Dynasty has always been that show you’re not supposed to take seriously.
But somewhere along the way, the series became that show I’m embarrassed to admit I still watch, and quite frankly, it’s because of the creative choices.
Dynasty Season 4 Episode 13 was the first episode in a long time that gave me the desire to watch the next.
It was all thanks to the stakes being raised like never before. I’m about to delve into spoiler territory for the episode that aired last week because where the heck was Steven?
If you watch Dynasty online, you know we last saw Steven on Dynasty Season 2, and the show has essentially forgotten about his existence ever since.
Adam made it look like Steven would commit suicide in Paris, only for him to be committed to a psychiatric facility.
In the aftermath, Adam arrived at the manor and somehow managed to weasel his way into the family, despite being one of the most wicked characters on TV.
He’s nauseating, to say the least, but the writers are going full steam ahead to make him one of the fixtures of the show.
All of this was at the expense of Steven, the most grounded character on a show with heightened personalities.
We already know that James Mackay did not want to leave the show. It wasn’t his decision, and the creative forces behind the show thought it was good to distance the show from the character.
Steven was more about real-world issues than any of the other characters on the show, bringing some much-needed reality to the show, and, unfortunately, he’s been erased from the narrative.
Ahead of Steven being written off the show, we learned that Blake was not his father and that Alexis had an affair with Anders several years before, meaning that Steven was the son of Joseph.
Obviously, Steven was in a bad place. He had to leave to find a way to process all of the events, but for the characters to never mention him again, it’s a bit of a slap in the face.
Now that Anders has been revealed as the victim on Dynasty Season 4‘s major arc (RIP, dude!), why did the show feel the need to keep Steven away from the funeral?
Are we to believe that he’s died in the time since he was committed, or are we to assume that he’s somehow still there?
The series has been trying to get Adam closer to the people who oppose him throughout Dynasty Season 4, so that character development would be rendered useless should he return.
This is yet another sign that the show has moved on and forgotten about him. Fallon, Sam, and Alexis were concerned about Kirby’s whereabouts at her father’s funeral, but why did none of them think to include — or even reference — Steven?
He is the son of the late Joseph Anders, after all. Heck, even Blake would probably be happy to see Steven after so long.
Their relationship understandably imploded when they learned they had never been biological father and son.
There’s also Steven’s relationship with Sam to consider here. Sam was so worried about his husband throughout those early episodes of Dynasty Season 2, but now, he’s being kept busy with a terrible hotel plot.
Consistency is not something synonymous with Dynasty, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the season is all over the place.
But now that we know about the existence of another daughter in the Carrington family tree, wouldn’t it make the perfect sense for her to make her arrival in Atlanta with her half-brother by her side?
Being locked up against his will have understandably hardened Steven, possibly making him embrace a darker side. The family forgot about him, so why should he return and play nicely with them?
The truth is, there are a lot of possibilities with the character. You could have Steven vs. Adam, which would force Blake and Cristal to choose a side, and given the events of Dynasty Season 4 Episode 13, it’s obvious which side they’d choose.
Fallon would probably gravitate more toward Steven because of their bond. Kirby would be conflicted because Adam is her boyfriend, and he tried to kill her brother.
She knows all about the darkness inside Adam.
Do I trust the writers to bring him back and not botch it? No.
The more likely scenario is that we’ll learn he died off-screen, or if he does return, it will be with another actor playing the role.
Dynasty has had so many recasts that it’s laughable at this stage. The show might as well be an anthology with a new cast and stories every episode because it’s rare for the show to address prior plots.
It’s sad, but it’s true.
Dynasty Season 5 is a go, but the lack of promotion this season makes it feel like a mere afterthought on The CW’s schedule. It’s likely the show is only being saved thanks to Netflix at this point.
Maybe Netflix should become the sole home because the show could benefit from a jolt in the right direction and some promotion.
What are your thoughts on Steven?
Do you want some closure?
Hit the comments below.
Catch new episodes of Dynasty Fridays at 9/8c on The CW.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.