For such a calming place like Synergy, “What Sorrows Are You Drowning?” felt more like an awkward meditation on Dynasty. The pursuit of bringing Kirby back from her “alleged” cult united sworn enemies together for the greater good. There were undercover personas, fake wigs, and a no-nonsense determination to get the job done. Basically, all the qualities that would make this a standout hour. But, something felt off in this plot, as well as the secondary and tertiary stories happening around Atlanta. This was an off week for Dynasty.
Kirby’s move to the compound had been a developing story since she encountered the leader at La Mirage months ago; it was only a matter of time before she fell under their spell completely. For as much as the soapy drama is what pulls us in, it was a pleasant sight to see all the characters united to bring Kirby back. Many of them aren’t close anymore, but they worked together specifically to help Kirby in her time of need.
The biggest surprise was Fallon agreeing to work with Adam to bring Kirby back. Sure, she had ulterior motives to save Femperial, but she hated Adam so much more, that her working with him (let alone pretending to be his wife) came as a surprising move. Let’s not forget that this was the same man who tried to kill her fiancé Liam and tried on many occasions to ruin her life. Fallon will do anything for friendship and her personal agenda, so you have to respect her Slytherin-like ambition here!
What did work for “What Sorrows Are You Drowning?” involved the improvements in Fallon’s relationships with her biggest frenemies. Firstly, she and Kirby buried the hatchet that had driven a huge wedge between them. We’ve been in a serious need of a classic Kirby/Fallon love-hate scene! Their friendship has been rocky, but they’ve acted more like sisters than anything else and, with Steven gone, Fallon could use another sibling-like relationship in the interim.
Secondly, her animosity toward Adam has strangely weakened. Look, it’s great that they’ve found some peace in their war and that they will no longer try to hurt each other, but Fallon shouldn’t forget everything he did to her. Adam literally tried to kill her fiancé! In addition to that, there is a long list of instances where he hurt their family and made personal actions against her. Completely forgiving that history because they went undercover at a cult compound doesn’t fit with Fallon’s outlook on the world. She might throw quips every now and then, but she wouldn’t drop it so easily.
Though, that sudden change in their relationship could have been forgiven had her and Adam not broken out into song at the Synergy meeting. What was even happening here? Dynasty embraced their musical talents with a musical episode in 2019, but these inclusions of songs don’t fit into the series as a whole. Their performance, while talented, was a cringe-worthy mess. Some TV series have incorporated the use of songs as a plot device to fill holes/time when they either don’t have something to say or they want to incorporate a gimmick. This has happened on shows like Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Glee. The novelty has worn off and this needs to stop.
Did Culhane’s storyline come across as pointless? He spent all his time trying to wheel and deal potential corporate investors, but it all amounted to nothing halfway through the episode. We knew what the end result would be, but the events needed to move along to deliver the depressing reality of the situation: the sports/stadium storyline has become redundant. Since the Carringtons have moved into a cruise line business, the main point of drama is non-existent. Dynasty is trying to keep it relevant with new hurdles, but the stadium feels out of place now that 80% of the characters/plots have moved on. It might be time for this story and Culhane to bid a fond farewell too.
Sam’s romance with Fletcher has turned into a teen romance instead of a lasting relationship. Many of his quips and decisions stemmed from a place of jealousy and needing attention; he literally secured a spot on Culhane’s plane/party because he refused to not have a date with Fletcher. In what world is a date more important than securing gainful employment?
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The return of the Cristal vs. Alexis war was a gleaming flicker of hope for future Dynasty plots. Having the pair fight it out in a pool is a classic Dynasty trope that brings on all the nostalgia of soapy plots from the past. This nod to Dynasty’s fight was a great touch! However, the path to how it came to be was a tad suspect. There is no way Alexis would be that sloppy to not clean up the scene after accidentally causing Cristal’s miscarriage. Alexis did plenty of backtracking to close the loop on suspicion, but she wouldn’t have searched the scene for bullet shells? No, she would’ve checked to make sure.
“What Sorrows Are You Drowning?” fell a bit flat in its delivery and didn’t live up to the hype of its fun development. Fallon is finally leaving the manor to be her own person and she’s progressed in healthy ways with her frenemies. This moment should be a monumental development, but it got overshadowed with a lot of filler and some inaccuracies to blur the point.
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