Overkill – As the third episode of Candy begins, Candy (Jessica Biel) sits down with Allan Gore (Pablo Schreiber) to talk about the logistics of their affair. Candy says they’ll do it every other week on Tuesday or Thursday because Jason is in preschool on those days. Allan says it should be a motel. Candy agrees and says it should be somewhere close to his office. She’ll bring lunch so they can have his entire lunch break to themselves. When Allan instructs her to always pay cash, Candy agrees although they need to split the costs later. Candy says the most important rule is to immediately stop the affair if either of them develops feelings for the other. She urges him to never call the house even if he knows Pat is not going to be home.
Allan reminds her he still has to go to the deli and he isn’t sure if they’ll start the affair yet. Candy tells him that she is going to expect more in the bedroom the longer he delays it. While Allan is at work, he gets a call from Betty (Melanie Lynskey) letting him know that she is pregnant. Betty is upset because she still hasn’t gotten the baby weight off from Christina. Allan insists he doesn’t care although Betty doesn’t believe him. Before the call ends, Betty says this better not be like last time. Allan thinks about it before calling Candy to say they should do it. Candy reminds him of what she said about calling the house before hanging up. In the morning, Candy makes lunch for Pat (Timothy Simons) before sending him on his way.
Once she is alone, Candy prepares lunch for herself and Allan. She goes to the motel room and begins preparing for Allan’s arrival. Allan hesitates at the door and contemplates walking away, but he comes back and knocks. After he comes inside, he says he is starving and goes straight for the food. He tells her that Betty has no respect for anything he does. Any little question pops into her head and she immediately calls him at work. Allan finishes eating and Candy begins cleaning up the mess. He gets up and asks if she is going to do anything. She isn’t if he isn’t going to do anything. Allan reaches over and touches her back as it looks like one thing is going to lead to another.
Later, Candy tells Sherry Cleckler (Jessie Mueller) that she has taken a lover. She doesn’t want it getting out since it would make the other wives think she is a threat. Candy reveals yesterday was the first time at a sleazy motel in Dallas. She was just so worried that the sex was going to be average. She didn’t want to risk her whole life for something she could have at home and instead wanted fireworks. Sherry continues pushing for details while Candy tries to change the subject. She eventually says she thinks he might have the most beautiful penis she has ever seen. Two months later, Candy runs into Betty when she goes to watch the girls dance. They agree it is sweet that the girls are becoming friends.
Betty says all they hear from Christina (Antonella Rose) nowadays is Becky this and Becky that. Candy reminds her that Christina is welcome over any time for a sleepover. Betty remembers when she looks like that and thought she was fat. Candy tells her she isn’t fat although Betty feels like a tub of lard and it is going to get worse. Candy tells her congratulations when she finds out that Betty is pregnant. Betty says pregnancy is magical and everything, but she felt really alone last time. Candy tells her she isn’t alone because she always has Allan. Betty reveals that Allan didn’t pay much attention to her when she was pregnant with Christina, but he has been looking really good lately.
Candy wonders if he has this Madonna-whore complex thing where the baby is making it impossible for him to look at her as a sexual creature. According to Ladies’ Home Journal, it is very common. Although Betty says that sounds bad, Candy says it is good that he sees her as the Madonna, but she needs to remind him that she can also be the you know what. Betty starts laughing while admitting nobody else talks to her like this. Candy tells her she is welcome. She offers to host her baby shower since she has the best party house.
In the motel room, Candy tells Allan about the offer. She thinks she might be Betty’s only friend. Candy congratulates Allan and suspects she’ll take seeing her cute belly soon. Later, Betty says she has been very hormonal, but she has decided not to do that anymore. She is going to have a positive attitude for the next seven months. Betty tries to make things romantic and mentions what Candy said. Allan asks why she is talking to Candy about their sex life and whether she thinks Candy and Pat have a great sex life or something. Betty says she loves him and that is it. Allan says the dog needs a walk before leaving the bedroom. At church two months later, Reverend Ron (Jordan Patrick) asks whether they’ve had time to read his proposal.
Betty and Elaine (Jamie Anne Allman) agree that 10 grand is a high number, but Ron argues that the parsonage is in bad shape. Betty says this isn’t the Ewing ranch and they have to work on their own homes. She gets upset and storms off after recommending going through the items one by one. Jeffrey (Russell Thomas) and Sandra Lockett (Sharon Conley) follow her outside to say they’re with her on the money issue. Betty claims he has lost his mind. They tell her how Marriage Encounter has taught them that when they’re angry about something it is often about something else. When Betty says she and Allan are fine, they say it is just a community of love and support. Betty learns about the love ring when one couple calls another and lets it ring once to let them know they’re thinking of them.
Sandra insists they’re all just there to help each other and it impacts all sorts of things. Later, Pat tells Candy he is going to go for a job. At the motel, Candy and Allan have sex in front of the mirror. After they finish, Candy confesses she caught herself staring at him at choir practicing and thinks she is having feelings for him. It’ll have to be the last time although Allan thinks they should talk about it. He argues that it can’t just stop it, but Candy believes it has to. She admits it was fun while it lasted. Allan is adamant this can’t be the last time because he needs it. He tells her that he hasn’t had enough before he picks her up and puts her on the sink for another round. At home, Betty tells Allan that she wants to do something with him and it is very important to her.
