Tag: 2.02

Thank You! – BEYOND DAPPER

Corny, yet obligatory mirror pic from my trailer while on set. lol

It’s been a wild week! Many of you know I had a co-star role in last week’s episode of American Crime Story.(s2e2), so I wanted to take a moment to let you all know that I appreciate your support. The love was felt in every Facebook post, comment, text and phone call that I received.

I also would like to apologize to my friends and family that had no clue I’d booked this gig. Please understand, the powers that be had us all sign NDAs, so I was paranoid to tell anyone. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I did, but Hollywood circles are small and people talk, so I wasn’t taking any chances of burning bridges with casting directors.

It was a blast being on set, everyone was cool, the food was GREAT and I wish I could do it every day. Now I just have to figure out how to watch myself on screen without wanting to throw up, I still haven’t watched the entire episode.

But seriously, thanks again for the support. One last thing, it’s been a slow grind for me, but if any of you out there are having doubts about chasing your dreams or whatever, just go for it. Do some research, make a plan, and take action. It doesn’t have to be an artsy thing like acting, maybe you wanna go back to school, learn a new language, pursue a new career, whatever it is, just start. Today! It’ll be scary, but it’s worth it, stop making excuses and take that first step.

Ok I’m done, ya’ll keep living!

– Bob

Thank You! – BEYOND DAPPER

‘American Crime Story: Versace’ recap: ‘Manhunt’ – TheCelebrityCafe.com

It’s getting better and better.

American Crime Story: Versace has released the second episode of the season entitled “Manhunt” and hoo boy, what a doozy. Seriously, we’re probably going to be having nightmarish flashbacks to Andrew dancing in his underwear to Phil Collins from now until the rest of eternity.

That being said, the season is getting better and better with every outing — and we’re only on episode two. What could possibly still be in store for us during the rest of the season?

The episode starts with Versace in the hospital, alive this time (they jump around in the timeline a lot, which can get a little confusing). We’re not told the exact reason why Versace has been brought to the hospital, but we know it’s for some sort of serious treatment. The obvious answer — and the one the show seems to be hinting at — is AIDS, but the Versace family has repeatedly said that Gianni Versace was HIV negative.

Nevertheless, Versace has some kind of life-threatening disease, and it’s got him in a real dour mood. He sits with both Antonio and Donatella, reflecting on how everything could have to lead up to this.

Antonio and Donatella seem to hate each other, by the way. Donatella seems perfectly fine with blaming every single thing that goes wrong in Gianni’s life on Antonio, as she won’t give him a single moment of respect.

That’s because she knows what’s up — Gianni loves Antonio. Antonio says he loves Gianni as well, but constantly brings home other men to sleep with. Gianni only goes along with it to keep Antonio around and happy. It’s somewhat of a toxic relationship, to say the least.

That’s why Donatella wastes no time in kicking Antonio to the curb after Gianni is murdered. Back in the present, she tells him that, now that Gianni is dead, there’s no need for the two of them to pretend anymore.

Versace’s funeral then follows. While he was shot in the face, the mortician actually does a pretty good job to make Gianni’s body look decent — making it all the more difficult for Donatella to look at. The body is then cremated and the ashes are put in a gold box.

Then we jump back to 1996. Again. Andrew is on the run (which can get confusing, because he’s on the run for murdering Lee Miglin at this point. Versace is still alive.) in a red pickup truck. He stops at Walmart to steal someone’s license plate, then has a pretty incredible scene in which he’s passionately singing “Gloria” while driving to Miami.

With a fake passport and an attitude that’s far too polite for someone who just murdered someone, he checks into a motel before promptly visiting Versace’s home. The door is locked, but we know Andrew has a gun in his backpack and his intentions are all too clear.

Back in the present, and the FBI are trying to figure out how this all happened. Cunanan had been a wanted suspect for some time now, but they’ve constantly paid him little mind as the FBI has tried to distance themselves from the Miami homosexual scene. Detective Lori Weider (Dascha Polanco) calls them out on this, as it looks like she’ll be the one leading the investigation from here on out.

Back in 1996, Andrew makes a new friend — Ronnie (Max Greenfield. Yes, that’s Schmidt from New Girl, but this role is COMPLETELY different and we love it). Ronnie is somewhat of an odd character. Despite being HIV-positive, he’s rather clingy — which is why he latches on to Andrew so fast.

