Love Story Season-Finale Recap: Every Couple Is an Island

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At the funeral Mass for John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn, and Lauren Bessette, Ann Messina Freeman – who had previously spoken at Carolyn and John’s wedding – read two well-known poems about grief. One was by Clare Harner, and the other by Henry Scott Holland. Both poems offer a gentle but firm perspective on death, which suited Ann’s strong personality. Harner’s poem begins with a direct instruction – “Do not stand by my grave and weep” – and Holland’s tells readers how to grieve: “Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.” Interestingly, the first season of the show Love Story ends with these very lines, even though the season itself concludes with an abundance of forced solemnity and sadness.

As a fan, I always felt like Love Story was pulling itself in so many directions. It seemed to want to both expose and celebrate the intense media frenzy around John and Carolyn Kennedy, while also trying to understand their relationship. It was trying to critique the Kennedy family’s rigid ways, but also romanticize them, and even feel sorry for them – all at the same time! They wanted to make John and Carolyn feel like both regular people and untouchable icons. Carolyn was meant to be captivating but also guarded, and John, sensitive but flawed. Ultimately, it felt like it was trying to be a juicy soap opera and a serious drama, but it never quite managed to fully commit to either, and it didn’t really dig deep into the complicated truths of the story.

Throughout the season, it was consistently emphasized that Carolyn and John didn’t have much time left. The plane crash that would take them to Martha’s Vineyard felt inevitable from the very beginning, established when we first saw John’s plane take off late. Given this, the finale’s nearly 30-minute extension after the storm seems unnecessary. Watching Carolyn and Ann grieve, knowing there was unresolved conflict between John and Carolyn, as well as within the family, didn’t reveal anything new about their personalities and felt unnecessarily cruel. Instead of creating a powerful emotional moment, the repeated scenes of grief actually diminished the impact.

Until now, Caroline and Ann have only appeared alongside John or Carolyn, never truly as individuals. Focusing closely on Constance Zimmer and Grace Gummer’s expressions of sadness feels unnecessary. The two women share a lengthy scene in the Tribeca loft soon after Ann discusses the Kennedys’ burial plans with Ed, a blunt representative. “The family” presents Ann with two unpleasant choices: Carolyn can be buried with John in the Kennedy plot in Brookline, or John can be buried separately with his parents at Arlington National Cemetery. Ann responds with her usual strength, sharply reminding them that she lost two daughters in the plane crash he caused.

It breaks my heart to see how the media treats Lauren, often reducing her to just a small part of the endless tributes to John, while unfairly portraying Carolyn as the bad guy. It’s just not right – everyone focuses on her being late, completely ignoring the fact that John was flying at night without enough experience.

Carolyn, though, she’s so incredibly strong, and she finally opened up about the guilt she carries – how she barely escaped what felt like a ‘Kennedy curse’ when she was just eighteen. A bomb went off in a car she was supposed to be in, can you imagine? She talked about how random life and death are, and it made me think about how John never seemed to grasp that.

I remember hearing that shortly before he died, she actually tried to warn him, sitting right by the reservoir. Jackie had told John, on that very bench, that he was destined to be loved by someone who would sacrifice everything for him. Carolyn urged him to fight that fate, because she was different – she wouldn’t simply give up who she was. Their marriage, she said, demanded something he’d never faced before: compromise. It’s just…so tragic.

I was really struck by a scene downtown – Lauren was gently trying to explain to her sister that she shouldn’t assume John was untrustworthy just because of their difficult relationship with their father. Apparently, John had called Lauren asking about Carolyn and offered her a ride to Martha’s Vineyard for Rory Kennedy’s wedding. Carolyn was hesitant to go, but Lauren convinced her, and she seemed to be softening towards John. It’s amazing how John always gets his way, even when he’s being called out. He gets a piece of Carolyn’s mind, definitely, but she’s the one who ultimately changes her behavior, stepping back into the public eye with him. The moment she surprised him at a George gala – a gala she’d already said she’d skip – was so telling. She admitted that she knew how much her being there meant to him. John, predictably, was completely comfortable in front of the cameras, while you could see Carolyn really struggling to keep it together.

The first part of the episode, before the plane crash, is filmed with a warm, golden tone, almost suggesting John and Carolyn are already blessed. It begins with them in couples therapy, revisiting the same argument from the previous week: John feels neglected by Carolyn’s withdrawal, while Carolyn feels she’s less important to him than his public image or family. The therapist believes Carolyn’s dream of being injured in the Dallas motorcade while wearing Jackie Kennedy’s pink suit symbolizes her feeling of self-sacrifice for John’s ambition, but John interprets it as a fear of public scrutiny. Still living separately at the Stanhope Hotel, the counselor suggests a trial separation to help them figure out if they truly want to be together.

