I hope that The Colbys gets a DVD release along with Dynasty.

To me, Dynasty's only good seasons were 1,2, part of 6 and 9. The rest, TC was miles better. The cast was better too, especially Stephanie Beacham. For her alone, I'd kill for a DVD set.

I never really got into The Colbys. The plots were always lackluster, and even when Dynasty got bad, you could always count on The Colbys to be even worse. I was never really impressed with the cast even though there were a lot of big names involved; Charlton Heston and Katharine Ross were pretty bland on the show, as were Emma Samms, Maxwell Caulfield, and Claire Yarlett.

I would still buy a DVD set of this show, though, and for one reason alone: Stephanie Beacham as Sable. Damn, she was good! I was so glad when she showed up on Dynasty after The Colbys finally bit the dust.

Apparently The Colbys was so bad that few TWoPers will admit to watching it. I'm one of maybe a dozen viewers who enjoyed it. But what does a nine year old know?

Watching the Miles/Fallon lead-in on Dynasty recently brought back so many memories of this terrible show. I thought these two were a supercouple. But SoapNet reruns have made me see the error of my ways--and the error of Emma Samms' and Max Caulfield's being cast.

Beautiful garbage.

Oh, no, The Colbys is the best! I mean, when I think of the 80's, I think big, sparkly, grand, bitches in furs... Everything about this show is so over the top and campy! I admit that it tries to hard to be like Dynasty, but BIGGER! The theme is so much more majestic than even Falcon Crest, or even Star trek the NG! Look at all the jewels, necklaces and earrings that bitch Sable owns. No one is more evil or malicious than Sable! The woman tried to get her elderly sister in law, Constance, committed, and even hit her with a car! Connie was a really great character, and I was disappointed they couldn't convince Ms. Stanwyk to hang around. Yeah, Fallon is more Mary Sue than Pamela Sue, and I would rather just watch Miles than listen to him! I mean, was there ever a more beautiful man on television in the 80's?! God, he even looks better than Jack Coleman, and Steven 2 is probably number 2 on my Hot Guys of the 80's List. And how about the constant fighting between Jeff and Miles? Give in to your lust already guys! If there were ever two characters I wish would just take their shirts off and roll around in the mud, it would be them! Kolia (aka the Highlander) was pretty hot too, and I just didn't see what he saw in Bliss. Bliss, Yuck! What a gross character! What a waste of time she was! Bliss and that gross nephew of Ricardo Montalban's were pretty much the only parts of the show I didn't like. And I am probably one of the few people who really enjoyed it at the end when they delved into Sci-Fi with Fallon going into the spaceship. If you ask me, Sci-Fi should have become the shows "special nicht" (niche? I can never get that word right!). To me, it was something interesting, and exciting. I am really diappointed that they didn't give the show another season to prove themselves and go through with the alien abduction storyline. The Colbys could have differed from it's parent series through the use of Sci Fi integrated in it's real world plots. Why stop at alien abduction? The Colby mansion could have turned out to be haunted, Kolia could have been a vampire, Monica's little boy could have been possessed by Satan, Zack Powers could have practised voo-doo on his enemies!

In the whole, I didn't enjoy the show as much as Dynasty, but some of the characters were really great. I loved Sable and Constance, and I loved Channing, Miles' second wife, because I thought everybody was really unfair to her. Particularly in the episode were Fallon fell down the stairs and everybody thought at once that Channing pushed her.

When I was in high school, a good friend of mine did pretentious performance art at a coffee house - one bit involved reading the names of bad tv shows he loved to watch - at the top of the list was Dynasty II: The Colbys.

I stopped watching by the time Fallon was abducted by aliens - but now I wish I had watched. This piece of trash was campier than Dynasty, and that's saying something.

If soap net would show it I'd watch it. I'm kinda interested to after watching the episodes of Dynasty where it gets introduced.

Stephanie Beachem was also fabulous as Dylan McKay's flakey mother in 90210. His father was of course played by Josh Taylor, who is Chris Kositchek and now Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives. I love the way Aaron Spelling would use 80s soap stars to play the parents of the younger generation on his 90s soaps. Michelle Phillips was Valerie's mom, Linda Gray was Amanda Woodward's mom, and Jed Allan (aka CC Capwell) was Steve Sanders's dad. Genius!

Every time I think of Stephanie Beacham's Sable, I always think of the way she said her husband's name. "Ohhhh, Jasooon..." She was so good. Better than Alexis, in my opinion, because she seemed more vulnerable to me. Even when she was being bad, she showed real emotion. I could understand why she did all she did.

Don't get me wrong, Tigger Spier. I loved Fallon/Miles when the show ran. I wasn't that into Pamela Sue Martin, so I simply adored Emma Samms (kinda wanted to BE her to get close to Miles!) To me, some of the best stuff on the show was the tension between Miles and Jeff. It was the first time I saw Jeff as more than just the "good son." I sympathized as he fought to get his wife back. But I am also very shallow. I still wanted Fallon with Miles simply because of all the pretty! Me and my best friend even made up a Coby's song. Yes. It was that sad.

I know the Fallon character became very different on The Colbys, but I can't blame Emma Samms. The writers took Fallon in a different direction. I think Season 9 of Dynasty and Model's Inc. show that Emma can play sassy pretty well when given the chance.

You know what? The chick who played Channing was really good. Kim Morgan Green or something? I remember her being fabulous. In fact, she had more chemistry with Miles than Fallon.

When Dynasty's Moldavia story began, I cranked up the TiVo and hoped that SoapNet would throw we few fans a "The Colbys" bone. I'd never buy Dynasty on DVD, but if The Colbys ever came out, I'd be first at the store.

Still, watching Emma and Max really got on my nerves last week. When the DVDs arrive, best believe I'll watch their scenes on mute.

DimSome, the reason Channing had so much chemistry with Miles, is because she's really a man in drag! It's funny about Emma Samms, thought. As a kid, I only knew HER as Fallon, not Pamela Sue! It's only this decade that I saw the Pamela Sue episodes and fell in love with her portrayal. And also, I for one cannot wait until the Dynasty DVDs reaches Season 6, just so that The Colbys can FINALLY be released as well!
Imperator, Soapnet played The Colbys when Soapnet was a new channel. I think it went through the whole series two or three times (There were only like, 60 or 65 episodes total). I don't think they'll be playing it anytime soon. Maybe someone recorded it and would like to share their tapes. Because at this rate, I don't think we'll see Dynasty Season 6 and Colbys Season 1 on DVD until 2010.

Today SoapNet is running the Dynasty ep where Fallon runs home after Miles rapes her. Of course, our drunken, blonde playboy follows her. Ah, drama.

If I recall, she'd signed the annulment papers but relented, and allowed Miles one last kiss. He "loses control" and starts yet another Who's the Father storyline for which soaps are famous.

By this time, she knew who she was and what kind of power she had. Fallon should have hired some goons to beat the tar out of Miles. Quicker than a trial or a lawsuit and more satisfying...

A question about The Colbys' last episode:

Was Fallon's UFO abduction supposed to be the series finale (if so, what a brilliant last hurrah it was for the show) or did the producers hope it would be renewed for a third season??

To me, Pamela Sue Martin will always be the definitive Fallon Carrington Colby. Emma Samms was just too different in so many ways, and not nearly as good an actress; Fallon became a different person once she started playing her. And an even more different person once that character switched from Dynasty to The Colbys. I ended up hating the Fallon character, which was a shame because she was my favorite in the early days. I can't see Pamela Sue Martin, if she'd stuck with the show, putting up with all the dim-bulb bullshit the writers forced upon Fallon in later seasons. Fallon was supposed to be the entitled, bratty bitch. In Emma Samms' hands, she became the sunny heroine. Boring!

I've searched a few places, but got no clear answers, Ben. I wonder that they had in mind with that ending.



I agree with a lot of your post now that I've watched Dynasty on SoapNet. See, I only remember Emma as Fallon, so my heart is with her. But I understand why a lot of the original fans are angry. I maintain this, though: If Fallon became a different character, it's because she was written differently. Pamela couldn't have made much of the crappy storylines and dialogue either, IMO.

Personally, I don't think either actress was great. PSM was too huffy; Emma was too busy struggling with her accent to get anything right and always sounded near hysterics. In my shallow nine year-old head, tho, Emma ruled because she and Max Caufield brought the pretty. Twenty years have passed, and I'm finally learning the error of my ways.

I just wish SoapNet would run this show. It'll never see the light of DVD, but if SoapNet would air it (it runs soaps that lasted 13 episodes, but has no respect for a show that went two full seasons?) I'd tape every one.

You raise a very good point. A lot it was the writing, and I wonder too if Pamela Sue would have been able to make lemonade out of those lemons. But PSM or Emma - I will always love The Colbys. I would so tape them too!!

I have too much time on my hands. Last weekend, I actually sent SoapNet an email re: The Colbys. I asked them to consider pulling the show from the vaults and giving the fans a thrill.

I basically begged for mercy. The email was a little more eloquent than that. But not by much.

Now that Paramount are releasing season two of Dynasty on DVD and will hopefully release the rest of the series, let's hope they see the logic of releasing The Colbys too. With so much storyline overlap between the two, the latter seasons of Dynasty won't make any sense without it.

I've been watching some clips of The Colbys online and it's fabulously entertaining, much better in fact than the corresponding seasons of Dynasty. Stephanie Beacham is magnificent as Sable.

First 3 parts of the premiere episode of The Colbys:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDAjybo9Qk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5g-leLzH_Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIyHm28Omac

When SoapNet aired The Colbys in the late-90s, I taped the entire first season. I've just started rewatching the episodes in advance of converting them from VCR tapes to discs and I thought I would give my impressions of each episode as I go along.

Episode 1

Plot Summary: Episode 1 finds the core Colby clan (Jason, Sable, Constance, Monica and Garrett) returning from Denver (and Dynasty) to Los Angeles. Following hard on their heels is Jeff Colby, who has just inherited (much to Sable's disgust) 1/2 of the California Colby fortune (as compared to the Colorado Colby fortune) from his Aunt Constance and plans to join his unenthused Uncle Jason as a business partner. Jeff is also anxious to see his cousin Miles, whom he believes was with his presumed-dead wife Fallon outside of the Carrington mansion in Denver. Constance calls Jeffs estranged mother Francesca in London and prevails on her to return to Los Angeles to support Jeff. At a family party, Miles walks in and introduces his new wife Randall Colby -- who is really the presumed-dead Fallon!

