After the disappointing “Masquerade 1966,” Feud needs to get back on track. With another time jump, this time to the aftermath of the Esquire article, Capote finds himself at odds with his Swans again. Throughout “It’s Impossible,” director Gus Van Sant tries to elevate the periphery characters. However, as the various women push back on their ringleader – Slim (Diane Lane) – it appears the Swans are ready to invite Truman back into their circle. Unfortunately, “It’s Impossible” sucks the oxygen out of the room and makes us question why the infighting continues. Van Sant directs “It’s Impossible” from the teleplay by Jon Robin Baitz.
Capote vs. The Swans – Episode 4 – “It’s Impossible” Recap
Babe (Naomi Watts) gets ready for her day, including makeup, hairstyling, and makeup. She leaves the house and arrives in an office. She quickly undresses and gets ready for medical tests regarding her cancer. Babe discusses the results with her doctor, who lets her know that her cancer is not shrinking. She wants to stop radiation, but the doctor tells her that she cannot because it will grow into her spine. The doctor offers experimental treatments, but the doctor tells her she does not have long to live.
C.Z. (Chloë Sevigny) and Slim (Diane Lane) eat lunch together, and C.Z. reveals that Capote (Tom Hollander) may revive the Black and White ball. The guest list would include controversial guests, and Slim reiterates they must keep a united front. Babe joins them, looking weak. C.Z. asks how Babe feels, but Slim quickly turns the conversation to Capote. Babe wants to attend the ball and pushes back on Slim’s continued vendetta.
Capote preps dinner for John (Russell Tovey). John drinks and tries to get Truman to join him. Truman’s been sober and tells him no. He pitches guests to John, who eventually reveals he’s sleeping with women again. Capote admits the revelations hurt him. When he tells John off, John retaliates with a slap to the face. John becomes menacing again and threatens to beat Truman, telling him that he’s terrible in bed. Eventually, he walks away, leaving Truman alone.
Slim smokes and lays in a bed in lingerie. It’s revealed she’s having an affair with Babe Paley (Treat Williams), Babe’s husband. Slim promises to sue Truman for defamation, and when Bill pushes back, she tells him to trust her. She does not lose fights, and she wants to destroy Truman.
Eating alone at a restaurant, Truman orders his food to go. He drinks alcohol again and appears dazed when he goes into the restroom. Slim waits for him outside the bathroom, and the two trade barbs. Slim reveals that she’s suing him. She dares him to invite Babe if he wants more legal trouble. When Truman says that he immortalized them, Slim tells him that his game is apparent. She will not let him use Babe’s impending death as a road back into the group.
Truman returns to his table and finds Jack (Joe Mantello) sitting there. Jack tells Truman he’s not there to join him for dinner. He got a call from Truman’s neurologist, who told him that Truman’s brain is shrinking from all the alcohol. When Truman says he’s not drinking, Jack calls him out on his current drink. He tells Truman he has a room booked for him in rehab, and he must break up with John. Truman eventually agrees.
Slim calls journalists to thwart Truman’s plans for a second ball. Babe awaits the invite but feels weak at home. Truman eats lunch with C.Z. and Joanne Woodward (Molly Ringwald) in his rehab facility. Truman tells stories about his fellow patients, including one he’s taken as a lover. The three go on a walk, and C.Z. looks at the art he’s been working on. While they are not supposed to get news from the outside world, Truman acquired the story planted by Slim. C.Z., Babe, and Slim attend a fashion show. The two women chastise Slim for planting the stories about Truman’s party.
Truman returns home from rehab to Jack’s New York apartment. Jack begs Truman to leave the city with him, but Truman wants to write in the apartment. They try to define their relationship during the discussion. Jack tells Truman that they are not “boyfriends,” but he loves Truman more than anyone. He asks Truman to finish the book so they can leave it all behind them.
Slim and Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart) eat lunch. Lee also asks Slim to stop attacking Truman. Slim asks why people are forgetting Truman’s betrayal. In response, Lee confronts Slim about the affair with Bill. Lee asks if Slim hates Truman or if she’s trying to ease her guilt for betraying Babe. Slim seems shocked by the revelation that everyone knows and tells Lee she’s unsure what she’s doing with Bill.