Andrew doesn’t necessarily mind, but he can’t have Ronnie following him everywhere he goes. Especially when he’s up to such shady stuff — which brings on the most memorable scene of the season thus far. Andrew has a habit of being an escort for older, wealthy men. He scores a new customer and is brought back to the man’s hotel room, which is when the man says that “he can be submissive.”

Cue the duct tape. Cunanan wraps it around the man’s entire face — to the point where he can’t breathe. The man struggles and begs to be cut loose, but Andrew begins performing a dance routine — while being practically naked the whole time — and tells him to “Accept.” Eventually, Andrew cuts him lose, but the man is obviously pretty shaken by the whole thing (can you blame him???).

Cut back to Versace. He spends some time arguing with Donatella arguing over the size of his models and certain kinds of dresses. Later, we see him with Antonio — who is finally coming around to commitment. It all eventually leads to Antonio saying he wants to marry Gianni, FINALLY.

Ronnie and Andrew aren’t having the same kind of connection, though (although, to Ronnie’s credit, he seems to think they are). While sitting in a hotel room, Ronnie opens up and asks Andrew if he wants to open a florist shop. Andrew clearly isn’t interested. He’s got bigger plans for his life.

He blows by Ronnie, headed to a pawn shop to sell a gold coin he stole from the duct tape man (that poor, poor guy). While walking by Versace’s house, he spies him leaving to a nightclub and realizes this is his chance. He grabs his gun and heads after him, only after first being recognized from America’s Most Wanted by a gas station employee.

Versace and Cunanan don’t end up seeing each other at the club. Instead, a man slyly approaches Cunanan, hoping to buy him a drink. He asks Andrew who he is, and after a lengthy response in which he rattles off every profession imaginable, Cunanan finally says, “I’m the person least likely to be forgotten.”

And that’s how you end an episode.

Catch American Crime Story: Versace every Wednesday night on FX, and check out our other recaps by clicking here.

‘American Crime Story: Versace’ recap: ‘Manhunt’ – TheCelebrityCafe.com

How “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” Uses Dance Pop to Craft a Gay American Psycho | Pitchfork

Note: This article contains light spoilers.

There are plenty of murders in FX’s “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” but no one dies in the most terrifying scene that has aired so far. Midway through the second episode, gay-hustler-turned-serial-killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) picks up an older man at the beach. As they enter the john’s spacious hotel room, Andrew asks how many people he employs. “Five thousand, globally,” the guy admits, but hastens to add, “I can be submissive.” So Andrew covers his face in duct tape, hissing, “You’re helpless. Accept it.” Then he turns up the stereo and dances in his orange bikini-cut swimsuit to “Easy Lover” by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey until his mark stops struggling. At the last second, he pokes a hole in the tape.

The scene is chilling for many reasons. There’s the painful suspense of waiting to find out if Andrew will let the john die. (Because the season unfolds in reverse-chronological order, we’ve already seen him kill Gianni Versace (Édgar Ramírez) in the premier; we know he’s capable of it.) There’s the sadistic pleasure Andrew, who spends his days smoking crack in a $29.99-a-night Miami Beach motel room, takes in dominating a powerful businessman. And creepiest of all is Criss’ body language as he gyrates, his face frozen in determination while his arms flail. This is the moment we realize exactly how unhinged Andrew Cunanan is.

“Easy Lover” is a brilliant sync: a disconcertingly upbeat soundtrack to a man’s suffocation, with a touch of lyrical irony given Andrew’s line of work. But perhaps the most striking thing about using a Phil Collins song in this context is what the reference brings to mind: American Psycho, the Mary Harron film based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel. Set in the 1980s, American Psycho finds yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman frequently extolling the virtues of his favorite soft rock hits. He turns on the stereo when he’s feeling great, which is mostly when he’s toying with a victim. In one scene, he plays Genesis’ “In Too Deep” and extemporizes on Collins’ career before he fucks and slaughters two prostitutes. Andrew’s encounter inverts the roles of sex worker and john, adding another layer of queerness to this tale of a gay man who preys on other gay men. “Versace” is using music to frame its subject as an explicitly gay variation on the American Psycho archetype.

