History Series / TheAssassinationOfGianniVersace

* PlayingGertrude:
** Edgar Ramirez is roughly ten years younger here (at the time of filming) than Gianni was at the time of his death.
** Cody Fern, who plays David Madson, was 28-years-old at the time of filming, five years younger than Madson was when he was murdered.

** Played with in later episodes (which are the chronologically earliest scenes). Andrew's youth sees him as facing genuine heartbreak when a sugar daddy doesn't want a serious relationship, and Andrew rejects the money his boyfriend gives him, in contrast to his eventual days of being an entitled kept man. He's also sincerely disappointed and angered by his father screwing over the family and leaving them nothing, appears to be real friends with Liz and breaks down in tears of genuine remorse when he accidentally injures his mother, setting the idea that Andrew's descent into psychopathy was a gradual process, which real-life friends argued as well.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Andrew is so tone-deaf that he interrupts David (''the man he is trying to seduce) when David is talking about his unprivileged childhood (''after Andrew asked him about it''), to tell yet another anecdote about Andrew's pampered childhood.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: The bulk of the series takes place during the nineties, when gay relationships were still largely frowned upon, and thus the police aren't terribly sympathetic when they question the relations of Andrew's victims about their sex lives.

Adapted from the non-fiction book ''Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History'' by Maureen Orth, it covers the titular murder --and ensuring fallout-- of famous fashion designer UsefulNotes/GianniVersace (Creator/EdgarRamirez) by UsefulNotes/AndrewCunanan (Music/DarrenCriss) in [[TheNineties 1997]].

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Andrew Cunanan and his parents are more attractive on the show than they were in real life. The real Donatella Versace was also often derided for her appearance even before her plastic surgery, whereas in the show she's played by the beautiful Penelope Cruz.

* BrilliantButLazy: Andrew is shown to be very knowledgeable on a number of subjects but would rather be a kept man than apply himself in getting a career to sustain the expensive lifestyle he enjoys. [[https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a15045343/gianni-versace-murder-death-true-story/ Reportedly, the real Andrew Cunanan had an IQ of 147 despite having rather unremarkable grades in school]].

* CampGay: Andrew enjoys opera, fashion, and expensive dining.

** Sort of implied that Andrew resents older rich gay men who managed to build successful careers by remaining closeted. He blames his lack of opportunities in life on being gay - but he's really just a shiftless psychopath with a taste for the finer things and no desire to do actual work for them. His hypocrisy is gradually revealed in later episodes when he's ''openly'' living with a wealthy older gay man who isn't closeted at all, but still resents his success even as he mooches off him. The same episode has Andrew claim he has a [=PhD=], only for his partner to call this out as bullshit because he discovered that Andrew simply ''dropped out'' of college. Andrew doesn't even bother to claim discrimination as an excuse in response, he just childishly protests that "It was boring!"

* SanitySlippage: Cunanan, though deceitful and entitled from the beginning, is nonetheless shown to be capable of empathy and sincere attachments to people earlier in his life. A variety of things - discovering his father's career as a conman, various romantic disappointments, his inability to find either a stable job or a lover willing to support him, and his increased drug use - combined to drive him over the edge, to the point where Cunanan becomes an outright sociopath.

** Cunanan is implied to have had an off-and-on-relationship with Lee Miglin prior to his murder. Chicago police initially considered this possibility, since Miglin was found surrounded with sex toys and women's clothing, and circumstantial evidence (like Cunanan leaving an unfinished meal in the kitchen) suggested the killer knew him. The FBI, however, found no links between Cunanan and Miglin, with the only witness suggesting a connection deemed not credible. That said, it's certainly possible that Miglin was gay or bisexual regardless, but if so he was ''much'' more discreet than his series counterpart, who openly cruises for partners in gay bars.

* GayCruising: The series posits that Andrew Cunanan found victims Gianni Versace and Lee Miglin because they were cruisers. This was controversial, as Versace had a longtime partner, and Miglin was married to a woman,[[note]]The Chicago police initially suspected that Miglin was killed by an ex-lover due to the presence of sex toys at the scene of the crime. However, the FBI rejected this conclusion after Cunanan was identified as the murderer. It's certainly possible that Miglin was gay or bisexual regardless, but if so he was ''far'' more discreet about it than his series counterpart.[[/note]] and neither is believed to have had any prior connection to Cunanan.

* GayCruising: The series posits that Andrew Cunanan found victims Gianni Versace and Lee Miglin because they were cruisers. This was controversial, as Versace had a longtime partner, and Miglin was married to a woman, and neither is believed to have had any prior connection to Cunanan.

* RealityEnsues: See DidNotThinkThisThrough.

