Television

‘Candy’ episode 3 review: ‘Overkill’

“I have taken a lover.”

May 11, 2022

Warning! This review contains spoilers for Hulu’s Candy

The story so far: Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel) may have the nice house, loving kids, and successful husband, but there is something missing from her life. When she meets Alan Gore (Pablo Schreiber) at the volleyball practice they both attend, it seems like she has found someone who can add the spice that her marriage is lacking. But how does an upfront proposition for a straightforward extramarital affair lead to murder?

As Candy progresses, it has become clear that it is as much a character study as it is a story about a murder. While an argument can be made that every true crime series does this, few spend as much time. Episode three takes a deep dive into Candy’s life and starts to paint a picture of why Betty’s death occurred. “Overkill” presents a number of different scenarios. Paranoia, love, and passion are all possibilities that seemed tied together, but could have provided different motives.

'Candy' episode 3 review: 'Overkill'

An interesting theme in the episode is the parallels drawn between the lives of Candy and Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey). Where the previous installments showed how opposite the two were, the latest shows they are much more alike than either realizes. Their home lives are nearly identical and both have the same wants. It is a shocking turn that will makes the motivation that much more intriguing.

It is hard not to notice the show’s flaws. Aside from the titular character, none of the others have been developed. Betty has been pigeonholed as too clingy while Pat Montgomery (Timothy Simmons) is oblivious and neglectful. Biel does an admirable job carrying the show, but it is hard to not get the feeling that something is off. Add in a odd decision to show how many months have passed since the last scene (viewers will quickly get tired of seeing, “Two months later”) as opposed to an actual date, and the show ends up having audiences ask the wrong questions.