The creators of ‘Gilmore Girls‘ and ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘ are back with another dramedy. Titled ‘Étoile,’ the series is set in New York and Paris, and is a magnificent love letter to ballet. Besides the resurrection of the art form on stage, we get the complicated lives of those who run the show, quite literally.
Luke Kirby stars as Jack McMillan, the director of Metropolitan Ballet Theater in NYC. His Parisian counterpart at Le Ballet National is Geneviève Lavigne, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Both their ventures are struggling due to fading footfall. So, they decide to swap some dancers to create intrigue about the reshuffled troupe. Sure, ticket sales go up, but it blows up their messy lives. Cue on-and-off romance. Enter Lou De Laâge’s Cheyenne, a French ballerina who can make anyone hold their breath while she swirls on her toes. Jack is enamoured too, and yes, they have a history too. Let’s explain the ‘Étoile’ trio.
Past And Present Of The Love Triangle In ‘Étoile’
Jack and Geneviève have an understanding that transcends their regular lives. They meet a couple of times a year to make deals and keep the ballet going in their respective cities, and yes, they share intimate moments. They have had relationships, marriages, but something still draws them to one another. In fact, when his life falls apart, Jack asks Geneviève to consider if she’d like more than their current arrangement. He offers to be in Paris for her. But lo and behold, ambitions get in the way for this fantastical power couple.
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Jack, who had asked for Cheyenne in the exchange deal, offers her a job in New York. Geneviève is furious. She tries to stop this “national treasure” from taking off to the United States. Of course, she yells at Jack and breaks off whatever they shared. Cheyenne’s own romance was shattered when her dancing partner, Gael Rodriguez, chose to get back with Jack’s sister. Yeah, this is one puzzleboard of past and present relationships.
In the finale of ‘Étoile’ Season 1, while nothing else is clear, Cheyenne seeks comfort in Jack’s arms. He warns it’s a bad idea, like it was five years ago. But they end up kissing, and the chemistry is undeniable.
Will Cheyenne And Jack Stay Together?
Cheyenne and Jack got together in their vulnerable moments. Jack had to rescind the offer to her because the current artistic director, Nicholas, pulled through a coma. Meanwhile, Cheyenne thinks her stage days are behind her as she fell in a blink-and-you-miss moment. But she knows it happened, so she wants to mentor and use her vision now. Jack gave her that dream and then extinguished it. So, once reality hits, their dynamic will change, and there might not be any place for a relationship.
Meanwhile, Geneviève could’ve stayed with Jack, but she was blindsided by his decision, which she considers a betrayal. At least he should’ve consulted her before going to Cheyenne. “She felt that she was in a great place with him, and it’s suddenly…. you’re a traitor,” Gainsbourg said to Luke Kirby during a TV Insider interview with ‘Étoile‘ cast.
Kirby didn’t quite agree: “I think there are many ways of looking at this. And I think it’s certainly complicated… We’re dealing with forces of nature, we’re dealing with a shared history and affection for art… Hopefully, the time will just sort of smooth out these wrinkles.”
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As for Cheyenne, de Laâge admitted she initiated the kiss, “It’s me, but he says yes.” Well, Jack didn’t protest so convincingly anyway. He gave in, and that kickstarted another complication in his life. Now, ‘Étoile’ Season 2 will provide answers to where this trio goes from here. Our guess? Jack’s feelings for Geneviève might’ve surfaced due to his fear of dying at the age of 45, like other men in his family, but there surely is something there. They pick each other up when needed, even if they are at war in their careers. Now, that’s the kind of person worth rooting for.
