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# 183 <7.28> Last Dance
  Editing mistake: When Maggie and Richard say goodbye to Peter Ryder, there are shots from various takes that were combined in the editing process. This becomes apparent because Maggie holds her purse in her right hand first, but then suddenly holds it in her left hand in the very next moment.In the usual process of making a movie or a TV show, scenes are shot at least twice — as a wide angle shot and in close-up, which bears the risk of inconsistencies. Compare # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for the advantages and disadvantages of this shooting procedure.  The Greek Theatre in Griffith Park in Los Angeles poses as the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. There used to be columns in the front at that time. The 1994 Northridge Earthquake demanded major restoration work, during which the columns were removed because they were not original to the building, but a non-historic addition from years after its original construction.Early script drafts had staged this scene in front of the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., but no suitable location was available so the location manager picked the aforementioned Greek Theatre because it appeared to be a more or less convincing double for the Russell Senate Building. Maggie's line, "Why do I get this urge to click my heels three times and repeat, 'There's no place like home'?", is an allusion to the book and movie "The Wizard of Oz" in which the Dorothy character was told to do so in oder to be transported magically home to Kansas — obivously underlining Maggie's wish to return to the Tuscany Valley soon.
 The heavily used red Volvo 242 DL sedan (compare # 055 for details) is used again; this time, it is in front of Richard's limo at the freeway toll station at the border to Virginia.Richard's rental limousine is a white stretched 1985 Lincoln Town Car.
Since there is only one toll station between Washington, D.C. and Washington Dulles International Airport in real life, the scene is apparently set on the Dulles Toll Road and Airport Access Road.   Different footage: While the sneak preview featured a close-up of Garth's turning the limo around as soon as it is under gunfire (screen grab 1), the scene itself presents that very moment in a long shot (screen capture 2).Deleted scene: Richard (accompanied by Garth and security team members) bids his farewell to Maggie, the kids, Emma and Vickie at the gate at Washington Dulles International Airport (near Washington, D.C.; situated in Virginia); they fly back home. He will travel to New York to the office of Fred's psychiatrist. That scene was removed in post-production.
  The conversation between Frank and Angela immediately after her arrival in Hobart is a montage of segments from various takes. This becomes apparent because their positions are not consistent in subsequent frames. In addition, it is particularly striking that the gray-haired reporter (played by uncredited extra LILLIAN SASSON; marked yellow) is behind Frank first, but in the subsequent frame filmed from a different angle suddenly centered behind Frank and Angela although she would have to be much further to the left or even out of the frame.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.
  Mistake: When Angela tells Frank to get her a shovel at the drill site in Hobart and he realizes that she is not giving in, his left arm drops out of the camera range in the close-up. In the subsequent far shot, his arm drops again though.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.
 DAVID GUST, the tall, black-haired and mustached uncredited extra who is best known for portraying a Tuscany County A.D.A. (compare # 091 and # 154 in particular), plays one of Richard's henchmen, who threaten to throw Fred out of the window in New York. Earlier in this episode, he was also in Washington, D.C. when the Channings left the Senate Building (unpictured). Not a wise decision to choose this extra because of his usual appearances as a Tuscany County A.D.A.Compare # 187 for a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 063.  The filming location for the room in Fred's psychiatrist's practice in New York where Richard and Garth interrogate Fred is the Chinese room at Saddlerock Ranch, the usual filming location for Richard and Maggie's home. Since only one corner of the room is filmed, the Chinese-inspired décor remains unseen.On 11/09/2018, the Woolsey Fire, a destructive wildfire in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, destroyed many parts of the Saddlerock Ranch, including the main house.   Mistake: When Garth hits Fred in the gut to restrain him, "Grey Suit" grabs his gut in the long shot. In the subsequent close-up, however, "Grey Suit's" right arm is down and nearly behind the chair.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.   The road where Eric kills the cop is located on the baclot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER). It is the same place where Angela and Frank's stroll was filmed for # 173 (compare there).Eric drives a red Pontiac Tojan now. This is actually a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, which underwent a specific car tuning by Knudsen Automotive.
Early script drafts planned for the first scene in act 2 to show Maggie and Richard in their bedroom at the ranch in the morning, discussing that The Thirteen want to kill Angela and Richard. The scene was omitted before shooting.
