The finale of the FX series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” has sparked a heated debate among viewers.
The season concluded with Episode 9, titled “Search and Recovery,” as the couple came together during the final days of their relationship. While the episode closed out the show’s first season, some fans were left feeling the ending fell short of expectations, while others believed it was a perfect ending to the couple’s story.
‘Love Story’ Finale Leads Viewers to Take Sides
SPOILER ALERT: The finale of FX’s “Love Story” depicted the couple’s last days. While some viewers felt the series handled the real-life events with care and respect, others were left wanting a more comforting sense of closure in the comments section of the series’ Instagram post.
“Just watched the finale. It just brought back a lot of memories of that night when it came across the TV. This was one of the best casts. Beautifully done,” wrote one viewer.
A second penned, “Paul [Anthony Kelly] and Sarah [Pidgeon], thank you for making us remember this couple [John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette] who were so fascinating.”
A third viewer noted, “Since no one was really allowed in their private world, some of their conflicts felt hard to understand.”
However, a fourth fan believed, “I felt unsatisfied by the ending. While the acting was commendable, there was so much more between the couple that could have been explored that was not. However, it did hold my interest throughout.”
Why Did ‘Love Story’ Begin and End With the Events Leading Up to Kennedy and Besstte’s Passing?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Connor Hines revealed his intent to start and end the series from the date of the couple’s passing, before segueing into their history in order to give viewers a complete picture of their love story.
Hines explained, “We wanted to contrast the Carolyn everybody knows from images with that very bleached blonde hair; very straight aesthetic. It’s very recognizable. We cut back in time to show who Carolyn was before everybody got to meet her. Somebody who had a different sense of style and more bohemian hair.”
He added, “What I found most appealing about [JFK Jr. and Carolyn] was the courtship and marriage. The tragedy only cemented their fame. What pulled me into this was the love story,” he explained.
“But I was almost exclusively drawn to the dynamics of the marriage more than anything else, and to handle what everybody knows inevitably does happen with as much grace and sensitivity as possible. But this is a story about when they were with us, and what they navigated together more than anything,” Hines concluded.
Season 1 of “Love Story” has ended. But that doesn’t mean the series is over.
Connor Hines revealed that he is already considering a new iconic romance to highlight during Season 2. In an interview for Vanity Fair, he revealed, “Maybe Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They have the right intensity.”
Season 1 of FX’s “Love Story” can be streamed on Hulu.
