Love & Death: TV series synopsis, cast & characters, relationships and the true-story background

The story is adapted from a shocking real-life murder that occurred in a small Texas suburban town in 1980.

A basic introduction to the love and death of a small-town housewife.

Love & Death is an American biographical crime miniseries written by David E. Kelley and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and Clark Johnson. It premiered on HBO Max (later renamed Max) on April 27, 2023, and ran for seven episodes.

The story is adapted from a shocking real-life murder that occurred in a small Texas suburban town in 1980. The protagonist is Candy Montgomery, a housewife living in Wylie, Texas. The series tells the story of how she outwardly leads a typical life as a suburban American housewife in the 1970s and 80s, but her marital dissatisfaction and inner turmoil lead her into forbidden emotions, ultimately resulting in a fatal tragedy.

Cast and Main Characters of " Love and Death of a Small Town Housewife"

Elizabeth Olsen — as Candy Montgomery

• Candy is the protagonist of the series, a seemingly typical Texas suburban housewife who later becomes embroiled in an extramarital affair and is accused of murdering her best friend. The plot focuses on her psychology and life-changing experiences.

• IG: Elizabeth Olsen's official Instagram account is @elizabetholsenofficial. This is her publicly used account, where you can see her recent work and daily life updates.

Jesse Plemons — as Allan Gore

• Allan is Betty Gore's husband and Candy's extramarital affair, and their affair is the catalyst for the entire tragedy. In the play, he is portrayed as a character under pressure in his marriage and experiencing emotional conflict.

Lily Rabe — as Betty Gore

• Betty is Allan's wife. In the series, she suffers from postpartum depression, marital pressure, and suspicion, which leads her to doubt the relationship between Candy and Allan, triggering a fierce conflict. Her fate is also key to the tragedy of the entire case.

Patrick Fugit — as Pat Montgomery

• Pat is Candy's husband and represents the other side of the family and moral balance in the story. He initially supports her after the incident, but becomes disheartened, and the drama portrays the breakdown of their marriage and the psychological turmoil within the characters.

Krysten Ritter — as Sherry Cleckler

• Sherry is Candy's best friend and confidante, one of the few people in the show who stands by her side and supports her. Her understanding and support for Candy become important narration and emotional support in the show.

Tom Pelphrey — plays Don Crowder (the lawyer)

• Don Crowder is Candy's defense attorney. In the show, he helps build a defense strategy based on "self-defense + psychological state," becoming a key figure in determining the direction of the case.

Other important roles/actors

• Elizabeth Marvel plays the role of priest Jackie Ponder.

• Keir Gilchrist plays Ron Adams, the pastor.

Synopsis of "Love and Death of a Small-Town Housewife" EP1–EP7

Episode 1

In 1978, in Wylie, a small town in suburban Texas, Candy Montgomery is a seemingly happy and church-loving housewife who lives a stable life with her husband Pat and two children, but she feels depressed and empty about the unchanging housework and roles.

During a church volleyball game, Candy had a physical encounter with fellow church member Allan Gore: Allan accidentally bumped into her on the court, then reached out to help her up. This brief collision stirred a long-lost flutter in Candy's heart. Allan is Betty Gore's husband, and the two are regular church members; they appear to be an ordinary small-town couple.

Allan and Betty's marriage is fraught with tension: Betty is under immense pressure due to her second pregnancy, leading to emotional instability and frequent bouts of anxiety and depression, which also weighs heavily on Allan's mind. Candy is gradually drawn to Allan's quiet and gentle nature, even confiding in her best friend that she "kindly likes Allan."

After a church choir session, Candy mustered up the courage to stop Allan in the parking lot and confessed that she had feelings for him, even directly asking him if he wanted to "consider having an affair." Allan was shocked and left without giving an answer.

