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<\/p>\nA Deeper Look At \u2018Mommie Dearest\u2019 On \u2018Feud: Bette and Joan\u2019 \u2013 RECAP<\/b><\/p>\n
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Well, that\u2019s a wrap! Not on all of the premiere season of Feud: Bette and Joan<\/em>, but at least on the filming of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?<\/em>\u00a0We\u2019re just three episodes in, and Bette\u2019s and Joan\u2019s days together on set are done, but their rivalry is far from over.<\/p>\n Last night\u2019s episode, \u201cMommie Dearest,\u201d shined a spotlight on the two Hollywood titans\u2019 relationships with their children, as well as their relationships with their own mothers. The result was a much deeper understanding of what made these ladies<\/a> tick and the insecurities that fueled the titular feud.<\/p>\n We were mercifully spared the diversion of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Blondell interviews to distract from the main narrative tonight, underscoring the fact that, while Hollywood sexism played a role in this battle, these two complex women<\/a> were more than just victims of their time.<\/p>\n If you were hoping the episode title meant we\u2019d get a glimpse of the unhinged \u201cNo wire hangers!\u201d Crawford famously portrayed by Faye Dunaway, you\u2019re missing the point. Even though Feud<\/em> showcases Bette\u2019s and Joan\u2019s antics with savage glee, this is meant to be a much more nuanced, kinder portrayal of both women<\/a>. Last night\u2019s episode managed to pull it off.<\/p>\n We dish about all that went down in our recap below. After all, fellas, this ain\u2019t my first time at the rodeo.<\/p>\n We begin with the children. BD is showing Joan\u2019s kids how to smoke. No, it\u2019s not CHRISTINA! or Christopher, but the twins Joan adopted in 1947. Joan, ever vigilant, catches them in the act, and the twins scurry away. (CHRISTINA! does get some acknowledgement when Mamacita suggests Joan send her a card and flowers for an upcoming performance. Joan initially refuses, but when the twins are out of earshot, she relents, signing the card \u201cChristina Darling, I\u2019m so Proud! Love, Mommie Dearest\u201d)<\/p>\n While Joan\u2019s minding the children, Bette is chatting with Bob about their little rendezvous in last week\u2019s episode<\/a>. She wants to be clear that, although it was a good time, it cannot happen again, and he agrees. While they\u2019re chatting, Bette jokingly floats the idea that BD could play the neighbor girl<\/a>, since she and Joan had run off the last one. Bob thinks it\u2019s a great idea, and maybe getting a taste of her mother\u2019s world could help BD and Bette\u2019s relationship.<\/p>\n When Joan goes to confront Bette about BD and the girls<\/a> smoking, Ms. Davis initially thinks she\u2019s about to lay into her about her daughter playing the neighbor girl<\/a>. She apologizes to Joan for BD acting inappropriately and invites Joan out for drinks.<\/p>\n The sight of Bette and Joan casually sipping on cocktails and puffing on their cigarettes together in the booth is lovely, even if their conversation takes a dark turn fast. Joan reveals her mother treated her terribly, sending her to school at a convent after she allegedly learned of 11-year-old Lucille sleeping with her second husband. Even Bette Davis is shocked. Moved by Joan\u2019s honesty, Bette tells her, even if they don\u2019t become friends, she wants to support her.<\/p>\n You\u2019d think a moment like that would bring the women<\/a> closer, and it does \u2026 for a moment. Joan is even reconsidering slamming Bette in Hedda\u2019s column. Instead of feeding Hedda\u2019s gossip about Bette\u2019s body odor, she plants a story about Bette supporting her by removing herself from lead actress contention.<\/p>\n Of course, once Bette hears this, the short-lived truce is officially off. Instead, it\u2019s all-out war. Bette takes every opportunity to undermine Joan\u2019s confidence on set. Joan takes a more physical approach, ruining take after take of a scene in which Jane carries a lifeless Blanche across the room, forcing Bette to exert herself multiple times. As a cherry on top, Joan even wears a weighted belt. Hey, Bette\u2019s got to get those reps in somehow. Bette\u00a0gets a bit of revenge with that swift kick to the head we\u2019ve seen in all the series\u2019 promos.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Bette\u2019s having better luck getting along with her other co-star, Victor Buono. She admires his work and invites him over to run lines. They share a great conversation wherein Bette proudly asserts \u201cAll the queens love me \u2026 The truth is I only really knew I\u2019d made it once the female<\/a> impersonators started doing me in their acts.\u201d She briefly speaks to him about her other daughter, Margot, that\u2019s living in a special school because she is severely brain damaged. Bette and Victor\u00a0strike up an almost mother-son relationship, which comes into play a bit later.