Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s another Wednesday, and Geekly will be discussing the shows and movies we watched over the past month. I won’t be including Thunderbolts* in this post because I’ve already written a review about that movie. And as usual, we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching over the last month.
Kyra’s Shows
Ten minutes into watching Love & Death, it dawned on me that I had already watched a show with this same premise, Candy. So, I decided to do something a little different with this month’s Whatcha Watching. I rewatched Candy after finishing Love & Death and compared the two shows. Candy and Love & Death differ in two key ways: narrative structure and whose side of the story is told.
Candy (released in 2022 on Hulu) and Love & Death (released in 2023 on Max) follow Candy Montgomery, who was charged with the murder of Betty Gore in 1980. Candy pleaded not guilty based on self-defense. Both mini-series (with some alterations) share the basic details of the case. Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore (Betty’s husband) had an affair that ended amicably. Betty finds out about the affair a year later and accosts Candy with an axe, and Candy defends herself. Both shows also share specific details, such as Candy’s attorney quoting John Steinbeck in his closing arguments, but the two shows couldn’t be any more different.
Love & Death frames its story chronologically. This happens, and then this, and then this. It’s easy to follow. The structure and the time Love & Death spends on developing characters provide a window into who the characters (or real-life people) are and why they may do what they do, and when we finally see the death scene (which happens beyond the halfway point), the murder scene carries a lot of weight.
Conversely, Candy uses non-linear storytelling, bouncing from the present to the past and back again. I’m unsure why Candy chose this style of storytelling. Non-linear narrative structure is often nicknamed the narrative structure of trauma. Perhaps that was what they were going for. Candy shows the murder weapon within the first fifteen minutes and a glimpse of the murder within the first thirty minutes. It’s easy to get lost when something is supposed to happen because Candy shifts timelines.
Narrative structure isn’t the only way these shows differ. Love & Death attempts to stay neutral for all parties involved but leans toward sympathy for Candy Montgomery. Candy leans further into siding with the victim, Betty Gore. Betty’s ghost is even present during the reading of Candy’s verdict. What? There are some head-scratching choices made with Candy, but the show is still a good watch.
Before we move on, I have one other note: Candy uses the commonly seen “Based on a true story” at the beginning of each episode, while Love and Death uses the less common “This is a true story.” I didn’t know where to discuss this; it’s odd. The producers of Love & Death must be wagging their fingers at the producers of Candy. Tsk tsk. I’m unsure how I feel about Love & Death’s assertion, but I am sure that I prefer Love & Death slightly more than Candy.
Both are solid shows, and it was fun watching them back to back. Even though I watched Candy years ago, I forgot the show’s particulars. Watching Love & Death first before rewatching Candy allowed me to keep the timeline straight.
Candy’s narrative structure doesn’t help the story. There were scenes where I wondered if Candy’s husband was distant (like he was in Love & Death), and that’s why Candy cheated, or that Candy cheated on a man trying to make their marriage work (which seemed to be the direction Candy had gone). Candy’s non-linear narrative makes it difficult to track Pat Montgomery (Candy’s husband). Pat learns things about Candy, and he changes over time. Love & Death shows this well. Candy makes it unnecessarily murky at times.
Even so, I love Candy’s set design and atmosphere. Jessica Biel looks the part of Candy Montgomery. And I like that Candy is a trippy mini-series. But I lean toward Love & Death as the better series, even if they may be reaching with “This is a true story.” Biel may look more like Candy, but Elizabeth Olsen has the space and story to embody the character…I mean, real person.
I’ve watched other shows, but I wanted to share my thoughts on these two shows about the same topic that were released a year apart. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been watching.
Skye’s Movies
Blade Runner
I’ve been catching up on my movies. After several trips to my local Barnes & Noble, I’ve gotten a few DVDs. Among them is the original Blade Runner. This is a film that’s been on my watchlist for a while, and I’m glad I watched it, but I must admit I have complicated feelings. This is a movie I want to like, but I don’t know if I can.
I’ve heard an abundance of praise for the original Blade Runner, and I was hoping it would live up to expectations. Blade Runner’s look and feel are amazing, but plot-wise, I don’t know what it’s about. A few things likely went over my head. Before solidifying my opinion, I’d prefer to watch it at least one more time. I’ll gladly give Blade Runner a second chance.
Se7en
I’ve already seen Se7en, but I didn’t own it on DVD. Since I picked it up at Barnes & Noble, I needed to recapture the magic. Needless to say, Se7en holds up pretty well. It’s one of those movies that makes me question my reality and the value we place on morality. How do we determine objectively good morals, and how do we enforce them?
Since humans are imperfect, does anyone have the right to enforce morality? I know that’s deep, but these were the questions running through my head after first viewing Se7en. Of course, they came right back when I rewatched it. If you’re in the mood for an eerie, mysterious, and brutal tale detailing the human condition, Se7en is for you. Find out what’s in the box.
The Secret World of Arrietty
I’ve been on a Studio Ghibli kick, so it’s a great time to watch The Secret World of Arrietty. My favorite thing about the film is the worldbuilding. Focusing on a family of little people living inside a normal sized house, there’s a lot of inventive gadgetry they come up with to maneuver around the place. Each item was clever and cute when I saw them on screen.
Outside of that, I couldn’t get into The Secret World of Arrietty’s story. Mostly because there wasn’t much of a story. I respect The Secret World of Arrietty for trying to embrace a non-traditional plot structure, but in the process, it lost the personal connection. This movie is very cute (one that kids will love), but there unfortunately isn’t much substance to it. Since it’s a Ghibli film, you can bet The Secret World of Arrietty has plenty of breathtaking animation.
Season’s Movie
Hey, Geekly Gang! I’ve been watching more anime than usual lately, which isn’t something I’ve done in a while. I watched The Rose of Versailles (2025) because I saw some clips on Instagram and thought it looked interesting. I had no idea what it was about. The Rose of Versailles is a period piece set during the French Revolution in which a woman leads an army and storms the Bastille (which was a pivotal moment in the actual French Revolution). The Rose of Versailles follows the themes of empowering women and romance. Apparently.
I say “apparently” for the romance because I didn’t care for it. Spoiler alert: The female lead (Oscar) dies at the end of the movie and wants to be with the man she fell in love with. It wasn’t necessarily out of nowhere because the guy she fell in love with grew up with her. But it was shoved in toward the end after she was adamant that she wouldn’t marry and live for her country.
On a different note, Aya Hirano was cast as Marie Antoinette in the Japanese version. I enjoyed watching her in something again after she’d received threats from former fans. I watched a lot of anime she was in when I was a teenager. Some of her notable work includes Fairy Tail (Lucy), The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Haruhi), and Death Note (Misa).
Season’s Show
It was a matter of time before I started watching the Ranma 1/2 remake. I loved the original anime. This remake has a lot to live up to. Right off the bat, they faked me out with the intro song. It opened with Genma hitting a gong, but the song was completely different, so I’m docking points for that. Outside of that, the Ranma 1/2 remake stayed true to both the original anime and the manga. I’m watching the English dub first because that’s how I first watched the original when I was younger. I’ll probably re-watch Ranma 1/2 in Japanese at some point.
Speaking of the English dub, what the heck is up with Nabiki’s voice? Her voice used to be smooth and cool-sounding in the original anime, but they made Nabiki sound screechy in the remake. On the flip side, girl Ranma is more palatable to listen to this time. The original anime didn’t finish the manga’s story and ended in a weird place. I think this had something to do with the producer at the time. I hope the Ranma 1/2 remake sees the full story through to the end.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching over the last month, because you’re part of the Geekly Gang, too. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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