Andrew Cunanan’s story ends in Miami in 1997. Police cars roar through the night while Andrew hides in plain sight. Andrew breaks into an empty houseboat and drinks some champagne. On TV, newscasters mourn Gianni Versace. Andrew seems shocked by his own deeds when they anounce that he’s the prime suspect in the killing. Helicopters stalk the sky.

The wife of Lee Miglin, Andrew’s wealthiest victim, is interviewed by police. They tell her Versace’s death is connected to her husband’s. She furiously wonders what the police have been doing in the time between Lee’s murder and Versace’s. They attempt to evacuate her from Florida for her safety, but she refuses and demands security instead. She heads to work on her broadcast at a home shopping network.

The next day, Andrew steals a car. Police establish a perimeter and are checking all cars in the area. Andrew somehow manages to avoid the checks but ditches the stolen vehicle. He screams and screams and screams.

Andrew’s mother is also interviewed by police. She wonders aloud when they’ll kill Andrew. As day passes into night, a media circus swarms around her house. She’s taken by police for interrogation.

A drug dealer that Andrew had stayed with is taken into police custody. Police aggressively question him about Andrew’s whereabouts but he dodges questions and sasses the detectives.

“The other cops weren’t searching so hard, were they? Why is that? Because he killed a bunch of nobody gays?” he asks.

“You think this is a joke?” asks a cop.

“Is he a joke to you? The truth is you were disgusted by him long before he became disgusting,” the dealer retorts, assuring them that Andrew is not hiding. “He’s trying to be seen.”

Andrew attempts to steal a boat to get off the island. On TV, Lizzie (Andrew’s best friend) pleads for Andrew to turn himself in. Later, David Madson’s father, interviewed by some news network, wonders why his son wound up with such a heinous person.

In the Philippines, Pete Cunanan gets a call from Andrew. He says he’s coming to America to help his son. Pete reassures Andrew that everything will be OK.

“I’m out of time…” says Andrew as the payphone disconnects the two.

On TV, Pete denies that Andrew is a homosexual. He says that he’s been “manipulated” by older men. Pete bizarrely explains to newscasters that Andrew and he discussed a movie deal about their life stories. He tells the anchor he can not travel due to his own criminal record. Filled with rage, Andrew shoots the TV with his gun.

At Versace’s funeral, Donatella wonders what Versace’s boyfriend Antonio D’Amico will do now. She subtly tells Antonio that he will not be welcome at Versace’s homes. He begs Donatella to shelter him.

“I loved him, Donatella. He was my life. And suddenly I don’t matter. I don’t have a home. I have no rights. I have nothing,” he pleads. She does not demure.

Andrew watches the funeral on television. He drops to his knees and prays with the mourning family.

The next day, the owner of the houseboat arrives home. Andrew fires warning shots as he opens the door. SWAT teams gather around the houseboat. The walls literally begin shaking as helicopters circle the shelter. Police cut the power to the home and fire smoke bombs in an attempt to get Cunanan out.

Seeing a vision of himself as a child, Andrew reclines on a bed. He puts the gun in his mouth and fires. As the shot reverberates through the home, a memory plays: Cunanan is at the opera with Versace.

“It feels like destiny,” Andrew tells him as he leans in for a kiss.

“Another night, another stage,” says Versace as he dodges.

Andrew’s body is hauled off by police. Miglin’s wife, finally able to rest, discusses letters she receives from Lee’s proteges. She wonders why she never knew about his secret lives.

In Italy, Donatella admits that on the morning Gianni was killed she ignored a call from her brother. D’Amico swallows a pile of pills while Donatella lights candles for her deceased brother. A maid finds him unconscious while Donatella silently mourns.

The final shot is Andrew’s tomb, in a barely-marked mausoleum.

