The Fight – As the finale of Candy begins, Deputy Deffibaugh (Justin Timberlake) and Deputy Denny Reese (Jason Ritter) reenact the murder for the DA. They tell DA O’Connell (Jayson Warner Smith) how there was a newspaper about The Shining which features an ax murderer in the home. Steve shows them the ax as they make their way outside. He suggests they got into an argument in the backyard. Denny and Steve roleplay the supposed argument before they head back inside. Steve claims the ax was a weapon of opportunity instead of planning. It is believed that Betty was hit before she fell in the utility room where Candy really went to work on her.

While she was hit 41 times, 28 were to the head. Betty put up a fight since she had defensive wounds to her hands. The DA and ADA Schultz (Norio Nishimura) are told about the footprint that matched Candy’s shower shoes. Steve says an attack like this doesn’t happen without passion hence why Betty’s eyes were chopped out. He says it often happens between homosexual killers and gay lovers especially when they’re having an affair because they don’t want them having eyes for anyone except them. As for the wounds on Candy, it is believed they happened when the ax came down and hit her legs.

Once she was done, she took a shower and tried to wipe up the mess with a towel, but she missed her own blood and fingerprints. Then, Candy left the baby in the crib crying for her mother for 13 hours. Denny calls her a monster. O’Connell believes they’ve got her since they have her fingerprints, blood, and hair at the scene. He doesn’t think a jury would buy an insanity plea. Schultz suggests she could plead self-defense. Steve argues that she could’ve run out the door as soon as Betty picked up the ax. Denny says he is no longer defending himself once you come at him with an ax. O’Connell hopes to God she pleads self-defense because there is no way to argue that.

Don Crowder (Raul Esparza) tells Robert Udashen (Jesse Gallegos) that they’ll believe him because they want to believe him. Candy (Jessica Biel) is put under hypnosis to find out what she did. When asked what she did, she motions swinging an ax while screaming. After the intro, Allan Gore (Pablo Schreiber) is shown going for a run. Outside the courtroom, Don tells the media that Betty Gore died on Friday the 13th on the same day the movie came out and the Gore house is the 13th one from the corner. The body was found 13 hours after her death and Candy was arrested 13 days later. Don says they can draw their own conclusion to the meaning of it all. Sandra (Sharon Conley) finds it odd that her last name was Gore.

Elaine (Jamie Anne Allman) heard that one of the jurors is a member of the same softball team as Don Crowder. It is also believed that Judge Ryan (Tim Ware) delayed his retirement for this and wants a conviction. Sandra argues that she was obsessed with her perception in the community and killed Betty once she found out. Sherry (Jessie Mueller) says Candy is innocent because a drifter killed Betty. Her husband Tom (Jack Landry) admits he wasn’t going to miss this. O’Connell calls Don Crowder an ambulance chaser. He has run into him a few times and he loves talking about playing in the Cotton Bowl. Schultz tells him to start with Allan Gore to hit them with the emotion of a devastated husband.

When Candy and Pat (Timothy Simons) arrive, some locals give Candy encouragement. Others tell her that she is guilty. In the courtroom, the judge reminds counsel that they were prohibited from discussing the case with any members of the news media. He asks Don about his interview with the media. Don thought the order was lifted so he suggests it was an innocent error. The judge finds him in contempt with a $100 fine and 24 hours in the Collin County Jail as punishment. He suspends the sentence until the conclusion of the trial to ensure it doesn’t interfere. Candace pleads not guilty to the charge of murder. Allan is asked about his relationship with his wife before her murder. He says it was fine but not great.

They loved each other and had just learned that they were expecting a third child. When asked how their affair ended, Allan says they just decided to stop seeing each other one day because it wasn’t good for their marriages. O’Connell reminds him that he told investigators he ended it and he was specific as to why. Allan says it was mutual. O’Connell says he told law enforcement he ended it because she was in love with him. Allan doesn’t know why he said that. When Don takes over, he asks Allan how he describes his relationship with Candy now. Allan says friendly. He was shocked and couldn’t believe it when he heard that Candy might’ve killed Betty. He still can’t believe that Candy could’ve done it.

The DA complains that it looks like Allan was a witness for the defense as he is allowed to step down. Elaine greets Allan with a kiss when he returns from his run. Next, Deputy Deffibaugh (Justin Timberlake) takes the stand to talk about Candy’s injuries. Besides the cut on her toe, he saw several bruises on her feet and legs. Don asks whether it could be evidence of a struggle. The deputy says yes before he is quickly objected by the DA because it is speculative. The judge sustains it. The DA asks whether the injuries could’ve been self-inflicted. Deffibaugh says yes. After Don objects, the judge overrules his objection. Don complains since there was a different ruling for an identical question. As the judge begins reprimanding him, Don says they’d like the record to show that the judge is biased.

