On this week’s episode of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, we dive into the seventh episode titled ‘Ascent’ JLAG and NBEA have some controversial opinions about this episode tune in to find out! | 13 March 2018
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5. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Network: FX
Last Week’s Ranking: 3There are a few moments in The Assassination of Gianni Versace where the temptation to feel pity for whatever happened to create the freakish empty husk that is Andrew Cunanan is relatively strong. Several such moments occur in the latest episode, “Descent.” Then you’re inevitably visited by a character he’s killed in a previous episode, and all you can do is feel sorry for the whole damned world. Because “Descent” is, in the end, about love. Sometimes when people can’t locate any within themselves they have a hard time finding it in others. Occasionally, someone is driven actually insane by this, and might even do something unspeakable. We already know what’s going to happen to Andrew Cunanan. I wonder if he does. —Amy Glynn (Photo: Suzanne Tenner/FX)
Top performer
Clare: While Darren Criss was magnificent as per usual, it was Penelope Cruz in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’s “Ascent” that really impressed me this week. Getting to see more of her backstory and her relationship with her brother was really interesting and getting the comparison of her here when Gianni is forced to give the reins of the company to her to when she has no choice but to take control following his murder a few years later was wonderful. Seeing her growth and her gaining in self-confidence and owning her power and creativity was great, made even more poignant with International Women’s Day.
Top moment
Clare: All hail Darren Criss and his ability to say so much with just his eyes and facial expressions. When he walked in and witnessed the brutal murder of Lincoln Aston, the shock, the horror as well as fear for his own life was all perfectly captured in Criss’ face. There is a reason that Criss is basically a shoe-in for a nomination in every limited series best actor award in the award season later this year. This was just another perfect example of that.
Average score: 8.296
“Nobody gives a shit how hard you work. This is about being what people want” gives us the definitive statement to Andrew Cunanan’s modus operandi. In this episode we see Cunanan rejected for his half-Filipino heritage, but rewarded with wealth, status, and admiration when he glosses over the racial and financial details of his life. Darren Criss shines as we delve deeper into the inner workings of our main character, getting to turn up his trademark charm as Cunanan seduces his way into more accomplished men’s lives. Darren earns this week’s MVP award with 70.4% of your vote.
Updated weekly rankings:
You can vote in previous polls here or change your score as the season progresses. Any new or edited scores will be reflected in the weekly episode rankings.
Stay tuned for episode 8!
ACSFX: His best attributes brought out the worst in him. #ACSVersace @DarrenCriss
@ACSFX: As if it’s the last dress they’ll ever make… #ACSVersace @edgarramirez25
In this episode, we learn a lot more about Andrew and his life prior to the new and luxurious lifestyle. His web of lies begin crumbling, and people who he thought loved him, show that they are also capable of lying. We celebrate Andrew’s 26th birthday, where he shows desperation for making David fall in love with him, asking extreme favors from his friends and feeding off of another rich man’s money. We also get to see a more vulnerable and human side to Andrew as he reaches out to his mother and thrives in her love that others fail to give him.
Here are the 4 best moments from American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, “Descent” :
Love is NOT in the air
Andrew begins this episode living the good life; he lives in a luxurious house, he drives a fancy car, he strips butt naked in a pool and he has the most magnificent view. It’s Andrew’s birthday and the house is jam-packed with people who love him… Or so he thinks. His goal at this party is to make a connection with the ‘love of his life’, David. To show David how loved his is, Andrew asks Jeff to dress a little smarter and to give him a more luxorious present than what he already gave him… The levels of desperation are embarrassingly high. It seems that a lot of people at this party do not have genuine love for Andrew, but the love he has forced them to give him. Love is most certainly not in the air for Andrew.
“That room is full of people who love me.”
“Then that room is full of people who don’t know you.”
