Many streaming services, like Netflix, seem to treat TV as background entertainment – something people watch while they’re busy with their phones. Because of this, shows now often rely on characters explicitly stating what’s happening and how they feel, rather than showing it through actions or subtle performance. This means less nuance and fewer opportunities for actors to truly interpret their roles. The recent film Love Story exemplifies this trend, where characters constantly explain their emotions and thoughts, which weakens more impactful scenes driven by behavior.
When characters clearly express what they want, what they struggle with, and what they’ve achieved, it can feel like they’re completely self-aware, which isn’t always realistic. To seem truly human, characters need to sometimes act against their own good sense – audiences don’t enjoy watching someone who always makes the perfect choice. Carolyn is a prime example of a well-developed character; she consistently avoids relationships, believing it’s best to remain detached, but her attraction to John is obvious. However, she doesn’t explicitly state her fears or explain her guarded nature. Instead, she avoids John’s calls, keeps their relationship private, and deflects personal questions, demonstrating her feelings through her actions – at least until the very end of this episode.
John often puts his foot in his mouth. He admits he didn’t handle a recent party well, explaining he forgot to tell the host he was bringing a date and even forgot it was her birthday. When Anthony points out this is typical John behavior, John agrees, adding that he doesn’t think the situation is working for either of them anymore. He’s attracted to Carolyn because she isn’t interested in fame, but her self-assurance makes him feel insecure. Despite realizing this, he almost ruins things by wrongly accusing her of seeking attention. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch.
The episode begins some time after Jackie’s death. Carolyn and John are caught in a playful, secretive dance, publicly avoiding each other at a Calvin Klein event at Indochine but stealing kisses in hidden alleys to escape the paparazzi. While they seem to be enjoying the game, it’s clear it won’t last. The next morning, John urges Carolyn to go out with him despite the photographers, but she’s determined to maintain their privacy. At work, Carolyn expresses sympathy for Kate Moss’s difficulties adjusting to sudden fame, wondering who would want that kind of attention. Carolyn herself avoids being the center of attention, even shrinking away when Calvin tries to photograph her stylish outfit – a classic combination of John’s shirt and a black skirt – with a Polaroid.
John and Caroline are sorting through Jackie’s belongings as they prepare for an auction. John worries about the publicity, but Caroline points out they need the money to pay the $34 million in inheritance taxes. It appears Caroline will now take on the role Jackie held – guiding and advising John on how to live his life. She gently reminds him that Jackie waited until she felt he was ready to pursue his own path. However, Jackie’s previous conversations with John suggest she actually wanted to dictate that path, something he often disregarded. This isn’t the actress Grace Gummer’s fault, though – she’s simply playing the role she’s given.
Carolyn subtly lets John know she’s not rushing into marriage by keeping him at a distance. While designer Narciso Rodriguez uses her as a model, she ignores his calls. Narciso gets upset at the thought of John pursuing his friend, but Carolyn dismisses it, claiming things are moving too quickly. Still, she can’t hide her excitement when John surprises her with a spontaneous day trip to Breezy Point. A photographer captures a candid moment of John helping Carolyn with her skirt on the boat, though they’re unaware of it at the time – they’re focused on getting to know each other. Over lunch, Carolyn convinces John that his friend Michael J. Berman is right about a magazine cover being both attractive and well-designed. When John tries to learn about her family and childhood, however, she skillfully avoids answering his questions.
At the Odeon, John was happy Carolyn agreed with his opinion on the provocative book covers. Carolyn arrived late, which amused his friends, especially Santina, the only other woman there, who enjoyed seeing John being playfully teased like he often did to others. One friend mentioned that Trey, someone John knew as a drug dealer, was often seen with Carolyn, but John didn’t seem concerned. When Carolyn arrived, she jokingly hoped no one there knew Trey, referencing his bad reputation. She quickly won everyone over with her playful personality and witty banter. When she noticed a woman approaching John at the bar, a friend reassured her that John often asked for numbers out of politeness. Understanding the situation, Carolyn left before dinner to meet her mother and sister, declining John’s offer to join her. However, she agreed to attend his sister’s party the following day.
Okay, so I’m totally invested in Carolyn’s story, and it’s heartbreaking to see her mom, Ann, so wary of John, especially with that whole thing with Daryl Hannah hanging over everything. Lauren, as sisters do, is spilling all the details to Ann, and honestly, Ann has a point – she’s worried Carolyn is getting swept up in John’s glamorous life and losing sight of herself. It’s already showing, with Carolyn saying things like ‘it’s different this time,’ which… yeah, I get why she is the way she is. It really explained why she didn’t seem to make a fuss when things got awkward at Caroline Kennedy’s birthday dinner. John downplayed it, saying it was just a party, but when they arrived, it turned out she showed up to a birthday dinner empty-handed! And to top it off, Caroline wasn’t even expecting her – it was their first meeting! Caroline was understandably annoyed at John for putting them both in such an awkward spot, and while she was polite to Carolyn, you could tell Carolyn felt completely out of her depth, unable to really connect with anyone.
