By: Orlando Arechiga
‘Love and Death’ is a 7-episode miniseries that tells the true-crime story of Candy Montgomery. In 1978, Candy was accused of murdering her church friend Betty Gore. Candy, who had a secret affair with Betty’s husband, murdered his wife Betty with an axe. I won’t go into more details, but the crime is still discussed today and has been made into a TV movie, a two-part series, and a Hulu miniseries called Candy. Now, David E. Kelley is taking the case into his own hands with an adaptation that delivers high-quality storytelling and unique character interpretations.
David E. Kelly develops an unforgettable experience, from beginning to end. David E. Kelley’s talents and experience are showcased in every episode, which includes unique shots, clever metaphors, and a soundtrack that helps understand every character’s actions and reasoning. It is very efficient, especially with Candy, which uses the power of music to tell the viewer how she feels. For example, in the first episode, Kelley uses the song ‘Beauty School Dropout’ which showcases Candy’s desire to explore and free herself from the same routine she lives in. The power of music interpretation is only one of the many highlights Kelly delivers. He also decides to bring to the table, how women in the 70s were seen and how being a housewife or participating in church were the only spaces women had a voice in. Kelly uses the metaphor of the affair to break the barriers of women in the 1970s, even though in this true, it all ends up in a murder.
From beginning to end, Elizabeth Olsen shines and reaches her full potential. She shows that she is capable of playing whatever role that comes her way. Her interpretation of Candy is as good as it gets, as she creates moments of doubt, desperation, and moments that make the viewer see the character in a bright light, even though she did such a horrific crime, In the series, Olsen shocks with her singing voice. I was unaware of her vocal range, but she definitely should seek roles in musicals, as she is that good. Olsen deserves an Emmy nomination this year, and without a doubt can be the winner. She is that good!
‘Love & Death’ starts a bit slow, but then picks up around the 5th episode where actions and consequences begin to get heated and performances are at their highest peak. I highly recommend ‘Love & Death’ if you love true crime and Elizabeth Olsen.
‘Love & Death’ is now streaming on HBOMAX with new episodes every Thursday.
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