Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies – What Have They Done? (2×01)
Big Little Lies didn’t plan on having a second season, but there’s a lot of story left to tell.
The Monterey 5, as Jane finds out the people in town dubbed them, are haunted by what happened the night Perry slipped and fell to his death after beating Celeste.
At least, that’s the story Madeline concocted and the remaining four told police about Perry’s death.
Renata assures the ladies that the police have all but closed their case without a lead to follow, but that isn’t necessarily the case from the tapes we see of their confessions.
Someone working the case knows they’re lying and is waiting for one of them to crack.
Since none of them have grieved or come to terms with what happened, it’s only a matter of time.
Then, there’s the welcome addition of Meryl Streep, who plays Mary Louise, the timid mother of Perry.
She arrives in Monterey to help Celeste through the loss but as she sneaks around town it’s clear she’s interested in finding out what really happened that night.
Her poking and prodding at Celeste about whether or not she feels angry, comforting her through the nightmares where she sleep-talks about “rape” and “plotting to kill someone” and talking down to Madeline is a ploy to catch them all in a lie.
She even retorts that she’d ask Madeline what happened to her son, but she doesn’t think Madeline would tell her the truth.
At least she’s astute.
Mary Louise may be right in her belief that the women aren’t fessing up to the truth, and her analysis of Madeline’s bubbly personality being a cover-up for a more vapid interior is insightfully accurate, but Mary Louise’s perception of her son Perry is flawed.
Mary Louise reminds me of those mothers that are in denial about who their child was when they sing their praises on TV after a tragic accident.
For someone who taunts herself as a “good judge of character,” could Mary Louise be so blind to the truth in front of her?
Perry was the big bad on the first season of Big Little Lies, but his mother is shaping up to be the enemy on this go-around.
Despite Perry’s violent tendencies, Celeste continues to blame herself to what happened to him.
Even in his death, he wields so much power that she thinks if she’d left him earlier, he’d never be at the party where he fell to his death.
It’s twisted and yet, continues the narrative Big Little Lies presented since the beginning: Perry had good qualities and he had bad qualities.
When he was good, it was really good. When he was bad, it was really bad.
His death is both a blessing and a curse depending on which memories Celeste clings onto.
Celeste will likely have to admit to Perry’s abusive nature at some point in order to get her twins some help.
Both of them are exhibiting behaviors that could be deemed as grief but considering the violence they witnessed and who their father was, it’s concerning.
The fans were begging for a second season so it was only fitting that the women of Monterey, who have always had trouble being honest with themselves, covered up the murder with another lie.
Some are better at swallowing it and pretending it never happened than others, but the weakest link is Bonnie.
Unable to forget what she did, Bonnie isn’t doing so hot.
It doesn’t help that the other women, the only ones she can confide in, turned away from her.
To deal with her new reality, Bonnie became reclused and shut down. The secret has not only affected her, but it’s also affected her family. Nathan is especially worried but since Bonnie won’t let him in, he believes he’s the problem.
Seeing Nathan all flustered and pushed away by Bonnie and attacked by Madeline when he reached out made me feel for him.
Nathan just wants some damn answers.
However, as Bonnie pointed out to Madeline, all of this was avoidable.
They all went along with Madeline’s lie yet she could have told the truth and gotten off with it being self-defense in light of Perry’s acts of violence against Celeste.
Instead, these women, despite looking normal on the outside, are forced to re-live the pain of that night day-in and day-out.
Bonnie makes it to the police department by the end of the episode but doesn’t go inside.
Will she confess?
Or will it be Mary Louise who gets justice for her sweet Perry?
Streep as Mary Louise is the dark addition this show needed.
Her unlikeability is effortless, she says what she means without actually saying it, and she’s almost as manipulative as her son was.
Maybe that’s why she never saw right through him; she’s exactly like him.
She’s inserted herself into Celeste’s life in a similar manner Perry did and suffocates her while masking it as care and concern.
We know Mary Louise will be trouble because we know women like Mary Louise yet at the same time, there have been moments where she’s been warm and nurturing. Those moments make us doubt what exactly we can expect from Mary Louise as she closes in on secrets and gets the answers she’s come to town for.
