Joseph Anders

**Joseph Winifred Anders** was a main character in the television series, *Dynasty* on The CW. He was portrayed by Alan Dale.

He was the majordomo to the Carrington family, and planned their events, parties, and took care of the house. He was the general manager at La Mirage where he mentored Sam Jones in the world of business. Once Sam was able to handle things on his own, Joseph left the company and returned to the Carrington family. He was very orderly and neat and liked to be as prepared as possible for everything.

## Biography

### Early Life

Joseph Anders is a New Zealand native. One day, while trying to pickpocket a man, he was caught. Instead of being punished, the man, Thomas Carrington, offered Anders a job with his family. Anders accepted and eventually became the Carrington's majordomo, caring for almost every aspect of the Carrington's lives. He also cared for Thomas and Ellen's son, Blake, and helped raise the boy. Anders witnessed the rise and retirement of Thomas, and the rise of Blake to reach the helm of the family company.

He was present for Blake's marriage to Alexis Morell and the birth of their firstborn, Adam. Anders mourned the kidnapping of Adam alongside Blake and Alexis. Alexis took comfort in Anders and the two had an affair that only lasted one night. Alexis became pregnant with their child, but lied to Blake and claimed the child was his. She later gave birth to Steven Carrington. Anders helped raise Steven and was a father figure to the boy despite having to keep his true parentage a secret. Anders also helped raise Alexis and Blake's daughter, Fallon.

Anders eventually moved his young daughter, Kirby, to the States where she lived with him and the Carrington's. During this time, Kirby struggled to adapt to the States and her new home. Later, Alexis caught Kirby spying on her and Anders and feared that the girl overheard them talking about their child, Steven. Alexis framed Kirby for a fire in Fallon's room which forced Anders to send Kirby back to New Zealand to live with her mother. Even though it killed him to send his daughter away, he believed the lies Alexis told more than he believed Kirby.

A few years later, Fallon brought home one of her best friends, Trixie Tate, for a sleepover. That night, the girls were drinking when they got into a fight over something petty. Trixie wanted to leave but Fallon didn't want her to leave while she was so intoxicated, and grabbed Trixie's arm in an attempt to stop her. They struggled at the top of the stairwell, and Trixie fell over the balcony and onto the floor below. Fallon panicked and asked Anders for help, and he assured her that he would take care of it. Unbeknownst to Fallon or anyone else, Trixie died upon impact. Anders and Blake put Trixie's body in the Carrington lake to cover up the crime and protect Fallon. They then perpetuated the story by claiming that they weren't paying attention to the girls but heard Trixie leave that night but never saw her again.

### Season 1

Anders is fiercely loyal to the Carrington family and took an immediate disliking to Blake Carrington's bride, Cristal Flores Carrington. He hired a private investigator who discovered unsavory factors about her past.

### Season 4

In Billings, Montana, Anders meets Shelly Duncan, former nurse and caretaker to Theresa Harrison. Upon learning of Adam's presence in Atlanta, she is similarly concerned with the safety of others and decides to tell Anders what she knows of Adam's past. ("That Unfortunate Dinner")

Anders brings Shelly with him back to Atlanta, hoping to expose Adam's past and stop him from hurting anyone else, especially Kirby. Shelly begins to fear for her safety, lacking confidence in Anders' plan despite his confirmation of security. Due to a delay with Fallon and Liam's wedding, Adam is late to meeting with Shelly in which she plans to get a recorded confession that he caused his adoptive mother's overdose. Anders later goes looking for Adam in the manor, and finds him applying pressure to a stab wound as Kirby lays unconscious and bleeding out. Believing Adam to be responsible for Kirby's stabbing, Anders holds him at gunpoint. ("Vows Are Still Sacred")

As Kirby is rushed to the hospital, it's made clear to Anders that she was stabbed by Fallon's deranged ex, Evan Tate, and not Adam. However, Anders makes it clear that he still does not want Adam near Kirby, and he later manipulates a recorded murder confession out of Adam. Ultimately, Anders has a change of heart and sees how much Adam cares for Kirby and decides to trust her to make her own decisions. While he gives Adam and Kirby his blessing, Anders does not delete the recorded confession. ("The Aftermath")

Anders moves into La Mirage with Blake after Alexis takes ownership of the manor, and he begins work to help Blake get back on his feet. He announces Blake's presence in the hotel to Cristal, who also stays at La Mirage since her and Blake's separation. Additionally, Anders tracks down a friend of Blake's who possesses a valuable painting that Blake needs back to sell and rebuild his finances. ("Everybody Loves The Carringtons")

As Fallon names herself head of the Carrington dynasty, Anders delivers the family calendar documenting events requiring her attendance in her new role, while also supporting Blake's continuing efforts to win back Cristal. As he guides Fallon through her new role in the family, he reveals that Jeff and Monica's grandmother passed away, but that the funeral is during her important speech. Anders later pays off a bellhop at La Mirage who played a crucial role in ending Cristal's affair with Caleb. ("New Hopes, New Beginnings")

In "Go Rescue Someone Else", Anders helps Fallon find a missing and kidnapped Liam Ridley, promising his help to her in finding her husband. Through Anders's PI, they find a warehouse registered too Katy Lofflan's brother. The devise a plan that Fallon promptly breaks, resulting in her kidnapping. Anders saves them by entering carrying a computer case, as Katy had requested Liam's computer in exchange for his life. He warns that the police are on their way and brokers a deal for their lives in exchange for the computer. Katy doesn't believe that the police are coming and instructs her men to kill the trio once they verify the computer is real. Anders cuts Fallon and Liam free seconds before the computer explodes, sending Katy and her men to the ground. Anders is caught in the blast radius and injures his ribs, though the police arrive in time to arrest Katy.

