Episode eight of “The New Look” concludes with a tragic turn of events as Christian Dior’s father passes away. So, amidst the hustle and bustle of preparing his new atelier for its debut, Christian (Ben Mendelsohn) is also faced with the task of attending his father’s funeral and coping with this new loss. Meanwhile, Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche) struggles to handle her friend Elsa Lombardi (Emily Mortimer), whose drug addiction spirals out of control. The arrival of Spatz further complicates matters for her.
Titled “Will You Return,” episode nine begins with a flashback to 1905, introducing a young Coco (Marine Arena) and Elsa (Emma Canning) during their days as dancers. Coco expresses her aspirations to become a designer in Paris. This flashback serves to establish their history, adding an extra layer of sentiment to their long-standing but volatile friendship. In the present, Coco must contend with Hans Von Dincklage, also known as Spatz. His presence, coupled with Elsa’s unrestrained behavior, poses a threat to expose Coco’s secret – that she had collaborated with the Nazis during the war.
This episode was a slow-burn, serious installment, marking the first time all of Christian Dior’s siblings gathered together for their father’s funeral. Despite the show of strength by the Dior family during their time of grief, a tense dinner conversation unfolds over Christian’s new venture. His elder brother expresses stark displeasure at Christian starting his own business, citing their father’s failure and the subsequent hardships the family endured over the years.
Despite the doubts, criticism, and work-related challenges, Christian continues to place faith in his new project. Consistently displaying a rather meek attitude towards running a business, his character experiences growth in his outlook. “Do whatever it takes,” he tells Madame Zehnacker (Zabou Breitman), when she expresses concern that the new collection would be impossible to display on time without solving their current logistical problems
The themes of family, friendships and fraught relationships take center-stage in this edition and the slow pace and somber tone is befitting of the episode’s content, even though some viewers might find it challenging.
You can watch “The New Look” on Apple TV+
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