Can she even handle the truth she’s so direly seeking out?
With Nathan on the hunt for answers about Bonnie and reaching out to Ed for help, it’s shaping up to be a season where the men get some screentime.
And they should. The women are a handful yet the men somehow haven’t cracked yet.
That may change as whatever is happening with Gordon looks rather suspect.
Is he developing a drinking problem to cope with Renata’s “power stances?”
Ed’s “welcome to second grade” comment encompassed the essence of the show: this is the drama plaguing second-grade mother’s.
It makes me happy my second-grade experiences were nothing in comparison.
Considering much of the narrative revolves around the school, the children will once again have some kind of supporting role.
As I mentioned before, Celeste will have to deal with the twins’ aggressive outbursts.
Madeline is also dealing with Abigail’s decision to forego college to fight homelessness in a start-up.
Abbie seems to have put a lot of thought into her future and contrary to Madeline’s beliefs, she’s not going to be working retail (and there’s nothing wrong with her doing so.)
Wanting better for your children is a good parental trait to have, but in this case, Madeline fails to see that pushing her daughter to pursue a path just because she doesn’t want her life to be meaningless will make it meaningless.
Madeline has always been a victim of her bad decision making and now she’s trying to force it upon her daughter.
Hopefully, she’ll realize that trying to control her adult daughter will only lead an unfulfilled life.
These women continue to be their own worst enemies.
And that’s precisely why the season is shaping up to be yet another promising one filled with twists, turns, and character exploration.
I’m not sure where the series is going or how it will end this time, but that’s always been the fun of it.
Maybe it’ll even turn up with another dead body by the end of season 2?
Other Monterey Thoughts
- Jane now has a job at the Aquarium and a possible new love interest.
- What was the deal with Ed and the woman who got her boobs done to take attention away from her nose? I don’t recall her from season one.
- Jane’s straightforward questions for Celeste underlines a bigger problem of why she keeps blaming herself. If she cannot acknowledge Jane’s fault in all of this, she won’t ever see the issue with loving a man who treated her wrong and abused her.
- For a split second, I thought the scene with Perry identifying the women in the lineup was real and thought he wasn’t dead despite seeing his mangled body. I’ve never been more grateful for a nightmare scene before!
What did you think of the premiere?
Do you think Mary Louise is a promising adversary?
Did you like Streep in the character?
Where do you think the storyline is going?
Big Little Lies was always meant to be a limited series on HBO, and it only secured a second season because of its popularity with fans. And now, the possibility of a third season has come into question with Zoë Kravitz, who played Bonnie Carlson, weighing in on whether it would ever come to fruition.
In a new TikTok from her interview with GQ, the 33-year-old starlet answered a fan’s question about when the drama is coming back on.
Sadly, Kravitz didn’t have uplifting news, noting, “I don’t think it is.”
“We talked about doing a season three a lot, but unfortunately, Jean-Marc Vallée, our incredible director, passed away this last year and I just can’t imagine going on without him,” she explained.
She added: “He really was the visionary for that show. So, unfortunately, it’s done.”
Jean-Marc died suddenly at the age of 58 last December, and with him, any chance of getting another season, according to Kravitz.
The comment section of the post was very divided, but one fan suggested that the show worked better as a limited series regardless.
On the bright side, Kravitz and her co-stars, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, and Laura Dern, are all constantly taking on new and compelling projects, so we’ll at least get to continue seeing their incredible work on the big and small screen for years to come!
Reese Witherspoon is a culture icon.
The actress is responsible for bringing to life some of the most iconic roles in both movies and television. Her foray from the big-screen into television has been nothing short of enjoyable and impressive as it’s given her a blank canvas in which she can show off her incredible range.
No character is too big or too small for Witherspoon.
It would have been easy for Witherspoon to typecast herself or become boxed into the role of “ditzy yet ambitious blonde” following the success of Legally Blonde in 2001, but Reese never allowed it. Since stepping into the limelight in 1991, she’s continuously pushed and reinvented herself to become one of the hardest working actresses and executive producers in the business.
