That Holiday Spirit

That Holiday Spirit
Season 5, Episode 2

Air date	December 20, 2021
Written by	Aubrey Villalobos Karr
Directed by	Kenny Leon
Viewers	0.31 million (313,000)
Episode Guide
previous "Let's Start Over Again"	next "How Did the Board Meeting Go?"

“	Merry Christmas!	”
Rita as she plots with Beto.

"That Holiday Spirit" is the second episode of the fifth season and the eighty-eighth episode overall of The CW's Dynasty. It aired on December 20, 2021.

Synopsis[]

A VERY CARRINGTON CHRISTMAS - Carrington Manor is decorated to the hilt as only the Carringtons can but all is not well at the Manor. Kirby, Liam, Sam, and Culhane all deal with the recent events in very different ways. Blake and Cristal come to an agreement regarding his political future. Dominique proceeds with her plans and turns to Jeff for some much-needed assistance. Meanwhile, Alexis remains in jail and only Amanda seems to show any support.^[1]

Plot Summary[]

SPOILERS AHEAD

Liam rallies the family to have Christmas conversations with comatose Fallon. His are about forgiveness; Kirby tries to stir emotion; Blake confesses vulnerability; Sam and Culhane get hung up on words and holiday decor. Jeff sets up an FBI sting to free Brady of his mob debts, then Dominique parts with him for good. Adam scrambles to find an alibi for the night of the murder, barely keeping ahead of Amanda's investigation. Blake decides to quit the senate race. Dom visits Alexis in prison with bitter tidings. Fallon wavers at death's bright light, then wakes. Beto trains his new protege Rita how to behave like Cristal.^[2]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington
Daniella Alonso as Cristal Carrington
Elaine Hendrix as Alexis Carrington
Rafael de La Fuente as Sam Jones
Sam Underwood as Adam Carrington
Michael Michele as Dominique Deveraux
Robert Christopher Riley as Michael Culhane
Sam Adegoke as Jeff Colby
Maddison Brown as Kirby Anders
Adam Huber as Liam Ridley
Eliza Bennett as Amanda Carrington
Grant Show as Blake Carrington

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Tiffany Morgan as Dr. Stover
Alex Dauphin as Darlene
Stephen Jared as Richard
Gail Everett-Smith as Dottie
Jennifer Vance as Dr. Waldenberg
Lee Wesley as Dr. Park
Nasir Rahim as Old Man
John Winscher as Marco

Trivia[]

On November 2, 2021, Rafael de la Fuente leaked the name of the episode to be as "That Holiday Spirit".
On the same day, Michael Michele revealed the name of the writer and director to be Aubrey Villalobos Karr and Kenny Leon respectively.
This is the third Christmas episode of the show following Rotten Things and Crazy Lady.
This episode's title, along with its synopsis, directors, and writer were officially revealed on December 2, 2021, via a press relea
Daniella Alonso is credited twice in this episode.
- First, as usual, as the lead cast member in the opening sequence. And, a second time, as a guest star in the closing credits for her role as Rita.
Steven Carrington is mentioned throughout this episode. Nicollette Sheridan's version of Alexis Carrington is also brought up twice.
The title of this episode is a reference to the Season 5 episode of the same name of the original dynasty series.
- This is the sixth time a reboot episode is titled after an original one, the first five times being Enter Alexis, New Lady in Town, Battle Lines, The Aftermath and The Birthday Party.
Let's Start Over Again and That Holiday Spirit air back-to-back on December 20, 2021. This is the second time this has happened in the show's history, and also the third time in the network's history to-date.
- The CW is advertising the night as a "Full Event Holiday For Dynasty".
That Holiday Spirit is the third episode of the series not featuring a Previously On Dynasty Segment after I Hardly Recognized You and The Aftermath.
Fallon and Liam having a son and a daughter in the dream sequence might be a reference to the original Dynasty in which Fallon and Jeff had a son L.B and a daughter Lauren.
Alexis calls Dominique a crazy lady. This is a reference to a Season 2 episode of the same name.
On a Instagram live, Michael Michele revealed that the line in which Alexis compared Dominique to a Muppet was improvised by Elaine Hendrix.
This episode features a performance of the song, "I'll Be Home for Christmas".

Soundtrack[]

Sia - "Candy Cane Lane"
- Scene: Fallon wakes up from her coma to celebrate Christmas with the Carrington family.

Quotes[]

Alexis: And I need your help if I'm going to be home in time for Christmas. Christmas is the one day of the year everyone is nice to me. After Blake banished me, I thought I would never unwrap a shiny bauble from Fallon or Steven ever again. And my first Christmas back in Atlanta, Fallon bought me one of everything from the Neiman Marcus catalog.
Amanda: How thoughtful. And wasteful.

Liam: Listen to me, Fallon. I know you can hear me. I am gonna do whatever it takes to get you out of here. We are not spending Christmas in a hospital room. I promise.

Kirby: Hi, Fallon. So, it's me. Kirby. Anyway... do you remember that Christmas a few years ago? It was the time Blake gave himself a Rolex and he got you a fancy blowout kit. And I got these earrings. The truth is, I switched the gift tags when no one was looking, because I thought your gift would be better than mine. Turns out I was right. Sorry, but, wow, I feel much better.
Liam: That's the memory that you think could wake Fallon up? Do you not have Christmas in Australia?
Kirby: Growing up, Christmas was a fresh start in my family. For a few days, no one fought and all was forgiven. And since Fallon is so full of spite, I thought that if I pissed her off enough, she would wake up out of anger. Then forgive me for the earrings.
Liam: Weirdly, that does make some sense.

