Love & Death

 

Based on: Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, 1984 book by Jim Atkinson and Joe Bob Briggs

Created by: David E. Kelley 

Written by: David E. Kelley 

Directed by: Lesli Linka Glatter & Clark Johnson

Starring: Elizabeth Olsen (Candy Montgomery), Jesse Plemons (Allan Gore), Lily Rabe (Betty Gore), Patrick Fugit (Pat Montgomery), Krysten Ritter (Sherry Cleckler), Tom Pelphrey (Don Crowder), Elizabeth Marvel (Jackie Ponder), Keir Gilchrist (Ron Adams) 

Love & Death miniseries trailer:

This was another of those anomalies for me-- I'm usually not into true crime. But I feel like Elizabeth Olsen can do no wrong. 

So far, she hasn't given me reason to doubt. I watched both this and Wind River specifically for her, and each time, I've been impressed by both her performance and the story itself. Though I admit-- while I'm not into true crime, the idea of an affair turning into an axe murder is definitely juicy! 

If anyone doesn't know, Love & Death is the true story about Texas housewife Candy Montgomery who has an affair with her church friend (also married), Allan Gore, despite being close friends with Allan's wife, Betty. The affair remains steady between them and hidden from their respective spouses for about a year before Allan cuts it off, wanting to be more altruistic to his marriage. Shortly after that, Candy has a run-in with Betty that leads to an altercation, which ends in Candy chopping Betty to death with an axe and fleeing the scene. Candy ends up confessing, but being released on grounds of self defense. 

Betty and Allan at their church 

I thought the most interesting and nuanced part of this series was the way the real-life Candy described the events. The fact that Candy herself didn't have malicious intentions, but that Betty initiated the attack and Candy managed to turn the tide and win, albeit taking things too far. The show portrays this (mostly) tastefully. It gives a little screentime to the gore, but mostly presents it from an emotional standpoint, focusing on Candy's horror and shock that Betty would come at her--and then so much more horror and shock as she beats Betty down in return. More than half of the miniseries takes place after the murder itself, showing Candy trying to push away her actions and tell herself it didn't actually happen. 

Betty walks in with an axe, after Candy's confession, when she and Candy are alone

The show also reminds me of my personal gripes with some southern church culture, especially as a Christian myself. In the middle of the series, Candy's trial is very publicized, and she's having to come home every night to have dinner with her husband and kids. And they're all painfully aware she's on trial for a murder that they don't know who really committed. Candy's response is to push the issue away from the house--tell her kids not to talk about it--but then demand they act normal and "talk about their day." This gilded way of acting like everything is okay is exactly why families fall apart. Healthy family life provides a safe space for all members--kids and spouses--to talk about whatever's really on their mind, and discuss it maturely. Granted, I realize that's far more easily written in a blog post than practiced. 

My other gripe was their portrayal of the church itself, and especially how Candy, Allan, and Candy's friend and confidante Sherry all handle the events. Candy literally initiates the affair with Allan by telling him privately, "I'm really attracted to you. Would you be interested in having an affair?" Later, when she's in the midst of it, she's telling Sherry about it and Sherry's just giggling with her and eating up all the sex gossip. There's no attempt at setting things right or recognizing the depravity of what Candy's doing. Of course, none of that is commentary on the series, just my great frustration with American culture. 

A very awkward dinner between the couples, either during or after the affair, where everyone's hiding something and most suspect something 

During the affair, Candy and Allan would share a homemade lunch together in a hotel room

I actually can't think of any complaints with the series itself. The beginning builds itself up well, with appropriate focus on each relevant character to build up motivation and three-dimensional character stories. We see that Candy, Allan, and Betty are all normal people living normal Texas suburban lives. We come to see how Candy and Allan each come to feel unfulfilled in their marriages and how Candy's basal motivation was just wanting more excitement in her otherwise monotonous life. Neither was nefarious and neither was out to hurt anyone; in fact, they were each laughably convinced that they could fully contain the affair and no one would ever be the wiser. (Which, in their defense, I suppose can happen.) The affair was even fully behind them (aside of permanent psychological effects and memories) when Betty confronts Candy on it months later, leading to the attack and murder. 

The show shines its brightest when focusing on Candy and her own psychological process. We watch her progressing attraction to Allan. During the affair, we see the spark of excitement return to her own marriage, wishing her own husband Pat could live up to Allan's standards. Olsen excellently shows the sparkles and shades in her eyes when talking to Betty, continuing to ride on their genuinely great friendship even as she's hiding horrible betrayal. Then, after the murder, the slow cracking of Candy's new porcelain neutrality as the investigators draw closer to her guilt. It's very reminiscent of her work as Scarlet Witch for Marvel. 

Overall, it was a lot of fun to watch, and I'm excited for whatever else Olsen stars in, in the coming years.