Steven Carrington

Original series

The role of Steven was originated by Al Corley in the show's first episode in 1981; Corley left at the end of the second season in 1982 after complaining about Steven's "ever-shifting sexual preferences" and wanting "to do other things." The character was recast in 1983 with Jack Coleman, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion. Coleman remained on the show until 1988, but Corley returned to the role of Steven for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion when Coleman was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.

Impact and criticism

Steven has been called the first openly gay character on a prime time drama series, and remains one of the most well-known of the earliest gay characters on television. Suzanna Danuta Walters writes that because of the character, "in the annals of gay TV history, the '80s will be remembered as the Dynasty years." Initially the only son of series patriarch Blake Carrington (John Forsythe), "handsome, blond hunk" Steven was a regular character featured in front-burner storylines for his entire run on the series. In contrast to his ruthless, warring parents and promiscuous sister, the character was poised as "the moral conscience of the family." Still, he was defined primarily by his sexuality, his struggle against it, and the conflict it created within his family.

Corley noted, "what attracted me was playing a gay character ... The only gay television character I knew about at the time was Billy Crystal's gay character Jodie Dallas on ABC's Soap, which was a dark comedy." Dynasty co-creator Esther Shapiro noted in a 1981 Esquire magazine article that the character of Steven "was, is, and always will be gay", but explained that she initially intended for him to be confused about his sexuality for two seasons before ultimately becoming a "well-rounded gay character". With Dynasty becoming one of the 20 highest-rated American prime time series by the end of its second season and eventually rising to #1 in 1985, Steven "had great potential for breaking through the usual stereotypes" and his life "could have been explored in storylines in which [his] sexuality did not necessarily have to be problematized." However, it has been noted that with "interference" from network Broadcast Standards and Practices and "pressure from the religious right", this potential was never fully realized. Walters writes that Steven—"stalwartly manly and deeply troubled by his homosexuality"—led viewers on a "Hollywood tour of homosexuality" over eight seasons, "from tortured closet case, to 'cured' heterosexual husband, and finally to a vague approximation of gay and proud." She adds that the character's "persistent attempts to 'go straight' and the adamant avoidance of any gay milieu or culture" paint Dynasty as "flawed and compromised", but acknowledges that the series remains a staple of gay iconography despite its primary gay character being "hardly a role model of self-acceptance and pride."

Corley left Dynasty at the end of the second season in 1982, after complaining publicly in Interview that "Steven doesn't have any fun... He doesn't laugh; he has no humor". Corley also lamented Steven's "ever-shifting sexual preferences", and stated that he wanted "to do other things". The character was recast in 1983 with Jack Coleman, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion. Coleman remained on the show until 1988, but Corley returned to the role of Steven for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion when Coleman was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.

Storylines

As Dynasty begins on January 12, 1981, Carrington heir Steven (Al Corley) returns to Denver from New York City to attend the wedding of his father, powerful oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe). Though the details are at first unclear, father and son are somewhat estranged, and their reunion is an awkward one. The Carrington family dynamic is soon established; thoughtful and sensitive Steven resists his father's pressure to step into his role as the future leader of Blake's empire, while his spoiled sister Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin), better suited to follow in Blake's footsteps, is underestimated by—and considered little more than a trophy to—father Blake. Steven is devoted to and loved by Fallon, who sees the differences between her brother and Blake but does not understand why they cannot be reconciled. Steven, knowing Fallon's devotion to Blake, is hesitant to open up to her. Steven befriends Krystle (Linda Evans), Blake's former secretary and future wife, who is adjusting to life at the mansion despite chilly receptions from Fallon and the Carrington household staff. At the end of the three-hour premiere episode "Oil", Steven finally confronts his father, criticizing Blake's capitalistic values and seemingly-amoral business practices. Blake explodes, revealing the secret of which Steven thought his father was unaware: Blake is disgusted by Steven's homosexuality, and his refusal to "conform" sets father and son at odds for some time.

To Blake's chagrin, Steven goes to work for Walter Lankershim (Dale Robertson), a small-time oilman and rival to Blake, and his new business partner Matthew Blaisdel (Bo Hopkins), Steven's old friend and Blake's former employee, who had previously been involved with Krystle. Though Walter brings Steven to a brothel in a fatherly attempt to resolve his sexual confusion, he and Matthew are unfazed by Steven's supposed preference for men, and Matthew even defends him against the homophobic glares of other oil rig workers. Steven finds a kindred spirit in Matthew's fragile wife Claudia (Pamela Bellwood), who is trying to put her life back together after a mental breakdown, and they secretly kiss in "The Chauffeur Tells a Secret". Steven is framed for an accident at Walter's oil rig and fired. He is offered his job back when his innocence is later proven, but declines; after beginning an affair with Claudia in "The Necklace", Steven decides to work for Blake at Denver-Carrington. Despite Fallon's machinations to keep him away, Steven's ex-lover Ted Dinard (Mark Withers) appears, hoping to reconcile. Steven spends the night with Ted, soon deciding he must break it off with both Ted and Claudia. As Steven and Ted are saying their final goodbyes in "The Separation", Blake enters to find them in a chaste embrace. Blake, whose discomfort with Steven's sexuality manifests itself in rage, angrily pushes the two men apart. Ted falls backward and hits his head; the injury proves fatal and Blake is arrested and charged with murder. Angry and upset, Steven testifies that Ted's death had been the result of malicious intent, which infuriates Blake and Fallon. A veiled surprise witness for the prosecution appears in the season finale "The Testimony", and Fallon gasps in recognition: "Oh my God, that's my mother!"

