Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
FX | Release Date: February 12, 2026
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
11
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
DeciderHope SloopFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Believe me when I say that Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette is the first truly captivating new show of 2026 and an instant addition to the list of shows you’ll want to watch and rewatch… just have a box of tissues at the ready. Read full review
90
RogerEbert.comKaiya ShunyataFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Together, Pigeon and Kelly have fantastic chemistry. .... Yet, it’s not the central pair who deliver the show’s most captivating performances: it’s the women who surround John F. Kennedy Jr. who take the cake as this series’ most interesting players. .... Nothing about this series feels cheap. Read full review
80
SlateDavid MackFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Somehow, despite a degree of current-day Kennedy fatigue, this FX series feels fresh and compelling. Read full review
80
TheWrapFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: The series is a respectful, sincere and humanized portrayal of a couple who were loved and mourned by the whole of America. Read full review
80
TV InsiderMatt RoushFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: A compellingly voyeuristic drama. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterAngie HanFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: A full-fat romantic drama that embraces the genre’s most enchanting tropes — the rain-soaked kiss, the reformed rake, the tasteful displays of wealth — while grounding them in just enough streetwise reality to make the fantasy feel all the more tangible. Read full review
80
VarietyAramide TinubuFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Overall, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” is a thoughtful show that centers on the sacrifice of long-term commitment, chemistry, incompatibility and the thunderous chaos of fame. Read full review
80
ColliderIsabella SoaresFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Love Story strikes a balance between historical accuracy and creative liberty to offer a fresh perspective on events that many viewers remember all too vividly. Read full review
75
The Travers TakePeter TraversFeb 13, 2026
Season 1 Review: With only a few dips into crass sensationalism, this love story starring Paul Anthony Kelly and a standout star-is-born Sarah Pidgeon lets us share in John and Carolyn’s one brief shining moment and ache for what might have been. Read full review
75
USA TodayKelly LawlerFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: That obsession with committing the tabloid version of the story to film is what most kneecaps "Love Story," and prevents a very good show from being a great one. It's easy to tell when the show pivots from thoughtful to artificial, from feeling to faux. Read full review
70
Boston GlobeChris VognarFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Pidgeon’s Carolyn isn’t quite an underdog; she’s more of a Cinderella who really likes nice things. Kelly’s Kennedy is, well, very handsome. These aren’t great performances, but they convey something essential about the show’s worldview, if you can call it that. Read full review
65
The Daily BeastNick SchagerFeb 12, 2026
Season 1 Review: Decrying tabloids even as it embraces their peek-behind-the-curtain spirit, it’s a People magazine feature in TV form. Read full review
63
The Mercury NewsRandy MyersFeb 18, 2026
Season 1 Review: Sometimes veers toward the overstated and melodramatic. .... “Love Story” is best at showing how damaging and merciless the scrutiny can get for the rich and famous and those thrown into it all without a life vest. Read full review
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