Don reminds him that he punished him for speaking to the press even though Judge Ryan had the press in his office. The judge wants to conduct the trial in an orderly, professional manner and asks the attorneys to do the same. He won’t accept attacks on the judge. Don says that is fine as long as the judge reins in their bias. He goes on to say he won’t be bullied when he is defending a woman who could go to prison for life. Don is held in contempt with another $100 fine and 72 hours in jail. A short time later, Don asks the deputy whether there were any useful fingerprints found on the ax. The deputy knows they regularly get the fingerprint on television, but it is an unusual occurrence in real life. Don asks whether there was any physical evidence to contradict Betty picking up the ax.

Deffibaugh says no. Don blurts out that Candy killed Betty Gore in that utility room. The deputy agrees that she did not try to hide anything since she left blood, fingerprints, and hair. Don claims the deputy said before that Betty could’ve picked up the ax first. The deputy says there was no physical evidence to contradict that claim. He didn’t find any evidence to conclusively show this was an unprovoked attack. Schultz tells the DA that they’re going to do self-defense with the ax, but the DA has other ideas. The DA gets the deputy to say that the wounds on Betty’s face were afflicted from the same angle. Betty Gore wasn’t moving so she couldn’t have been fighting back. With that, the state rests its case. At home, Sherry asks Candy about doing it. Candy says there is a perfectly reasonable explanation according to the doctors.

Don says Dr. Bright talked about overkill when more damage is done than needed to kill. He says they picked the military guy for foreman and he gets it. Candy says Dr. Williamson said the overkill was the result of a dissociative reaction she had. Don believes the jury was relieved when he said self-defense. Pat complains he hasn’t seen anything sitting in that room with Allan all day. Tom explains that people respond when they feel their lives are in danger. Candy suggests it is even worse for her because she has been over-controlled and over-civilized. Sherry asks who controls her. Candy quickly says her mother. She has been controlled all her life and didn’t even know it because she suppressed it. That is why Don sent to Dr. Fason for age regression and to find the incident in her childhood that caused her dissociative reaction through hypnosis.

Tom remembers seeing that on Columbo. Candy was taken back to when she was four in an emergency room. She was screaming because she cut her head and was bleeding badly. Her mother shushed her because she was upsetting everyone. When Pat says she never told him this, Candy says she has never been able to express her feelings since. Sherry asks why she didn’t run. Candy claims that she tried. Sherry admits she is hurt that Candy lied to her. She didn’t tell her even though she tells her everything. Candy doesn’t think she could tell her since she didn’t want anyone to know. Don reveals that the doctors are going to explain it before Candy tells her story in her own words, but Candy doesn’t want to say it.

They begin bickering over whether she should testify. She pleads with him not to make her do this because she is worried what everyone will think. Don believes they’ll see that she did what she had to do so he urges Pat to tell her everything will be fine. Pat tells her that everyone loves her. In the courtroom, Don asks Candy to take them back to the morning of June 13. Don questions when she arrived and whether she knocked. Candy doesn’t respond. She eventually comes to reality and says she got there around 10 and she wanted to pick up Christina’s bathing suit and peppermints. We see a flashback as Candy arrives outside the Gore house.

Candy didn’t think she’d mind that she arrived early since it was better for her. She finds that Betty (Melanie Lynskey) has been sewing because she is making outfits for the family’s upcoming vacation. When Candy hears the dog outside, she walks through the patio door to see them. Candy is introduced to Chito. She picks up the dog as Betty asks her not to because they don’t really pick him up. Then, they come back in the same way. Candy tells Betty about the business she is starting with Sherry. She believes they could help brighten up the house for Betty. Once Candy realizes she needs to split, she asks Betty what she was saying about Christina and peppermints. Betty asks if she is having an affair with Allan.

Candy says no. Betty suggests she did though. Candy admits it but says it was a long time ago. Betty asks for a minute before walking into the utility room. When she came back, she had an ax. Candy imagines that she is alone in the courtroom with Betty. Then, Betty tells her she doesn’t want her to see Allan ever again. She can’t have him. Candy tells her not to be ridiculous because it was over a long time ago. Betty repeats herself by telling Candy to never see him again. Candy suggests it’d be wise for her to bring Christina home right after Bible school, but Betty doesn’t want to see her again today. She asks Candy to keep her and bring her back tomorrow since she doesn’t want to look at her again. Betty puts the ax down before going to the bathroom for a towel.

She asks Candy to get Christina’s suit from the washer. Betty returns with the towel and gives her a handful of peppermints too. Candy says she felt so hurt. She told Betty she was sorry while patting her on the arm. Candy claims Betty pushed her and grabbed the ax. They begin struggling over the ax while Betty says she can’t have him. Candy says she just never believed Betty would use it since nobody ever uses an ax on someone. Something changed in Betty who says she has to kill her. Betty hits her in the head and tries again. At this point, Candy knew she wanted to kill her. After a brief scuffle, Candy pushes Betty and grabs the ax from her. Once Candy hit her, she thought Betty was dead so she threw the ax to the side.

