It isn’t a train wreck, but it’s also not nearly interesting enough, considering its subject matter.

 JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s tumultuous relationship gets a bland dramatization in ‘Love Story’

America’s royal family is getting “The Crown” treatment. 

The life and death of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, are dramatized in the new FX series, “Love Story.” The result is a show that’s entertaining enough – but it also falls into the “biography drama” pitfall of frequently feeling like a glossy, well-produced Wikipedia page. 

Premiering Feb. 12 (9 p.m.) on FX and Hulu, the show is produced by Ryan Murphy, as an offshoot of his “American Crime Story” franchise (which included the Emmy-winning 2016 series “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”).

“Love Story,” also called “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,” sees Paul Kelly playing JFK Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon play Carolyn. 

The drama opens by showing the volatile couple arguing and embarking on their doomed flight with John in the pilot seat. President John F. Kennedy’s son died at 38 in a 1999 plane crash, along with Carolyn, who was 33, and her sister, Lauren, who was 34. 

Right after the plane takes off, the scene cuts to seven years earlier, showing John and Carolyn meeting, taking the viewer through the ups and downs of their tumultuous relationship.

Like many biographies, the show picks key moments to linger on, while hopscotching across other developments. This mostly works, but a few elements feel too disjointed, such as John’s relationship with actress Daryl Hannah (Dree Hemingway). 

                                 

The show is a solid watch. It isn’t a train wreck, but it’s also not nearly interesting enough, considering its subject matter. 

John and Carolyn were an intriguing couple. She famously struggled with the press and paparazzi coverage that came with dating – then marrying – American royalty. He lived under intense scrutiny in his famous father’s shadow, and dabbled in several high-profile industries (including Hollywood, publishing, and the legal world). 

The show should be riveting. It’s compelling enough, but it’s all rather bland. When the first photos came out of Kelly and Pidgeon in their roles, there was backlash online, with fans pointing out the details that looked fudged, like Pidgeon’s hair color, which wasn’t blonde enough.

The show isn’t as bad as the backlash might have you think, but it’s not as good as it should be, either. The actors’ performances are decent, but they look like the smoothed-over, airbrushed Instagram filtered version of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. That pretty much encapsulates the entire show. 

The writing tries to imagine John and Carolyn’s motives and private conversations, but they both feel like broad archetypes, on-screen. He’s the original “nepo baby,” son of a president, tabloid staple, troubled by society’s expectations, trailed by paparazzi, drawn to a woman who seems hard to get. His cousin incredulously says, “I’ve never seen you have to woo someone before!” 

Meanwhile, Carolyn is a troubled party girl. They could easily be characters in any show about a playboy and aloof woman. Aside from some Kennedy name-dropping, it could be a naturalistic Batman show that simply isn’t doing the superhero part, yet. It’s not boring to watch, but neither of them feel idiosyncratic enough.