Dynasty Season 5 Episode 17 Review: There’s No One Around to Watch You Drown
Ben and Blake have their day in court on Dynasty Season 5 Episode 17, “There’s No One Around to Watch You Drown.”
The season is coming to an end rather quickly, and it seems as if the Ben drama is going to be a primary focus. “There’s No One Around to Watch You Drown” puts Blake and Ben’s past in the spotlight as they dictate who is at fault for their mother’s death.
Yup, it’s as dull and meaningless as it sounds. It’s a ‘he said she said’ typical sibling fight that only sees a conclusion thanks to Fallon’s remarkable memory. As it turns out, Fallon and Steven end up being the sole reason Blake never found Ben’s note.
As children, Steven wrote a note to his father, disregarding what was already on the paper, and slipped it into his coat pocket, a harmless action by an unknowing child. The judge rules in Blake’s favor, and they call it a day. However, not before Blake can try to amend things with Ben, which leads to veiled threats than only confirm his future presence in the series.
In the grand scheme of things, the entire trial and court proceedings are a pitiful attempt at adding some flare to Ben’s character before announcing his imminent stay.
Immersing him further in the Carrington drama has always been the intention, and it’ll be why the series continues to feel like a drag to watch.
It’s pitiful that the series spends so much time focusing on a lackluster story when there are many other dynamics to engage with.
The overall storyline in the back half of the season is chaotic. There’s no natural substance as the series tries its best to create exciting drama but fails.
In an episode that heavily revolves around Blake and Ben, the sideline stories make it manageable to get through. The Blake drama being front-and-center is about as tedious as the ridiculous arc Adam’s had this season.
Dominique and her antics throughout the episode provide much-needed comedic relief. Without her ability to steal the spotlight and reign in the audience, the episode would be a complete disaster.
Quite frankly, Dominique’s goal of sealing the deal with Nordic Star is the only reason the episode is worth watching.
Kirby and Jeff’s unexpected team-up is another sense of solace throughout the otherwise insipid episode. Even though we only get minimal interaction with Jeff, the two’s hilarious “break-in” of Alexis’ home is a highlight.
Prayers may not be enough when hoping for a decent series finale for Dynasty if the past few episodes have been any indication.
Stray Thoughts:
- Another episode without Amanda feels like torture, considering she and Kirby have just begun dating. We aren’t seeing enough of them together.
- At this point, Adam needs to die before the end of the season. Adam needs to go if we aren’t getting a proper conclusion for Steven.
- Culhane being in a brand-new relationship or loving someone new every other episode is exhausting. We need to see him explore other areas of his life because it’s repetitive and going nowhere.
What did you think of this episode of Dynasty? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Dynasty airs Fridays at 9/8c 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.