David and Jeff’s First Meeting
David and Jeff’s first meet up had me right on board the ship and I wish that they were given the chance to have the happy ending they deserved. Their connection was genuine and was taken away in a swift second by Andrew’s greed and jealousy. It’s safe to say that Jeff has no problem with getting attention from men and David was gripped the second he saw him – when Andrew wanted a solo picture with David, David pulled Jeff straight in to the picture a long with some other men, not really feeling the love that Andrew was feeling.
Beautiful Liar
I’m finding it hard to keep writing up headings for how much of a liar Andrew continues to be throughout these episodes, but as we are most likely still crushing over Darren Criss – no matter how scary he is, I think beautiful liar pretty much sums him and his character up. When Andrew and David have a ‘romantic’ getaway, Andrew showers David in new suits, a fancy hotel suite and all the fancy foods… However, David see’s right through Andrew’s facade and isn’t afraid to confront him, which caused for some serious entertainment. David is willing to take his relationship with Andrew further, if only he will come clean about his life and lay it all out on the table. Andrew does start by telling the truth about his dad; a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch who now has returned to the Philippines, however, as the truth comes out, the lies start to tangle up around them, Andrew clearly getting upset and angry at David’s confrontation. It seems that he can’t even tell the truth to the so-called love of his life. David, once again, see’s right through Andrew’s lies and tells him that one day he will make somebody happy… It just most likely won’t be him.
Norman Bates, is that you?
Being a fan of Bates Motel,I received some serious Norman and Norma Bats vibes, when Andrew returns to his mother, after his sugar daddy refused to give him what he wanted. We see his mother, Mary, washing away Andrew’s emotional wounds in the bath, as he sits curled up feeling sorry for himself… Mary seems to be the only one throughout this episode who shows true love towards Andrew, even if Andrew doesn’t return the same love back. We finally see a more human side to the monster we’ve all come to know and seeing how mentally ill his mother also is, it helps us understand the reason behind why Andrew behaves the way he does.
Because of the backwards narrative style, the entire second season of American Crime Story has been one big origin story for Andrew Cunanan, his relationships, and the motives that eventually led to his string of murders. The seventh episode, titled “Ascent”, was the episode that we’ve been leading up to all along to fully get a changing point in Andrew’s life.
Last week’s episode (titled “Descent”, in parallels that were evident throughout) was about Andrew losing everything he built for himself. This week we get a peek into how he started putting it together…
Episode 7: “Ascent”
1992, Milan. The episode opens with Donatella Versace, which is always a welcome change. The the further we go back in time, the more the Versace appearances are more thematic tie-ins to Andrew’s journey than a look into their personal lives. But Penelope Cruz in a platinum blonde wig is always a vision to behold.
Donatella is anxious that she can’t seem to design a dress by himself. Gianni can see the potential and talent in his younger sister, and decides to guide her; he proposes they design a dress together. He will show her the ropes. Learning to adapt to your environment will be a big theme of the episode.
We then go to a San Diego pharmacy, where Andrew is working as a cashier. Every week, we see Andrew being stripped more and more of the egocentric, glamorized monster of the first episodes. He’s slightly less delusional, less hurt, less polished; somehow more human, which is reinforces the weird moral statement the show is making out about a murderer.
The Andrew we meet this week is an Andrew that is fueled by dreams. This is something that has always pushed him forward (and what eventually pushed him over the edge), but here we see someone who has yet to accomplish what he set out to do. He’s just a cashier reading a Vogue magazine.
We also see more of the relationship with his mother, who was first introduced last week. In real life, this woman was severely mentally ill, which the show hints at in small, hardly overt ways. We see a tremendous dependency she has not only on her son, but on her son’s success. His value under her eyes is measured on how much he can accomplish.
“You can tell lies, but you either have money or you don’t”, a man at his regular dive bar tells Andrew, perhaps pulling the final trigger inside him to activate him and make him go pursue his dream life. For Andrew, this naturally means to join an escort service. After all, he is well-versed, can carry a conversation, and older guys are keen on him.
The following scene, where Andrew interviews for an escort position, is the only scene so far in the series in which Andrew’s Asian-American identity takes a hard toll on him. “I can’t sell a smartass Filipino,” the escort manager tells him, after she’s asked him to put himself in every box the potential clients might check. “Then I will sell myself.” The idea of not being desired or wanted is something that will chase him for life.