Adapted from the non-fiction book ''Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History'' by Maureen Orth, it covers the titular murder --and ensuring fallout-- of famous fashion designer UsefulNotes/GianniVersace (Creator/EdgarRamirez) by Andrew Cunanan (Music/DarrenCriss) in [[TheNineties 1997]].

Also starring on the show are Creator/PenelopeCruz as Versace's sister Donatella, Giovanni Cirfiera as their brother Santo, Music/RickyMartin as Gianni's lover Antonio D'Amico, Mike Farrell as fellow Cunanan victim Lee Miglin, Creator/MaxGreenfield as Ronnie, Annaleigh Ashford as Elizabeth Cote, Creator/FinnWittrock as Jeff Trail, Jon Jon Briones as Modesto Cunanan, Creator/JudithLight as Marilyn Miglin, Creator/DaschaPolanco as Det. Lori Wieder and Jay R. Ferguson as FBI Agent Evans.

Also starring on the show are Creator/PenelopeCruz as Versace's sister Donatella, Giovanni Cirfiera as their brother Santo, Music/RickyMartin as Gianni's lover Antonio D'Amico, Mike Farrell as fellow Cunanan victim Lee Miglin, Creator/MaxGreenfield as Ronnie, Annaleigh Ashford as Elizabeth Cote, Creator/FinnWittrock as Jeff Trail, Jon Jon Briones as Modesto Cunanan, Judith Light as Marilyn Miglin, Creator/DaschaPolanco as Det. Lori Wieder and Jay R. Ferguson as FBI Agent Evans.

* AttentionWhore: To say that Andrew loves the spotlight would be an {{Understatement}}. One episode exploring his teenage years had him show up at a party wearing a red jumpsuit that wouldn't be out of place in a Music/MichaelJackson video. He is also elated at the infamy his murder of Gianni Versaci has brought him before realizing just how badly he has screwed up his life by killing an internationally beloved celebrity.

Adapted from the non-fiction book ''Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History'' by Maureen Orth, it covers the titular murder --and ensuring fallout-- of famous fashion designer Gianni Versace (Creator/EdgarRamirez) by Andrew Cunanan (Music/DarrenCriss) in [[TheNineties 1997]].

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Modesto flees the country after fleeing the FBI raid at work. First of all, the FBI serving a warrant would certainly be watching all exits. Second, if the feds were at the point they were taking him into custody, his name would be on an no-fly list so simply hopping on a plane to Manila would not have worked. This is all done for drama. In reality, Modesto had already fled before the FBI raided.

* ArmoredClosetGay: One of Cunanan's victims Lee Miglin is portrayed as a closeted gay man married to a woman. Downplayed with Jeff Trail who is out to his sister and friends but not his parents or at work (and must adhere to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy during his time in the navy).

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Modesto flees the country after fleeing the FBI raid at work. First of all, the FBI serving a warrant would certainly be watching all exits. Second, if the feds were at the point they were taking him into custody, his name would be on an no-fly list so simply hopping on a plane to Manila would not have worked.
** This is all done for drama. In reality, Modesto had already fled before the FBI raided.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:In the finale, facing the prospect of losing everything because of Donatella's machinations, Antonio tries to kill himself by downing a whole plate of pills, but he is found by a maid and saved from dying.]]

* GoryDiscretionShot: The camera mercifully cuts away when Andrew beats Jeff to death with a hammer.

* HopeSpot: "House by the Lake" ends with David apparently managing to seek shelter from Andrew's bullets... and reuniting with his father. This is an obvious hallucination; David took a bullet to chest and is now flat on his back, with Andrew preparing to deliver a kill shot.

* ImplausibleDeniability: When Andrew presses Norman for more money, Norman calmly reveals he has already checked out Andrew's past and knows his entire history. He openly talks of it and to every note, Andrew states "that's not true" as if somehow thinking that will sway a man who quite obviously has had him investigated thoroughly. It happens a few more times as even when the proof of his lies is thrown into his face, Andrew will insist they're not true.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Donatella is very critical of Gianni publicly coming out as gay in a magazine interview - but she rationally cites that the resulting discrimination could seriously harm their brand name, and their hundreds of employees who depend on him would be out of a job (and citing times this ruined the careers of past designers). She believes he's being naively optimistic, pointing out that he's rich and lives in a mansion, isolated from the heavy discrimination gay people still face at the time.

* ParentalFavoritism: Andrew's dad Modesto favors him over his older brother and sister, to the point of giving him the master bedroom in their new house and buying him a car just because he got into a very exclusive school.