She tried to run to the door of the house, but Betty threw her body against it. While Betty trapped her in, Candy pleaded with her to let her go. Betty said she can’t. Candy ran for the garage door only to find that it had been locked. When Betty comes at her with the ax, Candy knocks her down. She pleaded with Betty to let her go while promising she doesn’t want her husband. Then, they heard the baby crying. Betty shushed her and that enrages Candy. She didn’t even think about it. Candy grabbed the ax from her and kept hitting her.

Although Candy admits to hitting her, it was like she wasn’t even there. She felt like she was standing back watching herself do it. In the flashback, Betty reminds Candy that this was only her story. Don asks what she did after she stopped hitting Betty. Candy says she found her shoe, put it on, and tried to use the towel to clean up the mess. She couldn’t clean it up. To get the blood off her arms, she decided to take a shower. Candy insists she never thought that killing Betty would help her get Allan Gore back. She didn’t even want him back. She was afraid, ashamed, and never wanted anyone to know so she never told. She never thought anyone would believe her either.

Candy insists she is angry to this day that this happened because it seems pointless. When asked whether she planned this, Candy says no and Betty put her in that position. It has caused her to lose everything that is important to her and it hurts. As others in the audience begin crying, Don passes the witness to the state. DA O’Connell asks whether Allan was Candy’s first affair. Don tries to object it twice, but the judge overrules him. Candy says it was the first time. O’Connell asks whether it was the last time before Don tries to object to that question. Candy says no. O’Connell wants to know who else she was having an affair with. Again, Crowder objects. The judge forces Candy to answer the question.

She reveals she was with a man briefly from early November to mid-December of 79. Candy doesn’t want to give the man’s name because it is irrelevant and she doesn’t want to damage his family. When O’Connell asks whether she told her husband about this man, Don objects. He is given three more days in jail as a result. Later, Pat is asked to come see Candy. Don tells her she has to tell him since it is going to be in the papers. Pat gets upset when he learns that she was with someone else. Candy tells him she needs him while Don says she is fighting for her life. Don doesn’t think it matters as long as she doesn’t do it again. Robert believes it helps their case because it shows that Candy wasn’t hung up on Allan like the prosecution claims.

Pat storms out. Back in the courtroom, Don gives his closing statement to the jury. He claims Betty was an animal in search of prey when she came at Candy. He suggests there is something bigger here that they can’t understand. O’Connell reminds the jury that there isn’t a single shred of evidence to show that Betty ever had the ax in her hands. Don suggests the ax was involved because of The Shining newspaper article in Betty’s house. O’Connell doesn’t think you’d swing the ax that many times and not know what you’re doing. Don tells the jury that there will not be a day when Candy will be able to put the act she committed out of her mind. He goes on to claim there are hundreds of reasonable doubts in this case.

O’Connell appreciates the time and attention the jury has given to them. Betty asks if that is it when the closing arguments are over. The jury comes back a short time later. Linda tells Sandra she still believes it is a crime of passion and it is okay in France. She asks if she wishes she could love someone that much and they loved her. Candy notices that Sherry isn’t in the courtroom as the foreman prepares to reveal the verdict. Candy is found not guilty. Bob and Mrs. Pomeroy complain about the jury and Allan who didn’t care whether she lived or died. Allan married Elaine shortly after the trial. Six years later, Don Crowder ran for Governor of Texas. Candy believes it’ll be great now that everything can go back to normal, but Robert says it’ll never be normal.

Although she thinks people just want to move on, Robert recommends considering a fresh start. He leaves. Candy wonders where Sherry is. Pat says she is probably busy keeping her husband away from her. A woman yells tramp as we learn that Candy and Pat divorced four years later. Candy says just wait when you don’t get what you want because God has something even better for you. She relocated, changed her name, and started a new life as a mental health counselor.

 

Candy Review

While not a total bust, I can’t help but feel that Candy could’ve been so much better and could’ve been handled with more class. The pacing of the series was off from the beginning since it started with the day of the murder and jumped back many years. A chronological story likely would’ve served the case better. I also can’t shake the feeling that this was just a game for those involved when it was based on horrific circumstances.

Bringing in the leads’ husbands to portray small roles and using that to promote the series heavily just seems tacky. The way many of the characters were portrayed also felt a bit disrespectful because this is based on real people and many who had their lives destroyed as a result. Most of the male characters were portrayed as total idiots when you know that most likely wasn’t the case. I wish the series went into more detail regarding Don Crowder because his life is really fascinating.

It’ll be interesting to see how HBO’s version stacks up to Candy, but I would hope for a more straightforward telling of the events. The finale scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of Candy can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our work at this link.