3. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Network: FX Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Last week’s emotional heavyweight “House by the Lake” focused on the psychological torture and eventual murder of architect David Madson (Cody Fern). But the hint is that the killer of Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramierez), Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), got to Madson via Jeff Trail (Finn Wittrock), the man he bludgeons with a hammer in the first minutes of the episode, so we’ve been primed to expect this week’s installment to take us back to how Trail got wrapped up in this horrible spiderweb. The fifth episode of American Crime Story’s second season is the first not to have an actual murder in it, but trust me, it’s doesn’t make anything less painful: “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is a layered meditation on uniforms and conformity, masks and unmaskings. It moves back and forth in time in a way that’s easy to track but a little hard to describe; there’s a logic to this episode that poets will recognize. It turns on symbol and metaphor at least as much as plot, and it has a lot of layers of commentary on… well, on the nature of identity, when you get down to brass tacks. —AmyGlynn
The long-awaited second installment of the miniseries American Crime Story may include Gianni Versace’s name in the title, but this season truly focuses on the sociopathic serial killer who murdered him —Andrew Cunanan. In 1997, the 27-year-old ended a three-month cross-country murder spree by shooting and killing the beloved Italian designer, Versace, outside of his Miami, Fla. home.
Like its O.J. Simpson-centric predecessor, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (10 p.m. Wednesdays, FX) — based on Maureen Orth’s nonfiction book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History — examines a very public and publicized crime. But many don’t remember or even recognize Cunanan the way they do the players of the Simpson trial, and even less so his bizarre story and the murderous path that led to Versace’s South Beach doorstep.
Similar to how The People vs. O.J. Simpson featured a limited amount of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Simpson, this season is really about Cunanan. While viewers are treated to indulgent glimpses of Versace’s life, there are entire episodes devoted to his killer’s journey. Cunanan was a chameleon — he exhibited the unique ability to significantly alter his appearance with just a pair of glasses and haircut — and could be very charismatic and convincing. The same can be said of actor Darren Criss, who nails Cunanan’s manic, psycho killer ways. Cunanan wasn’t a skilled murderer, but he was a deranged one — one who managed to evade authorities for months. Getting to know Cunanan’s background and what makes him tick — as much as can be understood — makes him all the more terrifying.
Where The People vs. O.J. Simpson delved in to the larger race issues of the time, The Assassination of Gianni Versace contemplates the implications of being gay, particularly for men in the 1990s. And those experiences vary greatly between characters. Of course you have Versace, who was an openly gay man with a partner of 13 years, Antonio D’Amico. As the founder of an international fashion house, Versace was able to publicly come out in Advocate magazine in 1995, despite his sister Donatella’s concerns about the effect it would have on the company. He was no stranger to personal struggles; in the show, it is revealed that Versace was HIV positive (his family has long denied this).
But being a wealthy celebrity, Versace saw some privileges that most gay men at the time did not experience. Cunanan’s first victim was a former U.S. naval officer who we see struggle with “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and gay-bashing in the military. Cunanan himself used his sexuality to take advantage of and manipulate people. He frequently befriended wealthy, older men — sometimes closeted men with wives and families — and bragged about the lavish gifts he’d receive. In a split second, he’d hold the arrangement over their heads as a threat.
Iconic figures and lesser known real-life characters come to life thanks to a phenomenal cast. Criss will undoubtedly receive award attention for his role; the Versace siblings are uncannily portrayed by Édgar Ramírez and Penélope Cruz. Ricky Martin’s take on D’Amico is surprisingly solid. Other supporting actors like Finn Wittrock and Max Greenfield (regular players for producer Ryan Murphy) and newcomer Cody Fern give fantastic performances, if only for an episode. The top-notch acting, paired with colorful, extravagant sets, thoughtful storytelling choices and a spot-on soundtrack make this season a feast for the senses.
Versace is truly Murphy at his finest — it’s scarier than American Horror Story, with dark humor à la Nip/Tuck and dotted with his signature camp featuring a heavy dose of glamour and the grotesque. And yes, I think it’s better than Simpson.
