'Candy' Episode 2 Review: Intriguing chapter explores the beginning of Candy's wild affair
Contains spoilers for 'Candy' Episode 2
After what was a rather slow-burn opener, 'Candy' switches gears seamlessly. The Hulu true-crime drama focuses on life before the death of Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey) and the start of the complex and burgeoning affair between Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel) and Allan Gore (Pablo Schreiber), while also giving an in-depth view into the lives of the respective families. An affair especially, in the 80s was looked at as repulsive, horrific, and questioned the morals and character of an individual, but from the perspective of the protagonist, there was a reason.
Candy's life was shown to be without spice. Intimacy was an issue, and lack of reciprocation of her feelings just saw her heavily lean towards having an affair. Partly influenced by her pastor and friend Jackie (Selena Anduze) who ends an 11-year marriage is now discovering a more electric side of life. Needless to say, Candy, in desperation picks Allan, who she feels can be her potential new love to have an affair with. On the other end, Betty has to cope with her husband's continuous absences and the fact that her temper cost her a kid who they adopt from a foster home.
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'Candy' is pretty much a classic story of revenge gone horribly wrong. The first episode hinted at the affair, while the second chapter all but confirmed that Hulu would stick to the same storyline. It's almost as if the series asks us to pick a party. The affair, no matter how taboo it was, was still a way for Candy to find love, as much as she hates admitting it. Betty's perennially anxious and introverted self was not helping Allan, but perhaps all he had to do was spend more time with his family.
It isn't until the final minute that the series switches to the trial (the arrest of Candy Montgomery is yet to be shown) where she confesses to grabbing the ax used to kill Betty. Again, there was her plea for self-defense that saw the judgment pass in her favor, but what the series does is provide insight to analyze the drama from the lens of the two key characters, and it gets better while at it.
'Candy' Episode 3 drops next on Hulu on Wednesday, May 11, at 9 pm PT.