Candy Episode 2 “Happy Wife, Happy Life” Review - Candy Turns up the Heat in a Promising Second Episode

If you haven’t read my review of the pilot episode, click here to read it, as it contains much of my criticism of the series thus far.

In the follow-up to yesterday’s episode, we go back in time. Specifically, two years. The series utilizes this opportunity to expound upon the issues with Candy and Betty’s home lives and relationships.

While I personally would have preferred a more direct approach to how this episode’s story is told, writers Nick Antosca, David Matthews, and showrunner Robin Veith’s teleplay is strong enough to support the hard right turn in tone from a true-crime story to much more of a romantic drama. As a bonus, this shift serves the series’ overall narrative well by keeping viewers engaged by only hinting at the incidents that lead to the grisly incident that this series is based upon.

Furthering the intrigue is the direction by Jennifer Getzinger. I haven’t seen much of her work (mostly her work on series like Westworld, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, The Man in the High Castle, and Agent Carter), and my critique from episode one remains true. Maybe the point of the series’ direction is to create one consistent tone, but as you’ll hear in my upcoming review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s important to feel a director’s tone, no matter if you’re watching an MCU movie or a television show. Otherwise, when the viewer inevitably sees something else the director has worked on, there’s a continuity and creative voice that the viewer can latch onto and use as a guide.

Another welcome change from yesterday’s episode is that it gives actor Melanie Lynskey much more time to highlight her intricate performance. While the name of the series is named Candy, it’s her performance that anchors the series. Lynskey has incredible range in this episode, having moments where she goes from quiet & meek to bold & bullish, seemingly at the flip of a switch. To use an overused idiom, the viewer gets the sense that Lynskey’s character, Betty Gore, is a pot about to boil over.

On the opposite side of things, Jessica Biel’s character, Candy Montgomery, gets those quiet moments that Lynskey had in the previous episode. While not as manic, her behavior is equally as impulsive as Betty’s. Instead of a pot about to boil over, her performance is much more of a rolling boil. It’s a fascinating switch in mannerisms and perspective that allows the viewer to see how everyone, no matter how perfect they may seem, all of us have issues they’re working on.

While the episode took a sharp left turn that I wasn’t expecting, I am grateful for the shift in tone. It makes the series much more complex and interesting. So, if you’re looking for more substance to your true-crime series, make sure to check out Candy episode two tonight.

★★★★

Candy episode two will be available to stream on Hulu starting tonight. You can watch episode one now.

Until next time!

Thanks to Thomas Stoneham-Judge from Movies For Reel, Shane Conto, Joseph Davis, David Walters, Ambula Bula, and Matthew Simpson for supporting Austin B Media on Patreon!