The Good: The series premiere holds up very well after 22 years. There are some dead stretches (mostly involving the pipeline storyline) but everything else moves along at high gear. As you would expect, Stephanie Beacham (as Sable) is dynamic from the get-go. Her aggrieved conversations with Barbara Stanwyck (as Constance) about the latter's gift to Jeff are a highlight. The barbs they direct at one another could peel paint! Beacham is also quite good when she has a quite thoughtful conversation with Tracey Scoggins (as Monica) regarding equality of the sexes.

The cliffhanger at the end where Maxwell Caulfield and Emma Samms walk into the family party is brilliant and really sets the stage for all the drama to come.

The Bad: The cliffhanger is very effective but it does loose a certain something when it is Emma Samms walking in the door and not Pamela Sue Martin. The scene would have been so much more effective if Martin and John James had been in the scene together.

Overall: A great beginning to what was -- unfortunately -- a very underrated show.

The second in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 2

Plot Summary: Episode 2 picks up immediately where Episode 1 left off. Miles introduces an amnesiac Fallon to the rest of the family but she has no recognition of a stunned Jeff. Constance asks a psychiatrist friend of hers to take on Fallon as a patient. He informs the family that they must act as if Fallon really is Randall lest the news of her true identity drive her further into her amnesiac state. Francesca arrives from London to find a hostile Jeff and a suspicious Sable. Jason, however, is excited to have her back in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Sable has several interesting encounters with Jason's business rival, Zach Powers. Blake Carrington arrives from Denver confident that Fallon will recognize him. Much to his chagrin, Fallon no more remembers him than she did Jeff.

The Good: This episode isn't quite as dynamic as the high gear premiere but there are several outstanding aspects to it. As usual, Stephanie Beacham is a highlight. Her delighted realization that Miles has married an heiress to two of the largest fortunes in America (the Denver-Carrington fortune through her father and the Colby Co. fortune through her mother) is classic Sable as is her superficially welcoming a sister she does not trust.

The other highlight of the episode is John Forsythe's performance as Blake. John Forsythe was never my favorite actor on Dynasty but I quite like his performance in this episode. His crestfallen reaction when he realizes that his daughter is still lost to him even though she is standing right in front of him is heartbreaking.

The Bad: Although no fault of Emma Samms, Fallon's reunion scenes with her father lack a certain heft because it isn't Pamela Sue Martin who John Forsythe is trying desperately to reach.

The Odd: Even when I watched the episodes for the first time back in the fall of 1985, I found it very hard to believe that Stephanie Beacham and Katharine Ross were sisters. Their acting styles were completely different and the fact that one Scott sister had a British accent while the other Scott sister had an American accent only compounded the problem. (Making the situation even more bizarre was the fact that the sister with the British accent had spent most of her adult life in California while the sister with the American accent had spent most of her adult life in Europe!) 22 years later and I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the idea that Sable and Francesca are sisters!

The third in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 3


Plot Summary: Thanksgiving finds the Colby mansion filled with suspicion and mistrust. At the family's Thanksgiving dinner, Sable announces that Jason is giving Miles 10% of the family business in honor of Miles' marriage to Randall/Fallon -- much to Jeff's dismay. Sable pressures Miles and (especially) Fallon to have a baby ASAP as a means of cementing their marriage but Fallon refuses to have a child until she can remember her past. Sable wants to throw Jeff out of the mansion but Constance thwarts Sable by reminding her that the Colby mansion is home to every Colby, including Jeff. Jason consoles Francesca after Jeff rebuffs her and he intimates that he and Francesca were once more to each other than in-laws. Francesca resolves to leave the mansion and Los Angeles after unpleasant encounters with Jeff and Sable but Jason, who, unbeknownst to Francesca, is dying (or thinks he is, anyway), convinces her to prolong her stay. Sable discovers that Jason is dying but it turns out that he isn't dying at all -- there was a mix-up at the lab. Sable is relieved but it is clear that Jason's thoughts lie elsewhere . . .

The good/the bad: There's nothing truly bad in this episode but nothing that really stands out either. The Jeff/Fallon/Miles storyline takes a back seat to the Francesca/Jason and Francesca/Jeff storylines, both of which will take on extreme importance as the series wears on. Katharine Ross has adequate-to-good chemistry with Charlton Heston and John James but I still have trouble believing Ross as an international jet setter.

Stephanie Beacham is excellent as usual and her scenes with Ross, James and Barbara Stanwyck crackle with energy and give the show much of its forward momentum.

The blah: This is the first episode that concentrates on the third Colby child, Bliss, and her marine biologist boyfriend, Sean. While this whole storyline becomes much more important later on, it's not the most scintillating thing to watch at the moment.

Thanks for taking the time to do all this, miliosr.

Second-ed. Reading your recaps has reminded me how much I loved this show. I liked it more than the mothership. I just wish it was coming out on DVD.

The fourth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 4


Plot Summary: Randall/Fallon continues to have no memory of her life in Denver and the people she knew there, including her son L.B. A desperate Jeff calls Blake Carrington in Denver and implores him to bring L.B. to Los Angeles in the hope that seeing her son will jog Fallon's memory. But Fallon's encounter with L.B. proves no more helpful in restoring her memory than her encounters with Jeff and Blake were. An increasingly determined Sable casts about for a means of overturning Constance's gift to Jeff but discovers she can only do so if Constance is found mentally incompetent. Constance loses a bracelet given to her by her cowboy boyfriend Hutch and becomes highly agitated in Sable's presence when she can't find the bracelet. When a chambermaid finds the bracelet and gives it to Sable to return to Constance, Sable's mind begins to form a plan and she hides the bracelet away in her private safe. Later, she insinuates to Jason that Constance may not be of sound mind. Dominique Deveraux arrives in Los Angeles to find out who is buying large blocks of stock in her company and Monica offers to help her find out who is responsible. Monica discovers that Garrett is behind the stock purchases and a grateful Dominique offers Monica the position of President of Dominique's record label, Titania Records. Zach Powers worms his way into the pipeline deal, much to Jason's chagrin. At a family party meant to celebrate the news that Jason isn't dying, Francesca/Jason, Sable/Zach and Dominique/Garrett have intimate encounters on the dancefloor. The following day, L.B. shows Fallon a photo album containing pictures of her from her life in Denver and a horrified "Randall" realizes she is really Fallon Carrington. When she makes the further discovery that both Jeff and Miles knew about her real identity all along, she takes her car and screeches out of the driveway.

The good: The best part of the episode is watching Sable slowly start to put the screws to Constance in the hope that she can win back Constance's share of the family business for Miles. This is definitely the highlight in an otherwise more modest episode.

The bad: While it comes as a relief to have some movement in the Jeff/Fallon/Miles storyline, it strains credulity for L.B. to remark to Fallon that she resembles his mother when he has pictures of his mother right in front of him which prove that Randall is his mother!

The blah: Truth be told, there is a lot of filler in this episode. Diahann Carroll is always a welcome presence and she will become a semi-regular on this show but the whole Monica/Garrett/Titania Records storyline is not exactly fascinating. The pipeline storyline continues to drag even with Charlton Heston and John Forsythe barking at one another. And the Bliss/Sean storyline feels completely disconnected from the rest of the show. Claire Yarlett (after four episodes) is already in the position that Charlene Tilton found herself in after about six seasons on Dallas -- irrelevant to the main direction of the show. Luckily, the character of Sean will become much more important to events before too long.


I'm glad people are enjoying the recaps!

The fifth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 5


Plot Summary: Randall/Fallon contacts her psychiatrist and he convinces her to enter his clinic on a voluntary basis and begin truth serum treatments. Adam Carrington arrives from Denver to see Fallon but first goes to see Zach to make sure all is what it appears to be with the pipeline deal. Sable accuses Bliss of acting like an outsider but Bliss replies that she feels like an outsider within her own family because she has no special talents like the other family members. Francesca tries to explain to Jeff why she left him with Cecil when Jeff was young but Jeff continues to give her the cold shoulder.

Sable expresses her concerns to Miles about Jeff shouldering Miles aside in the fight over Fallon; thereby ending the new "Carrington-Colby dynasty." Sable steals into Connie's suite of rooms and plants the missing bracelet in her purse as part of her scheme to have Connie declared mentally unfit. Later, as the family is eating breakfast, a clearly puzzled Connie finds the bracelet in her purse. Sable, who is dressed to go riding, asks Connie why she isn't dressed for their riding date and an even more agitated Connie is non-plussed that she forgot the date [note: which she really didn't -- Sable was lying.] After Connie leaves, Sable tries to convince Jason that Connie is losing her mind. At the Colby stables, Connie checks the saddles on both horses but Sable loosens the saddle on her mount so that she can deliberately take a fall and blame Connie for it. Her plan goes awry, however, when Francesca appears and takes Sable's horse before a now visibly panicky Sable can stop her. Due to the loose saddle, Francesca falls from the horse. But Jeff is riding nearby and comes to her rescue. Mother and son then have a touching reunion.

Back at the mansion, Adam -- who is there to see Fallon -- and Jeff hurl insults at one another. Monica tells Jason she is leaving Colby Enterprises and, later, meets the man she replaced at Titania Records -- Neil Kitredge. At a family cocktail party, Francesca insists she is fine and that it was just a case of a loose saddle. Connie insists she checked the saddle and asks Sable to back her up but Sable pretends she didn't see Connie check the saddles. After a distraught Connie leaves the room, Sable goes in for the kill with Jason regarding Connie's mental competence.

Under the influence of the truth serum, Fallom starts to remember the events that occurred on the night of her wedding to Jeff in Denver. An hysterical Fallon remembers a man entering the room and raping her. Miles brings Fallon back to the Colby mansion where, seeing Adam as she walks in the door, she cries out, "You're the one who raped me. My God . . . my own brother!" and collapses into Miles' arms.

The good: After the relatively low-key episodes 3 and 4, episode 5 moves along at a fantastic clip. Sable's plan to have Connie declared mentally unfit is the absolute highlight in an episode chock full of them. Stephanie Beacham is at her villainous best undermining her own sister-in-law in order to help her favorite child, Miles.

The cliffhanger to this episode was shocking 22 years ago and it remains so today. Adam raped Fallon on her wedding night??? I know the Dynasty universe is divided about Emma Samms as Fallon but she is very effective in her final scene where she accuses Adam of raping her.

Guest star Gordon Thomson is a welcome presence as Adam and any episode where he and Jeff can insult one another is a good episode.

For all the high-pitched theatrics in this episode, there are also some nicely performed lower key scenes. Monica's scene with Jason (where she has to tell him that her dreams and his dreams for her aren't one-and-the-same) and Bliss' admission to her mother that she feels like an outsider in her own family are both nicely done.

Finally, special mention must be given to how stupendously handsome Maxwell Caulfield looks in this episode. Whether he is wearing a Speedo or a gold letterman sweater -- he is beyond gorgeous.