<\/p>\n Victor is cruising outside a gay<\/a> theater. A young hunk mistakes him for Charles Laughton. (I can see the resemblance<\/a>.) While Victor uses this as a chance to, um, get a taste of the young talent, the theater is raided by police. He uses his phone call<\/a> to ring Bette, of course, and she comes running to get him out of the bind. She explains he\u2019s merely researching for a role in a big Hollywood picture, and, since she is Bette freaking Davis, the cops obviously believe her.<\/p>\n She\u2019s not having as much luck bonding with BD. It\u2019s clear that Bette\u2019s talent hasn\u2019t rubbed off on her daughter (and, boy<\/a>, if \u201cterrible actress\u201d isn\u2019t the role Kiernan Shipka was born to play, I don\u2019t know what is). Bette is obviously uncomfortable with BD\u2019s performance, requesting she be credited as BD Merrill. When Hedda comes to confront Bette about how her daughter \u201cstinks on ice,\u201d Bette corrects her: \u201cShe doesn\u2019t ruin the picture, her role isn\u2019t important enough to do that.\u201d Of course, BD overhears. In the end, BD apologizes for not doing better, and Bette does her best to comfort her with genuine praise (\u201cYou looked beautiful, and you spoke clearly. You hit your marks, you didn\u2019t look into the lens once, not once.\u201d) without coddling.<\/p>\n Back at Crawford\u2019s house, the twins are off at camp, and Joan is feeling the pangs of her nest being empty once again. Unfortunately, when she tries to adopt another child, the agency tells her she\u2019s too old. Can\u2019t women<\/a> over 40 do anything in this town?<\/p>\n The final scene of Baby Jane<\/em> is filmed on a beach, and Joan is at peak bad behavior. She shows up late and drunk (actions she\u2019ll later attribute to Davis in her retelling to Hedda), and she insists on pulling her face tighter and tighter until she looks decades younger. Just to rub sand in her obvious wounds, she overhears Bob remark how Bette looks so much younger just because of her fantastic performance.<\/p>\n All Joan\u2019s fussing was for nothing. Once Jack Warner sees the dailies, he doesn\u2019t buy Joan looking so fresh on her deathbed. He demands a reshoot, which Bob manages to recreate using a sandbox in the studio.<\/p>\n With their final scene shot, Bette and Joan walk out of their respective dressing rooms, exchange knowing glances \u2014 maybe even some mutual respect \u2014 before heading toward opposite exits.<\/p>\n But not before Bette ashes her cigarette in Joan\u2019s Pepsi machine, just for good measure.<\/p>\n Best Barbs:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see how her reviews are, and then we\u2019ll think about sending flowers.\u201d \u2013 Joan Crawford on CHRISTINA!\u2019s upcoming performance.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re like two well-trained pomeranians.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis on Joan\u2019s twins.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cChrist, I didn\u2019t even get a tingle \u2019til I was 25, and then I waited another two years before I did the deed, and that was on my goddamn honeymoon.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis reacting to Joan losing her virginity at 11.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure his Falstaff is the talk of Tijuana.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis\u2019 initial thoughts on Victor Buono.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s your wheelchair \u2026 because you\u2019re going to need it after I break your goddamn legs.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis reacting to Joan suggesting she take herself out of the running for the Lead Actress Oscar.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt was Gloria Swanson who was robbed in 1950, not youuuuuu, bitch!\u201d \u2014 Joan Crawford with the line of the night.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIf I were the director i\u2019d tell you to do it again and again until it was convincing.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis undermining Joan\u2019s confidence on set.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat face, right into camera<\/a>. This really is a horror picture.\u201d \u2014 Joan Crawford watching Bette work.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAll those years of alcohol abuse have exacted a terrible price.\u201d \u2014 Joan Crawford to Hedda.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not falling on those. I don\u2019t do stunts.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis on Joan\u2019s falsies.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIf crawford couldn\u2019t ruin the picture, no one could.\u201d \u2014 Bette Davis comforting BD.<\/em><\/p>\n Round 3 goes to:\u00a0<\/strong>Bette Davis.\u00a0Maybe we\u2019re biased, but the gays<\/a>-loving Davis is battling it out with a touch more class than Joan. Crawford\u2019s getting messy, while Bette is always razor sharp.<\/p>\n What was your favorite scene from last night\u2019s episode of\u00a0Feud<\/em>?<\/p>\n The post A Deeper Look At \u2018Mommie Dearest\u2019 On \u2018Feud: Bette and Joan\u2019 \u2013 RECAP<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Feud:](\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.towleroad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11_Kiernan_Shipka_1980_re.jpg?resize=480%2C320\")
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