And very familiar underpants for anyone who ever read a fashion magazine in the mid-90s. (Also: the ceiling in this bathroom! Amazing! This entire pilot was like, LOOK AT THIS ROOOOM!!)
Something I didn't know, which I found really interesting, was how close Versace's house was to the main drag there in Miami. He literally walked out the front gate and was on the street, free to be molested by looky-loos, or, tragically, shot. Obviously, this is the case for famous people in MANY cities in the world -- New York, London -- but I always think of Miami as being like Los Angeles, in that many if not all of the more overwhelmingly grand homes are set further back from the street. I say this with the expertise of someone who has only flown through the Miami airport and knows it from The Golden Girls, so. You know. Expertise!!
Andrew Cunanun had this in his bag along with his gun and I swear to god I checked this book out of the library once myself. (It is out of print now.)
This mansion has so many frescos. SO MANY. (I enjoy a good mural/fresco, as you know. Basically, I hate a bare wall.)
The floors are ALSO dramatic. Mr Versace was a maximalist and I am here for it.
This is basically like a tiny, Miami Hearst castle.
A little sad foreshadowing here. (Diana wore a lot of Versace; including, if I recall correctly, in the editorial in this issue of VF.)
Raise your hand if you knew a dude who owned this shirt. (I certainly did.) The late 90s were replete with Versace knock-offs for dudes.
I thought it was interesting how much this episode focused on the way Andrew changed his clothing to suit wherever he was going -- from borrowing his brother-in-law's conservative Armani-ish suits for the opera, to literally wearing an ascot and cordoroy blazer to Cal, where he is (preending to be) a student. (He lies a lot, about everything, and people can tell.)
This poor child, on the other hand, is NOT true to my memory of being part of the UC system in the mid-90s. Sweet summer lover, wander over to a group of kindly girls and let them fix you a bit. You're in the English department! WE LOVED TO MAKE PEOPLE OVER. Anyhoods, I hope this sad noodle with the terrible sweater who loves Andrew does not die.
It's possible I have done this myself and I'm concerned about what that means for me.
I was not going to deny you Darren Criss's butt, even though he is playing a sociopath.
This gown is quite stunning.
Is it a successful date if there is no harp? Asking for a friend.
I just wanted to note that, so far, Ricky Martin is very good in this part and that, in general, I am ready for Ricky Martin to be very famous again. You young people don't even know how EXCITING it was when those of us who didn't know about rocky Martin were introduced to him at the Grammys in 1999, when he sang Cup of Life in leather pants.
Will Chase, however, looks vaguely absurd in these glasses and that stache. He looks like he's an actor playing an actor playing a cop.
I am here for this, however.
THESE WALLS ARE AMAZING. I CAN'T STOP SCREAMING ABOUT THEM.
I will note that I felt as if some of the blah blah about the Versace business felt a bit tonally out of place in this episode; in a sense, I think it worked well to establish that Donatella is a smart woman in her own right, but I'm not sure if the audience totally cares about stock options at this moment?
Ryan Murphy directed this episode and I forgot how much he loves an overhead shot. (It was well -- and very dramatically -- directed, because Ryan Murphy is a much better director than he is a writer. I don't believe he wrote any of these episodes, which bodes well for the show.)
I TOLD YOU Cathy Moriarty would show up!
I know shit is bad right now, Donatella, but you look very glamorous whilst in mourning.
Schmidt, on the other hand, has looked MUCH BETTER.
