Why Big Little Lies is SO Important

And do we need a season 3?

When discussing cultural impact on television, season 1 of Big Little Lies opened a door for a new era that, for better or for worse, is unable to be closed now. We’re in a post-Big Little Lies America. It happens to be my favorite show of all time - possibly second to I May Destroy You - but don’t take my bias towards it to lessen the weight of my claim. I promise, if you frequent HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, network television channels like ABC - actually! If you consume much fiction at all, you have witnessed the impact of Big Little Lies to some degree.

The mixture of soap operatic rivalries, event episodes, costume parties, legendary actors that cross generations, an instantly recognizable setting and aesthetic; but at the same time having the overarching theme of confronting traumas and how trauma connects different women. It iconified a genre of television; no small part thanks to a genius sense of direction from Jean-Marc Vallée. Almost every limited series since 2017 has wanted Big Little Lies’ nachos, yet very few - in my opinion, none! - have bodied it quite as well.

Big Little Lies seasons 1 and 2 will become increasingly spoiled as this issue goes on. You have been warned now.

We will begin by discussing both seasons, then we will break down the characters. We will use all of our findings to answer the very pressing question… do we truly want or need a season 3?

SEASON 1.

Big Little Lies season 1 is one of the truest examples of a masterclass in storytelling, from the very start to the very end. It makes perfect use of its format as (at the time) a limited series. Once you reach the finale, you reflect on how flawless season 1 is as a body of work, only becoming elevated by each rewatch. Every piece on the storyboard is placed perfectly. It’s a puzzle of a season - the further you get into it, the more everything comes together.

Perhaps it’s time to contextualize what Big Little Lies is. Going in blind for your first viewing is the ideal, truthfully. If you haven’t seen it, I do implore you to click away now and watch the full series first. Season 1, particularly, took my breath clean away at several points.

That being said, the show does deal with intense themes - particularly violence against women. Perhaps look up a trigger warning before jumping into the series, but if you feel comfortable, a very satisfying story is being told at its center. I know some people feel a certain way about violence and abuse against women being portrayed in media at all. As a victim of abuse, I felt everything was handled very respectfully. There were moments of on-screen violence, however it was never shot in a gratuitous way and the worst of it is left implied, only showing the aftermath; letting Nicole’s reaction be what let us in on what had happened. Though, it still is a story of domestic violence, and any story of domestic violence - particularly one that does portray it on screen - can be very hard to watch. A rape that occurred before the series begins is also a key factor in the story, though unless I’m forgetting something, no rape is actually depicted on screen. Still, it’s important to be conscious of your own personal triggers.

The series follows a group of mothers who are brought together by an incident of bullying at school, through the framing of a murder investigation that occurs later in the year. The story is told largely through interviews of witnesses as narration. A mystery unfolds as we don’t know who dies or how. That’s the most spoiler-free synopsis I can give you, and quite misleading towards the overall vibe of the show… but I just think the best way to Get It is to WATCH IT!!!

Each conflict and plot point are set up so naturally in the very first episode. Each subsequent episode builds and builds, chaos ensuing every which way, until it all boils over in the finale. 7 episodes paced as perfectly as they possibly can be. Sharp dialogue and so masterfully delivered - in comedic, in dramatic, in emotional beats - by every cast member. The suspense and stakes that are built in some scenes get to the point I forget to breathe even on rewatch. This is one of those shows that everything just came together. A collaboration of several masters of their craft bringing out the best of one another’s game. It has only gotten fresher as the time has gone by.

The finale is one of the most stressful, most brilliantly executed hours of television in the history of time. The culmination of everything that was build up. Perry had discovered Celeste rented another apartment to escape to after his abuse almost killed her and she realizes she can’t be living with him anymore. Jane witnesses him for the first time at trivia night and has the instant revelation that he’s her rapist - Renata and Madeline are there… and Perry just snaps and nobody in the group can stop his violent rampage. Bonnie, who had noticed some strange looks being shared by both Celeste and Perry, also had taken notice of how Perry had been drinking, so she started following them as they all left the party. I’m not setting this up well, so I hope you’ve just seen it at this point. Bonnie sees Perry become increasingly violent and beating on the other girls, so she sprinted and pushed him down the staircase, instantly killing him. They all promptly regroup and decide to lie and say he took a wrong step back and tripped whilst he was hitting Celeste. The last scene is of the girls at the beach with their children as the detective still watches on, suspecting their lie.

