Were we misled?

If I sketched out what I expected, I would have shown a firmly front-loaded curve that climbed to a high point around Season 5 and then started the inevitable descent toward the hell otherwise known as “the 90s.” But I think there’s a bit of a dip, perhaps a “plateau” of sorts because I don’t feel like Season 4 really bested the latter half of Season 3. 

The numbers show little growth; almost exactly the same amount of fur parceled out across 18 episodes instead of 16. And the quality? There are some strong points in this season, but, taken as a whole, it’s a bit “underwhelming.” That is the most diplomatic way to say it.

Also, capes. So… many… capes… There are fewer capes in the MCU than in Dynasty Season 4. There are so many capes that I checked to see if Marisha Ray was the costume designer this season. There are so many capes that I was waiting for Edna Mode to show up and slap somebody.

This concludes this episode of “references very few people reading this blog will get. ” We now return you to your regularly scheduled update.

Alexis wasn’t wholly returned to brown purgatory. Instead, she spent a lot of time in short-hair solitary. If you think the arrival of Diahann Carroll should have helped, you’re not wrong, but it was in the second to last episode of the season, so there was not much time to make a huge impact.

In fairness, yes, this season is spectacular compared to most network television shows at the time, but not quite as spectacular compared to the seasons of Dynasty before and after.

Dynasty Season 04 – Stats

• Fur Episodes:  18
• Total Episodes:  27
• Total Fur Runtime: approx 40:31 minutes

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 03

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 25:00 – 27:40 – black fox stole (held, intermittently visible) JC
• 41:45 – 43:15 – crystal fox stroller LE

The first third of the season is pretty dry, with a few notable exceptions. The opener is this poorly filmed black fox stole in Episode 3. Thankfully, a real coat shows up later. This is the first instance of Krystle wearing crystal fox, which took them long enough, I suppose.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 07

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 28:10 – 29:35 – fox neck scarf JC
• 40:30 – 46:15 – lynx coat and hat JC

Patience is a virtue. After a tiny neck-based appetizer, one of the season’s top furs appears in Episode 7. The lynx fur coat Alexis wears is spectacular and hangs around for two scenes, providing a lot of airtime for a coat that very much deserves it.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 08

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 15:00 – 15:45 – lynx coat and hat JC
• 17:50 – 18:35 – white fox stole LE
• 27:45 – 29:15 – mink fur cape JC
• 33:15 – 36:10 – ”

It deserved so much, in fact, that it briefly appears at the start of Episode 8, though not as long. Things quickly settle into a fairly unremarkable status quo, with Krystle holding a white fox stole a little later. Finally, Alexis is shown in this mink cape/poncho thing that also gets two scenes and very much does not deserve it. 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 10

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 09:40 – 10:20 – black fur-trimmed cape/poncho? JC
• 20:10 – 21:20 – ” + hat
• 24:50 – 27:00 – fox trimmed mink stroller JC
• 40:20 – mink/sable JC
• 43:15 – ”

The black fur-trimmed cape that kicks off Episode 10 continues the trend, though it is quickly paired with a slightly more robust fox hat. I think the trim is fox as well, but it is sheared down because it looks pretty thin. The follow-up suggests Alexis can’t seem to wiggle out of mink, though she’s given a fox trim to salvage this one at least. She ends the episode having fallen into the grip of brown once more, though it’s really brief and in a dark room, so it’s not like you’re missing anything. 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 11

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 24:10 – 25:20 – white fox stole LE, black fur stole JC

Episode 11 was one they shot at an actual event called the Carousel Ball in Denver, where the actors attended, and they filmed scenes for the show. Linda/Krystle and Joan/Alexis both arrived in fox stoles, white and black, much like hats in the old west. 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 12

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 23:10 – 25:25 – smol white fur hat + cuffs (later) JC
• 44:20 – 45:00 – fox headband LE
• 45:10 – 46:00 – smol white fur hat + cuffs JC

I feel like an angry costume designer is going, “SEE! SEE! I CAN MAKE THEM EVEN SMALLER, YOU FREAKS!”