Thankfully, for those of us who have no desire to revisit “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” or “Walking on Sunshine,” the show doesn’t overstate its case by cutting in additional Bateman murder jams. While the music of American Psycho captures the banality of Reagan-era capitalist evil, it’s the female-fronted house and dance-pop tracks that would’ve played in a typical ‘90s gay bar that suffuse this season of “American Crime Story.” Released the same year Cunanan turned violent, 1997, Jocelyn Enriquez’s egregiously overplayed “A Little Bit of Ecstasy” blasts as Gianni and his partner, Antonio (Ricky Martin), arrive at the club for yet another hedonistic night out, and soon decide to leave because they’d rather be alone together. Later, Andrew dances to La Bouche’s “Be My Lover” and Lisa Stansfield’s “This Is the Right Time” at the same venue as he prowls for victims, clients, hookups, or all of the above.

Like the disco that soundtracked the sexually fluid nightlife of the 1970s, the songs selected by music supervisor Amanda Krieg Thomas layer mantras of pleasure over beats that thump like an overexerted heart. Their appeal in the context of a gay club in the mid-‘90s isn’t hard to grasp: This is the only public place where queer men can express their desires without fear, and the music heightens that temporary sense of invincibility. The only threat in a room like this is AIDS—until Andrew appears. As soon as he enters the frame, all you can hear in these otherwise liberating hits is artifice, recklessness, and caprice.

Outside the club, the pop songs Andrew loves can sound even darker. In a flashback from the premiere, Stansfield’s “All Around the World” plays as a younger Andrew tries on expensive suits owned by his rich friend Lizzie’s (Annaleigh Ashford) husband. While she scolds him for raiding the closet and he reminds her, “I have nothing,” the song emphasizes the disconnect between his worldly pretensions and his parasitic lifestyle. The first time we see him in episode two, Andrew is a fugitive speeding toward Versace’s part-time home, Miami Beach, in a stolen truck. After catching a radio news report about himself, he finds a station playing Laura Branigan’s “Gloria,”cranks up the volume, and screams along with abandon. As high on his own notoriety as Patrick Bateman was on frivolous bloodshed, Andrew is celebrating the murders of men—three of them gay—with an iconic gay disco anthem.

There is a crucial difference between the American Psycho approach to music and the way “Versace” uses it, though. Bateman is a caricature of vain, ruthless, materialistic finance bros—a monster brought to life by a dominant culture that elevated those destructive traits. His affinity for Phil Collins and Huey Lewis and the News is an indictment of those artists. (Ellis agreed: “I ended up feeling bad for Bateman’s loving attention toward the band [Huey Lewis], which, in itself is this kind of criticism of the culture,” he told* Billboard.) Their songs are just another blandly sinister accessory to Bateman’s vapid existence, like his tanning bed and his embossed, bone-colored business cards.

As interpreted by this season’s writer, Tom Rob Smith, Andrew Cunanan is less a reflection of gay culture than a plague on it. If the john he nearly kills before going after Versace hadn’t been closeted, it’s quite possible Andrew would have been caught before he killed the fashion icon. When Andrew leaves the hotel room, the traumatized businessman slips on a wedding ring, calls 911, then thinks better of it and hangs up. Andrew’s earlier victims, who we’ll meet later in the season, are also casualties of the closet. In that sense, Andrew is the personification of society’s homophobia, which he uses to isolate and manipulate his targets, as well as HIV, which can turn sex deadly. In Miami Beach, he hides from the FBI in plain sight, buying neon tank tops and Speedos to blend in with the throngs of innocent gay vacationers. Music is one more layer of camouflage. Andrew’s grotesque enjoyment of “Gloria” isn’t a criticism of the song—it’s a perversion of its liberating meaning, and a threat to the culture that cherishes it.

How “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” Uses Dance Pop to Craft a Gay American Psycho | Pitchfork

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Versace Season 2 Episode 2

Another episode of Versace’s assassination is amongst us and so much more was revealed. From Versace’s unknown illness, to family relationships, to an insight in Andrew’s life pre Versace murder. For this episode, the story unfolds in reverse chronological order and recounts the events preceding before the main event. A chilling bedroom scene involving an elderly man, duct tape, scissors and Cunanan dancing takes centre stage, alongside Andrew’s ability to lie more easily than people tell the truth.

