Season 1
The Swap
Ballet is in trouble. Jack's company in New York and Genevieve's in Paris are struggling. She pitches him a radical solution, but there's a catch.
The Bull
Things get off to a rocky start as Jack and Genevieve announce the swap at a dual press conference. Cheyenne is on the hunt for the perfect dance partner in New York, while Mishi and Tobias struggle to find themselves in Paris.
The Fish
Jack has a terrible day. Tobias is casting his new piece, and Gabin is eager to be noticed. Mishi lands a big role, and confronts Genevieve about the past.
The Hiccup
It's opening night! Jack deals with dancer dramas while Genevieve causes an international incident. Things between Cheyenne and Gael heat up, while Tobias and Gabin struggle to connect.
The Rat
It's Nutcracker season, and the MBT team begs Cheyenne to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy. It's also Jack's birthday, and Genevieve's in town. Mishi tries to connect with Bruna. Gabin returns from his suspension. There's a rat in Tobias' apartment.
The Disaster
Tobias' new ballet is a disaster. Genevieve struggles to keep everyone happy and Jack won't let Nicholas retire. Crispin and Cheyenne face off during company class, while Mishi goes on a date.
The Slip
Gabin gets in trouble and Mishi gets ghosted. Someone from Gael's past resurfaces and Cheyenne slips up. Jack struggles to name a successor for Nicholas, but Crispin has an idea.
The Offer
Jack makes a bold decision about a new artistic director, putting him at odds with Genevieve. Tobias' new piece premieres, and Cheyenne dances a heartfelt solo while questioning the choices she's made.
Avis de la communauté (3)
I blame the director The performances in this series leave much to be desired. While some actors show moments of potential, many deliver performances that feel either flat or excessively over-the-top. There are instances where the emotional weight of a scene is undermined by poor delivery. Instead of feeling authentic, the acting comes across as forced, making it difficult for viewers to believe in the characters and their struggles. Not sure I want to watch the next episode, 2.
If you're a fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Gilmore Girls you will probably enjoy this. It has the same kind of wit and "attitude" that those shows do, which should come as no surprise considering its produced by the same people and also shares some of the same cast. Just a note: there is a lot of dialogue in french, so if you aren't a fan of subtitles this show is not going to be for you. I thought Étoile was funny and compelling and had just the right amount of ballet (both classical and contemporary) in it to make it interesting - and a show about ballet. Sometimes ballet shows lack ballet, but that wasn't the case with Étoile. Some really great performances here. There's also some amazing set design - especially the french locations. Bruna Toussaint's apartment for example was filled with knick knacks and the personality of Bruna, and the loction of the French ballet company was beautiful and historic. The show also has some great music as the soundtrack from its theme to the music the dancers perform with. Lou de Laâge knocks it out of the park as Cheyenne, the Étoile, and everyone else did a great job in their roles too. Kudos should also go out to the dancers who were body doubles and background dancers. Amazing workd. I'm hoping there will be a season 2, but in the meantime I definitely recommend season 1.
The first episode was rough and could turn off some viewers. There were continued pacing issues in the 2nd and 3rd episodes and too much shifting between locations. The series finally hits with the 4th episode and becomes great. Overall cutting back to 45 min episodes would have made for tighter narratives.