Dynasty Season 5 Episode 18 Review: A Writer of Dubious Talent
Liam faces an unprecedented situation on Dynasty Season 5 Episode 18, “A Writer of Dubious Talent.”
After Dynasty’s fourth extended break for the season, we return to a six-month time jump. Adam and Stacey are a full-on couple, Liam’s movie premiere is officially here, and Culhane reaches a stunning realization.
This episode has thrilling moments; Culhane and Nina’s newfound attraction toward one another and Jeff’s besting Blake are highlights.
However, “A Writer of Dubious Talent” focuses on the struggles Liam faces in pursuit of finishing his newest book. Instead of being truthful about his writer’s block, he lies and tells his editor he’s working on his last chapter. And in reality, he’s only finished thirteen pages.
Anyone who has dealt with writer’s block and been in Liam’s situation can be empathetic towards his situation. To say that dealing with writer’s block is frustrating is an understatement.
He’s doing his best to please those around him and keep up the façade, but it’s not enough. So, naturally, he visits Professor Kingston to garner some inspiration. Upon hearing of his predicament, Kingston suggests Liam find his own secret hideout where he can focus on writing.
Kingston’s advice comes after his and Liam’s work on his latest book, which only the two have read. It’s a work of art that both Liam and Kingston believe to be a bestseller.
Liam decides to spend the night at La Mirage after reading the magnificent draft, hoping to feed off that creativity. But instead, he falls asleep at his computer, leading to some interesting dream sequences.
Fast forward to the night of the premiere, where Kingston unexpectedly succumbs to an aneurysm in front of Liam. It’s a tragic situation that becomes unsettling quickly. Before Liam can hand the professor’s bag over, he notices the book draft and decides to swipe it.
The series puts Liam in a precarious situation by giving him that temptation. He sees this as a possible opportunity to please his editor and those around him. Plus, he’d have another bestselling book with more film possibilities.
Nevertheless, it would be plagiarism, and Liam’s character will be completely ruined if he goes through with it.
We’ve seen Liam in sticky situations, but nothing of this nature. He prides himself on his professionalism and ability as a writer; typically, he would never stoop to this level. But, the writer’s block is forcing him to consider things he’d vehemently opposed in the past.
We see Liam take his first slip towards his stance on plagiarism when he writes the essay for Kingston’s nephew. However, stealing the manuscript and publishing it under his own name could morally break him in the long run. Or it could create a monster we’ve never seen before in Liam.
One thing’s for sure, Liam will never be the same if he goes through with stealing Kingston’s draft.
With only four episodes left in the season, I hope adequate time is allocated to give proper goodbyes to all characters.
Stray Thoughts:
- One of the best moments of the season is Nina and Culhane hooking up and realizing they like one another.
- Adam drugging Stacey so that he can prove his medical expertise to Fallon isn’t shocking. He’s a maniacal psycho who needs to be locked up. He deserves no happy ending.
- I enjoy Jeff getting one over on Blake, but their “war” is too rushed. You can’t define it as war when it begins and ends in the same episode.
- The way Dominique steals any scene she’s in is just marvelous.
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.