So much of the story is yet to unravel; what or who made Andrew the killer he is? Was it the lack of support from friends and family as a gay man? Was violence a key point of his life? Why is he so enthralled by successful elderly men? So many questions and yet no answers! With seven episodes remaining, I have my fingers crossed that all will be revealed.

For now though, I would like to share with you five of the best moments from American Crime Story: The Assassination of Versace, season 2, episode 2:

Versace’s Cremation

“After everything he survived – to be killed like this.”

After a heated argument with Antonio, Donatella has a private one-on-one cremation for Versace, dressing him up in his fanciest suit. This scene was incredibly powerful and emotional; seeing Donatella mourning her brother’s death is so heartbreaking. She always shows such a strong persona, so it was very appreciated to see a much more vulnerable side of her. After Versace’s ashes were delicately wrapped up, Donatella took him on her private jet, where she hinted at Versace already having a close-to-death moment previously. In the very first scene of the episode, Gianni is shown seeking treatment at a hospital with his partner Antonio. Although nothing is specifically said in the episode, there have been previous talks of Gianni having HIV/AIDS in 1993 – 1994, which lead him to become too sick to work and on bed rest for a while.

Donatella’s devastation and anger is shown when she says to his ashes, “After everything he survived — to be killed like this,” shows that Versace was a strong man and managed to cheat death, only to be murdered three years later.

Versace and Donatella’s relationship

There are still pieces of Versace and Donatella’s relationship that we’re missing, but in this episode, we saw a little more of a bond between the siblings. When Versace is dealing with his illness, Donatella has a fear of losing her brother, and what a touching scene this was. “What is Versace without you?” “It will be you.” “Who am I without you?” “You will find out.”

Later on in the episode, Donatella pushes Versace to reach his potential when she believes he is stuck in a rut and another fashion designer will soon swoop in and take his spotlight. With her push, Gianni wows the crowd with his models and designs, and although he doesn’t say the words, the silent exchange between him and Donatella says that he is thanking her. I can’t wait to see more moments between the two of them, as this is a bond that seems unbreakable.

Donatella and Antonio’s relationship

It’s incredibly clear to see that Donatella and Antonio never really saw eye to eye. During Versace’s illness and struggling to keep his company relevant, an argument erupts between the pair starting with Antonio claiming that Donatella has never been supportive of he and Gianni’s relationship. Donatella opens up to Antonio about how she feels, claiming that he has never been a real partner to her brother and has given him nothing throughout their time together.

“You knew he wanted a family. Why didn’t you give him one?” “What have you done for him? What have you given him? Stability? Safety? Children? If you had given him anything, I would have given you respect – but you have given him nothing.”

I would love to know whether or not Donatella and Antonio put all their tension behind. If they did, it’s a shame they had to do it due to a tragic loss!

Andrew Cunnanan’s story reversed

The premiere of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Versace started off in the present, with Cunanan killing Versace. This time, we was taken back two months to the day Andrew first arrived in Miami to find Versace. At the point of present day, Cunanan has already killed four people and landed himself a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Now we’re going to sit back and watch those four murders take place, alongside still seeing how Andrew is doing in the present.

Andrew’s false identities

Darren Criss consistently puts on the most terrifying performance of Cunanan, and with all of these false identities forming within seconds of each other, the creepiness has gone from 80% to a whopping 110%! With his simplicity of practicing everyday conversation in the mirror to himself to reflect his individual personas, you really do get the chills. I applaud Ryan Murphy every second for giving Darren this role… although I may never look at Blaine Anderson the same ever again.

He begins the episode as Kurt, a fashion student from Nice who travelled all this way for a few words with Versace. With his newfound friend Ronnie, he describes his close personal friendship with Versace effortlessly and with the elderly man he seduces, he tells the story of the lobster and black pepper his mother used to pack for his school lunches. The question is, are any of these stories true or at least connected a little to his real life? Or he just that good at manipulating and lying? Who knows!

A rather interesting moment, though, was the final nightclub scene where Andrew is approached by a guy. When asked what he does, he replied with, “I’m a serial killer!” He then covered his back by rambling a list of jobs that he supposedly does from a banker to a writer — and the episode ended with him telling this guy his true identity. “I’m the person least likely to be forgotten. I’m Andrew Cunanan.” Wowza! I can’t wait to see more of his identities throughout the season. Bravo once again, Darren Criss!