The blah: There's nothing really bad in this episode but the pipeline deal continues to bore (especially when you consider all the intrigue and hysterics going on back at the house.)

Interesting fact: At the beginning of the episode, Jason mentions that it has been one week since Miles brought Fallon into the family. So, the first four episodes can be seen as one week in the storyline.

The sixth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode Six


Plot Summary: Episode Six picks up where Episode Five left off. Miles carries an unconscious Fallon to their room while Jeff and Adam come to blows in the study. Jason breaks up the fight. Adam denies raping Fallon and leaves for Denver.

Fallon's psychiatrist takes her back to her wedding night. She remembers Adam entering her room to greet her but she had rebuffed him because she felt he was going to sexually assault her. The psychiatrist makes Fallon realize that no sexual assault occurred or was even intended -- her "memory" of a rape was really a guilt fantasy created by her own incestuous desires for Adam! The psychiatrist explains to Fallon that her mind discarded the Fallon personality and adopted the Randall persona to block out her incestuous feelings. With her memory back in full, Fallon hugs Jeff with Miles standing right there. Miles vows that he will never let go of Fallon.

Jason and Zach sign a contract stipulating that Zach will transport any oil the Colby fleet can't transport to Blake Carrington's pipeline. Distrustful of Zach, Jason tells Miles to tighten security on the Colby tankers. Later, Zach meets Sean at the beach. As it turns out, Sean is really Zach's nephew and has been dating Bliss (at Zach's insistence) in order to get information about the Colbys. Sean tells Zach he doesn't want to be a part of Zach's vendetta against Jason anymore because he has fallen in love with Bliss. But Zach berates Sean and tells him that his obligation is to his own family.

Jason tells Francesca that Sable is a stranger to him. He feels Sable has become "hard" and "grasping". Francesca encourages Jason to save his marriage. Meanwhile, Zach preempts Sable's lunch date and offers up some tantalizing glimpses of his past.

Connie confides to Hutch that she fears she is losing her mind. Hutch thinks someone may be playing tricks on Connie. Connie can't imagine who would do such a thing!

Fallon tells Jeff that she is very confused and needs time to herself because she is still Fallon and Randall. An angry Miles spies them hugging. When Jeff returns to the house, he and Jeff have words. Miles and Fallon also have words about the strange state of affairs that exists between Miles, Fallon and Jeff.

Francesca intimates to Jeff that there was once a man in her life who she couldn't have. That night, she and Jason recite their favorite poem to one another and remember the past. Meanwhile, Sable -- who has learned about Connie's involvement with Hutch -- tells Monica that she fears Connie is losing her mind. When Jason returns to his bedroom after his meeting with Francesca, he finds an agitated Sable who launches in AGAIN about Connie. She tells Jason she has taken legal steps to have he or Miles declared Connie's legal conservator. Jason is enraged that Sable would try to have Connie declared mentally unfit. Jason storms out of the room as a screeching Sable shouts after him, "Jason, I did it for our son! For our family!! Jasonnnnn!!!"

The good: Episodes Five and Six are basically one episode with Episode Six -- unfortunately -- being the lesser half of the episode. Still, there are some good things in the episode. The Fallon/Randall situation was wearing thin so it was good to have momentum on that front (even though I question whether the explanation offered for Fallon's condition is really consistent with the episode of Dynasty where Pamela Sue Martin disappeared into a raging thunderstorm.) Ricardo Montablan and Stephanie Beacham are dynamite together and their sexually-charged lunch together is an episode highlight. Finally, Stephanie Beacham is a sight to behold when she is positively screeching at Charlton Heston!

The bad: There are several illogical developments in this episode. The most glaring example has to be when Hutch tells Connie that someone may be setting her up and Connie stupidly says she can't imagine who would do such a thing. Well, duh -- who do you think it is? Zach's scheme of getting information about the Colbys from Sean (via Bliss) is equally inane as Bliss has almost no involvement with her own family anyway. Zach actually spends more time with the Colbys than Bliss does!

The blah: Probably the biggest problem with this episode (especially after the high-gear Episode Five) is that most of the conversations feel like rehashes of conversations that were had in the first five episodes. Sable is still complaining about Jeff and Connie. Jeff is still vowing he will get Fallon back. Miles is still vowing he won't let Fallon go. And on and on and on . . .

Luckily, things are about to pick up now that Sable's actions are out in the open!

Thank you once again, miliosr. This brings back some nice memories.

Stephanie Beacham was recently on Strictly Come Dancing (the UK version of Dancing With the Stars), but was the second person eliminated.

The seventh in an ongoing series . . .

Episode Seven


Plot Summary: The morning after Jason's fight with Sable, Francesca encounters Jason coming out of a guest bedroom. Jason and Francesca go riding together. Jason tries to convince Francesca to spend the day with him but she demurs. Both are unaware that a jogging Miles has stopped nearby and has heard and seen everything. Back at the house, Sable informs Miles about her plan to have Connie declared mentally incompetent. A stunned Miles wonders about the state of the family and how much unhappiness there is in the house. Later that morning, Jason warns Sable that he will fight her if she goes through with her suit. Sable retorts that she won't back down. An enraged Jason then has his clothes moved out of his bedroom and into the west wing of the mansion.

Fallon continues to be at a loss as to how to resolve her complicated romantic situation. Constance encourages her to move into the pool house and to declare it neutral territory. She also encourages Fallon to telephone Blake in Denver, which she does.

Meanwhile, at Titania Records, Monica and Neil spar over a money-losing punk rock group. Dominique walks in on their argument and wants to know what is going on. Across town at the beach, Bliss and Sean talk about their future. Sean meets with Zach again and begs to be let out of their arrangement regarding Bliss. Zach grants Sean a release but berates him and kicks him out of his office. Following his meeting with Sean, Zach meets with the captain of a Colby tanker and plots with the captain.

Back at Titania Records, Miles tells Monica about Sable's impending suit against Connie over a lunch of pizza and champagne (only on The Colbys!) Monica drives to Hutch's home in Bakersfield to learn more about his relationship with Connie (which Sable is using as part of her campaign against Connie.) At Hutch's home, Connie kicks Monica out and admits to Hutch that she is a wealthy woman. Hutch is furious with Connie and storms out. Later, Jason, Connie and Garrett discuss Sable's suit.

In her hotel suite, Dominique chats with her daughter Jackie in Europe. Garrett arrives bearing flowers. Dominique is happy to see him but hides a framed photo of Jackie that was resting on a table. Garrett chides Dominique for her interest in Jonathan Lake (???) before they share a kiss.

Blake and L.B. arrive from Denver and are now reunited with a fully-remembering Fallon. Blake prevails on Fallon to return to Denver but Fallon maintains she has to resolve things in Los Angeles first. When Blake and Jeff have a private meeting after the reunion with Fallon, Blake tells Jeff that he doesn't believe Fallon is in love with Miles. Jeff becomes concerned when Blake's hands begin to shake uncontrollably.

Miles apologizes to Fallon for pressuring her to make a decision and offers to give her an annulment. He tells her he would do everything all over again even if she doesn't choose him. [Note: This is a beautiful scene.]

That night, Sable and Connie spar in Connie's bedroom. Sable offers to revoke the suit if Connie withdraws her gift to Jeff. Connie vows to fight Sable. Sable replies (in her most sweetly malicious voice):

"Not this time Constance. For the first time since I came to this house, I have the upper hand. And I intend to use it . . . to the fullest!"

The next morning, Sable is aghast that Miles is considering an annulment. She chides him for trying to win through weakness and he tells her to stop meddling in his life. A clearly agitated Sable begs Francesca to take Jeff to London ("The perfect time for a holiday in London!") so she can repair the divisions in the family. At Colby Enterprises, Jason and Blake discuss the pipeline and Jason becomes concerned when Blake experiences memory loss. Returning to the mansion after the meeting with Jason, Blake encounters Francesca who tells him that she will be returning to London after a short trip up the California coast. Blake begs Francesca to stay for Jeff's sake but she says it is impossible and leaves.

Francesca arrives at the Five Oaks Inn. At the mansion, Jason finds out that Francesca has left, deduces she is at the Five Oaks Inn and storms out of the house. Unbeknownst to him, however, Miles has heard everything and follows his father. At the inn, Jason finds Francesca and they discuss how they had fallen in love while Francesca was married to Jason's brother Phillip, who was serving in Vietnam. Francesca begs Jason to leave well enough alone but they end up in each other's arms and share a passionate kiss. Miles arrives just in time to see his father kissing his aunt!

The good: Even with a few dead spots this is an absolutely phenomenal episode. No matter which room of the house you enter --- turmoil and tears are bound to be there as well!

In an episode with so much happening, it's hard to pick a favorite scene but I would have to give top honors to Stephanie Beacham baiting Barbara Stanwyck in the latter's bedroom. Not only is this one of Stephanie Beacham's best ever scenes but it's also one of the best scenes from the entire first season. Beacham is seriously scary as she lords it over Stanwyck. The fact that her voice barely rises above a whisper makes her all the more frightening.

My second favorite scene would have to be Miles' conversation with Fallon regarding the state of their marriage. His willingness to let go of Fallon shows that he really does love Fallon. And his comment to Fallon that he would do everything all over again is a touching moment in a series not known for them.

Overall, this episode moves along at a frenetic clip. All of the major stories -- Jason/Sable/Francesca, Jeff/Fallon/Miles -- actually develop and move out of the holding pattern they were in. Also, it's refreshing to see characters moving out of their own narrow storylines and getting involved in other storylines (i.e. Miles discovering Jason and Francesca in a clinch.)

The blah: Monica and Neil arguing over a punk rock group and Bliss and Sean discussing their future will never be considered anyone's idea of a series highlight and sure enough they're not.

The Colbys/Dynasty crossover: As others on this board have metioned, The Colbys and Dynasty were very tightly interwoven during the 1985-86 season. That didn't pose a problem at the time as viewers were probably conversant with both series. 22 years later, however, the crossovers between the two series become problematic when you're just watching one of the shows in isolation. For instance, Dominique and Garrett have a conversation about a Jonathan Lake -- who has never appeared on The Colbys. Who is he and what is his importance to Dominique? You would never know from watching this show. Blake's health issues are also featured in this episode but they occur in a vacuum as the main storyline (I think) was occurring on Dynasty. These curious moments don't hinder enjoyment of this episode but they do prove that the first season of The Colbys and the 1985-86 season of Dynasty should be released simultaneously on DVD for the storylines to make complete sense.

