Ryan Murphy has done it again. What started with a well-received first true crime season, The People v. O.J. Simpson, turned into a national phenomenon. Society has been increasingly interested in the subject of true crime stories lately and The Assignation of Gianni Versace only seems to add to the fascination. With a stellar cast including Édgar Ramírez, Darren Criss, Penélope Cruz and Ricky Martin, Ryan Murphy made sure fans wouldn’t be disappointed.
Courtesy: MONDOFOX
The series is based loosely on the book, Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History and The Importance of Being Famous, which was written by a well-known and respected journalist named Maureen Orth. Orth spent over two years conducting research and knows that not everything the show mentions is going to be true to the book. For those unfamiliar with Gianni Versace’s gruesome death, the story follows the serial killer, Andrew Cunanan, and the events that led him to kill Versace on the steps of his Miami mansion. The story starts out with Versace’s brutal killing and in the following episodes, plays backward to the moments leading up to the final death. Cunanan’s victims consisted of gay men that he would meet through lies and deception who didn’t know that he would later be the one responsible for their deaths. After running across the country for around three months and killing four people, he made his way to Miami where he killed his last victim, Versace, before taking his own life inside of a Miami houseboat. With no note or motivation for his actions left behind, investigators are still puzzled as to what caused him to participate in such horrible acts and why he chose to target gay men when he himself was out of the closet.
Courtesy: CBS News
To this day, speculation has swirled surrounding the reasons why he committed the murders and what sparked his rage, but we won’t ever know for sure. Some think his dad leaving his family while he was on the run from embezzlement broke Cunanan. Others believe he was seeking revenge for a gay partner giving him HIV. The season has received criticism from Versace’s sister, Donatella, and the rest of his family who says that Versace never had any contact with Cunanan and didn’t appreciate the personal details the author of the book stated she knew. Part of the problem with Cunanan’s case was the fact that it took place over 20 years ago, a time when people were not very accepting of gay men. Cunanan was out in public in Miami visiting nightclubs and yet was still able to avoid federal authorities from finding him. He was listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted and was all over the media. It shows just how unimportant police seemed to treat gay men and speaks volumes on how they only started to really focus on trying to catch Cunanan after he killed someone that was not just gay, but famous. As we enter 2018, almost 21 years later, people are still trying to piece together what was going through Cunanan’s mind and these stories continue to fascinate audiences around the world. If you enjoy true crime, amazing cinematography, great fashion and top-notch acting, this show is a must-see. The Assassination of Gianni Versace is on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. EST on FX.
Courtesy: MONDOFOX