She wants to do the Marriage Encounter thing even though it sounds corny. Betty thinks they could have fun with it so Allan agrees it is a great idea. Jack Barton (Jason Davis) asks everyone if they got a donut just before the session begins. With help from his wife Mary Lou (Liz McGeever), Jack welcomes everyone to the Marriage Encounter weekend retreat. He claims they’re going to help them fall in love with their spouses all over again. The only way to do that is by cracking open their relationships like a coconut. Jack asks the men whether they go on corporate weekend trips, seminars, and such. Since they’re investing three days into their careers, Jack believes they should invest it in the most important relationship in their lives too. During a session with Jack, Betty asks her husband what he is doing for himself sexually.
She understands his appetite going down while she is pregnant, but it would help her to know what he is doing. Jack wants Allan to answer her question in graphic detail. He urges them to make a commitment to each other to stay together no matter what is said in this room. Jack says the smart people who came up with Marriage Encounter believed the biggest impediment to honest communication is fear. Allan believes it means they’re not going to hold whatever they say against one another. Later, Allan drives Betty to Candy’s house and knocks on the door. Christina comes out after Allan says the weekend was tough but good. Two months later, Candy hosts the baby shower at her home. She gets upset when she learns that they forgot the fortune cookies.
She lets it slip to Sherry that she is having an affair with Allan. If she ever repeats it, she promises she’ll tell everyone that she slept with Pat. Sherry asks how she goes from that to hosting the baby shower. She is surprised that it is Allan, but Candy asks who else is there. Betty and Allan enter as everyone begins telling Betty she is beautiful. Allan tells Betty he wants to go get a new belt for the mower and get the lawn done. She manages to convince him to stay. He tries to find Pat while the girls talk about the name Valerie. Sandra tells Betty this is the best she ever looked. When Betty winks at her, Candy asks what that was about. Sandra says the glow is not the baby. Instead, it is Marriage Encounter. Candy learns that Allan and Betty just became flame leaders.
Candy reveals she tried it with Pat although they didn’t think it was for them. She excuses herself before going to the bathroom to tell Sherry that Betty knows and Allan must’ve told her. Candy thinks he told her in Marriage Encounter since they share stuff there. Sherry says no woman would come to this house if she knew Candy was sleeping with her husband. Candy tells her that Allan has canceled the last two rendezvouses. Allan hangs out with Pat who is busy cooking. They casually talk about Allan’s new job working with consumer circuits. Allan says he would have heard of it because it is new. Pat would love to be out there cowboying with him, but TI treats him too well.
Allan argues that he is overworking his meat since you only want to flip them once. While Betty opens her gifts, Sandra asks to use Candy’s phone so she can call her husband. Betty likes to keep Allan where she can see him too. As for Sherry and Tom, they get along a lot better after a little time apart. Candy suggests that the Marriage Encounter people just talk and talk, but Betty says talking can be energizing. It is scary at first. When you get intimate with your husband, you’d be shocked at the untapped emotion that you have inside. Betty mentions passion, forgiveness, and acceptance. Candy likes her privacy since she doesn’t want Pat to know everything she does and thinks every second of the day.
Betty admits that might work for her. When she and Allan got rid of their secrets, their marriage has never been better. The room is quiet by the time Sandra returns. Then, Betty tells everyone she is touched by their generosity because she hasn’t had friends like this since she moved to Texas. She wants Candy to know that the compassion and friendship she has shown her has touched her in a very deep way. Candy has been there for her through some very hard times and she will never forget it. Near the end of the night, Candy asks Allan if he told her, but he doesn’t want to talk about it here. Later, they meet at a motel room where Allan says he didn’t tell Betty anything. He reveals that the only affair that came out during Marriage Encounter was Betty’s and that was a long time ago.
Allan suggests that the Marriage Encounter program is working so he should focus on that. Candy believes they should stop then. Allan thanks Candy for being her friend because it means a lot to both of them. Three months later, Betty drops off Christina at the Montgomery house. Betty left the baby with Allan and has a few minutes to chat. She asks if she did something wrong because it felt like they were so close. She hasn’t heard from her since the baby, but Candy says she has been so busy. They agree to have lunch sometime before Candy shuts the door and rushes inside. She goes inside to ask the kids if they want sundaes, but she forgot about English class with Sherry. Pat promises to take care of the sundaes so she can go to class.
When Candy gets in the car, she begins putting on lipstick and says they’re playing hooky. Betty and Allan get a love ring from one of the other couples. As Allan gets into bed, Betty says they don’t have to do this if he doesn’t want to. He does though because she always feels better afterward. They have sex. Candy and Sherry go to the disco. Sherry sits at the bar while Candy tries to get men to dance with her. Candy returns home later that night while Betty cares for her baby. Candy tries to cuddle with Pat who just rolls over and asks about class. When Betty closes the refrigerator, there is a time jump so the handle is bloody.
We see Betty’s body with the ax next to her as the baby begins crying.
Candy Review
The story of Candy is slowly unfolding as we inch ever so closer to the big fight and finale. With each episode, I can’t help but wonder whether this should’ve been three or four episodes since it often veers off topic. A shorter runtime would’ve forced the series to remain on topic so it didn’t feel so tedious. The acting is not bad although the characters have done some questionable things in this episode.
It feels like we’re on a collision course with an incoming train so I would expect things to heat up sooner or later. It is nearly equal to driving by a gruesome car wreck and slowing down to see everything. If that finale doesn’t pay off, there is a risk that Candy will be considered a disappointment. Time will tell. The 3rd episode scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of Candy can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support the Reel Mockery project by following this link.