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 14

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 37:45 – 40:30 – blush fox stole LE

This may also have been filmed at an actual horse race, but definitely back in ye olde California, not Denver. Which, if you’re keeping score, is why Denver’s climate seems so sunny and warm throughout the show. Krystle wears a pretty basic fox stole but does not make the most of it as Alexis did in S03E16.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 15

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 20:00 – fur shirt? LE

A fur shirt? Really, Season 4? Okay, sure, fine. Whatever.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 16

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 08:15 – 09:25 – pink fox nightrobe cuffs JC
• 10:40 – 11:50 – fox-trimmed blush mink LE
• 14:10 – white fox stole JC
• 26:35 – crystal fox LE
• 35:40 – 36:20 – ”

A weightier episode that features a few different things, kicking off with some pink fox cuffs on Alexis’ robe. Fur cuffs become a bit of a staple as the series goes on, though I would describe them as “filler” between the better stuff. Like the fox-trimmed mink stroller Krystle wears later, or the white fox stole Alexis casually tosses away when returning home with Dime-Store-Burt-Reynolds. Tragically, we will not see more of Dime-Store-Burt-Reynolds after Season 4. Scratch that; the real tragedy is the full-length crystal fox that is only held and never once worn later in the episode.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 18

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 14:30 – blue fox + mink JC LE
• 38:10 – mink JC
• 40:35 – ”

No, scratch that. The real tragedy is this fifteen-second shot of Alexis and Krystle arriving at a local medical facility in furs (of course). Alexis is likely wearing the same blue fox from S03E18, but this brief glimpse of it is all we get to see. Later in the episode, Alexis wears a different, far less interesting coat. 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 19

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 10:20 – crystal fox LE

We briefly see Krystle wearing what is likely the same coat she did not wear in E16. There is no way to know for sure, but it looks pretty similar. 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 20

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 14:20 – 16:10 – sable coat gift LE
• 33:10 – mink cape/poncho JC

Aww, Blake is demonstrating he has terrible taste in fur. Sadly, this joke is somewhat undercut as Alexis briefly returns in her mink from E10 and proves she can’t do much better.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 21

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 26:25 – 29:15 – sable coat LE

In a terrible win for continuity over quality, Krystle wears her new coat one episode later.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 23

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 08:30 – 11:25 – brown sable? tail collar + muff + hat JC
• 43:40 – sheared white mink, held LE

The revenge-of-the-brown-fur-coat arc concludes a couple of episodes later when Alexis shows up in a hat/muff/collar combo at the airport—debate amongst yourselves what kind of brown it is, sable, fisher, mink, etc. I will manage one positive remark: the tail collar at least has some size to it and is not irritatingly flat.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 24

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 25:50 – 30:30 – gray fox trim cape + hat JC

The fact I consider this one of the better things Season 4 has to offer says pretty much everything you need to know about Season 4. It’s a dyed fox hat and trimmed cape/poncho that gets a decent amount of screen time, with an additional bonus for the hat that hangs around for the next scene. 

This was undoubtedly the “season of the cape,” and, thankfully, it was the only “season of the cape.” 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 25

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 19:45 – rabbit fur jacket, carried HL

Sammy Jo still finds time to visit Denver while working her day job on the mean streets of Somewhere, California, with Captain Kirk. Her only appearance on this list is when she cruises on holding the white trashiest of all white trash furs, a rabbit fur jacket. 

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 26

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 16:45 – 18:05 – lynx coat DC
• 23:20 – 25:00 – fox on chair DC
• 28:00 – 29:50 – silver fox hat and cuffs JC
• 32:30 – 35:30 – ”
• 42:20 – 45:45 – blue fox trim cape DC

As mentioned in the opening, Dominique Deveraux (Diahann Carroll) does show up, but not until Episode 26 of 27. While it is impressive to enter wearing what is likely a belly lynx coat, you know what would have been more impressive? Actually, wearing it. Sadly, even with this easy layup, Season 4 disappoints. To add insult to injury we are next treated to an entire scene of Miss Deveraux chatting while a fox coat sits on the chair behind her. Thankfully, Alexis arrives to help out as best she can in a silver fox hat and, yes, cuffs. 

Someone finally realized that Dominique should wear a little fur during her debut episode, and we see her square off against Alexis in a blue fox-trimmed… cape. 

Okay, I’m officially done with this season.

Dynasty Season 04 – Episode 27

Find-a-Fur:

(All times are approximate)

• 26:35 – 29:00 – white fur hat DC

Or I get to tell you about the mink hat in Episode 27; then I’m officially done.