Taylor Swift’s ‘The End of an Era’: 6 Things We Learned From the Docuseries’ Opening Episodes

Swift explains how the confluence of her fight for her masters and the beginning of the pandemic at the beginning of the 2020s resulted in a re-examination of her back catalog and the dreams of a sprawling tour at a moment when live shows were shut down. That inspiration is common knowledge among fans, but the footage of Swift hatching the first Eras ideas — beat by beat, moment by moment, unpacking her approach to a crew of future tour mates — is fresh, and thrilling to witness.

Not surprisingly, the Eras dancers, band members and overall brain trust provide plenty of straight-to-camera commentary, both of Swift’s work ethic and of various touring details. Yet The End of an Era also digs deep into their pathways toward the biggest stage show of their lives, with their backstories — from the bassist who’s been alongside Swift since her teens, to the fan-favorite dancer who was always told ‘no’ until Swift told him ‘absolutely’ — providing levity at some points, and producing tears at others.

The thwarted terrorist plot that led to the cancellation of a full weekend of Eras tour dates created an understandable sense of unease, and the docuseries showcases how Swift picked up the pieces both practically (with heightened security at the following shows in London) and personally (refusing to buckle to her nerves in the immediate aftermath). The docuseries makes space for the complicated feelings around the incident, from the disappointment of fans in Austria who missed out on the tour to Swift figuring out how to avoid a breakdown as the leader of a positive communal space.

The first two episodes of the docuseries features one guest star each, which we won’t spoil here — and their appearances are not treated as an enviable co-sign by Swift on her biggest stage yet, but as a means of support, elevating the tour’s artistic value and contributing to its overall vision. Aside from the onstage fireworks, the behind-the-scenes interactions between Swift and her fellow artists are gentle and authentic, with A-list personalities rendered as old friends bouncing ideas off of each other.

If you’re a pop nerd, with a curiosity for how something with the scale of the Eras Tour is orchestrated, the docuseries illustrates several elaborate processes that help a mega-tour come together (and evolve) seamlessly. From on-the-fly staging ideas to custom choreography to top-secret rehearsal requirements to stripped-down vocal arrangements, The End of an Era painstakingly explains how it all comes together, and some of the best moments of the first two episodes play out like a step-by-step guide to something that’s never been accomplished before.

Yes, we get to hear some conversations between Swift and Travis Kelce. Yes, they are as encouraging and adorable as you’d expect. More than anything, though, those moments ground Swift in the middle of a whirlwind, a larger-than-life idol for millions of concertgoers with the same hopes, fears, need for reassurance and desire to revel in good news as the rest of us. We’ll see how the rest of the docuseries incorporates Swift’s fianceé, but so far, his presence underlines the humanity of the story’s hero.