Diving deeper into societal issues of ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace'

Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss stopped by BUILD Series NYC to introduce the series that immerses the viewer in the world of love, family, glam and luxury in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace," an adventurous series of excitement, fear, grief and ecstasy.

The series begins with telling the story of Andrew Cunanan, a serial killer in the '90s that was the center one of the largest FBI manhunts due to his assassination of a global icon and fashion designer Gianni Versace. The story unravels backward with its climax -- the assassination -- taking place within the first few minutes of the first episode. The viewer is left in a grieving shock after the beloved figure is murdered so quickly in the show, which leaves an anxious wish for justice and revenge that keeps the viewer engaged.

Of course, that's not the only thing that hooks the audience into the series. Character development plots are impeccably executed as one wants to see more of their backstory to discover how everything led to where it tragically ended. The story depicts the glam of the 90's while shedding light on the contrasting lifestyles of elite socialites and ordinary people of South Beach, Miami, all striving to live in a fantasy concealing a fogging reality of life.

The second installment of "American Crime Story" explains the events leading up to the assassination while also showing a number of different indicators of how the tragedy could have been avoided.

Penelope Cruz owns Donatella's character, Gianni's sister, while Gianni himself is played by Edgar Ramirez. Darren Criss, who played Andrew Cunanan, establishes a rather irritating creature able to maneuver the ranks of American society to slide in and out of places he did not belong but adapted and blend into seamlessly. His clever character is able to manipulate many of those around him while switching his backstory on a whim and working events that take place in his favor, repeatedly and often without a glitch.

"There are three different versions of Andrew Cunanan known to us: The actual guy, the one we'll never really know, the guy in the book on which the series is based and the guy in the script," Criss explained.

The visuals of the world build by Versace are mesmerizing, as the viewer gets lost in the era of chic and sexy glam of their time. In one of the scenes, Donatella's character states "my brother is still alive as long as Versace is alive," a powerful statement that carries much truth as the world Gianni created lives on long after his passing.

At the end of the day, it was not until Cunanan assassinated Gianni Versace that the authorities really took the manhunt seriously. A tale of shock, sex, love and betrayal is a story that the viewer cannot get enough of as the plot continues to evolve. Thanks to Donatella, the story, and legacy of her brother Gianni did not end with his assassination but continues to live on in the heart of today's fashion and lifestyle.

The fascinating and daring series airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.