Creator/producer Ryan Murphy could have told the story of Andrew Cunanan, a plucky and drug-addicted gigolo, as comedy. But by portraying Andrew’s sordid tale as the cosmic interplay of ill-fated destinies, Murphy’s story ended like most tragedies do: in death and mourning. The seriousness of the series, which had been a matter of speculation for months before the show debuted, has been cemented with operatic gravity in the final episode.

Murphy also seals his series with some last statements on gay identity, tying up the through line of his anthology. D’Amico is left with nothing, as his marriage to Gianni was never legal. Pete’s denial of Andrew’s homosexuality only proves that Andrew’s life of lies was — in a way — necessary for his own survival. Miglin’s lost charities —which he needed to keep hidden from his wife — are left without their benefactor. Madson’s father wonders what troubles brewed beneath his murdered son’s perfect veneer.

Again, it would have been easy to portray Cunanan as some kind of grotesque joke, but Murphy’s depiction of both Andrew and his victims as sympathetic people in dire situations due to the cruelty of homophobia elevates what might have been a schlocky, neon-drenched massacre to higher levels. While we were promised a vampy story of the Versace family’s downfall, Murphy’s bait-and-switch allowed the auteur to explore uncharted territories of the gay zeitgeist.

Versace Killer Andrew Cunanan’s Suicide Depicted In ‘American Crime Story’ Season Finale

Episode 8 begins in 1957, Italy. Gianni Versace is a child, summoned to show his sketches of dresses to his mother. His mother tells him to follow his passions and pursue whatever career he desires. At school, a teacher insults Gianni after he self-identifies as a pansy. Later, Gianni’s mother patiently shows him how to make the dress he’s been fantasizing about.

Cut to San Diego, 1980. “Prince” Andrew Cunanan’s siblings note his father’s disproportionate affection for their youngest family member as they move into a new home. Andrew is given the largest room in the house.

Both Andrew’s father, Pete, and Andrew get dressed for respective interviews: Pete for a position as a stockbroker, Andrew for a spot in an elite private school. Pete extolls the virtues of his biography (much to the chagrin of his interviewers) while Andrew lists his most powerful wishes at the behest of schoolmistresses: He wants a Mercedes and a good relationship with God.

At home, Pete’s temper becomes obvious as he chastises Andrew’s mother for her frail nerves. Pete reads Andrew a book on etiquette as he falls asleep.

Pete lands the job; Andrew gets into the school. During Pete’s first day at work he’s shown failing at landing deals, but pretending like he’s succeeding. He buys a new car for Andrew (who is far too young to drive) that day. When Andrew’s mother is confused about Pete’s behavior, Pete pushes her to the ground. In the car, Pete explains that Andrew’s mother has been weak her whole life and that Pete is both Andrew’s mother and father. He rolls the window up as mother approaches the car.

Seven years later, Andrew showboats (and is called “a f*g”) during class photos while Pete works in a much less fancy call center. Andrew’s mother asks him about a new beau and Andrew wonders aloud what she’d think if he was dating an older woman. That night, Andrew has a secret rendezvous with an much older man. The man warns Andrew that their relationship must be kept hidden, as he is married. He drives Andrew to a high school party where he reveals an outrageous leather outfit, attracting attention on the center of the dance floor.

Andrew meets a girl named Lizzie who later admits she’s a married “grown-up” pretending to be a student because she missed so many opportunities as a home-schooled teen.

“I’m an imposter,” she says.

“All the best people are,” replies Andrew.

The next day, Pete’s bosses confront him about the lies he’s been telling at work. They inform him that the feds are aware of the scams he’s been running, making up fake stocks and stealing money from clients. He rushes to his desk and begins shredding papers.

He books a flight out of town for the same day. Andrew sees his father drive off into the distance. Andrew’s mother explains to her son that they have nothing left: Pete sold the house, emptied the bank accounts, and maxed out the credit cards.

Andrew tells his mom that he’s going to Manila to find his father. She warns Andrew that Pete is dangerous but Andrew will not listen.

