'Love & Death' Episode 2 Review: Insecurities take centerstage in an emotional chapter about love and marriage
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The first episode of ‘Love & Death’ made us realize that Candy Montgomery was a huntress and didn’t want to lose the chance to have an affair with Allan Gore. She persisted and took Allan under her spell till the time he said yes to the affair. Candy just wanted some excitement in her life and for once, wanted to be seen. She wasn’t getting that in her marriage and even Allan was a bit depressed in his marriage. If the first episode was all about Candy and Allan’s blooming relationship, the second episode saw their relationship getting a hit after Allan’s sudden decision.
Now, they both knew that they were doing wrong by starting this affair, but they were so desperate to get out of their monotonous lives that they broke all the shackles and started having a sexual relationship with each other. But it seems things were getting out of hand for Candy (Elizabeth Olsen) because she was clearly falling in love with Allan (Jesse Plemons). She mentions the same to Allan and he assures her that they won’t let that happen. However, Candy has gone way ahead of what she intended to do. She is getting possessive and just wants to be with him.
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Lily Rabe stuns with a nuanced performance
Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons are amazing, but this episode belongs to the supremely talented Lily Rabe. Her portrayal of Betty is as good as it can be. Her character is anxious and afraid of changes. That’s why she feels that her relationship with her husband has changed and she is the reason behind it. Rabe has done a phenomenal job of portraying a woman who is unsure of herself and wants to save her marriage. This might be Rabe’s most difficult role to date. One moment she is dictating to Allan during sex (Episode 1); the next she lashes out at the new pastor over his style of sermons, just to be overwhelmed by post-partum depression. Even after going through so many emotions, Rabe never loses control over her character. She really knocks it out of the park with her performance.
Episode 2 of ‘Love & Death’ gave us a different view of Candy’s insecurities. She is insecure that her life will turn monotonous once again and she is not ready to accept that. Even though she looks really calm and composed, we could feel the amount of rage she had in her eyes.
Is 'Encounters' worth watching?
‘Encounters’ does a wonderful job of telling viewers why Candy lost her mind and it’s only going to get worse from here. A riveting chapter with some really emotional sequences that elevate the storytelling.