Dynasty Review: New Hopes, New Beginnings (Season 4 Episode 5)
Fallon experiences firsthand how exhausting and personal it is to run a successful business dynasty on Dynasty Season 4 Episode 5, “New Hopes, New Beginnings.”
After Fallon’s live television announcement informing people that she will be the new head of Carrington Atlantic, things have been chaotic. Fallon, in her typical fashion, is doing her best to cash the checks her mouth keeps writing, but this time she may have bitten off too much.
The episode is primarily focused on Fallon as she manages all of her newfound responsibilities, but Dominique is the star of the episode and it’s convinced me to start focusing on her more. Dominique’s character hasn’t been an overwhelming one that makes me want to care about what she does next because she’s in the same repetitive cycle.
However, “New Hopes, New Beginnings” is the first time we’ve seen Dominique genuinely act like a somewhat compassionate human being. She’s grieving the news of her mother’s death, delivered by Jeff, and that leads her to re-thinking her actions over the past few years.
Dominique is conniving, secretive, and will do whatever she needs to do to get what she deserves; that’s how it’s been since she was younger. But is that the way she should have been acting towards her family? Especially towards the woman who raised her children when she couldn’t be bothered to?
Jeff and Monica don’t make it a secret that Dominique is making all of the wrong decisions for her mother’s funeral and that she isn’t aware of anything that she liked. If she wanted to do her justice, she would allow Jeff and Monica to put the funeral on, but her pride can’t let her do that.
I hope that this character progression being displayed for Dominique isn’t one that will go away quickly. “New Hopes, New Beginnings” is an emotional episode that opens Dom’s eyes to the horrors of her actions and how they’ve ruined the family dynamic, so I’m hoping to see some changes coming.
Sometimes it feels like we are finally getting a breakthrough on a new storyline level for a character, only for it to be shut down a few episodes later. One thing that would make me begin to care for Dominique’s character more would be for her to work on her people skills and reconcile her relationship with Jeff and Monica.
The Carrington family drama is entertaining only to a limit. There comes the point where the dynamic has to shift onto something else or another variable, and I think focusing on Dom’s life viewpoint would be an interesting one. I want to see her begin to atone for past mistakes and work towards not being that type of person anymore.
Culhane has been one of my favorite characters from the beginning of the series, so I thoroughly enjoy watching him take down racist, crooked-ass businessmen. So far, Culhane hasn’t had much of a storyline beginning to showcase a path of where his character might go, but this might be the first taster of it.
If Culhane taking down the deputy commissioner for the league is an indicator of what’s to come for him storyline-wise, then I’m all for it.
I didn’t find myself interested in Blake’s actions during the episode because it’s all the same. It’s apparent that Blake is never going to give up on what he wants, which sometimes is a good thing, but in this case, it’s toxic.
Blake has a habit of doing whatever he needs to do to get what he wants, including threatening a priest and then bribing the minister of the church to offer him a pay raise so he won’t leave.
I mean, c’mon, I love drama and hysterics as much as the next guy, but at some point, Blake is going to have to grow up and be the grown man that he is when it comes to treating people as possessions.
“New Hopes, New Beginnings” is a perfect setup and arc episode for Dominique, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from this point.
What did you think of this episode of Dynasty? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Dynasty airs Fridays at 10/9c on The CW.
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Cade Taylor
Cade Taylor is a television and film critic living in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV. His love for television developed at a young age, with a concentration on queer stories, sitcoms, teen dramas, and science fiction thrillers. In addition, he works full-time as a news producer, telling the stories of Missourians and helming "Produced in the Bi-State," a segment spotlighting actors, musicians, and entertainers from the St. Louis area. He can be reached by email at cade@telltaletv.com.
One thought on “Dynasty Review: New Hopes, New Beginnings (Season 4 Episode 5)”
I am so bored by all the storylines this season. The priest affair. The football team. The mineral rights. Can’t see me hanging around much longer unless there is a drastic improvement in the stories.
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