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Versace Season 2 Episode 2

The 10 Most Iconic Uses Of ’80s Jam “Gloria” In Movies & TV Shows

There is no evidence that “Gloria” by Laura Branigan is anything less than the greatest song ever made. It simply can’t be proven. This 1982 anthem about a woman named — you guessed it — Gloria has gone from obscure origins to become one of the most fondly remembered pop songs of the 1980s. A large part of why the song has persisted through the years, in addition to its infectious energy and Braingan’s emotional vocal performance, has been the use of “Gloria” in iconic film and TV moments.

“Gloria” has appeared as a soundtrack choice across a variety of genres, mediums, and tones since it became a pop hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has appeared as a punchline in animated comedies like Family Guy or South Park, and a collectable item in the action game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, or as a moment of lightness in a dark crime series like The Killing (executive producer: Veena Sud). In the latter instance, the song appears at the 26-minute mark of the episode “Ghosts Of The Past,” as a character sings it into a spoon while enjoying a diner meal. Even the darkest shows can’t escape the sheer joy of “Gloria.”

The versatility of “Gloria” has turned it into a go-to soundtracking choice for film and television creators, but if you’re looking for the most iconic moments — the ones that truly celebrate the ephemeral joy and feeling of invincibility that comes with the song — you won’t need to look much farther than the following selections.

1. The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

The most recent entry into the great canon of “Gloria” soundtrack moments, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace (Director: Gwyneth Horder-Payton, two episodes) uses the song to showcase one of the many sides of alleged serial killer Andrew Cunanan. While driving away from his past (the alleged murder of an innocent man) towards his future (the murder of innocent man and fashion icon Gianni Versace), Cunanan flips through the radio to find something he likes — and that something is “Gloria.” It just goes to show that Ryan Murphy will stop at nothing to get Darren Criss to sing.

The 10 Most Iconic Uses Of ’80s Jam “Gloria” In Movies & TV Shows

“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”: The Next Best Thing to Being a Star is Killing One

“Kitsch,” Milan Kundera once wrote, “is the absolute denial of shit, in both the literal and the figurative senses of the word.” Unconcerned with hiding the figurative shit, and instead content to thrust it onto the viewer within the first minute, the second installment of American Crime Story starts with Gianni Versace in the hospital, being treated for what we are led to assume is HIV. Shit happens, then you die; a lot of this shit is unearned, unfair and brutal. A lot of this shit is painful and undignified, and it kills. For a show that has—as Penelope-as-Donatella says to Ricky-as-Antonio, Gianni’s partner, of her brother—“a weakness for beauty,” The Assassination of Gianni Versace is, in this brief scene at least, extremely frank.

This frankness has not thrilled the Versace family, who released a public statement earlier this month disputing the idea that Gianni had AIDS: “The company producing the series claims it is relying on a book by Maureen Orth,” it reads (referring to Orth’s Vulgar Favors, published in 2000), “but the Orth book itself is full of gossip and speculation. As just one example, Orth makes assertions about Gianni Versace’s medical condition based on a person who claims he reviewed a post-mortem test result, but she admits it would have been illegal for the person to have reviewed the report in the first place (if it existed at all).”

Last week, on a podcast based entirely around the show (made—in a fit of content and creator every bit as snug as that of Cunanan’s red Speedo—by the team atVanity Fair), Tom Robert Smith, a writer on the series and a firm believer in Orth’s version of events, offered a rebuttal. “Andrew [Cunanan, the killer], this destroyer of life, did not have AIDS,” said Smith. “And the person who did have HIV was this great creator and celebrator of life.”

Narratively, this can’t help but seem convenient, given that we see Gianni literally proclaim his lust for living in a scene that falls between his treatment and his murder. The Assassination lays on its dramatic irony, at times, less like a layer of gossamer than a sheet of lead: a dead man’s shroud. Unlike the chainmail fabric Cunanan is seen to rhapsodize about like a fetish object (“The man invented his own fabrics! Ever heard of Oroton?”), it does not wear it lightly, nor with enviable ease.