Andrew insinuates himself into the life of Lincoln Ascot, an older millionaire, by charming him and his group of wealthy gays in an opera playhouse. Soon, they have reached an arrangement; he will get monthly allowances, expense credits, and travel benefits, in exchange for redecorating Lincoln’s house and social life. A bargain that benefits both of them.
And then we finally witness the fated encounter between Andrew and David Madson in San Francisco; the night that has been hinted to since David’s introduction in episode four, and that would define the rest of their lives. What starts as Andrew buying a drink for the lonely blond gentlemen at the bar, ends as one of those nights; a night of endless conversation and opening yourself completely. Andrew is hooked. The way Cody Fern portrays David as a wide-eyed dreamer, talking endlessly about his goals, is so much painful and traffic knowing his end. The show has been very effective in highlighting the theme of hope and lost dreams via the backwards narrative.
But Lincoln is not pleased with Andrew taking in new lovers, and breaks off the arrangement. That very same night, he picks up a straight-identified man at a bar, perhaps for the sake of company and drowning his sorrows. But this man, terrified of Lincoln but more terrified at himself, freaks out at the slight touch of Lincoln’s hand, bashes his head, and brutally murders him. “An act of self-defense.” Andrew witnesses this from afar.
While this murder actually took place in reality (and the man later confessed to it to committing it out of gay panic), there is no evidence of Andrew ever being there, but his placement in the room makes for an interesting addition. It allowed Andrew to be a passive bystander for something that he would later commit himself more than once. He would also use this to underline the fatality of not being able to speak up as a gay man against a crime. We all had it coming; it’s always our fault.
Andrew mourns Lincoln with Norman, one of his closest friends and (because we’ve seen last week’s episode), the next man he will be kept under. As they work through their grief on a beach, Andrew offers Norman what he had with Lincoln. A dream that he can build for them.
But he’s not telling his mom he’s become a kept boy. He’s telling her that he’s going after a bigger dream; he’s travelling the world with Gianni Versace as his costuming assistant. His mother assumes that she’s coming along with them. But Andrew has to shed everything from his previous identity, including her. In what has now become the peak trope for selfish behavior, he ends up hurting his own mother, pushing her away and making her fracture her shoulder blade. But she still thinks he’s such a good boy. Andrew cries at this. He will never be a good boy again.
In between Andrew’s titular ascent, segments of the Versaces are peppered throughout. Donatella takes the red carpet spotlight for the first time and becomes a public face for the company. Gianni goes deeper into an illness he will never be cured off, and eventually has to leave Milan for Miami, and Donatella takes over the day-to-day operations. “If we are not talked about, we are nothing,” she says to her new employees after Gianni’s departure. This is another reminder that the Versace’s presence has mostly been used for thematic underlining.
There are two episodes of this season left. According to early critical coverage, next week’s episode we will go back in time one last time, to fully understand Andrew’s life motivation to social climb his way towards murder. And as much as I’ve enjoyed the backwards narrative and the emotional places it takes the audience, I hope the finale puts us back where the premiere left off, with Andrew after the last murder. There needs to be a conclusion to Andrew’s life, as he ended it shortly after.
It’s been a bittersweet journey to explore the lives of people whose fates we already know. I’m enjoying the deep exploration of their characters, but also question them. I get the necessity (and, in a way, the debt) to humanize the victims that have become footnotes in a larger story. I get the necessity of painting the world of prejudice around them, and the decisions that led them to meet and need this man. I thank that we’ve gotten to explores the themes of isolation, longing for connection, and community in the gay sphere that still permeate today. It’s almost a pity, though, that in the way we are also getting a human, almost relatable portrait of a killer. But I guess if there was a way to do it, taking all factors around it into consideration was the way to go.
Oh, how we love a dose of the Versace family! This week we watched Donatella on the path to fame after creating the dream dress for red carpets and having to take over her brother’s business after finding out he has a rare form of cancer. Donatella has been in the background of this show up until now, and it was nice to see her centre stage.
