Love Story Recap: Rules of the Game

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As Jackie Kennedy once told John, people in the public eye have to expect the press and public to create their own stories and assumptions. While I usually don’t sympathize with celebrities complaining about fame, I found myself agreeing with Jack Schlossberg in his recent disagreement with Ryan Murphy. I would be upset, too, if my uncle’s memory was tarnished like that.

The character of John, while perhaps accurately portrayed as emotionally distant, could have been more impactful with a stronger push or a more talented actor. Like Princess Diana, Carolyn was unfairly criticized and painted as difficult in the media. The show Love Story tries to redeem her image, but she needs a real conflict, and John simply doesn’t provide it. He lacks the dramatic depth you’d expect from a soap opera character. The show’s alteration of the timeline highlights a core problem: the real-life incident that caused a two-year breakup between John and Daryl, and Carolyn and Michael, is downplayed, making John seem passive. His first major argument with Carolyn is triggered by someone else and has no lasting effect – she expresses her anger, and then everything returns to normal. This keeps John from being proactive and diminishes the conflict.

This week’s episode, “Battery Park,” centers around a particularly memorable and public fight between John and Carolyn in Washington Square Park – a moment captured by countless photos during their highly publicized relationship. Let’s rewind to see how things escalated. John and Carolyn are now living together with their dog, Friday, but knowing John’s history, Carolyn might be wise to keep hold of the leash. She’s getting used to his habits – like remembering his wallet – but still prefers to avoid unwanted attention. They leave their apartment separately; John deliberately attracts the paparazzi while Carolyn continues her walk to work. Surprisingly, the tactic works. The photographers, already familiar with her appearance from a recent article in the Post, don’t follow her.

Carolyn’s friends at Calvin Klein are upset that the tabloids aren’t photographing her and keep spelling her name wrong. Narciso believes she’ll become as famous as Princess Diana, but Carolyn is focused on a more pressing issue: she’s traveling to Hyannis Port to meet the Kennedy family. This creates problems for Berman, who is working tirelessly to prepare for the launch of George magazine while John is completely detached from the pressure. John is so removed that he’s even considering a raise for his assistant, while Berman worries there isn’t enough real content for the magazine, which feels more like an advertisement catalog. John assumes Berman will cover for him, so he doesn’t bother mentioning his weekend trip. When Berman finds out, Carolyn, as usual, looks uncomfortable and says she’s sorry. He sends her off with a pointed remark: “I hope you’ve been keeping up with current events.”

John deliberately doesn’t warn Carolyn that Ethel Kennedy—whom he instructs Carolyn to address as ‘Mrs. Kennedy,’ and who is considered the family’s leading figure since Jackie’s death—likes to quiz guests on current events during dinner. He also conveniently ‘forgets’ to mention Caroline’s birthday dinner and a breakfast sign-up sheet. He essentially sets Carolyn up to face a tough interrogation. Initially, she does well chatting with Kara and Katie Kennedy, who are entertained by her straightforward dating advice: ‘Date them, train them, dump them.’ However, she struggles under Ethel’s intense questioning. Ethel immediately tells her to remove a stylish scarf and, when Carolyn can’t offer an opinion on Clinton’s relationship with Vietnam, bluntly suggests she ‘read about it.’ It becomes clear that the further away you are from Ethel at the table, the more challenging the questions become—but John didn’t prepare Carolyn for any of this.

Ethel discreetly moved Carolyn’s luggage to a different room, likely to avoid scandal given the family’s strict Catholic beliefs. Carolyn realizes that confronting Ethel would only make things harder for herself, even though John seems to enjoy stirring up trouble. She learns the next morning that guests need to sign up for breakfast, and John has already reserved a spot for 7:30. It’s hard to imagine getting through such a tense day without coffee. Katie and Kara jokingly share Carolyn’s approach to dating, but after everything that’s happened, Carolyn wonders if they’re intentionally trying to undermine her. The only members of the Kennedy family who genuinely welcome her are the children, with whom she enjoys simple, carefree moments. While Carolyn could believe John is simply accustomed to his family’s ways and doesn’t think to explain them, his constant comments about his family’s quirks suggest otherwise. Considering he was the one who toasted her for surviving her first Kennedy family dinner, his evasiveness feels deliberate – a cruel game, like a cat toying with its prey.

Okay, so he really seems smitten with Carolyn, which is sweet. He actually proposed to her on a boat, in one of Jackie’s favorite places! He gave her his mom’s old swim ring – he was so prepared, he’d grabbed it the second they arrived at Hyannis, even before Carolyn was out of the car! It was a pretty classic proposal, with some cheesy but cute lines like, “Every moment is perfect with you.” Poor Carolyn was a little speechless. She loves him, but after that crazy weekend with his family, she’s hesitant. She wants to be absolutely sure before saying yes, and needs to talk about their future first. Later, Caroline told John he rushed things, which honestly, I kind of admire Carolyn for not jumping right away. John just doesn’t get why everyone isn’t celebrating him – he feels like he’s really turning his life around with the magazine and now this proposal, and he wants some recognition.