I'm not surprised. The few memories I have of this show usually revolve around Stephanie Beacham's Sable (and the couple I'll comment on in a minute). Sable was so great -- vulnerable and ferocious in a way Alexis never could be, IMO. I really felt for this character because I knew everything she did was about protecting what what hers -- her husband, her babies, her life. When this show first premiered, I recall how excited my mom and grandmother were about Charlton Heston and Barbara Stanwyck being cast. Though I knew they shared legendary status, I was very young and hadn't seen much of their work. When I began watching the show, however, I thought Stephanie Beacham was the star.

*Sigh* I remember this storyline most of all because I had a pre-pre teen crush on Max Caulfield. I often wonder how I'd feel watching all this play out today. Would I still think Miles was "in love" with Fallon? Or would I see it as an obsession, especially after he discovers her true identity? His rivalry with Jeff was always more than about Fallon's love; Miles seemed to be battling for his father, Jason's, love and approval, also. Jeff received these things almost effortlessly, it seemed. Fallon regaining her memory and falling for Jeff again was brutal in and of itself, but Miles must have felt like he was "losing" to Jeff yet again!

miliosr thank you for the recaps! The Colby's was by far one of my favorite shows as a kid. I loved Stephanie Beacham as the villan and had the biggest crush on Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2 anyone?) Keep em coming!

The eighth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode Eight


Plot Summary: Episode Eight picks up at the Five Oaks Inn the morning after Jason and Francesca kissed. Jason comes to Francesca's room (they spent the night in separate rooms) and they discuss the situation they find themselves in. Francesca tries to steer Jason back toward Sable but Jason reaffirms his love for Francesca and vows to marry her.

At the tennis court on the Colby estate, Miles tells Monica about what he saw at the inn (or at least part of it) but she advises him to stay out of it. Coming back from his tennis match with Monica, Miles stumbles upon Fallon and Jeff sharing a brief kiss. After Jeff leaves, Miles accuses Fallon of playing games and tells her that she needs to make a choice between him and Jeff.

Inside the great house, Monica and Connie bury the hatchet over the situation with Hutch. Later, Connie tells Jeff about Sable's suit. Jeff offers to give his shares of Colby Enterprises back to Connie in order to achieve peace with Sable but Connie refuses. She and Jeff resolve to fight Sable.

Back at the inn, Francesca checks out without telling Jason and says goodbye to him in a letter. When he returns to Los Angeles, Jason meets with Garrett, Jeff and Miles and learns that an oil spill has occurred in San Miguel harbor (which may involve the Colby fleet of oil tankers.) After Garrett and Jeff leave, Miles gets in some subtle digs about Francesca with his father. Zach continues to scheme with the corrupt Colby Enterprises tanker captain, who helped cause the oil spill.

Miles goes to see Sable at the Colby art collection. He begs Sable not to go to New York City to bid on a Matisse painting she wants for the collection but she refuses. He and Sable then have a fascinating conversation about wanting perfection in life, which prompts a suddenly philosophical Sable to say the following:

"And I know where you can find it [perfection]. There [she points to a painting] . . . in art. Do you see that world in there? That is perfect. It needs nothing. It asks for nothing. No one can spoil it or change it or touch it."

Sable bids a saddened Miles goodbye and meets Zach for lunch, where she rebuffs Zach's sly advances. Sable insists to Zach that her marriage is strong but Zach retorts that, "all monuments crumble with time."

Back at Colby Enterprises, Jason tries to reassure (an unseen) Blake (via telephone) about the oil spill. Jason and Miles continue to spar about the Francesca situation without actually mentioning her name. Francesca calls Jason at the office and promises to talk with him later but she's really planning to leave Los Angeles for good.

As Francesca packs, Sable arrives to apologize to her sister for asking her to leave the house. A suddenly vulnerable Sable confides to Francesca that she is petrified she will lose Jason and relates how devastated she was when their [hers and Francesca's] parents divorced when they were young. [Note: This is how the show deals with the contrasting accents of Beacham and Ross. Francesca went to live with their father in California while Sable stayed in England with their mother.] Francesca tells Sable that she is underfoot in the mansion and that her leaving will allow Jason and Sable to concentrate on repairing their marriage. Sable tells Francesca how much she loves her! [Note: Famous last words!] Later, Jeff can't understand why Francesca is leaving now when they've repaired their relationship. Francesca won't tell him her reasons and leaves the mansion.

Monica goes to see Hutch and implores him to repair his relationship with Connie. On her way home, she stops at a roadside bar and meets a blind Country & Western singer named Wayne Masterson. The next day, at Titania Records, Monica tries to convince Neil that Wayne has potential as a Titania Records recording artist. [Note: Monica's meeting with Neil actually occurs later in the episode but I summarized it here for the purpose of clarity.]

Jason arrives at the mansion to find that Francesca has already left. He finds Sable staring moodily into a fire and, heeding Francesca's advice, tries to salvage his marriage to Sable. Jason asks Sable to drop the suit against Connie but she refuses again. A disgusted Jason walks out on her but not before telling her that there is nothing left of their marriage to save.

The following day, Sable and Connie get into it again about the suit and Connie sadly asks Sable:

"Whatever happened to Sabella Scott, that lovely young girl Jason brought into the house as a bride?"

Connie goes to see Jeff. She tells him that she wrote letters to Cecil Colby years ago that might prove useful in fighting Sable and says that the letters may be in Alexis' hands in Denver.

Due to the oil spill, the entire Colby fleet is in danger of being put out of commission. Jason informs Miles he is leaving on a trip [to London] and Miles finally lets loose about the Francesca situation. Miles tells a stunned Jason, "You don't have a son anymore!"

The good: In some respects, this is a holding episode in that most of the storylines don't develop appreciably. With the exception of Francesca fleeing Los Angeles, a great deal of the characters' time is spent rehashing their stalemated relationships. That being said, my favorite part of the episode had to be Maxwell Caulfield's performance as Miles. Alone among the characters, he is aware of the impending catastrophes that are about to consume the family and you really feel for him in the impossible situations he finds himself in.

I find Sable's monologue about art and perfection to be fascinating. What are we, the viewers, supposed to draw from her comments? I'm not sure. To me, her musings about perfection in art are a perfect counterpoint to her own dealings with her family. Like a painter working with a canvas, she is always trying to manipulate events to create a perfect world (within the context of her family.) But, as she will find out (to her detriment), people cannot be controlled in quite the same way that canvases can.

Finally, I like Barbara Stanwyck's comment about "whatever happened to Sabella Scott?" There's a certain sadness in that statement which is quite effective.

The bad: Monica's storyline is a major drag on this episode. And her comments to Miles on the tennis court make no sense. Why is she being so cavalier about her father's involvement with her aunt?

The contrasting accents: I give the show credit for dealing with the contrasting accents of Beacham and Ross but, truthfully, the explanation feels more than a little forced. And even if you buy into the explanation, it doesn't explain why Francesca still has a flat California accent despite living abroad for years while Sable has a strong English accent despite living in California for close to three decades. You would think one or the other (or both) would have lost or picked up something over the years.

The ninth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode Nine


Plot Summary: Jeff tells Connie that Alexis couldn't find the letters she [Connie] wrote to Cecil years ago. Elsewhere in the great house, Miles tells Sable about Jason's trip to London and warns her to open her eyes. Sable queries him about what he means but Miles cannot bear to tell her the truth about Jason and Francesca.

Fallon finds Miles staring moodily into a fire. [Note: Like mother, like son.] He wearily tells her that he knows he is losing her. Out of nowhere, Miles proposes that he adopt L.B. as his son! A stunned Fallon replies, "That's crazy!" In a rage, Miles tells Fallon that he will never let her go and she storms out. Miles then knocks the liquor bottles off of the liquor table.

In London, Jason is too late to prevent Francesca from accepting a marriage proposal from diplomat Roger Langdon. Francesca calls Sable in New York to tell her the news. Sable is delighted.

In Los Angeles, Jeff takes a call from Adam Carrington, who tells a relieved Jeff that he has found the letters. Once Jeff is off of the phone, however, a gloating Adam remarks to himself that Jeff and Connie may get more than they bargained for with the letters.

In New York, a mystery art collector outbids Sable for the Matisse painting. As Sable is leaving the auction room, she encounters Zach, who invites her to his penthouse. Sable declines.

Back in London, Francesca visits Jason at his hotel. He begs her not to marry Roger. Francesca retorts that she won't ruin Sable's happiness and walks out.

Back in Los Angeles, Monica and Neil continue to spar with one another. As they're leaving a restaurant, however, Neil kisses Monica.

Back in New York, Sable and Zach have an intimate dinner together. [Note: This must be the day after the auction.] Zach reveals to Sable that he was the one who outbid her at the auction and that he bought it as an expression of his love for her. Sable is momentarily furious with him but she and Zach end up sharing a passionate kiss before she flounces out of the penthouse. [Note: Love these two together!]

Upon Jason's return to Los Angeles, he and Miles continue to argue about Sable and Francesca. At Titania Records, Monica convinces Wayne to sign with the label.

At the mansion, Fallon apologizes to a visiting Adam about her rape accusations. Jeff enters and Fallon leaves so they can conduct their business. Connie, Jeff and Adam read throught the letters and Connie discovers a letter (post dated "1969") she wrote to Cecil confirming that she would give Jeff her shares of Colby Enterprises when he came of age. [Note: The shares were Phillip's but Connie inherited the shares from her father when Phillip died in Vietnam.] Connie exults that the letter will destroy Sable's case and leaves to go find her.

After Connie leaves, a malicious Adam tells Jeff that he is in possession of a second letter which Phillip wrote to Cecil before he died. In the letter, Phillip states that the baby Francesca is carrying isn't his! Adam gloats that Jeff isn't really a Colby and, therefore, isn't entitled to the shares. [Note: Connie's inheritance was contingent on her father's stipulation that only a blood Colby could inherit shares in the company.]

Connie finds Sable in the study. She brandishes the first letter in front of Sable and tells her that she is going to lose everything. Sable walks out and goes to see Jason in the west wing. She offers to drop the suit against Connie if that will help repair their marriage. Jason replies that it would be a start. Sable leaves to go to a Colby Collection event.

Meanwhile, Jeff tells Connie about the second letter. She orders him to go find Adam and throws the letter in the fireplace. Her aim is poor, however, and the letter falls harmlessly to the ground. Hearing Sable leaving for her event, Connie charges out of the house after her. Unknowingly, Sable backs into Connie as she is running out of the house. The paramedics arrive to take Connie to the hospital. Sable offers to go to the hospital with Jason but he snarls at her and tells her, "I don't want you anywhere near her!"

