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Warning: This article includes MAJOR SPOILERS for Étoile Season 1!Étoile season 1 delves into the world of professional ballet, leading up to multiple shocking events that set the stage for season 2. The Prime Video show starts with Jack, the executive director at the Metropolitan Ballet Theater in New York City, and Genevieve, the head of Le Ballet National in Paris, making a deal to trade their biggest talents for a year in order to drum up new attention for the struggling companies. Four dancers, including the étoile Cheyenne, go to NYC. Meanwhile, the choreographer Tobias Bell and the star dancer Mishi head to Paris.
However, not everything goes as expected for the Étoile ensemble cast when the trade happens. Cheyenne brings back the former ballet dancer Gael, who is known for being unreliable, as her dancer. The French ballet dancers struggle to adapt to the approach of the choreographer Tobias. The benefactor, Crispin Shamblee, who is funding the trade, becomes controlling and overly involved. Mishi, who left France for New York, isn’t thrilled to be back in Paris with her parents. All these conflicts come to a head during the exciting ending of the positively reviewed debut season of Étoile.
Nicholas’ Coma & The Chaos It Creates In Étoile Season 1
Nicholas’ Coma And Eventual Recovery Creates Many Problems That Etoile Season 2 Will Need To Resolve
Throughout Étoile season 1, Jack is helped by the Artistic Director, Nicholas. His health is failing, and he’s struggling to continue working. He has had many health scares that should’ve prompted Jack to select a replacement Artistic Director for the Metropolitan Ballet. However, as we see, when Nicholas falls into a coma, Jack can’t handle the thought of losing his closest friend. As such, he pushed off his responsibility as the company’s leader. His “if I don’t think about it, it isn’t true” mentality causes him to rush to make a decision. Crispin takes advantage of this weakness to push his candidate for the job – Cheyenne.
Although he resists the idea, Jack realizes that Cheyenne would be great at the job. She’s intelligent, passionate about dance, and opinionated. Without running the idea by Genevieve, Jack offers the Artistic Director job to Cheyenne. Then, he refuses to rescind the offer when Genevieve finds out – a betrayal so big that it ends their relationship.
In a move that surprises everyone, Cheyenne accepts the job. Unfortunately, the ballerina is left in emotional shambles when Nicholas wakes up from the coma. Cheyenne actually looked forward to the shift in jobs before Nicholas pulled through, a fact that was foreshadowed when she developed a mentorship relationship with SuSu. It’s unclear whether Nicholas will step down from the position after his most recent health scare and what Cheyenne will do if he stays in the position.
How Tobias Succeeds After His Failed Show
Audiences Come To Appreciate Tobias’ Way Of Thinking
One of the most emotional moments in Étoile occurs when Tobias discovers that critics and audiences hated his first ballet in Paris. He spirals, doesn’t change his clothing, and listens to one of the reviews over and over. His disappointment stunts his inspiration and drive. He doesn’t think about Gabin’s feelings when reacting to the failure, which drives a wedge between him and Gabin. This wedge gets better after Gabin gets arrested. It’s not clear how he will recover from the failure. Ultimately, Tobias succeeds after his failed show by being exactly the person that he is.
Most of the ballerinas in Étoile are played by real-life dancers, including the dancers Matisse Love and Lyrica Woodruff from the one-season show Bunheads.
The choreographer has rigid thinking, sensory sensitivities, difficulty adjusting to unexpected changes, a focus on small details, and limited social skills. He frequently needs to sit in one specific position with his noise-canceling headphones on to think clearly. Tobias can seem challenging to work with and hard for many to understand. However, his traits that could be deemed deficits, such as his rigid thinking and attention to detail, become his strengths in the end. With the dedication of his dancers and the patience of the audience, Tobias puts together a fantastic ballet, choreographing it live onstage, that the audience loves.
Why Cheyenne & Jack Kiss At The End Of Étoile Season 1
Cheyenne & Jack’s Past Relationship Comes Up Again
In a shocking twist, Étoile season 1 ends with Cheyenne and Jack kissing in the rehearsal room. Reflecting on the story so far, it’s actually not that surprising that Cheyenne and Jack would hook up. They are the quintessential couple that rides the line between love and hate. They get under each other’s skin like nobody else can, but they still have genuine respect for one another, at least professionally.
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The last lines before the credits are Jack saying, “This was a bad idea five years ago,” and Cheyenne responding, “It is an even worse idea now.” If it weren’t for this bit of dialogue, the kiss could be chalked up to an impulsive decision made in an emotional moment. However, the statements from the pair reveal that they have a history, which Season 2 of Étoile needs to explore in more detail.
