In a rare, and exciting virtual chat today )May 22nd), the entire cast of CW’s Dynasty on board for a conversation with TV Line beginning today at 12 p. m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

The cast is coming together during the COVID-19 pandemic for the launch of its just completed 3rd season on Netflix.

Participating will be: Sam Adegoke (Jeff), Daniella Alonso (Cristal),  Madison Brown (Kirby), Alan Dale (Anders), Rafael de la Fuente (Sam),  Elizabeth Gillies (Fallon), Elaine Hendrix (Alexis), Adam Huber (Liam), Michael Michele (Dominique), Robert Christopher Riley (Culhane), Grant Show (Blake) and Sam Underwood (Adam).

To check out the livestream, go to this link here on You Tube.

Maybe we can learn some backstage secrets of those backstabbing Carringtons and their frenemies!

Will you be checking out today’s virtual Dynasty chat? Comment below.

Tuesday’s night airing of ABC and PEOPLE’s two-hour special The Story of Soaps featured many notable daytime and primetime soap stars, past and present, clips from backstage to classic memorable moments, and some participants who were providing commentary on the erosion of the daytime soaps in our culture.  Still others, maintained and realized that everything today is serialized from the news we watch, to some of Netflix’s most binge-watchable series, and of course, the birth of reality-programming.

Throughout the airing of the special, The Story of Soaps was trending on Twitter and social media either at the #2, #3 or #4 spots for the entire duration of the broadcast presentation, and the cancelled and beloved All My Children was also at one point trending.

However, known soap writers, journalists, ardent fans, and actors of the genre, were all on Twitter last night live-tweeting their thoughts as the special went down, and there was definitely mixed reactions and reviews, when all was said and done.

What the special did not shy away from, but tackled, was Luke’s rape of Laura at the campus disco on General Hospital. and how that moment now, as Genie Francis (Laura), so eloquently put, would be considered as ‘date rape’ in our culture.  The series even included a pivotal moment where Laura addresses Luke (Tony Geary) about the rape years later, after helping Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) through her rape ordeal.

John Stamos (Ex-Blackie Parrish, GH) got a bevy of “Right On’s!” for his comment that the soaps do not get the credit that they deserve and clearly came through as one of the soaps greatest supporters, as did former The Doctors and Knots Landing star, Alec Baldwin.

However, throughout the two-hours, Andy Cohen’s commentary was thread throughout; mostly citing soap’s demise and the creation of reality-programming and his “Real Housewives” franchise, that the special touted as the new soap operas.  It continued on the narrative that people preferred to see real-life drama then made-up drama on a fictional soap.  And while, that has been a trend in American culture for decades, the commentary came off as often out of place in a celebration of the soaps; and bringing in a lot of negativity to the special that soap fans were tired of hearing.

In a lighting rod moment, Cohen stated: “I know Susan Lucci doesn’t agree with me, but I think that the Housewives have replaced soap operas because truth is stranger than fiction. Soaps became kind of unnecessary because you could do it with real people, and they’re writing the drama themselves.”

The special did also address the cancellations of All My Children and One Life to Live, (which many were not sure they were going to do – given this special was airing on ABC), where One Life’s leading lady and six-time Daytime Emmy winner, Erika Slezak (Ex-Viki) said what we all wanted to sa ywhen the ax fell on the towns of Llanview and Pine Valley, “People were horrified”.

Clearly, OJ Simpson and his murder trial and reality-programming were also given a chunk of time to show where the once mighty landscape of daytime soaps which once had 13 shows on the air, dwindled town to 4.  But, it would have been nice to see more time spent on how in this day and age, the people in this current landscape of the genre work so hard to get episodes done at an unbelievable pace, and how in that climate the performers still deliver gut-wrenching performances.

Photo: ABC

Former Loving, OLTL and Breaking Bad star, Bryan Cranston, did point out how the once powerful soaps, just don’t have the dollars they used to, and need to, to help with production costs and their taping schedule.

Viewers were reminded of soaps’ socially relevant storylines including hankie-inducing moments from: Robin (Kimberly McCullough) and Stone’s (Michael Sutton) HIV/AIDS storyline on General Hospital, to Billy Douglas being a gay teen coming out on One Life to Live, played by a young Ryan Phillippe.

There also did not seem time spent on the contributions of William J. Bell; one of the most prominent writers of the soap genre of all-time.

For many commenting on social media last night, there seemed to be a feeling of some glaring omissions of participants who could speak on this genre, who have been in the trenches as soap producers, soap writers, pundits, actors, and more, who were not included in the special.