As the rest of the family leaves for the hospital, Sable returns to the study, pours herself a stiff drink and stares at the portrait of Connie hanging over the fireplace. Overcome with emotion and genuine concern for Connie, she breaks down in tears. Just then, she notices the letter Connie threw into the fireplace, picks it up and reads it. Her face drains of all emotion when she realizes just how significant the letter is.

The good: I won't go so far as to say that this is the greatest Colbys episode ever but the final sequence with Sable and Connie has to be considered one of the greatest sequences in Colbys history. Even by the standards of 80s primetime soaps, Sable running over Connie is sheer demented brilliance.

What follows is even more intense and intriguing. Realizing the magnitude of what has happend, "Sable Colby" disappears and the audience gets to see caring, uncalculating "Sabella Scott" for the first time. The change is only temporary, however. Once Sable discovers the letter Connie so carelessly threw away, her animal cunning and her borderline incestuous love for Miles combine to reestablish "Sable Colby" as the dominant personality and to banish "Sabella Scott", possibly forever. The final freeze frame on Stepanie Beacham's face is absolutely mesmorizing. Swathed in black fur, 80s helmet hair in place, mascara running from her tears -- her face loses all human emotion and becomes a mask of sheer amorality. Brilliant.

Hmmm. Somehow I combined my Episode Nine summary with my Episode Eight summary. Sorry about that!

These are amazing! Thank you so much, miliosr!

Episode Nine - Continued

Again, I apologize for combining the Episode Eight and Nine summaries together. When I used the "Add Reply" function to add the new post (Episode Nine) after my most recent post (Episode Eight), the system added the Episode Nine post to Episode Eight. If someone can tell me what I did wrong, I would appreciate it.

Anyway, some more thoughts on Episode Nine:

The bad: I really dislike the way Miles is written in this episode. In the run-up to this episode, the audience saw Miles making tentative steps away from being a callow playboy toward being a responsible adult. But in this episode, he comes across as borderline unstable. From the get-go, the audience was aware that Miles had an element of instability in his character (which was no surprise seeing as how he was raised by a cold, critical father and an overprotective, smothering mother.) But the writers only seem to care about this instability when they need it for storyline purposes (particularly as they involve Fallon and Jeff.) In retrospect, it would have been interesting for the show to deal with Miles' emotional issues more forthrightly. But, alas, that was probably beyond the audience's interest at that time (or, for that matter, the show's capacity to execute.)

"1969": The 1969 post date on the first letter is a bit of a continuity error. Connie wrote the letter when Phillip was already dead and Jeff was just a toddler. But that would only put Jeff in his early-20s by 1985-86 when clearly he is closer to his early-30s!

The tenth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode Ten


At the hospital, a doctor tells Jason that Connie is suffering from "inter-cranial swelling" but that she (the doctor) is guardedly optimistic about her condition. Back at the great house, Monica comforts Sable, who is agitated by the prospect that the accident will drive Jason further away from her.

At the pool house, Jeff confides in Fallon about the letter. She urges him to call Francesca. They share a brief kiss but Fallon pulls away and tells Jeff she is still a married woman. Jeff leaves and calls Francesca, who is in Rome with Roger. Jeff tells her he is flying to Rome to discuss a personal situation [Phillip's letter]. After Francesca puts down the phone, Roger queries her about her love for Jason. She admits it but tells him she is committed to marrying him.

Jason arrives back at the house and apologizes to Sable for lashing out at her earlier. Although Sable tells him she is dropping the competency suit against Connie, he tells her that his feelings for her are fading away and that he wants a divorce! The next morning, Sable (in Nancy Reagan red) goes to see her lawyer Arthur Cates about the divorce. To prevent the divorce, he advises Sable to find a price for the divorce that even Jason Colby wouldn't pay.

At the Colby Collection, Sable finds the Matisse she lost in New York hanging on the wall. In her office, an enraged Sable tells a waiting Zach that she won't accept the painting. Zach retorts that what she really wants is him and tries to steal a kiss from her.

Down at the marina, Sean tells Bliss he wants to marry her but she is reluctant. At the hospital, Jason queries Connie about why she went charging after Sable the prior evening but Connie dissembles. Sean goes to see Zach and tells him about his desire to marry Bliss. Sean also tells Zach that he plans to tell Bliss and Jason he is Zach's nephew.

At Colby Enterprises, Garrett tells Jason, Jeff and Miles about the connection between Zach and the tanker captain responsible for the oil spill in San Miquel harbor. Over at Titania Records, Monica and Neil (in hideous 80s jeans) discuss Wayne's career. After this taxing discussion, they decide to fly to San Francisco for dinner.

Back at the mansion, (a shirtless) Miles and Fallon discuss the annullment. Miles is saddened that she is taking him up on his offer and storms out. Miles goes to a seedy bar near San Miguel harbor and pumps Mahoney, a tanker employee, about the oil spill. Miles and Mahoney get into a fight and trash the bar.

In San Francisco, Monica tells Neil about her childhood. [Note: Snore] They make plans to spend the night together.

Sable tends Miles' wounds from the fight and tells him about Jason's request for a divorce. He lets the Francesca/Jason situation slip to Sable, who is clearly devastated. They profess their love for one another in a mildly incestuous way and he leaves. The following morning, Miles comes to see a dejected Sable. He pushes her to fight for Jason. They hold hands (again in a mildly incestuous way) and he leaves. A now-energized Sable removes Phillip's letter from the safe and plans to use it to throttle Jason into submission.

In San Francisco, Monica and Neil wake up in bed together. [Note: Yuck] At Colby Enterprises, Sean asks Jason for permission to marry Bliss and tells him he is Zach's nephew. Jason refuses to give him his permission and kicks him out of his office.

That evening, in the now-darkened and empty mansion, Sable tells Jason there isn't going to be a divorce. She calls Francesca a tramp and tells him she will destroy Francesca's reputation (via the letter) if Jason divorces her. He retorts that, "I can't stomach you!" Sable slaps him and he storms out of the room. Sable vows that she will make Jason eat his words!


The good: Truthfully, this episode takes forever to get going. Stephanie Beacham is at her best when she is wreaking havok in all directions so watching her feel sorry for herself thoughout most of this episode is a major drag. But she pulls herself together by the end and she's a joy to watch as she lets loose on Charlton Heston.

The bad: I don't even know what to say about the Monica/Neil storyline. You know it's bad when the Bliss/Sean storyline is actually more compelling.

The odd: The relationship between Sable and Miles (never normal under the best of circumstances) is very odd in this episode. At times, they act more like husband and wife (with their hand holding and professions of love for one another) than mother and son. Weird but perfect for this show.

The hilarious: Bliss tells Sean she won't marry him because marriages never last and uses her parents as an example. How would she know? She never sees them. In fact, Sean sees her family more than she does!

I recall the Mable relationship fondly. I was nine when this show aired, and a little girl who adored and looked up to her mommy. I recall being even more in love with Miles Colby for adoring his Mommy as well. It didn't hurt that his mom was Sable! I adored her, too!

Now, I do remember that he seemed exasperated and annoyed much of the time with Sable. But lots of us get that way with Mom -- you can always tell he needed her help.

Monica and Bliss never needed to be there as far as I'm concerned. On the Colbys, the only people who were compelling were the over 50 crowd and Miles/Fallon/Jeff.

I don't mean to double-post, but it's a been a few days, and I'm breathlessly waiting for the next update. So, bump for miliosr.

In Episode 11, the shit's about to hit the fan bringing the Jeff/Fallon/Miles triangle to a boiling point. Miles was such a magnificent bastard, Jeff seemed bored most of the time. Meanwhile Emma/Fallon was a simpering sobbing, heaving bosom, but they were all lovely, and I was hopelessly fascinated by the angst.

Bring. It. On.

The eleventh in an ongoing series . . .

Episode Eleven


Plot Summary: In the great house, Jason comes to see Sable, who is luxuriating in a bubble bath. She stands up in the tub and seductively asks him to hand her a towel. He does so coldly. They spar over their marital situation and Jason's relationship with Francesca ("That tramp!" "That slut!") Sable shows Jason Phillip's letter and continues to assail Francesca. Jason refuses to believe the letter is true, accuses Sable of forging it and storms out of the room. Jason calls Francesca in London but is dismayed to find out she's in Rome. He makes plans to be in London upon her return.

In Rome, Francesca assures a visiting Jeff that Phillip is his father. She tells Jeff that Phillip was mentally unsound when he wrote the letter.

At Colby Enterprises, Zach tells Jason that he would be more than happy to ship all of Blake's oil now that Jason's tankers are barred from San Miguel harbor due to the oil spill. After Zach leaves, Jason, Miles and Garrett debate their next move against Zach.

At Arthur Cates' office, Sable and Arthur strategize. Arthur reminds Sable that any and all Colby holdings must remain in the hands of a blood Colby (per the will of Jason and Connie's father.) Sable exults at the thought of driving Jeff out of the family.

At the hospital, Monica visits Connie. Connie's doctor informs Monica that Connie is healing slowly because her spirit is crushed. Monica deduces that Connie's split with Hutch is the cause and goes to see him. She implores him to see Connie.

Back at Colby Enterprises, Jason tries to repair relations with Miles but Miles is hostile to his overtures. Miles gives Jason an ultimatum: Francesca or your family

Back at the mansion, Jason tells Bliss that Sean is Zach's nephew and that he was with Bliss in order to get information about the Colby family for Zach. Bliss is furious with Jason (!) and blames him for her predicament (!!)

Back at the hospital, Connie and Hutch reconcile.

Down at the marina, a furious Bliss lays into Sean. She slaps him across the face and storms out. [Note: She must get the "slapping the face" from her mother and the "storming out" from her father.]

At the poolhouse, Miles shows Fallon the new dog he bought for L.B. They discuss their curious marital situation AGAIN!

In Athens, Jeff finds that the tanker captain in league with Zach is dead. The police tell Jeff that it was murder.

Back in Los Angeles, Wayne is shooting a new music video (which is SO 80s.) Neil badmouths Wayne to Monica while they watch the shoot. In Wayne's dressing room, Monica acts like a schoolgirl around Wayne. He tells her she's beautiful, which he deduces by touching her face. [Note: This entire sequence really is as stupid as it sounds.]

Back at the poolhouse, Fallon talks with an unseen Steven Carrington on the phone. A disturbed and/or drunk Miles arrives with annulment papers. Miles tells her that he would give her the world if he could but that all he can give her now is her freedom. He also says he doesn't want to hurt her. After some desultory conversation, Miles tries to kiss Fallon but she doesn't respond. Then, in a fit of rage, he forces himself on her and rapes her.

The next morning, Sable comes to visit an angry Fallon, who is packing to go back to Denver. Fallon tells Sable that she can't cope with Miles right now. Sable insinuates that Jeff isn't Phillip's son and warns Fallon not to go chasing after a "nameless nobody" like Jeff.

