You will recall the intricate web of rules and regulations that governed Candy and Allan's strategic affair, a testament to their careful planning. Yet, it is alarming how swiftly they violate its most fundamental tenet. Despite the confusion as to whether they truly fall in love with each other or the thrill of their unconventional arrangement, their pillow talk becomes increasingly open and honest. Snippets of lovemaking are fleeting, cutting to cozy confessional scenes that linger for minutes on end, with Candy curled up under Allan's arm as if she has always belonged there.
An hour may seem excessively long for an episode in which, frankly, not much happens on the surface. But the space provided to "Encounters" allows for a nuanced exploration of the affair's rise and fall in relation to Allan and Betty's marriage. As Allan draws closer to Candy, he becomes increasingly distant from Betty, who grows more pregnant and volatile throughout the episode. And when Allan attempts to repair his marriage and slow down his affair with Candy, his relationship with Betty - with the aid of Marriage Encounter, a Christian couples' therapy weekend retreat - begins to blossom into a healthier and more open state.
But just as this episode allows Lily Rabe to be more layered and human, it also gives Elizabeth Olsen the chance to become more deranged. When Allan suggests ending the affair, as per Candy's own rules, she erupts into a public tantrum. Her efforts to manipulate and gaslight Allan are evident, and her long-distance surveillance of him and Betty quickly takes a sinister turn. Her closeness with Betty starts to seem calculated; every offer of assistance, even down to babysitting her kids while she's away at Marriage Encounter, is quietly threatening.
In an episode rich with striking parallels, the most poignant illustration is how Betty's early unraveling—as she becomes irrationally resentful towards the new pastor, Ron, and reaches a personal nadir when Allan rejects her sexually—intertwines with Candy's emancipating sense of self-confidence. The narrative mirrors Betty's growing self-awareness and renewed faith in her marriage to Allan, echoing Candy's descent into a spiteful, scorned lover. This dynamic is visually elaborated as scenes of Allan and Betty exchanging notes on their feelings and finally indulging in a desired sexual encounter are juxtaposed with scenes of Candy and Sherry reveling in the town. As Allan and Betty renew their vows, Candy dances the night away, her husband absent from view.
Upon their return from Marriage Encounter, Allan and Betty are giddy with joy, seemingly having achieved a resounding success. Candy maintains her composure for a while, offering hollow words of support and wide smiles. But as they drive away, she slips into a frenzied state, grinding beef with a ferocity that for the first time suggests she could chop a person up with an axe.
While we knew this outcome was inevitable, most likely, many anticipated it would unfold over a longer arc than just two episodes.
