I thought I was the only person who read articles on Anna Delvey when they were first published back in 2018, but evidently not. In fact, I guess it was an intriguing enough story that Shonda Rhimes and Shondaland (the production empire behind Grey's Anatomy), picked it up to turn it into one of Netflix's latest original limited series.
If you happen to press play on this latest release and are interested in catching up, here's a recap of Episode 1.
Introduction
Disclaimer! We know Shonda loves a good story, and knows how to write one too. While there is a seed of truth to the whole basis of the show, let's not forget this is television! At the beginning of each episode, you'll see a well-edited note that says, “This whole story is completely true. Except for all the parts that are totally made up"
It kind of goes hand in hand with the theme of the show -- who is this person that deceived so many people?
The opening shot is of Anna Delvey's breaking news story on a fresh printing press. We're now aware that there are two storylines. That of Anna Delvey, but also that of uncovering her truth, as told through the eyes of The Manhattan's investigative reporter, Vivian Kent.
Fact vs. Fiction
Anna's story first came to light all the way back in 2018 when New York magazine published "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People." The article was penned by Jessica Pressler.
It detailed the profile of a young New York socialite who seemed to know all the right people, be at all the right places, wore the right clothes, and said the right things.
She was only ever photographed with celebrities and social elite, and stayed at at all the poshest suites in New York's fanciest hotels. So how did she foot all her bills?
Her claim to fame was being a German heiress, the daughter of a prestigious German art collector. Turns out, she was actually flat broke but more on that later.
She schmoozed and networked with the right group of people to pave her way for opening up her own business, which would be some type of ultra-elite social club, doubling as an art gallery.
All this we know to be true, and all this is paralleled in the Netflix stories. Where things differ is through the eyes of our other main character, Vivian Kent, the journalist determined on uncovering Anna Delvey's true identity and swindling methods.
We also see a slew of different characters that Anna takes advantage of. Some of them are based on real-life figures but the names and individual storylines are elaborated for show purposes.
The Characters
Anna Delvey: Our main character's real name is actually Anna Sororkin and it's unclear if she's German or Russian. I think we can deduce she was born in Russia, but at what did she move to Germany, if at all? We have no idea who her real parents are, or any semblance of life before we're landed right in the middle of her New York fantasy life.
Her accent is just as difficult to place but it is clear that she carries the confidence and self-belief needed to see her through scamming all these people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Vivian Kent: Our investigative reporter comes across Anna's court brief and is intrigued. But as a disgraced reporter who got her sources wrong in an article a few years ago, she finds it increasingly difficult to get the stories she wants from her bosses.
But she possesses the same determination and gumption that our dear Anna does and insists on digging into the story.
Chase Sikorski: The boyfriend. Chase is a Silicone Valley-esque bro, founder of a start-up app called Wake. We know he's into money just as much as Anna, seizing every opportunity he has to get rich elite to invest in his company.
There is also Val, a high-fashion industry worker that parties Anna frequently. There's Nora, an older woman made of New York old-money, with powerful connections that served as one of Anna's early mentors.
We also meet Neff, a young girl who works as a concierge at the hotel Anna lived at for a while. Supposedly they became very close friends. Neff stays loyal to Anna's secrets despite making excuses to not visit her in prison.
There's There's also Kacy, a fitness entrepreneur who's connection level is unknown yet, as well as Rachel.
What Happens
Episode 1 really serves as just a set up for our story, and to introduce all our characters. For starters, we know that Anna has already been arrested and sentenced to jail without bail. We know Vivian is digging after her story. But in order for Vivian to get the story, and save her job, she needs Anna to reject the plea deal.
The only way to get Anna to reject the plea deal is to offer her what she wants most: fame. Vivian sells her writing as a way for Anna to get her own truth out. When Anna does finally reject the plea deal, Vivian gets to work on uncovering the past.
