Recap: Blake, Ben, and Alexis are aboard a private jet, en route to Hong Kong. Ben enters the seating area, scrunches his face into a sour expression, then suddenly pulls out a gun and opens fire on Blake. Krystle wakes with a start from the nightmare...and when Blake cooingly asks her if she's OK, she tells him she doesn't feel right about him traveling to Hong Kong without her. He reminds her that it's more important for her to stay at home with Kristina, then assures her he can handle whatever sinister intentions Ben might have towards him.

The next morning at breakfast, Blake tells Dex that he's officially taking over the pipeline project...and Dex chucklingly admits that he haaaaaated taking orders from a fucktwat like Ben and welcomes the change. Blake informs him that he's heading to Hong Kong with Ben and Alexis to settle some oil lease business [that could probably just as easily be accomplished via phone or fax], and Dex is all, "Wha-a-a? Alexis never mentioned anything 'bout that to me" ... then expresses his fervent wish that she'd excise Ben from her life for once and for all. When he asks Blake if he plans to ever reopen the crater, Blake says it's going to stay closed as long as Michael is one of the major financiers, and Dex agrees that the shady ex-chauffeuring Lothario is not a man who can be trusted. 

Clay tells Sammy Jo he's annoyed with her for letting him sleep in when he's scheduled to do a job with Dex on the pipeline project for the next few days. Sammy Jo somehow refrains from pointing out that he could have set the alarm clock himself - the way he did on their honeymoon, for example - then denies that anything specific is bothering her. Clay irritably says that maybe it's a good thing he's going to be off working on the pipeline for the next while, and Sammy Jo matches his irritable tone as she snappishly agrees. 

Over at Denver Carrington, Ben hands Blake two checks for $42 million each (one in Blake's name, one in Dominique's name) as repayment for the court settlement he received after giving false testimony against Blake in court. Ben grumbles about how unfair it was that their pa cut him out of his will, and Blake snaps back that it was unfair that he let their ma burn to death. Ben pleads with Blake to let that go 'cause he's suffered enough, and Blake snarlingly retorts that he'll let it go when he starts acting like a real brother. He then informs Ben that their Hong Kong bound plane departs at 4:00pm, so he should be at the airport a half an hour before that...and Ben prophetically declares that he's going to be verrrrrrry sorry he didn't take this chance to be nicer to him.  

During a visit to Danny's school, Claire shows Steven the latest pictures Danny drew and is relieved to see that they're much happier looking than the depressing doodles he was previously churning out. She thanks Steven for not pulling Danny out of the school after she climbed into bed with him (Steven) and awkwardly learned that she was totally barking up the wrong tree there, then gives him a cheek kiss - just as Sammy Jo appears in the schoolyard and sashays over. As Steven ambles off to say bye to Danny, Claire assures Sammy Jo that the cheek kiss she just witnessed was a friendly, asexual peck...and that she senses jealousy 'cause of some romantic feelings she seems to still harbour for her ex-husband.

At ColbyCo, Ben rails at Alexis for changing a company policy that now requires him to get Adam to sign off on every operational order he issues. Alexis unconcernedly shrugs and says that since she's the boss, she doesn't give even a microscopic-sized shit about how he feels about her rules...and then Ben weirdly and longingly moans about how much he waaaaaaaants her. Alexis responds with an impatient sigh before reminding him that they have a plane to catch. LOL.

Alexis phones Adam in Australia to ask him if he's managed to track down the person who made the mysterious calls to Ben, so he explains that the phone company is on it and will get back to him. After she hangs up, Dex storms into her office to express how ticked off he is that she's jetting off to Hong Kong with Ben, warning her that it might be unsafe 'cause "the Orient" is his turf. Alexis assures him that she can take care of herself...and when Dex insists he wants to be there so he can protect her and not be separated from her, she smiles lovingly at him and assures him that she'll only be away for a few days.  

 Krystle summons Ben to the mansion to sternly warn him to not do anything to hurt Blake - otherwise she'll see to it that he's locked up for the rest of his natural life. She then caps off the warning with an extra stink-filled stink-eye.

 While aboard the private jet, Alexis exits the main seating area to go powder her nose...and Ben reminds Blake that when they were young they both had it bad for Alexis. He adds that Alexis was "a tough woman to love", then tells him it's very clear how deeply Krystle loves him...and when Blake's all, "Wha-a-a-a?", Ben explains that she had summoned him to the mansion earlier to warn him about not doing anything to hurt him while they were in Hong Kong. He suddenly gets a faraway look in his eyes and says that the conversation reminded him of his ex-wife Melissa, who eventually grew to hate him so much that fifteen years ago she fled with their daughter (Leslie) to Canada - and neither has been heard from since. Blake chucklingly remarks on how skeptical he is about the sudden revelation that he has a family, and Ben poutishly says he doesn't care if he believes him or not 'cause it's the truth...and that his conversation with Krystle reminded him of what he's lost. 
​
 Over in Australia, Adam is imploring a clerk at the telephone company to give him the contact information for whoever made the mystery calls to Ben in Colorado, and the clerk says it's prolly going to take their very slow computers several hours to match the numbers. Adam says he'll check in later, then heads towards the nearest pay phone so he can update Alexis. Inside the phone booth is a young brunette woman who's calling various numbers on a list to locate Carringtons...and when Adam overhears her next call and immediately looks curious and intrigued, he begins chatting her up and learns that..

• Her name is Leslie Saunders
• She lives in Alberta, Canada
• Her father's name is Ben Carrington
• She wants to locate him, but has no idea where he is

Leslie suddenly beats a hasty retreat, and Adam attempts to chase after her - just as the telephone company clerk interrupts to tell him he has the information he requested, 'cause the slow '80s computers were actually far speedier than he was expecting.  

Sammy Jo asks Krystle if it's really so bad that she doesn't tell Clay about her false pregnancy...and secretly tries to conceive so that he's none the wiser. Krystle urges her to not base her new marriage on lies, reminds her that she genuinely believed she was pregnant, and points out that she's going to have to be honest with him sooner rather than later.

 Back at the mansion, Krystle and the lady servants gush over Kristina's cuteness and remind her about her upcoming third birthday party. Mrs. Gunnerson promises to bake her a giant cake in the shape of Mother Goose...and Kristina cheers, "Yippee!" before Krystle decides it's time to take the overly perky imp upstairs for her nap. 

 Across the globe in Hong Kong, Blake informs Minister Han that he wants him to approve the transfer of the South China Sea oil leases back to his control...and when Han is all, "But my government made an agreement with Ben and Alexis to have ownership", Blake explains that that decision was made after the two falsely stated that he (Blake) had acted dishonorably with regard to the death of his mother. He produces proof that the two lied in court for the purpose of discrediting him, and Minister Han furrows his brows as he looks over the paperwork and promises to get back to him with his decision.

 Later, at the Peninsula Hotel, Blake informs Ben and Alexis that Minister Han has officially signed off on the transfer of the South China Sea oil leases to his control. For good measure he adds that Han was disgusted by their deception, then informs them that, for some nonsensical reason, all three of them need to fly to the headquarters rig in the middle of the South China Sea as part of a "transfer of authorization" process to ensure a smooth transition among the oil rig workers. A peeved looking Alexis signs the documents, while Ben shoots Blake the stink-eye and growls, "I could kill you for this, Blake" before scribbling his signature. Blake smugly thanks them and wishes them both a pleasant evening.

 Adam arrives at the home of Vera Nesbitt, aka the woman who's been identified as the mystery person who's been calling Ben. She initially denies making the calls, but then looks fearful as she asks, "They sent you, didn't they?" Adam assures her he's here to help and hopes she'd be willing to reciprocate, then leaves her $1,000 as a good faith payment and says there's a lot more where that came from. He informs her that he's staying at the Peninsula and confidently says he'll expect to hear from her soon...and after he leaves, Vera picks up the wad of cash and stares contemplatively into space. 

 Gordon Wales drops by Denver Carrington to inform Krystle that he's back at World Finance Magazine and in the process of writing a story about how Alexis "enabled" Blake to get back everything he lost to her. When Krystle suggests to speak to Alexis directly, Gordon admits that they're not currently on speaking terms...and that he's pretty sure Blake has something damning on her that would make for a juicy story. Krystle smilingly declines to dish about Blake's re-ownership of his company and mansion, explaining that she's not the type of person "who likes putting a hatchet in someone's back". Gordon chews on that for a few seconds, recalls her recent visit to The Denver Mirror when she gave him the what for for debasing himself as a journalist, and confesses that he felt very ashamed of compromising his integrity by doing Alexis's bidding. 

 Over at Casa Boring-as-fuck, Amanda unhappily asks Michael if the rumors are true about him making a business deal with her mother that's sure to really really piss off Blake. Michael admits that, yep, the rumors are indeed true...and when she points out that he could have simply sold his crater share back to Blake, he snappishly retorts that he doesn't take orders from her. He rails about how she's doing the typical "rich girl" thing by bailing on him when the going gets tough, then dials back his bitchitude and suggests they head to a secluded island and do nothing but knock boots all day...and Amanda perks up at the sexy prospect as the two press themselves against each other and smooch.

Steven drops by Delta Rho to tell Sammy Jo he's going to try to be less of a moody tool towards her and bring Danny by more often so they can enjoy a lot more mommy-son time. Sammy Jo looks pleasantly surprised by the friendly pronouncement and says she'd be very happy to have her son around more.

Adam gets a call from Vera, who makes it clear that she's interested in getting a whole lot more money in exchange for spilling the beans about Ben...and in the next scene, Alexis gives Adam the green light to pay Vera $50,000 for several incriminating photos. A few seconds later, a drunken Ben staggers into Alexis's hotel suite and aggressively vows that he's not going to lose her. He throws his drink onto the floor (?) and wrestles Alexis onto the couch - then abruptly stops when she snidely asks him if this is how he attacked Vera Nesbitt. A startled looking Ben's all, "Wha-a-a?", then asks her what she knows 'bout Miss Nesbitt, so Alexis summaries the fascinating deets she just learned from Adam:

• Vera was the head cashier at a casino
• Ben talked Vera into a scheme cashing bogus markers worth $800,000
• There are five security photos of Ben signing the markers and of Vera handing him the money
• Vera obtained the photos from a security guard by exchanging them for sexual favors (ew)
• Ben proceeded to dump Vera and then abscond with all the cash
• The casino bosses are majorly pissed and are after Vera for revenge

An ashen-faced Ben says he assumed that Vera destroyed those photos as she promised to, and Alexis smugly says she clearly didn't, because she just sold them to Adam...and that Adam is poised to placate the angry casino bosses by handing him (Ben) over to them. Ben shoots Alexis an extra narrowed stink-eye and asks her what she wants, so she firmly replies, "Freedom from you and your threats. For good." When he doesn't respond, she says she'll take his silence as an agreement that he's going to stop threatening her with prison, then snappishly orders him to get the hell out of her suite.
​
 Sammy Jo drops by the trailer office at the pipeline worksite with a picnic basket for Clay - but Dex tells her that Clay is busy laying explosives in a remote location and can't be reached. He then eyes the picnic basket and suggests they not let the delicious food to go to waste, and Sammy Jo's like 'sure, why the hell not?' before the two begin chowing down. Dex waxes on about how happy Clay seems lately and that she and the baby are the best things to happen to him, and Sammy Jo sadly says she looooooves her new husband so much.

Adam drops by Dana's apartment to let her know he's back from Australia, and Dana's like, "Oh..? You were out of town. I hadn't noticed." LOL. He says he thought a lot about her while he was away, in particular their latest lover's quarrel, and Dana says it was less a lover's quarrel and more that he revealed himself to be a misogynist prick by thinking he can dictate what she can and can't do. Adam sheepishly admits that he got so upset by her decision to go back to work for Blake that he couldn't think straight, then apologizes and says he loves her and leans in for a smooch.

In a remote lakeside location, Michael rents a boat while Amanda is on a pay phone talking to Steven, who informs her that Michael's lawyer has just filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Blake for mismanagement of the crater. Amanda then makes it clear to Michael how deeply annoyed with him she is for putting her in the middle of this tedious acrimony, and Michael snarks that he's not going to be bullied into calling off the lawsuit, then stomps off...and mercifully this is the last we ever see of Recast Amanda.

Krystle arrives home and gets a message from Jeannette that Blake is en route to an offshore rig and then plans to return home in a couple of days. A few seconds later, Kristina bounds over and gushes about how super excited she was to talk to her goat daddy on the phone.

On the oil rig, Blake explains to the foreman that he's now in charge of the South China Seas oil leases, and implores him to fully embrace the sudden change of management and also get his men to welcome the change...and implores him as though a CEO/oil magnate with would give even the tiniest of rat's asses about what a bunch of blue collar rig workers think about a high level transition of ownership. One of the workers suddenly screeches that there's a gas leak, and everyone's all, "Ack!" and races to the upper deck. One of the men escorts Alexis, who looks utterly fantastic in a fashionable black leather pantsuit ensemble, to safety - while Blake finds himself trapped under a large piece of steel that broke loose. As an alarm sounds about the code red alert!, Ben spots Blake unable to move beneath the steel. Blake begs, "Ben, help me! Please help me!" - but Ben just remains rooted to the spot as he mutely stares at his brother while the rig begins exploding around them. 

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

Recap: Ben hisses at Alexis, "You just signed away our lives" - but Alexis argues that, on the contrary, she's given them a reprieve...then suddenly pretends as though she doesn't give a rat's ass about living in the mansion and/or running Denver Carrington. She orders Ben to return to the party and act as though he's having the time of his life, and Ben glares at her warily before exiting the room.  

After returning to the Carlton Hotel, Blake happily gushes to Krystle, "We did it! We won! We got everything back!" Krystle tells him she's sooooo proud of him, says she never lost faith in him, and that she's thrilled that by this time tomorrow they're going to be back in their own home, chillin' by the fireplace. She then asks him if he was bluffing about his willingness to publicly expose Emily Fallmont as an adulteress, and he chucklingly says that Alexis miscalculated, 'cause he would never do anything as heinous as besmirch a kind, dead woman. [I personally wouldn't wager anything on something as risky as goat daddy's good nature, but OK.]

Alexis summons her Denver Mirror writers for an impromptu meeting about the front page story that's going to run in the morning: Blake Carrington regains control of Denver Carrington along with ownership of his mansion. She says her spin on the abrupt turnabout is that Denver Carrington was "a losing proposition" for her and that she happily gave it back to Blake in exchange for a future share of revenues. As for Carrington manor, she unconvincingly claims that the residence had "bad vibes". She then adjourns the meeting...and after everyone leaves, Gordon Wales sticks around to cheekily ask Alexis whaddup with the snow job, and she snippily tells him she doesn't pay him to challenge her, then decides she no longer wants to pay him at all and summarily fires him. 

Unable to sleep, Sammy Jo telephones the lab and is visibly frustrated when she can't get through to anyone...and a few seconds later, Clay enters the room and assumes she's trying to get in touch with Steven. He assures her it's totes OK that she's worried about him, and Sammy Jo admits that, yep, she was genuinely concerned about his foul mood, however disproportionate it may have been, after he was propositioned by a rando gay during the Black and White Ball.  

Steven drunkenly staggers home and finds Claire in his living room. She informs him that Danny's nanny had an emergency and had to rush off, so she took it upon herself to hang around and put Danny to bed. Steven grunts in response and stumbles into his bedroom and collapses atop his bed...and Claire stares down at him longingly as she murmurs, "You're going to have a big headache in the morning", then removes his shoes and begins unbuttoning his shirt. Oh dear.  

Alexis stares in sad wistfulness at a lovely bouquet of flowers Gerard left for her enjoyment in the study after the ball - just as Adam enters the room shortly after being summoned. She tells him that tomorrow morning The Denver Mirror is going to break the news that Blake has regained control of Denver Carrington and will henceforth be living at the mansion again...and when Adam's all, "Wha-a-a-a?", she wails that Blake blackmailed her by threatening to expose her crime of perjury during the Season 6 trial. Adam says he pretty much assumes she had lied on the stand - but isn't passing judgement 'cause he knows what it's like to be pushed around by Blake. Alexis thanks him for not turning against him, and breathily vows that one day she's going to "win the war" against Blake. 

Alexis returns to her bedroom and is unpleasantly surprised to find Ben waiting for her. She shoots him an incredulous stare at his presence in her private space, then firmly declares, "It ended for us tonight, Ben" - but he argues that it's never going to end for them, and is flattering himself by assuming that she needs him 'cause he's the only one she has left. Alexis shoots back that she has herself, aka the only person she needs, so then he smugly informs her that he did some digging into another period of her "very eventful life" and came across news clippings of when she was arrested for murdering Mark Jennings and subsequently locked up. She rolls her eyes disinterestedly and points out that she was innocent of that crime and (eventually) fully exonerated. Ben says it's pretty clear that the idea of spending ten or so years in prison for the crime of perjury really scares her - but Alexis denies that, 'cause she knows that if she goes down, he's going down with her. Ben idiotically argues that he'd survive his prison term just fine, then asks, "Could you?", and Alexis brashly retorts that, yeah, she could...but when Ben saunters over to the phone and asks the operator for the number of the DA's office, she races over to hastily disconnect the call and meekly concedes that he's won this round. Ben decrees, "No more talk of getting rid of me. Ever", and Alexis stares back at him, her face scrunched concernedly.​

Blake arrives at his Denver Carrington office early the next morning and encounters Ben, who's packing up his stuff. He snarks at Blake, "You may have won this round, but my turn will come." Blake wearily asks him when this tiresome conflict is finally going to come to a merciful end, so Ben nonsensically retorts that the conflict was borne out of the rules he (Blake) plays by and always has. Blake reminds him again that when they were young they used to share the dream of building an empire together, and Ben self-piteously points out that he (Blake) was only ever inviting him along for the ride. He recalls one incident years ago when he had suggested to Blake that they lease a particular oil well and be equal partners - and Blake explains that that oil well had been worthless 'cause it was overworked and it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that the land owner was merely attempting to unload it onto them. Ben argues that, in his opinion, it was a perfectly functioning oil well and that, despite this difference of opinion from fuuuuucking decades ago, he continues to resent being treated like an upstart who had to learn his place. Blake's like, "Yeah, whatever. This bitterness is going to eat you up and destroy you" and Ben snarls, "We'll see" and huffily exits the office. 

