FX’s 'Love Story' Episode 6 Recap: What Does Ann’s Speech Signify?

In the romantic saga that the FX drama series Love Story has been presenting over the past few weeks, we finally arrive at a majorly significant position in this episode. After Carolyn Bessette ultimately accepted John F. Kennedy Jr.’s proposal at the end of the previous episode, it is now time for the much-awaited wedding to take place. But there are still a few complications and obstacles in the couple’s way, as episode 6 presents the days leading up to the wedding in great detail.

Spoiler Alert

How do friends and family react to the engagement?

Love Story episode 6 begins at Ethel Kennedy’s house, as she watches a TV program about yet another scandal associated with the Kennedy family, as the very public spat between John Jr. and Carolyn in the previous episode had been photographed by numerous journalists. The scenes of the fight are now played on the TV program, detailing every move that the angry couple have made against each other, sensationalizing the whole matter and making it seem as if the two are on the brink of ending their relationship. They particularly talk about how Carolyn is prone to mood swings very often, because of which John is about to call it quits on the relationship, all of which is baseless speculation presented very confidently. Ethel has now asked Carolyn to personally visit her, not to reprimand her but rather to provide her with support.

Ethel directly compares Carolyn to her sister-in-law, Jacqueline, and notes how Carolyn too is being noticed and written about by the press far too much, just like Jacqueline once was noticed all over the country. Although it had seemed like Ethel had been against Carolyn becoming a Kennedy wife in the previous episode, she now reveals that she is quite excited to see if Carolyn will be able to resemble her deceased mother-in-law. Ethel particularly talks about Jacqueline’s extreme courage and strength, especially after the assassination of JFK, and how she had also taught Ethel to deal with life after the assassination of the latter’s husband, Robert Kennedy. At the end of the conversation, Ethel reminds Carolyn that she will have to make the difficult choice of what exactly to do with all the attention, either accept it gracefully like Jacqueline, or feel overburdened and end the relationship with John. But Carolyn seems to have made up her mind already, as she remains unfazed after the tough conversation.

On the other side, John faces stern words too, from his sister, Caroline, and uncle, Ted, both of whom are absolutely furious about their family name being dragged in the mud on TV and in print media because of the latest controversy. Images of John and Carolyn publicly fighting at Central Park have reached them as well, and quite naturally, they are clueless about what John is doing. Ted is especially against his nephew’s relationship and the course that it has taken, at least according to the tabloid magazines, and he wants John to bring an end to the whole fiasco. Caroline is also unsure of whether to support her brother anymore, and she does seem to feel that Carolyn is not the perfect bride for him. However, John remains just as undeterred by the reaction of his family as his beloved. He proudly reveals that Carolyn is no longer his girlfriend, making Ted believe for a second that they have broken up, but rather his fiancée now that she has accepted his proposal. 

Meanwhile, there are a few raised eyebrows among John’s friends, particularly Michael Berman, his best friend and now business partner. With the engagement out of the way, John and Carolyn have to plan their wedding now, and they start doing so in a room in the office of George magazine. Berman is not very happy about this situation, as he still feels that Carolyn is an enormous distraction in John’s life, which will ultimately affect their business venture. Asking to speak to him privately, Berman reveals to John that they are financially struggling to keep the business afloat already, and so they require other revenue streams. His suggestion is that they move to TV as well, instead of remaining restricted to just print media, but John does not agree as it does not align with his vision for George. 

Berman also suggests that photos of John’s and Carolyn’s wedding be exclusively printed in their next edition of George, which would surely drive up sales tremendously. But John is totally against such a move, as he wants to keep his personal and professional lives separate at all times. Moving past the disagreements with Berman, John and Carolyn decide on the finer details of their wedding. Carolyn does not want it to be an extravagant affair like all other Kennedy weddings, and she wants a maximum of 40 guests at the event. It is also her wish to have the private wedding be organized at some remote location, which would be far from the diplomatic friends of the political family and the prying eyes of the media. 

Since getting married secretly at city hall would hurt both their families, the only option for them is to conduct the event in some rural setting with very little connectivity. John is more than happy to oblige, as he too wants it to be a private affair, and he selects Cumberland Island, Georgia, as the location. This, once again, upsets Caroline, just as the couple had predicted, as it is not just a hassle to reach such a remote place, but it would also send a subtle message to the world if JFK Jr. married so privately, but there is nothing that she can say to change the couple’s minds.

Does Carolyn’s romantic life hamper her professional relations?

Carolyn’s decisions in her romantic life had already started to affect her professional relations in the last few episodes, and now the effect takes a permanent shape. It is she who now approaches her boss, Calvin Klein, with a plan in mind, for she feels that her personal life is now intruding on her work. No longer can Carolyn work at the Calvin Klein office without being the center of attention, and for this very reason, she wants to quit the job. She is very clear about her reasons, as Carolyn feels genuinely indebted to Calvin for having given her the opportunity to work in the fashion industry and for having given her a chance when nobody else was willing to. Moreover, it was because of Calvin that she and John had met in the first place, and so she feels grateful towards him.

