Hulu 'Candy' Episode 2: Did Betty Gore suffer from anxiety and loneliness issues before death?

'I related to her very deeply because I'm somebody who has social anxiety and who is a naturally shy person,' Lynskey explained in an interview
Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore in 'Candy' Episode 2 (Hulu)
Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore in 'Candy' Episode 2 (Hulu)

After watching Melanie Lynskey's amazing portrayal of Betty Gore in 'Candy', one of the theories is if the dead woman was suffering from anxiety issues. The story follows the events that happened on Friday, June 13, 1980. Candy (Jessica Biel) had stopped by Betty's house for a quick visit to pick up a swimsuit for Betty's daughter, and things took a torrid and gory turn. Per Candy's claims, Betty questioned her about the affair with her husband Allan (Pablo Schreiber) and a fight ensued. An ax came into the picture and what followed was the revelation that Betty was killed.

Coming back to analyzing Betty's psyche, it did appear that she has enough issues, with one of them being anxiety born from her husband's frequent absences even before the affair. Allan's job involved travel and that would mean Betty spending most of her time home with her newborn and a kid daughter. The show captures her disappointment and even shows her way of fighting to get some quality time with her husband. Betty calls his fellow colleagues in order to get in touch with Allan, who makes his ire.

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It could also be postpartum depression considering anxiety and mood changes are some of the key symptoms. Adding to this was the affair he had with Candy, who was more of a frenemy. We could be thoroughly wrong as well, but the show's portrayal of Betty suggests that she has her fair share of things to deal with — something Allan could have helped her with. Candy's pleas for self-defense that led to the murder meant that Betty could have taken a swing primarily due to fear and rage that she would lose Allan for good.

In a recent interview, Lynskey opined how she connected to Betty. "I related to her very deeply because I'm somebody who has social anxiety and who is a naturally shy person. I don't have an easy time in social settings and I don't think Betty did either." She also added: "I think at that point in her life she was just deeply lonely. She was very overwhelmed and didn't have a ton of support. She's in a marriage that she just feels she should be grateful for because she is married. But he's not really helping and I just feel she's leading a very lonely existence."

'Candy' Episode 3 drops next on Hulu on Wednesday, May 11, at 9 pm PT.

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