Wednesday’s American Crime Story returned us to the summer of 1997 — La Bouche was topping the charts, body glitter was all the rage and a wide-eyed Andrew Cunanan was arriving in Miami Beach ready to make a name for himself.

And by “make a name,” I mean the bespectacled serial killer conjured yet another alias to secure a room at Miami’s Normandy Plaza, where he came upon a tragic soul named Ronnie (played by New Girl‘s Max Greenfield). I would say he befriended Ronnie, but that would imply Andrew was capable of forming a genuine connection with another human being — and I’d sooner believe that Will Chase grew out his own mustache for this show. (Side note: Anyone with behind-the-scenes intel on Chase’s ‘stache should feel free to drop a comment on the matter below.)

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 lobster — was simply flourishing. You know, if you look past all the lies and drugs and face-stabbing, these two actually had a nice little arrangement. And Ronnie really cared about Andrew; he even had aspirations of opening a flower kiosk together. It was very “Somewhere That’s Green.”

Sadly, Ronnie’s dream was not meant to be. 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 Ronnie’s apartment — and his 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, of course, was a reference to the final scene of the pilot when the police knocked down Ronnie’s door looking for Andrew at his last known address. And speaking of the authorities, this episode 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.

Wednesday’s episode also took us back to 1994, the year Versace was allegedly diagnosed with HIV. (Though Versace’s family denies his illness, Maureen Orth’s biography — upon which this season of American Crime Story is based — claims the fashion icon was HIV-positive at the time of his murder.)

And the fallout from 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.”

Versace later clashed with his sister, who expressed concerns about newer designers stealing attention — and business — away from the company. (He also argued that the Versace models were too skinny, but that’s a whole other fight.) 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 zipping Donatella’s lips. (No small feat, as you can imagine.)

American Crime Story: Versace Recap: Sex, Lies and Duct Tape

Whether Darren Criss was shooting people in the face, puking in public bathrooms or casually rubbing his crotch while standing over a sleeping couple, he sure made Wednesday’s season premiere of American Crime Story feel like the darkest episode of Glee yet.

I’m half-joking, but considering this is Criss’ first series-regular TV role since Blaine Anderson warbled his final warble in 2015 (not to mention Criss’ first professional reunion with Glee boss Ryan Murphy), I trust you’ll overlook my inability to disassociate — at least in this first week.

Truth be told, Criss’ take on Andrew Cunanan — the sexually manipulative serial killer who murked fashion icon Gianni Versace in 1997 — is impressive, thoughtful and downright chilling, a far cry from the singing bottle of hair gel in a sweater vest he brought to life on the Fox comedy. Let’s discuss:

1990 | Wednesday’s premiere turned the clock back to the year Cunanan first encountered Versace (played by Edgar Ramírez) at a gay club in San Francisco. He was basically “that guy” at the party — the one who shows up uninvited, then proceeds to inject himself into strangers’ conversations — but his boyish charm and Harry Potter glasses worked their magic on Versace, earning him a date to the opera. I guess it helped that Cunanan presented a completely fictitious backstory, one that made him approximately 100 percent more Italian than he actually was.

Cunanan excitedly (and inaccurately) relayed this meeting to several of his friends the next day, a series of conversations that offered a glimpse into his twisted psyche. While speaking with a straight married couple, Elizabeth and Phil Cote (played by Annaleigh Ashford and Nico Evers-Swindell), he labeled Versace the F-word. But during a subsequent chat with a fellow gay, Cunanan had no problem referring to his and Versace’s opera meet-up as a date. “You tell gay people you’re gay and straight people you’re straight,” the friend protested. “I can’t keep up.”

1997 | Before diving into Versace’s history with Cunanan, the episode introduced us to the fashion icon in all his Miami Beach splendor. And despite his international fame, Versace was also painted as somewhat of a local celebrity — like a post-Christmas Carol Ebeneezer Scrooge, receiving hugs and hellos from all the Muppets people he encountered in town. And it was after one of these jaunty strolls that Versace was confronted by Cunanan, who shot him point-bank at the gate of his mansion. (The dead dove next to Versace felt a little on-the-nose, so I fact-checked — it really happened.)

Versace’s sister (played by Penelope Cruz) sauntered into the party about three-quarters of the way through the premiere, and while Donatella always commanded attention, most of her mourning breath was spent belittling her brother’s lover. When Antonio broke down in tears, her response was, “That’s not what I need from you right now.”

Speaking of Ricky Martin’s character, it was kind of shocking to hear how Donatella — and even the police — regarded his relationship with Versace. Donatella berated him for not protecting her brother, which she called his one job, and the police seemed far more interested in details about Versace’s sexual behavior than the details surrounding his untimely demise. 1997 doesn’t feel like it was that long ago… and yet it was.

The premiere concluded with Cunanan still at large, though the authorities — led by a mustachio’d Will Chase — were hot on his trail. (Also, yes, that was New Girl‘s Max Greenfield playing Ronnie, the guy found living at Cunanan’s last known address.)

Your thoughts on Crime Story‘s second season premiere? Grade the episode below, then drop a comment with your full review.

(A secret confession for those who have scrolled this far: Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me not to make a stupid joke about Darren Criss showing his butt in this episode? Believe me, I thought of ’em all, including “he put the ‘ass’ in ‘assassination.” But I refrained, for I am a professional… and that’s what Twitter is for.)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story — Grade It!