‘American Crime Story’ Recap: Gianni Urges Donatella To Take Control

It’s 1992 in Milan. Donatella is busy working on new Versace designs with her designers. “A dress is a weapon to get what she wants,” Donatella says. A new era of fashion is on the horizon. Her workers have been wondering what is wrong with Gianni since he’s been absent so much. When Gianni arrives, he immediately picks a fight with Donatella. He calls her out for taking a step back in designing. She pleads with him to tell her what he wants from her. “I want everything,” Gianni says. Donatella cries that she’s already given all of herself to him and this company. He says it’s not enough.

Antonio tells Gianni to apologize to Donatella for being so cruel. Gianni goes to his sister and tells her that they are going to design a dress together. “Soon it will be just you,” Gianni says, as if seeing the future and knowing he’s not going to be a part of it. “All of this will rest on you.” Donatella replies, “This company is you. It’s not me.”

“You have to make it yours,” Gianni tells her. “You have to take it. You have to own it.” When Gianni’s not around, Donatella will be in charge. She will be the face of Versace. “This dress is not my legacy,” he says to his beloved sister. “You are.”

An Ice Cream Tantrum

In San Diego, Andrew is working at a pharmacy. He comes home and finds a discount ice cream container in the freezer and throws it on the floor. He only wants “the best.” If it’s not Haagen-Dazs, he doesn’t want the ice cream at all. (*Rolls eyes*)

He meets Jeff Trail at a local gay bar. Andrew fears getting rejected by men. He finds himself lying to get attention. In the end, Jeff’s still the one who goes home with a guy at the end of the night. No matter what Andrew does, he’s just never good enough. He dreams of getting far away from San Diego and assures his mother that he’ll take her with him.

Andrew auditions to be an escort. Physical attributes are the only things that matter. “This is about being what people want,” the woman says. Andrew’s not the subject of fantasies. He’s turned away, but he’s not deterred. Andrew targets Norman Blachford, and the man falls right for it, as does Lincoln Aston.

The Dress

Gianni and Donatella design that black leather bondage dress, which sets the fashion label in a new direction. He convinces her to wear the dress to Vogue’s100th anniversary gala. When the brother and sister walk in together, the crowd goes wild. Later, Donatella sees that something is very wrong with her brother when he suddenly can’t hear anything. Gianni suffered from ear cancer before he died.

While out with friends, Andrew spots David Madson for the first time. He orders David a drink and takes him home. Andrew is immediately smitten. Andrew returns to see Lincoln and watches the man get brutally murdered by a stranger. He reconnects with Norman in the wake of Lincoln’s death. Norman welcomes him in with open arms. Andrew tells his mother that he’s going on vacation with Versace, and she freaks when she realizes that she’s not going. He’s really just going to live with Norman. Never trust a guy who doesn’t treat his mother right.

While Gianni recovers, Donatella steps in as head of the company. She easily slides into the role of a leader. Gianni always knew her greatness, and she’s now realizing it, too.

‘American Crime Story’ Recap: Andrew Cunanan’s Life Spirals Out Of Control

American Crime Story is taking a look back at the year before Andrew Cunanan decided to kill Gianni Versace, William Reese, Lee Miglin,David Madson, and Jeff Trail on a murder spree. In 1996, Andrew is living large with the wealthy and older Norman Blachford. Andrew is basking in a life of luxury — sometimes completely naked — that he hasn’t worked a single minute for. Norman’s friends understandably don’t approve of Andrew and believe he’s taking advantage of Norman. Andrew throws a lavish birthday party for himself, and it’s all about getting David Madson to truly notice him. Andrew swears to David that there’s nothing sexual going on with Norman, but with the life Andrew is living with Norman, it’s hard for David to see otherwise. With Norman, Andrew just sees opportunity. With David, Andrew sees a future.