All the other things that happen in the episode are minor enough that I can lay them out succinctly: Donatella argues with Versace’s live-in lover, the sweet but minimally-used Antonio, played by Ricky Martin, over whether it’s his fault that Gianni has contracted H.I.V. from a three-way fling. The killer drives into Miami playing Laura Branigan’s Gloria, making this the second filmed depiction of true violence in six months to use the track as a doomy gag. We are treated to a recreation of Versace’s final show which, ludicrously, does not have Naomi Campbell play herself despite the fact she’s aged like a bona fide artwork. Cunanan turns tricks on the beach, and then almost suffocates an older man with duct tape in a hotel room that looks like Barbie’s Porno Dream House, to the very un-hot and unsophisticated soundtrack of Phil Collins’ Easy Lover. If this does not sound like high art, understand that it isn’t. If it does not sound like entertainment, you might be—like Cunanan’s new beachside hustler friend—on crack.

Kundera also said about kitsch that “it causes two tears to flow in quick succession. The first tear,” he explained, “says: How nice to see children running on the grass! The second tear says: How nice to be moved, together with all mankind, by children running on the grass! It is the second tear that makes kitsch ‘kitsch.’” When Andrew Cunanan arrives at the Normandy Plaza hotel in Miami, he is momentarily transfixed by a bad, gray painting of Marilyn; and how nice it is to be moved, along with all mankind, by reminders of Marilyn’s face. How nice to be moved, along with all mankind, by images that necessarily remind us of her death in the décor of a crumbling Deco-era hotel: death made spectacular enough that it’s pure public spectacle, pure pulpy, campy entertainment. “I’m the one least likely to be forgotten,” Cunanan later says to a guy in a club. It does not sound exactly like a lie, since the next best thing to being a star is killing one.

“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”: The Next Best Thing to Being a Star is Killing One

American Crime Story: Versace Recap: “Manhunt” Provides Insight Into A Killer’s Mind With Some Sex And Duct Tape

Just when you thought Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan couldn’t get any more unsettling, this week’s episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story basically said “hold my beer” to the audience as it gave us more insight into Cunanan’s crazy mind.

While the premiere episode definitely set the tone of the show and what is yet to come, this week’s episode, aptly titled “Manhunt”, completely broke down Criss’ squeaky Glee persona as he solidified his performance as Cunanan, unnerving as it is to watch. Much of the action in the episode took place in the past, which gave us a better understanding of what led Cunanan to murder Versace.

Additionally, a glimpse into Antonio’s and Versace’s relationship was also provided as some light was shed on why Donatella is so antagonistic towards her brother’s partner.

Gather ’round and let’s discuss “Manhunt.”

Back In 1994: The episode started by taking us back to 1994, the year Versace was allegedly diagnosed with HIV (though the Versace family states the famed designer had ear cancer to this day). Versace looked very distraught about his health situation, but was also determined to beat whatever was ailing him (the story about his eldest sister dying and how it made him feel like anything was treatable was a particularly touching moment). Meanwhile, on the other hand, his sister wasn’t feeling as optimistic as the diagnosis brought out Donatella’s true feelings about Antonio, whom she blamed for her brother’s infection. “He wasn’t enough for you,” she said. “You wanted more. More fun, more men.” She also chastised him for not finding a way to give her brother a family, which she claimed Antonio knew he always wanted. “If you had given him anything, I would have given you respect,” she said. “But you gave him nothing.” Those feelings never did change as Antonio and Donatella feigned getting along while in Gianni’s presence but the second he was dead, Donatella flat out told Antonio “there’s no need to pretend.”

Antonio was not the only thing that they disagreed about as the siblings had their moments of fighting in-house when it came to the future of the company. Versace clashed with his sister, who expressed concerns about newer designers stealing attention — and business — away from the company. She wanted to have a more extreme and edgy look to push towards the future while Gianni still wanted his designs and his shows to show off his heart and come from it as well. He also argued that the Versace models were too skinny (which we agree with him). Determined to prove her wrong, and to prove that he wasn’t going to let his recent diagnosis slow him down, he pulled off a crowd-pleasing runway surprise, temporarily silencing Donatella’s concerns.