Therefore, Carolyn does not want her personal identity, as the fiancée of JFK Jr., to affect Calvin Klein’s public image and, therefore, her personal relationship with her boss, who is also a close friend. But Calvin is stunned at this sudden demand, as he does not want Carolyn to go, and especially in such a manner. Calvin understood that the woman who had worked for him for so long, whom he had even started to see as a possible protégé, was now talking about overshadowing his fame and popularity. He finds this to be an egoistic move on Carolyn’s part, and he lets her leave without a fuss. But Carolyn’s wish to still be on friendly terms with the designer does not seem very plausible anymore, because of the latter’s misunderstanding. It is revealed that Calvin Klein had also secretly been designing Carolyn’s wedding dress, and since he assumed he would be given the honor of designing it, he is let down in this regard as well. Carolyn has given the responsibility to her dear friend and an up-and-coming designer, Narciso Rodriguez, and all Calvin can do is support her decision.

Why is Carolyn’s family nervous about her decision?

As the families of the couple prepare for the wedding, Carolyn’s mother and sister show concern over her decision to marry John. Only a few days earlier, Carolyn had also chosen his sister-in-law, Caroline, to be her maid of honor, instead of picking her own elder sister, Lauren. This had naturally caused Lauren some pain, as she had always dreamt of being the maid of honor at her sister’s wedding, but Carolyn had made the choice to impress Caroline and finally get to be close to her after some difference of opinions had wedged a gap between them. She simply did not want to become a bride of the family while Caroline disliked her, especially since John was so fond of his sister and she was technically the only family that he had left. 

Now, Carolyn’s mother, Ann, talks about the decision and expresses her concern, or fear, about her daughter losing her own identity just to fit in with the Kennedys. She does not like the fact that Carolyn has left her job at Calvin Klein and also moved out of her rented apartment, becoming too dependent on John in every aspect of her life. Ann feels that her daughter is quickly shedding her identity to assume the role of a Kennedy bride, and she fears what might be waiting in her future. Ann also reminds Carolyn how John is almost bound to enter the realm of politics in the future, despite having claimed to have no interest in a political career, for he does not have any other talents. After all, John would really not be anyone without his family name, and so Ann believes that he would ultimately give up everything to protect his family’s reputation and therefore create a political identity for himself.

What does Ann’s speech signify?

While Ann expresses herself to Carolyn, John and the others prepare for the wedding about to take place the very next day, which is why Carolyn also cannot help but ignore her mother’s concerns. It is too late for Ann’s words of caution, and Carolyn asks her to be happy for the significant event of her life, instead of thinking about the negatives. But Ann cannot keep her thoughts to herself, which becomes evident in the speech that she gives that night during dinner, when the two families have gathered to celebrate the occasion. John’s side of the family is represented by his brother-in-law, Ed, who gives an approving speech, wishing the best of luck to the couple. But when it is Ann’s turn to say something, she once again expresses doubt over whether the couple should even get married.

It is during this speech that her fears about John’s intentions and his love for her daughter become much more apparent than before. She talks about how John, being the son of an American president, had always had newer and shinier things to replace old toys in life, and she compares her daughter to a similar plaything. After all, the vast difference in wealth and influence between the two families does mean that the Kennedys can technically get away with anything if they really want to. Therefore, all Ann can do is plead with John to not abandon Carolyn if and when he falls in love with someone younger or more attractive, and it is clear that she really doesn’t trust John as an ideal son-in-law. The speech is so heartfelt that Ann has an emotional breakdown at the end of it and runs into the house, with John being the one who calms her down with words of assurance and promises about always taking care of her daughter.

Does the wedding finally take place as planned?

Finally, the day of the wedding arrives, and the two families gather at the small church on the hot and humid Cumberland Island where the event is supposed to take place. But there is no shortage of obstacles in the couple’s path even now, as John notices a helicopter flying over the island while on his way to the church. The helicopter must belong to some media outlet that had somehow gotten a whiff of the private wedding that was taking place, and so it has to be sent away first. John has to drive his car through the forest to intentionally mislead the helicopter and get it out of the skies before he arrives at the church. 

On the other side, Carolyn faces an equally difficult time, as there is a problem with her dress, since putting it on in its current form would completely ruin her makeup. Therefore, Narciso has to make last-minute adjustments and stitches, which makes the bride many hours late to her own wedding. But in the end, the wedding ceremony does take place without any more hitches, and it goes just how Carolyn and John had wanted. At the very end of Love Story episode 6, we see the new bride and groom deciding to take a joyride on a private plane, since John has a flying license, and this prepares us for the terrible fate that awaits the lovers. 

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