THE STORY – The dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.
THE CAST – Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lou de Laâge, Gideon Glick, Yanic Truesdale, Simon Callow & David Haig
THE TEAM – Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino (Creators/Directors/Writers)
If you were thinking, “Didn’t the Palladinos already have a show about ballet,” you’re not alone. While their cult classic “Bunheads“ never found its audience in real-time, canceled after just one season back in 2013, Daniel and Amy Sherman-Palladino are ready to step back onto the stage and into the spotlight. This time, they’re taking ballet to an elite level in a multitude of ways. While derivative only in art form, “Étoile“ focuses on the apex talent and inner workings of elite ballet companies, a prestigious step forward from “Bunheads’s” small-town studio centered around melodramatic teenagers. After securing a two-season, straight-to-series order in 2023 from Amazon (their home for the much-awarded “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel“), “Étoile“ is finally here – but will it be the big star following the success of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel“ that Palladino fans and Amazon are hoping for?
The concept is simple, albeit a bit outlandish – New York and Paris’s world-renowned ballet companies are struggling to fill seats and turn a profit. Their directors have a solution: swap each company’s top talent, shipping a few of them halfway across the world to reinvigorate each other’s businesses. There’s no denying this show has all the imprints of the Palladinos – fast-talking characters with overlapping banter, often a dance in and of itself. But sing-songy prose aside, the pilot often focuses too heavily on the setup without unveiling too many of the principal characters the audience will be invested in throughout these first two seasons. Navigating the changes is initially confusing, with names being thrown around that we haven’t seen yet. Who’s getting who, and why? Who do we as an audience even care about losing to New York or Paris, especially if we haven’t met them yet?
The second episode settles in a bit by focusing on the titular étoile – the star of both shows, headstrong and shameless Cheyenne, played by the endearing Lou de Laâge. De Laâge plays Cheyenne as a no-nonsense, sharply brazen dancer who not only knows she’s the best but will accept nothing outside of her own terms. Cheyenne comes in so rough around the edges you think there’s no hope for softening. However, as with any good character arc, you (& she) soon find her Achilles heel. “Ballet is a dance executed by the human soul,“ and the Palladinos have found their soul in their “Étoile.”
Adding to the cast is Charlotte Gainsbourg as Geneviève, the opinionated, bold, and stylish French ballet director willing to stop at nothing to get her company back in the cultural zeitgeist. By her side is a Palladino favorite, Yanic Truesdale from “Gilmore Girls.“ But at the risk of burying the lede – back with a vengeance from his Emmy-winning run in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel“ is Luke Kirby as Jack McMillan, the down-on-his-luck director of the New York company struggling to find a way to revive the business and get cheeks-in-seats. The charming tête-à-tête between Jack and Geneviève is a testament to the chemistry between both established actors and a bright spot that will hopefully be further flushed out in future episodes.
The stakes are high, and the solution is a bit preposterous. But ignoring the unlikely reality of swapping the biggest stars of each show, “Étoile“ finds its footing en pointe with a strong cast and the beginnings of a few enticing characters. Filmed on location in New York and Paris, production and set design are a draw, but none more than the Palladinos’ signature fast-paced dialogue with quick wit veiling a lot of heart. Fans of the creators and dance as an art form will enjoy the return of the Palladinos and the high-stakes world of elite ballet they’ve created. In French, étoile means “a principal dancer in a ballet company.“ It also means “star.“ Only time will tell if this show lives up to both.
The stage is set. Will the seats be filled?
THE GOOD – Ballet devotees & Francophiles will enjoy a peek under the hood of the pinnacle of the art form, while fans of the Palladinos will not be disappointed with their signature rapid-fire, quick-witted dialogue and well-built world of storytelling. The cast is strong with returning Palladino favorites, Emmy-winner Luke Kirby and “Gilmore Girls“ alum Yanic Truesdale, plus introducing to American audiences the dazzling Lou de Laâge, playing a brash but magnetic star in Cheyenne, the titular “Étoile.“
THE BAD – A fanciful concept with too much exposition in the early episodes may lose viewers early on.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series & Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
THE FINAL SCORE – 7/10
