jason learned of her pregnancy, he was soooooo happy that she didn't have the heart to tell him he wasn't the father. Monica asks about her real bio dad and insists she has a right to know who he is - but Sable firmly declines to elaborate on that. 
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As Adam and Alexis gaze at the Stahl painting, Alexis marvels over the fact that it's looted Nazi treasure, and that surely Blake must have killed Roger Grimes to obtain the rest of "the collection" ... which is fairly nonsensical, given that - from everything we've been forced to learn about "the collection" - it's always been hidden on Carrington property. She vows that Blake will not get away with stealing Nazi treasure and/or killing Roger, and tells Adam to set up a meeting with Captain Handler asap. Adam suggests they slow down with her crazed, baseless theorizing and discuss it further, but Alexis rails about how Blake, Sable, et. al. are trying ruin her...and that if they do, she has no problem bringing them all down with her. 

"Blake must have killed Roger Grimes in order to get full control of the Nazi treasure that was always stored on Carrington property."

"Sounds like a wide leap to get to that senseless conclusion."

Zorelli bursts into Police Headquarters, aggressively tackles Rudy, and angrily accuses him of planting a bug in his home. As another cop pulls Zorelli off of Rudy, Captain Handler rushes into the office and demands to know whassup, so Zorelli threatens to take this invasion of his personal privacy "all the way to the top" and bring him down. After Zorelli is dragged out and then escorted towards the exit, he and Rudy duck behind a corner, where they grin conspiratorially at each other as Zorelli asks, "Do you think they bought it?"

Blake drops by Delta Rho to ask Sammy Jo what she can tell him about Fallon's dreams...so she tells him that Roger Grimes would often "come to her like a lover", and that Alexis also made random appearances. Sammy Jo recalls that, during one dream, something terrible had happened between Alexis and Roger...and that she suspects Fallon had blocked part of that out. In her most recent and troubling dream, Roger had instructed Fallon to find the person who murdered him and then kill that person, which prompts Blake to look visibly alarmed. 

Fallon drops by Alexis's suite and tells her she's pretty sure something very bad happened at the cottage 20+ years ago, and that they both witnessed it. Alexis insists that she couldn't have been there 'cause she never had a good reason to step foot in the cottage...and, frankly, would rather not pursue anything unpleasant. Fallon implores her for help to get to the root of her relentless Roger nightmares and asks her mother if perhaps there's something she doesn't want to face, but Alexis firmly insists that Blake was the one who killed Roger Grimes. Fallon argues that he likely wasn't the killer and says she neeeeeeeeds her to come to the cottage tomorrow so they can use their collective brain power to fully recall what really happened the day Roger died.
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Sable informs Dex she's carrying his spawn...and that she plans on keeping it, and doesn't want him involved in the baby's upbringing. Dex gets upset and says he'd like to be in his child's life - but Sable firmly tells him that she'll never allow it 'cause of his undying affection for Alexis, whose toxic nature will surely infect her child's life and wellbeing. Dex growls that this discussion isn't over, then storms out of the suite. 

Blake rushes over to Sable's suite after she telephones him sounding very distraught. She says she neeeeeeds to get something out of her system that's highly personal and devastatingly painful...and Blake looks taken aback and asks if he's really the person with whom she should be sharing this kind of thing. Sable insists that, yep, she really does want to get it off her chest, and tearfully reveals that she didn't get pregnant with Miles and Monica by cheating on Jason; it happened as part of the aftermath of a violent rape. Blake murmurs, "Oh my God.." and gives her a comforting hug. 

"I have something extremely personal and painful I insist on sharing with you."

"Is there any way I could convince you not to?"

Back at the church, Tanner is fervently praying for guidance to help sort out his passion for Sammy Jo, 'cause he's torn between 1) wanting to jump into the sack with the blonde hottie, and 2) serving as a priest. He begs for the strength to fight his lustful feelings so he can honor his vows, pleading. "Help meeeeeeee!"

Blake is driving alone when Captain Handler pulls him over so that the two can have a private chat. Handler comes right out and tells him he represents some shady people who want to take "an old art collection" off of his hands. When Blake pretends to not know what he's talking about, Handler reminds him of the trouble he's in: being suspected of Elsworth Chisolm's death after he was murdered soon after they were overheard arguing. He tells Blake he'll get him off the hook for Chisolm's murder in exchange for letting him and his shady associates assist in finding "the collection" and then taking possession of it. He then leans in and pulls a loose thread off of Blake's blazer and puts in a small plastic bag as he heads back to his car...which I'll take to mean that he'll use the thread to falsely plant physical evidence somewhere if need be. 

Alexis arrives at the cottage and looks irked to see that Fallon has also invited Zorelli to witness their recollection session. Alexis snappishly tells him he should be out arresting Blake for murder, then announces that she's leaving. When Zorelli blocks the door and grabs her by the arms, she shrieks, "Stay away from me!", prompting Fallon to flash back to 20+ years ago when Alexis had shrieked "Stay away from me!" to Roger Grimes while they argued in the cottage. Alexis calls the flash backing ridiculous and says she's getting out of here, prompting Fallon to recall that Roger Grimes had told Alexis that he's getting out of here. After expending as much brain power as possible, Fallon suddenly remembers that Alexis and Roger had been arguing over his intention to leave town alone. In her flashback, Young Alexis, who's wearing jeans and a white hairband, physically clings to Roger as she begs him to take her along - but he makes it aggressively clear that he has zero interest in that and gives her two hard face slaps. Present Day Alexis stares bewilderedly into space and recalls that, yep, she did want to run away with her lover after Blake threw her out of the house - but doesn't remember Roger hitting and/or yelling at her. In the flashback, Roger yells at Alexis to keep her hands off of him as she continually begs him to take her with him. Present Day Alexis looks mortified by her younger self's clingy behavior and whispers, "Oh my God, I remember.." and then asks, "How could I have forgotten that?" Alexis recounts that Roger had written her a letter about how Blake had threatened to kill him, and so naturally he wanted to flee Denver asap and, at one point, promised Alexis he'd send for her. Alexis had arrived at the cottage and found Roger packing his stuff ['cause I guess he was living in the cottage..??] - but acted violent and hateful towards her. As Alexis tearfully tells the painful story, Fallon looks as though she's dry heaving as she struggles to remember exactly what happened next. To further that along, Zorelli empties the bullets out of his gun and hands it to Fallon while barking at her to remember the gun that killed Roger. Fallon recalls that Alexis had pulled Roger's gun on him and warned, "You're not going anywhere!", which prompted Roger to violently knock the gun out of her hand. The gun skittered across the floor to where five year old Fallon [who looks like a freckled demon child] is standing. She cries, "Don't hurt my mommy!" as Roger slams Alexis against the fireplace and verbally abuses her some more. Five year old Fallon picks up the gun and points it at Roger, then quickly opens fire. Roger, who doesn't actually appear to have been hit or bloodied by any of the flying bullets, is somehow shot in the skull (as per the subsequent autopsy report) - but is miraculously able to stand upright for several seconds and stare confusedly into space, then whirl around in a dramatic, slo-mo half turn before collapsing onto the floor [with no blood pooling in sight]. Present Day Fallon drops Zorelli's unloaded gun while screaming, "It was me! I killed Roger Grimes!", a revelation that somehow also seems like news to Alexis, who too must have blocked out the horror surrounding Roger's death until this very moment. As Fallon weeps for her murderous younger self, Alexis rushes over to give her a comforting hug. 

"Go ahead, Roger. Make my day."

"I'll admit...I had it coming."

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