This Love Story Isn’t Special

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Carolyn Bessette, a self-made woman from a humble background, and John F. Kennedy Jr., born into privilege and fame, had a relationship that captivated the public. Their story – a whirlwind romance, marriage, and tragically early deaths at ages 33 and 38 – feels like both a modern fairy tale and a cautionary nightmare. Now, their story is being revisited in two new projects. One is a nine-part series created by Ryan Murphy, and the other is a planned Netflix show similar to The Crown that will explore the Kennedy family history. The Murphy series, Love Story, has generated buzz, especially after a public disagreement between Murphy and Jack Schlossberg, John Kennedy Jr.’s nephew. However, despite its beautiful visuals and attention to 1990s New York, the show ultimately falls flat. It’s more of a visually appealing display than a deeply engaging story, lacking genuine emotion and failing to portray John and Carolyn as fully realized characters. They feel like puppets manipulated by the creators rather than complex individuals.

The new series, officially named Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, kicks off Ryan Murphy’s latest television project, an expansion of his “American Story” anthology. This means Murphy and his team can create shows in various genres, drawing from historical events and scandals for compelling stories. Originally called American Love Story, the title suggests future installments won’t be limited to American subjects. This series is a departure from the over-the-top style of American Horror Story, and more in line with the realistic approach of American Crime Story, where Murphy has done some of his best work. American Crime Story delivered hits like The People v. O.J. Simpson, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and Impeachment, which succeeded because they combined accurate historical details with strong themes and memorable performances – like Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan, and Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky. Feldstein’s performance, in particular, could have become iconic if the show hadn’t had issues with its release on Hulu.

The series initially shows promise, with Paul Anthony Kelly convincingly portraying John F. Kennedy Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon capturing the allure of Carolyn Bessette, fresh off her success in Stereophonic. We see Carolyn’s rise at Calvin Klein, where her talent impresses the designer (played with flair by Alessandro Nivola), and John navigating life while feeling the weight of his mother Jackie Onassis’s expectations. Naomi Watts delivers a strikingly unusual, yet memorable, portrayal of Jackie O. However, the show truly shines thanks to the production design, which meticulously recreates 1990s New York – from the fashion to the apartments – with incredible detail. Unfortunately, once the focus shifts to the couple’s relationship, the initial energy dissipates and the show loses its momentum.

The main issue with Love Story is that it doesn’t offer a compelling or insightful look into the lives of its central couple. While it touches on potentially interesting themes – the Kennedy family’s powerful legacy, the pressure of living up to a famous name, and the intense scrutiny of modern celebrity – it feels like the show only explores these ideas because it should, not because it’s discovered something genuinely new. This is especially true for John Kennedy Jr. The series hints at whether he could have forged his own identity separate from his family’s history, and even suggests he might have been a privileged young man simply pretending at adulthood. He barely passes the bar exam and then launches a magazine, George, but relies heavily on his partner to do most of the work. However, the show never fully explores the central conflict: was John incapable of effort, or was his lack of dependability simply a result of his upbringing? The script briefly considers these ideas but never commits to a clear answer, leaving us with an incomplete and underdeveloped portrait of the man.

Kelly’s performance is a weak point. While he physically embodies the character – he’s got the looks and the build – his acting doesn’t go much deeper. He relies on his natural charisma at first, but when the role requires genuine emotion – like during arguments, moments of vulnerability, or tense family scenes – he falls flat. There’s a particularly jarring scene where his character breaks down, desperately crying out, meant to convey a lifetime of loss. However, Kelly doesn’t convey the necessary depth, making the moment feel forced and immature instead of heartbreaking. You could try to interpret this lack of emotion as intentional – perhaps the character is emotionally stunted due to his privileged upbringing – but the show doesn’t really support that reading. The audience is left to fill in the emotional gaps. Perhaps this is meant to be realistic – handsome people often get a pass, and others compensate for their shortcomings.

Pidgeon’s performance is far superior, and her character, Carolyn, feels like the most fully realized person on the show. She’s sharp, inquisitive, and searching for her place in the world, with a subtle sense of unease about her new surroundings. Carolyn is at her best in the beginning, before the show focuses too much on her relationship with Kennedy. After that, the series emphasizes her internal struggles, showing her stress and using dreamlike scenes, but it often feels superficial. She’s mostly portrayed as either overwhelmed by the Kennedy world or trying to hide from the press, and the show rarely offers any real depth.

The show’s increasing focus on isolation and the pressures of public life isn’t new territory. Sofia Coppola’s films have often explored similar themes, and Pablo Larraín’s Spencer delved into the psychological impact of fame on Princess Diana, who serves as a haunting parallel to the show’s protagonist. Diana’s story was also a major part of The Crown, which clearly influenced Love Story. However, Spencer and The Crown are more compelling because they use a focused approach and connect Diana’s experiences to larger societal structures. While the monarchy is a closed world, its influence extends beyond palace walls, giving the story life. Love Story, on the other hand, is so intensely focused on the central relationship that its nine episodes of emotional drama begin to feel excessive, leaving viewers to wonder what we gain from dwelling on their suffering and predictable tragedy – a tendency signaled by the jarring opening scene depicting the plane crash.

The series portrays John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s relationship as a perfect, isolated world, focusing almost entirely on their connection to each other. It hints that this might be the intention, but ultimately doesn’t delve into what actually makes their relationship tick. We’re left wondering why they loved each other, and how their story reflects the current obsession with celebrity culture, much like the attention given to Meghan Markle. What set them apart? The show avoids truly exploring these questions, indirectly suggesting that perhaps there wasn’t anything particularly special about their connection. By the end, watching their constant ups and downs – arguments, reconciliations, and repeated cycles of love and conflict – feels exhausting, like being trapped listening to someone endlessly detail the trivialities of their relationship. The constant repetition drains any initial spark. By reducing the complexities of their life together to a predictable pattern of domestic issues, the series takes a relationship surrounded by myth and fascination and makes it surprisingly mundane.

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2026-02-13 01:55