It’s impossible to really delve into everything that makes this season of television Work, what makes it Iconic. It just Is. There are two scenes in the finale of season 1, the first one being in Celeste’s home while getting ready for the party where she realizes Perry found out about her new apartment. You can just sense the dread without her having to say a single word. You, the audience, wonder what Perry is going to do, as you don’t know yet that he’s the one dying that night yet… I felt the room closing in alongside Celeste in that moment, and then the following scene in the car. When he drives right on by where he was supposed to stop so he can isolate Celeste from everybody else. The confrontation in the car that follows… the direction, the acting from Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård… it was so horrifying to watch. Masterclass, everything was perfectly executed upon.

The reveal that Amabella’s bully was never Ziggy but was Celeste’s twin boys all along. The concept of them catching onto the abuse their father was inflicting onto their mother and carrying it over into how they treat women, really brings together the story and themes of the series.

SEASON 2.

Season 2 is largely considered to be… well, bad. If not bad, a sharp decline in comparison to the masterfully executed season of television that preceded it. I can admit it’s a step down, especially structurally, but I’ve always been defensive of it, however I had only seen it once. Rewatching confirmed to me that I am much more inclined to defend it than slander it, though.

I will start with my clearest criticism. I wasn’t in the editing room, but I’d say it’s pretty clearly a victim of being chopped down to a tragic degree. To the point that, although I haven’t seen a director’s cut, I have to imagine the original directorial vision is almost invisible in the final copy. Release the Andrea Arnold cut. It’s impossible to say how much of the issues with this season’s pacing stem from the fact it got stolen from its original director, but it definitely didn’t help that the creative control got stolen from her. What I can say is that the season suffers from not having much of a structure.

Season 1 is an adaptation of the book, so adapting it was natural and seamless. Wonderful changes were made in adaptation, but it had a story already mapped out. The framing device of the interrogations of the witnesses of the murder vs. the build-up of the timeline progressing closer and closer to That Trivia Night, getting more and more context as we go along the story, with more twists and turns revealed each episode… the structure of season 1 almost made it what it was, which season 2 didn’t necessarily have.

I’ll say, the script we get for this season gets by mostly unscathed, though with a few exceptions. I found it odd that Chloe found out about Perry being Ziggy’s father and she spread that rumor to her entire class - including Ziggy, and Celeste’s sons - entirely off screen. It was revealed so… nonchalantly as well, despite changing the status quo so drastically. Perhaps that was intentional, but it still stuck out to me as an awkward choice in execution. Being said, season 2, by and large, works for me. The script is likely helped by Liane Moriarty having a story credit and holding a large creative influence. The pacing and editing are less seamless, but the acting and character arcs are mostly masterful on all accounts. These are My People.

The kids in general don’t get as much to do in season 2, which I’ve seen criticized. Amabella suffers more than Jesus, as always, this time because she has major anxiety over the impending doom of our planet. Ziggy finds out the truth of his father and becomes brothers with Celeste’s sons. All in all, however… outside of individual sequences once every few episodes, the kids don’t have as consistent of a presence in this season, besides Abigail who has a bit more of a consistent presence and is always welcomed by me. I don’t say this as a huge positive or a negative, mind you, just an observation that has been pointed out to me through third parties.

There’s one character who was never a “lead” but is present throughout both seasons. Detective Adrienne Quinlan. She is handled very……… inconsistently in season 2. As a framing device, I really loved her inclusion in season 1, however I wouldn’t be surprised if people forgot she was in season 2 despite being in just as many episodes. The usage of her just isn’t as much of a grounding presence for the series to work off of anymore. If there’s a season 3, I wonder if she’d be included. Merrin Dungey is a welcome presence, for sure.