Rather than drifting apart, John and Carolyn find themselves growing closer. After therapy, they share a drink at Walker’s, and their reminiscing is bittersweet, filled with a sense of loss for a life they know is in the past. This trip down memory lane seems to reignite their passion, leading to a night of intimacy – the first we’ve seen this season – which reinforces the feeling that both of them sensed their time together was limited. They fondly recall how physically attracted they once were, giving viewers a glimpse of happier times. It wasn’t all negative! The next morning, as John heads to work, Carolyn hesitates to discuss the night before, but he’s in a hurry and suggests they address it in therapy. John, always concerned with appearances, wonders if they should even tell their counselor about their encounter, fearing it will make them seem even more troubled. It’s another instance of his tendency to control how others perceive him.

Lauren tells Carolyn she needs to move on from the past to find happiness. Ironically, for Carolyn and John, looking back actually helps them see a path forward. After a gala, John sends Carolyn flowers and asks her out to Panna II, the restaurant where they had their first date. They reminisce about memorable moments from that night – a stolen bike, a funny mishap, and Carolyn’s initial reluctance. While this focus on the past hints at a sadness about what could have been, it also gives them a glimmer of hope. By the end of the date, they feel optimistic enough to dream about a future trip together. Carolyn then decides to go to Rory’s wedding.

Connor Hines keeps focusing on a specific picture of John and Carolyn, even going so far as to visualize the moments during the flight when things started to fail. Lauren is almost forgotten, simply fading into the background of the plane. Despite being told the weather would be good, they flew into a storm. John gripped the controls, staring straight ahead as alarms sounded, but he didn’t attempt to change course, seemed unconcerned, and remained silent. No one panicked. He barely glanced at Carolyn, only telling her to return to her seat, but she stayed by his side, urging him to breathe. Both she and Lauren closed their eyes.

It’s understandable why John was confused. As one of the Kennedy family’s lawyers would later explain, he was experiencing a kind of disorientation where he couldn’t tell the sky from the sea. He likely knew something was wrong, but not necessarily that the plane was falling instead of climbing. Despite this, his look of complete confusion and helplessness is puzzling. Wouldn’t he have at least tried to reassure Lauren and Carolyn that he was in control, just to calm them down? Wouldn’t he have attempted to make sense of the instruments, even though they were clearly upside down? By imagining this unknowable moment, Hines puts himself in a difficult position. The fact that he chose to portray John as stunned and helpless in the face of disaster reveals a lot about his approach to the story. It’s a rather unflattering image, and a fitting conclusion to an unflattering portrayal.

An air traffic controller on Martha’s Vineyard alerted the Coast Guard when John’s plane didn’t arrive as expected. Authorities began a search, and Caroline and Ed were informed the plane was missing. Ann received the devastating news late at night. The story quickly spread through the media, but Caroline and Ed didn’t find out John’s body had been recovered until President Clinton personally called Senator Ted Kennedy, who was with them and Ethel. Caroline was deeply affected, as John’s death meant she had lost every member of her immediate family.

Watching everything unfold, I was struck by how Ed, with all his seriousness, was quickly put in his place by Ann in that library scene – it was almost comical! Then came a truly moving moment when Caroline confessed to Ann that she always regretted not helping Carolyn when she needed it. Seeing Caroline take Ann’s hand, it was the most warmth I’d ever seen from her. She proposed they honor John, Carolyn, and Lauren’s wishes and scatter their ashes at sea, dismissing the idea of traditional burial plots. Before the funeral, Caroline had a poignant conversation with Ethel, who understood loss so deeply having lost her own parents. Ethel reminded Caroline – and honestly, it felt like she was speaking to all of us – that as Kennedy women, they were survivors, and that resilience had to mean something. Seeing Ethel lift Caroline’s chin, it was a powerful image of strength and hope.

Caroline, Ann, and Richard scattered the remains of their family members into the ocean. Meanwhile, in the city, people gathered in remembrance outside 20 North Moore Street. The series ends with Carolyn and John sitting peacefully on a beach, both wearing white sweaters. The scene leaves viewers wondering if they’ve found peace in the afterlife. In a poignant moment, Ann tells Caroline she wishes the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy the public will remember – as a daughter, sister, friend, publicist, fashion icon, and wife – had the chance to be known for more than just her tragic end. Sadly, when it comes to this dramatic series, it seems she will be remembered primarily for that tragedy.

Kennedy Memorabilia

Given how much the story focuses on the media’s impact on the Kennedys, the extended section after John and Carolyn’s deaths surprisingly doesn’t explore the public’s reaction in detail. Perhaps the intention was to highlight Caroline’s ability to avoid attention – she leaves her building while onlookers respectfully clear a path, a stark contrast to John and Carolyn, who were constantly surrounded by crowds.

Okay, I’ll admit it – this show had some moments that made me raise an eyebrow. But honestly, saving Dido for the very end was a brilliant move, and it almost made up for everything else. It was a smart decision, and I’m glad they did it!

• Thank you for watching Love Story with me and reading along. What a ride it’s been!

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2026-03-27 19:56