 Steven wakes up at 11:00am and finds himself naked and in his bed next to - ack! - Claire. She tells him he was sooooo drunk last night, and that she put him to bed...then assures him that he was way too inebriated for them to have had sex. She leans in for a smooch, but he gently pushes her away and wryly tells her she must not have gotten the memo that when it comes to choosing bed partners he's (mostly) not of the hetero variety, then explains that he got himself ridiculously worked up last night after a gay rando aggressively propositioned him at his mom's ball. A stunned looking Claire's like, "Ooooooh.." as it dawns on her what a horse's ass she's currently making of herself, but then tries to reason that he can't possibly be all the way gay 'cause he's been married to women. Steven points out that those relationships didn't exactly work out...and Claire mulls that over, then urges him to not pull Danny out of her school as a result of the bizarre awkwardness of her slipping uninvited into his bed, 'cause she really loves the tot and wants to give him all the one-on-one therapy he needs. 

Krystle is greeted at the mansion by a cheery Gerard...and the two go upstairs to survey the master bedroom that got redecorated to Alexis's tacky taste. Gerard tells her he placed hers/Blake's furniture in storage - just as Alexis enters the room and snippily reminds him that she had ordered him to give it to charity. LOL. Gerard wryly says he didn't think she meant that literally, and Krystle interjects by asking him to please ensure that everything is put back the way it was before Alexis took up residence. Alexis chimes in and tells him he can put her stuff in storage, then pretends as though she's grown bored of the mansion and is very much looking forward to moving into the Carlton Hotel. [That's interesting...I wonder if she sold the penthouse suite she lived in just prior to evicting Blake and Krystle from Carrington manor.] Alexis snarlingly tells Krystle that she's only being forced to move 'cause Blake blackmailed her, and that he's going to pay for that, along with everyone else in his life. 

Blake summons Dana Waring to his office to invite her to resume her old position as his assistant, gushing about how efficient and loyal she always was to him. Dana hangs her head in shame and says he might want someone else for the job, then confesses to being the leak regarding his plans to drill at the crater. She explains that she spilled the beans to Adam, 'cause for whatever, God-only-knows-why reason, she's so in loooooove with the weird psycho...but now knows it was very wrong and would never expect him to accept her back as his trusted assistant. As she heads towards the door, Blake stops her, thanks her for her honesty, and says he still wants her to come back, loose lips and all. 

​Dominique arrives at the mansion, runs into Alexis, and needlessly informs her that she's going to be living here until her own house is ready. Alexis tells her that she, meanwhile, is in the process of negotiating the purchase of the Carlton Hotel, and Dominique says she heard 'bout that, which is why she hastily checked out. Alexis dryly retorts, "Well, it was never meant to be a hotel for transients" - LOL - and Dominique mockingly applauds her recent acting performance when she continued to look as though she were having the time of her life at the ball, even after Blake evicted her from the mansion. Dominque says she almost felt sorry for her, but Alexis snappishly tells her to save her pity 'cause she's going to need it for herself.

Sammy Jo is at the lab, demanding to see her test results - but the clerk informs her that the proper procedure is for her to get those results from her doctor. Sammy Jo irritably says she did that, but that the doctor told her she's not pregnant. She adds that she doesn't believe that and is certain there's been a mixup, but the clerk tells her the lab doesn't usually mix up their tests, and that if her results indicated she wasn't pregnant, she probably isn't...and it remains unclear why he doesn't simply suggest that if she's so doubtful of the test results, she should take a second test so she can be totally completely 100% certain about her pregnancy/non-pregnancy.

Over at the mansion, the Carrington clan gathers in the study, where Blake gives a heartfelt speech about how much it means to him to be home again, among his loved ones. A joyless looking Steven tells him he's considering moving back in, and Blake says he'd loooooove to welcome him and Danny back, then assures everyone that whatever problems they run into can surely be sorted out under this roof...'cause, yeah, conflict resolution involving Blake has worked so well at Carrington manor for the past six seasons.

While primping for bed, Krystle tells Blake she's soooooo happy to be back at the mansion, and that when they were evicted by Alexis she sadly wondered if she'd ever see their bedroom again. Blake tells her he thinks of himself as the luckiest man in the world on account of he has her love and support...and that during his darkest days at the Carlton Hotel, he'd wake up in a panic, but then quickly calm down after staring at her sleeping next to him. The two then hug, exchange I love yous, and start getting it on atop the bed. 

The next day, Blake summons Alexis and Ben to his office to gruffly inform them that once Minister Han is available for a round of meetings, they're going to jet to Hong Kong to..

• "Right the wrong" by confessing that they both made false accusations against him
• Transfer the South China Sea oil leases back to his control

An incensed Alexis argues that she's owned a quarter of those oil leases from the beginning, so Blake says that since she tried to swindle the rest of them from him, losing that lucrative investment is the price she's going to have to pay. Alexis vows that she's not going to forget this, and Blake growls, "Goooooood. I don't want you to forget."

Alexis heads over to her Denver Mirror office and calls up a well known music critic named Vaughn Adams and commissions him to write up a disparaging review and then send it to her office asap...or send him his regular review so that she can throw in some negativity of her own. It's not completely clear. After she finishes the call, Michael Culhane drops by to let her know he's turning down her offer to buy up his share of Blake's crater - but that he has a different project for them: now that oil prices have fallen, there are many attractive energy properties available for sale in Colorado...and eventually the oil prices will go back up, allowing them to earn a small fortune. Alexis mulls over the prospect for a few seconds and decides 'sure, why the hell not?' and tells him she'll on board - but only if he agrees to sue Blake for $100 million in damages for abruptly shutting down the crater project. Michael agrees, and the two toast their new alliance.

Alexis is unpacking her things in her new home: a spacious suite at the Carlton Hotel. Dex drops by with flowers to cheer her up and offers to be a sounding board if she needs to vent her feelings of humiliation after being thrown out of Carrington manor. Alexis says she'd rather not talk about it, but that she wouldn't object to a canoodle...and he says he'd be more than happy to oblige, then envelopes her in a close hug. 

Elsewhere in the Carlton Hotel, Dana tells Adam she's returning to her job as Blake's assistant...and when Adam makes it clear he's not at all happy with that decision, she tells him he should be able to accept her life choice if he really loves her. Adam argues that it's not as simple as that, but she counters that it actually is...and that when he's ready to accept that she's a grown woman and can work wherever the hell she wants to work, he can give her a call. With that said, she huffily storms out of the room.

Alexis and Dex are enjoying a sexy bubble bath when Ben calls...and Dex answers the phone and dismissively tells him to get lost. LOL. Alexis anxiously tells Dex she should prolly see what the creep wants, and quickly learns that Ben is miffed about the contract she signed with Michael Culhane without running it by him first. Alexis snippily tells him she's not in the habit of letting him know of her business decisions, so he snarls, "Then get into the habit." After she hangs up, Dex asks her why in blazes she hasn't gotten rid of Ben yet, then says it's obvious that she's very skeered about something. When Alexis clams up and refuses to answer, he says he fully intends to find out what's going on so that he can help her...and after he saunters out of the bathroom, Alexis stares poutishly into space as she wistfully laments, "I wish you could, Dex."

Over breakfast at Carrington manor, Dominique notices a music review written by Vaughn Adams in the Denver Mirror...and when she takes a closer look, she sees that the title of the article reads 'Don't Bother, Dominique. Denver says NO!' LOL. The article refers to her as "a vastly overrated singer" who was "never more than a glorified saloon singer" and who's decided to spend her waning years in Denver. Blake grimaces and says that that sounds suspiciously like the kind of trash-talk Alexis would say about her, and Dominique concurs and says she's going to storm over to the Carlton Hotel and open a UGE can of whoop-ass on her new archenemy.

Ben haughtily enters Adam's office waving around the order to fund Michael Culhane's account. He declares that he cancelled it 'cause he hasn't approved it, and then dramatically rips the order in half. Adam's all, "The fuck?" and reminds him that he doesn't run the company, and Ben argues that someone has to, and says that ColbyCo shouldn't be dispersing funds, but rather making money by selling off properties. When a suspicious Adam asks if his plan is to get his hands on that cash, Ben responds by urging him to quit if he doesn't like it - but Adam says he's not going to do anything to make life easy for him...and the two men glare mutely at each other. 

Dominique storms into Alexis's suite, railing about getting panned in her newspaper's music review section - but Alexis just shrugs as she says, "The truth hurts" and that she never thought she was anything more "than a second rate lounge act" ... which is a totally fair point, given that Dominique was literally hired as a lounge singer at the La Mirage soon after her Denver arrival. Dominique waves around the latest instalment of The Denver Mirror, warns that she'll sue for libel, then snarls, "Retract this or I'll ram it down your throat!" Alexis knocks the newspaper out of her hand, and Dominique reacts by giving her a hard face smack...and a few seconds later, their stunt doubles step in and kick each other before wrestling around on the floor like angry kittens, prompting Alexis's Shih Tzu to relocate to a quieter corner of the suite. Alexis cries, "You bitch!", while Dominique picks up something from her end table and throws it at her, but misses. The two then continue rolling around on the floor together and knock over furniture - until Adam and a hotel employee enter the room and physically separate the two women.

Adam asks Alexis if she's taken complete leave of her senses to be engaging in the kind of cat-fighting with which she and Krystle used to regularly humiliate themselves. Alexis mumbles that she was merely defending the freedom of the press, and Adam's like, "Whatever" and tells her they really really need to talk about Ben.

Alexis arrives at her ColbyCo office and looks irked to find Ben sitting at her desk. He informs her that Minister Han is ready to meet with them, which means they're going to have to jet to Hong Kong in the morning. Alexis ignores that decree and rails about how sick and tired she is of him inserting himself in her life, using her office, cancelling her orders, and insulting her son. She haughtily reminds him that she is the CEO of this company...so Ben points out that she's also running a newspaper, launching a foundation, and revenging on Blake every chance she gets - in other words, doing everything but properly running ColbyCo. Alexis firmly pronounces that she runs ColbyCo and her life as she sees fit - but he insists that they need cash, not Michael Culhane's business propositions, nor Adam obstructing everything he does. Alexis snarls, "And we don't need you", but Ben says, "You've got me" and decrees that from now on, they're doing things his way.

Blake and Krystle are canoodling by the fireplace and staring lovingly into each other's eyes. He invites her to travel with him to Hong Kong to sort out the situation with Minister Han - but she declines and says there's so much to do at the mansion, plus she doesn't want to leave their daughter alone. He moans about how much he's going to miss her, so she gives him a long, passionate smooch so he'll have something to remember her by while he's away. Ew.

Alexis is having a tortured dream about when she was locked up for killing Mark Jennings. As she cries, "Let me out of here!" from inside the crowded cell, she suddenly wakes with a start, then gets on the horn and calls Adam. He rushes right over, and she anxiously tells him how real it was, being locked up in that horrible jail...and that Ben has been making her relive that nightmare. She tells Adam they have to find a way to get rid of him, then asks him if Ben has ever said or done anything they can use against him. Adam says he recalls that Ben received at least a couple of mysterious calls from Australia that seem to terrify him...and Alexis realizes, upon reflection, that when she first found Ben, he was in the Outback, most likely hiding from whatever is terrifying him now. She instructs Adam to hightail it over to Australia and dig into his uncle's past, and Adam grins as he says, "It'd be a pleasure."

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

Recap: Blake drops by the mansion to angrily ask Alexis whassup with her making a deal with Michael Culhane, so she snippily retorts, "I'm a business woman, I have a right to operate as I see fit." Blake chides her for doing business with a man who's destroying her daughter's life and warns that if she buys a single share of his crater project he's going to shut the whole thing down. Alexis accuses him of bluffing 'cause the ability to bluff is all he has left to threaten her with - but he sternly reminds her that he never bluffs, then tells her to enjoy the ball 'cause it's going to be the last thing she ever hosts at Carrington manor. When Ben enters the study at that moment, Blake glares at him and snarls, "And you too" ... and after he huffily exits the room, Ben assures a worried looking Alexis that Blake is just blowing hot air. She's like, "I dunno" and says there was a strange sureness in his voice that made her believe he has something substantive up his sleeve, and that she really really wishes she knew what it was. 

Blake returns to the Carlton Hotel and tells Krystle it's finally dawned on him how to use Emily's letter as leverage against Ben and Alexis so that the Dynasty writers can finally put an end to the 'Alexis and Ben haven taken ownership of everything I've ever worked for' storyline. He tells Krystle to buy them tickets for the Black and White Ball...and when Krystle's like, "You can't be serious!", Blake insists that he definitely is. 

Michael is on the phone with Alexis saying, "I am leaning that way" before he ends the call...and then Amanda, who eavesdropped on that last part, and asks what that was all about. Michael "jokes" that he and her mom are having a May-December fling, then mercifully changes the subject and says he's kind tempted to accept her deal that would put an extra $10 million in his pocket and get back at Blake for being a jerk to him during the previous episode. He tells Amanda he'd looooove to use the money to start a new life with her in New Orleans, but she makes it clear that she has zero desire to move across the country with him, particularly if he chooses to screw over goat daddy. 

Dominique runs into Gary Tilden in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel and haughtily tells him she's been purposely not returning his many calls 'cause she did some digging into the kind of people he represents...and when she learned that they're a pack of criminals, she concluded that she wants nothing to do with them. Gary reminds her that he and his goons own the only studio in Denver that can meet the music recording needs of someone of her calibre, and she's like, "I know. That's why I purchased it" - a revelation that prompts an angry Gary to grab her by the arm and growl about how she's making his people very angry. Nick Kimball happens to enter the lobby at that moment, sees what's happening, and orders Gary to take his hands off of her. When Gary meekly complies and slinks off, Nick asks Dominique what that was all about...and she tells him she'd rather not discuss it. She then explains that she treated him so coolly in her hotel room the other night 'cause she doesn't make it a habit of easily falling into bed with every Tom, Nick, and Harry she encounters, and Nick just kind of shrugs as he breezily retorts, "I'll survive." Ouch.

Over at Delta Rho, Sammy Jo suddenly feels faint, and Clay looks at her worriedly and tells her to call her doctor to get a prescription for something that can ease her pesky morning sickness. Sammy Jo dutifully Jo calls up Dr. Craig to ask her if she can prescribe something for her morning sickness type queasiness, but Dr. Craig says before they can even discuss any kind of medication, she needs to go to the lab and take a proper pregnancy test, the way she instructed her to do four episodes ago.

Blake asks Steven to track down Dan Franklin, aka the hopeless wino who admitted he was paid by Ben's camp to lie in court during the Blake vs. Ben trial last season. Blake tells Steven he needs to extract the truth from Franklin in order to get his mansion and oil company back and is determined to get it. 

Blake arrives at a Colorado Springs whorehouse to have a private chat with the madam, an aging redhead named Cora Van Heusen. He reminds her that she once told Caress she knew Ben Carrington was having an affair with Emily Fallmont, adding that before Emily died she penned him a letter admitting that she was in the sack with Ben on the day Ma Carrington burned to death. Blake shows her the letter and says he needs more corroboration to ensure that justice is served - even though whatever information she has to contribute seems very heresay-ish - and Cora says she doesn't like the idea of tarnishing the reputation of a dead woman, then wonders aloud why she'd agree to get involved with his personal drama, the goodness of her heart notwithstanding. Blake assures her that Emily's name will not be dragged through the mud, then looks her in the eye as he asks, "Are you with me, or am I just wasting my time here?" ... and the show does that annoying TV tropey thing where the camera lingers on Cora's face for a few seconds, but then pans away before she has a chance to respond.

Blake returns to the Carlton Hotel and tells Krystle he spent the day in Colorado Springs getting answers at a whorehouse...and that he's still working on getting "all the pieces together". Krystle jokes that while she's a tad miffed that he's not sharing the details of these pieces with her, she knows how to get secrets out of him, and then sexily presses against him for a smooch...which, ick. 

 Alexis is in a boutique, finishing up her last fitting for the poofy '80s gown she plans on wearing at her upcoming Black and White Ball. A few seconds later, Krystle enters the boutique and gaily informs Alexis that she and Blake will be in attendance at her big party...and when Alexis amusedly offers to ask one of the servants to show her and Blake how she redecorated the master bedroom, Krystle smiling tells her it won't be necessary, 'cause Blake says it won't be long before - then abruptly stops. A bemused Alexis tells her to remind Blake that she holds the deed to Carrington manor and that he'd better not do anything to disrupt her party, and Krystle remarks that she sounds worried - but that it's understandable...'cause knowing Blake as she does, she's sure he has some kind of bombshell-type surprise planned that's really going to rock her world. She then heads off to the change room for her fitting, leaving Alexis staring after her worriedly.

Dex is showering in his trailer office at the crater job site when Alexis drops by to enjoy the view of his nakedness and to see if he has any idea what Blake is up to these days. She explains that Blake has been doing peculiar stuff lately: 1) he bought tickets for the Black and White Ball, and 2) has hinted that he's figured out a way to get his mansion back. Dex tells her that since he and Blake have developed a relationship built on trust, he's not going to trash it by blabbing secret intel to her...then says he's looking forward to attending the ball and seeing Blake reveal whatever he's been plotting this episode.

Blake meets with Michael to offer double, then triple (!) the profit he was offered by Alexis if he hands over his shares of the crater and then hightails it out of town and out of Amanda's life forever. Michael pissily refuses and says his hatred for him and his love for Amanda somehow "all comes out even", and Blake snarlingly vows, "If you don't get out on your own, I'll starve you out." 

Blake summons Dex and Nick to inform them that he's shutting down all work on the crater project until further notice, and a stunned Dex and Nick are all, "The fuck?!" and remind him that on the strength of his word they've made some expensive commitments and assembled a crew of laborers who were promised a salary. An incensed Nick rails about this double-dealing, and Blake whiningly argues, "I'm fighting for my liiiiiiife!"

Dr. Craig tells Sammy Jo that sometimes when a woman really really wants a baby, the brain fools the body into mimicking pregnancy symptoms...and then comes right out and says, "You're not pregnant." Sammy Jo calls that crazy talk, insists that the test is wrong, and that she wants to get a second opinion. Dr. Craig says it's certainly her privilege to do so and points out that nothing's stopping her from becoming pregnant...however, the fact remains that she's not currently pregnant. Sammy Jo nonsensically wails, "Stop using that word - the fact!" and insists that [her delusional brain is making her think] she can feel Clay's spawn inside of her right now, and that she's going to find a doctor who doesn't try to "mix up" her life. She's really not the sharpest knife in the drawer, that Sammy Jo.

