# Dynasty (1981 TV series) season 3

The third season of Dynasty originally aired in the United States on ABC from October 27, 1982, through April 20, 1983. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in Denver, Colorado.
Season three stars John Forsythe as millionaire oil magnate Blake Carrington; Linda Evans as his wife Krystle; Pamela Sue Martin as Blake and Alexis' headstrong daughter Fallon; Jack Coleman as Blake and Alexis' earnest son Steven; Gordon Thomson as Blake and Alexis' eldest son Adam; John James as Fallon's ex-husband Jeff Colby; Lloyd Bochner as Jeff's uncle, Cecil Colby; Pamela Bellwood as Claudia Blaisdel, the widow of Krystle's former lover; Heather Locklear as Krystle's niece and Steven's ex-wife Sammy Jo; Geoffrey Scott as Krystle's ex-husband Mark Jennings; Lee Bergere as Carrington majordomo Joseph Anders; Kathleen Beller as Joseph's daughter Kirby; and Joan Collins as Alexis Colby, Blake's ex-wife and the mother of Adam, Fallon and Steven.

## Development

In season three, Dynasty introduced Gordon Thomson in the role of Adam Carrington, Blake and Alexis' eldest child, who had been kidnapped as an infant and never found. According to Thomson, "They had planned on Adam being an impostor but they liked him so much they decided to keep him on. They tested me for 13 shows, then extended that to 24." Steven Carrington was recast with Jack Coleman in 1983, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion.
Dynasty was ranked #5 in the United States for season three. The April 1983 episode "The Threat", which features the first use of the word "bitch" in a prime time network series as well as a catfight between Krystle and Alexis in a lily pond, was ranked #67 on the 2009 TV Guide list of "Top 100 Episodes".

## Plot

In the third season, Alexis marries Cecil on his deathbed and acquires his company, ColbyCo. In the meantime, Adam, the long-lost son of Alexis and Blake who had been kidnapped in infancy, reappears in Denver and almost starts an affair with Fallon before they discover they are siblings. Also introduced are Krystle's ex-husband, tennis pro Mark Jennings, and Kirby Anders, the daughter of longtime Carrington majordomo Joseph. Kirby catches Adam's eye but weds Jeff after his divorce from Fallon. In the middle of the season, news that Steven has been killed in an accident in Indonesia comes to the Carringtons; he survives, but undergoes plastic surgery and returns to Denver. In the third-season cliffhanger, Alexis lures Krystle to Steven's cabin and the two are locked inside while the cabin is set ablaze by an unseen arsonist.

## Cast
### Cast notes

* 1 2 Bellwood and Bochner depart in "The Wedding" (ep. 3.3). Bellwood returns to the opening credits for "The Dinner" (ep. 3.22).
* ↑ Beller is added to the opening credits from "Kirby" (ep. 3.7).
* ↑ Scott first appears uncredited in "The Siblings" (ep. 3.5) before being added to the opening credits from "Mark" (ep. 3.6).
* ↑ Locklear returns to the opening credits for "Samantha" (ep. 3.12), "Danny" (ep. 3.13) and "The Downstairs Bride" (ep. 3.20).
* ↑ Coleman first appears uncredited with his face unseen in "Acapulco" (ep. 3.9). He continues in a recurring role before being added to the opening credits from "Reunion in Singapore" (ep. 3.18).

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | Rating/share (households) |
| 38 | 1 | "The Plea" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | October 27, 1982 (1982-10-27) | DY-036 | 25.6/43 |
| Dynasty was preempted by the ABC Movie Special Having It All on October 13, 1982. ||||||||
| 39 | 2 | "The Roof" | Gwen Arner | Story by : Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | November 3, 1982 (1982-11-03) | DY-037 | 23.2/40 |
| 40 | 3 | "The Wedding" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock Teleplay by : Jeffery Lane | November 10, 1982 (1982-11-10) | DY-038 | 25.8/43 |
| 41 | 4 | "The Will" | Gwen Arner | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Katherine Coker | November 17, 1982 (1982-11-17) | DY-039 | 19.6/31 |
| 42 | 5 | "The Siblings" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Daniel King Benton | November 24, 1982 (1982-11-24) | DY-040 | 19.1/32 |
| 43 | 6 | "Mark" | Philip Leacock | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | December 1, 1982 (1982-12-01) | DY-041 | 20.6/32 |
| 44 | 7 | "Kirby" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | December 8, 1982 (1982-12-08) | DY-042 | 21.2/35 |
| 45 | 8 | "La Mirage" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Stephen Black & Henry Stern | December 15, 1982 (1982-12-15) | DY-043 | 21.3/35 |
| 46 | 9 | "Acapulco" | Philip Leacock | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Leah Markus | December 22, 1982 (1982-12-22) | DY-044 | 21.5/36 |
| 47 | 10 | "The Locket" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Dick Nelson | December 29, 1982 (1982-12-29) | DY-045 | 19.3/32 |
| 48 | 11 | "The Search" | Alf Kjellin | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | January 5, 1983 (1983-01-05) | DY-046 | 22.5/40 |
| 49 | 12 | "Samantha" | Bob Sweeney | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | January 12, 1983 (1983-01-12) | DY-047 | 22.9/37 |
| 50 | 13 | "Danny" | Alf Kjellin | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Dick Nelson | January 19, 1983 (1983-01-19) | DY-048 | 21.8/35 |
| 51 | 14 | "Madness" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Stephen Kandel | January 26, 1983 (1983-01-26) | DY-049 | 26.3/40 |
| 52 | 15 | "Two Flights to Haiti" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | February 2, 1983 (1983-02-02) | DY-050 | 24.3/37 |
| 53 | 16 | "The Mirror" | Philip Leacock | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | February 16, 1983 (1983-02-16) | DY-051 | 20.9/36 |
| Dynasty was preempted by part 4 of The Winds of War on February 9, 1983. ||||||||
| 54 | 17 | "Battle Lines" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Dick Nelson | February 23, 1983 (1983-02-23) | DY-052 | 21.5/34 |
| 55 | 18 | "Reunion in Singapore" | Gwen Arner | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | March 2, 1983 (1983-03-02) | DY-053 | 22.5/27 |
| 56 | 19 | "Fathers and Sons" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | March 9, 1983 (1983-03-09) | DY-054 | 25.2/43 |
| 57 | 20 | "The Downstairs Bride" | Philip Leacock | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Dick Nelson | March 16, 1983 (1983-03-16) | DY-055 | 22.0/35 |
| 58 | 21 | "The Vote" | Glynn R. Turman | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | March 23, 1983 (1983-03-23) | DY-056 | 24.6/46 |
| 59 | 22 | "The Dinner" | Philip Leacock | Story by : Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | April 6, 1983 (1983-04-06) | DY-057 | 22.5/38 |
| Dynasty was preempted by part 4 of The Thorn Birds on March 30, 1983. ||||||||
| 60 | 23 | "The Threat" | Bob Sweeney | Story by : Eileen Mason and Robert Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | April 13, 1983 (1983-04-13) | DY-058 | 23.2/39 |
| This episode features the first use of the word "bitch" in a prime time network series. Note: In 1996, the episode was ranked #84 on TV Guide's list of "The 100 Most Memorable Moments in TV History", and was ranked #67 on the 2009 TV Guide list of "Top 100 Episodes". ||||||||
| 61 | 24 | "The Cabin" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | April 20, 1983 (1983-04-20) | DY-059 | 27.3/45 |

## Reception

In season three, Dynasty made a big leap to be ranked #5 in the United States with a 22.4 Nielsen rating.