Andrew manages to trace down Pete in the Phillpenes. Andrew asks where Pete’s been hiding the money that he had promised Andrew.

“Out of reach…” says Pete, as Andrew slowly realizes he’s been deceived. There never was millions of dollars stored away. It was all a lie. He confronts Pete.

“You were everything to me, Dad. But it’s a lie. And if you’re a lie, then I’m a lie. And I can’t be a lie,” says Andrew.

Ryan Murphy has embellished some of the details of Cunanan’s childhood, but a few of the more striking factoids are bizarrely true. Andrew, for example, did not cry as a baby — even when injured — according to testimony from Andrew’s parents themselves as recorded in Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth. What the young Cunanan’s bizarre detachment from reality portended is quite clear now.

Surely Murphy seeks to humanize Cunanan by showing the strains of mental illness running through both his mother and father. And while Teen Vogue may think that sympathetic portrayals of (even objectively abused) serial killers in some ways romanticizes them, American Crime Story encourages empathy more than attraction.

What if Andrew had lived in a less dysfunctional home, like Gianni had? What if he wasn’t raised with materialism as the core tenet of his morality? Could he have grown up to be another Versace, boundlessly genius in some niche field? Or would his anger have festered anyway — always unsatisfied, always compelled to lie? Was it in his DNA? The lies are what brought Andrew’s father down, and perhaps what ultimately destroyed the younger Cunanan, too.

Versace Killer Andrew’s Cunanan’s Bizarre Childhood Depicted In ‘American Crime Story’

Both Episode 6 and 7 of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace were directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton. The two episodes, titled “Descent” and “Ascent,” form a neat diptych depicting the imagined suffering of Cunanan, whose inability to seperate fact from fiction led him into increasingly dangerous proclivities. To what extent he is the product of pure evil or a series of misfortunes is a question begged by the show.

Episode 7 starts in Milan, Italy in 1992. Donatella appears to have taken a creative lead in the design process as Gianni’s health deteriorates (amidst denials of his condition). The siblings argue over the future of the company — can Donatella handle the pressure of their line after Gianni’s imminent demise?

This marks the return of the eponymous family to the series, who had been conspicuously absent for much of the show — considering the program’s title.

In San Diego at the same time: Cunanan is working in a convenience store. He continues telling lies to customers about his future prospects as a PhD candidate. He lives with his mother, embroiled in a constant, semi-incestuous battle with her.

Later, Andrew and Trail head to a gay bar where Cunanan continues to create elaborate lies about his past, his family, his income. An older gentleman approaches him with his phone number, implying that his needs could be taken care of.

The next day, as if inspired by the events of the night before, Cunanan finds himself interviewing at an escort service. Despite his superior wit, the interviewer is unimpressed with his racial identity and demeanor. He decides to sell himself.

Back to the Versaces. Gianni and Donatella are working on a masterpiece together. Gianni thinks Donatella should be the model for his piece de resistance in his next collection. Donatella demures at first, but gives in. The cameras eat up their fetish-y design.

Meanwhile, Cunanan begins tracking high-profile charity events and operas in order to scope out potential older suitors. He zones in on one gentleman, Norman Blachford, and immediately begins seducing him (and his friends), saying “Let’s discuss your wants and my terms.”

Donatella is met with celebration at her studio — but despite the publicity, sales are down. Donatella conceives of designing a more ready-to-wear version of her bondage look. Gianni is furious, feeling like his artistic integrity is being compromised. His health is obviously deteriorating — he suddenly goes deaf.

Andrew shows off his newfound wealth with friends. He buys a drink for an attractive young blonde at the bar: it’s Madson.

Smitten, Madson returns to Cunanan’s hotel room. The two bond over stories of lost love, coming out, past melancholies.

Cunanan’s patron, Lincoln Aston, sees the itemized bill from the night and cuts him off.

