Candy - General Discussion

[Razzberry]

I remember reading the book by Joe Bob Briggs, I mean John Bloom, and watched the series yesterday.  I still can't picture Betty going for the axe.  She may have said some things that set Candy off, but it's very frustrating not knowing what really happened.  Usually experienced cops or prosecutors can draw conclusions but these guys weren't the brightest bunch.

I love that the very first scene prominently shows Chekov's axe hanging there by the door. 

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Razzberry said:

I remember reading the book by Joe Bob Briggs, I mean John Bloom, and watched the series yesterday.  I still can't picture Betty going for the axe.  She may have said some things that set Candy off, but it's very frustrating not knowing what really happened.  Usually experienced cops or prosecutors can draw conclusions but these guys weren't the brightest bunch.

I love that the very first scene prominently shows Chekov's axe hanging there by the door. 

I think she just grabbed the axe awkwardly in the heat of the moment. I don’t think she actually planned on using it, and certainly didn’t plan on killing Candy. From what I’ve read (who really knows the whole truth), Betty was very awkward with the axe and as they were pushing each other a bit she accidentally dropped it and it cut Candy’s toe and possibly her head as it fell? Candy saw the blood and the whole situation escalated. She had more than one chance to simply leave the house when Betty fell to the floor a few times. 

[RoxiP]

I live in the DFW area and clearly remember my mom, who was a teacher at a local high school, and her fellow teachers being totally obsessed with this trial and furious over the verdict.  

[peeayebee]

On 5/11/2022 at 9:31 AM, chediavolo said:

Her muscles are not just from playing volleyball. 

No, they're also from swinging an axe!

On 5/13/2022 at 9:55 PM, Black Knight said:

The other thing I noticed is that Candy's story did not address the matter of Betty's glasses. That loomed large, the cop's original mistake of moving the pane that broke off in the garage, which meant it couldn't be introduced in the trial. That was another way in which the show made it clear that its angle is that Candy is a lying liar who lies. In Candy's story, the door between that room and the garage was closed during the entire scuffle, so there was no way for the pane from Betty's glasses to end up in the garage.

I thought the cop picking up the sunglass lens would have been more important. Maybe it was in real life, but I thought here the defense would have had the case thrown out because of mishandling of evidence. I didn't know anything about the case before this show....

Now that I think about it, I'm confused... Wasn't it broken sunglasses that were found? If so, wouldn't they have been Candy's?

On 5/14/2022 at 11:04 AM, Cinnabon said:

Candy’s lawyer’s statements about connections to The Shining and Friday the 13th were just bizarre to me. Does anyone know if he actually said all of those things in real life? 

I was wondering the same. There were many instances where I wondered if it was taken from transcripts, etc., or just made up for the movie. I was shaking my head at all the things the defense lawyer was saying. Unlike other people here, I didn't think the judge was overreacting to this lawyer's tactics.

I was shocked and disappointed by the ending. I know that was the reality, but it made me so mad and disgusted that I just about wished I hadn't watched the show at all.

I may need to look into reading the book.

I have a couple of questions:

When the neighbors found the baby in the crib, was her onesie soiled by her poop? For a second I wondered if it was blood, like if Candy had picked her up afterwards.

I also wondered something about the sheriff reenactment. Of course that was all their speculation, but the sheriff said that since the sewing table was blocking the sliding glass door, the two women went out to the yard thru the garage. Then during Candy's recitation of events, we see her and Betty going out thru the sliding glass doors. Since the accounts are contradictory, I figure there's some significance, but nothing was made of it. I know the sheriff's account is pure speculation (as far as I can tell), and Candy's account is questionable. I'm just at a loss here.

While I don't buy Candy's explanation about what happened, I'm not sure how I would explain it. It seems like Betty would have said or done SOMETHING to provoke Candy -- though of course I'm not excusing the murder -- but I have a hard time seeing Betty picking up an axe and threatening Candy. Maybe Betty did somehow have a thought that Allan and Candy had an affair, and she said this to Candy, and then it somehow led to Candy grabbing the axe off the wall and killing her... But I can't quite explain it to myself. I suppose we'll never know.

What are people's theories as to what really happened?

I think all the actors did a good job. There was a lot of ambiguity about motivations and feelings, and that worked for the show. 