Here are the 5 best moments of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Versace 2×07:
The dream dress that nobody wanted
This episode shows Donatella trying to be a part of the Versace team, designing her own clothes, however she doesn’t seem to have an artistic streak and doubts her ability to take over the company if anything was to happen to Gianni. Gianni confronts Donatella about how unartistic he also is and the pair create the most magnificent leather, belted, bondage dress that soon enough catches the attention of everybody at the 1992 Vogue’s 100th Anniversary party. Donatella refused to wear the dress herself at first and believed it belonged on model’s, however, Gianni convinces her that she is to become a star and when they both appear on the red carpet, Gianni helps his sister find her confidence and she shines immaculately, with every reporter and photographer begging for her to pose for them.
Although the newly designed dress seemed to be a huge success on the carpet, it seems that is all the dress is made for, as sales became increasingly low due to it’s high extravagance. Gianni is outraged by the public not purchasing the dress and appreciating his sister’s dedication and hard work. Donatella suggests creating a similar dress, but more low, which doesn’t bode well with Gianni, as he reaches for his scissors and cuts away the belts, leaving a simple LBD in it’s place.
Gianni’s Illness
After Gianni’s outburst over people not purchasing his sister’s dress, he freaks out because he is unable to hear his sister and his partner. Later on, Donatella tells the staff of Versace HQ that their boss has a rare form of ear cancer and that she will take charge of the business until her brother’s return.
Andrew’s sugar daddies
Andrew has always dreamed of a rich and extravagant lifestyle… So what’s the best first stop in that direction? An escort agency. Although Andrew has all of the qualities to be a successful escort, the fact that he is an Asian-American leaves him facing rejection, as no man ever requests for an Asian.
Andrew takes being an escort in to his own hands and tries to sell himself. He sets himself on high society rich man Norman, who he purposely bumps in to at an Opera House, setting the motion of what will be a disastrous relationship in the future. Norman introduces Andrew to his other two highly successful friends, Lincoln Aston and David Gallo, finding himself invited to dinner later with the three. Andrew finds himself alone with Lincoln, offering to be his sugar baby – however, after focusing more of his attention on his new found crush, David, Lincoln heads back out to the gay bars.
Lincoln meets Kevin Bond, a man who introduces himself as a straight man, but always finds himself at a gay bar. Kevin goes back to Lincoln’s place, however the night ends abruptly when Andrew witnesses Kevin brutally beating Lincoln to death after swiftly going in to panic defence because he thought Lincoln was trying to kiss him.
Later on, Andrew and Norman form a bond over their mutual fear of being a public gay man. Andrew convinces Norman to let him create his dream home, where Andrew later holds this against him when Norman ever tries to kick him out or not give him what he wants.
Norman Bates round 2
Andrew promises his mother that he will take her all over the world and out of the small home they live in now, however, he breaks that promises when he decides to live alone with Norman. This was heartbreaking to watch, as Mary consistently tried to convince Andrew to let her go with him, even offering to do everything for him when they begun their journey. Andrew didn’t like how forward his mother was being and there was somewhat a moment of physical abuse, when he throws her in to a wall.
While checking on Mary’s injuries, the nurses seem quite wary of Andrew and try to silently hint at Mary to tell the truth about how she really got her injury – however, she continues to tell them that she slipped and Andrew called for an ambulance because he’s a good boy.
Andrew and David’s First Meeting
We was finally introduced to how Andrew and David came to meet – and it was all down to one drink Andrew requests to be sent to David whilst he sits alone at a bar. David goes over to Andrew and his friends to thank him for the gesture and he joins them for the rest of the night to celebrate Andrew’s friends birthday. The first night spent together that we heard of from David in episode 4 beings to pan out in front of us – the intensity of their connection and romance would allow you to believe that this could be a true love story, but, as this show is going backwards, we already know this is a love story that would definitely make for one sick and twisted romance novel.
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