Love & Death: An Introspective Look at the Human Psyche
Check out the limited series based on a true story…
After reading the description of the show, and finding out it was a true story, my interest was immediately piqued.
But it wasn’t until the final few episodes that my interest soared, which was when the show began to examine the psyche of Candy Montgomery during the murder trial of Betty Gore.
The murder took place on June 13, 1980, according to the show, and while it’s mostly a true story, some events have been fictionalized and dramatized.
Regardless, it doesn’t detract from the idea that Candy Montgomery could have “snapped” when she killed Betty Gore.
The idea that self-defense couldn’t possibly warrant 41 swings of an axe, which sounds plausible.
If not for the fact that Candy Montgomery wasn’t really there in the moment she was defending herself against her would-be killer.
Because before Betty attacked Candy, she told her she’d have to kill her.
After all, Candy slept with her husband, Allan Gore.
Despite that the affair had been over for eight months (according to Candy), Betty is furious and thinks Candy still wants Allan.
How the Day Began
In the limited series, the events of the day of the murder began when Candy (Elizabeth Olsen) headed to Betty’s (Lily Rabe) house to pick up a swimsuit for Betty’s daughter, Alisa.
The girl’s currently staying the night at Candy’s house because she’s best friends with Candy’s daughter, Jenny.
When Candy arrives, Betty seems a little out of sorts, but doesn’t let on that anything is wrong (at least not right away).
Candy keeps telling her that she has to go because she has other errands.
But Betty is finally adamant about Candy sitting down to talk for a second (just after introducing her to their new puppy).
Once at the table, Betty offers her a beverage, which Candy declines. Betty takes a sip of her own beverage before setting the cup down.
Then, Betty comes right out with it and asks if she’s having an affair with her husband, Allan.
Candy admits to the affair, but tells her it’s been over for months (almost a year at that point).
But Betty’s furious and, for some reason, thinks Candy still wants Allan.
The fact that, moments prior, she’d just expressed how distraught she is over possibly being pregnant and the burden it would be with Allan, probably contributes heavily to Betty’s subsequent attack.
That, and the fact that Allan just left on a business trip and she hates being alone.
The Attack
When Candy admits to the affair, Betty calmly gets up and tells her to hold on a minute — that she has to show her something.
Candy later says she thought Betty was going to get a letter she found as evidence.
Betty comes back with an axe, but when Candy tells him she doesn’t want him, she puts the axe down.
It’s not until Candy retrieves the bathing suit from the utility room/laundry room and apologizes to Betty when she comes back with the towel for her daughter.
Candy places a hand on her shoulder and tells Betty she’s so sorry.
But apparently, this triggers something in Betty and makes her shove Candy hard toward the washer, picking the axe back up.
And then chaos ensues.
The Trial
We don’t get to see what happens until the trial (which is great storytelling) because when you hear what happened to the body, you immediately wonder what the hell happened?
How could Candy Montgomery, an otherwise well-tempered, Christian woman from a small town in Texas, do something so heinous?
It’s not until we get a peek at Candy’s past thanks to a hypnotist and her lawyer that we begin to see how an average, everyday person could commit such a gruesome crime.
We find out that Candy has never been violent.
And that she’d never really had so much as a disagreement with anyone.
It’s not until the psychiatrist/hypnotist on the stand and he describes how someone can disassociate from something they can’t see themselves doing.
Especially a woman like Candy Montgomery, who was very concerned with outward appearances.
He explains how it makes sense that she would carry on with her day and still go and pick out Father’s Day cards, still go to the movies, still took Alisa to her swim lessons the following day.
It would seem only someone with a mental illness would do something like that.
But the fact is, the human mind is still a mysterious, although fascinating thing.
The fact that Candy disassociated from the events of that day is highly intriguing.
It brings to the forefront of our minds the very possibility that, in similar circumstances, any of us is capable of the same thing.
It also makes you wonder:
- Could self-defense really warrant 41 swings of an axe?
- Could you ever see yourself doing the same thing?
- Was Justice served? Did Candy Montgomery get a fair trial?
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend it watching it before answering those questions.
After telling my sister about it, she binged it in just two days so I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Here’s the trailer.
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