But Andrew refuses to let David see the true Andrew Cunanan. When Jeff arrives at the party, Andrew gives him a gift to give back. It’s all part of impressing David. “I need him to see that I’m loved,” Andrew says. David arrives at the party, and Andrew’s world stops. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the world does. Norman’s friend tells Andrew off big time. Andrew is not Norman’s equal and never will be. Andrew spots Jeff and David talking at the party. His concentration is interrupted by none other than Lee Miglin, who is desperate to get Andrew’s attention. Meanwhile, Andrew is desperate to get rid of Lee so he can get back to David.

Later, Andrew makes multiple outrageous demands to Norman. Norman finally sticks up for himself and calls out Andrew’s lies. Norman is well aware that Andrew comes from absolutely nothing and is in no position to make these over the top demands. He wants Andrew to finish his degree and work hard for once in his life. Andrew doesn’t want that “ordinary” life. Norman refuses to meet Andrew’s demands, so Andrew leaves.

Jeff’s father gets the postcard from Andrew that implies his son is gay, which is probably payback for chatting up with David. Jeff confronts Andrew about it, but Andrew refuses to take the blame. Jeff reveals he’s moving to Minneapolis, and Andrew warns him to stay away from David. Andrew immediately invites David to a secret getaway. After an extravagant time out, David tells Andrew that he’s not the one for him. “You are the only one I have ever truly loved,” Andrew says. David wants Andrew to be real with him, but Andrew can’t break down those lies.

Andrew quickly runs out of money and turns to hard drugs for relief. He hallucinates an entire conversation with Versace. “This world has wasted me,” Andrew says. “While it has turned you, Mr. Versace, into a star.” Andrew truly believes that people like Versace just got lucky in this world. He couldn’t be more wrong. Andrew’s downward spiral continues. When he’s desperate for money, Andrew goes to Norman’s place, but he’s shut out completely. He made his bed, and now he’s got to lie in it. With nowhere to go, Andrew returns home to his mother. Andrew wallows in his own pity, while his mom continues to feed the lies that Andrew’s told. The episode ends with Andrew heading to Minneapolis, where his crime spree began.

‘American Crime Story’ Recap: Andrew Cunanan’s Life Spirals Out Of Control

‘American Crime Story’ Recap: Andrew Savagely Murders A Friend & Former Lover

This episode starts out on April 27, 1997, exactly one week before Lee Miglin’s murder. Andrew is in the midst of an argument with David Madson, his former lover. Andrew is acting closed off and robotic. David goes downstairs to get their friend Jeff Trail. David tells Jeff that Andrew proposed. Jeff seems indifferent to Andrew. “He knows about us,” David says to Jeff, who doesn’t believe it. Jeff never wants to see Andrew again. He’s just here to get his gun back from Andrew. But Jeff walks right into his own grave. Andrew attacks Jeff with a claw hammer the second he walks through the door. Andrew hits him over and over again. Jeff’s blood spatters everywhere.

David watches it all go down in horror. Afterwards, Andrew calmly walks over and hugs David. He tries to comfort David. Andrew pulls David into the shower to clean him. “Are you going to kill me?” David asks. Andrew says no, but you can tell David doesn’t believe him. David starts to freak out and wants to call the police. David gives Andrew some space, but when he walks into the living area later, Andrew still hasn’t called. Andrew starts spinning a narrative that could implicate David in the crime. This is David’s apartment, and David is the one who brought Jeff up in the first place. David calls 911, and that’s the first time Andrew seems uneasy. He quickly pulls his gun out and waves it in front of David, which pushes David to hang up the phone.

Andrew says the police will see two suspects, not two victims. David just wants to call his dad. Andrew manipulates David every which way and won’t let him leave. David suddenly realizes that walking the dog could be his way out. As David and Andrew try to leave the apartment, they both realize Jeff’s body is still lying there after Andrew slaughtered him. Andrew doesn’t waste any time grabbing a rug and rolling Jeff’s body up in it. Andrew tells David to look away. David helps him move Jeff’s body across the apartment. Andrew cleans up the blood, and David just watches completely shell-shocked. Andrew stresses that no one else will get hurt as long as David stays by his side.

