The heart of "Ssssshh" centers around Candy's poignant testimony, brimming with the highly anticipated details of the gruesome killing that, until now, has only been glimpsed in snippets of flashbacks. Despite her state of being under the influence of prescription pills when called to the stand in Episode 6, Candy's coherence is unmistakable. She asserts, with unwavering clarity, that she never intended to take Betty Gore's life. She meticulously recounts the sequence of events, mirroring what we witnessed in Episode 3. Candy had never laid eyes on the axe until Betty carried it into the living room, and it wasn't until Betty tried to wrench it away by force that she felt a genuine fear for her own safety.
As Candy and Betty grappled, Betty struck Candy repeatedly. The situation seemed to de-escalate at several points, only for Betty to renew her assault. It was only when Betty shushed Candy that she began to strike back, relentlessly, forty times in total, until Candy lay dead and unrecognizable, her blood soaking Candy from head to toe.
Dr. Fred Fason later describes this as a disassociative event. Candy snapped just as she had with Allan in that diner, her repressed memories and emotions severing her from reality. What started as a desperate attempt at self-defense transformed into a psychotic break, and in the aftermath of the killing, she clung to a sense of normalcy, unable to reconcile what had happened with reality.
However, the prosecution isn't swayed by this narrative. They remind the jury that Candy lied, repeatedly, to her friends, family, and the police. She hacked a woman to pieces with a wood-splitting axe. To justify such an act of violence as a response to being shushed is, according to the defense, an affront to the jury and the court.
This doesn't negate her guilt, however. As Pat astutely observes, the jury is unable to find Candy innocent, evidenced by the throngs outside the courthouse, waving placards that label Candy a "Scarlett Harlot" and an adulteress. Don even goes so far as to state that while the public might be able to forgive murder, Candy will always be seen as the woman who had an affair with a married man.
It is for this reason that Pat suggests they leave for Georgia to start anew. After saying goodbye to Sherry and, rather unexpectedly, to Allan, Candy does just that.
Title cards inform us that Candy and Pat's marriage fell apart after they relocated to Georgia, with Pat remaining there. Allan Gore, in a twist of fate, tied the knot with the church's organist, Elaine Williams, shortly after Betty's passing. Their union was short-lived, and he eventually wed for the third time, now residing in Maine.
Following his breakthrough courtroom performance, Don Crowder embarked on a political journey, running for Governor of Texas in 1986. However, in 1998, he took his own life. Candy, without a hint of irony, pursued a career as a family therapist in Georgia. At one point, she even practiced alongside her daughter, focusing on combating depression.