The next night, Cunanan bizarrely witnesses Aston murdered by someone he was attempting to seduce — specifically, bludgeoned to death in a shockingly graphic scene. Cunanan lets the killer slip by without calling the police. The next day, Andrew meets with his older suitor and explains that police let the murderer go on a gay panic defense.

“I’ve been living through this my whole life. We fall sick, it’s our fault. We’re murdered, it’s our fault,” says the suitor.

“You can rob us, you can beat us, you can kill us — and get away with it,” replies Andrew.

The next day, Andrew recounts one of Madson’s stories to Norman — as if the events had happened to him.

Andrew announces to his mother that he’ll be traveling the world (with Versace — another lie). His mother begs Andrew to let her come with him. Andrew refuses before their argument gets physical. He pushes her into a wall and breaks her shoulder blade. She lies to doctors about what happened.

Donatella tells the Versace employees that Gianni is suffering from a rare form of ear cancer. She announces she will be taking over the operations of the business.

Andrew and Norman purchase a house together.

“If they could see me now…” muses Andrew.

“Who?” asks Norman.

“Everyone.” replies Andrew.

The show’s writer, Tom Rob Smith, has discussed his portrayal of Andrew in this duo of episodes.

“I think it’s wrong to think of him as the ‘Talented Mr. Ripley,’” said Smith to Vanity Fair. “Mr. Ripley is someone who is always hustling and is aware that he’s angling things… . I think Andrew thought he was a husband or a partner in his own right. I don’t think he understood that he was a hustler, otherwise he would’ve been happy with his lot.”

Andrew’s deception in the face of a particularly cruel social milieu has become the show’s central throughline: but the extent to which Andrew was deceiving himself remains a large, perhaps unanswerable question. By juxtaposing Andrew with his most famous victim, Murphy’s team appears to be commenting, once again, on the lies queer people need(ed) to be legible to society. Blachland’s resignation in the face of his friend’s murder shows the necessity of those lies, which are used like armor to protect from the indifference of the straight world.

Sex, Lies, And A Disturbing Bludgeoning In ‘American Crime Story: Versace’ (Ep. 7)

Episode 6 of “American Crime Story: Versace” picks up in California in 1996, a year before Andrew Cunanan’s murder spree began. Cunanan found himself in some kind of luxury abode, wrapping presents from Tiffany’s and toting bags from Saks Fifth Avenue. Some lines of cocaine are conspicuously apparent on a nearby table.

Cunanan obviously shacked up with some rich older man while “employed” as his “interior decorator.” He wonders aloud to a friend, Lizzie, about a certain blonde paramour, obviously referring to David Madson.

“Who are you trying to be?” asks Lizzie, unsure of what she’s witnessing.

Moments later Trail arrives at the party. Cunanan gifts Andrew some expensive clothes in the hopes of making him look more high class in front of his new crush. Cunanan instructs Trail to lie and say he’s still in the Navy. Trail refuses.

When Madson arrives, Andrew finds himself caught in a series of lies about having previously worked for Versace.

Meanwhile, the friends of Cunanan’s elderly patron show visible disdain for Cunanan, recognizing his gold-digging proclivities. Later, Lee Miglin approaches Cunanan to wish him a happy birthday. Cunanan pushes him aside and chastises him for addressing him in public.

Andrew and his future victims all pose for a picture together.

Later, Andrew’s patron confronts Cunanan (who had apparently been going by the name Andrew De Silva) about his birthday wish list (first class flights, a new car, to become sole inheritor of his fortune) and and his past. Cunanan had claimed that he was disowned by his wealthy parents for being gay and had a PhD. A private investigator had apparently determined Cunanan’s story about his own history to be completely fabricated. Nonetheless, Andrew’s patron attempts to get Andrew back to school, desperate to make a more amenable arrangement despite the deception. Andrew refuses to negotiate. He wants everything. He leaves, telling the older man that he expects a call in the future.