* TheResenter: Sort of implied that Andrew resents older rich gay men who managed to build successful careers by remaining closeted. He blames his lack of opportunities in life on being gay - but he's really just a shiftless psychopath with a taste for the finer things and no desire to do actual work for them. His hypocrisy is gradually revealed in later episodes when he's ''openly'' living with a wealthy older gay man who isn't closeted at all, but still resents his success even as he mooches off him. The same episode has Andrew claim he has a [=PhD=], only for his partner to call this out as bullshit because he discovered that Andrew simply ''dropped out'' of college. Andrew doesn't even bother to claim discrimination as an excuse in response, he just childishly protests that "It was boring!"

* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Andrew and Gallo, several times.
** It's not just friendly sniping, there's real malice under the surface. Gallo knows Andrew is a fraud and detests him. Andrew in turn hates Gallo for being onto him.

* VillainousBreakdown: Andrew quickly starts to lose it when he realizes the FBI are closing in on him.

* YourCheatingHeart: Modesto appears to have been cheating on his wife with the office secretary before he flees the country.

Also starring on the show are Creator/PenelopeCruz as Versace's sister Donatella, Giovanni Cirfiera as their brother Santo, Music/RickyMartin as Gianni's lover Antonio D'Amico, Mike Farrell as fellow Cunanan victim Lee Miglin, Creator/MaxGreenfield as Ronnie, Annaleigh Ashford as Elizabeth Cote, Creator/FinnWittrock as Jeff Trail, Jon Jon Briones as Modesto Cunanan, Judith Light as Marilyn Miglin, Dascha Polanco as Det. Lori Wieder and Jay R. Ferguson as FBI Agent Evans.

* TheTwink: Andrew, leaning to the eviler side of the trope.
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: While tripping on crystal at a bar, Andrew imagines he's being measured for a suit by Versace and has a conversation with him. In [[ItsAllAboutMe true Andrew fashion]], it is really just Andrew doing the talking, with Versace confirming everything Andrew thought about at the end.

* ToxicFriendInfluence: Andrew is pretty much the poster boy for toxic, unhealthy relationships. With his penchant for stealing, manipulation, and murder, everyone he meets is worse off for having met him.

* AttentionWhore: To say that Andrew loves the spotlight would be an {{Understatement}}. An episode exploring his teenage years had him show up at a party wearing a red jumpsuit that wouldn't be out of place in a Music/MichaelJackson video. He is also elated at the infamy his murder of Gianni Versaci has brought him before realizing just how badly he has screwed up his life by killing an internationally beloved celebrity.

* DidNotThinkThisThrough: Andrew at first revels in his murder of Gianni Versace and the infamy it brings him. However, his joy vanishes when the authorities take this crime far more seriously than the previous murders Andrew committed and he finds that living on the run is extremely difficult. Turns out that killing a major celebrity has very harsh consequences.

* FreudianExcuse: The series posits that Andrew's upbringing played a role in his behavior -- his father spoiled and pampered him, telling him that he was special and to make a lot of money and be important rather than follow his dreams and talents. Later, after Modesto's criminal dealings are discovered, he imparts on Andrew that HardWorkHardlyWorks and the only way to get ahead in life is by cheating, stealing and manipulating others, which Andrew ends up doing despite having the potential and talent to get ahead in life. There's also the implication that Andrew was sexually abused as a child, either by his father or by a priest (or both).

* GoldDigger: Despite the fact that Antonio has been with Versace with fifteen years and sincerely loves him, Donatella still harbors some suspicion that he's just a taker and with Versace for what he can provide. Played straight with David who enters into a relationship with Norman for the latter's money.

* HiddenInPlainSight: Andrew heads to Miami to get close enough to commit the murder of his final target: Gianni Versace, and books an apartment under his ''real name'', as he has a whole ''two months'' to plot, stalk, and ultimately kill the fashion designer - despite already being on FBI's Most Wanted. The show makes pulls no punches in making clear that Andrew Cunanan got as far as he did due to the [[DeliberateValuesDissonance pervading homophobic attitudes in 1990's America]], the biggest failed manhunt in US history:

* CompositeCharacter: Andrew was actually the youngest of four children, not three, and had two sisters (Elena and Regina) instead of just Elena.
* ConsummateLiar: Andrew for sure. He does it constantly, making up stories about working on movie sets, meeting famous people, even where he comes from and his past. They shift about to the point he can't keep them straight but then claims to not be tripping over his lies. It all comes up when one victim just sighs "you can't do it, can you? You can't turn it off."
** This seems to run in the family. Flashbacks show that Andrew's father Modesto was a con man.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: On the other hand, the show has Andrew present at the murder of Lincoln Aston for narrative purposes (i.e. tying up his relationship with Aston before he moved onto Norman Blachford), but this comes at the cost of watching Andrew ''not'' report the murder to police or call for medical help for Aston. In real life, police found nothing that could place Cunanan there or tie him to the murder in any way.