Once at the manor, Fallon apologizes to Anders for getting him hurt and putting him in the middle again. He assures her that it's fine as he's lost count of how many times he's saved her life; he stopped counting when she was sixteen. As they talk, he admits that she's like a daughter to him with her sharing how much he means to her too. She reminds him that his real daughter, Kirby, is out there and needs his forgiveness. He admits that he's already forgiven Kirby and wants her back in his life, a fact her plans to tell her once he finds her. In the meantime, he has plans to visit Cristal in the hospital.

On his way there, he sets a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the passenger seat. They slide to the floor so he leans over to pick them up, taking his eyes off the road. The car swerves into the other lane with an oncoming car honking their horn. Anders sits up abruptly, though the pain in his ribs cripples him. He manages to swerve out of the way of the oncoming car, but loses control of the vehicle as it slams into a pole. The car crumples upon impact, and Anders dies instantly.

His funeral is held soon after, with his memory being honored by a priest and the Carrington's. Fallon, Blake, Adam, Liam, Sam, Michael, Jeff, and Alexis are all in attendance. Sam admits that he thought Anders was indestructible; that death wouldn't dare come near him. Michael agrees as he worked for the Carrington's for years but never saw Anders falter or be unsure of anything. Blake remains in a state of shock, while Fallon, while heartbroken, wonders where Kirby could be. They know it will be hard to tell Kirby that she missed Anders's funeral.

## Relationships

### Blake Carrington

He is very protective and cares deeply for Blake's safety. In early episodes, they have serious conversations about what's going on around the house. He seems to always have Blake's back.

### Cristal Flores

Even though he doesn't like her at the beginning of episode one, he becomes suspicious about her and the terrible events of her past. In episode eight, when he found out about the truth and the envelope that says her *name*. On it, Cristal quickly asks for his help. He might think it's risky for helping her but decides to do it since she asks him to help her. After he helps her, Anders says he's the majordomo that can protect his family and those that he can't trust.

### Sam Jones

In the beginning, they had their differences. Anders wasn't fond of Sam's behavior, particularly his dancing and attitude. Anders' attitude was cool and off-putting toward him. He later manipulated Sam to stop Ted from rekindling his relationship with Steven. After Claudia trapped them in basement of the house, they were forced to rely on one another and trust each other. They eventually escaped when they picked the locks on both doors.

In I Answer to No Man, after Sam learned of his father's death, Anders politely gives Sam a drink and cheers to apologize. Their relationship subsequently evolved from there and they now have more of a father-son relationship. In Deception, Jealousy, and Lies, Anders resigned from his position with the Carringtons and joined Sam in renovating and managing La Mirage.

## Trivia

* In the original series, Anders had a daughter named Kirby, who was involved with both Jeff Colby and Adam, Blake and Alexis' oldest son. He also had a son, Sean, who married Alexis, and a second daughter, Victoria.
	+ In the reboot, Anders has a daughter named Kirby, who is mentioned and heard in the first season and becomes a main character in the second season. He is also the biological father of Steven Carrington, due to an affair with Alexis.
* Joseph has a black belt in Taekwondo. ("How Two-Faced Can You Get?")
* Joseph is adept at juggling fruit. ("Mother? I'm at La Mirage")
* When Joseph left the Carrington's, he left behind a binder outlining everything important in the Carrington's lives that his successor might need. It included everything from day-to-day operations to Blake's *Blockbuster* account number. ("Shoot From the Hip")
* He has a signature drink that he gives Blake called an *Anders Manhatten*. ("Shoot From the Hip")
* He has both been fired from the Carrington's employees and quit on his own regard, at least once.
* Anders's life-long dream is to open a beachfront restaurant in New Zealand, which is where he wants to eventually retire. Blake later gave him the deed to one that will be ready for Anders to take over when he retires. ("Robin Hood Rescues")
* Ander's death on the *thirteenth episode* of the fourth season makes him the second major character death from a former main character, preceded by Celia Machado at the end of Season 1.
* Joseph had a collection of kookaburras. ("A Good Marriage in Every Sense")
* The producers were going to kill Anders by a heart attack but Alan Dale requested to die another way because of the fact that many of Dale's characters have passed away because of a heart attack.

## Gallery

* Season 1
* Season 2
* Season 3
* Season 4

## References

1. ↑ In "Robin Hood Rescues", Blake gave Anders the deed to a beach front restaurant in New Zealand for when he eventually retired as a majordomo.
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RQ8D8Qbw2I&t=314s