 License plate number of the black Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire with exterior wood trim Maggie and Richard use to come to Hobart: Nevada N9R758. It is the same number previously used on Carlton Travis' limousine (compare # 160) — a ridiculous prop policy.Early script drafts planned for Richard, Maggie and Emma to arrive in Hobart by helicopter, which was changed to trim down production costs. Deleted scene: During the day, Eric sneaks into the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion with a garrote (a wire snare), walking past Chao-Li, who is busy in the study, and dodging Melody in the upstairs hallway, slipping into the attic doorway. The scene was removed in post-production as it seemed enough to have Eric lurking behind the door, waiting to kill Angela, as shown in the night scene in the final version.  When Eric is seen hiding with the garrote behind the door to the attic in the upper hallway of the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion, an odd clearance is visible between the components of the door leaf: The space between the horizontal middle rail and the vertical lock stile seems to be inaccurate. It looks almost like a structural crack. This is quite odd, since there was a recent renovation of the upper hallways, including the wooden paneling and doors being changed in color from brown to white (first visible in # 167). It seems the set construction crew was not too careful with this door.  In subsequent frames, Angela's mouth is wide open, but then shut during the scene when Eric is about to shoot through the window of the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.
  Mistake: In her conversation with Frank about the deed from Hobart in the Agretti Residence, Melissa's hand is nowhere to be seen in the close-up — contrary to the subsequent wide angle shot.This is a mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details. Inaccuracy: Melissa says Angela has not changed in the last seven years since she arranged the marriage of Melissa and Lance. But that was six years ago; they got married in 1982.
The last part of MARK SNOW's music score in act 3 (after "Maggie's Theme" when Richard leaves the ranch house) is reminiscent of a part in the opening movement, "O Fortuna", of CARL ORFF's "Carmina Burana".
The prop headstones, plaque, fence and gates are built on the grounds of Saddlerock Ranch this season. The above screen captures illustrate the different position of the graves and the iron gateways compared with season 6. There are only four graves and one plaque left this season: Lily Travers and Jasper Gioberti (front row), Joseph & Tessa Gioberti (middle row) and Jason Gioberti as well as the memorial plaque for Chase Gioberti (back row). Where are the other graves now? In season 1, there were 13 graves altogether! So what happened to the cemetery? It is also strange that Joseph and Tessa's grave seems to be missing in # 171 (see mark). Also check out # 207 for further information. Click here for sketches of how the Gioberti Family Cemetery changed over the years. The final part in Father Bob's speech at Richard's "burial" is a quote from the Gospel of John in the bible — excerpts from John 15 : 12 ff.: "This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. And what I command you is to love one another..." This part was not in the script, but added by Father BOB CURTIS himself. Early script drafts suggested that Peter Ryder be at Richard's "burial" and be the first to express Maggie his sympathies, swearing to find The Thirteen and reopen the case. These plans were changed on short notice.  Uncredited extra PAUL VAN appears in his usual rôle as the mustached Tuscany Valley doctor again — this time at Richard's "funeral". Again, he escorts the gray-haired socialite, his colleague from the hospital (SHARRI ZAK, see below).Compare # 227 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of all his appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 014.   Uncredited extra SHARRI ZAK appears as the gray-haired Tuscany Valley socialite with the pony tail again; this episode among the mourners at Richard's "funeral" (screen capture 1), later in front of the Tuscany County Courthouse (screen grab 2).Compare # 202 for biographical details about this rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 009.
