Warning: Spoilers ahead for Candy.
Hulu’s Candy stars Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery and Melanie Lynskey as the victim, Betty Gore. Created by Mad Men writer Robin Veith and Antlers’ Nick Antosca, it is no surprise that Candy is a perfect pairing of 1980s style and horror, but what may shock viewers is just how much of Hulu’s Candy is based on the true story of a gruesome murder that rocked small-town America.
Candy’s debut episode, "Friday the 13th," begins on the day of Betty Gore’s murder, Friday the 13th of June, 1980, in Wylie, TX. Skipping back and forth in time throughout the day of the murder, Candy initially dives into the minutiae of everyday small-town life while centering on suburban housewives Candy Montgomery (The Sinner’s Jessica Biel) and Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey). Candy is quickly established as a likable woman and fun mom, while Betty is a more needy and awkward proposition. The women appear to be friends as fellow churchgoers until Candy stops by the Gore house to pick up Betty’s daughter’s swimsuit for a sleepover and leaves Betty dead inside.
Based on the true story of Betty Gore’s murder, the remaining episodes of Hulu’s Candy reveal the strange affair that Candy Montgomery carried on with Betty’s husband, Allan, and the rivalry that grew between the two women. What unfolds over the remaining four episodes of the series is horrifyingly close to real life. In an unbelievable true story, Candy Montgomery confessed to and stood trial for Betty’s murder before she was acquitted in 1984. Here is a concise breakdown of the gruesome true story of Betty Gore’s murder.
The highly-strategic affair between Candy and Allan (played by Master Chief, Pablo Schreiber) first began in December 1978 and lasted for several months. Though Allan ended the relationship, Candy later claimed that she was not bothered by the conclusion of the affair as the pair’s physical involvement was lackluster. Following the end of their tryst, Allan reinvested in his relationship with Betty, who was pregnant with the couple’s second daughter, and Candy returned to her husband, Pat. Roughly one year later, while away on a business trip, Allan became alarmed after he could not reach his wife via phone on June 13th, 1980. That evening, neighbors entered the Gore home to find Betty murdered after being struck 41 times by her own ax.
Detailed in Love and Death in Silicon Prairie (via Shauna, in Yellowjackets) confronted Candy about the affair when Candy arrived at the Gore residence the day of the murder. Candy confessed to Betty about the affair, after which she claims Betty threatened her with an ax. A struggle ensued, which left Candy injured and Betty dead.
Four years after the gruesome killing, Candy stood trial for the murder of Betty Gore. Before the trial, Candy underwent hypnosis which implicated her childhood trauma as the source of her dormant rage. Entering a plea of self-defense, Candy was acquitted. Following the events depicted in Hulu’s Candy, Candy and her husband Pat relocated their family to Georgia but later divorced, with Candy reverting to her maiden name of Wheeler some years later.
New episodes of Candy are available nightly on Hulu through May 13th.
