Hollywood loves a good fight. Honestly, we all do. But when Ryan Murphy dropped the Feud Bette and Joan tv series back in 2017, it wasn't just about two old ladies screaming at each other in a dusty mansion. It was something deeper, kinda tragic, and way more complicated than the "no wire hangers" memes led us to believe.
If you've ever seen What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, you know the vibe. It’s claustrophobic. It’s sweaty. It feels mean. The show takes that energy and puts it under a microscope, showing us the 1962 set where Bette Davis and Joan Crawford supposedly tried to kill each other for the sake of a comeback.
The "Ugly" Truth Behind the Makeup
People always ask if the things in the show actually happened. Did Bette Davis (played by Susan Sarandon) really kick Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) in the head? Well, yeah. During the filming of a scene where Jane beats Blanche, Bette allegedly clipped Joan’s head hard enough that she needed stitches. Or so the story goes.
But here’s the thing most people miss: the feud wasn't just two women who hated each other's guts. It was a business arrangement.
By the early 60s, Hollywood was basically done with them. They were "too old" for the lead roles that made them icons. They were broke, or close to it. They needed a hit. So, they leaned into the hate. They used the press—specifically gossip queen Hedda Hopper—to weaponize their rivalry. It sold tickets. It made them relevant again. But the cost was their sanity and any chance of a real friendship.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
You might think a show about the 1960s is just a period piece, but it’s really about how the industry treats women once they hit 40. The Feud Bette and Joan tv series highlights a "hagsploitation" era where the only way for legendary actresses to get work was to play grotesque, decaying versions of themselves.
It’s heartbreaking, honestly.
One of the most intense episodes covers the 1963 Oscars. Bette was nominated; Joan wasn't. So what did Joan do? She campaigned against Bette and then convinced the other nominees that if they won and couldn't be there, she’d accept the award for them. When Anne Bancroft won, Joan pushed past a stunned Bette to take the stage. That’s top-tier petty.
What the Show Gets Right (and Wrong)
Ryan Murphy didn't just wing it. He actually interviewed Bette Davis for four hours back in 1989, just months before she died. A lot of the dialogue comes from her perspective.
- The Pepsi Machine: Joan Crawford was married to the CEO of Pepsi. She famously insisted on Pepsi machines being everywhere on set just to annoy Bette, who was a Coca-Cola loyalist. That's 100% real.
- The Weighted Belt: In the scene where Bette has to drag Joan across the floor, Joan allegedly wore a lead weightlifter’s belt because she knew Bette had back problems. Talk about a "pro-gamer" move in the world of spite.
- The "Lucille" Digs: The show depicts Bette calling Joan "Lucille" (her birth name) to get under her skin. Historians are split on this. Some say Bette did it constantly; others say they were actually professional until the marketing team realized "fighting" made more money.
It Wasn't Just About the Stars
The supporting cast in this series is low-key the best part. Stanley Tucci as Jack Warner is a masterclass in corporate misogyny. He didn't care about their talent; he just wanted to squeeze every last cent out of "those two old broads." Then you have Alfred Molina as director Robert Aldrich, a man caught between two titans, trying to finish a movie while his lead actresses are basically playing a game of psychological chess.
It’s a story about power—who has it, who’s losing it, and what people will do to keep it.
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How to Revisit the Feud Today
If you’re looking to dive back into this world, there are a few things you should do to get the full experience. Don't just watch the show; look at the source material.
- Watch the Original Movie First: Stream What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. It’s on most major platforms. Watching the "real" Bette and Joan makes the performances by Sarandon and Lange even more impressive. You see the tiny tics they copied.
- Look for the "Documentary" Framing: The series uses a fake documentary format featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones as Olivia de Havilland. It’s a clever way to add context, but remember those interviews are dramatized, even if the sentiments are based on real letters and accounts.
- Check the Wardrobe: Pay attention to the colors. Joan is almost always in "MGM Blue" or something structured and perfect. Bette is a mess of lace and smudged eyeliner. It tells the story of their personalities without saying a word.
The Feud Bette and Joan tv series isn't just a "bitchy" drama. It’s a look at the loneliness of fame. By the time the final episode rolls around—the one titled "You Mean All This Time We Could Have Been Friends?"—you don't feel like cheering for a winner. You just feel sad that two of the greatest talents in history were convinced that they had to be enemies to survive.
To get the most out of the series, track down the 1963 Oscar footage on YouTube. Seeing the real-life tension in that room makes the show's recreation feel like a horror movie in its own right. After that, look into the production of Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, the sequel that never was (at least not with both of them), to see how the rivalry finally burned out.