David’s co-worker Linda comes to check on him after he doesn’t show up to work. When the landlord opens the door, David and Andrew are gone. Detectives Tichich and Jackson arrive. They think the body is David’s body. Linda tells them about Andrew. When she says David’s hair is blond, Tichich checks the body and finds the victim as brown hair. Tichich thinks it’s actually Andrew! He believes David is still alive and the police don’t have a search warrant for the apartment, so the whole case could be compromised. The detectives think David is the killer. But David’s never been a killer. David has never been able to take a life. The body is taken the coroner, and the police finally figure out that Jeff is the one who’s dead.

Andrew acts like nothing is wrong now that he and David are on the run. He says that he knows Lee Miglin in Chicago. “He owes me,” Andrew admits, before adding that Lee will give them money to get to Mexico. David worries about how this will impact his parents. When the police confront his parents, they’re adamant David had nothing to do with Jeff’s murder.

Andrew and David stop at a bar. David thinks about escaping through the bathroom window, but it’s almost as if he’s accepted his fate. Meanwhile, Andrew is crying over a performance of The Cars’ “Drive.” In these brief moments, the broken Andrew finally reveals himself as a lonely and desperate man. David comes back to the table and holds Andrew’s hands.

David looks back on the moment he told his dad he was gay. His dad didn’t agree with David’s lifestyle, but his love for his son meant more than his pride. “I love you more than I love my own life,” David’s dad told him.

David wakes up in his car in the middle of the woods. Andrew is off in the distance. At a diner, David talks about when he met Andrew. He wanted to live like Andrew once upon a time. But now he knows it was all lies. David confronts Andrew about killing Jeff, who had figured out the kind of man Andrew really is. Andrew is still living in a dream world and refuses to accept reality. David embraces his anger. He knows that Andrew wanted him to watch Jeff die. He pushes Andrew to his breaking point. Andrew points the gun at David’s chest and starts rambling about their future. This new side of David didn’t fit into Andrew’s plan.

Andrew pulls off near a lake and points his gun at David. He wants David to convince him why he should let him live. David is shaken to his core. “Why couldn’t you run away with me?” Andrew asks. This life that Andrew has envisioned isn’t real. They have to go to the police. David gets his chance to escape and runs inside a nearby trailer. When he runs through the door, he sees his father. In reality, Andrew shoots David square in the back as he tries to escape. He doesn’t stop there. As David gasps for breath, Andrew shoots him again in the eye. Andrew lies with David’s body for a while, and then leaves David there to rot.

‘American Crime Story’ Recap: Andrew Savagely Murders A Friend & Former Lover

‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace’ Recap: Andrew Cunanan Commits His Most Vicious Crime Yet

Before Andrew Cunanan killed Gianni Versace, he murdered four other innocent people in cruel, vicious ways. His third and fourth victims, Lee Miglin and William Reese, are the subject of the Jan. 31 episode. The episode opens in May 1997. Marilyn Miglin (played by the incredible Judith Light) returns to her Chicago mansion from a work trip to find her house empty. Her husband, Lee, is nowhere to be found. She notices a half-eaten ice cream carton and a liter of Coke sitting on the counter. She immediately knows something is wrong. A half-eaten ham and bloody clothes are found after searching the house.

When a police officer asks if anyone has looked in the garage, her friend opts to go and help. They find Lee’s Lexus is missing. Suddenly, the friend’s piercing scream fills the house. The stoic Marilyn whispers to herself, “I knew it.”