Everywhere you turn, you’ll see Reese’s moniker on something even if she isn’t starring in it!
Many of her TV shows are even produced under her own Hello Sunshine umbrella, which she developed when she found herself lacking progressive and aspiring roles.
Turns out, Reese always knew what was best for Reese, and we’re so glad she continues giving us that’s compelling, nuanced, and emotional.
Here are the Reese Witherspoon shows you have to watch!
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
The Hulu miniseries is based on the 2017 novel of the same name and follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and a mother-daughter duo who upend the lives that they’ve become accustomed to. Not only does Witherspoon star as Elena Richardson opposite Scandal’s Kerry Washington, she also served as executive producer.
The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
The drama is an unfiltered look at the cutthroat world of morning television and the lives of the people who bring you the news each morning. Witherspoon stars as green reporter Bradley Jackson opposite Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carrell.
Big Little Lies (HBO)
The award-winning series is based on the bestseller by Liane Moriarty. The drama tells the story of helicopter moms, successful husbands, rumors, and a murder in the usually tranquil beachy town of Monterey, California. There’s a lot more to these women that meets the eye, and they all have their fair share of secrets they want to keep including Witherspoon’s neurotic Madeline. The show is filled with star power with Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz.
Friends
Before she could run, Witherspoon had to walk, but she did so on one of the most popular sitcoms ever. While she didn’t have the biggest role, she’s one of the most notable characters as she played Rachel Green’s (Jennifer Aniston) youngest sister, Jill. She was featured in two episodes of season six.
Get Organized with the Home Edit (Netflix)
Witherspoon, an executive producer on the series, appears in one episode, but if you log into Netflix, her episode is used to promote the series and entice you into watching. The reality series finds expert home organizers Clea and Joanna helping clients declutter their spaces! Get ready to feel inspired!
The calm before the storm.
It was the showdown of all showdowns on the Big Little Lies season 2 finale.
Seeing Celeste put her rotten mother-in-law, Mary Louise, in her place made this lackluster season all worth it.
Celeste came to court not only bearing receipts, but she also had videotapes.
And while showing video footage of Perry beating her while the boys secretly looked on questioned how she allowed them to stay in such a toxic and dangerous environment, it was all that was necessary to finally show Mary Louise what a POS he son was.
Seeing Mary Louise unable to deny what was being show was pure satisfaction.
“I had no idea,” Mary Louise muttered despite many attempts from Celeste and the Monterey Five to tell her the truth.
It’s not that she had no idea, it’s that she didn’t want to have an idea.
And even so, Mary Louise proved to be a horrible person by trying to spin it all in her favor.
Does this woman have no shame?
She sat there in a public court and tried to blame the victim for staying in an abusive relationship.
I almost stood up and applauded when Celeste assured her that she not only kept her sons alive, she kept herself alive.
Yes, the boys saw more than Celeste believed they did, which explains why they assume abuse equates love in many instances, but they have also turned out pretty good for growing up in that household.
The footage Celeste showed in court was painful, but it was only a fraction of the abuse; she’s been through much worse.
Ultimately, Celeste’s decision to question Mary Louise worked in her favor.
She was able to defend herself while putting Mary Louise’s parenting on the spot.
Mary Louise is delusional if she for a minute thought Celeste wasn’t going to air out her dirty laundry after she came for her boys.
If you point fingers, don’t be surprised when someone points them back.
Mary Louise accused Celeste of reckless driving, which is humorous considering her own son died while in the car with her.
Mary Louise’s concerns about the twins’ safety were always warranted, but if she thought it was of ultimate importance, she would have contacted DCFS and attempted other options before trying to gain custody.
And even so, what made her the best person to be there for the boys?
All she was trying to do was make up for lost time with her boys. Or as Celeste put it “replace” Perry and his brother with Josh and Max.
Celeste may be ill, but Mary Louise is right there with her.
Plus, it seems she’s never come to terms with her son’s death or accepted the blame for it.
She barely accepted her role in creating the monster that Perry turned into.
Violence breeds violence — no one just wakes up and decides to be an abuser.
