Upamanyu Biswas
At the end of Prime Video’s ‘Étoile,‘ Jack McMillan and Geneviève Lavigne find themselves at a relationship crossroads that could determine their future. With Nicholas’ life hanging in the balance, Jack desperately latches onto Cheyenne as an answer to one of his problems. The dancer’s expertise and firecracker personality make her a difficult person to get along with but an undeniably gifted one who draws attention no matter the circumstance. However, his decision has unintended consequences for his bond with Geneviève. Thus, the three main characters are left with a huge dilemma to navigate, especially as their political and professional responsibilities start to drive a wedge in their personal bond, leaving things at a precarious spot at the end of the inaugural season. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Étoile Plot Recap
As the show begins, we are introduced to Jack, the President of the Metropolitan Ballet Theater in New York City, New York. His daily management tasks are overwrought with constant issues from his dancers and staff members, who complain about one thing or another. During an evening at a nightclub, Jack runs into his French counterpart, Geneviève, the President of the Le Ballet National of Paris, France. They have a drunken night out before running into one another again in a morning meeting at his office. Geneviève plans to swap dancers from both ballet institutes to revitalize their struggling businesses and bring in new money. While Jack is initially against it, he is forced to accept the decision, realizing it could benefit his company.
Problems arise when Jack learns that the nefarious businessman, Crispin Shamblee, is behind the deal. Under his leadership, the President of MBT and Le Ballet sit down to negotiate which artistic talents will be exchanging spots. Geneviève takes Tobias Bell, an up-and-coming prodigious conductor who has certain eccentric qualities. She also takes Mishi Duplessis, a young dancer who was previously cut from the French ballet because she was deemed not good enough. Although Jack is gutted about losing them, he retaliates by taking Le Ballet’s prized dancer and the most lucrative talent of them all, Cheyenne Touissant. Geneviève is forced to give her up as Crispin puts downward pressure on her. As a result, the exchange program closes as the two Presidents shake hands.
We soon learn that while Cheyenne is known for her superb dancing, she is a fiery character who no one can control. Her free-spiritedness is hard to reign in, which sometimes makes her a loose cannon. However, Jack is willing to tolerate her, even allowing a previously spurned dancer named Gael Rodriguez to partner with her for the benefit of MBT. In the meantime, Tobias’ eccentricities set him apart in the halls of Le Ballet, causing numerous headaches for Geneviève. Her bigger problems lie with Mishi, who is actually the daughter of the Minister of Culture, Clea Duplessis, Geneviève’s boss. It turns out that Mishi’s return to Paris was the main reason why the exchange program took place. Even still, Clea and the other ministers are unhappy that Geneviève lost Cheyenne in the deal because she is the jewel in the crown of the French Ballet.
Étoile Ending: Why Do Cheyenne and Jack Kiss? Do They End Up Together?
‘Étoile’ ends with some bombshell developments as Cheyenne and Jack find their personal lives falling apart after a series of events. For Cheyenne, this happens when she slips on stage during a performance, signifying in her mind that her decline has started. As a result, she takes a sabbatical to reorganize her thoughts and figure out where her life goes from here. Meanwhile, Jack goes through a horrible time as Nicholas goes into a serious coma, teetering on the brink of death. The pressure mounts even further when he is told to think about Nicholas’ replacements while the man is still alive and fighting to survive. In his emotional state, Jack ends up offering Nicholas’s spot to Cheyenne, certain that she is the best equipped out of everyone to be the new artistic director.
The offer to be an artistic director coincides with Cheyenne’s recent break in confidence from her little slip mid-performance. Although initially against the idea, she realizes it could be a great opportunity to plan her future beyond her dancing career. She breaks the news to Geneviève, who is devastated by the fact that she might be losing Cheyenne permanently to MBT. The fallout from Cheyenne’s decision would be disastrous for Le Ballet’s President because her higher-ups are already angry at her for losing her in the first place. But knowing that Cheyenne has accepted Jack’s offer only stings her even further, particularly because she expected Jack to have told her earlier. Things are complicated further by the fact that she and Jack are dating.
When Jack refuses to take back the offer, Geneviève burns her bridges with him. As such, he is left frustrated, ruing the fact that there are so many things going wrong in his life. The same happens to Cheyenne, who returns to MBT to discover that Gael is breaking up with her. While the breakup by itself is seemingly amicable, Gael’s words about her having no space in her heart for anything more than dancing stings her brutally. She realizes that Gael has chosen Quinn over her, leaving her devastated. Thus, at the end of the season, she rushes out of her final performance after locking eyes with Quinn. Jack follows her to the abandoned training hall, where they both open up about their recent troubles. It all culminates in a kiss, which leaves them in a tricky situation.
