The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Review: The House by the Lake (Season 2 Episode 4)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Season 2 Episode 4 “The House by the Lake” takes us to the very beginning of Andrew Cunanan’s killing spree. It’s another well-acted but upsetting episode which shows Andrew murdering two unsuspecting men.

Each time I watch The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, I am saddened by the lives cut short by a manipulative man with murderous intentions. “The House by the Lake” is no exception.

The episode starts a week before the murder of Lee Miglin, in Minneapolis. Andrew is staying with David Madson, a successful architect and the man who he just proposed to.

Things are obviously tense between David and Andrew. David tells Andrew that they both said things over the weekend that they regret.

Andrew tells him he regrets nothing. They are also not engaged.

At this point, Andrew has not killed anyone, but that changes very quickly. We already know what Andrew is capable of, so from the very start, his very presence is menacing.

Finn Wittrock makes a very quick guest appearance as Jeff Trail, a mutual friend (and supposed secret lover of David) before he is promptly and viciously murdered by Andrew.

It’s interesting to see how Andrew’s murders become less and less intimate or involved as his spree continues. Considering how Jeff Trail’s murder is a crime of passion, where Andrew is out of control and covered in blood, Versace’s assassination almost seems impersonal.

Where is Versace by the way? By traveling back in time to see Andrew’s previous murders, we miss out on the Miami storyline and the aftermath of Gianni Versace’s death.

The murders of William Reese, Lee Miglin, David Madson, and Jeff Trail could have been intercut with the investigation surrounding Versace’s death in Miami. We didn’t need two whole episodes without the Versace storyline.

However, I appreciate the Versace-less episodes. Gianni may have been the most famous of the victims, but that doesn’t mean the other four men weren’t as important or as loved.

“The House by the Lake” is a little clunky with David’s flashbacks of hunting with his father and then coming out to him.

But, the final scene with David as he imagines he makes it into the house by the lake and sits down to have coffee with his father is just so heart-breaking that it really packs a punch.

Although Andrew has been the predominant character in each episode, I’m glad that we’re no closer to knowing the real Andrew. The writers aren’t trying to find reasons as to why he is the way he is, nor are they trying to make him relatable.

“The House by the Lake” shows Andrew in a slightly different light—he’s still threatening (even singing “Pump Up the Jams”) and a master manipulator, but he shows some tenderness and emotion towards David.

That still doesn’t make us feel for Andrew, though.

The murder of Jeff Trail seems to be premeditated, although Andrew says it wasn’t. Whether or not it was, Andrew still saw that he would be able to confuse law enforcement. By putting out David’s pornography on his bed, the cops thought that it was a hook-up that went wrong.

They also thought David was the murderer for a short time.

It really is fascinating to see how Andrew was able to commit the murders he did and be on the run for more than two months in plain sight.

Overall, “The House by the Lake” is a sad chapter that starts off Andrew Cunanan’s murderous spree that leads him to the assassination of Gianni Versace. Darren Criss impresses again as does Cody Fern who plays David Madson.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is compelling TV and even though I already know the story, I can’t wait to watch the next chapter.

What did you think of this episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.

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