When Sammy Jo returns home, she breezily assures Clay that she's perfectly healthy, and he tells her he's sooooooo excited about the baby that he went out and bought a giant stuffed bear. Sammy Jo asks him if he would have proposed to her if there were no baby, and Clay admits that he prolly wouldn't have proposed as quickly as he did...or - who the hell knows? - possibly not at all. He then pivots and assures her that his child is very important to him and happily declares, "He brought us together" ... and Sammy Jo stares sadly into space as he envelopes her in a hug.

Ben enters Adam's office with some papers to sign - but finds Dana there alone. He snarlingly chides her for refusing to disclose to him the contents of Blake's secret box o' files when he asked, but then was more than willing to blab about it to her boss-lover Adam, with whom he's noticed she's been spending long lunches. When he starts to manhandle her, Adam enters the room, glares at Ben, and warns him to never enter his office uninvited again...and that if he ever again touches Dana, aka the woman he loves, he'll be very sorry.

Blake stops by Dan Franklin's house to applaud his decision to finally stop drinking so that he could get back together with his wife and not live like a homeless drunkard anymore. Blake reminds him that he lied in court regarding Ben's whereabouts on the day Ma Carrington perished and can only assume that his conscience has been nagging at him ever since, A stunned Dan admits that, yep, it definitely has....and marvels at Blake's god-like ability to see what's in his heart. Blake urges him to right that wrong asap so he can finally make peace with himself, but Dan makes it clear he's not interested in confessing to perjury and barks at Blake to get the hell out of his house. 

As the staff of Carrington manor decorate the mansion for the Black and White Ball, Alexis wonders aloud where Adam is. Ben says he has no idea, but that the last time he saw him, he was canoodling with his assistant Dana in his office...and Alexis chews on that juicy tidbit for a few seconds and looks less than thrilled by the prospect of a lowly employee landing Denver's most eligible bachelor.

Adam and Dana are in his suite at the Carlton Hotel, canoodling in bed and reminiscing about their high school days in Billings, MT. Adam gazes at her dreamily, says, "I love you", and tells her he likes the fact that he doesn't have to hide his psychotic tendencies from her. That said, he pronounces that their appearance at tonight's Black and White Ball will constitute "a command performance" in front of Alexis and her rich partygoer friends.

The ball! As the guests mingle on the mansion's main level, Alexis makes her grand appearance at the top of the staircase decked out in a form fitting red gown with ultra poofy sleeve layers. She thanks everyone for paying $5,000 a ticket (!) in support of the imminent launch of The Alexis Colby Foundation, then sashays down the staircase and begins circulating among the guests. 

Blake and Krystle are about to leave for the ball when the concierge calls to inform Blake that Dan Franklin is in the lobby 'cause he decided he wants to clear his conscience after all. Blake's all, "Hurray!" and quickly heads downstairs while Krystle beams serenely at the happy turn of events.

Dex wryly tells Alexis he had no problem finding time to attend her ball, 'cause Blake shut down the crater project for the foreseeable future. The two then notice that Ben is standing a few feet away, popping bite-sized bits of food into the mouth of a pretty blonde woman [you heard me], and Dex amusedly quips to Alexis, "You do have a way of picking winners, don't you?" and a Alexis stares at Ben with a funny looking expression of weirded out-ness and utter puzzlement.

While on the dance floor together, Alexis tells Michael he's been dragging his heels long enough and wants to know if he's willing to sell her his shares of Blake's crater project. Michael tells her it's kind of a moot point now that Blake has shut that project down...and so, for the time being, he just wants to keep his options open. Dex enters the ballroom and shakes his head in dismay at the sight of Alexis and Michael dancing, while Amanda stares at them looking sadly despondent.

A gay rando approaches Steven at the bar, tells him they once met at Chris Deegan's party, and says he'd looooove for the two of them to get better acquainted in private...mmm hmm. Steven stonily said he doesn't remember ever meeting him, barks at him to stop coming onto him, and shoves him away. Sammy Jo, who has witnessed the exchange, rushes over to cluck sympathetically about the rando's weird aggression towards him, and Steven's like, "I gotta get the hell outa here" and races towards the nearest exit.  

Dex sourly asks Alexis if she enjoyed flirting with Michael and/or if she's given her blessing regarding his/Amanda's hookup. Alexis snippily remarks that she thought he'd finished worrying about Amanda a long time ago...and adds that if she needs help meddling in her daughter's love life, she'll let him know. 

One of the servants informs Alexis that Amanda wishes to talk to her privately in the solarium...and as Alexis heads over there, she runs into Adam and gets her first introduction to Dana Waring. She gives Dana an unimpressed once over and promptly tells Adam that (the richer, more socially acceptable) Bethany Anderson is dying to talk to him, bitchily adding, "I'm sure Miss Waring won't mind" ... and after she sashays off, Dana glances around uncomfortably before poutishly murmuring to Adam, "I told you she wouldn't like me."

In the solarium, Amanda snarls at her mother to stop putting Michael between her and Blake, and Alexis suggests she make a clean break from Blake, citing the danger of his hatred for the man she loves. Amanda says she has no intention of losing Blake or Michael, then angrily storms out of the room.

Blake and Krystle arrive at the mansion, and Nick confronts Blake about the crater shutdown and says his men are royally pissed. Blake assures him that everyone will be back to work in a matter of days - but Nick sourly says he doesn't buy that and then stomps off. Dominique, who has overheard the exchange, chides Nick for his rude tone and says he has no right to speak to Blake like that...and he retorts that he'll talk to Blake any way he damn well pleases, then points out that despite him being a mere wildcatter, he was somehow able to afford a $5,000 ticket to Alexis's ball and thereby contribute to whatever unnamed charitable causes The Alexis Colby Foundation will soon be funding. 

Blake tells Alexis and Ben he wants to talk to them privately in the study...and once they're behind closed doors, he orders them both to start packing and move out of the mansion. He adds that he's also reclaiming ownership of Denver Carrington and the South China Sea oil leases, and informs Ben that he's going to have to return the money he was awarded in court after perjuring himself regarding his testimony about the day Ma Carrington burned to a crisp. To back up his pronouncements, he waves around two pieces of paper and says they're affidavits from Dan Franklin and Cora Van Heusen, both of whom have given sworn testimony that contradicts Ben's and Alexis's testimony under oath...then produces Emily's letter and says it further corroborates the speedily produced affidavits. Alexis looks worriedly at Ben and tells him she's caving to all of Blake's demands without even bothering to consult with counsel 'cause she's very skeered of being sentenced to prison, and is totally willing to take his word that he won't be tempted in the future to use Emily's letter against her. Blake hands her a pre-prepared contract that gives him re-ownership of all the stuff she and Ben took from him during the Season 6 finale, then says he's going to be gracious and allow her to spend one last night in the mansion, which is more than she was willing to do for him and his family. He smugly tells her to feel free to sleep in the master bedroom tonight, snarling, "I'm having it disinfected tomorrow."

​You go, goat daddy!

Recap: As Blake tends to an injured Emily, the panicked taxi driver that struck her wails about how she just came out of nowhere...and Blake's like, "Shut up and call an ambulance!" Emily tells Blake she left him a very important letter at the concierge's desk - just as Oscar Goldman rushes over, looks aghast by the sight of his dying wife and cries, "Don't die on me! I need you!" Emily asks him to hold her hand and take her word for it that Clay is his biological son, then wonders aloud where he is at this moment...and Oscar promises to find him asap.

Over in Las Vegas, Sammy Jo is decked out in a blush colored strapless wedding gown and complaining to Clay that he looks less than thrilled about their imminent nuptials. She snarks that she has zero desire to be part of a shotgun wedding and is A-OK calling it off if it's too dumb an idea to follow through with - but Clay insists that he really really wants to put a ring on her finger so he can piss his father off good. He shows her the ring he just purchased in the hotel boutique, and Sammy Jo beams and says that while she's fine with a ring purchased at a hotel boutique, she'd rather they didn't say their I dos in a tacky Vegas marriage parlor. Clay assures her he's taken care of more classy arrangements...and a few seconds later, a distinguished looking minister arrives, along with someone from room service who wheels in a ridiculously huge wedding cake. The minister asks the couple if they're totally, absolutely, 100% sure they want to get married...and when they assure him they are (well, sorta), he commences the ceremony and then pronounces the two husband and wife. 

At the hospital, Blake tells Krystle it doesn't look good for Emily, and Krystle says she's been trying to get a hold of Sammy Jo and Clay, but no one's answering the phone at Delta Rho. A few seconds later, an ashen-faced Oscar Goldman emerges from the ER exam room and mutters, "She's gone.." and sadly recalls telling Emily how much he loves and needs her - which, I guess, was a pleasant contrast from when he referred to her as a whore at the end of the previous episode. He admits to being a miserable fucktwat of a husband with his incessant drinking and verbal abuse, and Krystle refrains from vehemently concurring and urges him to hold onto the pleasanter memories of what seemed like a mostly dysfunctional marriage. 

Alexis shows Adam the incriminating dossier her researcher (I'll assume it was Gordon Wales) cobbled together about Michael Culhane. She adds that after Amanda got wind of her lover's fraudulent activities, she dumped him for about an hour before reversing course and running back into his arms...and when Adam's all, "Wha-a-a? How can that be?", she wryly replies, "It's called sex, Adam." She says she doesn't want to get rid of Michael just yet, 'cause the dossier indicates that he's somehow affiliated with Ricardo Montalbán and Blake's natural gas/crater project...and that she'd very much like to exploit this connection for her personal gain/amusement/satisfaction.

​Blake and Krystle return to the Carlton Hotel and find Ben milling around the lobby. He asks Blake for a word in private...and after Krystle shoots him the stink-eye as she walks past him towards the staircase, Ben admonishes Blake for bringing Caress back to Denver so she could harass and blackmail Emily, which led to the poor woman getting so frazzled that she ran onto the street and got mowed down by a taxi. He moans that he looooooved Emily, but Blake snarlishly retorts that he doesn't know the meaning of the word and calls him disgusting. After Ben storms off, Blake heads over to the concierge's desk and retrieves the letter that Emily left for him just before she died. He opens it and soon realizes that it's a written testimony about how she was in the sack with Ben the very day Ma Carrington perished in the fire...and she urges Blake to use the letter to set the record straight and clear his good name. 

Blake shows Krystle the letter, and both agree it was courageous of Emily to write it. Blake says he has no intention of using the letter 'cause he doesn't want to do anything to sully the reputation of someone as wonderful as Emily, who somehow exercised the kind of poor judgement that landed her in the sack with a shitbag like Ben. As he locks the letter in a drawer, Krystle tells him she still hasn't gotten hold of Sammy Jo and/or Clay to inform them of Emily's death...and Blake said they neeeeeed to find them asap, though somehow neglects to mention that someone should also think to call Bart Fallmont, 'cause even though he's the senator's ex-closeted gay son, he should prolly be given the courtesy of being told that his mother is no longer among the living. 

Sammy Jo and Clay are languishing in purple silk sheets when they're awakened by an early morning alarm. Clay murmurs, "Good morning, Mrs. Fallmont", and she coos about how much she loooooooves the sound of that, then asks why in blazes he set the alarm for 6:00am. He nonsensically replies, "The sooner we make love, the better this whole day is going to be" - but then, by scripted coincidence, the radio program they're listening to starts broadcasting the news about Emily Fallmont getting struck by a taxi outside the Carlton Hotel. The report goes on to say that she was rushed to hospital but died soon after, and a stunned Clay's all, "Say wha-a-a-a-a?" and stares despondently into space.

Clay returns home and finds Oscar Goldman in the living room, indulging in his usual booze guzzling. He admonishes Clay for not being around while his mother was dying in the street and asking to see him, and mutteringly complains about how he's "the son who's never around". Clay asks his drunken arse of a father what his mother was doing at the Carlton Hotel in the first place, so Oscar breezily says they had a minor quarrel, then orders him to change into appropriate mourning-wear 'cause he invited some people over to express their condolences. A few seconds later, Sammy Jo tiptoes into the room, and a vexed Oscar's all, "WTF is she doing here?", so Clay explains that they got hitched last night. Oscar contorts his face into an expression of disapproval and chides Clay for always letting the family down, then growls, "You're nothing, and now you're married to nothing." 

After returning to Delta Rho, Clay laments that he never really had a father, then tells Sammy Jo he's sooooo happy they're together...and is looking forward to the birth of their spawn, 'cause he fully intends to be a real father to his child. 

Over lunch at the Carlton Hotel, Alexis tells Amanda that, unlike Blake, she genuinely likes Michael and finds him ambitious, honest, and appears to have some great business contacts. She asks Amanda if Michael ever mentioned knowing Ricardo Montalbán, and Amanda glares at her mother suspiciously, admonishes her for trying to extract intel from her own daughter, and huffs off.

Sammy Jo arrives at Steven's apartment, finds Claire Prentice milling around, and asks about Danny's whereabouts. Claire explains that she's been administering therapy sessions for the tot - just as Steven returns home to confirm that Danny needs one-on-one counselling 'cause he's a very confused lad and needs lots of special help. Sammy Jo shoots back that he's the one causing all the confusion, accuses him of manipulating their son, and vows to use her newly married status to a prominent Fallmont to convince a judge to grant her full custody of Danny. She snarlingly tells Claire to stop wasting her time, 'cause her son isn't going to be living here much longer, then storms out. A bewildered Claire tells Steven she's surprised that Sammy Jo wasn't happy to learn that her son is getting the help he needs, and Steven bitterly says that Sammy Jo won't be happy until she has sole custody of Danny, something he will never allow to happen.

Alexis is in her Denver Mirror office, recording an audio message that states..

• The Black and White Ball is going to be Denver's event of the decade
• The Alexis Colby Foundation is set to be launched in the fall

Adam interrupts her dictation to inform her that he just learned Michael Culhane had received a payment of $50 million in his bank account, which he then promptly withdrew...and Alexis grins devilishly and says it's irrefutable proof that he gave the money to Ricardo Montalbán to act as a front man so he could invest in Blake's crater project. 

Blake storms over to the mansion to chastise Alexis for making him out to be the bad guy by pretending to Amanda that she approves of Michael, then asks what progress she's made after looking into his shady business dealings. Alexis tells him she had Michael over for dinner the other night, but that she hasn't yet come across anything damaging, and Blake (accurately) accuses her of lying to his face.

Steven stops by Krystle's office to deliver some paperwork and mope about Sammy Jo's new marriage and her plans to get full custody of Danny. He bellyaches about how she insulted Danny's therapist and threatened court action regarding Danny's living arrangements...and Krystle points out that he's at least partially to blame for the ugly situation 'cause he continues to treat Sammy Jo like an irresponsible child despite how much she's grown and matured since Season 2. She suggests the two of them sit down and air their grievances like rational adults, and Steven stares contemplatively into space as he mulls over the prospect of not acting like a sour little bitch every time he and Sammy Jo are in a room together. 

Alexis is over at Steven's apartment, playing Old Maid with Danny, when Sammy Jo drops by. She tells Danny to ask his nanny to take him to the playground...and once the tot is safely out of hearing range, Alexis sarcastically applauds her ex-daughter-in-law for snagging a Fallmont and fooling him into thinking she's a good wife and mother. Sammy Jo, in turn, laughs about the description she gave herself in The Denver Mirror as "the city's new empress", and Alexis counters by calling her "a little slut" who shouldn't get any ideas of getting full custody of Danny. She reminds the skanklet that she has a lot of influence over various city officials who can be persuaded to stonewall any attempts to take her grandson away from Steven. 

Nick Kimball is hard at work in the crater's trailer office when Dominique drops by to berate him about his latest operations report. She strongly feels that the transportation costs and the maintenance expenses are way too high...and when Nick's like, "Whaddup with you sticking your nose in my bidness?", she haughtily tells him she's invested more in Carrington Ventures than he'll ever earn in his lifetime. Nick points out that she knows nothing about gas or oil and that he had no idea that he'd be taking orders from her, then dismissively says, "Have a nice trip back to town." Dominique stares back at him looking all discombobulated, then angrily exits the office. 

Back at the Carlton Hotel, Michael tells Amanda that Alexis invited him to the mansion for cocktails, and that she emphasized he was to come alone. He promises Amanda that if Alexis says or does anything to affect their unholy coupling in a negative way, he'll give her the what for. A few seconds later, the two run into Dex, who shoots Michael a sullen glare...and when Amanda remarks to Michael that she didn't realize they knew one another, Michael mutters, "Barely."

Dex meets up with Dominique and tells her that Nick Kimball complained about her attempted interference when she dropped by the crater trailer office earlier. Dominique flippantly retorts, "Well that's just too damn bad" and decrees that as a major investor she's entitled to ask whatever questions she damn well wants.  Dex assures her that Nick is the best in the business, then smirkingly remarks on how her TV tropey-ish haughtiness towards the man is giving off the vibe that she's totes into him - but Dominique denies that she's remotely interested in Nick and insists that her concern about the crater is solely business-related.  

While sipping martinis at the mansion, Alexis apologizes to Michael for her directness at dinner the other night and explains that she's merely trying to protect her naive daughter. She toots her own horn about how she's a super savvy woman who can match him or any man in any field, and Michael smirkingly retorts that "you and me in any field" would make for an interesting encounter. He gives her a creepish come hither stare, says, "there's something very right...you", and credits her gorgeousness for Amanda's beauty. After that weirdness, he stares longingly at the emerald earrings she's wearing and needlessly shares that he doesn't like diamonds so much, but gets super horny whenever he sees emeralds. Alexis is like, "Ew gross" [sorry, no - that was me, projecting] and re-directs the conversation to what she finds hot - power, strength, and daring - and says she knows that he's the secret investor who gave Blake a check for $50 million. She offers him a deal of $60 million to take over the investment, and Michael coyly tells her that if he were Blake's silent partner, he'd have to consider this generous offer very carefully.

Dex tells Blake he knew Michael when they were both in Alberta (Canada), bidding on an oil property. Dex claims that the boorish cad seduced one of his (meaning Dex's) attractive female employees, then got her drunk and incited her to spill the beans about Dex's bid so that he could undercut him. Dex bitterly calls Michael dirt, and Blake agrees that, yep, he is indeed dirt and that he's been trying to get his nitwit of a daughter to see Michael for the soulless hustler he is.

Alexis is at home, watching an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (hee!), when Caress drops by to announce that she's leaving Denver to get her life in order elsewhere. She warns Alexis to be extremely careful around Ben, not least 'cause he recently tried to murder her when she attempted to blackmail Emily. Alexis chucklingly accuses her sister of exaggerating Ben's ability to cause harm to a self-absorbed diva such as herself, but Caress sternly warns her to not to turn her back on the demented scoundrel. 

