The concept of playing a housewife with a secret life is not new to Elizabeth Olsen, as the actress famously led the 2021 Disney+ original series WandaVision and ushered in a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In no time at all, Olsen will play yet another seemingly normal suburbanite with a nasty streak in the HBO Max series, Love & Death.
If this is the first you’re hearing about the upcoming true crime show centering on a small community in the heart of Texas that was torn apart by an affair and vicious murder, don’t worry, because we’re about to break down everything we know about the drama. Before we get started, it should be noted that while the new show touches on the same story as Hulu’s Candy, which had a cast led by Jessica Biel, the two are completely different entities.
What Is The Love & Death Premiere Date?
There isn’t all that much time until Love & Death premieres, as it is slated to make its HBO Max debut on Thursday, April 27. According to HBO Max, the soon-to-be-released true crime drama series will make its world premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival a little more than a month before its streaming debut.
Elizabeth Olsen And Jesse Plemons Lead The Love & Death Cast
When Love & Death premieres later this spring, it will feature an incredible cast full of talented actors from top to bottom. Leading the show will be Elizabeth Olsen as Texas housewife and suspected murderer Candy Montgomery, a role she has been attached to since May 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter. Also leading the cast is Jesse Plemons, who, according to Deadline, will be taking on the role of Montgomery’s lover, Alan Gore, and the husband of the woman she is believed to have killed with an ax in 1980.
Taking on the role of Betty Gore in the upcoming series is Lily Rabe, who was added to the cast in July 2021, according to Deadline. Additionally, Variety has reported that Patrick Fugit has joined the cast as Pat Montgomery, Candy’s husband.
Other members of the Love & Death cast include Krysten Ritter, Tom Pelphrey, Keir Gilchrist, and Elizabeth Marvel.
The Love & Death Teaser Shows The Beginning Of An Affair With Deadly Consequences
In February 2023, HBO Max gave the world its first proper look at Love & Death in the form of a brief teaser trailer that, despite being only a bit over 90 seconds long, did a tremendous job of setting up the upcoming limited series. Check it out, below:
With scenes of a bored and underappreciated wife, mother, and member of the church choir, the early stages of the consequential affair between Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore, to the aftermath of one of the most shocking murders in Texas history, there’s a lot to unpack in a short amount of time. The teaser does show a lot, and feature the majority of the main cast, but it leaves enough to the imagination to leave you wanting more.
Love & Death Tells The Story Of How Candy Montgomery Went From Texas Housewife To Suspected Murderer
One thing that stands to make Love & Death such an interesting true crime show is how it will focus on the incredibly personal nature of the vicious murder, one that left no one from a small church unscathed, and one that rocked an entire community at large. When announcing the series back in May 2021, Variety described the series as a true crime story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery who is believed to have killed Betty Gore, her friend from church and the wife of Candy’s lover.
According to HBO Max, Love & Death will explore the two churchgoing couples who went from the closest of friends to impacted parties in a brutal saga of extramarital affairs and murder.
Following The Three-Episode Premiere, New Episodes Will Air Weekly
Those who like to binge shows and those who prefer the traditional release model of one episode a week will either both be happy or annoyed by Love & Death, as the upcoming HBO Max original series is doing a little bit of both. The streaming service has announced that the first three episodes will be released at the same time on Thursday, April 27, 2023, with all remaining episodes being released weekly through May 25, for a total of seven episodes.
We have seen this in the past with various streaming shows, including the Peacock original true crime series, A Friend of the Family, which was one of the best 2022 true crime series. If you recall, the first four episodes of the drama series starring Jake Lacy and McKenna Grace were all released on the same day with the remaining five installments becoming available to Peacock subscribers each subsequent week.
Written By David E. Kelley, Love & Death Is Inspired By A Series Of Texas Monthly Articles On Candy Montgomery
Like a lot of great true crime shows from over the years, Love & Death is based on a book and series of long-form articles chronicling the sprawling story that will unfold on the screen this spring. When announcing the show, the streamer revealed that the series was inspired by articles in Texas Monthly – “Love & Death in Silicon Prairie” Part I and Part II – as well as the book, Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, which was also released by the publication.
David E. Kelley, who is serving as the executive producer, adapted the articles and book for screen. This is his latest HBO project, as he previously created the incredibly popular Big Little Lies and The Undoing. Over the years, Kelley has won numerous awards for his work on shows like The Practice, Picket Fences, and L.A. Law, to name a few.
This could end up being the first of many series based on Texas Monthly stories for the premium cable network and its streaming sister, as Deadline reported in December 2021 that the two entities signed a three-year first-look deal that will see the publication develop new projects for the network.
Expect to hear more about Love & Death the closer we get to its release date. Until then, check out our 2023 TV schedule to learn about all the new and returning shows you’ll soon be able to watch with an HBO Max subscription.
