#versace talk

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Darren did actually just say that in an Australian radio interview! He said it took a long time, but it would have been harder to keep his curls tamed. They did a great job, it never occurred to me.

oh wow - well there you go, anon.

Darren as Cunanan wore a wig throughout. Who knew?  I’ll delete the other ask.

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I've been really surprised by the lack of Emmy buzz around Cody Fern. When I watched his big episode, "House By the Lake," I was so impressed by him and he continued to be great for the rest of the series. I know he's listed as an "other contender" on that most recent predictions list, but he's still not in the top 6. I guess I'm just not sure why Edgar Ramirez and Penelope Cruz are so high up on these lists when they really didn't have much to do. Is it just based on name recognition?

I’m no expert but I think a resounding - Yes. Edgar is a formerly emmy-nominated well-known actor. He did a great job -> name+great job is much more likely to get a nom than just a great job.

Cody is an absolute complete newbie (making Darren look well-known, which he wasn’t really. But certainly much more well known than Cody). Much of the voting comes from buzz - too many things for voters to actually watch - So getting the name out there + critical acclaim is the most important.

I was just saying to another person who I was talking to about this - Do you remember Tatiana Maslany and how they overlooked her for years despite clearly having the most complex and difficult role on TV (she eventually got it) - It took time to build up her name and I imagine the same with Cody (who has an even harder hurdle as he is a smaller part and a complete unknown).

To be honest, I think Darren is not likely to win for the same reason (too new still, has time (though Riz Ahmed won last year but there’s still Al Pacino this year so…) - that’s not to say I don’t want him to - I DO want him to win, I’m just a risk-averse realist when it comes to these things). I do (now - at this point) think he’ll be nominated which is still huge and is what I’m waiting for!

And yeah - if I were voting/nominating/putting forward nominees for Versace - for me it would be Darren, Cody Fern, and Judith Light

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One thing I am truly surprised about is that very few reviewers seem to have picked up on the opera encounter being  - at least arguably-  Cunanan’s fantasy. The show saying not “this is how we think it happened” but “this is what Cunanan wanted to have had happen”. With an open question mark. Like Cunanan himself.

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there is something we aren’t speaking about when t comes to Emmy noms - networks put a TON of time and money into these campaigns. They choose who they want to highlight. I’m pretty sure near the end of Glee, they chose to push Chord not Darren and everyone got mad. It seems FX will focus on a darren, Penelope, Judith, etc

Hi anon - while I definitely agree that networks put a ton of energy and money into promoting shows and cast that are real contenders (certainly the case with Versace and many of its stars)…

The Glee thing?? Post-season 3, I don’t think anyone, including anyone in Glee, thought Glee had real emmy chances…I don’t believe the network put much money behind Glee’s emmy campaign at all in those seasons, and certainly nothing ever in history would suggest they were promoting Chord (??). No actors were really showcased at all except maybe Jane (could explain inexplicable season 6 submission choices like RFSS) - I think they just threw a bunch of stuff in the pot knowing they weren’t going to win. Nothing like Glee’s early season campaigns, nor like this huge Versace campaign. Chord over Darren??? I honestly have no idea where fandom comes up with this stuff - Neither of them was going to be nominated for an Emmy for Glee in later seasons (I think this is where rumours get started).

And yeah - Versace has so many great actors in supporting to choose from, FX will likely make some choices - But Cody and JonJon may be pushed a bit as well as Edgar and Ricky. I guess we’ll see.

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About the Emmys, then how did Chris Colfer got nominated for the Glee's first season when it was his first acting job?

My guess is a few things - Glee was HUGE. Like really really huge. Ratings through the sky, everyone watching, everyone talking - So the whole thing itself was already getting attention (I believe Lea and Jane were also nominated though I can’t keep all of it straight in my head).

And he had a groundbreaking role on a show that was itself groundbreaking. So buzz buzz buzz.

And also - He did an amazing job.

So with someone like Cody (or JonJon for that matter - who was also incredible) - you’ve got the amazing job part, on an acclaimed show but with a second season not quite as buzzy, and far less of a THING than Glee was in its first season.

