The following is a spoiler-free review of all eight episodes of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, which premieres on FX at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31 and streams on Hulu the following day.
Truman Capote’s (Tom Hollander) flair for captivating showmanship takes center stage less than halfway into the first episode of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, immediately signaling why the acclaimed writer is at the center of this long-awaited anthology about real-life feuds. The choice of noirish black and white for Truman’s dramatic retelling of the night Ann Woodward (Demi Moore) shot her husband adds visual depth to the premiere and casts doubts on his accusations, which lead to the author’s falling out with the “swans” – his glamorous clique of socialites and benefactors. The battle of wills that follows proves to be heartbreaking, tantalizing, and a worthy successor to 2017’s Feud: Bette and Joan.
Feud depicts Capote’s mid-century triumphs and exile from high society in a crisscrossing timeline that’s as much about petty grievances, gossip, and celebrity as it is about the weight of conjuring a masterpiece. Perspective is everything in Capote vs. the Swans, and beneath the New York elite’s glossy veneer are bloodstained sheets and dead husbands perfect for witty yarns.
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans Gallery
Bouncing between pre- and post-friendship rupture allows showrunner Jon Robin Baitz to emphasize how much Capote had to lose when Esquire published “La Côte Basque, 1965” in 1975. The success of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood – two very different books – and their subsequent film adaptations gave Capote his fame, ensuring a highly anticipated follow-up. And so Feud intrinsically links Truman’s betrayal of his friends to an all-consuming writer’s block. Whenever someone asks how the novel is going, Hollander captures reassurance and deflection with subtle undertones of fear and self-loathing that add to this compelling, complex compound.
Considering Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Oscar-winning turn in Capote, Hollander has big shoes to fill; playing a singular figure who made as many public appearances as Capote adds to the comparison peril. His voice was also so distinct that any attempt to recreate it can easily to fall into Droopy Dog caricature, but Hollander disappears into the cadence without falling prey to a cheesy impression. Instead, he hits the vocal register, mannerisms, and overall demeanor make you forget it’s the erstwhile Lord Cutler Beckett underneath the sartorial armor of sunglasses, hats, and knitwear.
The Biggest TV Shows Coming In 2024
His scene partners are equally adept at tackling a spectrum of emotions, letting their masks slip to show how “La Côte Basque, 1965” hit like a torpedo. Moore swings between fragility and fury as Ann, who avoided a murder charge by saying she thought an intruder had entered the house, but she cannot escape Truman’s laser-like focus – or the casual cruelty of the swans.
Naomi Watts rules the flock as the grande dame of the swans, Barbara “Babe” Paley. Hers is a picture-perfect life that is anything but, and the standout moments arrive when the cracks are at their largest. The fourth episode features some truly dynamite moments between Watts and the late Treat Williams as Babe’s philandering husband, Bill. Displaying dueling emotions is a specialty of the series, and this is no clearer than in the charm and anger oozing from Bill’s pores – Feud marks Williams’ last performance, making it even more bittersweet.
One guarantee from any Murphy series is a stacked cast ready to play. Diane Lane and Calista Flockhart jostle for the title of meanest swan as Slim Keith and Lee Radziwill, whereas Chloë Sevigny takes on C.Z. Guest, the sympathetic friend who’s pulled in different directions – and all three relishes the spaces between these archetypes. As Truman’s long-suffering partner Jack, Joe Mantello is brimming with exhaustion but is never one-note in attempting to convince the man he loves to put down his cocktail and pick up a pen.
The costumes are brilliant, a crucial component considering the central figure’s extravagant taste and the swans’ permanent place on best-dressed lists. Multiple Emmy-winner and frequent Murphy collaborator Lou Eyrich and co-costume designers Leah Katznelson and Rudy Mance have outdone themselves, and the swans’ gowns for Truman’s legendary Black and White Ball get an added touch of glamor from fashion designer Zac Posen. Academy Award-nominated production designer Mark Ricker ensures that each lavish set is Architectural Digest-ready, because that’s how these women lived.