If they had a fling or relationship in the past, we need to know what happened to make them hate each other. Also, their relationship makes me question whether Jack asked to trade for Cheyenne because of lingering feelings. This could explain his reaction to learning about Cheyenne and Gael.
How Mishi Establishes Her Own Identity Outside Her Family
Mishi Distances Herself From Her Parents In Etoile Season 1
The most Gilmore Girls-like characters in Étoile are Mishi and her wealthy, powerful parents. The dancer left to work at the Metropolitan Ballet in New York City after the Paris ballet cut her, and she thrived. She found an identity and friend group outside of her family name. However, the agreement at the start of Étoile forces her back into her parents’ world against her will. Immediately, she starts to feel suffocated by the pressure of being a Duplessis, something she tries to cope with throughout the first season.
Despite this, she finds little ways to branch out on her own, even with her mom and dad back in her life. Mishi moves in with Cheyenne’s mom, who might seem prickly at first but comes to love Mishi like a daughter. Their relationship helps heal some of the dancer’s parental wounds, showing her what a loving parent-child connection can look like.
The ballerina also tries to make friends outside the ballet world and goes on a date with a boy named Timeo. Both these things are rocky but important experiences for her. Although she faces negative pressure from her colleagues and parents, Mishi finds a way to love dancing again. The fact that Timeo shows up for her in the end is the cherry on top of a fantastic character arc. Hopefully, Étoile season 2 will continue to show her finding herself outside of ballet because she seems happier when she’s away from her family.
Why Jack Hates Gael In Étoile
Jack’s Entire Family Blames Gael For The Affair Between Him & Quinn
Jack’s anger towards Gael is finally explained towards the end of Étoile when Jack’s family learns that he’s part of the company again. Previously, he had an affair with Jack’s sister, Quinn, ending with Gael breaking her heart. Then, Quinn’s ex-husband got millions of dollars from the Fish family because Quinn and her ex didn’t have a prenup. Of course, as is the case with affairs, everyone in Étoile blames the person outside the relationship, Gael, even though the cheater, Quinn, deserves just as much blame.
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Although they seemed to tolerate each other better towards the middle of Étoile season 1, the animosity between Jack and Gael might factor into season 2 because the dancer begs the company leader to let him stay at the Metropolitan Ballet. Gael’s return seemed only to be as long as he danced with Cheyenne. Plus, Gael wants to pursue a relationship with Quinn now that she’s back in New York City.
How Étoile’s Ending Sets Up Season 2
Étoile Season 2 Will Have Plenty Of Drama
At the end of Étoile, viewers are left with a love pentagon between Jack, Cheyenne, Genevieve, Gael, and Quinn. Although Jack and Genevieve broke up, they clearly still have feelings for one another. The same can be said for Gael and Cheyenne. The new pairings – the fling between Jack and Cheyenne and the rekindled relationship between Gael and Quinn – both have a history that could factor into their romances. Additionally, questions arise about who will take on the Artistic Director job after Nicholas’ return. He seemed open to the idea of stepping down early in Étoile season 1.
As much as Étoile is a love letter to ballet, the Prime Video feels just as much a love letter to the messy highs and lows of being human.
On top of those questions, Étoile season 1’s ending set up a conflict between the Metropolitan Ballet in New York City and Le Ballet National in Paris. The two companies spent the whole season working together with the understanding that they would get their borrowed members back at the end of the year. However, Genevieve might not be willing to return Mishi and Tobias if Cheyenne won’t return to the French ballet company. Plus, Tobias and Gabin have a newfound romance, so the choreographer might not want to do long distance.
The end of Étoile season 1 did a fantastic job setting up plenty of drama and storylines for season 2. Luckily, viewers will have the chance to see these storylines continue and hopefully get some resolution. Rather than following the usual procedure of picking up a show for one season and waiting to see the metrics, Prime Video green-lit Étoile for two seasons from the start.
The True Meaning Of Étoile Season 1
Étoile Season 1’s Ending Shows That Life Is Unpredictable
The ending of Étoile season 1 is devastating for some characters while happy for others. Cheyenne’s life is a wreck, while Tobias has one of his biggest career successes. Mishi finds joy, while Jack upends Genevieve’s plans. Despite their differences, all of the arcs have one thing in common, though. They send the message that a person cannot always predict what life will throw at them, no matter how much they think they have a plan.
Each character in the show, from the Gilmore Girls creator, ends up in a different place than they expected at the start of season 1, offering a degree of unpredictability that feels relatable. They face challenges they didn’t prepare for, forcing them to adapt. As much as Étoile is a love letter to ballet, the Prime Video feels just as much a love letter to the messy highs and lows of being human. Hopefully, Étoile season 2 continues to show that life doesn’t have to go as planned for it to be meaningful.
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