THE CHARACTERS.

In my initial draft, I went through this series season by season, then within my reviews delved into each character arc… that just wasn’t working out. The empathy ingrained in the writing, direction and performance for each character creates the heart of this show. This needed to be its own section.

CELESTE WRIGHT.

The arc of Celeste Wright is one of the most important stories I’ve ever seen in any media, on a deeply personal level. Nicole Kidman’s performance is the best acting you will ever see. I’m soooo serious, it’s just flawless. If I met Nicole Kidman, I would burst into tears just because of what she had given me in this series. Fabulous. Truthfully, before I started drafting this issue, I was very close to doing a deep-dive issue where I talk about what this show gets so right with the story of Celeste. I find her storyline, above all else, to be increasing in cultural relevance within the past 7 years of Big Little Lies premiering.

At the start, Celeste’s life seems perfect, though that illusion is quickly shattered when her husband, Perry, is revealed to be violent towards her. At first, she is quick to hit him right the fuck back. It becomes a part of their marriage - they’d hit one other, and it’d lead to sex. Quickly, his abuse becomes more and more threatening to her actual survival. There are layers as to why she felt as though she couldn’t simply leave. Part of which being she’s older than him - this nuance I only recognized the importance of on revisit. I knew it had been a line in earlier episodes, but I never connected how it added another layer to the story and the outsider’s perspective of their relationship. The charisma he has to outsiders, as well, there’s an inherent judgment ready to be passed against her much sooner than him. She never saw herself as a victim throughout much of the season because of the fact she would hit back. She’d blame herself if she got hurt in the process.

The journey of her therapist waking her up to the reality of her situation, her finding her passion for law again, the “I WANT MORE!!!” scene. Her journey in season 1 is of re-finding her own power and agency. Nicole’s scenes with Alexander Skarsgård in the finale still manage to encapsulate a sense of dread after I’ve seen the show seven times and know everything will be “okay” for her. I still hold my breath when he reveals he found out she got an apartment to escape to, the car scene afterwards… it never loses its punch, even when you know the endgame result.

Whilst talking about scenes from the finale, I love the dynamic they build between Jane and Celeste. They don’t have too many scenes together in season 1, which was actually an incredibly smart decision. From the very start they have a clear understanding of one another and when they finally get moments with just the two of them in the finale, it comes full circle, and that builds into season 2.

Speaking of which, her storyline in season 2 is less sharp (as is the case for most aspects of season 2) but still quite effective due to Nicole’s deep understanding of the character of Celeste. Say what you will about the writing, but her and Meryl Streep share the screen well together. I loved seeing her build a family with Jane. I love the final two episodes and the journey she goes on to find her own voice as an act of defense, it’s a natural progression from season 1.

The execution can be discussed, but I appreciate season 2 for its commentary on the inherent and blatant misogyny, slut-shaming and victim-blaming legal trials formed against women that are victims of abuse who don’t fit the “perfect victim” mold. It hits especially differently from a 2024 perspective.

JANE CHAPMAN.

When this first came out, I was 17 and didn’t have any great love for Jane Chapman. Once I rewatched it, aged 24, I feel as though I see so much more of myself in her now, it made me SCARED. Not in the sense that I’m a mother, well, absolutely NOT!! But it’s all in the anger that she holds, and the conflict within her story. Her son was born out of a horrific instance of her life, and though she loves her son, so much of her life was simultaneously taken from her. Watching her arc play out at this age rather than as a teenager, it recontextualizes so much of her character to me. Shailene Woodley did something special here.

Jane’s storyline in season 2 felt as though they had an idea for her storyline, but not necessarily enough of an arc to deliver upon an entire season of material. Having said that, she did have better material than I used to accredit her for. Some of my favorite moments of the season include her easing her way back into romance again for the first time since being assaulted. Did I particularly love her new love interest? Not necessarily, but that doesn’t change that her arc has been very relatable and healing to me, I think it was done with so much care. It made me really emotional on rewatch. She also shares key scenes with Mary Louise, each of which stand out. The scene where she’s singled out in court when Mary Louise doubts her credibility… Shailene’s reaction in that scene… incredible acting. Ultimately she was a key presence, even if she also feels weirdly under-utilized for stretches of this season.

