Diksha Sundriyal
HBO Max’s ‘Love and Death’ follows the true story of Candy Montgomery and the events that led her to murder Betty Gore. Starring Elizabeth Olsen in the lead role, the show goes into the details of the affair between Candy and Betty’s husband, Allan Gore. It explores the psyche of the characters, the problems they’d been facing in their respective marriages, and what led Candy and Allan to embark on an affair even though they claimed to love their spouses.
Things happen pretty fast in the seven-episode limited series. It covers the entire story, from the affair to the murder to the investigation and the trial of Candy Montgomery. It might make you wonder what the show’s timeline is. Does it stick to the original timeline of the way events happened in reality, or does it skew some of it for the purpose of storytelling? Let’s find out.
Love and Death’s Story Starts in 1978
The events in ‘Love and Death’ take place over the course of two years and follow the timeline as happened in reality. The story begins in 1978, with Candy feeling stuck in her marriage with Pat Montgomery. Meanwhile, Allan and Betty try for a baby, but her being stressed out all the time takes its toll on Allan too. During a volleyball game, which takes place sometime in October 1978, Candy feels an attraction towards Allan, which she later confesses to him.
It takes some time for Allan to process her offer to have an affair, and after going through the pros and cons and all the rules about their relationship, they fix December 12, 1978, to be the day they start their affair. For the next eleven months, Candy and Allan meet weekly in a motel out of town. Despite their rule to not get emotionally attached, both realize that feelings are coming in the way of their affair as well as their marriages. After Betty gives birth to a daughter, Allan decides to dedicate himself to his family, and the affair to comes to an end sometime in late October to early November 1979.
The break-up allows Candy to focus on her marriage with Allan, and from here, things go by smoothly until Betty discovers that Allan and Candy had an affair. On Friday, June 13, 1980, Candy goes to Betty’s house to pick up her daughter’s swimsuit, but the errand turns into a disaster, with Candy killing Betty with an axe. An investigation ensues, and Candy is charged with murder and arrested on June 27, 1980. Soon after, the trial begins, and Candy pleads not guilty on the basis of self-defense. The trial comes to an end on October 30, 1980, concluding the story of Candy Montgomery.
Love and Death is set in the City of Wylie, Texas
‘Love and Death’ takes place in the city of Wylie, Texas. The Montgomerys and the Gores attend the Lucas Methodist Church. Candy and Allan sing in the choir and also play volleyball for the church team. The latter acts as the starting point of their affair, as this is when Candy truly notices Allan for the first time. She confesses her feelings for him in the parking lot, and soon after, they start meeting in motels out of town.
They decide to meet at the Continental Inn on December 12, which is their first official date together. Later, however, Candy chooses Como Motel to be their regular haunt due to its low price. When their affair ends, Candy and Allan return to their everyday lives in Wylie until everything changes with Betty’s death.