Reboot

A pilot for a Dynasty reboot for The CW was announced in September 2016, and James Mackay was cast as Steven. The new series premiered on October 11, 2017.

Characterization

Executive producer Josh Schwartz said that in the new series, "The relationship between Blake and Steven is not about [Steven's] sexuality. Steven is confidently gay, and Blake accepts him." Their conflict is instead focused on the environmental issues surrounding Blake's energy conglomerate. Executive producer Sallie Patrick said, "I wasn't interested in telling a story about a father who is not on board with his son being gay. That's not to say [Blake] was always OK with it—there might have been a moment where he struggled with it, maybe that's the back story. We'll see. I also just wanted Steven to be more confident about who he is. For us, it was much more interesting to me that their conflict had more to do with their opposing political viewpoints." According to Patrick, "We were interested in the character as a role model of self-acceptance and pride, and whose conflict with his father wasn't about being gay, but more about being liberal—and how they led to their falling out." Maureen Ryan of Variety noted that "like Fallon, [Steven] gets a few chances to express his exasperation with their father's manipulative ways ... Steven is less ambitious than his sister, but like her, he is pulled back into Blake's orbit". Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz wrote, "[Steven's] conflicted attitude toward his own privilege frequently shades over into self-criticism. He knows all of this luxury has warped his mind, but he can't give it up ... he learns that somebody stole a wad of $100 bills from his pants pocket [and] admits he never noticed the theft. Only a person who has never had to worry about money could be so cavalier about losing it."

The series also changed Sammy Jo from a woman to a gay man named Sam "Sammy Jo" Jones, played by Rafael de la Fuente. Executive producer Stephanie Savage said, "With Steven Carrington out and proud, it makes sense for Sammy Jo to be a man." Patrick added, "It felt right to make him [Steven's] soulmate." She said, "I love how Steven's arc and ability to forgive Sammy Jo contrasts with Blake's inability to forgive Fallon, dramatizing how Steven continues to be quite different from his father".

Departure

On November 9, 2018, James Mackay announced via Instagram that he has departed from the series. "While Steven had a choice to leave, unfortunately I didn't," Mackay explains. "There's a lot of decisions involved in making television, and sometimes they just don't go your way and you have to live with it." Deadline Hollywood reported that Mackay would return later in the season in a surprising plot twist. Mackay subsequently appeared in three additional episodes of the second season, with Steven's storyline left on a cliffhanger at the end of the fourteenth episode and the fate of the character unclear.

Steven's absence from the later seasons and the lack of an in-universe explanation served as one of the most notable criticisms for Dynasty as a whole, with his sibling dynamic with Fallon, the family's obliviousness to Adam orchestrating Steven's mental breakdown, and the show's tendency to recast other roles, being sources of frustration and confusion amongst fans regarding the character's abrupt departure. In December 2021, Mackay took to Instagram to express his appreciation for the fans' continued support of him and his role on Dynasty, while also noting that his departure was not his or creator and executive producer Sallie Patrick's choice. In addition, several cast members, including Elizabeth Gillies and Grant Show, have vocalized their disagreement with The CW's decision to fire Mackay from the series. "It was pitched to me as [Fallon's] most important relationship," Gillies explains, "and then they got rid of him out of absolutely nowhere, and he'd done nothing wrong."

On September 16, 2022, Mackay ultimately reprised his role as Steven Carrington in the series finale. According to executive producer Josh Reims, Steven's return was only due to the fact that Dynasty was ending. "This was just a series finale thing," Reims explains, "We had discussed at the beginning of the season bringing Steven back, whether it was going to be James or someone else was always up in the air, depending on whether we could get him and have it all work out. Once we knew it was the series finale, we felt like it was only right to try and get James to come back and make everybody happy and whole again." Additionally, Reims admitted that writers did not discuss bringing Steven back often, due to their focus on telling as many stories as they could with the 12 to 13 series regulars they currently had. However, "The writers' room always felt that Adam would need to pay for what he did to Steven, and it would be great if Steven was the one to make him pay. It was always in the back of our minds."

Storylines

In the premiere episode "I Hardly Recognized You", Steven returns to Atlanta to find his father Blake Carrington engaged to Cristal, a woman instantly loathed by Steven's sister Fallon. Though close to Fallon, Steven finds himself befriending an earnest Cristal, and warming up to his father. Steven has a one-night stand with Sam Jones, who he later discovers is Cristal's nephew. Steven tries to uncomplicate matters by keeping his distance from Sam, who is staying at the mansion, but is won over by Sam's compulsive honesty and thoughtfulness. Steven is implicated in the death of Matthew Blaidsel, and again clashes with Blake, who he suspects may have been involved. In "Private as a Circus", Steven works with Sam to retrieve Matthew's phone, which Blake had obtained illegally and was subsequently stolen. Steven channels his father as he coerces Chief Stansfield into clearing him for Matthew's death, but is uncomfortable with the apparent suicide and confession that exonerate him. Soon, Steven is furious when a repentant Sam admits his complicity in the robbery.

Reception

Maureen Ryan of Variety called Mackay "suitably droll and engaging", and Matt Zoller Seitz of Vulture deemed Steven "the best character so far".