It feels like I said nothing about her actual parenting of Ziggy, but I loved that the show made it clear that, although it wasn’t always easy, she would do anything for him.

RENATA KLEIN and MADELINE MARTHA MCKENZIE.

Renata Klein and Madeline Martha McKenzie help make this show what it is. In a sense, Celeste is the grounding presence, whereas Renata and Madeline are the flashy mama drama. Season 1 would not exist without their rivalry. Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon were born to play these roles.

Ever since the first time I watched this show, I had a deep empathy for Renata Klein - as does the show, itself, of course. She’s a passionate mother and a businesswoman. She was forced into the role of the villain; it was projected onto her. Was she always kind? Was she always right? Obviously not, but she was reacting to the information that was presented to her. Her child was in danger! And after the scene where she and Jane talked it out, her behavior did change, which made her role post-joining their group dynamic very seamless and appreciated. They were great to watch as enemies, but seeing the girls as a friend group is just as nice.

Every scene with Renata Klein in season 2 basically worked as a Laura Dern Emmy montage. She had the flashiest storyline by far. Her husband losing all of their (read: her) money. I really have nothing to add or say, she was definitely a highlight of the season. As I said, I adore her being friends with all of the girls after their rivalry in season 1, it just works. Her singing along to It’s My House by Diana Ross in episode 1. Beautiful Laura Dern, marvelous Laura Dern. All I can say is watch a supercut of Renata Season 2 and you’ll get a feast of material to enjoy. No notes.

If I remember correctly, Madeline’s cheating subplot was not present in the book, but I don’t mind this change as much as I feel as though others do. People are so up in arms about the cheating trope nowadays, and I’m like… what ever happened to fun??? I’ll just have to be the friend who’s not woke but I actually think Celeste just laughing it off with her is such a good scene. The scene where she confesses to Abigail became a key scene to her character and the thematic takeaway of the series. As much as we try to make it seem as though we all have everything together, there are parts of us that are also crumbling, no matter how hard we try not to. Everyone holds secrets and regrets, no matter how we try to represent ourselves. This storyline also brought upon one of my favorite scenes in season 2, where Abigail accidentally exposes her. I love Abigail, by the way, she’s my favorite of the children. I find Abigail accidentally and casually exposing her mother’s deepest darkest secret to Ed to be so delightful, and I love that Madeline wasn’t even remotely upset with her when Abigail blamed herself. They had such a nice dynamic in season 2, and it really felt like an earned growth from season 1.

To be fair to the critics, I don’t think Ed forgiving Madeline in season 2 was necessarily earned in the end… like, she spent 5 episodes straight up basically begging for forgiveness to no avail, and then he just… randomly said… okay? But I don’t know what else she could’ve done. Maybe he had known he’d forgive her earlier and just decided to keep her in suspense until the finale. Dramatic timing, you know? Ultimately… Madeline couldn’t have said or done much else. It either had to end one of two ways, and I prefer the way it went, so… good!

BONNIE CARLSON.

Bonnie Carlson is (probably) my second favorite character to Celeste. Controversially so, considering she’s probably the most underwritten character - which has and should be criticized. This was also an issue in the book, it can very much feel like The Core Four and then Bonnie. She doesn’t have connections in the group until the finale of season 1 because Madeline actively hates her. If you still haven’t watched the show and are just reading this confused as hell, Bonnie is the much younger new wife to Madeline’s ex-husband. She is also, arguably more crucially, very beloved by Madeline’s daughter, Abigail. This leads to one of my favorite storylines of all time, where Bonnie finds out Abigail is planning to sell her virginity online so she invites Madeline to dinner… chaos ensues, and it leads to the aforementioned storyline of Abigail exposing Madeline’s affair. 10/10, but we have to move on from this side tangent.