Nick stops by Dominique's hotel suite to drop off a series of memos so that she can keep up to date with the progress and growing expenses associated with the crater project. He coos about how lovely she looks now that she's in relaxation mode for the evening, then enters the suite and saucily asks her if she's afraid of them getting involved romantically. Dominique says she doesn't think they have anything in common and that she's not afraid of him or any man, and he's like, "Good!" and leans in for a smooch. Dominque looks into it for several seconds, but then unlocks her lips from his and says she's going to bed now, alone, and ushers him towards the door and crisply bids him goodnight. 

Dex drops by Michael's apartment to warn Amanda about what a creep Michael is, and that he treats woman as objects of manipulation and routinely uses people for his own personal gain. Amanda tells him she's too blinded by love to be willing to believe that Michael is anything other than the nice guy he's pretending to be - just as Michael returns home, glares suspiciously at Dex, and barks at him to get out. Dex agrees to leave, but first warns Michael that Amanda is special to him (and has been ever since they first hit the sheets together) and that he'll continue to keep looking out for her. After he leaves, Michael smooches Amanda and informs her that Alexis somehow found out that he's Blake's silent partner, and that he has zero desire to play games with her. 

Caress calls Ben at his Denver Carrington office to inform him that she's leaving Denver to do a little writing and whatnot. When he asks her where she's going, she curtly replies, "Paris" before abruptly ending the conversation so she can call for a limo to ferry her to the airport 'cause she's booked on a flight to Australia (!) ... no doubt to investigate whatever creepish secrets Ben has been hiding. 

In the Carlton Hotel lounge, Michael confesses to Blake that he was the one who used Ricardo Montalbán as a front man to invest his $50 million in the crater project. He admits that he did it in order to get revenge for the dickish way he exiled him from Denver five years ago, then says he turned down Alexis's offer for $60 million 'cause he's truly in love with Amanda and likes the idea of working alongside her pa as a real partner. An incensed looking Blake rails at him for lying, cheating, and causing pain to his family, and angrily storms upstairs. 

Blake tells Krystle what just transpired downstairs, then cries, "I won't have it, damn it! I won't have it!" He vows to shut down the crater project, mutters about how he's going to get everything back...then unlocks the drawer, picks up Emily's letter, and angrily pledges, "I'm going to get the whole pack of 'em."

So much for not wanting to sully Emily's reputation.

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

Recap: Blake storms over to Michael's apartment and demands to know where Amanda is...and when Michael says she's busy showering, Blake vows that he's not going to just stand by and let him use his daughter. Michael reminds him that Amanda is a grown woman who's made up her own mind about who she wants to do the no pants dance with, but Blake refuses to accept her poor choice of men and snarls, "I know how you operate." Michael insists that Amanda feels safe with him and explains that he refused to attend the Carrington dinner party 'cause he didn't feel as though he were good enough...and Amanda emerges from the bathroom and concurs that Michael did indeed express his feelings of unworthiness to her, then asks Michael to excuse himself so that she and her pa can speak privately. Blake makes it clear to his daughter that he doesn't approve of her shacking up with Michael, and Amanda asserts that Michael is plenty good enough to be mingling with someone of her station in life. She adds that she wants him to back off and let her be happy without making her worry that she's going to lose him, and Blake gives her a fatherly hug and assures her that she could never lose him.  

Over at the mansion, Dex saunters into the study and asks Alexis if she was trying to make him jealous when she showed up at the Carlton Hotel with Ricardo Montalbán, and she shoots him a look of disdain and tells him she has better things to do than to make him jealous, then snarkishly declares that since he insists on doing business with her archenemy Blake, she's entitled to go out on the town with whoever the hell she wants. Dex calls her a game player and warns that if she keeps going this route she's eventually going to need his help...then huffily exits the room and runs into Ben, who smarmily tells him to face the fact that he's not the right man for Alexis. Dex glares at him as he warns, "I have played in the dirt of better bums than you. You haven't seen anything yet" and then storms out. 

Caress is taking a bubble bath when she phones Emily Fallmont to arrange a time/place for Emily to make her first blackmail deposit. A distressed Emily tells her again that she can't access major sums of cash without her husband knowing, and Caress is all, "Sucks to be you - but I need a big infusion of cash to survive." She says she'll call her again tomorrow to confirm their meeting, then sternly warns her to not contact Ben again. As Emily hangs up the phone, Oscar Goldman enters the room clutching a drink and asks his wife why she looks so freaked out, so she fibs and says she's still miffed about how shittily he behaved towards Sammy Jo during dinner the other night. Oscar grumbles that he'll always consider the tart to be an evil Carrington and that she's not welcome in his house, then adds that he'd even go so far as to throw Clay out of the house if he ever invited her to dinner again. After he staggers out of the room, Emily somehow refrains from contemplating why, in the name of all that is holy, she's fighting so hard to stay married to this drunken prick and instead picks up the phone and frantically dials Blake.

Blake returns to his hotel suite and tells Krystle that he found Amanda at Michael's apartment, and that all the smack-talk he's been directing towards her new idiot boyfriend hasn't made a difference. Krystle laments how difficult it can be for fathers and daughters to agree on matters of the heart, then points out that Amanda has a mind of her own about who she chooses to love. She then changes the subject and informs Blake that Emily Fallmont just called, and that she sounded super wigged out and wants to meet up with him at 7:00am in the Carlton Hotel patio restaurant.

 At Delta Rho, Clay is staring despondently out the window when Sammy Jo climbs out of bed and gives him a from behind canoodle. Clay pushes her hands away and pissily reminds her how drastically things have changed between them. He half-heartedly says he cares about her, and she's all, "You care about me? But I have your bun in my oven!" An anguished Clay says he wants to do what's right (in theory, anyway) - but that he can't help but be really miffed bout how his life has been suddenly turned upside down, regardless of how he feels about impending fatherhood. He flatly says, "I want you to have an abortion", and Sammy Jo points out that that decree now translates to him deciding her life. She angrily assures him that she'll take care of herself and orders him to get the hell out of her house so she can get some sleep. 

The next morning at the Carlton Hotel restaurant, a visibly distraught Emily tells Blake that Caress's attempt to blackmail her is going to destroy her marriage and her life, and that she's worried the cunty extortionist is never going to stop demanding cash. Blake urges her to chillax and assures her that he won't allow Caress to do that, then says, "You've got to promise.." - but before he can get the words out, Emily becomes more agitated and wails, "I can't promise anything!" before getting up from the table and rushing off. 

Blake later tells Krystle that Emily has become completely unglued about being blackmailed by Caress, and that he needs to track down Caress asap so she doesn't drive Emily completely around the bend. 

Alexis drops by Blake's office to discuss whatever's going on with Amanda, so Blake informs her that the nitwit is seeing a man he doesn't approve of, aka his Lothario of an ex-chauffeur who seduced Original Fallon in Season 1. Alexis mulls over that troubling tidbit and agrees that she too is concerned about their daughter getting her heart broken. She picks up the phone, calls one of her flunkies, and orders him to conduct a quick investigation regarding everything Michael Culhane has been up to during the last five years and then submit the report to her pronto. 

While lunching at the mansion, Alexis asks Amanda whassup with her love life, so Amanda gushes about how she has a wonderful new boyfriend she's totes in love with - but that Blake doesn't approve of him and wants them broken up. Alexis pretends to be pleased and excited by that news and throws Blake under the bus by pointing out that, unlike him, she doesn't place conditions on her parental love. 

 Sammy Jo tearfully recounts to Krystle the abortion decree Clay gave her the other night and says she's soooo upset that he doesn't even want her to have their baby, much less give a shit that the child wouldn't have two doting parents. Krystle suggests that maybe she loves what she wants Clay to be rather than the careless raw-dogger he is, reminds her that life doesn't always come in a neatly wrapped package, and that she's going to have to draw on her inner strength while she decides whether or not she truly wants to bring Clay's spawn into the world. 

Dex meets up with Adam at the Carlton Hotel to suggest they form an alliance in order to rescue Alexis from whatever weird hold Ben has over her. Adam mulls that over and decides that he hates Ben prolly as much as Dex does, and agrees to look into why Alexis has refrained from steel-toeing the parasitic Ben to the curb.

Ben drops by Blake's office to pass along a stern message to Caress: stay clear of Emily Fallmont or else I'll get my hitman to try to shoot you again. Blake tells his bro he has no idea where Caress is, and the two engage in a tedious back and forth snipefest...blah blah...until Blake wistfully recalls how much they used to loooooove hanging out together when they were kids. He reminisces about the dreams of great adventure they used to share - but Ben grumbles that those were his (Blake's) dreams, then nonsensically accuses of him of making him believe in the dreams until he heartlessly snatched them away. Blake suggests that instead of playing the victim card every damn minute of every day, he could put his intelligence, drive, and ambition towards achieving something good and decent. Ben snarls, "You're indecent", then chides,  "You always were the moralizer - weren't you, Blake?" and says he'd much prefer to live his life holding grudges and planning bitter revenge plots against everyone who's ever wronged him, either in reality or in his imagination.  

Claire Prentice, aka Danny's therapist, drops by Steven's apartment to express her concern about his tot's emotional state. She shows Steven a series of Danny's drawings, which apparently reveal how dark, lifeless, and hopeless he feels about his world, and says she'd like to spend some intensive one-on-one time with him. She asks Steven if perhaps Danny has picked up on some rancor between him and his ex-wife, and Steven gets all defensive as he pissily explains that he and Sammy Jo are very careful to hide their disdain for one another. Claire reminds him that she's really just trying to help Danny, and Steven apologizes for his innate bitchitude and urges her to do everything she can to help his son.

Sammy Jo summons Clay to Delta Rho to inform him that she's decided to keep his spawn, whether the hell he likes it or not. She's disappointed when it's clear that he likes it not and tells him she'd been fantasizing that her decision would prompt him to cry with glee and shower her with kisses. Clay suggests that perhaps their entire relationship has been a fantasy to her and chides her again for trying to control his life. Sammy Jo asks him if he's more afraid of being her husband than he is of being a father, then points out that they've never actually ventured out in public as a couple. She (correctly) assumes that it's 'cause he doesn't think that she or their unborn baby are good enough for the hoity-toity Fallmont family, and Clay's like, "Well d'yuh" and abruptly gets up and leaves. 

Dana enters Adam's office to deliver some letters, then coldly asks if she can leave for the day. Adam admits that he deliberately kept her working late so he can take her to dinner and be forgiven for blabbing her Blake secrets to Alexis. Dana crisply says she'd prefer to go home - but Adam clutches her shoulders, says he's prepared to grovel, and invites her to be his plus one at Alexis's upcoming Black and White Ball. He says he wants to show all of Denver how much she means to him, and is keeping his fingers crossed that Alexis won't want to bust up their relationship the way she did with a previous squeeze...and as he recalls his rapey past with Kirby, he gets a strange, faraway look in his eyes as he murmurs, "There was this girl...long dark hair...eyes" then abruptly snaps back to the present and assures Dana that she's out of his life now thanks to Alexis. He promises Dana that that won't happen to them, and Dana just stares back at the weirdo with an expression of concerned poutishness. 

 Blake returns to his office to find Emily waiting for him. She informs him that Caress called her again to give her the address of a hotel she wants them to meet up at, and that she's to bring 100K for payment #1 of her blackmail instalment plan. Emily anxiously tells Blake she doesn't have access to that kind of money, and that her only available assets, her jewelry, are sentimental pieces that Oscar Goldman gave to her over the years. She cries, "I can't face her!", so Blake cooingly assures her that he's going to face Caress in her stead and get her permanently off of her back.

 Blake arrives at the low budget Motor Lodge and admonishes Caress for disappearing from the Carlton Hotel without telling him, and also for trying to destroy Emily Fallmont. Caress explains that she's not so much trying to destroy Emily than she is trying to save herself, so Blake offers to give her a cash infusion so that she can re-start her life elsewhere...under the condition that she leave Emily alone forever. Caress mulls that over and sheepishly nods in agreement.

 Clay arrives home and finds Oscar Goldman guzzling booze and rambling to no one in particular. Clay chides him for being drunker than usual, and Oscar grumbles about what a shitty son he is -  unlike his other son, St. Bart. He asks Clay when he's going to get his life together and stop carrying on with the blonde skanklet, and Clay haughtily tells him that Sammy Jo is a beautiful, decent woman with whom he enjoys having frequent meaningful sex. Oscar argues that since she's a Carrington she's a filthy tramp who prolly gets it on with him in one of her stables. He rails, "You worthless son!"... and Clay balls his fist and looks like he's about to deck his drunken pa - but then changes his mind, smiles smugly as if a wonderful awful idea just popped into his head, and hastily exits the house. 

 Sammy Jo calls Steven to ask if she can give Danny a goodnight cuddle, but Steven snappishly tells her it's late and that Danny is already asleep. Sammy Jo's like, "Whatever, sourpuss, forget I called" - just as Clay arrives at Delta Rho to excitedly tell Sammy Jo to pack her bags 'cause they're off to Vegas to get married. Sammy Jo's all, "Hurray!" as she happily rushes into his arms. 

 Alexis reads the report on Michael Culhane that her flunky prepared for her and purses her lips in disapproval. She then buzzes her assistant Lloyd to arrange for Amanda and Michael to come to the mansion for dinner at 8:00pm.

 Krystle is over at the Fallmont house, assuring a nerve-wracked Emily that Blake warned Caress to never contact her again. Emily frets that her husband might get wind of her decades old infidelity and thinks it would be best if she just came clean with the drunken boor. Krystle tells her it's absolutely not necessary, not least 'cause Oscar Goldman has a terrible temper...and Emily abruptly asks her to leave 'cause she's tired and would like to be alone now.

While dining at the mansion, Alexis tells Michael she's officially dispensing with the small talk, and that she'd been hoping he'd have the courage to tell her the truth about his shady recent past. She informs him she had him investigated, 'cause an ex-chauffeur who quickly became a multi-millionaire raised all sorts of red flags...and that her suspicions were validated when she learned that he was nearly convicted of fraud. Amanda stares at him all wide-eyed, then cries, "Wha-a-a? You've made a fool of me!" ... and says this as though she didn't already learn all this from Blake during the previous episode. After she flees the dining room, Alexis shoots Michael an icy stink-eye and warns, "If you do anything to hurt my daughter, your life won't be worth living."

Emily enters her living room, finds Oscar Goldman staggering around in a drunken stupor, and decides that, yep, this is an ideal time to admit that she once had an affair with Ben Carrington. She seats herself on the couch and calmly explains that a few years after they got married and he was away campaigning, she hooked up with Ben. Oscar stares back at her in stunned bewilderment and recalls that that was the summer 1) Ma Carrington burned to death, and 2) Clay was conceived. As Emily weakly tries to insist that he (and not Ben) is Clay's bio dad, an enraged Oscar screeches, "I don't believe you, Emily!" and throws his drink at the fireplace, and she's all, "OMG! Nooooooo!!"

Amanda returns to Michael's apartment, and he lets out a big sigh of relief and admits that everything Alexis said about him was true. He confesses that he was using her to get back at Blake 'cause he has a habit of getting at people for his own mistakes - but this time the plan went awry after he fell hopelessly in love with her. He pauses to ask her why she came back, and she just kind of shrugs and says, "I couldn't help myself" and presses herself against him in a hug. He comes clean about the $50 million check Blake scored from Ricardo Montalbán and admits that it was really from him - but that Blake can't find out about it 'cause he'll ruin his new business when he'll no doubt angrily react by cancelling the natural gas deal. He says he has no desire to hurt Blake anymore, now that he loves her, and plants a big smooch on her lips.

Emily arrives at the Carlton Hotel and leaves a note for Blake with the concierge, then calls Blake to inform him that she left him an envelope in the lobby and is about to leave Denver for good. Blake urges her to come upstairs and talk this out - but Emily declines and tearfully ends the call. Blake tells Krystle he's going downstairs to see if he can catch Emily - just as Oscar Goldman, who's been guzzling additional booze in the hotel bar, sees his wife in the lobby and mockingly snarls, "Sooooo, this is where you spend your free time, hanging around hotel lobbies." A few seconds later, Blake emerges from the elevator, and Emily sees him and despairingly moans, "Ooooh.." before making a beeline towards the main exit. Oscar drunkenly advises Blake, "Don't chase after whores, they always come back" - but Blake irritably shoves him away to run after Emily, who has dashed out of the hotel and onto the street, where she's struck by an oncoming taxi. Blake cries, "Emily!" and races over to where she's laying and drops to his knees beside her. 

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

Recap: While dining/hanging out at the Carlton Hotel, Blake tells Caress he broke her out of the Venezuelan prison mostly so they could get revenge on Ben for all of the shitty things he's done to their lives. He then admits that his plan went horribly awry after Assistant DA Ferguson said he was going to do fuck all to hold Ben accountable for his crimes, and suggests to Caress that she just slink off somewhere and quietly start a new life. When Caress makes it clear that she's not open to forgiving or forgetting everything that Ben and Alexis have put her through, Blake reminds her that when she's pissed off she has a tendency to go off half-cocked and make very poor life choices. He urges her again to take his advice and stay far away from the troublesome twosome, and Caress promises that she'll pretend to do exactly that. 

Amanda drops by Michael's apartment, which is a whole lot more spacious and luxurious than she was expecting, considering she's assuming that he's eking out an existence as an unemployed chauffeur. Michael fibs that the apartment belongs to a wealthy, successful friend, then tries to canoodle her from behind - but she pushes him away and makes it clear how annoyed with herself she is that she revealed to him confidential information (about Blake looking to raise $50 million for his natural gas venture). Michael faux assures her he didn't do anything with that intel, pretends that he only cares about being with her, then leans in for a smooch.

