by Jorge Molina
Last week’s premiere episode planted the seeds for the plot and the thematic elements we will follow all season: Andrew Cunanan’s simultaneous magnetic charm and deep sense of isolation, Gianni Versace’s obsession with living fully and beautifully, and Donatella’s practical approach to both fashion and her brother.
In the second episode we dive deeper into each of these, stepping back to the months before Cunanan assassinated Versace to get a sense of the mental and emotional state that each of the players found themselves in before the tragedy...
Episode 2: “Manhunt”
The teaser of the episode is a telling glimpse into Gianni’s outlook about his own sickness, and more specifically, Antonio D’Amico and Donatella’s relationship around it.
Years before he was to be murdered, Gianni’s complications from HIV have made him sick and terrified of death, exacerbated by the memories of a younger sister that passed away. This leads to a confrontation between Donatella and Antonio, in which she blames him for dragging her brother into a life promiscuity, and failing to earn her respect.
As we cut back to the days after the assassination, we see that the relationship between Gianni’s now-widowed partner and his sister is not to improve. This is one of the best performed moments of the series so far, with both Ricky Martin and Penelope Cruz injecting pain, vulnerability, and anger into a loss.
This is also the only sequence of the episode that takes place after the murder, as we cut back to that earlier March to see the first weeks of Cunanan in Miami. This season seems to be taking a Memento-like approach to the narrative, in which every episode will take place shortly before the last; to inform and reveal its motives and consequences. It’s a smart method, though a bit confusing at times, that I hope will feel smoother as the season progresses.
Most of the episode focuses on Cunanan’s arrival to Miami, and his strategic approach to get closer to Versace. He moves into a seedy hotel by the beach, charming his way into an ocean-view room (Darren Criss is so good at playing someone who lies and charms for a living). He befriends another guest named Ronnie, played with supporting nuance and heart by New Girl’s Max Greenfield. He is an HIV+ man who the world has been too tough on, and finds unexpected connection and solace on Andrew; an affection that is never reciprocated. Ronnie is just another pawn in Cunanan’s chess game.
We also learn that, by that point, he was already in the FBI’s most wanted list for a series of murder committed through the States (and that will be explored in future episodes), and that the cops were not being effective in catching him. Flyers are not being distributed, suspects and places of interest are not being explored, and Cunanan keeps sneaking away. It took the murder of one of the nation’s most iconic fashion designers for the police to take this seriously.
We check in with Versace on the months before his death: Antonio wants to close their famously open relationship to settle down with him, and Gianni doesn’t fully believe him. And, in another immaculate scene between Edgar Ramirez and Penelope Cruz, the siblings fight before a fashion show about whether clothes should be constantly evolving or be born from the sentiments of the designer. Donatella is proven wrong. This is a display of Versace’s commitment and dedication to his craft, and how he treats every relationship in his life with the same principles.
Overall, the second episode gets us deeper into the psychology of the characters: the bubbling desperation and psychopathy underneath Cunanan’s effortless charm (his dancing as he held the old man captive in the bed was equally exhilarating, sexy, and disturbing), Antonio’s longing for a real relationship, and Donatella’s love and miscomprehension for his brother’s life.
The plotting, narrative aspect thus far has not been as relevant as you think it’d be in a show about an assassination, and it has yet to study social issues as broadly and sharply as OJ did (it attempted a little around HIV stigma, but it was very scattered). So far the season looks more like a deep character study than social commentary, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Next week we go back further in time. Any guesses what wig Penelope will be wearing?