The acclaimed HBO Max true crime series Love & Death is now streaming on Netflix. The seven-part limited series, starring Elizabeth Olsen, became available on the platform starting December 1. This move is part of a wider and growing agreement between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to share content. The deal means viewers in the United States can now watch the gripping story of Candy Montgomery on either Netflix or WBD’s own service, Max, where it remains available. The series arrives on Netflix at a critical moment, as its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is at the center of major industry changes, with Netflix itself being one of the companies bidding to buy a large part of it.
What Is Love & Death About?
Love & Death is a dramatic retelling of one of America’s most shocking true crime stories from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The series follows Candy Montgomery, a churchgoing housewife and mother living in Wylie, Texas. Despite her seemingly perfect suburban life, Candy feels a deep sense of boredom and dissatisfaction. This leads her to start a carefully planned affair with Allan Gore, a fellow member of her church group whose own marriage is struggling.
The affair lasts for months before Allan ends it to focus on repairing his family. However, the consequences are already in motion. On June 13, 1980, Candy visits Betty Gore, Allan’s wife, at her home. A confrontation about the affair turns deadly when Betty attacks Candy with an axe, and Candy, in turn, uses the weapon against Betty, killing her. The subsequent trial becomes a national spectacle, with Candy’s defense team arguing she acted in self-defense.
“It is certainly a case where real life…is much stranger than fiction. If the story wasn’t true, I don’t think you could tell this story….And we tried to stay very true to the facts of the story,” said series director Lesli Linka Glatter in a 2023 interview.
The Stellar Cast Behind the Story
The series is driven by a powerful cast led by Elizabeth Olsen, who delivers a complex performance as Candy Montgomery. The role showcases a different side of the actress, best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She is joined by Jesse Plemons as Allan Gore, the man whose affair sets the tragic events in motion.
Lily Rabe plays Betty Gore, the victim whose suspicions lead to the fatal confrontation. The supporting cast includes Patrick Fugit as Candy’s husband, Pat Montgomery, and Krysten Ritter as Candy’s close friend, Sherry Cleckler. Tom Pelphrey portrays the colorful defense attorney Don Crowder, who takes on Candy’s high-profile case.
The series was created by veteran writer David E. Kelley, known for hit shows like Big Little Lies and The Lincoln Lawyer, and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
A New Home on Netflix
The arrival of Love & Death on Netflix is not an isolated event. It is the latest in a series of high-profile HBO and Max Originals to be licensed to Netflix. Other shows like Insecure, Six Feet Under, and Band of Brothers have previously made the move to Netflix, finding new and larger audiences.
This licensing strategy marks a significant shift for Warner Bros. Television, which historically kept its major titles exclusive to its own platforms. Under the current agreement, titles like Love & Death become “co-exclusive,” meaning they are available to stream on both Max and Netflix at the same time. These licensing deals are typically for a set period, often estimated to be between 12 to 18 months, after which the show may revert to being exclusive to Warner Bros. Discovery’s platforms.
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The Bigger Picture: A Media Giant in Play
The licensing of Love & Death to Netflix is happening against the backdrop of a potential sale of its parent company. Warner Bros. Discovery is currently evaluating revised acquisition offers from three major suitors: Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix.
This high-stakes process reached a new stage on December 1, the same day Love & Death hit Netflix, when the bidders submitted their latest offers. Each company has a different vision:
- Paramount Skydance, led by David Ellison, wants to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery. Their latest bid is an all-cash offer backed by financing from several sources, including funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
- Netflix and Comcast are each interested in acquiring only the studio and streaming part of the company, which includes the Warner Bros. film and TV studios, HBO, and the Max streaming service. Netflix’s new offer is reported to be mostly in cash.
The board of Warner Bros. Discovery is now reviewing these offers. They could choose to sell the company, split it into two separate entities as previously planned, or continue negotiations. The outcome will reshape the entertainment landscape, determining the future of iconic brands like Warner Bros., HBO, and DC Comics.
For now, this business drama means that a hit Max Original series like Love & Death can be found on the platform of one of its potential future owners. The series, which was Max’s most-watched original limited series globally when it launched, now has the chance to captivate an even wider audience on Netflix.
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