Definitely possible they will get nominated (and I hope at least one of them does) but I think it’s kind of lucky (though deserved) when something like that happens. 

So that’s my random two cents.

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@musexmoirai submitted:

It’s clearer in the book that Cunanan and David were boyfriends, albeit in a long distance relationship where both of them were also seeing other people. They meet in November 1995 and break up in July 1996, after Cunanan has repeatedly promised they’d get together to watch Fourth of July fireworks but then has to break off that date (Norman cuts him off in June 1996). They were never exclusive, because at one point David suspects Cunanan is in another relationship. Cunanan would stymie David’s efforts to call or write to him and wanted to be the one calling or writing David so he could make sure Norman didn’t find out about David. When David asks Cunanan if he’s in another relationship, Cunanan’s response is that he never said he’d be exclusive.

Cunanan actually does have two birthday parties so that Norman and David aren’t ever physically near each other. He and David went on dates about every two or three weeks while in a relationship. The FBI file on Cunanan contains over 50 postcards and letters he sent to David during their relationship, which Cody Fern read as part of his research for playing David Madson.

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Your ask about Cody and Darren's physical interaction made me think the same thing. However, I'm sure they'll have an explanation. Personally, I thought that scene was a lot more convincing, maybe because it was more adult than any Klaine scene. I never believed Klaine. I know that's heresy, but I didn't. Different strokes for different folks!

You know I just saw the gifs and it made me remember this ask…A few things - 

1. The ask was surmising that tinhats would start shipping Cody and Darren because of on-screen chemistry, to which I said definitely the opposite - They will say it’s obviously acting and somehow Darren + Chris on screen is something beyond acting - And so last night, someone capped for me in my inbox…wait for it…EXACTLY THIS.  I am not even kidding (there is no way I’m posting that stuff for various reasons) - But if you want to peruse the tinhat blogs, you shall see this exact thing (ie. Darren and Cody have chemistry but is acting and Darren and Chris are just so magical on screen that it is obviously true love 5eva). I must say I was mildly amused by my fluency in tinhat.

2. Re: more convincing - Well, on ACS you have young adult experienced men comfortably going for it (albeit with very different things in their heads) - And the parallels are so tragic and sad with what happens later. They do have great chemistry - in that, for me, you could feel Andrew’s hard fall and desperation and David’s awe and openness. 

Early klaine to me was perfection - from both Darren and Chris. And they had a chemistry revival in NYC season 5 with all that tension they were allowed to explore. They were young and inexperienced. As for the gaps in the rest - I have to imagine it in my head.

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Hi I'm really bumped they cut the phone call scene Andrew calling David after their first date. I think it's really important to show how Andrew fell for David hard and how fatal thiat attraction turned out to be. In your option, if they'd kept this scene, which one should be cut. For me, all the versace/Donatella scene, I'm just not that interested in that part of the story.

So the scene you’re referring to that Darren talked about- Andrew has a fantasy phone call with David (ie not real) where he confesses that he isn’t who he pretends to be (a rare moment of realness), but then has an actual phone call with him where he continues his usual charade - What that scene shows is that Andrew just can’t stop lying. Not really that he fell for David and/or how the attraction turned fatal. 

I feel like from episode 7, I got very clearly that Andrew fell hard and fast (and full of delusions of grandeur) to a starry eyed guy who was open to a night of fun (and possibly more but in a much more grounded way). I actually thought the montage with David was excellently done to convey just how much Andrew wanted that love and attention and wanted to see it for something more than it was. Andrew was so happy, that it turned what looked like a fun night into something sad.

In other words - I think the show has done quite a good job of showing the arc of Andrew’s obsession with David.

As for whether Versace should be cut - I think I’m in agreement with many reviewers with my opinion on the Versaces - which is a few things:

1. The performances are outstanding 

2. The juxtaposition of the two worlds at this point in the story works conceptually but watching, it feels a bit forced/random

3. The Versace story in this series is simply not as interesting as the Cunanan story

I’m really in this for the character portrayals, and the people in the Cunanan world and that story arc are more interesting to me. Should they have cut the Versace story? Well, honestly, I think that might be a different show - as much of a side story as it is.