Firstly, Jack and Cheyenne already have a history, owing to a fling in the past. While they seemingly butt heads from the beginning, they also begrudgingly respect one another. However, the only inexplicable variable in the equation is Cheyenne, who often shows herself to be a fiery character with no weaknesses. Therefore, seeing her heartbroken at the end of the season over Gael’s words shows that she is vulnerable and looking to find something or someone who cares for her beyond her incredible dancing prowess. She seeks comfort and affection that goes beyond her work, and for the moment, Jack provides her with those. Still, the professional nature of their business makes it tough to predict if things could go well for them in the future. We will know for sure in the following season if more drama ensues in this seemingly new relationship.
What Happens to Nicholas? Does He Survive?
A big part of the season’s conclusion revolves around Jack losing sleep over the fact that Nicholas is in a critically comatose state. In the beginning, the incident is played off as one of many fits that Nicholas has had over the past few years. However, it soon becomes evident that it is far more serious in scope and could result in death. To that end, Jack is left with the monumental task of arranging his longtime friend and mentor’s funeral arrangements even before his passing. He buys a coffin with Geneviève’s help while also trying to narrow down his successor from a list of candidates suggested by his higher-ups. Only one name sticks out to him, that of Cheyenne. Wishing to take one thing off his plate, he offers the job to her as he waits in the hospital. This ends up backfiring on him later, even though it seems like the right idea at the time.
Near the final moments, Jack is startled to wake up at the hospital and discover that Nicholas is awake. He breaks the news to the doctors before rushing to the newly christened Shamblee Theater, where he announces Nicholas’ revival to everyone. While this is a joyous occasion for everyone, Cheyenne is stunned because she already accepted the offer to succeed him, only to realize it is no longer on the table because Nicholas is alive. Jack recognizes the awkward nature of the whole incident and is uncertain how to tackle the issue. Later, during the training hall conversation, they talk about it as Jack clarifies that he never sought to hurt Cheyenne and believes that she can fully operate as an artistic director. Ironically, Nicholas’ revival leaves Jack with a bigger mess to clean up than one that he might have had if he passed away.
Outside the mix-up with Cheyenne and the succession plan, Nicholas’ being alive is a hugely relieving moment for Jack because he sees the man as a hero. Their relationship, while professional, goes beyond the normal realms of friendship and is based on respect, admiration, and trust. Jack cannot imagine a future at MBT where Nicholas is not by his side, which is also why he is unwilling to let him retire anytime soon. Although his reasons are selfish, it also shows how much he cares for Nicholas in the long run and sees him as an equal partner in his ballet venture. There is no Jack without Nicholas and no Nicholas without Jack. It means that the character has more to contribute moving forward. As such, we could see more of Nicholas in the second season, albeit once he recovers from his health scare.
Is Jack and Geneviève’s Relationship Over?
The chaotic sequence of events near the end, which all stems from Jack’s offer to Cheyenne, leads to numerous fallouts. The most significant of them is the argument between Jack and Geneviève. While the two grow closer over the course of the season, their budding relationship crumbles when the latter learns that Jack is looking to keep Cheyenne in New York as Nicholas’ replacement. She feels betrayed by his actions and angrier still that he has not consulted her about it before. When Jack refuses to renege on the deal, she feels even more aggrieved, telling him to stay away from Paris and her in the future. Her cutting words read like a bitter conclusion to their relationship, even though things were perfect before. It leaves Jack in a terrible spot because he cannot justify himself to Geneviève.
Throughout the season, we see how politics and disparaging statements from her higher-ups take a toll on Geneviève’s psyche, even leaving her wondering if she may be fired from her job soon. As a result, she feels the noose tightening around her neck even before the conversation with Jack at the end. However, upon learning that Cheyenne might be gone forever, she realizes that it may be the final straw in her career and could guarantee her firing because of what Cheyenne means to the French people. They would be devastated that she lost one of the greatest talents to ever live, complicating matters between her and her board of directors. Thus, whatever goodwill she had with Jack and romantic attraction between them dies in one fell swoop as a consequence of one decision from Jack.
It is possible that they resolve their differences in future seasons, especially because Nicholas survives, leaving Cheyenne free from any commitments to MBT beyond her dance performances. It means that the damage is not permanent. However, Geneviève could still be hurt because Jack went behind her to recruit Cheyenne. At the same time, she is a pragmatic businesswoman who deals with difficult ballet dancers daily and the commercial realities that come with it. So, it is not beyond the pale to consider that their differences could be bridged easily, particularly if Jack reaches out first and apologizes properly. We will know for sure what happens between them in the second season. Additionally, there could be more drama if Jack and Cheyenne’s potential attraction leads to a love triangle of sorts.
Read More: Is Étoile Based on a True Story? Are Jack McMillan and Geneviève Lavigne Based on Real People?
