The sins of the father emerge in the powerful penultimate episode of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
This emotionally draining series has unfolded one flashback at a time, with characters’ stories emerging in seemingly random order.
Tonight’s episode focuses on Modesto “Pete” Cunanan (Jon Jon Briones), the con man father of serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss).
Pete projects a brash belief in the American dream, enlisting in the military so he can arrive as a new citizen from his native Philippines.
His peculiar notion of family values is to lavish all his attention and much of his fortune on Andrew, while his other children languish in a state of emotional starvation.
It’s clear Andrew gets his sense of entitlement (as well as his contempt for his mother) from his old man, who follows a downward trajectory as a financial adviser.
A parallel plot about young Gianni Versace’s choice to defy gender roles and follow his mother’s steps as a seamstress is pretty much overshadowed by the Cunanan backstory.
I was shocked when I read that members of the Versace family complained “American Crime Story” had defamed the designer’s legend.
TV Guy: ‘Versace’ returns to the roots of a killer’s troubles
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