The Kennedys are practically America’s royal family. When President John F. Kennedy stepped into the Oval Office, his youth, charisma and promise captivated the nation almost instantly. In the years since, the Kennedy name has become the subject of relentless fascination. Numerous books, movies and television shows have been created exploring the intricacies of their inner workings: from the family drama to conspiracy theories surrounding the president’s death. When the first installment of Ryan Murphy’s newest anthology series debuted in early 2026, it joined a long line of productions devoted to the Kennedy reputation.
Rather than reinventing the narrative, the show leans into it, feeding off of the romance and tragedy that have defined the family’s public image. In doing so, yet another wave of Kennedy enthusiasts have shared their opinions on the series that stars Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly.
After watching the show through, there are decisively three things viewers can take away. First is its cinematic beauty: the casting for JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette was simply perfect with his handsomeness and her natural beauty rivaling the historical figures. Its 1990’s moody and chic resemblance of the time makes it a statement piece that is both compelling and easy to watch.
Second is that it is dramatized for views and popularity. Constantly, television programs feed us slightly untrue information for drama propaganda: it makes us fall in love with other people’s lives and trends. This is explicitly shown when the two ‘star-crossed lovers’ meet at a fundraiser. Although it made viewers inch forward in their seats, this is not known to be the exact place where they first exchanged conversations. Continuing to pull at our heartstrings, JFK Jr. did not actually propose with his mother’s ring as shown in the series. These small details continue to impact our own ability to draw conclusions about the couples as we view them in a slightly sugarcoated reality.
This leads into the last point being that the pair’s relationship simply wasn’t a popular love story until it ended tragically. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was referred to as the “ice queen” by the public and scrutinized by the media during her lifetime. However, following the deadly plane crash in 1999, she swiftly became America’s ‘Princess Diana’ of the 20th century. This TV series highlights the fact that celebrities’ legacies are tainted not by what their lives contained, but what the headlines decide to amplify after they are gone.
Fans are quick to point out if they like it or not. Some say it’s a series to binge watch in one day while others struggle to keep their eyes open. None of us, however, is skeptical about the image that is being created. As a species, humans are so quick to scrutinize other’s lives – especially if it has been done before. John F. Kennedy Jr’s nephew, Jack Schlossberg spoke out about the TV program calling it a grotesque display of someone else’s life.
While criticism highlights the ethical tension behind dramatizing a celebrity’s life, the series ultimately asks viewers to decide for themselves whether it creates a meaningful insight into one of the most popular families in America, or simply takes advantage of a tragic love story for entertainment.