The episode then flashes back to one week earlier to when Lee and Marilyn are attending a special dinner. Marilyn gives a speech about Lee and practically bursts with pride about him. She’s so proud of how far he’s come — from being a coal miner’s son to one of the most successful real estate moguls in the midwest. He’s a self-made man to a tee. Lee also helped Marilyn achieve her dreams of running a beauty line. “He is my partner in every sense of the word,” Marilyn says. But is there a secret side to the great Lee Miglin?

Marilyn interrupts a secret phone call Lee is having with Andrew, and Lee keeps mum about who he was talking to. The next day, Marilyn heads off on a business trip. Lee seems overwhelmed with something, and Marilyn asks Lee to come along. He stays behind. Alone in the house, Lee’s free to wander. He sits at the same vanity Marilyn takes off all her makeup every night. He goes to pray and cries, “I try. I try.” Is Lee itching to reveal his true self?

‘This Is Me’

Andrew arrives at the house, and Lee ushers him in. They clearly know each other. Andrew stumbles around the house, and Lee asks him if he can stay the night. While Lee is trying to show Andrew a drawing of his beloved Skyneedle, a proposed building that would have become the tallest building in the world, Andrew points a gun directly at Lee. He puts it away before Lee notices it.

Andrew is stunned that Lee doesn’t want to name the Skyneedle after himself. It’s not about the fame for Lee, but for Andrew, that’s everything. Andrew plays right into Lee’s vulnerability: his desire for men. Andrew and Lee passionately kiss, and Lee admits that he finally feels “alive.” Lee notes that Andrew is not like most escorts. Andrew takes it a step further. “I am not like most anybody,” he says. Lee replies, “You make it seem so real.” Andrew’s been a star on his own stage for his entire life, so this is child’s play for him.

Andrew takes Lee out to the garage to “make a mess.” Andrew is in complete control. He tapes up Lee’s face and ties his legs together. He punches Lee in the face, drawing blood. “I’ve killed two people, Lee,” Andrew says. “Two people that were very close to me. I know it’s hard to believe. The intellectual Andrew. Well read, well spoken Andrew. Well dressed. But here I am. This is me.”

Andrew tells Lee exactly how he’s going to humiliate him. When they find Lee’s body, he’ll be wearing ladies panties and be surrounded by gay porn. “I want the world to see the great Lee Miglin is a sissy,” Andrew seethes. Andrew knows that Lee is terrified of being disgraced, and that’s exactly what he plans to do. Andrew doesn’t waste any time hitting Lee over the head with a heavy bag of concrete. He retreats back into the house with blood all over himself after killing Lee. He rips up Lee’s Skyneedle drawing and watches it burn.

A Good Name

The superintendent in charge of the case doesn’t want any details leaked. Marilyn reveals that $2000 has been stolen, as well as jewelry, gold coins, and clothes. The superintendent wants to talk privately with Marilyn about the gay porn found near Lee’s body. Marilyn refuses to see any other motive other than a random killing. “He won’t steal my good name,” Marilyn says, talking about Andrew. “Our good name. We worked too hard making that name.” Lee and Marilyn’s son, Duke, is an aspiring actor and will be seen in Harrison Ford’s Air Force One. Superintendent Rodriguez brings up Andrew’s name to Marilyn and Duke. Marilyn and Duke claim they don’t know him at all.

An officer notices a red jeep near Lee’s house. The car is quickly connected to the homicide of Andrew’s first victim, Jeff Trail. There’s a phone in Lee’s car, the one Andrew stole, so the police can track him. Andrew is already in New York. He steps inside Versace’s store and envisions the life of luxury he’s always wanted. He picks up a book about South Beach. Is this the moment he decides to go to Miami?

Marilyn has yet to openly grieve Lee’s death, and she knows people are judging her. Marilyn doesn’t want anyone to think her marriage to Lee was a sham. She loved him, and he loved her. She finally does break down to Lee’s business partner. “We had a fairy tale life,” she says. “We didn’t even fight.” Marilyn promises that she will fight to make sure Lee is not disgraced.