After some time, Allan took the initiative to ask Candy out to lunch. The two calmly discussed the pros and cons of having an affair in the car, rationally analyzing the impact on their families, and at one point decided not to continue the idea. However, their attraction to each other did not disappear. When they met secretly again, they began to formally plan an extramarital relationship that was "limited to physical intimacy and not to emotional involvement," by making lists and setting rules, and agreed that if either of them developed genuine feelings, they must end it immediately.

After much hesitation, they finally crossed the line and had sex for the first time at a motel outside the city, thus beginning their extramarital affair.

Episode 2

Candy and Allan's affair gradually became regular: they would meet at a motel outside the town during the day, bring their own lunches, eat, chat, be intimate, take a shower together, and then return to their respective families.

Although they initially tried to keep the relationship within the framework of "not talking about feelings," as they met more often, they began to confide their dissatisfaction with their marriages and lives in bed, and the affair became an emotional outlet. They gradually violated their first rule—not to fall in love with each other.

On the other hand, Betty successfully became pregnant and gave birth to her second daughter, but she experienced significant postpartum depression and became more emotionally sensitive and vulnerable. Allan was torn between work, caring for his family, and his affair, and his guilt grew heavier and heavier. He began to feel that this extramarital affair was eroding his marriage with Betty.

As Betty's emotional problems worsened, Allan saw Candy less, spending more time with his wife. Candy was very disappointed and confessed that she had fallen in love with Allan. Allan also admitted that the relationship made him feel attached, and even felt that "the affair had improved his attitude towards marriage to some extent," making him gentler towards Betty. This conflicting feeling made it even harder for the two of them to extricate themselves from the relationship.

Afterwards, Allan decided to take Betty to a weekend "marriage counseling" camp held by the church, hoping to repair their marriage. Candy outwardly congratulated her, but inwardly saw this as a sign that their relationship might be coming to an end.

At the camp, Allan and Betty gradually opened up to each other and rekindled their intimacy by writing letters, sharing their feelings, and reflecting on their marriage. On the way back, Betty happily told Candy that the camp seemed to have "saved their marriage." Allan also told Candy that things had improved between him and Betty.

Candy smiles and offers her blessings, but when she turns to go home, she grinds meat in the kitchen with almost violent force, symbolizing the repressed jealousy and out-of-control emotions in her heart.

Episode 3

About a month after the marriage counseling session, Allan formally asked Candy to end the affair. They talked in a park, where Allan said he should focus on his marriage with Betty and hoped they would stop seeing each other. Candy was unwilling to give up but also wanted to maintain her dignity, so she said, "Then I'll end it," declaring that she would no longer call him or see him again.

Betty's emotional problems persisted. She felt a lump in her chest and panicked, thinking she had cancer. Tests revealed it was benign, but the doctor advised her to reduce caffeine intake, stop using birth control pills, and relax. Betty felt uncared for, which exacerbated her mental and physical stress. Candy, upon learning this, visited and comforted Betty, and the two briefly rekindled their old friendship.

However, one time when Allan came home, Betty saw him talking and exchanging knowing smiles with Candy in the driveway. Alarm bells went off in her mind, and she began to suspect that the two were more than just ordinary friends.

Candy and her husband Pat also attended the marriage retreat, but they weren't nearly as engaged as the Gore couple. However, Pat took the opportunity to sincerely apologize to Candy, admitting that he had neglected her feelings in the past and expressing his willingness to put more effort into their marriage. It seemed that the two had a chance to mend their relationship.

One day, while Candy was out, Pat was searching through old letters. He was only looking for love letters Candy had written to him, but he unexpectedly found letters Allan had written to Candy. He further learned from Candy's friend that the two had had an affair. The friend emphasized that the relationship was over, but Pat chose not to confront her immediately. Instead, he went home and sent Candy flowers, wrote her a letter expressing his love and forgiveness, and proposed a trip together. In reality, he was using this method to avoid a direct confrontation. Candy was both touched and guilty.

Fast forward to Friday, June 13, 1980. Allan is preparing for a business trip, while Betty is on edge, complaining that he left home during her ovulation period and mentioning that her period is two weeks late and she might be pregnant again, adding to their stress.