Sable goes to see a hungover Miles. Sable demands to know what he did to drive Fallon back to Denver. She presses Miles to prevent Fallon from leaving but a remorseful Miles tells her his cause is hopeless now.

Fallon calls Jeff in Europe and tells him that the letter wasn't destroyed and that Sable is in possession of it. She tells him she is taking L.B. and going back to Denver.

Sable finds Bliss feeling sorry for herself. Bliss tells Sable that Sean is Zach's nephew. Sable is aghast at the news.

Back in Rome, Francesca and Jeff swill champagne before leaving for the opera. Jeff tells Francesca that Sable has the letter but he assures her that he will take care of Sable.

At the Colby Collection, Sable rips into Zach about Sean and Bliss. Zach retorts that Sable is wasting herself on a man who doesn't appreciate her. He also tells her that they are two people who lust after the same things:

"Money. Power. Beauty. And that touch of danger which makes it exciting."

He continues by saying that one day she will come begging for him. She slaps him for his impertinence but he takes her in hand and kisses her passionately.

In London, Jason is waiting when Francesca returns. He asks her, "Is Jeff my son?"


The terrible: [Full disclosure -- I was a big Miles fan back when the show first aired so everything I'm about to write is informed by that fact.]

I hate, hate, HATE that the show had Miles rape Fallon in this episode. Yes, he was hot-headed. Yes, he was juvenile. Yes, he had an element of instability to his character. BUT, the one thing he never was was violent toward Randall/Fallon. In fact, he was always solicitous to her. He was the one who prevented her from being raped in Episode One and he was the one who held her in his arms and comforted her when she thought Adam had raped her. But now we're supposed to believe that he forgot all that and would rape the woman who thought she had been raped by her brother and was almost raped by a stranger?

I think the decision to have Miles rape Fallon was a tremendous long-term mistake for the show. In the short-term, it threw support to the foundering John James-Emma Samms pairing and continued the triangle beyond its deserved lifespan by setting the stage for a "Who's the father?" storyline. But over the long haul, it had the deleterious effect of making Miles, as a character, unsympathetic regardless of how much the show tried to redeem him later.

The bad: I think my disgust with Miles raping Fallon carried over to the rest of the episode because I found myself getting annoyed with some of the acting in this episode. Fallon is supposed to be pissed off the morning after the rape but Emma Samms only manages to convey mild perturbance. Katharine Ross is very wooden in her scenes with John James. And poor Claire Yarlett's acting ability is stretched to the breaking point in her scenes with Charlton Heston and Stephanie Beacham.

The good: I pretty much hate this episode but the one redeeming feature is the conversation between Zach and Sable at the end. Everything he says to her is true but she is so obsessed with Jason that she fails to see that Zach -- not Jason -- is her true soulmate.

Dynasty/Colbys crossover: I think there is an episode of Dynasty which aired around this time which shows Fallon in Denver and Miles following her there only to have Blake kick him out of the mansion. Once again, this is an example of how full enjoyment of both shows can't be had unless you have access to both seasons.

Delete.

The twelfth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 12


Plot Summary: Episode 12 picks up where Episode 11 left off.

In London, an enraged Francesca denies that Jeff is Jason's son (even though Francesca and Jason had been intimate -- once -- while Francesca and Phillip were married.) Francesca tells Jason that she and Roger are to be married soon and that they will be heading to Roger's new diplomatic posting in Singapore.

At the great house, Sable pesters Miles about convincing Fallon not to sign the annulment papers.

Upstairs, Fallon and Jeff hover over a feverish L.B. [Note: This episode follows Fallon's trip to Denver.] After they leave L.B.'s room, Jeff tries to convince Fallon that they belong together. Fallon tells Jeff that Miles is a big part of her life and that she loves them both. [Note: Miles would be the husband who raped her in the prior episode.] She storms off as Jeff shouts "Fallon" after her.

At Arthur Cates' office, Arthur tells Sable that handwriting experts have confirmed the authenticity of the handwriting in the letter. Arthur wants to press for a paternity hearing proving Jeff isn't a Colby but tells Sable she will need actual proof of Francesca's infidelity to Phillip. Sable is wary of involving the Colby name in such a degrading scandal and correctly deduces that the letter is more valuable to her if she doesn't use it in court.

At Titania Records, Dominique, Monica and Neil watch Wayne's lame video. Dominique is thrilled that Wayne is a Titania Records recording artist. [Note: Yeah, right.] After Neil leaves, Dominique queries Monica about the exact nature of her relationship with Neil and informs her that Neil is married.

At Colby Enterprises, Sable and Jeff spar over Fallon, Miles and Jeff's parentage. Sable gives Jeff an ultimatum: Leave Miles and Fallon alone or she will go public with the letter.

Back at the mansion, Sable finds Fallon hovering over L.B.'s bed. After they leave the room, Sable tells Fallon how Miles doesn't deal well with rejection and how once, when his football teammates rejected him, he crashed his car in a near-fatal accident (which may or may not have been a suicide attempt.) Sable guilt trips Fallon that Miles may try to kill himself if she signs the annulment papers.

Back at Colby Enterprises, Jason, Garrett, Jeff and Miles continue to debate their next move against Zach. After the meeting, Jeff and Miles spar over the annulment papers, Fallon and Jeff's place in the company. Miles tells Jeff he'll never let him have Fallon.

Hutch escorts a recuperated Connie back to the mansion. She invites him to stay as her guest but he declines. Sable greets Connie and Hutch and mistakes Hutch for a cab driver! [Note: Classic!]

At Colby Enterprises once again, Fallon and Miles sign the annulment papers. Miles tries to apologize for the rape. Fallon tells him she's not turning her back on him (!) and that she does love him (!!) "But not enough," he says sadly. He kisses her hand tenderly but Fallon refuses to stop the annulment. Miles storms out.

Later, Miles encounters Bliss coming out of the Colby Collection. [Note: They were both looking for Sable but she wasn't there.] Bliss tries to comfort an obviously distraught Miles. He tells her he feels like he is going over the edge. Bliss gives him (false) hope about Fallon but he remains unconvinced.

Back at the mansion once again, Sean -- who is there to see Bliss -- and Sable spar about Zach. Bliss enters and tells Sean to get out.

At Dominique's new club (titled Dominique's), Dominique is speaking with her (unseen) daughter Jackie on the telephone. She hurriedly hangs up when Garrett enters. Garrett senses that Dominique is hiding something [Note: Jackie's parentage] from him. Dominique gives Garrett the brush off.

Back at the mansion once more, Sable flounces into the study as Jason pours himself a stiff drink. Sable tells Jason that Arthur authenticated the letter and that she is not a forger. Jason believes that Phillip was insane when he wrote the letter. Sable blackmails Jason: She'll forget about using the letter if he forgets about divorcing her. Jason submits to Sable's blackmail terms.

At the opening of Dominique's, Dominique belts out one of her big numbers ("Come Rain Or Come Shine") as the whole family (including Zach) watches. Miles askes Fallon to dance and she accepts. When Miles gets too forward with her, however, Fallon runs off the dancefloor. Zach dances with Connie and they play verbal games with one another.

Later, Zach encounters Sable and tells her he will never let her go. Sable wants to know why he hates Jason so much but Zach doesn't answer. Zach asks Sable to leave the party with him (!) but she tells him to leave her and her family alone. After she leaves, Jason comes over and he and Zach trade subtle barbs about Sable.

Garrett and Dominique dance together. He wants to fly back to Denver with her but she tells him no (because Jackie will be meeting her at the airport and Dominique doesn't want Garrett to meet Jackie.)

Back at the mansion (for the final time), a chambermaid frantically informs the butler, Henderson, that L.B. has a temperature of 104 degrees.

Back at the club, Dominique and Wayne belt out a number ("Crazy") together. Connie tells Fallon that Henderson has called and that the staff at the mansion are having L.B. rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctor tells Fallon, Jeff and Jason that L.B. has "acute bacterial meningitis".

In the hospital chapel, Fallon prays. Unbeknownst to her, Jeff enters the room. Fallon tries to bargain with God: If he saves L.B., she'll never leave L.B. or Jeff again. She turns around, sees Jeff and they embrace!


The good: Sable is at the top of her game in this episode as she tries to preserve Miles' marriage as well her own. She tries to throttle Jason and Jeff with Phillip's letter and guilt trips Fallon that it will be all her fault if Miles tries to kill himself. Ultimately, she is only partially successful, as the only marriage she can preserve is her own. Still, it's good to have the real Sable back after having to endure the self-pitying Sable from Episode 10!

The bad: Fallon going on and on about how much she loves Miles is hard to take given that he had raped her in the prior episode. This just confirms my belief that the producers/writers weren't interested in the slightest about the ramifications of rape within marriage -- all they cared about was setting up a "Who's the Father?" scenario.

The stupid: Could Monica be any more stupid? It's bad enough that you're having a sexual relationship with your employee. But you don't even know that he's married?

The funny: Dominique and Wayne singing "Crazy" is a perfect choice for this show since one of the lines ("Crazy for loving you") could pretty much apply to Jason, Sable, Miles, Monica and/or Bliss.

Missed opportunity: It's too bad the writing staff didn't have Hutch move into the mansion. They would have had comedy gold with him and Sable hurling insults at one another across the breakfast table!


We are now at the halfway point of Season One. Look for the remaining summaries in the New Year, which will cover the seriously-next-to-crazy second half of the season!

The thirteenth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 13


Plot Summary: At the hospital, a concerned Miles paces in the waiting room. He can only watch helplessly as Jeff and Fallon enter L.B.'s room together. Miles tries to enter the room but a doctor blocks his entry because he is not "family".

Jeff calls Francesca and Roger in London to tell them about L.B. After Jeff and Francesca conclude their conversation, Roger confesses to Francesca that he accepted the diplomatic posting in Singapore to keep Francesca away from Jason.

Hutch presses Connie to join him at his ranch but she demurs until L.B. is healthier.

Miles visits Monica at Titania Records and tells her he wants to drop the annulment. Monica counsels Miles to back off while L.B. is so sick.

Back at the hospital [Note: This is the night after Dominique's party], Jeff and Fallon are overjoyed when L.B.'s fever breaks.

The following morning, Jason, Garrett and Miles discuss the Zach situation. A police detective arrives to question Miles about the murder of Mahoney (who was in league with Zach and the tanker captain.) The detective presses Miles about the fight he had with Mahoney. Miles loses his temper with the detective.