This was a particularly revealing moment for John, highlighting his self-centeredness and lack of consideration for both his sister and girlfriend. Surprisingly, it works out in his favor – he gets to be with Carolyn and avoids a difficult conversation with Caroline about inviting her to events. As John sees it, he always gets lucky, and Carolyn isn’t even upset. She’s mostly pleased, though a little apprehensive, about where things are headed. Kelly Klein enthusiastically expresses how happy she is for Carolyn, but inadvertently voices Carolyn’s deepest fears: the relationship feels convenient because John, now in his thirties, is expected to settle down, and Carolyn anticipates retiring into a luxurious Kennedy lifestyle after just a few more years of work. Carolyn’s horrified reaction reveals she doesn’t want anyone to assume she’s orchestrating these events or has a long-term plan.
The episode takes a tense turn when Carolyn chooses a meeting with Kelly over John’s touch football game. This allows someone to secretly plant a damaging letter in John’s bag, revealing potentially embarrassing details about Carolyn’s past – things like previous relationships, alleged drug use, and questionable friends – and claiming she was obsessed with John before they met. The information is deliberately unclear and sensationalized. When Carolyn arrives at John’s apartment, he’s distant and asks if she or Calvin orchestrated their meeting, forgetting that he was the one who relentlessly pursued her – she initially refused to give him her number! After reading the letter, she angrily confronts him, shoving it into his hands and pushing him away. She realizes that if their relationship is so fragile that it can be destroyed by such malicious gossip, it’s not the genuine connection she believed it to be. Surprisingly, despite bringing up the letter and seemingly believing its claims, John immediately begs for forgiveness the moment Carolyn shows distress. It’s unclear what he expected – if he’s so quick to believe the letter is false, why did he believe it in the first place?
When Carolyn and John reconcile, the central conflict in their relationship becomes clear: she’s cautious, while he’s impulsive. However, his behavior seems more inconsistent than truly reckless. The show aims for a realistic portrayal, but this makes John appear weak and indecisive. If their fights continue like this, it will be hard to maintain the drama of their romance. Carolyn needs a partner who will stand up to her, but John doesn’t seem capable of that. It’s unclear what drives him, other than women who constantly point out his flaws. This is hinted at in his conversation with Caroline, where she urges him to acknowledge his life isn’t conventional and to be more discerning about who he trusts, instead of just trying to be liked. As he leaves, John impulsively takes his mother’s swim ring – a symbolic replacement for her engagement ring – from a collection of items.
Carolyn is clearly bothered by how she looks, sporting a messy bun. When she arrives home one day, John is waiting – the building superintendent let him in, and Carolyn is furious about it. After talking to his sister, John tells Carolyn he feels like his life is absurd, except for their relationship, which feels genuine – the only real thing he has (though most would agree wealth is also real). Carolyn finally explains why she wears her father’s wedding ring as a necklace: not out of love for him, but as a reminder that appearances can be deceiving and she needs to be cautious. The most heartwarming moment is when John tells Carolyn, “This is where I begin, if you’ll let me.” It’s a bit sentimental, but preferable to their philosophical argument about what’s real. They exchange “I love you”s and share a brief moment of happiness. However, that happiness is quickly shattered when Carolyn arrives at work and discovers a photo of her and John on the front page of the New York Post. The headline, “J.F.K. Jr.’s New Bottomless Blonde,” sends her into a panic.
Kennedy Memorabilia
• At the touch-football game, we conspicuously learn that Anthony has a cough — could he be ill?
The story hints that the friend who told John about Trey seeing Carolyn a lot might have also planted the damaging letter in his bag, though his role at the football game wasn’t emphasized. Perhaps the writers are setting up a situation where John will finally stand up for himself by confronting this friend next week. It’s odd that John immediately dismissed the rumors about Carolyn but seemed to believe the letter, especially considering everyone already thought Trey was untrustworthy and the source of the initial accusations.
Carolyn was really hurt by John, so she started calling Michael, a handsome doorman, instead. However, she immediately hung up every time he answered – even though he always recognized her voice. This pattern might suggest she tends to undermine her own chances at happiness.
One of the things I really love about this show is how it highlights Carolyn’s amazing style. Like, right at the start of this episode, she just takes one of John’s shirts and makes it look fantastic on her! It’s those little details that truly build a character, and honestly, it’s the kind of depth I wish we saw more of with John himself.
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2026-02-20 06:58