Bill returns home after a “board meeting,” and Babe asks why he’s so late. He tells her that CBS continues to struggle despite having so many great shows. Bill turns on “It’s Impossible” by Perry Como. They dance, and Babe talks about his future after she dies. He tries to get her to stop, and Babe tells him that Slim will be a great wife after she passes. They continue to dance through the end of the song.
Jack returns home to give Truman new paper for the invitations. He walks through the house and walks into the bedroom. Inside, he finds Truman and John in bed together. Truman also appears intoxicated. Jack tells him it’s surprising how little it hurts, and he leaves. Bill and Slim discuss their future, and both agree to end it.
Truman feels the pressure of the party when the front door rings. He answers the door, finding both his takeout order and Kerry O’Shea (Ella Beatty) – John’s daughter. Truman tells her he’s no longer involved with her, John, but Kerry did not come for her dad. She came to learn from Truman, so she asks Truman for help to get on her feet. Truman tells her that she can learn from him and he should be able to help her. He also hands her a journal so she can begin taking notes about the world around her.
Babe and Truman both attend therapy. Babe tries to work through the grief of her disease and the struggle to present herself to the world. Truman wonders if there’s hope for him and realizes he got a lot out of helping Kerry (now going as Kate). He feels like he’s being punished for his sins. Babe describes a dream where she spends time with Truman. It’s cross-cut with an actual interaction with Truman on the street. They discuss the party’s cancellation, and she leaves after giving him an extended hug. In the end, she says Truman was the love of her life, and they part.
The Critique
Two performances overtake “It’s Impossible” and elevate it above mediocrity. Hollander stands out above the fray, especially during his scenes with Ella Beatty. He must fluctuate between playing addiction, frustration with his artistic block, and being the best friend to The Swans. Truman’s despair feels palpable throughout. His addiction to lovers and alcohol continues driving wedges between the author and the people he cares for most.
On the other side, Watts shines as Babe. The opening montage features a masterclass in “Show, Don’t Tell,” and Watts should consider it for her Emmy clip next year. Watts shines in “It’s Impossible,” turning every moment into another heartbreaking sequence. A dance with Williams in their family library is one of the best moments in the season. Lost and without the person who reassured her most, Watts makes us feel incredible empathy for her journey.
However, every other aspect of “It’s Impossible” feels miscalibrated. Lane has nowhere to go with her character, shifting from cartoonish villain to the betrayer at a moment’s notice. She can only play anger, mainly because the teleplay writes her into corners. For Baitz, “It’s Impossible” stands out for brilliantly capturing interpersonal dynamics in this group in one moment, only to overexplain and telegraph the upcoming drama in the next scene.
Again, the other Swans get almost no development. Flockhart does her best in one scene but needs more material. Sevigny and Ringwald get similarly light roles in this episode. Relegating these three women to mere exposition machines severely hurts the quality of the series. Mantello does some of his best work when bringing Hollander back to his apartment. Yet his two scenes that bookend that excellence are seeped in cliches.
Van Sant struggles to keep the momentum of the series on the rails. Again, the sequencing choice to flashback to the 1966 ball leaves the “present” timeline without real drama. In fact, the women seem primed to welcome Truman back, and because Van Sant overdoes this compassion, it’s difficult to believe the bad blood. This is only further proven as nearly every Swan gets a moment with Truman in “It’s Impossible,” and only one of them goes poorly. If we cannot believe the fight at the center of the show, why does it fall under this label?
In Conclusion
Ultimately, two good performances do not mean we have an excellent episode of TV on our hands. Worst of all, “It’s Impossible” fails to earn the “Feud” element of… Feud. Based on the writing, the infighting feels driven entirely by a single Swan, and in the act weakens our belief the rest would follow suit. At the same time, great actors and actresses become mere tools for dumping plot. Hollander and Watts get the goods, but the rest get below-average direction or writing. The tone of the series seemingly vanished, and without it, there’s little to keep the audience engaged.
Rating: 5/10
Also Read: Full season review of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans here!
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