MovieChat Forums > Falcon Crest (1981) Discussion > If Falcon Crest were on now. . .

If Falcon Crest were on now. . .

posted 11 years ago by engle_james
10 replies | jump to latest

I always thought it would have been awesome for Chase to have returned to Falcon Crest about 7 years after he had been presumed drowned, with no memory of where he had been or what he had done, and he would have been a broken man. My idea was that Chase would have shown up on Angela's doorstep and she would have welcomed him with open arms, and he basically would have been like his father Jason was. Then, when Chase and Angela died, Cole would have been much like Chase was at the beginning of FC, blaming himself for his father's condition, wondering what happened to Chase all those years ago, and why Angela welcomed him back. He would have returned from Australia, but with Angela dead, Lance would have been in control of FC and he would have fought with Cole for Falcon Crest; again, much like Chase and Angela did for all those years. Along the way, Vicki would have returned, along with Cole's son Joseph. Samantha Ross would have turned out to be Melissa after all; Frank Agretti forced her to leave FC and in return, he set her up with a new identity in Chicago, where she became sane again. After Frank died, Melissa, with her cousin Nick's help, would have continued to try and get FC back as well. Julia and her son Father Christopher would have returned, and so would Emma and her daughter. Also, Richard's wife Lauren would be dead and he would find out that the boy he raised all those years was not really his son after; Cassandra Wilder just pretended to be dead and gave Richard another child so that she could keep their real son for herself. He would have grown up hating Richard and naturally would want revenge when he grew up. I'd also get rid of Pilar and would ignore Michael Sharpe, his son Danny, and virtually everything else from season 9. I would leave Maggie dead, unfortunately, because it's too much to have Chase, Melissa AND Maggie revived. Chase's death was always 'presumed' and it's possible for Frank and Melissa to have bribed the doctor to say she died when she really didn't. Vicki and Angela could have inherited a lot of money from Stavros, making FC the mighty empire it was before season 9, while Richard would have bought another newspaper (possibly the New Globe).

What I really like about my ideas is that it kind of comes full-cirle, with the new generations taking center stage and making some of the same mistakes their parents made. I'm curious what anyone thinks of my ideas, or if anyone disagrees with a suggestion and why. Like what characters would you like to have returned and why.

[–] radrobd 11 years ago

Wow, you really put a lot of thought into this. I always thought Falcon Crest should do a next generation with Lance and Cole fighting for control of Falcon Crest. I think it was a mistake for the writers to have Chase lose his share of FC at the end of season 4 and never fight to get it back. I thought when the earthquake happened at the end of season 5, Angela would need Chase's vineyards and merge them back into FC, but that never happened.

Even though Robert Foxworth (Chase) wanted off the show, the door was always left open for his return. Chase was originally supposed to die in the season 5 finale when he got shot, but producers convinced Foxworth to come back for one more season. The season 7 finale ended with the possibility that Chase was still alive (Angela in a monastery asking a mystery man when he's going to tell Maggie he's still alive) and TV Guide reported that producers tried to lure Foxworth back but he declined.

I also agree with your idea that Samantha Ross should have been revealed to have been Melissa Agretti alive. Producers made a mistake killing off Melissa. They could have sent Melissa to visit Joseph (offscreen) or move out of town.

[–] Banshee57 10 years ago

I'm down with your idea. especially the part about Samantha Ross coming forward to have always been Melissa. Perhaps Chase could stay on for some time, make up for the seasons of the original show he was absent.It would also be fun to bring back Sarah Douglas as Pamela Lynch, only now she could be a bigger problem for Richard, b/c she is 10xs more powerful in the years passed. Definitely have newer characters and generations of people in the valley, but keep the classics there too. Keep the style of the original. It can be sexy, but concentrate on the backstabbing and conniving. That was what made the original so delicious!

When will you ever learn, this feeling is all you can discern?

[–] engle_james 10 years ago

Pamela Lynch was actually one of my all time favorite FC characters, so I think her return would be awesome. Sarah Douglas was great in the role, she was so cool and aloof, with her British sensibility. Even Angela tipped her hat to her in Pamela's last episode, admiring the way she tricked her, Chase and Richard.

[–] radrobd 10 years ago

"Even Angela tipped her hat to her in Pamela's last episode, admiring the way she tricked her, Chase and Richard."

That was Sarah Douglas' last episode, but not Pamela's last episode. Pamela returned the following season with a new actress (Martine Beswick), who was revealed to be the one behind Richard and Maggie's bombing. Producers wanted Douglas to reprise the role, but she refused, as she was still smarting from being fired.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PrometheusTree64 10 years ago

Lance and Cole are probably gay-married now.

What would Angela say?

--

Non-sequiturs are delicious.

[–] engle_james 10 years ago

Angela would probably say that cousins shouldn't marry! :)

Unless it's for the good of Falcon Crest!

[–] radrobd 10 years ago

"Angela would probably say that cousins shouldn't marry! :)

Unless it's for the good of Falcon Crest!"

Lance and Cole weren't first cousins, though, so it'll be totally legal.

[–] LiteraryLegend 9 years ago

Great ideas, but just too unrealistic. Too many of the main characters died. The show was virtually over after Maggie drowned. It was a senseless, morbid death and I'm still angry they allowed her character to die like that. Dallas was able to make a great come-back because Larry Hagman was still alive for the first season. Unfortunately, Jane Wyman is dead and without her this show can never be the same. It was a great one though. I still miss it. I really wish they'd hurry up and release season 4!

Actors are mere products of a good writer's imagination

[–] jarrodmcdonald-1 9 years ago

I think one of the reasons there was no reunion special or follow-up TV movie for 'Falcon Crest' like there was for all the other long-running primetime soaps was because Wyman was in declining health, then eventually passed away. Without her participation, something essential is missing. She was THE show (and I think the 9th season is particularly dreadful because she's hardly in it).

Also, I've heard she was very strict on the set-- with a rigid set of expectations and rules for cast and crew to follow. Someone I knew who had a minor recurring role on the series said she had a priest available at all times so he could hear confessions (including her own). If you look at who lasted longest on this show, it was people like Lorenzo Lamas and Ana-Alicia, who would have been fellow Catholics.

If the surviving castmembers were to sit around and reminisce about the show's production, I wonder what kind of things they would say! Some of it was probably not too pleasant for them, if Wyman had been disciplining them and pushing them to go to confession...!