Season time frame: This episode opens on Sunday, 06/26/1988 and first depicts the events around the end of June 1988. Between Richard's "funeral" and the ruling in the lawsuit Melissa vs. Angela, however, two months go by, as it is explicitly mentioned. Therefore, the end of the season must be around August 1988.   As in # 175 (check details there), the southern view of the administration building of the CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER) is used as the Tuscany County Courthouse again. Some courtrooms and offices are obviously in the Tuscany County Administration Offices building — probably to accommodate the needs for more office space than the historic courthouse building has to offer.LORIMAR's original map of this part of the studio lot is available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section.  The blonde woman (uncredited extra) who is best remembered as the Coit Café cash counter lady (# 154) now appears as a reporter in front of the courthouse in Tuscany. She obviously changed jobs, which also explains why she went to Washington, D.C. in # 181 (compare there) and 182.Compare # 195 for a list of appearances throughout the series. Although, as known from # 053, Angela was the sole owner of the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion (compare the detailed entry about proprietary rights in # 098), it is legally correct that she has now lost the Falcon Crest winery and vineyards as well as the Mansion to Melissa because — in contrast to previous ownership disputes with Chase (season 3) and Cassandra (season 5) — the basis for the current court ruling were the proprietary rights of 1905 and 1906 when Falcon Crest had not been parceled off.   Mistake: In the scene in the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion foyer shortly before Angela's eviction, Lance is looking pretty straight towards Melissa first; his head is even turned more to his right in the close-up. In the subsequent frame filmed towards Melissa, however, Lance's head is still turned slightly to his left, looking towards Sheriff Buckman, who is out of the camera's visual range.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.   A similar mistake happens when the scene continues in the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion study: Lance is standing at Angela's desk, his body facing the fireplace while his head is turned to the right towards the window. In the subsequent frame filmed from across, he is suddenly turned away from the fireplace completely though; he is now fully facing the window (or camera).  Editing mistake: During Angela's eviction from Falcon Crest, when Frank raises his arm to assist Angela on the landing of the stairway in the Victorian Mansion, he moves his head in the close-up to look towards Melissa in the study below. In the subsequent long shot, he repeats the same movement with his head.In the usual process of making a movie or a TV show, scenes are shot at least twice — as a wide angle shot and in close-up, which bears the risk of inconsistencies. Compare # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for the advantages and disadvantages of this shooting procedure.  Set lighting mistake in the scene with Angela and Melissa: When Angela leaves the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion, she goes into the darkest night. It remains a mystery why the set lighting technicians did not switch on the usual sconces that are fixed to the walls on either side of the front door. It does not make any sense that any light is missing, particularly considering that the sound stage is usually appropriately dressed to obscure that filming is done at the studio.In contrast, by the way, the real Villa Miravalle has a pendant light suspended from the center of the ceiling above the recessed front entrance. For this difference between the set and the real location, compare # 088.   The Bangkok street (bazaar) where Rosemont is kidnapped by Garth was an exterior set on the backlot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER). It was built on My Three Sons Street near stage 11. For other shots in that set, refer to # 152, 165, 185 and 223. This set was completely revamped around 2003.LORIMAR's original blueprints of this set and many others are available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section. Oddity: Except very few signs written in Roman alphabet, there is mainly Chinese lettering on the buildings in the street in Bangkok (e.g. yellow mark on the above screen capture on the left), but no Thai script. This is either negligent set dressing, or the bazaar is supposed to be in Bangkok's Chinatown.   Inside joke: Exiting from the diner in Bangkok / Thailand are JEFF FREILICH, the show's executive producer whose last episode this is (screen capture 1), and — behind him — RUSS NORDSTEDT, the show's key grip (screen grab 2).
