Feud: Capote vs the Swans episode 7 opens in 1978 with Martha (Veronica Wathome) waking Babe (Naomi Watts). Babe carefully gets dressed, but as she runs her hand through her hair a chunk falls into her hand. She is shocked and dismayed.
Later, she is sitting in the study with the doctor. Babe asks him bluntly if it's worth it to keep fighting. After some intense questioning, the doctor confirms she has less than six months to live.
Barb then delivers the news to Bill (Treat Williams), who takes it badly. They argue as Barb lays out some of the bare truths of their marriage. Bill, angry she wants to stop treatment, asks her if being with him was so bad she’d rather kill herself, to which she says yes. Both of them cycle through anger and regret, eventually getting to resignation.
Last lunch at La Cote
The Swans are lunching once again at La Cote. Lee (Calista Flockhart) is engaged, and the rest of the women are talking about living for the day. Babe asks CZ (Chloë Sevingy) about Truman, with CZ saying she should reach out because he's having a hard time.
Babe tells everyone at the table they should forgive Truman. She points out they've all done terrible things, including to each other, and they always forgave each other, but they won't forgive Truman.
She wants to have a grand party at their country house, describing a beautiful event with her favorite black cherries in Limoge bowls, perfect flowers, a glittering guest list and gorgeous linen napkins shaped into flowers. The women agree that would be great, and Babe tells them it's what she wants after her funeral. As the women look at her in shock, she tells them she doesn't have a lot of time left. They are disturbed, but Babe tells them she's made her peace.
Babe wrestles with mortality
Babe arrives at their country house. She walks around the property as far as she can, with a nurse rolling a wheelchair behind her. When she becomes weak, Babe sits down and is pushed around the property.
Babe narrates her entries in her journal, which started to record her thoughts and insights as she faces her death. She writes about her many mistakes and how long it took her to see the beauty all around her: the flowers and trees, the water; beauty for the sake of beauty instead of beauty for the sake of prestige. She says "we cannot possess the light, but we can touch it."
Babe throws a dinner for the staff at the house and their families, relishing being surrounded by so much love, life and joy. But she starts hallucinating at dinner. The end is near, and she takes to her bed.
Babe hallucinates seeing Truman (Tom Hollander) as she dies. She cycles through some of her favorite memories with him. Fireworks start in the distance and Truman tells her they can go see the fireworks whenever she's ready.
But she isn't ready. She tells Truman he is part of her and explains her theory that everyone has people in their lives that they are fated to be with in some way. Those people collide with each other and their essences get all mixed up together. They can never truly be separate people after that. Eventually, Babe is ready to go see the fireworks. She slips away with her family gathered at her bedside.
Farewell to the Swans
CZ shakes Truman out of a stupor. He is devastated at the news of Babe's death and tells CZ he has to get to work finishing her eulogy. CZ explains Bill won't allow him to come to the funeral. Crying, Truman says he must give the eulogy. CZ asks he read her the eulogy he's written so far. She sits, with tears running down her face while Truman delivers a poignant and loving tribute to Babe.
After the funeral the Swans and all the mourners gather at the country house for the perfect party that Babe planned. When Slim (Diane Lane) says she's going to slip away the ladies try to plan a lunch, but none of them can find a day that they are all free. The era of the ladies lunching at La Cote is over.
Truman's final spiral
Truman is being interviewed on a talk show. He is incoherent, rambling and blackout drunk. He wakes up in a dingy hospital room. Jack (Joe Mantello) is there, explaining to Truman he's in a detox facility in Minnesota. Jack also says it's the last time he is going to help Truman.
In a flashforward, Truman is lying in bed in Joann Carson's (Molly Ringwald) guest home in Palm Springs. He's right back to drinking and taking drugs. He jumps into the pool in an alcohol stupor where he sees Babe, dressed as a gorgeous black swan. Joann can barely pull him out. She gets him into bed as Truman's body starts shutting down.
She wants to call 911, but Truman begs her to let him go. Joann goes into the main house and picks up the phone, then sets it down, just waiting. Truman hallucinates Babe by his bedside taking care of him like a mother would. As he dies he hallucinates he is walking on a beautiful beach with Babe. His last words are "beautiful Babe."
New episodes of Feud: Capote the Swans air Wednesdays on FX. They are available to watch on-demand the next day on Hulu.