Perry’s actions, despicable as they were, were learned and inherited.
Big Little Lies would have done us a disservice had they not shone a light on Mary Lousie’s flaws. Without addressing her relationship with Perry, her addition this season wouldn’t have held much weight.
It does seem that after Celeste won full custody, Mary Louise grabbed her things and made it out of town.
If there’s a chance at a season 3, which seems rather unlikely at this point, her return also doesn’t seem necessary.
She stirred up enough trouble.
As Celeste’s court case winded down, things started wrapping up for the other four ladies also.
Jane’s rape was finally acknowledged in court even if Mary Louise did try to deny it again.
With justice being served, in the only way it could be, Jane was ready to move on and gave Corey a chance.
Seeing Jane struggle with opening up to another man both emotionally and physically has been tough to watch, so I’m glad Corey allowed her to do it on her own time and made her feel comfortable.
He proved that he was interested in sticking around no matter how hard things got.
And Ziggy liked him, which was a plus.
Laura Dern had her Beyonce “Lemonade” moment, and it was everything.
After seeing that Gordon managed to keep his toys while she lost everything that she valued, Renata had a full-on, bat-swingin’ meltdown.
It was the best few minutes of the episode. Possibly even the best few minutes in television history.
The look on Gordon’s face as she destroyed him beloved train sets was amusing and priceless.
Take that Gordon, you prick.
What did he expect was going to happen when he gloated about screwing the nanny?
I’m surprised she held it together for that long. Gordon took away her value, her pride, her respect, and Amabella’s future.
This was Renata’s way of taking it easy on him.
If a season 3 does happen, I want to see Renata moving on as an independent woman and single mother who was able to rebuild her life from the ashes left by her worthless husband.
Peace, Gordon.
Madeline’s relationship with Ed worked out some of the kinks. When Ed sat her down to have the “talk,” I was sure that he was going to say they should break up because they’ve changed so much since they got married.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Ed forgave Madeline and wanted to renew their vows.
Ed’s always been such a great husband. He didn’t deserve any of what happened to him, but the fact that he can look past it and move on after holding her accountable for it makes him even better.
Hopefully, Madeline told him the truth before all the ladies made their way to the police district.
As for Bonnie, well, the good news is that she didn’t drown herself in the water as predicted by her mother’s random vision.
I truly don’t understand what the deal was behind all the psychic moments.
Sure, metaphorically, Bonnie was drowning under the big secret and the realization coupled with her mother’s death led her to that final scene.
But those visions weren’t’ necessary. Neither was her mother’s whole story-arc.
We watched Bonnie’s childhood trauma, understood why she was so triggered by witnessing Perry’s abuse towards Celeste, and why she pushed him, but her mother’s presence, and more specifically, her coma, didn’t do much for the storyline.
It was sad when she died, but we felt sad for a moment and moved on.
I also don’t really understand why we were supposed to think Bonnie would have been capable of killing her mom.
She may have dreamt about it because of the abuse, but she never actually considered it.
Following her mother’s death, Bonnie told Nathan she never loved him.
Nathan may be dumber than a rock at times but one thing I’ll credit him with is always loving and protecting Bonnie.
It’s not fair for him to find out this way but better now then never. He deserves better — a love that Bonnie won’t give him.
As Bonnie spoke her truth, she also gathered all the women together at the precinct.
The scene with them walking in together to likely confess the truth about Perry’s death is iconic and powerful.
Even Madeline said the lie had an expiration date. We’ve hit it.
They made a promise to keep this secret for as long as they could; they were forever bonded.
And when it was time, they supported each other in coming clean.
The screen went black as they walked in so we never know what they said or how they said it.
Again, if there is a third season, it’s possible the focus would be on their attempts to prove self-defense.
And even then, since they’ve already covered it up, I don’t think the argument would hold up or get them off without any time.
Seeing how some of Big Little Lies Season 2 almost seemed forced, I’m content leaving this storyline exactly where it is and not trying to make it something that it’s not.
Even if that does mean I’ll never belt-out the theme-song live on a Sunday night again.
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