 A van of the "Seabrook Security Systems Inc." dummy company appears in Thailand in the scene with Garth and his squad catching Rosemont in Bangkok.It is the same picture car as Garth's surveillance van in New York in # 182 (see there), of course. The blue 1980 Ford Econoline was provided with Chinese lettering this time — not Thai lettering though (see above). The director's cut contained a few more interesting and highly emotional scenes, particularly towards the end of this episode. They were removed from the final version that went on the air to remain within the one-hour program schedule:
 
An establishing shot of Schloss Neuschwanstein (Neuschwanstein Castle) near the village of Schwangau / Germany is used; it is stock footage from a film library. For a previous use of this castle, compare # 154. This time, the castle poses as the European location where Angela visits a mysterious dark figure in the final scene.The chapel inside the castle is a set built in a contained corner of sound stage 10 (the main "Falcon Crest" stage) at CBS-MTM STUDIOS (RADFORD STUDIO CENTER), blacked out by curtains, only highlighting the stained glass window, the candles and Angela. The mock stained glass was supplied by the art department specifically for the scene. In a 2023 conversation with DFCF President THOMAS J. PUCHER, executive producer JEFF FREILICH, who also directed this episode, explained he wanted the scene to be very dark, to feel almost surreal. In the cliffhanger scene, Angela's first sentence — "Haven't you waited long enough?" — was dubbed. It is noticeable because of the slightly different ambient sound in contrast to her following line: "When are you going to tell Maggie you're alive?" The script had suggested a different wording: "It's been far too long... I think it's about time you tell Maggie you're back..." JANE WYMAN already crossed out the first sentence in her script. While the remaining dialog was altered during filming, the first sentence was kept as written first, but it was replaced in post-production.  In this scene in Europe, Angela wears the exact same outfit she wore on the day of her eviction from Falcon Crest, which took place days or weeks before — which transpires in the way the few final scenes are presented after the time jump between Richard's "funeral" and the end of the lawsuit between Melissa and Angela (the time jump that was even explicitly superimposed in a caption on film).The choice of Angela's outfit may seem confusing at first sight though because, in most cases in movies and TV shows, a different day is indicated by different wardrobe (although this might not always be the case in real life). In a 2023 conversation between DFCF President THOMAS J. PUCHER and JEFF FREILICH, the executive producer admitted that, in retrospect, he should have insisted on a wardrobe change for Angela to avoid any confusion; as for the storyline, her wardrobe is only the same by coincidence.  In the presence of Maggie's story about the two daddies for the boys, the cliffhanger scene is a hint for the audience that either Richard or Chase might return.Common production practice for cliffhangers usually demands that the resolution of key scenes be kept secret even from most of the cast and crew in order to minimize the risk of information being played to tabloids. In this case, however, the final scene was originally scheduled to be filmed on the last day of this season's shooting (01/22/1988) with DAVID SELBY, indeed. However, shortly before filming, the schedule was changed and the scene moved to the next to last day of shooting (01/21/1988) with DAVID being replaced by photo double STEVE MELLOR (far left in the screen capture). The script called for "a bearded shadow lost in the blackness", so make-up and camera departments had to make sure the photo double was filmed in a way to obscure his appearance enough for the purpose of the scene.
 Inside joke: The cliffhanger is some sort of remake of the cliffhanger in JEFF FREILICH's final episode of "Flamingo Road" (1982) where DAVID SELBY's character, Michael Tyrone, who practiced voodoo, was killed, but eventually "resurrected" in the final scene. The very last scene (compare the row of screen captures from "Flamingo") showed a hooded figure in a dimly lit chamber in a Christian monastery (actually exterior stock footage of Hohenwerfen Castle near Salzburg / Austria); it was revealed to be Michael Tyrone who was alive and well. The audience never discovered how he was alive, but the show alluded to him being resurrected through the occult of voodoo... although he now ended up in a Christian monastery. One possibility of what might have happened was that he had faked his own death, used the monastery as a hideout and intended to come back for even more revenge. It was DAVID SELBY himself, who suggested that cliffhanger to the writing staff of "Flamingo Road" as an allusion and tribute to his former series, "Dark Shadows". JEFF FREILICH never got a chance to finish his work on "Flamingo" because NBC did not pick up that LORIMAR show for a third season although JEFF had drafted a really exceptional — maybe weird — seasonal bible.This is JEFF FREILICH's final episode after two years of executive producing duties. While the overhaul in seasons 6 and 7 gave "Falcon" many of the characteristics associated with the action-adventure series, it still had generous helpings of its crackling, sardonic humor mixed in with its basic ingredient: familial drama. Due to a lot of self-irony, these two seasons are often referred to as "Crest's" tongue-in-cheek years. Unfortunately, many of the most talented crew members leave the show after this season finale. Especially JEFF FREILICH, HOWARD LAKIN and JOHN F. PERRY will not return for season 8 although JEFF FREILICH had very good ideas for the upcoming year, some of which he shared in an exclusive 2007 DFCF interview. LORIMAR's new regime felt they were paying MICHAEL FILERMAN for nothing since he received an executive producer's salary for every episode due to a certain clause in his contract although he did not work for seasons 2 through 7. So they decided to call him back to serve as the new exec and to have JEFF FREILICH take over other shows of the company. ← Previous episode... → General Information (Season 8) → Next episode... |
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