Andrew discovers that the police are tracking his phone and tries to get rid of it. When he realizes he can’t, he pulls into a national cemetery in New Jersey. He waits for everyone to leave and comes across the caretaker, William Reese. Andrew draws his gun and says he’s here to steal William’s truck. He takes William down to the basement. William begs for his life, but Andrew kills him anyway. He steals William’s truck and drives away without even blinking.

Marilyn finally does show her grief publicly on HSN. “He believed in me,” Marilyn says through tears. “We were a team for 38 years. And I miss him very much.” Marilyn knows that Lee would not have wanted her to wallow in grief. He would want her to push forward with her dreams, and that’s exactly what she’s going to do.

‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace’ Recap: Andrew Cunanan Commits His Most Vicious Crime Yet

‘Versace’ Recap: Gianni Learns Difficult News & Andrew Stays Under The Radar

The second episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story starts out in Miami in March 1994. Gianni Versace keeps a low profile as he goes to the hospital for blood work. He catches a glimpse of two gaunt men in their side-by-side hospital beds. The show implies that Gianni finds out he’s HIV-positive. (The Versace family vehemently denies this.) Despite the diagnosis, Gianni is certain he will get better. Donatella is devastated over the news. “What is Versace without you?” she asks her brother, who replies, “It will be you.” She continues, “Who am I without you?” He says, “You’ll find out.” Donatella is equal parts angry and sad over the diagnosis. She blames Antonio for allowing Gianni to participate in wild activities. She thinks that Antonio has given Gianni nothing — no marriage, no kids, nothing. But Donatella doesn’t see everything. She doesn’t see Antonio comforting Gianni or taking care of him. Gianni senses the tension between Antonio and Donatella. He begs them to get along so they can all be a family.

Cut to three years later and one day after Gianni’s death. Donatella tells Antonio that “there is no need for us to pretend anymore.” Donatella goes to see Gianni’s body and dresses him in a custom Versace suit. The stoic Donatella finally breaks down in tears over the loss of her beloved brother. She cremates Gianni and takes his ashes back to Italy.

Three months before Gianni’s death, Andrew Cunanan is on the run. He heads to Miami after killing four innocent people. He shows no remorse for the crimes he’s committed. Andrew drives to the Normandy Plaza and asks for a room. Right off the bat, he name-drops Versace and schmoozes the concierge. He stays under the radar, but not completely out of sight. During his first night in Miami, he walks right up to Versace’s villa. The gates are locked, of course. He buys a camera and takes photos of Versace’s house to have for himself.

The police are looking for him, and there are boxes of wanted posters just waiting to be distributed, but they’re not a priority. Detective Lori Wieder thinks otherwise. Agent Evans is convinced that Andrew is headed to Ft. Lauderdale, but he’s right there in South Beach.

Andrew meets a man named Ronnie (Max Greenfield) and asks where he can get some drugs. Ronnie reveals he has AIDS and explains how he made his way to Miami. He asks Andrew if he’s sick, and Andrew quickly gives him a definitive no. Andrew admits that he lost both his best friend and lover in the past year, but doesn’t say anything about being the one to kill them. Ronnie also asks why Andrew’s in Miami. “I know people,” Andrew says. “Versace.” Andrew tells yet another wild story and claims Versace proposed to him, but it “didn’t work out.” When Ronnie says he doesn’t like Gianni’s clothes, Andrew is offended. Andrew calls Gianni a “great creator” and the type of “man I could have been.”

In addition to the murderous side of Andrew, he’s also got a sadomasochistic side. He wants to live out these crazy sexual fantasies that involve duct tape. A lot of duct tape. He picks up an elderly man on the Miami beach and goes back to the man’s hotel room. He loves when his sexual partner is helpless and suffering. Andrew duct tapes the man’s face and nearly suffocates him. The man calls 911 but doesn’t say anything when the responder answers. Another missed opportunity. (Can we also talk about Darren Criss in that pink underwear? Whoa.)

