Feud: Bette and Joan Episode 1 Recap

Finally, we get our “first day of principal photography” title card, and we know that it is about to go down because Joan soaks her face in witch hazel and ice and Bette wakes up and immediately lights a cigarette. At home, Joan practices wheeling around in her wheelchair for Mamasita in the 30 seconds which are for SURE the episode highlight.

Joan soon arrives on set, where she has brought gifts for the men on the crew. She and Mamasita go to her dressing room, which is small and dirty but they’re, like, fine with that after one second. Bette and her daughter show up moments later, and Bette immediately claims that Joan is “sucking up” to the crew in order to get better lighting.

Back in the small and dirty dressing room, Joan drinks from a flask as Bette waltzes in and catches her, asking if she has enough to share. They toast each other, “together at last,” and discuss Joan’s nerves. Bette is quick to point out that Joan hasn’t worked in three years, but Joan chooses not to focus on that and instead, waxes poetic about how what they do is magic. Bette asks her to do her best work even though they don’t like each other, and also takes this opportunity to tell Joan that when she’s good, she’s really good. Joan starts crying, and asks if she really thinks that’s true. Bette responds by telling her to cut back on the makeup, as she’s playing a recluse. So I guess they’re best friends now!!!?!?!?!

As Joan gets her makeup done on set, she overhears Bette and Bob discussing her. She wheels over (lol) and confronts them, saying that she’s worked hard to prepare for this role and asserts that Bette hasn’t done the same. Bob semi-confirms this by reminding Bette that they have yet to decide on her “look” for the film.

It’s finally time to shoot and Joan is truly crushing it. Bob seems happy with her, and she’s reeeeaalll happy herself to be working again. Meanwhile, Bette is being crazy-town in her dressing room. A dresser points out that one of the wig options had been previously worn by Joan in a 1930’s movie, so obv Bette immediately reaches for that particular wig and creates her iconic insane Baby Jane look. Her daughter is pretty much aghast, asking if she’s sure that’s how she wants to look in the movie, and it’s clear thay Bette is just being wacky to see how far she can push it. After getting all made up, she walks onto set dramatically. Joan sees her and doesn’t think she can possibly be serious. But Bette stops, bows, and gets applause from all around. What a way to enter a room/a thing I should definitely try very soon.

Later, as they watch dailies, Joan voices some concerns about the lighting, and they assure her they’ll fix it. She leaves pretty quickly, but Bette stays and, as they watch her scenes, she cries watching herself breaking down onscreen.

At some indeterminate later date, the women go to Hedda’s, the journalist’s, for dinner and are onto her motives before they even walk in: “She’s out for blood.” Naturally, Bette asks Joan if they’re going to give it to her. Once inside, Hedda starts recording their conversation over dinner and reminds the ladies that they know what the fans want. The women are uncharacteristically agreeable with each other in order to intentionally screw with Hedda. And finally, we get a voiceover of Olivia during the doc, reading what will come to be the article; it states, in a super foreshadow-y and unsettling way, that the two women are now about to get to know each other.

And thus ends our fictionalized intro to the age-old story we’ve all heard bits and pieces of but of which we never knew the gritty details, like how Joan Crawford often rubbed many lemons all over her elbows. It was an incredible opening episode, chock-full of amazingly curated lady-based quotes and one-liners about the state of sexism in the industry, the way the world views aging women, and most importantly, how women interact with each other. 10/10 would watch again, if only for that lemon thing.

Next: Feud Season 2 Has a Story and It is a Battle Royale

Tune in next week for Feud‘s second installment at 10PM on FX!