Carolyn runs into Michael at a bar and learns he’s doing well, both professionally and in his personal life – he has a new girlfriend. While he’s polite, he makes it clear he doesn’t want to be friends, and he questions how Carolyn can date such a famous man given how private she is. Carolyn reveals that John proposed, and she’s annoyed that Michael seems pleased to hear even a highly desirable bachelor couldn’t convince her to commit. Michael bluntly tells her that if she’s not enthusiastically saying yes, it’s essentially a no. Later, Carolyn explains to a frustrated John that her reluctance isn’t about him, but about becoming “Mrs. JFK Jr.” John vows to shield their relationship from the public eye, a promise Carolyn doubts he can keep. He also promises she won’t be alone, which feels hypocritical considering he left her alone at Hyannis Port. However, Carolyn doesn’t want to argue; she wants to move forward. She puts on the engagement ring, touched that it belonged to his mother, but remains hesitant and decides she’ll only wear it when they’re in private.

Someone – possibly Michael – leaked the news of Carolyn’s rejection to the Post, and it made the front page. This infuriated Berman, especially with George‘s launch just days away, as it was crucial for the public to support John. When Berman suspected Carolyn was the source of the leak, John strongly defended her, claiming she was fully committed to George‘s success and had been instrumental in planning everything. This was too much for Berman, who was already under immense stress – he’d been hospitalized twice for IBS and had been sleeping at the office. He felt he was the one doing all the work while John did nothing. John responded with a cold, dismissive question: “What do you want me to do?” The scene ended there, but it was easy to imagine Berman either physically attacking John or having a complete breakdown.

Carolyn and John decided she shouldn’t go to George’s launch event, fearing it would make the situation worse. John also revealed that his boss, Berman, wants him to publicly state he didn’t propose to Carolyn, hoping to control the narrative before the press asks about it. Carolyn was shocked, questioning if he would actually do it – especially since he’d just promised to keep their personal life private. John explained that George’s career is on the line, and he has to prioritize what’s best for the magazine, feeling he has no choice. Carolyn was furious as she watched the press conference and the broadcast of John’s denial. When he returned home, she pretended to be asleep, unable to confront him.

The following morning, Carolyn finally unleashed her anger. While walking with John – both wearing the now-famous outfits – she positioned herself in front of him as the paparazzi snapped photos. John accused her of intentionally damaging their relationship because she was afraid of commitment, and she countered by reminding him he was willing to compromise his own values to maintain his public image. This sparked a furious reaction from John, who snatched the ring from her finger. Carolyn responded by pushing him several times. The scene felt staged, deliberately mirroring the iconic paparazzi shots, which hindered the story’s flow. Instead of showing the argument build naturally, the film jumped between different moments – they’re shoving, then sitting in silence, then yelling again. The unrealistic dialogue didn’t help; John dramatically asks, “Why can’t we just love each other?” and Carolyn bizarrely questions if he has presidential ambitions. She even insults him with a harsh word. Despite everything, she ultimately agrees to marry him.

What decision has she reached? How did their argument finally give her the confidence to say yes to his proposal? Was it because he stayed by her side despite the media attention, or was she simply afraid of being alone? It’s hard to say. When Carolyn questions John about signing up for breakfast at Hyannis, he claims he just wanted her to get more rest. She’s relieved, as she’s not interested in participating in his family’s structured events. He feels the same way, explaining that he doesn’t want her to enter his world, but rather for him to join hers. These words, while presented as romantic, are unsettling coming from someone about to get married. Ultimately, this scene feels flat and lacks the emotional weight it should have as a key moment in their relationship. Honestly, looking at the actual tabloid photos offers just as much understanding.

Kennedy Memorabilia

The relationship between Kelly and Calvin mirrors Carolyn and John’s, but with Calvin fully aware of his own inflated ego. Calvin asks Carolyn to have John attend the opening of his new store, claiming he’s too busy (though George disagrees). Kelly feels uneasy when Calvin jokes that John owes him a favor for introducing them. Later, reading a newspaper article about Carolyn and John’s failing engagement makes Kelly cry, as she realizes the sacrifice Carolyn is about to make – giving up her own life for a more famous husband and always playing a secondary role. Calvin is irritated that the article portrays Carolyn as Kelly’s mentee rather than his own, hinting that Carolyn and John are headed for a resentful future.

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2026-02-27 07:58