On the same day, Candy was busy teaching children's activities and promised to take the children and Betty's daughter Alisa to see a movie in the evening, and promised to go to Gore's house first to pick up Alisa's swimsuit.

Candy arrived at Gore's house at noon. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, just as the visit was about to end, Betty suddenly asked the crucial question: "Are you having an affair with Allan?" Candy initially denied it, but when Betty changed the subject to "Have you ever been with him before?" Candy paused for a moment and admitted, "Yes, I have."

After the stalemate, Betty got up and walked out of sight, then returned to Candy with an axe in hand. Candy instantly became alert, stood up to prepare for a confrontation, and the prelude to a tragedy officially began.

Episode 4

Betty confronts Candy with an axe in hand, her emotions suppressed and hardened, demanding that Candy stay away from her family. Candy apologizes repeatedly, promising not to approach Allan again, and only wants to take the swimsuit and leave.

The conversation escalated, but Betty suddenly lost her temper, cornering Candy in the laundry room and attacking her with an axe. In the chaos, Candy was slashed in the toe and forehead, and the two engaged in a fierce physical struggle in the confined space. Candy eventually seized the axe, entering a near-out-of-control state, and repeatedly swung it at Betty. The footage doesn't directly show all the details, only hinting at the extremely brutal attack Betty suffered through bloodstains and the aftermath.

Candy left covered in blood and looking dazed. She washed the blood off herself at the scene, her clothes soaked, then drove home and immediately went into "trace removal" mode: she threw her bloodstained clothes into the washing machine, washed and changed, put on a different pair of shoes, and then returned to the church event, pretending it was just a normal busy day.

At church, she explained to everyone that she had just "chatted with Betty, and her watch broke, so she forgot the time," performing this story for everyone in an attempt to establish a timeline and an alibi. Her husband Pat and her friends noticed that something was off about her, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was strange.

On the other hand, Allan, who was on a business trip, called home several times but no one answered, which made him uneasy. Finally, he asked his neighbor to come and check on the house. The neighbor forced his way in and found the baby crying alone in the room, while Betty was lying in the laundry room, her death extremely gruesome.

Police launched an investigation, initially suspecting the perpetrator was a burly, unfamiliar male. The large amount of blood and the brutality of the crime plunged the entire town into panic. Candy, the last person to see Betty, was questioned by the sheriff. She recounted the visit and its duration according to a pre-prepared story, falsely claiming she was wearing sneakers at the time. After returning home, Candy cut up and discarded the sandals she wore during the crime to remove evidence.

At Betty's funeral, the pastor vehemently denounced the murderer as a "devil," and Candy listened while suppressing her emotions.

Soon after, under police questioning, Allan confessed to having an affair with Candy. This confession immediately changed the direction of the investigation: Candy went from being the "last witness" to the prime suspect.

Episode 5

Police questioned Candy again, and this time she admitted to having an affair with Allan, but insisted that she had nothing to do with Betty's murder. As the affair was exposed, the whole town and the media pointed the finger at her, and Candy was portrayed as the "small-town housewife axe murder suspect."

Candy and her husband Pat sought help from their church friend, lawyer Don Crowder. Don's expertise wasn't in serious criminal cases, but because Candy insisted on trusting him, he agreed to be their defense attorney and brought in a young lawyer, Robert Udashen, to help prepare the case.

At first, Candy kept the truth from Don, only saying that she and Betty were just chatting normally, but then suddenly her mind went blank. Don noticed that she was holding back and repeatedly questioned her, even asking if she was covering up someone else's crime. Candy finally broke down under immense pressure and confessed: "I did it. She attacked me first, so I did it."

After listening, Don immediately shifted the defense focus to two lines: "self-defense" and "mental state," while reminding Candy not to disclose the details of the legal strategy to anyone (including her husband).

