FX’s New Limited TV Series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Nails Set Design, Soundtrack, and Fashion Recreations of the Era

You’re likely like me — when you have a favorite book, you wince at the thought of it being turned into a movie (or in today’s world, some six-episode series on a streaming service) for fear of that story you have conjured in your head ruined by Hollywood’s jaded touch. Or, of a fondly remembered period of your life. It’s hard to mirror those IRL experiences you have from that era. That was the case when I heard that Ryan Murphy would be producing a limited series for FX on the fairy tale, yet doomed, romance between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. That incarnation, titled Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, dropped last week, and alas, I decided to give it a try.

Like in the recent case of the story I wrote on Heated Rivalry (which still seems to be on permanent repeat on the television at my home), I won’t give any spoilers so that you can experience it for yourself. But, spoilers really aren’t much of a consideration given that we all know the romance between America’s Prince and the ethereal blond since they were constantly in every tabloid during their courtship, and when they tragically died in the plane crash in 1999, it was the news piece that ran on a 24-hour cycle on CNN and those earlier cable news services.

Set Design and Soundtrack in Love Story

For these purposes, let me focus on the set design, soundtrack, and fashion recreations. First off, they nailed that era (which was pretty much 1992 when they first met to 1999 when we sadly lost them) — the cars and cabs whizzing past on those bustling Manhattan avenues and streets were all period pitch perfect. The only miss perhaps was the nightclub scene ostensibly at the Roxy. And given that the Roxy was often on my list of watering holes from the mid-90s, Murphy could’ve done better. It plays too much like what Hollywood thinks middle America imagines a NYC den of iniquity to be. Cheesy décor and way too bright — practically lit for surgery, which no downtown denizen would’ve been okay with — we were all too vain and wanted it as dark as possible to look as young as possible after a long day.

In the first 15 minutes of the pilot episode Carolyn rolls out of her bed (a mattress on the floor like most poor’ish Village brownstone twenty somethings), gets dressed (more on that outfit in a minute), lights a cigarette (Parliaments of course) and then makes her way to work and stops at a newsstand that during that decade were on every corner with a curation of magazines that are exactly what we remembered — Esquire, supermodel Nicki Taylor gracing the cover of Harper’s Bazaar and of course, JFK Jr front page of the Daily News with the headline: “Hunk Flunks” as he had failed the New York Bar Exam (again).

The music playing as all this occurs is Primal Scream’s “Loaded,” which was on my playlist before there was even such a concept of playlist (well, maybe mixed tapes since we were all using Walkmans at the time). The soundtrack is amazing. Bands like the Beastie Boys, Breeders, Seal, Mazzy Star, and The Stone Roses set the mood in NYC in the 1990s. In fact, I have been listening to many of those songs again and again since watching, some I had completely forgotten about.

And by the end of the second episode, I was thinking, if only they could use some Portishead, which was pretty much playing at every store I used to frequent at that time (I lived in Manhattan from 1994-1996 while in graduate school). I remember oh-so well walking into boutiques in the East Village with shop girls clad in all noir and looking disenfranchised and attempting to convey ennui (maybe that’s called resting bitch face now). It was almost like Ryan Murphy was thinking the same thing as Portishead’s “Roads” began playing as I finished episode three.

Recreating Carolyn Bessette’s Style

Okay, the one thing we were all worried about since news of the series came out — were they going to be able to recreate her style. Carolyn’s playbook was a master class in minimalism. She was the quintessential effortless girl-on-the-go … #aspirational even today amongst 20-something NYC girls.

When pics were being snapped of the production taking place early in 2024 and posted on social media, comments like, “What are they thinking? She never would look like this,” were being batted about. I must say, after watching the first three episodes, the costume designer, Rudy Mance, did an impeccable job. Apparently, the producers did pay attention to all that early feedback from fashion carnivores who were witnessing in abject horror those first looks being posted and they decided to bring in someone new.

Mance, who had previously worked on Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, thankfully took the assignment seriously and was able to procure some pieces from a Canadian collector. Back to those first 15 minutes of the pilot. Carolyn rushes through her apartment with mussy, yet chic, blond tussled bedhead, and throws on a black turtleneck, black pants, a black tote snuggled up under her armpit (perfect length), and black square-toed loafers. I could write three pages on those pants, likely Calvin Klein (which BTW they recreated those corporate offices where she worked in PR from that era pretty damn well since I had friends who worked there and would visit often) with an ever so slight flare above the ankles. It’s subtle details like that which must be applauded. Carolyn knew that in that era of early quiet luxury, it was what set a girl apart. Equal parts calculated, but not fussy, and casual. As the camera catches her from behind walking at a brisk pace towards the subway, she looks like she has that carefree, cool It-girl quality that could and would eventually land America’s most eligible bachelor.

Well, hopefully you’re intrigued enough now to give it a try as I did. It’s only three episodes in and I have hopes that the remaining ones will give us more great music and some memorable fashion moments (like the Narciso Rodriguez dress she chose for her nuptials on Cumberland Island).