Summary
The series jumps back two years to provide motives and backstory. This is another intriguing episode, with a great cast and lots of juicy drama to explore.
This recap of the Hulu series Candy season 1, episode 2, “Happy Wife, Happy Life,” contains spoilers.
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Episode one introduced us to an almost unrecognisable Jessica Biel as Candice Montgomery. In “Happy Wife, Happy Life” the cold-blooded killer continues to unnerve in her eighties perm and iconic glasses. Creators Nick Antosca (Brand New Cherry Flavor) and Robin Veith (Mad Men) use the second chapter as a chance for some informative backstory and hint at the origins of an illicit affair. This is a slower instalment, yet one that still intrigues.
Candy season 1, episode 2 recap
Candy begins with a stunning opening credits sequence reminiscent of the work of Saul Bass, especially his distinct style in classic Hitchcock films. This visual overture instantly sets the tone and grabs your attention, with animated housewife duties constructed in a sinister way. We’re then hurtled back two years previous, where Betty Gore is very much alive. She’s a strict teacher, who just wants to be respected and loved. Melanie Lynskey crafts a pitiful creation of a lonely, anxious wife, slowly distancing from her partner. After losing her job, Betty decides to foster a troubled child and David is welcomed to the family.
Interspersed into the Gore’s family drama is Candy’s tale of longing for sexual fulfilment and her yearning to start an affair. These ideas of adultery are first ignited when her pastor, Jackie, decides to get a divorce and starts a new, heated relationship. Candy dreams of a better life, reading raunchy romance novels in the bathtub and begging her friend for all the gossip. She even jokingly asks Jackie about starting an affair, desperate for her friend’s approval. It’s quite a shocking and abrupt decision from Candy, but it feels believable and the episode goes to great lengths to humanise this sinful act.
The ending
Allan hits the road once more and Betty is left alone with the children. She struggles with the foster child and threatens to physically reprimand the misbehaving seven-year-old. To make matters worse, Betty grows paranoid with her husband, who would rather be at work or playing volleyball than spending any genuine quality time at home. Their relationship continues to strain as David becomes more disruptive and destructive. Meanwhile, Allan’s time spent at volleyball practice proves lucrative, when Candy makes him an indecent offer.
Episode two drops the painful tension of the opener and dedicates some much needed screen time to the two family’s backstories. These flashbacks allow the viewers an opportunity to find motives for the horrific actions that will eventually follow and bring depth to the cast. It may not be as flashy as the premiere, but there is still undeniable interest here and with a few subtle glimpses of the drama to come, it works as a teaser chapter, promising much more.
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