Reboots may be all the rage lately, but don't expect the same song and dance — at least, not with The CW's update of Dynasty. According to the cast and creators, this version of Dynasty will shed homophobia from its storylines.
The CW's upcoming series, which will debut on October 11, is a modernized version of the '80s soap opera of the same name. The new series kicks off with billionaire Blake Carrington (Grant Show) announcing his engagement to Cristal (Nathalie Kelley), something that doesn't sit too well with Blake's children Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies) and Steven (James Mackay). The show's trailer already teases a war between Cristal and Fallon, but one thing the series won't use for drama? Blake's homophobic attitude towards his son Steven's sexuality.
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In the original series, Blake has a huge problem with the fact that Steven is gay, and it causes major tension between father and son. However, according to Show, homophobia won't be the catalyst for any family feud. Show told the audience at the Television Critic's Association press tour that, instead, the two men will butt heads over Steven's career decision
"While Blake can’t be homophobic in the same way [the original Blake was], he can have problems with Steven not being the way he can be," Show explained. "This Blake will be very dark but he fiercely loves his family, his dynasty, and his position."
The shift makes a lot of sense for the update — modern attitudes have definitely changed in the years since the original Dynasty was on the air, and while there are certainly gay individuals who have faced rejection by their families after coming out, we don't always need to see that particular narrative. Here, Steven's sexuality will be a part of who he is — but not the driving force behind his entire storyline.
It won't be the only modernization that the series, which is executive produced by O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, will take when it debuts this fall. The series is also adding diversity by having the rival Colby family be portrayed by Black actors, this time, with the Colbys being "new money" in Atlanta. It's not the only way the show is infusing the diversity of the modern city into the show: Nathalie Kelley's Cristal is Hispanic, as is Cristal's nephew Sammy Joe (Rafael de La Fuente), who will begin a romance with Steven.
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Dynasty may be a reboot, but it's not resting on its laurels — it's promising to be a soap opera we all can be excited about tuning into.