Fallon Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC television series Dynasty and its spin-off The Colbys. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro, the role of Fallon was originated by Pamela Sue Martin in the show's first episode in 1981, and Martin left at the end of the fourth season in 1984. Fallon was recast with Emma Samms in 1985, and the character was spun off onto a companion series called The Colbys. After the cancellation of the second series, Fallon (portrayed by Samms) returned to Dynasty in 1987, and remained on the series until its finale in 1989. Samms later reprised the role for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion. Elizabeth Gillies plays Fallon in The CW's 2017 reboot series Dynasty.
Fallon is the daughter of oil baron Blake Carrington and his first wife, Alexis, portrayed by John Forsythe and Joan Collins in the original series. Initially a self-indulgent troublemaker constantly at odds with her father's second wife, Krystle (Linda Evans), Fallon navigates a series of romantic entanglements that includes marriages to Jeff Colby (John James) and his half-brother and cousin, Miles Colby (Maxwell Caulfield).
Original series
Characterization Fallon is introduced in 1981 as a fiery heiress as intelligent and business savvy as her millionaire father Blake Carrington, but not taken seriously by him because she is a woman. With a place at the family company Denver-Carrington unavailable to her, Fallon instead indulges herself with multiple lovers and torturing her new stepmother Krystle (Linda Evans). David Hofstede described Martin's Fallon as "a spoiled bitch with an acid tongue whose idea of fun was to sleep with her father's chauffeur". Martin told People in 1982, "Fallon has lovers, but they don't mean anything to her". Actor John James said of the relationship between Fallon and his character, her "loving-but-unloved" husband Jeff Colby, "There's an attraction there in two people who know they're wrong for each other".
Alex Mar wrote for Slate:
Emma Samms said at the time of her hiring, "I'm always going for the sympathetic aspect of a character." She also noted, "I'm not going to sit and watch hours of Pamela Sue so I can reproduce the kind of performance she gave. I want to be accepted as me." According to Samms, before Dynasty final season, producer David Paulsen asked her what she would like to do with Fallon. She explained in 1989, "I said, 'I'd like to do more humorous stuff and be a bit more realistic character, not always the victim.' And that`s what he did. This year I was allowed to be a more real character."
Casting
Dynasty debuted in January 1981, with Pamela Sue Martin portraying Fallon. In 2006, she said of Forsythe, "He really was like a father to me. I asked John to walk me down the aisle when I got married in real life, but he said, 'I think maybe you should ask your real dad.' I was just so attached to him." Martin left the series at the end of the fourth season in May 1984. In the storyline, a troubled Fallon leaves Jeff at the altar, and is later presumed dead in an offscreen plane crash. At the time, New York quoted Martin as calling television "limiting". USA Today reported in 2006 that Martin "left Dynasty and acting when she felt her 'glib' character ... had been reduced to 'a victim'." In 2011, she said "I became extremely famous during that time, and it was a little discomforting". Executive producer Aaron Spelling wrote in his 1996 autobiography, "After three seasons, Pamela Sue Martin wanted to leave Dynasty to get married and we didn't stand in her way."
The role was later recast with British actress Emma Samms, and Fallon reappears with amnesia at the end of the fifth season in the April 1985 episode "Kidnapped". In his 2004 television history book What Were They Thinking?, David Hofstede recounted that Samms had been suggested to Spelling by his young daughter, Tori, who was a fan of Samms in her role of Holly Scorpio on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. Samms, who had appeared in two episodes of Spelling's drama series Hotel in 1984 and 1985, met with Dynasty co-creator Esther Shapiro for a non-specific role, which led to her casting as Fallon. Samms said, "The audience was so fond of the character that they were willing to accept a new actress playing the role." She added that the cast was welcoming, explaining "It wasn't as if Pamela Sue had been fired. She left of her own volition, so there were no hard feelings." Samms appeared in eight episodes of the sixth season of Dynasty, and the character was spun off onto a separate series called The Colbys. A main character on The Colbys, Fallon continued to guest star on Dynasty, with Samms appearing in one episode at the end of the sixth season and two episodes of the seventh season. After the cancellation of The Colbys, Fallon (played by Samms) returned to Dynasty for its eighth season in the September 1987 season premiere episode "The Siege". Screening old episodes while developing the ninth season, new executive producer Paulsen felt that Samms was beautiful, but came across as "stiff". He considered trying to bring back Martin, but wanted to first meet with Samms. He said in 2008:
At the end of that 1988–1989 season, Paulsen told a shocked Samms his original plan. He said, "I'm so glad I didn't replace her ... Emma worked out superbly." That season ended up as Dynasty last. Samms later reprised the role for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion.
In the 1989 episode "Blasts from the Past", Cheyenne Fitch portrayed Fallon as a child.