Caress is wandering around the mansion when Alexis descends the staircase and cheerfully asks where she's been lately - Paris? As the two head over to the study, a grim-faced Caress tells her sister she was locked up in a prison in Caracas...and when Alexis gasps in shock, Caress says she doesn't buy for one second that she wasn't completely aware of her kidnapping and subsequent incarceration. She says if it hadn't been for Blake and Dex, she'd still be there...and when a perplexed Alexis asks, "Be where?", Ben saunters into the room at that moment and replies, "Back in her Caracas jail cell where I put her." He tells Caress that Alexis really didn't know about her whereabouts and that he's taking full credit for her kidnapping/captivity. He then explains to Alexis that Caress had threatened to expose his decades old affair with Emily Fallmont, which would have destroyed his case against Blake (during the Season 6 trial) ... so he had to protect his interests. An incensed Caress yells, "You scum!" and lunges at him, but he easily restrains her and shoves her onto a nearby leather couch while Alexis insists to her sister that she knew nothing of this and would be more than happy to make it up to her. Caress is like, "Damn right you will" and says she wants a payout of $5 million: $1 million for every year she languished in prison. She threatens to tell Assistant DA Ferguson that Ben really did let his mother burn to death while he was doinking Emily Fallmont, and that Alexis, who swore she had been with Blake when the fire broke out, was really with her (Caress). Ben points out that she has no ability to prove "these fantastic charges", so Caress smugly retorts that Emily Fallmont can. Alexis points out that it's high doubtful Emily would risk her shitty marriage to Oscar Goldman by admitting to an affair, and Ben urges, "Why not be a good loser and just go away and leave us alone?" He threatens that if she pursues her plan of revenge, she might just wish she were back in Caracas. Alexis irritably tells him to shut it, then offers Caress a job at The Denver Mirror as a high society columnist with lots of nice perks...and makes it clear that she's not just giving her the job to shut her up, but because they're sisters.

Dana arrives in Adam's suite at the Carlton Hotel wearing a slinky black dress. She urges him to pour them a couple of glasses of champagne...and, after an initial smooch, natters something about how passion and hate are similar emotions. Adam scrunches his face confusedly and asks her what's wrong, so she snaps, "You are" and tells him she's royally pissed at him for sweet talking her into revealing what was in Blake's secret box o' files, only to run to his mother so that she could splash it across the front page of her newspaper. She reminds him that he pinky swore the information would be used to get back at Ben, not Blake...and Adam blocks her from fleeing the room and begs her not to end their romance when it's only starting. Dana firmly replies, "No, it's ended", vows that no one is ever going to use her again, and storms out of the suite. 

Alexis tells Caress she's thrilled that she's agreed to become The Denver Mirror's new high society columnist - a fun, fancy job that comes with a private car and a charge account. She says it's never too late for them to act like sisters, then walks her to the door and kisses her goodbye. Ben smarmily remarks to Alexis what a charming reconciliation that was, to which a furious Alexis retorts, "How dare you kidnap her and send her back to that terrible jail!" Ben insists that he did what was best for both of them, and an irked Alexis corrects him by saying, "You did what you considered best for you." As she sashays off, Adam returns home and amusedly asks Ben if he's found a way to get rid of him yet, and Ben mutters that he's working on it...but that, at the moment, it's not his first priority.

Over at the Carlton Hotel, Blake is fretting about Amanda being out all night. A few seconds later, she phones to assure him she's OK, and that she's at Michael's luxury pad...and when he starts to berate her for making him worry, she hangs up on him. He grimaces in irritation and complains to Krystle that ever since being evicted from the mansion he feels as though he's lost contact with his children, and Krystle urges him to stop acting like a horse's ass when it comes to Amanda, otherwise he might lose her forever. Which he does anyway once she [spoiler] gets permanently written off the show, five episodes from now.

Caress tells a Carlton Hotel flunky that she wants to book a long term lease for one of their more luxurious suites and that he should send the tab to Alexis. She's then startled to see Zach Powers (played by Ricardo Montalbán!) milling around the lobby and asks the hotel flunky to confirm that the dude truly is Mr. Fantasy Island himself, so he tells her he is, and that he checked in after arriving from Los Angeles late last night.

Dex is in his trailer office, struggling to shave himself with his injured arm, when Alexis saunters in and offers to shave him. As she shaves, she tells him how annoyed she is that he rescued Caress at Blake's behest without telling her...and Dex explains that Blake promised that Caress's reappearance wouldn't be used against her in any way - just Ben. Alexis snippily reminds him that she's quite capable of handling Ben herself and that she doesn't like the fact that he's keeping secrets from her. 
​
Amanda drops by Blake's office to apologize for hanging up on him earlier. Blake gives her a hug and says it's obvious she's in love with Michael (despite their complete lack of chemistry) ... then insists she needs protection from the ex-chauffeur 'cause he's sooooo much worse than he used to be. He tells Amanda that Steven looked into what he was doing during his absence from Dynasty and discovered that he was involved in an oil lease investment scheme...and when Amanda weirdly asks if this scheme constituted a crime, Blake says it did, and that despite not being formally accused, he's convinced that Michael is guilty. He urges her to not make a terrible mistake by getting more deeply involved with the hoodlum, and Amanda reacts by abruptly getting up from her chair and flouncing towards the door while Blake cries, "Amanda! How can I make you understand? Michael is not what you think he is!" 

Michael summons Ricardo Montalbán to his apartment to tell him he needs a favor regarding some unfinished business he has with Blake. 

Blake meets with Ricardo Montalbán and says he wants to get right down to business about his crater venture, and Ricardo says he heard he's seeking investors and that natural gas is being gabbled about as the next big thing. Blake offers him a profit of 25% on a $50 million investment, and Ricardo chuckles and says he'd prefer 50% with equal decision making power. Blake growlingly pronounces, "I run the show" ... and eventually the two agree on a 30% cut (with no decision making power). 
 
Ricardo Montalbán tells Michael he now owns 30% of Blake's crater, and Michael thanks him and says he deposited $50 million into his account to cover the check he just wrote for Blake. Ricardo scrunches his face all curious-like and asks him why he needed him to front the dough, and Michael cryptically says, "It's a long story with a very unhappy ending."

Blake shows Krystle the $50 million check he just scored from Ricardo Montalbán and happily pronounces, "We're on our way!" Krystle gushes about how thrilled she is for him, and Blake says they need to celebrate the cash infusion...and while they're doing that, honor his mom's birthday by declaring that the dinner is officially in honour of Ellen Lucy Carrington. 

At Denver Mirror headquarters, Alexis and Caress are discussing the topic du jour for the paper's high society column: the Alexis Colby Foundation's upcoming Black and White Ball, to be held at the mansion. Caress reads aloud from her draft, which pronounces that this ball "will serve as Alexis Colby's coronation as Denver's new queen". Alexis chews on that wankery for a few seconds and says she prefers to be titled "Denver's new empress" ... and Caress is like, "Empress. Sure, why not?" - LOL - and makes the edit on her copy of the draft. When she grumbles about her tiny office, Alexis promises that her working conditions will get a lot better once she proves herself...and cites herself as an example of a woman who's fought hard to get where she is [even though the bulk of her wealth came from being married to Cecil for less than five minutes]. Caress then declares that, now that she's out of prison, she intends to have everything she wants and deserves. 

After another doinkfest, Amanda chides Michael and his penis for never seeming to tire of riding the bony express...and when he explains that his unemployed status has resulted in a lot of extra energy, Amanda suggests he direct some of that horny virility towards getting a job. Michael jokes that he could always pursue being a gigolo...and when Amanda tries to picture him as a man who makes a living squiring older ladies and pretending to have a lovely time, he cooingly assures her that he never has to pretend with her, and genuinely enjoys spending so much time with her.

​Caress returns to the Carlton Hotel, seats herself at a table with Ricardo Montalbán, and guilts him about all the years she spend languishing in a Venezuelan prison. Ricardo breezily claims he did his best to keep her out of prison, then urges her to look to the future rather than dwell on the past. Caress tells him she'd looooove to discuss her future, so Ricardo pulls out a check book and decides that his past mistakes are worth a payout of 250K. When he asks if that's fair, Caress replies, "For now" and reaches for the check, and Ricardo looks alarmed at her response, blocks her hand from taking the check, and says, "It would never end, would it Caress?" He takes the check back, rips it into pieces, and says, "Therefore, it must never begin." After he exits the dining room, Caress asks the waiter to bring her a telephone so that she can launch Operation Blackmail Emily Fallmont For Way Less Money Than She Was Just Offered by Ricardo Montalbán​.

Sammy Jo is playing tennis with Clay when she suddenly gets dizzy and needs to sit down. She tells Clay she has some wonderful news, then drops the bombshell that - surprise! - she's pregnant. An alarmed Clay replies, "You're what?", then tries to not look completely wigged out as he mutters, "Hey...how about that..." Sammy Jo, who's somehow oblivious to her lover's less than thrilled reaction, presses against him in a happy hug and gushes about how this pregnancy is truly something special.

A distraught looking Emily arrives at the Carlton Hotel after being summoned by Caress and correctly guesses that the matter of interest is her affair with Ben. Caress asks her how her husband would feel if he learned that she had been knockin' boots with that horrible douchebag, then whines, "My own survival is at stake." An incredulous Emily counters, "What about mine?" then asks her how much she wants...and when Caress says she'd be willing to keep her mouth shut for 100K, an aghast Emily says she can't possibly raise that kind of money without her husband knowing. She tearfully says that if Oscar Goldman found out about her dalliance with Ben, "That would be the end of my marriage...I couldn't bear that, my family is my whole life." She tearfully begs Caress not to blackmail her, but Caress firmly says that if prison taught her anything it's that nothing is impossible...a lesson she (Emily) will have to learn the hard way - otherwise her husband is going to find out everything about her infidelity.

​Ricardo Montalbán drops in at the mansion to reminisce with Alexis about the first time they met (aboard his yacht back when he and Caress were a couple). Alexis says she heard through the grapevine that he gave Blake $50 million for his new natural gas venture and offers to pay him 25% of that to buy him out of the investment - just so she can smugly inform Blake that she's his new partner. Ricardo says he can't do that on account of he just fronted the money for a friend and is bound by secrecy from naming that friend. He regrettably says, "I'm afraid this is one you lose", but a determined Alexis tells him not to count on that. 

Emily meets with Ben in a public park to worriedly wring her hands about Caress's threats to blackmail her. She laments the stupidity of having an affair with him all those years ago 'cause it could destroy her life, but Ben tells her not to beat herself up about it and reminds her that they hooked up because they loooooooved each other. He curses Blake for bringing Caress into their lives, then assures Emily that she needn't worry about being blackmailed and promises to take care of the matter. Emily lets out a huge sigh of relief and gives him a thank you hug, and he urges her to go home and rest assures that everything is going to be A-OK [though, spoiler: not]. After she heads off, Ben returns to his car, speed dials whoever's been doing his dirty work, and says he needs to permanently silence the person who continues to be a thorn in his side. Ack!

Amanda returns to Michael's apartment, engages him in a passionate smooch, and tells him they need to change for Blake's celebration/his ma's birthday party at the Carlton Hotel. Michael says he'd really rather not attend, not least 'cause Blake would be very pissed off to see him there...and Amanda dumbly says her father is just going to have to understand that they're a couple in love. Michael asks her if, deep down, she doesn't secretly think he's not good enough for her...and when she firmly says no, he tells her he'd like it if she moved in with him - but makes it clear that all he has to offer her is his love. The two start smooching, and then Amanda grins at him stupidly as she strips off his bathrobe. 

Blake's celebration/his ma's birthday party is underway - so far with himself, Krystle, Dex, and Steven in attendance. Blake admits to Krystle that he's very distracted by Amanda's stubbornness about continuing to date Michael, and Krystle breezily says she's sure that the love-starved nitwit will show up any minute. Adam enters the dining room, asks to speak privately with Blake, and waxes on about all the great things he's heard about Ellen Lucy Carrington and can't help but leap to the conclusion that if they'd known each other, they would have been close...and that, as a result, he and Blake may have liked each other a lot more. Blake mulls that over and says that despite the toxic antagonism that's existed between them ever since he (Adam) reclaimed his spot within the Carrington dynasty, they're family and as such should be together at times like these. He asks a waiter to set another place at the table, and Adam's all, "Yippee!" as he seats himself beside Dex. 

Alexis - who's decked out in a very poofy glittery pink gown - arrives at the Carlton Hotel with ​Ricardo Montalbán. She glances over at Blake's table and grumbles about how miffed she is that Dex is in attendance, then sashays over to stare daggers at Dex and Adam and tell them that seeing them here isn't exactly a pleasant surprise. Blake tells her they're celebrating the development of the crater, and Alexis murmurs, "Isn't that interesting?", then saunters off with Ricardo...and Krystle wryly remarks on what "an interesting couple" Alexis and Ricardo make. 

Caress enters a parking garage and climbs into her car - just as another car (with no license plate) pulls up. Whoever's in the driver's seat opens fire, and Caress ducks in time to avoid getting sprayed by bullets...and while that's happening, a security guard rushes over and exchanges gunfire with the shooter before the car squeals off. The security guard asks Caress if she's hurt, and she tells him she's fine and that she has a pretty good idea who's behind her attempted murder. 

Blake takes a break from his dinner party to use the lobby phone to check if Amanda left a message to explain her absence. Alexis overhears him mention Amanda's name and asks him if there's a problem with their daughter...and Blake admits that, yep, there's a problem with Amanda all right, but one that he can manage without her help.  

​Hours later, Amanda drops by Blake's/Krystle's suite to apologize for missing the celebration/birthday party. Blake admonishes her for choosing to be with Michael instead of her family, calls it "a sad choice", and chides her for not being able to see the man for what he really is. He further grumbles that he simply can't bring himself to believe that Michael isn't using her to get back at him, and Amanda complains, "That's a terrible thing to say", refuses to give up her new boyfriend, and announces that she's moving in with him. She says that since he insists she make a choice, she's going to make a really dumb one, then flounces out of the room while Blake cries, "Amaaaaaaanda!"

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

Recap: In the Carrington suite at the Carlton Hotel, Blake and Dex are poring over a map as they discuss Operation Rescue Caress From a Venezuelan Prison. Dex explains that he has contacts who live in the little shacks located just outside the prison, and that they've already bribed the guards who have agreed to provide him with access to the prison as soon as he gets there. Blake corrects, "You mean as soon as we get there" ... and Dex manages to keep a straight face as he tells the nearly seventy year old goat daddy that, no, he won't be joining the tactical team in Venezuela, not least 'cause he has zero training in carrying out a dangerous exfiltration mission from within hostile territory [stunt doubles notwithstanding]. Blake nonsensically argues that Caress sent him the written plea to rescue her, so Dex diplomatically tells Blake that he needs him to remain in Denver so he can contact someone in Washington D.C. 1) if the mission should go awry, or 2) line up reinforcements if they're required. Dex mentions that Clay Fallmont has been tapped to partake in the mission 'cause he's an explosives expert, and Blake chews on that for a few seconds and (hopefully) realizes how ludicrous it would be for a gently bred senior citizen such as himself to suddenly play commando in a Venezuelan prison. Dex then makes it clear to Blake that he has no problem with him seeking revenge on Ben - but not Alexis. An incredulous Blake asks, "You love her that much?" and Dex confirms he does... and the two men shake on it. After Dex exits the suite, Krystle wanders into the room and admits that she couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation, and is hugely relieved that Dex had the good sense to firmly exclude him from the mission. Blake grumbles about how much he hates having other people fight his battles for him, so Krystle reminds him that dangerous exfiltrations are what Dex does best, and that he (Blake) should just shut up and let him do it. 

Over at the Mevado Prison, Caress is being dragged into what looks like an interrogation room as she resists and screeches, "Pleeeeeease! I've done nothing!" When the guards lock her inside, she sinks to the floor and sobs. 

Ben tells Alexis he's looking for absolution...and when she chuckles, "For your sins?", he sheepishly apologizes for threatening her during the previous episode and wankishly declares that he'd really like to help expand her power beyond Denver. To that end, he proposes she appoint him her loyal consort whose responsibility it is to protect her from fortune hunters. Alexis replies by asking him where his happiness lies, so he fawningly tells her the greatest joy of his life is being near her, then scrunches his face all agonized-like as he professes in his usual overdramatic way, "I loooove you...God help me, but I loooove you." Alexis snippily makes it clear that she does not feel the same way about him, but promises to consider the intriguing prospect of making him her consort. Ben says he'll accept that answer for now...and once he leaves the room and is safely out of hearing range, Alexis breathily vows, "You'll pay for your threats, Ben. That's my promise." 

Clay tells Sammy Jo he's off to conduct a secret mission for a couple of days...and when Sammy Jo says she'd rather he didn't go, he snarkishly says that while he enjoys frequently hitting the sheets with her at Delta Rho, he doesn't actually live here and does have a life of his own...apparently as an explosives expert. A miffed Sammy Jo says she thought she was part of his life, and Clay assures her she is - but is getting the strong sense that she's tense about something in particular. When Sammy Jo clams up and refuses to open up about what's bothering her, Clay gets very angry, in a way that seems wholly disproportionate to the conversation at hand, and storms out.

 Adam brings Dana to his secret suite in the Carlton Hotel for a nooner...and when she sourly asks him if this is where he scores all of his booty, he tells her he booked this suite especially for her, and assures her she's the only woman he's ever brought here. Dana seems placated enough by that as they start to smooch, and Adam suggests in his intensely creepish way that they take the afternoon off work...then mounts her atop the bed before the two start to get it on.

Sammy Jo confides to Kyrstle that, according to a home pregnancy test, she has Clay's bun in her oven and is a bit scared about what he'll say when he finds out...but is also thrilled to have the opportunity to get a redo in properly raising a child. Krystle urges her to see a doctor so she can be 100% certain she's pregnant, and Sammy Jo promises to get around to that at her earliest convenience.

Adam and Dana are enjoying some post-coital canoodling when Dana dreamily imagines how romantic it would be to have to be rescued during a blizzard in Montana. A mildly vexed Adam says this is now the second time she's referenced the state of Montana and asks her whassup with that, so she tells him she grew up in Billings - more specifically, she attended the same high school as he did and somehow developed a hopeless crush on him. [Yeesh, must have been some slim pickins' in that high school.] She further admits that she followed him to Denver and got a job at his father's company so she could keep her fingers crossed that she'd one day run into him. Adam somehow refrains from asking why she waited four entire seasons to go by before letting herself be known to him and instead says he wishes they'd found each other a lot sooner. Dana makes him swear to the truth of that, so he's like, "Er, sure" - but only if she's willing to swear that she'll help him in his fight against Ben...and by help him in his fight against Ben he means that she must reveal to him the contents of Blake's box o' secret files. [Seems like a strange set of dots to be connecting, but OK.] He assures Dana that no harm will come to Blake as a result of her violating her oath of confidentiality, and she silently mulls that over before the camera fades out for a commercial break. 

