The brutal murder of Betty Gore in 1980 shocked the small town of Wylie, Texas. The reasons behind the terrible tragedy would prove to be even more appalling. In the late 70s, Betty and her husband, Allan, had met Candy Montgomery through church and became close friends with the woman. But Candy was a bored housewife who wanted to be a bit more than friend's with Betty's husband.
After Betty proposed an affair to Allan, the two eventually indulged in an escape away from their difficult marriages. It wasn't supposed to be anything serious—just a bit of fun that would end if either of them got emotionally attached. But when Allan later tried to break off their long-term dalliance to try and repair things with Betty, things quickly took a deadly turn. While Allan was away on business, Betty was found dead in the garage, struck 41 times with an axe. When Candy was brought to court on charges of Betty's murder, she claimed Betty had violently confronted her about the affair, and she had merely lashed out in self-defense. But could this have simply been a violent act of rage?
Now, on May 9th, this sordid tale is being brought to life on Hulu.
Announced back in July of 2020, the 5-episode series isn't alone in retelling this dark event. Later this year, HBO Max will release a 6-episode series of its own called Love and Death. With so much nuance and controversy surrounding the terrible death of Betty Gore, it's well worth taking multiple looks at the story with different perspectives.
Originally, Elizabeth Moss was slated to star in Hulu's Candy, but scheduling conflicts caused her to drop out. Now Jessica Biel has stepped into the shoes of Candy Montgomery, playing opposite Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore. The series also has big talent in other roles, with Pablo Schreiber starring as Allan Gore, Timothy Simmons starring as Pat Montgomery, and Raul Esparza starring as Don Crowder, Candy's lawyer. While multiple creatives are involved with the series, the pilot was written by Robin Veith (True Blood, The Act) and directed by Michael Uppendah (American Horror Story, Castle Rock), and both are executive producers alongside Nick Antosca (Brand New Cherry Flavor), Alex Hedlund (Chucky), Michelle Purple (Cruel Summer), and Jessica Biel herself.
As you wait for Candy to drop, take a look at the chilling trailer below.
For more information on this infamously controversial case, check out Evidence of Love by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson.
