Since the critical and commercial success of “Nip/Tuck” and “Glee” in the 2000s, Ryan Murphy has dominated our television screens. His work has spanned genres, from haunted houses to ballroom stages, and it doesn’t appear that he will be going anywhere anytime soon. One of his less talked-about ventures is the anthology series “Feud,” which focuses on famous conflicts in Hollywood. The series’ first installment, “Bette and Joan,” debuted in 2017, spotlighting the well-documented rivalry between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis during and after the filming of the psychological horror film “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” Now, nearly seven years later, the series’ second installment has arrived, and “Capote vs. the Swans” may be even better than the first.
Based on Laurence Lemer’s 2021 novel Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, this new installment of “Feud” (produced by Murphy but written by Jon Robin Baitz) focuses on one of the greatest and most controversial American writers of the 20th century. Famously adored for his fiction and non-fiction work, Truman Capote was revered throughout the ’60s and much of the ’70s. His work as a writer shot him into stardom that writers of the modern age seldom reach, allowing him to befriend some of Hollywood’s most prestigious socialites. Capote’s knack for storytelling allowed him to position himself almost like a court jester type for the rich, attending dinner parties, balls and charities, many with a select few women he called his “swans.”
In the first episode of “Feud,” we’re introduced to Capote (Tom Hollander) when he goes to meet Babe Paley (Naomi Watts), the clear favorite of his swans, in her luxurious home. Babe is distraught over catching her husband with a woman whom she thought he had put behind him and tells her friend the tale over shared pills and liquor. Her tale is intercut with the actual revelation taking place, not only making it a more dynamic watch, but showcasing how Truman’s mind as a writer truly worked. He paints a picture not only for himself but for the viewer as well, imagining the tale as if it were a scene from a soap opera. Here, it’s apparent that while he may feel some semblance of pity for Babe, what Truman is really getting from this visit is content for a new book, one that drops so many of his friends’ secrets that they work together to cut him out of their lives, and the social circles in which he thrives.
It’s with this first appearance of Tom Hollander as Truman Capote that it becomes clear that “Feud” is directly concerned with the difference between performance and reality. Truman was a notoriously flamboyant figure whether it be the way he dressed or the way he acted in the presence of certain figures. This air of camp is present whenever Hollander is on-screen, and while we see Truman hit rock bottom often, this air is never stamped out. It’s used as a means to keep him safe, acting as a boundary between himself and those around him. Despite their closeness, it feels as if Babe only knows a singular version of Truman, though it is indeed one that he doesn’t let just anyone see. He’s kinder with her than he is with others, and it’s their relationship that he misses the most once the swans turn their back on him.
Hollander plays Truman as an unbelievably damaged person who in turn finds a kinship with equally damaged women. Each of the swans, from socialite Slim Keith (Diane Lane) to stage actress C. Z. Guest (Chloë Sevigny) uses their wealth to hide their inner sufferings, and it’s not until they shun Truman from their friend group that they begin to realize this. After the backstabbing, his very being seems to have latched onto their souls, and despite their newfound contempt for him, they cannot simply let him go. In “Feud” the term “soulmate” is not reserved for simply romantic partnerships. Instead, it exists to explain the unbreakable bond between people like Babe Paley and Truman Capote. The performative nature of Truman’s reputation is shed just a bit when he’s around his swans, but especially Babe, signaling that it was only with her that he truly felt like he could be himself.
Watts and Hollander have a magnificent chemistry that ties the show’s themes together, and it’s impossible not to miss their dynamic when they’re not on screen. After they go their separate ways, the two immediately begin to miss one another. They gaze out of windows in boredom, and stare longingly at phones waiting for the other to call. It’s a relationship that rivals some of the most yearn-heavy romantic ones dominating television screens lately, and it’s what makes “Feud” ultimately stand out. Despite the voyeuristic pleasure Truman took in learning all of Babe’s secrets, he did love her (and the rest of the swans) in his own way. Unfortunately, it isn’t until the strongest relationship in his life begins to fracture that Truman realizes this. He believes himself incapable of love, so to betray Babe is simply like breathing air.
Throughout the season, we watch Truman slowly collapse under the weight of his alcoholism and his status as not only a writer, but a magnificent gossip. He spirals into an alcohol-infused meltdown, forcing us to confront the magnificent life we were previously led to believe he led. Truman Capote was a man haunted by the ghosts of his past, and this show paints an extremely empathetic picture of a man who struggled with substances and the notion that he could be loved. It’s more entertaining than “Capote” and “Infamous,” and is crafted with a sense of care that feels unheard of for a series like this.
“Feud” grabs your attention with its meticulously crafted costumes and set design, and slowly develops into more than just a showcase of technical feats. It’s nearly impossible to look away from not only the beauty of the production, but the performances as well. From the relationship that holds this show together to its supporting players, each actor gives it their all, and knows exactly when to lay into the camp that is undeniable in a tale like this. Ultimately, “Feud” serves as a beautiful ode to friendships and the bonds that we carry with us throughout our lives, even when those bonds are fractured.
Whole season screened for review. Premieres on FX tonight with episodes on Hulu the next day.