I thought it was a good contrast betw Candy (a murderer) being seen as a wonderful, likable woman, and Betty being generally disliked and, often, shunned.

I thought the actress who played Betty's daughter was excellent. 

[Armchair Critic]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

What are people's theories as to what really happened?

I don't think it was premeditated, Candy didn't go there planning on killing Betty.  

I am with @Cinnabon - after reading the book I thought the same thing: 

On 5/23/2022 at 4:10 PM, Cinnabon said:

I think she (Betty) just grabbed the axe awkwardly in the heat of the moment. I don’t think she actually planned on using it, and certainly didn’t plan on killing Candy. From what I’ve read (who really knows the whole truth), Betty was very awkward with the axe and as they were pushing each other a bit she accidentally dropped it and it cut Candy’s toe and possibly her head as it fell? Candy saw the blood and the whole situation escalated. She had more than one chance to simply leave the house when Betty fell to the floor a few times. 

I think Candy should have gotten some kind of jail time because once Betty was down and Candy had the chance to get away she should have got help not kept using the ax on her.

[peeayebee]

So you think Betty confronted Candy with the affair with Allan? I wonder if Allan did tell Betty about the affair when they were in the marriage meetings. 

[Black Knight]

Watching the early scenes, I at first thought Candy had premeditated murder in mind. It was that whole spiel she gave the other woman about the schedule for her day and why she was going to go over to Betty's house earlier than agreed. She made such an emphasis on the location of the store she was going to go to afterwards that I thought it was important for her planned alibi somehow. (And I wondered if she and Allan were in on it together.) But then when I saw how sloppily she tried to cover up afterwards, it was clear then that this wasn't premeditated.

I'm not any sort of law enforcement or mental healthcare professional, but in murder stories it's always said that whenever a victim has their face practically obliterated, as Betty's must have been, it's indicative of deep personal rage towards the victim by their murderer. So I lean towards the theory that when Candy went over there, they ended up arguing about the affair, and Candy was still jealous and bitter that Allan dumped her to recommit to his marriage, and she snapped and grabbed that axe and went after Betty. It's not that I think Candy had very strong feelings for Allan, but she came across as a narcissist (and sociopath) to me, and narcissists don't like when they are not in control of events and people. If Candy had ended the affair herself, then she would have been fine with it, because it would have been her decision. But instead Allan decided, and for a woman that Candy saw as totally inferior to her in all respects. Suddenly that narrative flipped from one where she was so sexy and alluring that she had a married man risking everything to be with her and the wife wanting to be friends with her, this passionate, glamorously taboo situation...to one in which she's just a cast-off mistress. I think Betty probably made some type of comment along that line while they were arguing. Candy's claim that Betty wanted her to declare she'd stay away from Allan going forward (and was willing to pick up and brandish an axe over it) made little sense. By that point, the affair had been over with for some time, and Allan was the one who'd ended it. That just seemed like something Candy made up for her story because it was flattering to her - the desirable woman who could easily get Allan back if she wanted.

[Cinnabon]

7 hours ago, peeayebee said:

So you think Betty confronted Candy with the affair with Allan? I wonder if Allan did tell Betty about the affair when they were in the marriage meetings. 

I think she probably did.

[Scarlett45]

On 6/16/2022 at 8:02 AM, Black Knight said:

I'm not any sort of law enforcement or mental healthcare professional, but in murder stories it's always said that whenever a victim has their face practically obliterated, as Betty's must have been, it's indicative of deep personal rage towards the victim by their murderer. So I lean towards the theory that when Candy went over there, they ended up arguing about the affair, and Candy was still jealous and bitter that Allan dumped her to recommit to his marriage, and she snapped and grabbed that axe and went after Betty. It's not that I think Candy had very strong feelings for Allan, but she came across as a narcissist (and sociopath) to me, and narcissists don't like when they are not in control of events and people. If Candy had ended the affair herself, then she would have been fine with it, because it would have been her decision. But instead Allan decided, and for a woman that Candy saw as totally inferior to her in all respects. Suddenly that narrative flipped from one where she was so sexy and alluring that she had a married man risking everything to be with her and the wife wanting to be friends with her, this passionate, glamorously taboo situation...to one in which she's just a cast-off mistress. I think Betty probably made some type of comment along that line while they were arguing. Candy's claim that Betty wanted her to declare she'd stay away from Allan going forward (and was willing to pick up and brandish an axe over it) made little sense. By that point, the affair had been over with for some time, and Allan was the one who'd ended it. That just seemed like something Candy made up for her story because it was flattering to her - the desirable woman who could easily get Allan back if she wanted.

