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Assassination of Gianni Versace Recap: “The Man Who Would Be Vogue”

By Ariba Bhuvad

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American Crime Story begins its second installment, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, with a bang…literally.

“The Man Who Would Be Vogue” wasted no time taking us right into the epicenter of this season–the untimely, gruesome demise of Gianni Versace. The episode began with a calm, inviting instrumental as we watched Versace prepare for the day in his extremely lavish mansion in Miami.

Simultaneously, we got a glimpse of a man alone near the ocean, deep in his thoughts over what he was about to do. This man, we very quickly learn, is Andrew Cunanan, and the reason for his discomfort lies solely in the fact he is about to commit murder.

One of the things that instantly stood out in this premiere episode was the culmination of the background music mixed in with the dramatic camera angles. It brought us extremely close yet so far from the subjects it was focused on. Whether it was bird’s eye view or focused dead-on, something about the angles helped viewers connect with the brutality of the story being told.

The show took an interesting approach as the story unfolded in a bit of a reverse manner, starting off with the murder. However, a flashback takes us back to October 1990 in San Francisco at a private members-only club. It is here where Andrew and Versace meet for the very first time, and the interaction proves to be interesting, to say the least.

This interaction not only scores Andrew some time with Versace but upon some relentless effort, also snags him an invite to the opera. The scenes that follow highlight some of Darren Criss’ best work encapsulating Andrew Cunanan’s pathological liar tendencies.

While he tells his friends of the meeting with Versace, he flips the story, telling them Versace sought him out and even made condescending references to the fact Versace was gay. Throughout the rest of the episode, we see Cunanan’s character concoct a series of embellished lies that left us wondering, he can’t possibly be lying, right?

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A quick jolt back to the present brings us to the moment Cunanan takes Versace’s life. From here on begins Cunanan’s run from the authorities. Glimpses of Cunanan maniacally laughing and smiling brought all the chills and fright, as we watched him celebrate his success. Kudos to Darren Criss for literally killing it in this episode.

What was perhaps the most interesting aspect of this episode was the investigation into it. Instead of shifting the focus to the crime at hand, the police questioned Versace’s boyfriend, Antonio D’Amico (Ricky Martin) about their ‘extracurricular’ activities.

It’s safe to assume this was Ryan Murphy’s attempt to highlight some of the social prejudices of the time. Watching the cop repeatedly ask D’Amico about how he and Versace were partners was next-level cringe. Knowing they were gay, he continued to prod and refused to hear the truth.


The story could not progress without the introduction of Donatella Versace (Penelope Cruz). Flying into town upon hearing of her brother’s death, her presence surely shook up the story a bit. Cruz was the perfect choice to play Donatella, whom she truly encapsulated in style, voice, and personality. Her entrance into the story resulted in Versace, as a company, pulling out of the pre-planned IPO. It also began to push D’Amico out of the picture and right into the background.

As the episode came to a close, information about Cunanan’s whereabouts surface at a local pawn shop. However, upon breaking into the apartment, the police find a junkie in his place. In the final moments, we see Cunanan glancing at magazines heading Versace’s murder. With a creepy, sinister smile, he buys every single one of them.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace dove head first into one of the most brutal celebrity murders of the 90’s. His murder made its mark on the world–most notably, the fashion world. Ryan Murphy’s take on this was beautiful, haunting, and poetic. It also nostalgically thrust us into the 90’s, at a time where dystopian futures rule our television screens.

Next: American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace premiere

If the premiere is any indication, we are in for one hell of a ride as we dive deeper into this complicated story–and Cunanan’s mind. Let’s just say come next award season, we won’t be surprised if the series and cast are nominated in every category–with Darren Criss whisking away an award.

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