Bonnie’s aura is just always sooooo right. She’s a vibe curator. A yoga teacher tapped into her meditation and spirituality. My aspiration. In season 1 she’s constantly glowing in aura. She is also the one who murders Celeste’s husband Perry while he’s beating on the girls at trivia night. Very clearly an act of defense, yet they agree to lie to the police and say he tripped. This is what connects all of them.

I love a lot of the Bonnie plot in season 2. It is such a worthwhile exploration of the character and contextualizes a lot of what was missed from the book in season 1. I don’t think her mother storyline is done the best it possibly could’ve been done, but its bones are necessary to her character and enriches overall story. The monologue when she’s by her hospital bed (linked above) is one of my favorite scenes ever put to screen. Bonnie’s abuse is a key part of her character motivations in the book, and though it makes sense that it couldn’t be included in season 1 given the framing device, it still is very necessary to her action, and I’m happy they utilized a second season to expand upon that. Her pushing Perry is recontextualized. Her pushing of Perry in the book is very intentional, it’s a trigger from her history of being abused. Finally getting a chance to explore her abuse on screen, as well as how respectfully it was portrayed, is cathartic to see.

One of my critiques of season 2 might be that we still don’t get to see her really form relationships within the Monterey Five, especially Celeste. I would’ve liked to see them… talk, really at all. The final scene of season 2 being such a perfect note to end on because they rallied behind her without question. They really are a community within each other. I wish we could see more scenes of them as a community, though. I understand why she ostracized herself from them, of course that makes sense… she killed a man! I don’t think that had to be at the expense of featuring more scenes of the girls interacting, though, since that is the heart of the show.

SEASON 3…?

I want season 3. I think it’s narratively kind of necessary. I love the ending of season 2, and if it were to end on that note forever… I have accepted it. The added context from the book kind of gives closure for what would hypothetically happen next regardless. However, I believe a potential season 3 would offer a better note to end on. I do! Genuinely.

For a while, I had accepted it as over. Zoë Kravitz basically confirmed as such after Mr. Valeé died. It made sense, considering how much of his print is present from the top to bottom of every single episode. That would be a worthy reason to just leave some stones unturned… HOWEVER, now that most of the entire cast has confirmed stones are being turned again… we must commit to it!!! It seems as though it is currently the most confirmed to be happening as it has been since 2019, though I will have to see it to believe it, for real.

I don’t have any particular expectations for what season 3 could entail. Perhaps the gradual decline in quality in Big Little Lies-esque projects (think Little Fires Everywhere, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Perfect Couple, but even the ones that don’t feature Big Little Lies actresses. None have met the bar set by Big Little Lies whatsoever) should make me NOT want to see this made, but I always find this series to be an exception to a rule. I’m quite optimistic that a season 3 would give us more satisfaction to what season 2 left open. And if it all else fails, I could watch this specific ensemble play these specific characters for any episodic adventures they choose to play part of. Put them in the next Knives Out movie, put them in The White Lotus. As long as they’re in these roles, they’re endlessly captivating to watch.

In conclusion…

Season 2 of Big Little Lies holds up quite a deal better than people claim it for, though it certainly never quite lives up to the consistent high that is season 1. I wouldn’t go into a season 3 with the expectation for it to top season 1, either. I find that form of media consumption to be misguided. We should meet the art where it’s at, you know?

Still, I think season 2 is solid, despite not being as well-craft as its predecessor. I actually think it ages better than a lot of the “prestige” work people have hyped up since when they first aired and have passed by largely forgotten. I think there’s something to be said by how many iconic scenes have come from season 2, and I especially believe its thematic content hits very meaningfully. I’d actually implore some people to watch the final two episodes of season 2, because the message of the “perfect victim” trap that courts try to exploit is a theme that was ahead of its time when you consider the 5 years that were to come after it aired. I do just wish it was a little bit more focused, and perhaps the blame can just be put onto the editing process losing its original vision.

Season 1 gets 5/5 stars, not j*ss certified fresh and approved. Essential viewing. Best to ever do it.

Season 2 gets a solid 4/5 stars, though, as well. Less masterful, but still fresh and packs a heavy punch still.