Your theory makes a lot of sense. 
 

I don’t think it was premeditated but I do think Candy had a lot of RAGE towards Betty- you have to, to do something like that. 
 

But we’ve heard this story before a GAZILLION TIMES, the woman on the side (and it’s usually a woman, not that men aren’t on the side, but most men on the side know they are on THE SIDE ) being upset that she isn’t wanted any more, or that the person has recommitted to their relationship although (in their minds) the person’s partner is SO INFERIOR to them, how dare they? But in “normal” versions of this story, it’s some whining to friends, or confronting the partner in a public place or common hang out spot- not MURDER WITH AN AX.

[Raiderred]

I'm a little late to the party but this story is very personal for me as I was a preteen growing up in Lucas, Texas and being very close to Candice's attorney, Donnie Crowder, and I dated his stepson.  Lucas and Fairview(Montecito-pretty fancy little multi acre homes), where Candice lived, were tiny.  My best friend lived in the cul de sac across the CDS from Candice.  I could write a book on what the world was like in our beautiful rural area in the 70's and 80's. It was the best.  Wylie was quite a ways from Fairview and Lucas is right in between.  This murder was the talk of the town because everyone knew everyone.  The church congregation was pretty small and we used to have lock-ins quite often there.  Interesting tidbit:  Me and my best friend babysat for Candice right after the trial as they were going out with another couple to celebrate them moving to Georgia and guess what was on TV while we were babysitting? The Lizzy Borden movie starring Elizabeth Montgomery!  We caught the little girl sitting at the stairs watching it while we were sitting on the couch and we felt sorry for her and quickly changed the channel.  

It's wild to see my past life pass before me in the this series.  Most of the shots are not in Lucas, Wylie or Fairview.  The accents are THE worst as we have Texas accents, not Hollywood's idea of a Texas accent. LOL  Also, Donnie Crowder divorced his very sweet wife and married a grocery store manager from Albertsons that was much younger than him as he was always very vain, verrrry vain.  After a few years of marrying her he decided he wanted his ex-wife back and she said, NOPE, NO WAY! He went back to his house locked himself in his gym and shot himself to death.  None of the adults like Donnie and my dad even used him as his corporate attorney and always said he was an absolute bulldog but just an asshole as a human.  He hated people and he would let them know when he would show up to an occasional party.  He was always great with us kids.  He was my track coach for the ARCO Jesse Owens games in 1978.  He ran for governor of Texas as a democrat and didn't really garner any votes.  Anyway, I could go on and on about this story as it was a very wild ride for our town and yes, 99% of the adults thought Candice got away with murder!

[larapu2000]

On 8/6/2022 at 2:25 PM, Raiderred said:

Anyway, I could go on and on about this story as it was a very wild ride for our town and yes, 99% of the adults thought Candice got away with murder!

I would just like to say:

Please.  Please go on and on.

[Raiderred]

4 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

I would just like to say:

Please.  Please go on and on.

Hehe, what would you like to know?  My husband continues to watch this little miniseries(He grew up in Galveston and did not live it so he thinks it's quite interesting) but I just thought it was taking too much liberty with the truth of life back in the day in little ol Lucas.  The population was only about 1000 maybe 1500 folks.  We only had a tiny little red school house called Lovejoy and when we finished the sixth grade we(our parents) had the choice of going to Allen, Wylie, Plano, McKinney or Princeton.  I'd say 90% of us went to Allen.  Lucas is HUGE today and it actually makes me sick at my stomach to see all the people and houses there.  I live a good 85 miles from there so I don't have to look at the "progress".  Anyway, the memories are the best of my childhood there.  Most of our dads worked at T.I.(Jokingly called "Tiny Income" or "How many people work at T.I.?  About 25%1"-lol) My dad did not work there and owned his own business very close to the Como motel in Richardson!  It was always a running joke that when we would go to Richardson, on a rare occasion, we would always scream out, "Como Motel!", after the trial.