Andrew takes up residence somewhere with decidedly less class. Meanwhile, Trail’s father calls him to say he’s received a bizarre postcard signed “Love, Drew.” Trail assumes this is a tortuous blackmail attempt on the part of Cunanan. Trail confronts Cunanan and the argument turns physical before Trail admits he’s taken a job in Minneapolis. Cunanan’s paranoia perks up: he thinks Trail’s going there to pursue a relationship with David Madson. The next day, Andrew calls up Madson and offers him a trip to Los Angeles, all expenses paid. Madson, confused, does not know how to feel.

Cut to Madson meeting Cunanan in a luxurious mansion. Andrew continues to seduce David by buying him luxury suits and promising him future success — together, as a couple.

“Andrew, I’m not the one,” Madson tells Andrew over an obscenely lavish dinner.

“You are the only one I have ever really, truly loved,” replies Andrew.

Madson attempts to console Andrew, but only exacerbates the situation.

“We had a great time in San Francisco, one great night. And maybe there was a chance but … I get the feeling you don’t have many great nights with people. Am I right? So when you do it feels huge. It feels life changing,” says Madson.

Madson begs Andrew for the truth about his life. He spins another yarn about his wealthy parents, but Madson’s face shows he doesn’t believe a word about it.

“Your parents must have loved you very much,” Madson says through clenched teeth.

Later at a gay bar, Andrew’s on the hunt for a fix. He buys some crystal meth. In a drug-induced fantasy, he imagines Gianni Versace dressing him while bemoaning the selfishness of the world in the face of his unending generosity. The fantasy turns persecutory, with Cunanan imagining Versace as a kind of antagonist.

“We’re the same. The only difference is: you got lucky,” Andrew tells Versace.

He returns to the club for more drugs the next day. He doesn’t have enough money to pay the dealer. He goes back to his former patron’s mansion, begging to be let in. The police are called.

Andrew finds his mother in a shabby motel. She bathes him gently before declaring that his “smell” has changed. Something’s off about her: when Andrew admits he’s unhappy, she keeps chattering. She proclaims the world is meaningless without children. She doesn’t seem to understand that Andrew is gay, or is in emphatic, perhaps delusional denial about it.

“We always had so little, they always had so much,” she says, comparing herself to rival families growing up. She still believes Andrew to be the lies he tells: she thinks he works as a costume designer for operas.

Andrew tells her that he’s heading to Minneapolis.

“They have an opera house in Minneapolis?” asks his mother.

“No, Mom. I don’t think they do,” he responds. She kisses him goodbye.

Ryan Murphy has been using this season of American Crime Story to tell a nuanced story about the complexities of gay identity. Andrew’s web of lies may be seen as pathological parallel to the deception so many queer people must maintain to be considered respectable by society. But Andrew’s proclivities take him too far, and he overcompensates to make up for his very real deficits.

The illusory nature of wealth has always been a fascination of queer culture, from Oscar Wilde’s obsession with abundance to the ballroom scene’s fascination with opulence. In a society organized around the marginalization of sexual minorities, obtaining material success is seen as a spiteful rebellion (not so dissimilar from the rap world’s fascination with getting paper) against the forces that try to keep queers down. But Andrew’s obsession with wealth, forged by his mother’s jealousy of her adversaries, goes too far. The facade of happiness, which in the age of Instagram must be even more carefully maintained, falls apart so fast — especially for queer people, who are almost expected to fail.

Murphy appears to be using Cunanan’s tale as warning, and surely queer men will see something of themselves in not only Cunanan’s loneliness, but also his desires. But Murphy’s Cunanan is a sort of fun-house mirror, exaggerating the blemishes of queerness and turning them into something monstrous. Few sympathetic portraits of Cunanan have been made since his crime spree occurred, and although Murphy clearly shows his viciousness as an aberration, he also appears to be asking how different many gay men are from the notorious killer.

Andrew Cunanan’s Gold Digging Leads Down A Dangerous Path in ‘American Crime Story: Versace’ (Ep 6)