Dynasty Boss Talks Undoing the Homophobic Legacy of the Original Series

The original Dynasty series is a classic soap opera, but there's no question that some of the soap's themes would feel out of date in a 2017 remake. The producers of The CW's Dynasty remake addressed one in particular out-of-date relationship in the original series — Blake Carrington's homophobic treatment of his closeted gay son Steven.

In Dynasty's original run, Steven's sexuality was the main cause of tension between him and his father, with Blake dropping infamous lines like saying he was setting up a foundation called "The Steven Carrington Institute for the Treatment and Study of Faggotry."
The new series did an overhaul of the played-out dynamic. In 2017, Stephen Carrington, played by James Mackay, is already an out and proud gay man. He goes to war with his father Blake (Grant Show) over environmental issues rather than his bedfellows.

"When we come into this show, Steven is confidently gay and not toying with his sexuality. He is not trying to figure it out. He is gay and Blake accepts him," executive producer Josh Schwartz told critics during the Dynasty panel at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Wednesday. "What they battle over are things like fracking and environmental causes. We sort of assume that even in the more conservative pockets of the South where the show takes place, a lot of the dynamics have evolved [since the original show]."

Steven won't be the cliched lone gay wolf on the show, either. The new Dynasty has also made Sammy Jo — originally played by Heather Locklear in the '80s — a man. It remains to be seen if Sammy Jo (Rafael de la Fuente) will still be the love of Stephen's life, but he is definitely super cute.
It's a whole new Dynasty and the world better get ready.
Dynasty premieres Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 9/8c.
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