So, what was your review of The Story of Soaps? How would you grade it? Do you feel it accurately reflected the history of the genre?  Were you happily surprised,  or when it came to the end where you over it, or somewhere in between? Sound off in the comment section below.  Below are some tweets from notables who have worked as an actor, a writer, and a journalist in the soaps.  

What started as a love letter kinda dissolved into a lover kicking you out of bed.
Ummm ok well I guess I appreciate the effort. But that definitely took a turn.🤷🏻‍♀️😬🤪 #TheStoryofSoaps

— Chrishell (@Chrishell7) May 20, 2020

OMG so I’m still watching/catching up on #TheStoryofSoaps. Why does it suddenly feel like a death knell for the genre?! Why can’t it be a celebration? We’re hanging tough with no new episodes IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING PANDEMIC! Why not celebrate our resilience? I’m done!

— Michele Val Jean (@MicheleValJean) May 20, 2020

Here’s the thing: The reason we’re down to 4 soaps is because network execs messed with time slots, cut budgets and interfered with storytelling. ABC can’t admit that so they have to get @Andy to trash them. But #TheStoryofSoaps was still a fun watch. Long live #AMC, #OLTL & #GH! https://t.co/pqR0Gx3cnf

— Carolyn Hinsey (@CarolynHinsey) May 20, 2020

If you caught the last episode of Dynasty’s shortened season (due to the coronavirus TV production shutdowns) on Friday night with its season 3 finale, you were in for plenty of drama and humor as only this CW-reboot of the popular ABC sudsy original of the 80’s, can.

In story here’s what went down: riffing on the film, The Hangover, Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gilles) and her buds, try to retrace their steps after a night of indulging in too much booze and Sam (Rafael de La Fuente) being roofied by a mixologist.  All of this was to be prior to Fallon’s long-awaited wedding to Liam (Adam Huber).

Photo: JPI

When the group ends up in a strip club, we learn that Sam got married to a stripped named “Scorpio” who turned out to be former The Young and the Restless star, Lachlan Buchanan (Ex-Kyle Abbottz).  Viewers of ABC’s Station 19 know that Buchanan is currently starring in that drama as well.

The said stripper (and new hubby to Sammy Jo), is actually named Ryan, and even though they met under very odd circumstances it turns out Ryan is quite taken and very kind to Sam.  He even puts his number in Sam’s phone, even though Sam says he is not looking for a long-term relationship, but later in the episode we see Sam pondering calling Ryan.   The on-screen chemistry between Buchanan and de La Fuente was palpable and we hope this might continue next season, if Buchanan is able and available to appear on the CW soap.

Elsewhere, Alexis (Elaine Hendrix) and Jeff (Sam Adegoke) finally let their guards down and took their relationship to a new level hitting the sheets. Is it true love? Meanwhile, Adam (Sam Underwood) is working to continue to destroy Blake (Grant Show) and his dad’s on-going battle with the Moldavians.

But, it is Anders (Alan Dale)who has the big moments in the episode; confronting Alexis and discovering that Adam pushed her face first into a fire place, paying off a nurse for some medical files, and hopping on a plane to get to the truth of Adam’s past before he destroys his daughter, Kirby (Maddison Brown).  Things are not looking good for her either, as Adam learns from Kirby that Anders has some crazy notion that Adam pushed Alexis into the fire.  What will Adam’s next move be?

Unfortunately, as showrunner Josh Reims told TV Line, the primetime soaps was unable to film its final two episodes of its 22-season order which was to culminate in the wedding of Fallon and Liam,  Reins noted:  We’’d been building towards Fallon and Liam’s wedding from the beginning of the year, and it felt like that would have been a good end to the season, so that was a little frustrating.”

As to Sam’s relationship with Ryan, Reims revealed their were plans to bring back Lachlan Buchanan for the last two episodes of the year noting: “We were going to bring back Ryan for Episodes 21 and 22, and we were going to explore the idea of Sam trying to have a relationship with this guy. It was going to be an interesting triangle if we were to bring back Fletcher, Sam’s married ex-boyfriend.”

So, what did you think of the season finale of Dynasty? Are you for a Sam and Ryan relationship?  Will Adam finally pay for his crimes? Comment below, but first check out the night of debauchery clip for Sammy Jo and company from Rafael de La Fuente’s Instagram account and then a clip of Buchanan’s stripping prowess on Dynasty.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Oops 😬 So much fun with the girls in this one. #Dynasty finale TONIGHT 9/8c on @thecw

A post shared by Rafael De La Fuente (@rafaeldlf) on May 8, 2020 at 3:03pm PDT

. @lachlanbuchanan as stripper is everything. Wow!😍
Scorpio/ Ryan in #Dynasty pic.twitter.com/SSr7fsxdHz

— CHrrLeeS (@chrrlees) May 9, 2020