I thought Ryan Murphy’s new show would be dreadful – but it’s captivating

Another month, another Ryan Murphy miniseries.

The latest unwieldy-named Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette creates a new strain (ahem, more on The Beauty momentarily) in Murphy’s pantheon of American-based storytelling. We had horror, then there was crime and now we have love. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Through nine Disney Plus episodes drenched in 1990s nostalgia and pre-9/11 New York optimism, we follow the whirlwind romance of presidential progeny John F Kennedy Jr (Paul Kelly) and Calvin Klein publicist turned style icon Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon).

Those already invested in the story will know it is heading towards a horrible plane crash three years into their marriage. Those unaware are told in the premiere episode’s 1999 opening, as John, Carolyn and her sister Lauren disappear into the sky in a prop plane.

We barrel backwards to years before, when the golden boy scion and quiet luxury pioneer had yet to meet. Like Kim Kardashian, John has just failed the bar exam and is having it lauded over him with front pages, while Carolyn is perpetually smoking, looking effortlessly gorgeous and trying to curry favour with self-important Calvin (Alessandro Nivola).

Real momentum builds to their eventual meeting at a party, with a sexy, fizzy first encounter that leans into the chemistry between our leads. But sometimes timing is off: John is dating then-waning star Daryl Hannah (Dree Hemingway, great-granddaughter of Ernest), while Carolyn is sleeping with Mark Wahlberg’s ab-flexing replacement at Calvin Klein.

When the stars do eventually align, the second hulking obstacle in the couple’s way is press intrusion. In one of a few clumsy devices, Princess Diana’s death factors as a plot point.

Much like John and Carolyn’s real-life relationship, the making of this show played out via the paparazzi. When the street-side shots of Pidgeon and Kelly first emerged, fans were up in arms over the inaccurate, inauthentic and – fashion’s worst crime – cheap costumes. But somehow, on screen, Carolyn’s sartorial je ne sais quoi has been restored.

Pigeon is utterly compelling as Carolyn, who remains as unknowable now as she was then, having seldom spoken publicly unless it was to ask photographers to give her space on the street.

Meanwhile, Kelly bears such a strong resemblance to the real JFK Jr, you can forget it isn’t the actual Camelot heir apparent. The entire thing hinges on its stars and they carry it off (Pidgeon in particular) with aplomb. It’s made all the more exciting because they’re virtual unknowns in career-making turns.

Bizarrely, the weaker part comes from the most established name in the cast. Naomi Watts foists a distracting accent onto Jackie O. Since the former First Lady died before ever meeting Carolyn, her role seems to have been inflated for the sake of the performer rather than the story.

This leads to some eyebrow-raising moments, such as Jackie’s deathbed confession, pouring out long-held resentments over her husband’s alleged cheating. It wouldn’t be a Ryan Murphy true story miniseries without treading the line between homage and exploitation.

Love Story has already been criticised by Caroline Kennedy’s son Jack Schlossberg for ‘profiting off’ his uncle’s life ‘in a grotesque way’. Murphy subsequently claimed the comments led to ‘threats’ against him. Tragically, the show comes just months after the Kennedy family suffered another loss with the death of Tatiana Schlossberg.

There will undoubtedly be questions over the authenticity of certain moments, with a disclaimer on the veracity at the start of each episode. But it is clear the production has persevered to remain faithful to the material that exists. Details like the unspoken Calvin Klein office rules ring true, even if Carolyn cherry-picking Kate Moss to be the next face of the fashion house beggars a bit of belief.

There is also evidence the high drama has been sacrificed in some corners. Episodes repeatedly roll the credits on hugely gossipy moments, only to pick up some indeterminate time later when the fallout has passed.

It can be a frustrating viewer experience, but also demonstrates creative caution – a concept scarcely associated with Murphy. His role here is limited to producing; given he co-wrote recent bin fires The Beauty and All’s Fair, that might be a lane he wants to stick to.

The result here is dazzling. But the fairly crucial final episode was not made available to review, so how John and Carolyn’s tragic end is treated we don’t know. 

Clunky metaphors and over-reliance on the Kennedy mythos aside, the 90s escapism and co-star alchemy will warm your heart just in time for it to be broken.

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette premieres February 13 on Disney Plus in the UK.

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