During the preliminary hearing, the defense requested a change of venue, arguing that local media coverage had created bias, but this was rejected by Judge Tom Ryan. Don's assertive style in court repeatedly clashed with the judge, creating a tense atmosphere. Candy was later formally charged and detained overnight before being granted bail the following day. Footage of her being led out of the police station in handcuffs went viral.

Don then asked Candy to cooperate in cultivating the image of a "gentle, submissive, and harmless housewife," including dressing and behaving softly to avoid offending the jury. In preparation for her mental health defense, Candy went to Houston for evaluation and hypnotherapy by psychiatrist Fred Fason.

During the hypnosis, Candy recalled the incident, stating that when Betty made a "shh" sound to her, it triggered a traumatic childhood memory: when she cried after being hurt as a child, her mother would suppress her crying in a similar way. This repressed memory erupted at that moment, causing her to become emotionally dissociated and out of control, leading to repeated axe strikes.

Fason believed that Candy exhibited a dissociative response at the time of the incident, which was both defensive in nature and an out-of-control behavior triggered by past trauma. Don decided to use this psychiatric evaluation as a key point of defense during the trial.

With the trial imminent, Candy still hadn't fully confessed the details to her husband. Finally, Pat learned from Don that Candy would focus her defense on "self-defense" and emotional trauma, which essentially confirmed that Candy had indeed murdered Betty. Pat looked at his wife, his emotions complex.

Episode 6

The trial officially began, and the courtroom was packed with media and spectators, making the case resemble a "circus show."

The defense adopted an aggressive strategy from the outset: Don directly admitted in his opening statement that Candy killed Betty with an axe, causing an uproar in the courtroom. He then emphasized that Candy would personally appear in court to explain that she acted in self-defense, hoping that the jury would not only focus on the outcome but also understand the circumstances.

Next, the prosecution presented its evidence. Allan Gore testified first, describing Betty's mental state and his affair with Candy. The prosecution used this to emphasize the motive, while the defense, through cross-examination, got Allan to admit that Candy and Betty appeared to get along well and that Candy showed no obvious hostility, thereby weakening the impression that it was premeditated.

The testimonies of police officers and forensic experts revealed the brutal details of the incident: Betty was stabbed more than forty times, suffering severe head and body injuries, and the scene was covered in blood. This testimony had a profound impact on the jury, making it difficult to reconcile "self-defense" with such a large number of stab wounds.

Throughout the morning, Candy sat in the dock with a blank and indifferent expression because she had taken sedatives, which gave Don a major headache, as he worried that the jury would think she lacked remorse.

After the prosecution finished testifying, it was the defense's turn. Don originally intended to have Candy come up to testify immediately, but seeing that she was not in good condition, he had to ask the judge for a one-day postponement, which was refused, and he was only granted a short recess.

The judge rang the bell to signal the time, and Candy, still in an unstable mental state, had to prepare to stand in the witness stand and make one last stand for her life.

Episode 7

The final episode mainly focuses on Candy's testimony and the verdict.

After regaining her composure, Candy testified in court at the defense's arrangement. She described in detail what happened on the day of the incident: she initially came to pick up her swimsuit, but during the conversation, Betty asked her if she had been having an affair with Allan. She initially denied it, but later admitted that she "had" it before. Betty became angry, turned around to grab an axe, and forced her into the laundry room.

Candy stated that Betty first swung an axe at her, and in a panic, she tried to wrest the axe away. During the struggle, they both fell, and in the ensuing melee, she finally managed to grab the weapon. She said that when Betty made a "shh" sound to tell her to be quiet, she was triggered, her mind went blank, and she only remembered continuing to swing the axe until the other person stopped moving.

In her testimony, she emphasized that she never premeditated murder. At that moment, it was just a combination of extreme fear and instinct, coupled with the repressed trauma from her childhood that erupted at that moment, which led to her out-of-control and flawed violent behavior.

During cross-examination, the prosecutor focused on the contradictions: If it was self-defense, why did she slash more than forty times? Why were her injuries relatively minor, yet Betty was subjected to such a severe attack? And why did she deliberately destroy evidence and lie to cover it up afterward? The prosecution implied that she was actually skilled at manipulation and deception, and that this was just another performance in court.