Dex calls Blake in the middle of the night to give him an update on Operation Rescue Caress From a Venezuelan Prison:

• He and Clay have covertly made their way inside Venezuela and have touched base with their shack residing contacts
• Caress has been moved to solitary confinement
• The team is "hitting the place" tomorrow night (edgy!)

Blake asks if there's anything he can do to help, and Dex assures him that he and his team can handle the rescue and that all they need are his best wishes.

 Over at Denver Mirror headquarters, Adam reveals to Alexis (and reporter Gordon Wales, who's also present) that Blake's new venture involves "the crater", aka the land his ma bequeathed him - specifically an ambitious plan to drill for natural gas. Gordon says word on the street is that Blake is trying to raise money for something that may have enormous potential, then breaks the news to Alexis that since Dex was seen leaving the Carrington's suite at the Carlton Hotel two nights ago, he too could be involved. Alexis expresses surprise at that tidbit, then orders Gordon to "finish Blake off" by writing an article so damaging about his quest to drill for natural gas that potential investors will be scared off...and Gordon smirkingly agrees to portray Blake as "a loser trying to promote a scheme that is absolutely worthless".

Blake and Steven are meeting with a potential investor: an old white guy named Walt Tyson. Blake tells him he's looking to raise $50 million for his natural gas endeavour, and that he's hoping to assemble a consortium of investors. Walt says that drilling for natural gas seems like just the type of thing he'd be interested in sinking his money into, then promises to get back to him with a final answer. 

 Sammy Jo is at the doctor's office getting a check-up, and the doctor gives her a referral to a different doctor who specializes in performing pregnancy tests. It strikes me as odd that this doctor couldn't have just drawn some blood and run the test herself - but then I'm a recapper, not a baby mama confirmation specialist. 

 Sammy Jo heads over to Steven's new apartment to visit with her bowl-shaped hairdo-ed son. She giddily shares her big secret: he's soon going to have a sibling! Steven enters the room at that exact moment, hears the last part of the conversation, and asks what the big secret is, so Danny excitedly blows the lid off of his mom's secret as he shrieks, "Daddy! I'm having a baby!" Steven's all, "Wha-a-a-a?", then tells the tot to go find his nanny and see if she's interested in taking him to the park...and once he's safely out of earshot, Sammy Jo tells Steven that, yep, she's pregnant with Clay's spawn and also wants sole custody of Danny 'cause of how unhappy he is in their new apartment. She points out that Danny could be happily frolicking around the vast property that is Delta Rho instead of being cooped up in this tiny apartment, but Steven snarlingly replies, "You're never going to have him." Sammy Jo smugly informs him that if she were to marry Clay, aka a member of the prominent and wealthy Fallmont family, there isn't a court in Denver that would dare keep her son from her. 

 Over at the Carlton Hotel, Alexis, who's decked out in a very poofy silver gown, runs into Blake in the lobby and demands to know where Dex is...then says she knows that they were working on something together when he suddenly vanished. Blake says that Dex will eventually be in touch, and Alexis says she's sooooo worried about the safety of her beloved lover, to which Blake grumblingly mutters that he finds it hard to believe she's capable of loving anyone, with the possible exception of her children. He says he's not able to give her any details about Dex's abrupt disappearance, and that it's not helping the secrecy of the perilous mission for her to be coming around the hotel, publicly asking questions about his whereabouts. A miffed Alexis says that if he had acted like a human being tonight she might have considered doing him a very big favor - but not anymore. Blake makes it clear how tiny of a rat's ass he gives about her favors, so she tells him to keep his bitchiness in mind when he sees tomorrow's Denver Mirror headline, then warns that if anything bad happens to Dex, he's going to regret it.

 Over in Caracas, Dex has sneakily infiltrated the Mevado Prison and is stealthily wandering through the corridors camouflaged in a guard's uniform when he encounters a (non-bribed) guard sitting at a table in front of the solitary confinement area. Dex swiftly flies across the desk and attacks the guard by punching him several times and slamming his head into the wall, then grabs his set of keys. He lets himself into the nearby cell, where he finds Caress huddled atop the bed. He coos, "Caress, it's Dex. I've come to take you out of here" - just as a (different?) guard turns on the light, bursts into the cell, and aims his rifle at Dex.

After the commercial break, an explosion goes off behind where the guard is standing, and Dex uses the opportunity to lunge at him and subdue him with multiple punches. A few seconds later, Clay appears in the doorway and tells Dex that he created an escape route by blowing a hole in the wall, and Dex grabs Caress and hustles her out of the prison as the alarm begins to sound. Seems like a ridiculously messy operation, considering all the guard bribing that was done in advance.

 The next morning at the Carlton Hotel, Krystle shows Blake the latest instalment of The Denver Mirror, which features the headline Experts Label Crater Gas Field 'Wild Speculation'...and the tagline under Blake's photograph reads Some dinosaurs never die. LOL. An exasperated Blake says he really really wants all of this tit-for-tat nonsense with Alexis to come to an end already...and I say amen to that. Krystle assures him they're going to get everything back that Alexis has taken from them, and that the public will soon learn that her rag's headlines are nothing but lies. Blake looks cheered by her optimism and happily tells her he has another meeting with Walt Tyson and is confident he'll be eager to invest in his natural gas venture.

Walt, who I'll assume has read the latest article in The Denver Mirror, tells Blake he's not interested in investing in the crater, then sheepishly explains that he has his own investors and a board to answer to. Blake angrily rails that Walt should tell his investor friends that "Blake Carrington's not caving in...that he's going to keep fighting!", and Walt's like, "Er, OK" as he exits the office. Steven tells Blake that by now every potential investor has likely read The Denver Mirror and for whatever reason is treating the gossip rag as a reliable information source regarding natural gas extraction...and, as a result, have become wary of gambling their dough on the crater's success. A few seconds later, Blake gets an urgent call from a newly skittish Nick Kimball who wants to meet up with him asap.

Blake hops into his car and drives over to the crater to speak with Nick, who read Alexis's latest anti-Blake article in The Denver Mirror...and is having second thoughts about staying onboard with the venture. He tells Blake, "We Kimballs have always been realists", so Blake insists that the geological reports are promising and that surely they'll be able to find a way to extract all of the natural gas that lies beneath the surface. He adds that there's something very special about this land, and Nick mulls that over for several seconds and agrees to stay on...and he and Blake shake on it. 

Krystle drops by Denver Mirror headquarters and hands Gordon Wales some documentation about the crater and tells him that this, unlike the dreck he's been publishing, is the truth about Blake's natural gas venture. A few seconds later, Alexis breezes into her office, compliments Gordon on his latest article, aka his contribution to her relentless smear campaign against Blake. Krystle dismayingly asks Gordon whaddup with him allowing Alexis to defile the respectability of journalism...and when Gordon says he doesn't want to get in the middle of an argument between her and Alexis [not least 'cause it could so easily devolve into a violent cat fight], Krystle tut tuts him for being so easily corrupted by Alexis, then vows that the two of them are not through with getting the what for from her. 

​Ben drives out to the crater and finds Blake milling around. Blake growlingly says he has no idea how he found out about this land and his ownership of it, but can only assume he used his dirty tricks to get Alexis to publish the damaging criticism about his top secret natural gas extraction plans in The Denver Mirror. Ben reminds him that no one makes Alexis do anything, then makes it clear how miffed he is that their ma gave him (Blake) all this land, and further blames Blake for turning her against him. Blake reverently says that their ma was a saint who loved both of her sons, and that she surely would have forgiven him (Ben) for abandoning her to burn to death - then growls, "But I won't." Ben asks him how he plans to settle the score, and Blake cheekily tells him he can wait and read about it in the newspaper, then climbs into his car and drives off. 

Dex, whose arm is now in a sling 'cause I guess he got hurt during the mission in Venezuela, delivers Caress to the Carlton Hotel. She tells him it's sooooo nice to be ensconced in this kind of luxury again, then defiantly pronounces, "I'm here with a vengeance!"

Dex drops by ColbyCo to visit Alexis, who's thrilled to see him, but also concerned about his injured arm. She asks him what happened - but he doesn't explain and simply assures her he's fine, then steers her over to the couch so they can horizontally engage in a passionate smoochfest.

Caress is being primped by two of the hotel's spa employees when Blake drops by her suite to say hey. She gives him a grateful hug and says she charged a bunch of stuff from the boutique to his tab 'cause she felt like celebrating. Blake tells her he's arranged for the Assistant DA to meet with them at the hotel so she can report Ben for kidnapping her...and she says that'll be fine and thanks him for rescuing her, then wankingly adds that she's always trusted him and knew he'd be the one to make the dramatic rescue happen. She abruptly changes the subject to another man she once trusted- a rich, powerful, cruel jackass by the name of Zach Powers - but with very different results. Blake says he knows Zach and concurs that the man's a total douchebag, then urges Caress to retain her focus on the future...and by future he means his plot to get even with Ben.

While canoodling in bed, Sammy Jo tells Clay she's sooooo happy he returned to Delta Rho to continue hitting the sheets with her, and that she would have kept his (no longer secret) mission to rescue Caress on the down low if she had known he was doing it in service of Blake. She then tells Clay she has an appointment she needs to get to (I'll assume to verify that his bun is, in fact, in her oven) ... but when Clay makes a weirdly big deal about how much he wants her to stay and laze around in bed with him all day, she decides to skip the appointment and agrees to canoodle indefinitely.  

Caress tells Assistant DA Ferguson that Ben was responsible for kidnapping her and then smuggling her to a prison in Caracas. Ferguson stares back at her blankly and asks her why she's telling him this, and Blake chimes in and is like, "Uh, in the interest of justice?", to which Ferguson says it's soooo obvious he's seeking revenge against his brother. He point out that there's zero proof Ben kidnapped Caress, and that no official in Venezuela ever confirmed her presence at the Mevado Prison. Caress insists, "My word is your record" and Blake explains that the prison officials didn't want to broadcast the fact that Caress escaped incarceration 'cause they had been holding her there illegally. Ferguson says that in order to believe a single word either of them are saying, he's going to need some hard proof - I guess unlike the time he charged Blake with murder and arson just 'cause Alexis told him he should.

While sitting in a jeep and overlooking the magnificence of the crater, Blake tells Krystle he sparred with Ben earlier and is disappointed that their relationship has deteriorated into an all out hatred between two grown men. Blake then turns his focus onto the land his mother left him and says he's going to do everything he can to make his dream of extracting natural gas a reality.

Michael quietly enters Amanda's office and gives her a from behind hug and tells her he hasn't been around lately 'cause he was in New Orleans on business. Amanda tells him she's too busy at the moment to get into a time-consuming smoochfest with him, and he correctly assumes that her sudden workload is directly related to Blake's new venture. Amanda reveals that Blake is looking to get $50 million from investors and jokingly asks, "Do you think you can raise it?", and Michael looks as though he's mentally filing away that bit of intel and tells her that anything's possible, then leans in for another smooch.

Later, Michael calls Zach Powers (who's based in Los Angeles), reminds him he owes him a favor, and needs him to come to Denver, like pronto.

Recap: Dex and Alexis are still going at it in the bed of Dex's office trailer during the thunderstorm. The two exchange I love yous...and when Alexis ponders aloud what it was that pulled them apart, he sheepishly admits that he made the ginormous mistake of bedding her daughter. Alexis acknowledges that he tried to apologize for the regrettable doink, but she stubbornly refused to listen. She laments all of the time they've wasted since then and vows to not let that happen again, and then the two resume their smoochfest.

Blake packs a bag and tells Krystle he's off to Venezuela. He explains that when he contacted someone in Washington D.C. about Caress's desperate plea to flee the Caracas prison, the person he talked to was like, "Sorry, our hands are tied" so he's taking it upon himself to seek her release. Krystle says she really really wants to go with him and do whatever she can to help, and he's like 'yeah sure, why the hell not?'

Dex and Alexis are enjoying some afterglow canoodle time while drinking beer. Dex suggests they get away together to his place in Wyoming, and Alexis coos about how much she looooooves that idea. He wryly adds that it would do her good to get away from Ben, who's clearly up to no good...and Alexis solemnly agrees, then gleefully chides him for being jealous. Dex confirms that he gets jealous of anyone who shuts him out of her life, even for a second...and then the two start going at it again. 

Over at Delta Rho, Clay wakes up amid the silky sheets and finds Sammy Jo in the bathroom, glumly taking a shower. He joins her under the shower head and says he knows she's still upset about the dinner 'cause of the way his drunken idiot of a father took his anger at the Carringtons out on her. Sammy Jo tells him she really really wants his family to like her, and that she cares about that 'cause "you've gotta get serious about things" ... and Clay quips that he's seriously enjoying sponging her luscious body in the shower. His frivolous 'tude causes Sammy Jo to tear up, and when he's like, "Hey, hey! Are you crying?" she breezily tells him she just has soap in her eyes. 

Alexis returns to her ColbyCo office, which has become inundated with an insane number of flower bouquets, courtesy of Dex. She asks Adam how things are going with Dana...and when he says it's proving tougher than expected to get her to spill any details about Blake's box o' secret files, she reminds him that she needs that info asap. Ben enters her office, glances disapprovingly at all the flower bouquets, and sourly remarks, "It looks like a gangster's funeral" - bwahaha! - and Alexis sniffs a yellow rose and explains that they're "to celebrate a reawakening". Mmm hmm.. Ben snarls that was worried sick about her when she didn't return home from the worksite, so she assures him that Dex kept her safe, sound, and well pleasured. She abruptly changes the subject and admonishes Ben for trying to set Blake up with the bogus arson/murder charges...and says this as though she wasn't the one who initiated the entire thing by publishing daily incendiary accusations against Blake in The Denver Mirror. She also calls Ben out for pretending it was his idea to cancel the cancellation of the Lex-Dex contract, and then forbidding Dex from ever contacting her again. Ben says he doesn't trust Dex and reminds her that the cad betrayed her, something he's never done, and an incredulous Alexis is like, "Oh Ben, twice to my knowledge!" and warns that it better not happen again. 

Over in Venezuela, Blake tells the prison official he wants to see Caress Morell...and when the official's like, "No está aquí", Blake accuses him of incarcerating a woman illegally. The official admits that, yeah, incarcerating a woman illegally could be a crime [I would assume is undoubtedly a crime], then reminds Blake he's talking to a Venezuelan officer of the law who's ordering him to leave the premises. When he buzzes a security guard, Blake throws in the towel and says he'll be at his hotel if he changes his mind about giving him access to Caress - but the official tells him not to waste his time. Once Blake has left and is safely out of earshot, the official telephones Ben to report that his brother just paid him a visit, and that it's getting really hard to keep all the guards quiet about Caress's presence in his prison. Ben orders him to replace the guards immediately and promises to send additional funds to subsidize the continuation of Caress's hush-hush confinement. 

Elsewhere in Caracas, Krystle is meeting with the British Ambassador to see if there's anything she can do anything to help Caress. The Ambassador, who repeatedly offers Krystle refreshments in a bizarrely cheery fashion, seems completely unconcerned about Caress's fate and points out that the letter Blake received could have been written by anyone. When Krystle informs her that she had the letter's handwriting professionally analyzed and it was deduced that it was undeniably penned by Caress, the Ambassador weakly promises to look into the matter. She then urges Krystle to return to Denver asap and assure Blake that she and her staff will pretend they're not going to continue sitting on their hands and do fuck all to aid a British citizen who's being held captive illegally. 

Dex takes Alexis out to a restaurant he reserved for the evening, and the two dance together and sip champagne. Alexis is startled when she finds a diamond ring at the bottom of her champagne glass, and Dex fishes it out, slips it onto her finger, and coos about how they belong together. When he proposes they wed tonight, she stares back at him mutely.
 
After the commercial break, Alexis declines Dex's proposal, pointing out that she sucks at marriage and, at this point in her life, needs absolute freedom. She says she wants to run a newspaper she can be proud of and maybe become an important civic leader (say wuh?), and Dex warns that her power hungry impulses are going to end up destroying her. Alexis explains that she's filling a deep-seated need to be a winner, implores him to stop lecturing her about her life choices, and confirms that she's still totes down with their upcoming Wyoming vacay. 

Krystle and Blake return to the United States, and Steven picks them up from the airport so he can tattle to Blake about his suspicions regarding Michael's shady-ness. He says he looked into his what Michael's been up to for the last five years and learned he'd been part of a phony oil well investment scheme in Louisiana. Blake chews on that for a few seconds and tells Steven to keep digging into Michael's sordid past.

Gary Tilden spots Michael in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel and says he just learned he transferred $5 million out of his New Orleans bank account and asks if he plans to use it to hurt Blake...and if so, he'd be more than happy to help. A few seconds later, Amanda enters the lobby, and Gary suggests that one effective way to get revenge on Blake would be to hit the sheets with Amanda and then dump her, and Michael growls, "Butt out" before rushing over to Amanda and escorting her into the elevator and down the hallway. He gushes about how beautiful and sexy she is and invites her to his room, but she declines and says she doesn't want to rush into anything. Michael purringly tells her he knows she wants him as much as he wants her and gives her a smooch - just as Blake and Krystle exit the elevator and glare disapprovingly at the PDA. Blake growls, "Amanda..", tells Michael he regrets re-hiring him as his chauffeur, then summarily fires him. Amanda protests, "Daddy!" as Michael murmurs, "I'm sorry" and then lumbers to his room to pack. Amanda asks Blake what's so wrong with Michael kissing her, so he tells her he doesn't like the guy and has been hearing less than flattering things about him. A miffed Amanda retorts, "If that's the way you feel, fine. But it doesn't make you right...because you're not always right!" then storms into her room. 

Later, Krystle talks about the incident with Amanda, who complains that Blake is interfering in her life. Krystle weakly points out that he's only trying to protect her, and Amanda says she doesn't need his protection and firmly declares that she's a grown woman who's fully capable of taking charge of her own life. 

Alexis drops by Blake's office to admit she was wrong to accuse him of arson and murder, then hands him the wooden box that Ben had been snooping in the other night. Blake opens it and picks up the framed photo of his mother, thanks Alexis for bringing it, then asks what she's really doing here...'cause he certainly can't trust her motives, given her long track record of bringing misery to his life. The two start bickering back and forth...blah blah...until Blake finally tells her to get out 'cause he's busy. Alexis snaps, "You're a hateful man, Blake. You always were, and you always will be", to which Blake yells, "I said get out!"