At the Beverly Center, Bliss shops her troubles away. Sean arrives and pleads with her to come with him so he can show her why he did the things he did. She accepts and he takes her to meet his seriously ill mother at a medical facility. Sean tells Bliss that Zach pays for all of his mother's medical care and, because of that, he agreed to spy on the Colbys for Zach. Bliss tells him she still can't forgive him and leaves.

At the great house, a chambermaid tells Connie that Sable has dismissed her due to "overstaffing". The maid lets slip to Connie that she was the one who found Connie's missing bracelet and gave it to Sable to return to Connie. A very interested Connie unfires the maid and beams with delight now that she knows it was Sable who was trying to set her up.

That night, Jeff reminds Fallon about her promise in the hospital chapel. He proposes and she accepts.

The following day, at Colby Enterprises, Fallon visits Miles and tells him she is going to remarry Jeff. He is surprisingly calm about Fallon's announcement and offers to take her to lunch. Instead, he takes her on a high-speed drive through the canyons of Los Angeles. Fallon pulls the keys out of the ignition and runs from the car. When Miles catches up to her, she asks him what he's trying to prove. He tells her he's trying to show her what his life feels like -- out-of-control. Not unreasonably, she runs to a passing car and hops in.

At Titania Records, Wayne sings a song for Monica. Wayne kisses Monica as Neil walks in. After Wayne leaves, Monica rips into Neil about his wife.

Back at the mansion, Sable lays into Connie about Fallon and Miles. Connie tells Sable that she knows about Sable's scheme to have her [Connie] declared mentally incompetent. As Sable goes to leave, she hisses at a suddenly worried-looking Connie:

"You may have won this time but that was child's play. You won't find the next round so easy."


That night, a semi-drunk Miles enters the darkened mansion. On the grand staircase, Sable tells him she wants to see him upstairs -- NOW! In her room, Sable shows Miles Phillip's letter. She wants Miles to use the letter against Jeff. She tells him that she can't use the letter because of her promise to Jason but he can. Miles exults at the news.

The next day, Hutch comes to see Connie at the mansion. She tells him she can't join him at the ranch due to her responsibilities to the family. Hutch and Connie part ways.

At Arthur Cates' office, Miles and Arthur discuss the letter. They debate the need for further proof of Francesca's infidelity. Miles vows to take Jeff to court and strip him clean.

At Colby Enterprises, Connie tells a none-too-enthused-looking Jason that she is coming back to work.

In London, Roger tells Francesca that he has a new posting -- Los Angeles! Francesca is stunned.

In Los Angeles, Miles tells Jason about his plan to take Jeff to court. Miles doesn't understand why Jason won't support him. Miles baits Jason about Francesca until Jason hits him. Jason is immediately sorry but Miles won't listen to his apologies. He storms out of the office -- spewing threats in his wake!


Sable: Oh Sable -- why can't you quit while you're ahead? You've throttled your husband into submission but you can't leave well enough alone. You have to give Miles the letter; thereby setting a train in motion that will destroy everything you've been trying to preserve. Sigh.

The fourteenth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 14


Plot Summary: [Note this episode appears to take place the morning after Jason hit Miles.]

At the great house, Jason and Sable hurl accusations at one another. Jason accuses Sable of breaking her promise to him regarding Phillip's letter. Sable hits back that he is the one who has broken his promise to try to repair their marriage. She shows him an invitation to a reception at the British consulate for Lord Roger Langdon and his new wife Lady Francesca Langdon and implies that he was responsible for Roger's posting! Jason is stunned by the news.

Downstairs, in the breakfast room, Jeff and Miles argue about the impending law suit. Miles accuses Jeff of "killing" "Randall". Later, Jason tells Jeff that he will have to give up his share of the Colby fortune if it turns out he is not a Colby.

Fallon also tries to dissuade Miles from going to court but he will have none of it.

At Colby Enterprises, Garrett tells Jason that he will be representing Jeff. Later, Jason pleads with Miles to drop his suit against Jeff. Jason accuses Miles of seeking vengeance instead of justice. They argue some more and then Miles storms out.

At the British consulate, Jeff tells Francesca about the suit. She promises Jeff that she will testify on his behalf in court.

At Titania Records, Wayne tells Monica that Neil is planning to leave the company and wants to take Wayne with him.

Miles and Connie meet to discuss the suit. She implores him to stop but he tells her he can't.

That night, Monica and Neil have dinner. Monica informs Neil that they can't have a future together and oh, by the way, you're FIRED!!!

The next day, at the consulate party, Jason, Sable, Francesca and Roger have a series of awkward conversations. Francesca accuses Jason of siding with Miles against Jeff and storms outside. Before Jason can follow her, Roger warns Jason to stay away from Francesca.

Outside, Sable corners Francesca. The two sisters argue about the letter. Sable accuses Francesca of sleeping with Jason at the Five Oaks Inn but Francesca denies it. Soon, the two are going at it full-tilt about Jeff, Miles and Fallon. Just as Jason and Roger arrive, Sable lets loose on Francesca:

"I don't give a damn about your little bastard . . . or you. You SLUT!!!"


Meanwhile, Miles and Arthur are trying to line up various witnesses for the upcoming court case. Miles travels to Washington DC to find a Colonel Holmes who may be able to help his case.

At the mansion, Sable encourages Bliss to get out of the house and meet someone. Bliss despairs that she has nothing to give to a man. Sable tells Bliss that she loves her. [Note: This is a sweet little scene.]

At the marina, Bliss storms into Sean's boathouse. He tells her he is moving to Oceanworld in Florida! She tells him she loves him and that he can't leave. They kiss.

That night, Fallon tells Jeff she will stay with him regardless of how the court case turns out.

At the consulate, Roger presses Francesca to stay out of the court case. She reveals she has received a summons . . . as a witness for the prosecution!

The next day, at the Los Angeles County Courthouse, the entire family (except for the missing Miles) fights their way through a sea of reporters. Sable and Francesca exchange icy glares.

Inside the courtroom, Arthur and Garrett grill various witnesses (including Connie) about Phillip and his character. Arthur calls Francesca to the stand and asks her point-blank if she slept with other men while Phillip was in Vietnam. She hesitates and the judge orders her to answer. Before she can, Miles arrives with Colonel Holmes in tow.

The judge excuses Francesca from the stand and Colonel Holmes replaces her in the witness box. The colonel tells the court that Phillip was his patient in Vietnam and that he couldn't possibly have fathered Jeff . . . because he was sterile!


The good: This episode moves along at a fantastic clip (almost comically so -- the court case starts about 3 days after Miles files his suit!) The absolute highlight has to be the party at the consulate. Finally, Sable and Francesca get into it and let the accusations fly! As you would imagine, Sable calling her own sister a slut in front of the other party guests is a series highlight but Ross more than holds her own. For once, she shows some gumption and doesn't let Sable bully her.

I also quite like Miles in this episode. The scene where he accuses Jeff of "killing Randall" is very bittersweet -- you realize that he really did love "Randall". The scene between Miles and Connie is also very good. It was nice to see Maxwell Caulfield and Barbara Stanwyck finally share a scene together and their conversation is touching. She tries to appeal to his good nature to stop the suit but he can only tell her in his own sad way that it's too late for that.

The funny: Fallon telling Jeff she will stick by him no matter what is hilarious. She's acting like they will be living in poverty if Jeff loses and she will be making a big sacrifice. I guess she forgot that she is an heiress to two fortunes (through Blake and Alexis) and that Jeff has already inherited a portion of his Uncle Cecil's fortune.

Coming up: Sable ends the episode with a big smirk on her face but the next episode will wipe that smirk off of her face!

what a treat! I just discovered this thread and will confess The Colbys were my guilty pleasure back in the day! Really enjoying your recaps miliosr! Please keep them coming!

Thinking back on it, the issue that was never at all satisfactorily explained, at least to my liking, was how on earth Cecil Colby gained custody of Jeff. Frankie explained it in what? One sentence? That if she left Jeff with Cecil, Cecil would make sure Jeff got his inheiritance? huh? What mother leaves her baby/child (not sure WHEN exactly this bizarre transfer took place!) with a bachelor uncle? It bugged me when I was just a teenager, but now that I've had children, the way they never explained this truly bugs me. Not to say they couldn't have come up with some creative explanations, but they didn't and if I was Jeff I would have demanded much more detail from Frankie. And what on earth was Cecil's motivation? It was just odd.

The fifteenth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 15

Plot Summary: [Note: Episode 15 picks up precisely where Episode 14 left off.]

At the Los Angeles County Courthouse, the colonel repeats his testimony that Phillip was sterile.

Arthur Cates recalls Francesca to the stand. He forces Francesca to admit that she was unfaithful to Phillip -- once -- while they were married. Arthur demands to know the name of the man but Francesca can't bring herself to answer. Just then, Jason stands up and admits he is Jeff's father. Pandemonium breaks out in the court room.

Outside the courthouse, Sable flees in disgust. Jeff grabs Francesca and drives off with her. Jason tries to apologize to Miles but Miles tells Jason that he means nothing to him and storms off. Later, Jeff and Francesca stop and Jeff rips into Francesca for her affair with Jason and for abandoning him to Cecil years earlier.

At the great house, a weary Jason arrives to find a rifle-toting Sable standing on the grand stairwell. "Damn you Jason -- I hate you!" she hisses. Sable fires the gun but misses badly. She runs to her room (w/ Jason in hot pursuit) and locks the door. He breaks down the door and tries to explain to Sable that the affair with Francesca happened before he had even met Sable. She won't hear any of it. Sable realizes that Jason still loves Francesca and tells him to get out. After he leaves, Sable throws herself (melodramatically) on the bed and breaks down in tears.

At the British consulate, Roger consoles Francesca about Jeff and tells her he loves her. Just then, Jason calls and interrupts their conversation. He wants to talk to Francesca at Colby Enterprises. After she hangs up, Roger demands that she never see Jason again. Francesca refuses and leaves.

At Colby Enterprises, Francesca tells Jason that she honestly did believe Phillip was Jeff's father. Jason hugs Francesca and tells her he loves her. Francesca responds that she is devoted to Roger and walks out.

Back at the mansion, Jeff packs to return to Denver and the Carringtons. Connie walks in and, seeing what he's doing, accuses him of running away. Connie also rips into Jeff for not caring about what all of this is doing to Miles. Meanwhile, Miles careens through the canyons of Los Angeles and crashes his car. He is unhurt -- but emotionally devastated.

That night, at the mansion, Jeff pours himself a stiff drink in the study. Jason enters and also pours himself a stiff drink. Jason makes the mistake of calling Jeff "son" and Jeff erupts. He tells Jason that all they have in common is business and that he will never accept Jason as his father.