Just a few days before Gianni’s death, there was a fashion show. Donatella thinks Gianni is stuck in the past. His only concerns are fashion and the art of fashion. Donatella considers the politics and image. Donatella and Gianni engage in sibling rivalry at the fashion show, with Gianni coming out on top. Gianni believes this is his second chance. His health is improving, his designs have never been better, and Antonio wants to marry him. He has it all. Meanwhile, Andrew has nothing. “I’ve done nothing my whole life,” Andrew says. He envies Gianni’s life. He wants Gianni’s fame and fortune, but he doesn’t want to work for it. Ronnie knows something is up with Andrew but is too scared to ask.

Andrew trades in an expensive gold coin at a pawn shop for quick cash. When the pawn shop worker looks at the list of wanted posters, Andrew’s isn’t there. Another missed opportunity. He stops for food and the cashier recognizes him from America’s Most Wanted and calls 911. Andrew is gone by the time the police arrive.

Gianni and Antonio decide to go out to a club nearby. Andrew, realizing Gianni’s not home, goes to the same club. Gianni and Antonio leave soon after arriving, realizing they’re done with their wild phase. It’s time to settle down. On the dance floor, Andrew tells a stranger that he’s a “serial killer.” If only the stranger knew that Andrew is being serious…

‘Versace’ Recap: Gianni Learns Difficult News & Andrew Stays Under The Radar

‘ACS: Versace’: Darren Criss Explains How He Was Able To Relate To Killer Andrew Cunanan

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In an EXCLUSIVE chat with Darren Criss, he tells HollywoodLife how he was able to get into the mindset of Gianni Versace’s murderer, Andrew Cunanan.

Darren Criss, 30, had to find a way to make murderer Andrew Cunanan a relatable being while portraying him for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. When HollywoodLife asked him EXCLUSIVELY at the FX’s presentation for the Television Critics Association how he was able to get into the mindset of “crazy” Andrew, he immediately corrected us by saying, “See that’s the trick right there, I don’t look at him as a crazy person. We do. But I can’t. It’s my job to not think of him that way. It makes it too simple. I guess with any character, anybody, you have to approach everything from common denominators. This is very eyeroll-y actor jabber, but you find the primary colors.”

“The very basic things that aren’t so complicated. We’re all 1’s and 0’s so the first couple 1’s and 0’s are things like, everybody knows what it feels like to want something that you’re not allowed to have, wanting to rise higher than your station,” Darren added, talking to HollywoodLife. “Then you add on the other layers of what was happening in his home life, what was happening in his social economic situation, what was happening with his own sexuality and that kind of adds the other colors. I think you start with the things that you can relate to and then you let the script and the world around you, at least the one that Ryan [Murphy] is curating, to kind of do the rest of the work. It’s not as hard as it would seem. And any time you’re doing things that seem extreme and hard to relate to, these extreme acts of violence, if you go far enough back in the 1’s and 0’s you remind yourself that these acts come from places of pain, places of hurt and places that I can relate to. I don’t relate to the execution of said emotions, but I can relate to the emotions. I’m not saying it makes it easy, by any stretch of the word, but it makes it more accessible.”

HollywoodLife pressed for more information, asking Darren what some of the more relatable aspects of Andrew’s life were for him as a person. “Well, we both went to Catholic school, that’s a big one. There’s like basic things,” Darren shared. “I think we both had a desire to stand out. His was for sort of social gain, mine was because I just didn’t want to be like everybody else. So, they were kind of routed in different places. He did something very interesting where he was the kind of kid they said would put dimes in his penny loafers. To not put pennies. And I thought, ‘Hell yeah, I would have put dimes in my penny loafers!’ Our motivations were different, but I understand the desire to not be ordinary.”

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story premieres on January 17, 2018 on FX.

‘ACS: Versace’: Darren Criss Explains How He Was Able To Relate To Killer Andrew Cunanan