Later at ColbyCo, Alexis is finishing a call with Gordon Wales regarding Blake's mysterious new venture when Dex rushes into her office to excitedly inform her that his plane is ready to ferry them to his Wyoming house. Alexis says she can no longer go 'cause she needlessly has to stick around and figure out what Blake is up to, and Dex says that whatever Blake is up to is his business...then irritably asks Alexis if she's ever going to stop negotiating with their happiness. Alexis insists that for her business always comes first, so Dex angrily declares that he's off to Wyoming alone.
​
Blake tells Steven that the British embassy kind of wants to help free Caress, but that they're powerless to do anything. He says the only way to get Caress out of that prison is to break her out themselves - then suddenly remembers that Dex has extensive experience exfiltrating innocent people out of captivity. He punches his desk with his fist and pronounces, "Dexter...he's the one" and asks Steven to track him down asap.

Gary Tilden finds Dominique dining in the outdoor patio area of the Carlton Hotel and chides her for not returning his many calls...and when she says he should be contacting her lawyers, he tells her that his people insist on contacting her directly and explains that "these people" have invested in a recording studio in Denver. Dominique breezily tells him she'll take a look when she has time, and he scoffs and tells her he's trying to discuss "what was once your career" ... and when she's all, "Excuse me?", he points out that she hasn't recorded anything in a very long time, and that word on the street is that she's afraid of stepping back into a recording studio. As Dominique chews on that seemingly accurate rumor, Gary urges her to at least look at the studio, and she decides 'sure, why the hell not?'

Fallon, who's taking a short break from starring in The Colbys, drops by Blake's new office to ask how he's doing and to express her excitement about her pregnancy. She presses Blake about if he's really truly absolutely OK, and he admits he's finding it much harder to relate to the badly recast Amanda than he did when she was badly recast.

Jeff, meanwhile, is hanging with Alexis in her ColbyCo office to discuss the pipeline project and expresses his irritation that she's obviously preoccupied with something else. Alexis admits that she's worried sick about Dex ever since learning his plane never made it to Wyoming, and Jeff breezily says he's sure Dex is fine. He tells that he and Fallon are quite upset about how she's been treating Blake this season - particularly all of the inflammatory Denver Mirror headlines - and calls her behavior cruel and unfair. Alexis argues that she and Blake have been going at it for years - then is interrupted by a phone call she hopes will be to assure her that Dex is OK...but looks deflated when it's just Fallon, calling to announce that she's on her way over. 

 That evening, a drunk Dex bursts into Carrington manor, railing at Alexis about how he turned his plane around and went to every watering hole in Denver to try to drink her out of his system...before realizing he couldn't 'cause of how badly he needs and wants her. Alexis rushes down the staircase in a virginal white negligee and says she badly needs and wants him too, and that she's been in hell all day worrying about him...and the two engage in a passionate smooch before he scoops her up and carries her up the stairs.  

 The next morning, Dex is breakfasting in the mansion when Ben enters the room. He sarcastically asks Dex if he plans on moving in, then complains about how Alexis is jeopardizing her business interests by letting emotion dictate her decisions. Dex snippily retorts that it's none of his business whether or not he moves into the mansion - then insists that, despite his business dealings with both Alexis and Blake, there's zero conflict on his end. Ben disagrees and vows to oust him from Alexis's life and business, saying, "You see, my friend. There's no room for both of us." Alexis overhears that last part as she enters the room and rejoins, "That's right Ben. But it's you who's going" and says she's had enough of him double-crossing her. She then decrees that she wants him out of her house and ColbyCo today, and Dex gaily gets in on that action and barks, "Pack your bags and get out!" Ben heads towards the door, but then whirls around and warns Alexis that she's wrong if she thinks she's through with him. 

Dominique is in the fancy new recording studio, made available to her via Gary Tilden's "people", listening to a playback of herself. Nick Kimball enters the room, compliments her beautiful voice, and explains that he's not patient enough to wait for her to come onto his turf. He tells her he's a well educated aspiring oilman who's well on his way to success, but that he mostly swung by to talk about their friendship which, fingers crossed, will soon lead to "warmth, communication, romance". Dominique chucklingly remarks on how self assured he is, and Nick concurs that he is - but that he's also a soft-hearted guy who gives his grandmother money every month so she can donate it to her church. Dominique says that while she's impressed by his charitable giving, she finds him to be the most conceited, self-centered, and over-confident person she's ever met. She brusquely thanks him for dropping by and holds out her hand, and he responds by pressing it to his lips and staring at her with smitten intensity before quietly sauntering off. 

Alexis returns to her ColbyCo office and is startled to find Ben lounging in her chair...and when she demands to know what he's doing here, he warns that it's not going to be easy to rid herself of him. He reminds her that they're both guilty of criminal conspiracy and perjury (for what they tried to pin on Blake) and could get ten years if convicted. He then gets all grab handsy and tells her he loves her and is willing to leave quietly as long as he can take her with him, then ominously vows, "But I will destroy you before anyone else has you." He jokes about what a great headline her downfall would make in her own newspaper, and smugly says he knows that nothing terrifies her more than the prospect of being put behind bars. 

 Michael drops by Amanda's office to tell her that, despite his best efforts, he can't seem to stay away from her. [Try just a tad harder, Michael.] Amanda says she's glad he changed his mind, and the two press against each other as she grumbles about how unfairly Blake is treating him. He invites her to lunch, but she declines 'cause she already has a date...and the two are about to kiss when Fallon suddenly appears in the doorway and is all, "The hell?" when she sees that the guy her sister is in near smooch with is her old fuck buddy. Fallon and Michael awkwardly exchange niceties...and after he leaves, Fallon asks Amanda what she thinks of Michael. Amanda says she likes him very much and is beginning to care for him, and Fallon says she too cared for him once, then blurts out, "He's bad news!"  - and Amanda reacts by mutely staring back at her with a really dumb looking grin on her face. 

Over at Carrington manor, Dex complains to Alexis that Ben has been sending him a stack of orders, which is weird 'cause he thought she fired him from ColbyCo. Alexis evasively says she had a sudden change of heart and decided he could be useful to her after all, and points out that she does need help running her various companies. Dex doesn't buy that and asks what Ben has on her...and when she weakly replies, "Nothing", Dex angrily vows to go find him and kick him out of her life for good. After he storms off, Ben emerges from a nearby room and smarmily says, "Nicely done, Alexis."

 Dex has somehow ended up in Blake's office, and the two are discussing rescuing Caress from the Venezuelan prison so she can return to the United States and tell the authorities that Ben kidnapped her...and therefore rid themselves of Ben for once and for all. Dex says, "Count me in, Blake", and the two shake on it while the camera zooms in on their clasped hands.

Recap: Inside the Police Headquarters inmate visitors' room, Blake assures Krystle he's holding up just fine since being arrested, and that his lawyer (Earl Thompson) is in the process of arranging his bail. He insists he's not a murdering arsonist, yet somehow the DA's office wants to prosecute him without any hard evidence, and Krystle concurs and says that all the Assistant DA seems to have is a bunch of Alexis-fuelled accusations that she's been publishing in The Denver Mirror. Earl Thompson enters the room and solemnly tells Blake he was not granted bail, and Blake assures a troubled looking Krystle that he'll get this all of this sorted out before the end credits roll, then urges her to go back to the hotel and rest. Krystle's vision suddenly goes blurry, and Blake points out that this is now the second such episode she's had since the limo accident, and strongly urges her to see a doctor.

Alexis drops by Assistant DA Ferguson's office decked out in a cozy fur coat and veiled hat to congratulate him on his bright political future - particularly if he wins his case against Blake, with the help of the daily defamatory headlines she's been enjoying publishing in her newspaper. She tells Ferguson he needs an airtight case...and when he tells her he's confident they have Blake dead to rights, she perks up and says he should share this proof with the citizens of Denver. Ferguson tells her he's not actually allowed to do that prior to a trial, so Alexis says, "Fine, then just share it with me" - LOL - and points out that, throughout this trial, her newspaper can make him into a household name. Ferguson mulls that over and decides 'yep, that's a good enough reason for me to violate the oath of my office' and tells Alexis "off the record" that Blake had the motive to set La Mirage on fire because:

• His company was bankrupt
• The hotel was heavily insured
• He left shortly before the fire was set

A disappointed looking Alexis says that that doesn't sound like much of a case, so Ferguson also divulges that Blake was responsible for hiring known arsonist Frank Morrin, who he allegedly approached after the first arsonist (Dan Crane) turned him down. As Alexis ponders her encounter with the lying Dan Crane during the previous episode, she's no doubt thinking that, even with his fictitious allegation, Ferguson's case is built on ridiculously flimsy circumstantial evidence that's unlikely to result in a guilty verdict.

Alexis heads over to Denver Carrington to update Ben about the Assistant DA's case against Blake, remarking, "It's all too pat" and that she thinks the case lacks credibility...and anything resembling solid evidence. When Ben accidentally lets it slip that he knows Dan Crane's allegation is part of Ferguson's trove of faux evidence, Alexis rails that Ferguson has built his entire case on a lie, that lie being his (Ben's) creation. She worries that the case is going to get thrown out of court and admonishes Ben for jeopardizing a golden opportunity to put Blake behind bars for a crime she can't genuinely believe he committed. 

The doctor phones Krystle to tell her her X-rays look normal and that her blurry vision is likely due to tension and stress, which she could alleviate if she simply slows down...and Krystle promises to try, despite the ongoing trauma of Blake being detained in The Clink. After the call, Dominique drops by - just as Krystle suffers another blurry/dizzy spell. She hastily excuses herself to check on Kristina, then leans against the door while contorting her face into an agonized looking expression as she tells herself there's no time - no time! - to follow the doctor's order to chillax.

 Alexis drops by the inmate visitors' room to offer Blake an out from his current quagmire: leave Denver and never contact their children again, and in exchange she'll mount a campaign in The Denver Mirror to have the bogus arson/murder charges dropped. Blake rejects the ridiculous offer and warns that their children are going to turn their backs on her once they learn the truth about how she's been trying to railroad him, then asks the guard to take him back to his cell.

 Later, at the courthouse, Earl Thompson tells Blake that Assistant DA Ferguson has offered him a plea bargain: if he pleads guilty to arson and manslaughter, all other charges will be dropped. [Mmm OK, but I thought that arson and murder pretty much compromised all of the charges.] Blake rejects the plea bargain and insists he's innocent of all wrongdoing, then is dismayed when the judge denies him bail on the grounds that..

• He has the financial resources and the private aircraft to flee prosecution
• He's a violent felon, as was proven by his guilty manslaughter charge in the Ted Dinard killing​ (fair point)

Gordon Wales is in Dex's field office, attempting to suss out information from a husky looking guy named Bruce about Dex's new business deal with Blake. When Bruce just mutely ignores him, Dex enters the office and asks Gordon what the hell he's doing...and when Gordon asks him if it's really true that he's doing business "with scum like Blake", Dex growls at him to get out. 

 Krystle once again drops by the police station to visit Blake and tells him it was soooo depressing to see him handcuffed in the courtroom and then led away by the bailiff, generally being treated as though he's already a convict. Blake assures her he's going to win this case, then says he senses something deeper troubling her. Krystle breaks the news that Nick Kimball called to report that he wasn't able to keep the work crew together, and Blake says he's not surprised and hopes that maybe Dex can assemble a different crew. Krystle wails that she's so dismayed by his incarceration that she's newly determined to get more intel from the Fire Department and keep her fingers crossed that it'll result in the arson/murder charges getting magically dismissed.

Captain Harris tells Krystle and Dominique he's not allowed to give out any details about the La Mirage fire, except to strongly hint that they take a good hard look at the coroner's report regarding Frank Morrin's body. Turns out the convicted arsonist died of smoke inhalation, despite Assistant D.A. Ferguson's assertion that he died when the alleged source of the fire - the cleaning fluid containers - exploded...and Krystle and Dominique wonder aloud if this could possibly serve as proof that he wasn't the one who started the fire.

With that said...a couple of things are of great puzzlement to me:

• Why hasn't Assistant DA Ferguson ever wondered how weird it is that Frank Morrin, who was a convicted arsonist and therefore presumably competent at setting things on fire without imperilling himself, died in the La Mirage blaze? 
• Why are Krystle and Dominique doing this kind of legwork - and not an investigator employed by Blake's high-priced attorney? 

 Ben yells at Adam for having the temerity to hire back Dana Waring, and Adam snarlingly reminds him that he answers to Alexis, not him - just as Alexis enters the office and asks why they're screaming at each other. Adam tells her he re-hired Blake's former assistant 'cause she has lots of institutional knowledge about goat daddy's day-to-day business dealings as well as his mindset, and Alexis agrees that it's a good idea, then hands them both an assignment to assess some recently acquired oil leases and determine how they'll fit in with the rest of their holdings. Ben imperiously tells Adam, "I want your report on my desk first thing in the morning" ... and when Adam once again reminds him that he reports directly to Alexis, Ben threatens to destroy him. He then gets buzzed by his secretary, who tells him he has a call from Australia...and tensely tells his secretary to tell whoever it is that he's not in. An intrigued Adam points out that he had the mansion phone numbers changed to avoid this mysterious caller, and that the person has somehow located him at the office. He tells Ben, "Whoever it is, they're going to find you sooner or later" ... and as he sashays out of the office, Ben slumps in his chair and stares worriedly into space.

Dana is adorning Adam's office with flowers when he enters the room and tells her about the oil lease assignment he just got from Alexis...and Dana says she can definitely help him out with that. Adam says he knows that Blake was interested in acquiring these leases and likely has detailed information on them in that box o' private files he left with when he was ousted. He lays it on thick about how much easier his life would be if he knew what was in those files, and a nervous looking Dana assures him she's as loyal to him as she was Blake - but that when she's told something is confidential, that's how it remains. Adam pretends he wouldn't have it any other way 'cause he shares her loyalty to Blake, then nonsensically fibs that it was Blake who told him to come work for his mommy in order to maximize his potential as his own man. He pronounces that him working for Alexis somehow translates to her loyalty to Blake being interchangeable with her loyalty to him, then decrees, "Whatever happens between us remains between us." As Dana tries to process that diarrhea-laden balderdash, Adam chucklingly asks her if she ever brought Blake flowers...and when she says she didn't, he tells her he'd like to "give her something in return" and leans in for a smooch. Dana looks suitably weirded out for a few seconds, but then soon gets into it. 

Dominique and Krystle visit Jackie to confirm what she had mumbled earlier about the La Mirage fire, namely that she only saw flames when she was in front of Claudia's room. Jackie recounts that when Claudia opened her door there were flames shooting out from behind her, and Krystle suddenly realizes that the only explanation that makes sense is that it was Claudia who set the fire. Krystle and Dominque confer for a few seconds as they express hope that this new intel could be helpful in clearing Blake's good name.  

​Krystle heads straight over to Assistant DA Ferguson's office to tell him she has proof that Blake is innocent of arson/murder, namely:

• Frank Morrin died of smoke inhalation instead of being burned to death by the cleaning fluids he supposedly started the fire with...and, according to Ferguson's theory, was willing to get blown up by
• A witness to the carnage reports that flames shot out from behind Claudia, which suggests that the fire started in her room [I find it improbable that the arson squad wasn't able to pinpoint something as basic as this during their post-fire investigation - but then I'm a recapper, not a trained expert in hotel infernos] 

Krystle suggests to Ferguson he drop all of the charges against Blake, 'cause if he takes such a weak case to trial he's surely going to lose...and Ferguson mulls that over while staring back at her dejectedly.

Over at Delta Rho, Sammy Jo offers to give Clay a sensual massage after he spent the day baling hay. As she rubs him down, he suggests they clear their calendars for the next week so they can just laze around and have sex. Sammy Jo reminds him that they're supposed to go to his parent's place for dinner in a few days and that she'd hate to disappoint his mother, but Clay's just like, "Meh, I still wanna cancel." A miffed looking Sammy Jo asks him if there's some reason he doesn't want her to sit down with his family, and he pretends there isn't and shuts her up with some intense smooching.

Michael chauffeurs Amanda back to the Carlton Hotel and tenderly tells her she doesn't have to hide her concern about goat daddy's incarceration. He caresses her face and says she can talk to him any time she needs to, and she thanks him and heads up to her room. Steven appears out of nowhere and snidely asks Michael what he's up to, and makes clear that he's deeply suspicious of his sudden return to Denver after a five year hiatus. Michael's like, "Yeah, whatever" and continues to keep mum about whatever boring intentions he may or may not have towards Amanda.

 While snooping in the Carrington manor study, Ben finds a wooden box containing a framed photo of his mother. He stares at it tearfully, then whimpers, "Mother, forgive me." Alexis overhears him as she enters the room and asks, "Forgive you for what?", and Ben bursts into tears and suddenly looks as though he just took center stage in a Shakespearean play as he (rhetorically?) asks what kind of man could destroy such beauty and then go on living. He confesses that Ma Carrington died because he was selfish and irresponsible, and Alexis attempts to comfort him by purring about how everyone makes mistakes, some of which may haunt people for the rest of their lives. That they do, Alexis. That they do.
​
 In court, Assistant DA Ferguson tells the judge that certain facts have come to light regarding the La Mirage fire that have convinced him that Blake wasn't the arsonist, then moves for a dismissal. The judge concurs and tells Blake he's free to go, and Blake is all, "Hurray!" and happily hugs his family before chiding Ferguson for allowing himself to be tricked into doing Alexis's bidding. The Carrington clan then makes their way out of the courtroom, where the reporters and photographers are waiting to snap photos and pepper Blake with questions. Gordon Wales asks Blake what his next move is going to be, so Blake bitchily replies, "Something big. Something exciting. Something certainly beyond your imagination." Gordon says that word on the street is that this something has to do with Dex Dexter, and Blake teases that he's jumping to conclusions, then offers no further comment. Alexis, meanwhile, is watching the live interview on the TV in the Carrington manor study...and she irritably calls her assistant Eric to arrange for her chopper to transport her to Dex's trailer office asap. 

 Alexis angrily confronts Dex about loaning his drilling equipment to Blake, and a unfazed Dex is like, "I can do whatever the hell I want with my drilling equipment." A few seconds later, Alexis gets a call from her pilot, who informs her she's going to be stranded at the worksite 'cause of a storm that's about to roll in. Dex looks giddy at the prospect of having some alone time with his ex and tells her he finds it amusing that she's "still playing the Queen Bee" amid all the dust and dirt, and Alexis lights up a cigarette as she dryly retorts, "I'm not playing, Dex." He replies, "That's too bad; we used to play very well together" and beams buoyantly while Alexis shoots him a withering stink-eye. 