Subsequently, psychiatrist Fred Fason testified, explaining Candy's dissociative reaction and childhood trauma, proposing a psychological process of "being beaten, defending herself, being triggered, and losing control," providing professional background for Candy's claims. Candy's husband, Pat, also testified, stating that his wife was usually gentle and had never shown violent tendencies, hoping the jury would believe the incident was an accident under extreme circumstances, rather than a cold-blooded murder. Some church members also testified, mentioning that Betty was sensitive, irritable, and had strained interpersonal relationships, implying that the escalation of the conflict was not unthinkable.

In his closing statement, the prosecutor emphasized that Betty was brutally murdered and argued that Candy's actions far exceeded the bounds of legitimate self-defense, urging the jury to deliver justice for Betty. He also satirized Candy for using the detail of "shushing" as a reason to strike with the axe forty-one times, describing the entire self-defense argument as an absurd pretext.

The defense argued that there was no premeditation, no obvious motive for murder, and that Candy and Betty appeared to be on good terms before the incident. They also argued that the psychiatric evaluation showed that she was dissociating and out of control under extreme pressure, and requested the jury to consider that she committed the crime while in a state of being attacked, fear, and psychological trauma.

After deliberating, the jury delivered a controversial verdict—Candy Montgomery was acquitted.

Upon hearing the acquittal, Candy burst into tears, and Pat excitedly hugged her. Betty's family, however, found it difficult to accept, creating an extremely complex atmosphere.

Shortly after, Candy and her family left Texas for Georgia, leaving behind the gossipy town. Later, she and Pat separated and their marriage ended. Allan remarried twice, and their daughter was raised by Betty's parents. Defense attorney Don Crowder, also burdened by stress and personal problems, ultimately chose to end his life.

The series concludes with subtitles explaining these events, ending with a scene of a past affair rendezvous at a motel, leaving a chilling and ironic aftertaste that prompts viewers to ponder: just how far apart are truth, law, and morality?

Differences from the true story and key points of the adaptation

Although the plot is largely faithful to the true events, the production team has enhanced the narrative and the portrayal of the characters' psychology.

• The series depicts Candy's marital dissatisfaction, inner repression, and emptiness in a more detailed way—these are the "emotional driving forces" that allow the audience to understand why a seemingly ordinary housewife would reach that point. To some extent, this transcends a simple "murder reenactment" and is more like a psychological analysis of the repressive lives of women in suburban America during the 1970s and 80s.

• In depicting the crime and trial process, the series is mostly told from Candy's perspective—which has sparked controversy: whether it gives her too much "empathy" or room for rationalization. The director himself also admits that this is a story full of gray areas, without an absolute "good guy/bad guy" classification.

• Furthermore, compared to other adaptations (such as earlier TV movies or 2022's Candy), this series focuses more on the characters' psychological and emotional conflicts, rather than simply pursuing the tension of crime and suspense.

Why does the story of a small-town housewife's love and death still captivate us today? — Social, psychological, and cultural implications.

This case, and its numerous adaptations, are not only shocking because of the "axe murder" itself, but also because it shatters people's illusions about the "perfect suburban life" and "housewife/family," revealing the emptiness, repression, and desires that may lurk behind seemingly peaceful and happy lives.

• For many, Candy's story is a critique of the institution of marriage/family—when society has too high expectations of a "good wife" and "good mother" and too few choices, repression and rebellion may erupt in extreme ways.

• The series prompts viewers to consider questions such as "Who is the victim and who is the perpetrator?" and "Is there a gray area between morality and empathy?" Although Candy committed heinous crimes, her inner conflicts, social pressures, and lack of freedom of choice also provoke deep reflection.

• At the same time, such stories highlight issues such as gender roles, religious communities, and family pressures in American suburban culture during the 1970s and 80s—issues that still resonate today.