The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Review: Alone (Season 2 Episode 9)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Season 2 Episode 9 “Alone” is still compelling to watch but falls a little flat. “Alone” was always going to be a hard sell because much of the episode, Andrew is, well, alone and he is more dynamic when he is with other people.

We have seen Andrew in all sorts of forms—charming, predatory, menacing, confident—but when he’s by himself, he is just kind of blah.

In the days after Andrew killed Versace and there was a stepped-up manhunt in Miami, Andrew was in hiding. He could no longer afford to be out in public or else he risked capture.

So, much of the episode is Andrew trapped in a houseboat.

A highlight of “Alone” is seeing Judith Light as Marilyn Miglin again. She steals every scene she’s in and damn it, when Marilyn is on the verge of tears, I’m on the verge of tears too.

The story she tells about how she wanted to make a perfume that her mother would have worn is such a great story and evokes so much emotion.

Even Andrew is in awe of her. But there is no glimmer of remorse.

It’s interesting to see how when Andrew first breaks into the houseboat, he’s still giddy from killing Versace and to see his name paired forever with Gianni’s. The houseboat isn’t exactly lavish, but Andrew enjoys a bottle of champagne to celebrate his latest murder.

But then, food runs out. He eyes a can of dog food attempts to eat it and then vomits.

No, he is not that desperate–yet.

After seeing David Madson’s father on TV (which Andrew seems to be a little obsessed with the coverage of himself), he calls his father.

I wasn’t expecting to see Modesto again but even watching Andrew and Modesto talk on the phone elevated the excitement of the episode.

After seeing how things ended with Modesto on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Season 2 Episode 8 “Creator/Destroyer,” I’m surprised that Andrew reached out to him.

I never thought for a minute though that Modesto was going to help him. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had ratted out Andrew for financial gain.

As the days go on, we see that the rest of the dog food has been eaten. Modesto has not come to save Andrew and he has become the cockroach he trapped under glass.

Without much fanfare, Andrew is discovered at the houseboat and it is there, that he puts a gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger.

We’re then taken to the scene from the first episode where Gianni and Andrew are backstage at the opera. Andrew tells Gianni that he wants to be special and he’ll convince the world that he is.

Gianni: It’s not about persuading people you’re going to do something great—it’s about doing it.

And there we have it summed up in one line how completely different these two men are, no matter how they are forever connected.

“Alone” did show Donatella and Antonio briefly although it’s just plain sad to see how Antonio was treated. He isn’t acknowledged and is shunned at Gianni’s funeral and then is told that he may not have anywhere to go as the property Gianni promised him is controlled by the label’s board.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’s biggest failure is the time jumps and the way the season is structured. “Alone” is the finale, however, there just isn’t enough to it to really pack a punch.

I think it would have been better if throughout the season we saw the aftermath of Versace’s murder intercut with Andrew’s previous murders. There isn’t much of a build-up to when Andrew is discovered and when he commits suicide.

By breaking up the manhunt, this final episode may have had more energy. I just feel like I watched an episode of Andrew watching TV.

That being said, I still enjoyed the whole season of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. There were so many brilliant performances, but Darren Criss takes the cake.

He is amazing on every episode and plays so many versions of Andrew. It’s exciting to watch.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is also very sad because I kept wanting the victims to survive.

The characters may not reflect their real-life counterparts one hundred percent, but I was invested in each and every one of them. There are lots of memorable moments throughout the season, but none of them felt sensationalized. And even though Andrew was humanized, his actions were never excused.

It’s disappointing that “Alone” is the weakest episode, but it doesn’t diminish the excellence of the episodes that came previously.

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

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