Episode 4 begins with Perry Como’s song “It’s Impossible” playing on a record player. As the song advances we see Babe get ready for her day and go to her doctor. He gives her the devastating news that both Babe already knew. Her cancer is progressing and her prognosis is grim.

The episode does not get much less grim as it goes on. Prepare yourself.

We of course cut to La Cote Basque because where else would we be. Slim and CZ are discussing turbans and the fact that they are back (WHEN ARE TURBANS OUT I SAY) CZ reveals that Truman is planning a sequel to the black and white ball. Unsurprisingly Slim is very angry, Babe newly at the table says she would think about attending.

Next up: Truman’s apartment. John is there and as much of an ass hat as ever. Truman is trying to stay sober, though John is taunting him to drink. In the midst of going through names for the new ball John mentions the name Catherine Cooterman, a woman whom John is sleeping with. I mean with a name like that how can we blame him? John becomes enraged and surprise, surprise, hits Truman.

Slim is lying in bed after presumably having sex. He partner is revealed to be none other than Bill Paley. (Oh Treat Williams, how dare you!) Slim tells Bill she is suing Truman for defamation.

We next see Truman drinking at La Cote Basque wearing some lovely aviator glasses (covering his wounds) and he runs into Slim. The dialogue that ensures is something out of an upper east side version of Mame. It may have been a highlight of this episode for me honestly.

Jack is also at LaCote Basque waiting for Truman with an ultimatum, go to rehab and dump John or Jack is out for good. Truman relents.

Slim is wearing a turban (I guess she relented on them being back in style) and is making Liz Smith write a blind item in her column. Side note: I hope that Liz’s presence this early on means we get her in person during the eventual historically known final blow out between Lee and Truman.

Babe, having read the blind item asks her maid to give her all invitations as she seems sold on going to Truman’s new ball.

Honestly I would totally go to this rehab. The pie looks very good, Truman is having sex, he’s doing some fun art. It seems restful. CZ notices he’s making art with some newspapers that include Slim’s grievances about him. Truman exists rehab and Jack brings him home, having stocked his fridge. They have a honest, sweet conversation about what they mean to each other.

In our lone Lee scene of this episode she has dinner with Slim and asks her to lay of Truman, she is incredulous and Lee drops the bombshell that she knows about the affair with Bill. Slim is mortified. Lee advises her to relent and not to let herself be turned into “Some 19th Century villain.”

Babe reveals to Bill that she knows about his affair with Slim but she’s not mad about it, in fact she’s happy about it which seems to be a real mindfuck for everyone. Babe insists she wants to go to Truman’s ball. They dance to her favorite song, you guessed it: the song is “It’s Impossible.” A tender but odd moment. Slim and Bill meet up one more time to break it off and worry about what exactly Babe thinks.

Jack is rewarded for his kindness to Truman by coming to Truman’s apartment with food and finding that not only has Truman been drinking, but he’s also in bed with John. Real dick move if you ask me. He leaves, having had enough. John eventually leaves off camera and a few days later his daughter shows up asking Truman to help her. This seems to be oddly what Truman needs. She’s beautiful. She could model and he’ll teach her about writing. He needs someone and something to live for and this fits the bill.

We cut to a montage of Truman and Babe in therapy talking about how much they love and miss each other. How they fantasize about seeing each other. They see each other out and about and it’s a sad but genuine exchange. We get the impression this is their parting moments together.

The use of the song “It’s Impossible” shows the betrayal and longing everyone has for something they can’t give.

This episode for me was just so unabashedly sad. Everyone is betrayed by someone it seems. While I am so glad this show is bring the swans to a new audience I can’t help but miss Feud’s first season “Bette and Joan” which had far more camp and low stakes. I hope that the second half of the show can find that but I’m not entirely sure at this point.