The TV giant just signed a five-year, $300 million deal with Netflix (one of the biggest in TV history), but that doesn’t mean Murphy’s many 20th Century Fox projects are making the move or getting cut short. American Crime Story will continue for at least two more seasons, which will focus on Hurricane Katrina and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal; his other projects American Horror Story, Feud and 9-1-1 all have new seasons in the works. As if he isn’t already, Murphy is about to be everywhere, but let’s hope he focuses on quality, not quantity. Because when he’s on his game, he can produce a work of this caliber — one that’s not to be missed.
The sixth episode of American Crime Story season two is titled “Descent,” and the official synopsis from FX is: Andrew Cunanan celebrates his birthday in San Diego as his life starts to fall apart.
Audiences go back in time this Wednesday to a year before the senseless murders of Jeff Trail, David Madson, Lee Miglin, William Reese, and Gianni Versace. We’ll be welcomed to a very lavish birthday celebration, hosted by Cunanan’s former-boyfriend-lover-sugar daddy (it’s complicated), Norman.
So what can you expect? We’ve screened the first eight episodes of the season to bring you an advanced preview each week of what you’ll see! Avoiding all spoilers? This is your last chance to turn away now!
What drove Cunanan mad enough to commit murder? Not that there is ever an excuse, but episode 6, “Descend,” features Cunanan’s breakdown as his web of lies become too great to escape from. We’ll watch as Cunanan’s life begins to fall apart the day of his birthday.
Lizzie, who we met in the pilot episode, is back. She seems to be the only one who cares for Cunanan. She helps him lie, supports him, and loves the gossip! Lizzie genuinely seems sweet, though, so it’s possible she doesn’t know the harm she is doing by going along with Cunanan’s tall tales.
Also invited to Andrew Cunanan’s birthday bash are Jeff Trail and David Madson. Trail arrives first, and Cunanan quickly asks him for a set of favors. We won’t spoil the details, but to sum it up, the favor is to lie about pretty much everything. This will be the first time Trail and Madson meet, and unfortunately for Cunanan, the two get along. Finally, also present at the party, but unwanted and, by the looks of it, not even invited, is Lee Miglin. All of Cunanan’s victims are front and center, they all even take a group photo together.
In true Cunanan fashion, everything is over the top. Oh, and we’ll be seeing Versace again! But don’t get your hopes up, it’s not the way you think.
Lines to look out for, can you guess who delivers them?
“Too lazy to work and too proud to be kept.”
“You want me to pretend that that’s my gift to you?”
“A list of requirements, if we’re going to stay together.”
penelopecruzoficial: #Repost@portermagazine ・・・ @penelopecruzoficial on Becoming Donatella: Watch this week’s #PorterEditcover star talk about love and loss in her role as Donatella Versace over on PORTER today #linkinbio
@ACSFX: Some people don’t get to forget. #ACSVersace @edgarramirez25
While we only caught a glimpse of Finn Wittrock’s character before he was brutally murdered in the opening minutes of episode 4, here he is brought back to life as the heroic but deeply repressed Jeff Trail. Finn flawlessly captures Jeff’s internal struggle between his sexuality and sense of duty in the military, and the show does not shy away from the graphic details when he is unable to reconcile the two. The few moments that we do see Jeff happy–his first meeting with Andrew, his excitement at becoming an uncle–are shaded with tragedy. This heartbreaking and sensitive portrayal has earned Finn 51.2% of your votes to win the crown for MVP of the week.
Honorable Mention:
Darren Criss earns an honorable mention, trailing Finn by only one(!) vote. Andrew Cunanan begins the episode as charming, socially awkward, and desperate for love, but by the end the look in his eyes have transformed into that of a stone cold killer. Darren’s confident performance proves rewarding to watch, and as the season progresses leaves the viewer anxious to unravel more layers of this enigma.
ACS news 