Later, in the dining room, only Jason and Connie have turned up for dinner. They are baffled as to what to do next. Connie, feeling sorry for Sable, decides to go see her. [Note: Bad idea!]

Connie enters Sable's room, where Sable is dejectedly looking at her wedding album. Seeing Connie, Sable goes on the attack, accusing Connie of trying to destroy her marriage from the get-go. Connie hits back that Sable -- not Jason, Jeff or herself -- destroyed her own marriage and storms out.

At the pool house, Fallon prevails on Jeff to stay in Los Angeles. She admits she is concerned for Miles. Jeff tells Fallon he is going to stay at the beach house. They kiss and he leaves.

At the dark and desolate Colby Collection, a shattered Sable walks amongst the art work (in a killer fur coat!) Suddenly, Zach arrives and calls out to her:

"Sabella. Art -- love in the abstract. Safe -- but dull. I've always preferred a touch of reality."

Zach tells her he knew he would find her at the museum ("her perfect world"). He and Sable hug.


Back at the pool house, Fallon sleeps. Unbeknownst to her, Miles enters the room and watches her. He tells the sleeping Fallon that "he will never let her go" and leaves a note saying the same thing on her pillow.

The next day, at the beach house, Fallon tells Jeff about the note and how Miles must have left it. Jeff tries to console her about Miles and his nocturnal visit.

Sable and Bliss have breakfast together. Sable encourages Bliss to keep seeing Sean. Bliss is nonplussed by Sable's turnaround regarding Sean. Sable says that she is tired of looking at everything and everyone through Jason's eyes and now plans to look at things through her own eyes.

At Colby Enterprises, Jason and Garrett worry that Zach is trying to pin the San Miguel harbor oil spill murders on Miles.

At Titania Records, Monica tells Wayne that she is cancelling Wayne's upcoming tour, which was Neil's idea. Wayne is furious with her decision and storms out. [Note: Just like everyone else on this show!]

Back at the mansion, Miles arrives in an agitated state. Bliss foolishly tells him that Fallon is at the beach house with Jeff. Miles races out of the mansion.

At the beach house, Miles arrives and spots Jeff and Fallon together. Miles calls Francesca a "whore" and a fight breaks out between the two half-brothers. In the ensuing melee, Jeff falls over the cliff to the beach below!


The good: Without a doubt, this has to be one of the greatest episodes in the whole history of this show. With the exception of the out-of-place Monica/Wayne scene, the episode moves along at a frenetic clip with every single member of the cast (even Bliss!) caught up in all of the drama and heartbreak.

It's hard to pick a favorite scene in an episode full of them but, for me, top honors would have to go to the Zach/Sable scene at the Colby Collection. Once again, Zach proves that he understands Sable better than any of her own family members do and I like the way he gently chides her for her fascination with perfection and encourages her to loosen the tight rein she keeps on her emotions.

The bad: The Monica/Wayne scene is completely out-of-step tone-wise with the rest of the episode and brings an otherwise fast-moving episode to a dead halt.

On the next Colbys: Will Jeff survive his fall over the cliff? Oh, you'll just have to wait to find out!

miliosr, I just wanted to thank you for your recaps. You are really bringing back the memories! :0)

another wonderful recap miliosr!! Totally agree, absolutely one of the best episodes of the series. So let's see, Sable attempted to institutionalize Connie, and that blew up in her face. Then she egged Miles on to sue Jeff over his paternity and THAT blew up in her face. Surely she's learned her lesson now? ;-) or perhaps not.

In regard to Francesca abandoning Jeff to Cecil, the show dealt with this is in a little more detail in the run-up to the trial. Jason, Connie, Cecil and Phillip's father had disinherited Phillip, so, if Francesca and her unborn child had remained with the Colbys in California, they would have lived an uneasy life as the poor relations to the rest of the family. This, coupled with Francesca's guilt over her affair with Jason, prompted her to flee Los Angeles. When Cecil made his offer to Francesca to raise Jeff, Francesca believed (as it turned out, wrongly) that this would be the best thing for Jeff as he would inherit from his Uncle Cecil. (What Cecil's motivation in all of this was remains unclear.)

I'm probably in the minority on this point but I actually liked Francesca's abandonment of Jeff as a plot point. When the show debuted, the writers clearly intended for Francesca to be the "Krystle" figure of the show. But what (to my mind) makes Francesca a more intriguing character than Krystle is that she's NOT some paragon of virtue. While well-meaning, Francesca often makes spectacularly bad decisions which have important ramifications for those around her, including her son, her sister and her brother-in-law.

I agree, as a plot point, Frankie's abandoning Jeff is great, and it sets up all sorts of interesting tensions on the show. But more as a realistic motivation (which I know you should never do with soap operas--wonder about how realistic they are!) I still think the explanations they gave for Frankie leaving Jeff aren't enough. But definitely Frankie is to me a more interesting character--she slept with her husband's brother, she abandoned her child--because of the spectacularly bad choices she made.

The sixteenth in an ongoing series . . .

Episode 16


Plot Summary: [Episode 16 picks up where episode 15 left off.]

At the beach house, a panic-stricken Fallon implores Miles to help Jeff, who lies unmoving at the bottom of the cliff. Miles uses a rope to rapple down the cliff and reach Jeff. Jeff is unhurt. [Note: This is completely implausible.] Miles and the beach house staff get Jeff back up the cliff to the beach house. Once Jeff is safe, he and Miles start sparring (verbally) again. Miles tells Jeff and Fallon he isn't finished with either one of them.

At the British consulate, Francesca calls Sable at the great house but Sable hangs up on her without saying a word. Jason comes to see Sable in her room. He tells her he is sorry about Francesca but Sable tells him that he'll learn the meaning of the word sorry. She agrees to give him a divorce and tells him to get out.

Downstairs, Jason encounters L.B. in the study and clues in L.B. that he is his grandfather.

At the poolhouse, Fallon frets about the situation with Miles. Jeff wants to get married right away at the Carrington mansion in Denver. Fallon tells him she doesn't want anything to do with that house and that she wants to get married at the Colby mansion in Los Angeles. Jeff is none too enthused by this idea.

At the Colby Collection, Francesca arrives to see Sable. "We have so much more in common now -- including my husband!" hisses Sable. She tries to guilt trip Francesca about Jason and Miles but Francesca will have none of it:

"Stop. Can't you at least be honest with yourself. All of this is your doing. You wanted blood -- well you got it. Only now we're all going to have to pay for it."

Sable retorts:

"You will never have Jason or anything that goes with him. Now, get out. GET OUT!!!"

But Francesca has the last word:

"I feel sorry for you. You have everything . . . and nothing."


At Colby Enterprises, Fallon asks Jason if she and Jeff can get married at the mansion. She thinks this will bring Jason and Jeff together as father and son.

At Arthur Cates' office, Arthur informs Sable that she is entitled to half of Jason's worth in any divorce settlement BUT that she's not entitled to the mansion, as this is held in irrevocable trust for blood Colbys only. The mansion can neither be sold nor bargained away. Sable begins to formulate a plan . . .

Monica and Jason have lunch. She confides in her father that she is worried about Miles and begs him not to let Fallon and Jeff get married at the mansion. Somewhat coldly, he refuses.

That night, at the mansion, Sable sweeps into Jason's room and sweetly informs him that Arthur is advising her to be merciless in the divorce settlement. She tells him that she considers everything negotiable except the Colby Collection and the house! Jason in incredulous about the mansion but Sable says she'll be damned if she's going to get kicked out of her own home -- "I want this house!" Sable tells Jason to work on Connie to get the mansion declared as community property:

"Use some of that Jason Colby charm that worked on my sister!"

Jason wants to keep discussing this with Sable but she says:

"Darling, I'm sorry but I'm already late. I'm going to the gallery -- there's a private showing. And after that, well, that it seems is no longer any of your business. Good night Jason -- and good luck with Connie!"

And with that she sweeps out of the room!

Jason visits Connie and they commisserate about Jeff. Jason tells Connie about his conversation with Sable and she flat out refuses to consider Sable's suggestion. She warns Jason that Sable won't rest until she's stripped him clean and thrown them all out into the streets. After Jason leaves, Connie calls a private investigator and orders him to start tailing Sable -- immediately!

Later still, at Zach's penthouse, Sable tells Zach she wants Francesca out of Los Angeles -- "My sister will always be a thorn in my flesh!" Zach offers to use his influence to get Roger transferred out of Los Angeles. Sable is grateful and they kiss. Unbeknownst to them, a private investigator is watching them from the penthouse balcony. [Note: This is totally stupid.] In Zach's bedroom, Sable and Zach start to get intimate but Sable can't go through with it. Zach is disappointed but humorously so. He gives her his bedroom to use for the night while he retires to the guest room.

The next morning, at the mansion, Jason finds that Sable did not spend the night in her bed. At Zach's penthouse, Sable lounges in bed until Zach brings her breakfast on a tray. They delight in each other's company until Zach leaves to deal with Roger and Francesca.

At Colby Enterprises, Miles refuses Jason's request that he go to New York. Miles feels that Jason is trying to push him out in favor of Jeff. Miles also points out that he is under suspicion for murder and can't leave. The conversation degenerates and Jason leaves. Miles calls Zach (!) for help but Zach hasn't arrived at his office yet. Only later does an intrigued Zach find out about Miles' call. Miles goes to Zach's penthouse to see Zach but finds Sable there instead. He storms out.

At the mansion, Jeff comes to see Connie. She explains to him that Phillip was not the man he thinks he was. She urges Jeff to recognize Jason as his true father.

At the British consulate, Roger tells Francesca he is being reassigned to Singapore. He asks her to come with him to London so he can protest the decision but she refuses. He guesses that she doesn't want to go because of Jason.

Back at the mansion, L.B. is playing. Two workmen spot him and begin to talk about how much Jeff is worth.

Monica visits Wayne, who has made a sculpture of her which looks just like her (!) She tells Wayne she has rethought her decision about the tour but he tells her he is not ready to commit to the tour -- or to her.

That night, at the mansion, Jason demands to know from Sable where she was the prior evening. She (basically) tells him to go to hell. He tells her that she can't have the house but he offers to build her an exact replica. She replies:

"Jason, you know that I always insist on originals. I despise fakes. Whether it's art, jewelry or husbands. Darling, this is my home. This is where I'm staying."

Just then, Henderson arrives at the door and tells Jason that L.B. has disappeared. A chambermaid tells everyone about the two workmen discussing Jeff's wealth. The family thinks they have kidnapped L.B.!

Charlton Heston has died. While he will be best remembered for his performances in such films as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur and Planet of the Apes, he will always be Jason Colby to that small-but-intense group of people known as Colbys fans.

RIP, Mr. Heston.