Despite their disagreements, Donatella did love her brother, as we were taken back to 1997, shortly after Gianni’s death. Donatella arrived to see his body, bringing a suit for him. She tenderly tightened his tie in the coffin and fixed his cufflinks. He looked perfect, almost living, and then he was cremated. All of that beautiful effort was turned to ashes, and put in a gold box to go back to Italy on a plane with Donatella.

In 1997: Andrew Cunanan was arriving in Miami Beach ready to make a name for himself. His first order of business was to secure a room at Miami’s Normandy Plaza, where he came upon a tragic soul named Ronnie, a drug addict afflicted with HIV who seemed very interested in Andrew (or Andy, as he introduced himself to Ronnie). Cunanan either took a liking to or felt pity for Ronnie as he befriends him and offers to help pay for things. Luckily, money wasn’t an issue for the duo, as Andrew’s side business — which mostly involved seducing married men, wrapping their heads in duct tape, then eating room-service entrees, was doing rather well.

Ronnie had high hopes for the pair of them but Andrew did not. After wrapping his own head in duct tape (there was a lot of that this week) and taking a long shower, Andrew walked out of their shared apartment — and Ronnie’s life — for good. Even worse, when Ronnie questioned if Andrew considered him a friend, Andrew chillingly replied, “When someone asks if we’re friends, you’ll say no.” That line takes us back to last week’s premiere when Ronnie was found by the police and asked about Andrew.

This episode also really showed how little interest the police — and even the FBI — had in pursuing a string of gay-related crimes, even one as twisted as Andrew’s killing spree.

Quote of the Night:

“What is Versace without you?” Donatella
“It is you.” Gianni

American Crime Story: Versace Recap: “Manhunt” Provides Insight Into A Killer’s Mind With Some Sex And Duct Tape

Gianni Versace’s Partner Slams American Crime Story Portrayal as a ‘Misrepresentation’

Antonio D’Amico, the longtime partner of the late Italian designer Gianni Versace, is not happy with FX’s new series about Versace’s life and death, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story — and he tells PEOPLE exclusively that the project contains multiple inaccuracies.

“Significant parts of the [series] on Gianni Versace’s murder do not reflect the reality of the events that took place,” says D’Amico, 59. “I feel — together with those who know me well — that my character … is a misrepresentation of myself and what our relationship was like.”

In particular, D’Amico points to a scene early in American Crime Story‘s second season where Versace’s killer, Andrew Cunanan, is depicted meeting him onstage in San Francisco after an earlier encounter at a club. (It’s not quite clear whether the series is endorsing this version of events, which appears to be told from Cunanan’s perspective.)

D’Amico tells PEOPLE the sequence “is pure fantasy as I was with Gianni — together with a number of other people, like the ladies from the San Francisco Opera council — for the entire time he was at the theatre and then we went back to our hotel together.”

“I remember it clearly because it was quite an event,” he continues. “That supposed meeting never took place. At least not on that day and in that setting. Just an aside, Gianni did not drink alcohol — everyone knew that — so even the champagne scene with Cunanan is fictitious.

D’Amico also says that the series gets wrong a few things about his 15-year-plus relationship with Versace.

“Neither Gianni nor I were looking to get married or to have children,” he says. “All we wanted was to live our relationship in the open — as we did. We were more than happy to have the nieces and nephews that we had and were not seeking children of our own.”

D’Amico isn’t the first to speak out about The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Versace’s family has also criticized the show as “reprehensible” and “bogus.”

In response, producer Ryan Murphy told Variety, “We issued a statement saying that this story is based on Maureen Orth’s book [Vulgar Favors],which is a very celebrated, lauded work of non-fiction that was vetted now for close to 20 years. That’s really all I have to say about it, other than of course I feel if your family is ever portrayed in something, it’s natural to sort of have a ‘Well, let’s wait and see what happens’ [stance].”

Speaking specifically about Versace’s sister, Donatella, played by Penélope Cruz in the series, Murphy said: “I don’t know if she is going to watch the show, but if she did I think that she would see that we treat her and her family with respect and kindness.”

Last year, D’Amico spoke to Ricky Martin, who plays him in the series. According to Martin, he reassured D’Amico that he would be satisfied with the portrayal.

A rep for FX did not immediately return a call for comment.

Gianni Versace’s Partner Slams American Crime Story Portrayal as a ‘Misrepresentation’