Written by Molly Minnium
The second half of Love Story ends the same way that John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly, Body Language) and Carolyn Bessette’s (Sarah Pigeon, I Know What You Did Last Summer) real love story ended: abrupt, tragic, and with many questions left unanswered. While the first half of the series leans into the couple’s sweet romantic build-up, Episodes 5-9 feel like a downward spiral as their relationship starts to slip through the cracks.
The change is subtle at first with a turning point in Episode 5 when John brings Carolyn to the Kennedy family home in Hyannis Port, what should feel like a meaningful step instead becomes uncomfortable to watch. He doesn’t fully act like a partner to her on the trip and Carolyn is left to navigate a space that already feels intimidating on her own.
In a quiet scene alone together on the water, John proposes to Carolyn in an abrupt manner, though he claims he has been carrying the ring with him waiting for the perfect moment. It is rushed and Carolyn’s shock is felt as a viewer as she hesitates and admits she needs time to think. Carolyn voices real concerns about what her life would look like as a Kennedy, and under constant media attention.
They continue similar conversations back home ultimately building to the portrayal of their infamous fight in Battery Park. This scene is done incredibly well, with the audience not seeing paparazzi but instead, camera flashes and hearing shutters. The tension is palpable as a viewer, feeling how invasive it must have been to have such a personal moment captured and dissected publicly. It’s a hard watch that Pigeon and Kelly do immense justice with their emotionally raw performances. The episode ends with Carolyn agreeing to marry John, but something doesn’t feel quite right.
Episode 6 briefly shifts back into a more romantic tone as the couple plans their wedding, almost a honeymoon phase before the unexpected intensity that will end up being what is supposed to be their honeymoon phase. They seem happy, and there are moments that feel soft and genuine, but tension still lingers underneath. Carolyn opens up to her sister, Lauren, about wanting to include Caroline Kennedy in the wedding as her maid of honor, which creates its own awkwardness. Then her conversation with Calvin Klein when she resigns feels like yet another person disappointed in Carolyn’s conformity to the Kennedy Family’s expectations. Even her mother expresses doubt at the rehearsal dinner, giving a speech that feels protective and makes everyone uncomfortable.
The wedding itself is beautiful, set in a small, candlelit church in a remote location, but even this moment isn’t without stress. Carolyn arrives hours late due to a dress malfunction and a helicopter circling overhead, likely press, reminding viewers that even the moments they try so hard to preserve are not truly private.. It’s visually stunning, but there’s an underlying sense that the outside world is already closing in.
After the wedding, the press is immediately an unbearable swarm in their life. In their everyday life following the wedding they can’t go anywhere without being followed, photographed, and completely engulfed by the press. What makes it more impactful is how unexpected it still feels for Carolyn. Her discomfort becomes more visible, and her decline under the media’s scrutiny is manic and almost tangible in Pigeon’s excellent depiction.
The penultimate episode is easily one of the hardest to watch, as it centers almost entirely on conflict, essentially one long stretch of tension and fighting. One of the most striking moments comes when Carolyn watches the news coverage of Princess Diana’s car accident, clearly shaken by the idea that the press may have played a role. It adds another layer of fear to her already shaken demeanor and reinforces how dangerous and invasive their lifestyle has become.
The couple’s struggles lead them to therapy, where the idea of a trial separation is introduced. Even though neither of them truly wants it, it becomes clear that they are struggling to make each other happy. There is a constant push and pull between them: moments of distance followed by moments of closeness, like when they return home after therapy and fall back into old patterns. Carolyn wants to talk and process things, while John seems more avoidant, and that disconnect continues to build.
The finale shifts into a quieter, more reflective tone. After everything, they seem to find a temporary sense of happiness again, showing up together at events, going back to the restaurant from their first date, and appearing like the couple they once were. A hopeful tone that makes the ending we all know that much more tragic.
The flight sequence itself is handled subtly, without panic or dramatization, but it’s impossible not to feel a sense of anxiety. The aftermath is deeply emotional, focusing on both families as they try to process what happened, struggling to make sense of such a sudden loss.
Supporting performances from Carolyn’s mother, Ann (Constance Zimmer, The Lincoln Lawyer) and Caroline Kennedy (Grace Gummer, Mr. Robot) bring a powerful emotional presence in the show’s final scenes. Gummer delivers a devastating performance in the midst of Caroline’s denial of yet another tragic loss. Zimmer depicts Ann with poise as she stands her ground against the Kennedy family, emphasizing she lost not one but two children, it feels deeply motherly and protective.
The final scene is heartbreaking, as Ann reads “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep,” a poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye at the funeral. Her voiceover continues as we see a peaceful scene of John and Carolyn cuddling in the dunes on the beach, almost symbolizing that they are together in a timeless space. It’s beautiful, but overwhelmingly emotional and sure to bring tears to any viewer of this love story or their real one.
While the second half of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette may not be as romantic or exciting as the first, it’s real. That realism is ultimately what makes the final episode far more harrowing, even for viewers like myself who weren’t alive to witness their story unfold in real time.
Ultimately, the second half of Love Story transforms the series from a romanticized portrayal into something much more complex and authentic. It stops asking viewers to admire the relationship and instead forces them to sit with its reality, the pressure, the miscommunication, and living life under constant observation. It’s not just a love story by the end, it’s a tragic reminder that these were real people living under the unbearable weight of the world.
Love Story: JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Episodes 5–9 is now streaming on Hulu.