Adam (to Amanda): Wow, you're like a British Nancy Drew, except older and dowdier.

Blake (to Liam): Well, I don't know who Alexis' plastic surgeon is these days, but I got to hand it to the guy. She doesn't look anything like the woman I married.

Blake: The Carrington tradition of cutting down a tree was started by my father when I was young. And it means a lot that you've agreed to continue it with me.
Fallon: Anything to get out of wrapping gifts with Steven for Toys for Tots.
Blake: Well, I invited him to come with us, but he said we'd be hurting nature, and he refused to be a part of "tree-icide."
Fallon: So, what exactly are we looking for?
Blake: I have one simple rule: think big. Specifically, bigger than Warren Buffet's. His tree seemed to take up the entire background of his annual MSNBC interview.
Fallon: Mm. That was obnoxious.

Blake (to Fallon): Okay, maybe it wasn't my finest hour, although I am glad I spent it with you. You warned me not to cut down that tree, but I let my ego get in the way. Yeah, I blamed the wind and the tree, the chainsaw, everything but myself. And the truth is, it was... it was all me. And apparently I haven't changed as much as I thought. Anyway, thank you for sticking with the "valet crashed by car" story. I haven't told you this often enough, but I am proud of the woman that you have become. And your future is too bright to give up on and we have too much to do together. So many more traditions to start. So, um... uh... you keep fighting. Please.

Cristal: This may surprise you, but your big ego is one of the things I love the most about you.
Blake: Many people find it charming. If I'm being honest, I've lost my taste for becoming a senator. This man-of-the-people BS? It's just not, it's not me. I think I was blinded by my trying to secure the land for the airport.
Cristal: So what now?
Blake: Well, I'm dropping out of the race.
Cristal: If that makes you happy, I support you. Being in the lead, you'll be able to get an even better deal from that lieutenant governor.
Blake: I like the way you think.

Amanda: I spoke to all the people on your list, and everyone has an alibi.
Alexis: Everyone? I was sure Mimi Rose Prescott was still harboring a grudge from the time I ran her over.
Amanda: Okay, well, I don't want to know anything about that.

Fallon: When your girlfriend says you're not doing presents, it doesn't mean you're not doing presents. It just means not a lot of them. I mean, what were you thinking?
Liam: I was listening to you.
Fallon: Well, what I say and what I mean are almost always two different things.
Liam: That's good to know.
Fallon: Without gifts, how else can I quantify your love for me?
Liam: Fallon, this doesn't mean that I don't love you. This means that I don't play games when it comes to the things that are important to me. Maybe you should do the same.

Liam (to Fallon): I meant it when I said that was the best Christmas ever. Even with the fighting. My mom didn't really care about the holidays. We never even got a tree half the time. I spent my childhood asking for a BMX bike every year. But instead all I got was a few million shares of some new company for my investment portfolio. Which, yeah, sounds great, but... I think she still has control over that account. I should have realized that you really did want a present. And I think I just realized That I don't want you to wake up so I can forgive you. I need you to wake up so you can forgive me. For believing Eva. And after that I want to spend every Christmas with you. (chuckles) Until we're so old that we can't even open presents. But that days is not today.

Dominique: You've clearly lost your moral compass, if you ever even had one. I saved your life today because I'm a decent person. So, you're welcome.
Brady: Come on, Dominique, we've been through so much. Is this how our story ends? Because I don't feel like this is goodbye.
Dominique: That's where you're wrong, again. You lied to me. I can't trust you. Which I always knew, all along. So, yes, it is goodbye, forever. If you know what's good for you.

Jeff: Champagne? Feels like more of a Scotch moment.
Dominique: I was almost conned by Alexis and Brady, I was in an FBI sting, just got divorced. Is it weird that I think this is a fabulous Christmas?
Jeff: It's not where I thought you were going.
Dominique: Brady's out of my life, you're healthy again, and we're in a good place. We're partners. A toast to us. We've come a long way.
Jeff: It took some time, but we got here.

Alexis: When they said a family member was here, I assumed it was one of my children. I didn't realize that included my former mother-in-law turned Muppet.
Dominique: I see they don't let you wash your hair extensions in here.
Alexis: If you came to exchange barbs, I'm not in the mood.
Dominique: That's fine. I have a lot of Christmas shopping to do. I'll keep the visit short. I just wanted to see what rock bottom looked like for you.

Dominique: And after a good night's sleep on my 2,000-thread-count sheets, I'll be awake refreshed and ready to celebrate the holidays with my family. And if you ever do get out of here, you better not cross me again, or I'll make you pay for it.
Alexis: Guard? Help. There's a crazy lady here and she's threatening my life.
Dominique: Oh, I almost forgot. Since you won't be receiving any Christmas gifts, except a healthy helping of gruel, I brought you something. It's a calendar. To mark off your days behind bars.

Fallon: And I don't recall you being there. So thank you for that.
Adam: Oh, I came to visit you every night. I just didn't talk.
Fallon: Of course you did.

Blake: Everyone is where they belong. My family is here. Alexis is in jail.
Cristal: This is nice. We're truly blessed.

Beto: We haven't had a meal together but I have a feeling I'm gonna have to remind you to close your mouth when you chew.
Rita: Now, now, don't talk to your sister like that. Merry Christmas!