Storylines
Dynasty (1981–1985)
Season 1 As Dynasty begins, spoiled Carrington heiress Fallon is underestimated by—and considered little more than a trophy to—her father, oil baron Blake. Though she is as cunning and intelligent as he is, there are no women in the family business. Still, Fallon is devoted to Blake and is wary and disdainful of his new wife (and former secretary) Krystle. Fallon is also close to her younger brother Steven, who is struggling with his sexual orientation. A promiscuous Fallon resumes her past affair with her father's chauffeur Michael Culhane. She has a flirtatious relationship with Blake's friend and business rival, Cecil Colby, and later agrees to marry Cecil's nephew, Jeff, to secure Cecil's assistance when her father's company runs into financial trouble. A jealous Michael tells Blake about Fallon's arrangement, causing friction between father and daughter. When Jeff learns that his marriage is just part of a business deal, he embarrasses Fallon by drunkenly broadcasting the details to a room full of party guests. Fallon is sympathetic to Jeff, but still does not feel she can return his love. Trying to protect Steven from Blake's wrath, she tries to keep Steven's ex-boyfriend Ted Dinard from contacting him but is unable to keep them apart. When Blake comes upon the two men in an embrace, he pushes Ted away from Steven. Ted falls, hits his head, and dies. Blake is arrested and charged with murder. Fallon lies about her father's mental state on the witness stand, in an attempt to protect him. When a mysterious woman is called into the courtroom, Fallon recognizes the witness as her mother.
Season 2 The surprise witness for the prosecution is Fallon's long-absent mother, Alexis. Fallon is furious as Alexis testifies against Blake, who is found guilty but does not have to serve jail time. Fallon is icy and, jealous of her daughter's love for Blake, a spiteful Alexis begins to spread the rumor that he is not Fallon's father. When Krystle announces she is pregnant, Fallon decides that she and Jeff should have a baby as well. Fallon begins an affair with Dr. Nick Toscanni, and Krystle is thrown from a horse in "Viva Las Vegas" and loses her baby. Fallon learns that she is pregnant in "The Mid-East Meeting", but decides to divorce Jeff and have an abortion. Blake finds out and rushes to stop her, but when he arrives he learns that she could not go through with it. Hiding a longstanding grudge against Blake, Nick tries to seduce Krystle while he romances Fallon. His overtures toward Krystle do not go unnoticed by Fallon, who becomes petulant and jealous. She continues to rebuff Alexis despite their mutual dislike of Krystle. In "The Party", Fallon confronts her mother about the rumor that Blake is not her father. While driving together, Alexis reveals that she believes Cecil Colby is Fallon's father, and a horrified Fallon crashes the car. At the hospital, Fallon goes into premature labor and delivers a boy in "The Baby". In "The Gun", Blake demands a blood test which proves that he, not Cecil, is Fallon's father. Fallon and Jeff name their son Blake Carrington Colby, called "Little Blake", but in the 1982 season finale "The Cliff", Fallon discovers that the baby has been kidnapped.
Season 3 Claudia Blaisdel, an unstable woman who lost her child, becomes the primary suspect in Little Blake's kidnapping. The baby's nanny, however, also has ties to the disgraced Nick. In a televised plea to return their grandson, Alexis and Blake reveal the shocking secret that their eldest child, Adam, had been kidnapped as an infant and was never returned. The kidnapper turns out to be Alfred Grimes, the father of the man whose affair with Alexis prompted Blake to exile her. Fallon asks for control of Blake's struggling hotel, La Mirada, which she remodels and renames La Mirage. Jeff is upset by Fallon's decision to work and accuses her of neglecting their child. Fallon flirts with Michael Torrance, a handsome stranger who is staying at the hotel, and they share a kiss. In "The Siblings", she is horrified to learn from Alexis that Michael is Adam, Fallon's long lost brother. Fallon hires Mark Jennings as her tennis instructor in "Mark", only to learn that he is Krystle's ex-husband, brought to Denver by Alexis to cause trouble for Blake. Fallon soon begins an affair with Mark, not knowing that he is also having sex with her mother. Meanwhile, finally realizing that Krystle truly loves Blake, Fallon reaches out to her stepmother, and the two mend fences in "Samantha". Fallon hires Joseph's daughter, Kirby, to be her son's nanny. As Fallon's marriage to Jeff deteriorates, she is annoyed by Kirby's obvious designs on Jeff. His behavior becomes more erratic and violent, and he attacks Fallon after finding her in Mark's hotel room. Angry and upset, Fallon decides her marriage is finally over and flies to Haiti for a divorce. She continues her relationship with Mark, while Jeff marries Kirby on the rebound. Alexis tries to coerce Mark to end things with Fallon in "The Vote", but he refuses. In "The Dinner", however, Alexis arranges for Fallon to discover her in Mark's bed. Fallon learns that Jeff's odd behavior was caused by inhaling toxic chemicals in the paint used in his office, and comes to suspect Adam of deliberately causing it.
Season 4