Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Drinks, diamonds, and drama galore in fun, soapy reboot.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dynasty (2017)
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 54 kid reviews
Kids say that the show is entertaining and features strong female characters, especially the lead, who is seen as a role model despite the mature themes of sex, violence, and backstabbing. While it provides lessons in empowerment and perseverance, many recommend it for teens 13 and up due to its inappropriate content, suggesting that parenting guidance is essential for younger viewers.
- entertaining for teens
- strong female characters
- mature themes present
- parenting guidance essential
- empowerment lessons
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In DYNASTY, Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies, Victorious) is the magnetic, whip-smart daughter of famed businessman Blake Carrington (Grant Show, Melrose Place), who flies home to Atlanta expecting to hear she's been made COO of daddy dearest's multi-billion dollar company, Carrington Industries. Instead, she's beyond horrified when she arrives to find not a promotion waiting for her, but a new rival for her father's affections: Blake's middle-class employee (and fiancée!), Cristal Flores (Nathalie Kelley, UNreal). Fallon and her idealistic brother Steven (James Mackay, The Leftovers) are reeling from this news, and while her brother is happy to give his mysterious stepmother-to-be a chance, as far as Fallon is concerned, this is a declaration of war. She teams up with her dad's biggest rival, billionaire tech magnate Jeff Colby (Sam Adegoke, Switched at Birth), and thus begins her path to revenge.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of the original '80s version of the soap will enjoy tuning in to see how the CW has updated and tweaked the formula. They've done this in part by adding more racially diverse castmembers, and even gender-swapping some of them. Just one example: Heather Locklear was a fan favorite in the OG story as troublemaking Sammy Jo, while in this version "Sammy Joe" (Rafael de la Fuente) is the gay, Latino cousin of Blake Carrington's new fiancée, Cristal. The good news is, this version of Dynasty is still as over-the-top ridiculous, glamorous, and sleazy as ever. You're not likely to come away having learned any great truths about life, but this snarky, fluffy show does make for near-perfect "guilty pleasure" viewing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way Dynasty depicts people who have grown up with extreme wealth. How might this affect a person and the way that person relates to others -- especially those with less? Do the Carringtons behave like any people you know in real life? Are their problems relatable?
How does the show treat Steven's homosexuality? Do you think the way he is treated by the people around him is an accurate depiction of real-life attitudes?
How do your relationships with family members compare to the relationships between the four main characters? How do you use communication skills to maintain positive relationships? Do you think the Dynasty crew is good at communicating?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 11, 2017
- Cast : Grant Show , Elizabeth Gillies , Nathalie Kelley , James Mackay , Sam Adegoke , Robert Christopher Riley
- Network : CW
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate