Taylor Swift's decision to give her Eras Tour team bonuses totaling $197 million is highlighted in her new Disney+ docuseries, The End of an Era. In the second episode, Swift says she gave every crew member a handwritten letter and sealed it with a wax stamp. The series, now streaming on Disney+, offers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the tour.
The premiere episode opens in Vancouver, Canada, 15 minutes before the tour's final date. Swift delivers an impassioned speech to her dancers, telling them the tour wasn't about pieces falling into place but that they put the pieces where they are. The series explores the catalysts for the tour, including the sale of her back catalog and the pandemic.
In August 2024, three dates in Vienna were canceled due to an apparent terrorist plot. Swift says, "Never did I think we'd have a terrorist plot." She later performs in London, noting, "We dodged a massacre situation." The series also addresses a knife attack at a Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, where a teenager killed three girls. Swift becomes emotional discussing the attack and later meets privately with the victims' families.
Swift's fiancé, Travis Kelce, appears as a soothing voice on the phone, helping ease her anxieties before London shows. Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch also feature. Swift tells Sheeran she plans to go somewhere no one can find her after the tour, saying, "I don't want to be tracked like an animal."
The series introduces fans to bassist Amos Heller and choreographer Mandy Moore, who joined after Emma Stone's suggestion. Dancer Kameron Saunders shares his story of being belittled for his size and his brother's support. Swift discusses her own dancing, saying she learns movement based on the syllable of the lyric.