 Adam is working late at Denver Carrington when the mail deliverer arrives. He glances through the bundle of mail destined for Ben's office and finds one addressed to Blake that was sent from Caracas.

 At dinner, a gloweringly drunk Oscar Goldman sourly toasts the Carringtons while shooting miffed glares at Sammy Jo, and Clay points out to him that Sammy Jo ceased to be a Carrington when she divorced Steven. Oscar mutters, "Oh yes...Steven Carrington, the man who ruined my son's life" and grumbles about how "nothing ever sticks to the Carringtons...not even arson or murder". Sammy Jo argues that that's not true (despite it being mostly true) and admits to having made lots of mistakes - but thanks to Krystle and Blake she learned that a former gold-digging skanklet such as herself does have value. She also learned not blame others for her own wrongdoing...something he (Oscar Goldman) might want to try sometime. She then excuses herself from the table, needlessly apologizes to Emily for the dinner going awry, and stalks out of the room. Clay angrily throws down his napkin before rushing out after her, and Emily admonishes her husband for his boorish behavior and says she thinks Sammy Jo could really be a good match for their son. Oscar Goldman growls about how Clay is nothing but trouble, then rails about how he had all of his hopes pinned onto his favored son, Bart, aka a discreetly gay man who had ambition, drive, and a bright future before he was de-closeted by Adam. When Emily tries to get up from her chair, Oscar Goldman shoves her back down (!) and demands to know why she worries so much about Clay instead of Bart, and Emily reminds him that Bart kept his sexuality a secret from both of them, and that maybe if he didn't have such a homophobic dickwad for a father, he would have felt comfortable sharing that aspect of his life with them. She then implores him to not turn his back on Clay.

 Over in the worksite trailer, Dex and Alexis are eating franks and beans...and when Alexis looks less than impressed by what's on her paper plate, Dex chucklingly urges her to pretend it's caviar. He then starts babbling about how 1) he's the only man who's ever forced her to really look at herself, 2) that he loves her for the malevolent diva she is, and 3) is able to "break into that shell and love the woman no one else has ever found" and knows that it's what both excites and frightens her. Alexis haughtily insists that nothing frightens her, then opens the door to step outside and is all, "Ack!" by the sudden clap of thunder and flash of lightning. She backs up and falls into Dex's arms, and he whirls her around so the two can start kissing in passionate earnest.

Blake and Krystle are enjoying a cozy evening in their room at the Carlton Hotel when Adam drops by to hand deliver the letter from Caracas. He tells Blake he thought it was important and therefore didn't want Ben to see it, and makes clear that he won't be part of anything underhanded that's directed at either of them. After he bids them both goodnight and leaves, Blake opens the letter and learns that it's from Caress, who begs him to get her out of the Venezuelan prison she found herself returned to after being kidnapped by Ben. Blake mulls that over for a few seconds and tells Krystle he's going to do everything possible to spring her out of that South American hellhole and bring her to Denver so she can help him with Operation Get Revenge on Ben and Alexis. 

Dex and Alexis are in bed together, looking both sated and orgasmic as they alternately stare at each another in transfixed lust, smooch, and sexily caress the other.

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

Recap: Ben finds a draft copy of Alexis's next instalment of The Denver Mirror featuring the headline $100,000 Reward for Arrest and Conviction in Carrington Hotel Fire! Alexis breezes into the study and chides him for snooping...and when he tells her he'd be more than happy to manufacture evidence faux proving that Blake committed arson and murder, she insists she wants real evidence...and by real evidence she means something that can corroborate her crackpot theory that Blake was so desperate to collect insurance money that he burned down his own hotel while many of his kids were inside. 

Blake returns to the Carlton Hotel after being questioned by the police and tells Krystle they suspect him of starting the fire 'cause cans of flammable cleaning fluids were found in the service pantry, one of which exploded. [It seems like a major stretch to directly connect the presence of cleaning fluid cans to Blake, but then I'm a recapper, not a fictional arson investigator.] The police also learned that a La Mirage employee named Frank Morrin had a criminal record and was hired (by hotel manager Jay Bradley) on the day of the fire and gave Blake a hard time about not mentioning this tidbit earlier. 

Blake meets with Jay Bradley to berate him for hiring a man with a criminal record, and Jay sheepishly explains that he was so desperate for extra help 'cause of the strain Dominique's engagement party was putting on the staff that he hastily hired Frank Morrin and simply forgot to mention it. Blake snippily informs him that the police think he concealed evidence when he failed to mention the hiring of Frank, calls the error unforgivable, and growls that he's fired...which seems like somewhat of a moot point, given that the hotel Jay was managing just burned to the ground. 

Michael surprises Amanda with champagne in the outdoor patio area of the Carlton Hotel. He pours two glasses and toasts, "To our first date", then hits play on a small ghetto blaster so the two can dance to some background music. He natters about his time working at sea and wildcatting, then gazes into her eyes and coos about what a bright future they could have together...and, nope, still no chemistry there.

The next morning, Blake is aghast by the $100,000 reward headline in The Denver Mirror, then tells Krystle that after an entire night of stewing about all the inflammatory headlines Alexis has been publishing since she bought the rag, he's no longer willing to be on the defensive about all of the accusations she's been hurling at him. He then says he's been studying the seismic data on the land his ma bequeathed him and is sure it's the answer to a fresh start and a profitable new future. Krystle smiles at him in her obnoxiously serene manner and says he looks like a new man, and Blake happily announces that he and Steven are pursuing this fresh start by meeting up with someone named Nick Kimball. He gives Krystle a canoodle as he firmly declares, "We're going to do it. We're going to make it" and Krystle looks hopeful this means very soon she can resume living the life of privilege and wealth she signed up for as part of her Mrs. Goat Daddy marital contact.

Alexis summons Ben to Denver Mirror headquarters so she can sign a stack of ColbyCo paperwork. While that's happening, some rando named Dan Crane drops by to tell Alexis the tale of how Blake approached him on the Friday before the La Mirage fire and offered to pay him to set the hotel ablaze - but that he turned him down 'cause he's not an evil arsonist. Alexis chews on his story for a few seconds, checks her day planner, and informs Dan she knows for a fact that Blake was in Hong Kong on the Friday before the fire. Dan weakly says he just mixed up the days - but Alexis says she's heard enough, and both she and Ben order him to get the hell out. After Dan slinks off, Ben asks Alexis if she's considered the possibility that Blake might actually be innocent of arson and murder, and she's like 'nope' and insists that somewhere there must be solid, irrefutable proof that Blake set the hotel on fire. 

When Ben exits the building, Dan grabs him and snarlingly accuses him of double-crossing him and setting him up - but Ben denies it and urges him to go to the DA with the same story, but cite a different date (aka not the Friday before the fire). 

Blake and Steven are hanging out with Nick Kimball at La Cantina, a gritty beer hall where rig workers in Denver like to gather. Blake wanks Nick about what an awesome pal his father was, and that he (Nick) has blossomed into the best drill foreman in the business. He urges Nick to take a giant leap of faith and come along with him on his new venture and persuade his crew to do the same - but a doubtful looking Nick points out that the land in question doesn't actually have any oil. Blake concurs, then reveals on the down low that reports suggest there's a huge deposit of natural gas. Nick looks unimpressed and says it's too much of a risk to start drilling for such a new-fangled energy source...but when Blake chides him for not being gutsy like his father, he changes his mind and tells Blake he's on board. 

Alexis phones Dex to admonish him for agreeing to work with Blake on his mysterious new venture 'cause she's worried it'll create a conflict of interest with the Lex-Dex Corporation. Dex firmly tells her that whatever work he does for Blake will have zero effect on the Lex-Dex pipeline, then grumbles, "Now get off my back." Alexis snappishly rejoins that she'll get off his back when she feels like getting off his back, threatens to veto any further work on the pipeline purely out of spite, and slams the phone down. After that, Steven arrives at Dex's field office with a couple of reports that Blake wants him to read...and when Dex reacts all hostile and poutish, Steven acknowledges that he was once quite pissy towards him 'cause he didn't trust him while he and Alexis were married. He says that things have changed a lot since then, and that since they may be working closely together they should put all that bad blood behind them. He gently asks Dex if he's still in love with Alexis, and Dex stares contemplatively into space before replying, "God help me, I am", then softens his 'tude towards Steven and invites him to brew some coffee so they can go over Blake's reports together. 

While jogging together at Delta Rho, Sammy Jo tells Clay that she convinced his ma to drop by the ranch to see Grenada, aka the horse she wants to gift her. Clay warns that his ma is not likely to accept such an extravagant gift from anyone, then abruptly changes the subject and suggests they go swimming. Sammy Jo says she's into that idea and literally kicks Clay into the pool, where the two clown around and smooch underwater. 

Adam stops by Blake's office intending to have a chat with his father - but runs into Krystle, who tells him that Blake isn't around. Adam makes it clear that he doesn't approve of the campaign Alexis is publicly waging against Blake in The Denver Mirror 'cause he's pretty sure he wasn't responsible for the La Mirage fire...and Krystle wryly says she's glad he realizes that, but then chides him for hurting his father when he jumped ship to work for Alexis. She suggests he leave Blake alone for awhile 'cause he's still trying to sort through that betrayal, and Adam sourly retorts that she'd just loooove it if Blake refused to forgive him and eventually disowned him. Krystle denies that that's true - but says if he were to be unforgiven and disowned, he'd only have himself to blame. 

Blake drops by Dex's field office with Nick Kimball to discuss a working alliance regarding his natural gas venture. Blake tells Dex he needs to borrow his deep drill gear...and then Nick chimes in about the high stakes of this venture, but that if they do find natural gas, it'd be an enormous win for everyone involved. Dex mulls all that over and decides he's in...and just as he and Blake are shaking on it, Alexis happens to arrive at the worksite and scrunches her face disapprovingly as she spies on them through the window. 

During a black tie gathering at Carrington manor, Alexis, who's decked out in an absurdly frilly, white see-through polkadot blouse, recounts to Adam and Ben that Blake stopped by Dex's field office to discuss something that was clearly business-related. Adam assures her that he and Ben will work together to find out what Blake is up to - but Ben's like, "Mmm...how committed are you to this goal?" and openly questions his loyalty to Alexis. Adam prickles at his skepticism and grumbles about how he doesn't appreciate his loyalty being questioned, to which Alexis points out that he hasn't actually done anything to prove it. She gleefully suggests they both demonstrate their undying fealty to her by competing against each other to see who achieves the goal of supplying her with all the deets regarding Blake's new venture. She purringly challenges, "Show me which side you're really on" ... and these two grown men somehow decide that proven loyalty to a Blake-obsessed narcissist is some kind of prize worthy of compromising their souls and integrity for. 

At breakfast the next morning, Ben points out to Adam that they're both outcasts within the Carrington clan, and that he (Adam) should meekly accept his father's hatred of him and take control of his own life. Adam shoots him the stink-eye and says it's pretty obvious he wants him to think Blake despises him so he can test his loyalty to Alexis - but Ben insists that he just wants to be his friend, and that he's simply stating the obvious when he pronounces that he'll never get Blake's approval...and says this as though a (nearly) middle-aged man overly concerned with parental approval isn't a troubling indication of some serious daddy issues. Adam accuses him of inciting him to run back to Blake to seek his general acceptance so he can prove to Alexis he can't be trusted and makes it clear that that will never happen...and after he storms out, Ben mutters, "We'll see." That conversation was weird and mind-numbing on so many levels.

​Back at the Carlton Hotel, Blake and Krystle are having breakfast with Nick Kimball, who complains that he's having difficulty putting a crew together, 'cause apparently the grizzled workers all think he (Blake) is washed up. Blake urges him to gather the men at La Cantina tomorrow night so that he can personally address their concerns - just as Dominique sashays over wearing a fantastic flowy white and black striped coat. She's introduced to Nick, who gushes about what a big fan of her music he is...and after the two stare all intrigued and smitten-like at each other, Nick excuses himself while Blake and Krystle exchange mmm hmm expressions at what looks to be the genesis of a romantic relationship. 

Dex drops by Denver Mirror headquarters to ask Alexis what she was doing at the worksite the other day, and she tells him how miffed she is about him sealing some sort of deal with Blake. Dex assures her that his business dealings with Blake won't cost her a penny and adds that he's extremely weary and dismayed about the fact that she's so annoyingly determined to put Blake down at the cost of her businesses and relationships. 

Dominique swings by the hospital to visit Jackie, who's having a troubled sleep and suddenly wakes up from a bad dream. She whimpers to her mother that she saw Claudia with flames all around her, and Dominque gives her a comforting hug and assures her that the bad dreams will eventually go away once the burns start to heal.

That evening at La Cantina, Blake buys everyone a round and promises a piece of "the biggest find" the state has ever seen. As the men titter skeptically, the angriest of the crew, Carson, snarlingly mocks, "You're practically on your knees, begging!" and calls Blake out for firing him from one of his rigs. Blake reminds him that he was fired 'cause he got drunk on the job and endangered the lives of his fellow rig workers, and Carson shoots back that he's the one who's now being accused of killing people. An exasperated Nick orders Carson to get out - but Carson ignores him and picks up a beer bottle, then contorts his face all aggressive-like and advances on Blake...who's all, "Ack!" as he hastily gets out of the way so his stunt double can step in to fend off the attack before several other men pull Carson away and drag him outside. A faux roughed up Blake chucklingly remarks, "Almost like the old days", and the rig workers decide that, even after all these years, goat daddy still has the kind of street cred they respect enough to risk their livelihoods over and go all in on his mysterious new drilling venture. 

Blake returns to the Carlton Hotel and runs into Ben, who smugly informs him he reinstated Stu McEwen as Denver Carrington's third biggest customer. Blake wryly informs him he dropped Stu when he learned of his corruption and warns Ben that if he keeps him around, he'll steal him blind. Ben changes the subject with a taunt about how the La Mirage fire is going to do him in, and Blake argues it won't, then happily declares, "I'm just getting started."

 Alexis offers to pay Gordon Wales triple his current salary to carry out a special assignment...and when he jokes, "Who do I have to kill?", she says she wants intel on Blake's new venture, and that she wants it within the next 48 hours. [I guess this means that, despite the Loyalty Contest she instigated at dinner the other night, she doesn't have confidence that Ben and/or Adam have the kind of sneakery chops it'd take to uncover this coveted information.]

Over at Denver Carrington, Ben asks Dana Waring (a secretarial assistant to Blake we've never seen before) what was in Blake's secret box of files he was allowed to take with him...and instead of just saying, "Dunno", Dana tells him she'd consider it unethical to disclose the contents of that box. Ben issues her an ultimatum - tell him what was in that box or seek employment elsewhere - and Dana stonily replies, "I'll get my things together" and heads back to her desk. She sits in her chair and tears up, so Adam - who was eavesdropping on the conversation between her and Ben - hands her a tissue, and the two stare at each other all intrigued and smitten-like. 

In the next scene, Adam takes Dana out to lunch in a lovely restaurant patio. He tells her how impressed he is by her loyalty to Blake and offers her a job as his assistant, but she declines 'cause she doesn't want to be caught in the middle of him and his shitty uncle. Adam just kind of shrugs at that and tells her that the offer remains open in case she changes her mind. Dana remarks on how nice this restaurant is, muttering, "It's certainly a far cry from Billings, Montana" and a startled Adam is all, "Wha-a-at do you know about Billings, Montana?" Dana breezily says she knows a lot about a lot of places - just as the waiter comes by to inform Adam that he has an overseas call. Once Adam is safely out of her orbit, Dana opens her purse and pulls out a newspaper clipping detailing Adam's return to his bio parents after his decades-long kidnapping.  
​
 Emily Fallmont gushes to Sammy Jo about how beautiful Grenada is, but declines to accept him as a gift 'cause he's much too valuable to just be given away. Sammy Jo argues that there's huge publicity value in a former Olympic equestrian being seen riding atop a Delta Rho horse, and Emily chews on that for several seconds, then suggests they discuss it over dinner sometime this week. Sammy Jo beams happily and says she'd looooove that, then heads off to tend to Grenada. An irked Clay asks his ma why she'd want to have dinner with the skanklet he's currently boning, so she tells him she finds Sammy Jo delightful in a non-pretentious kind of way, and that he could do a lot worse in the girlfriend department. Clay replies that while he likes hitting the sheets with her every now and then, he's not remotely close to being done sampling all of the single available women who are out in the world...and a mildly dismayed Emily murmurs, "Oh Clay.." 

Krystle storms over to Denver Mirror headquarters to admonish Mr. Eckland about how deep in the gutter the newspaper has gotten. She shows him the latest report from the Fire Department, which indicates that La Mirage passed a fire prevention inspection prior to the blaze - but then, for whatever reason, the sprinkler system hadn't been turned on again. As Mr. Eckland ponders the significance of that, Alexis enters the office and smarmily applauds Krystle for standing by Blake, but digs in about how she's going to continuing to publish what she believes passes for the truth. An enraged Krystle barks, "You'll soon find out what the truth is!" before storming out.

Sammy Jo runs into Steven at Carrington manor and tells him how vexed she is that he moved their tot to an apartment without bothering to inform her. She says that Danny could be living with her in the splendor that is Delta Rho, but Steven sourly retorts that he doesn't want their son growing up on "a stud farm", witnessing "the breeding process, as demonstrated by you and Clay Fallmont". Sammy Jo bitchily retorts, "Well, at least he'd see how it's done by straight people" - ouchers - and Steven shoots her a withering stink-eye before silently stalking off.

Ben summons Jay Bradley to his office and asks him what he told police regarding the La Mirage fire, so Jay recounts that he admitted to being the one who hired Frank "The Felon" Morrin. Ben points out that by doing so, he absolved Blake of all responsibility, and that Blake, in turn, showed his appreciation by dickishly firing him. He devilishly suggests to Jay that he change his story and tell the DA's office that Blake was the one who instructed him to hire Morrin, thereby clearing his name and sharing The Denver Mirror's $100,000 reward. Jay perks up and says he definitely likes the sound of that plan, and both men grin as they sip from their booze glasses.

Blake tells Krystle that his new venture is really starting to come together, and that he's loving making things happen and feeling as though the tide is somehow changing. He thanks Krystle for her love, support, and encouragement - just as Lieutenant Calder enters the office to inform Blake that he has a warrant for his arrest, and that the [baseless] charges are arson and first degree murder. Blake and Krystle are all, "Wha-a-a-a?!" and stare back at him in horrified bewilderment.

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