Last week, Big Little Lies went a bit insular by focusing on the family unit; this week, our little Monterey group is looking outward, drawing parallels between the death of the planet and the death of a relationship, or even the death of a belief in a relationship. As each of us essentially creates our own environment, BLL kicks off this parallelism near the start of the episode, with the rough waves of Monterey reflecting the marital turmoil of Madeline and Ed, driving silently in the car.
There’s almost some relief this week when Mary Louise is told straight out by Jane and Celeste that her beloved son was not, in fact, a good person. Her tightly wound desperation to fight the fact that Perry was evil is straight-up maddening. She chooses to see Perry through this extremely narrow view, and seems determined to take down Celeste and whoever else is in her way to righting the reputation of her dead son.
Not that anyone else is doing so great on the reality spectrum. Celeste is in long sleeves to cover bruises again, and her therapist rightly notes that she’s hung up on her dead abusive husband. The facade Celeste is still choosing to show to the world, in her long sleeves and drab cardigans, is that of the abused wife. Her borders are so thick, ensconced in the memory of Perry, that there isn’t even anyone on the horizon who could penetrate them. She’s also so encased in her own delusion that she tells Madeline she was a better mother to her kids with Perry—despite the fact that with that relationship, her kids were learning that it was okay to beat women, as evidenced by Max hurting Amabella.
Madeline’s own facade is in shambles, as Celeste’s therapist Dr. Reisman pointedly tries to poke holes in her psyche: “Why were you unfaithful?” “Why did your first husband leave you?” “Because he’s an asshole.” She can’t open up to the doctor, or Ed, but at least her present state causes Madeline to reveal to Celeste about her father’s infidelity and her true fears about marriage. Ed, the solid constant that she took for granted, has shifted, so that there’s a crack in the general foundation of her life. She’s so unravelled that she falls apart in front of the entire parent community at an assembly (what is with this school and its bizarro assemblies anyway? If you’re going to hire all of these experts, why not start with them instead of having a parent up on the stage?), glomming on to the lyrics of “Rainbow Connection” as proof that all the happily ever after stories we were told as kids were crap.
Madeline is missing a big part of “Rainbow Connection” (well, she’s upset). The whole point of the song is that despite all evidence to the contrary—rainbows only being illusions, wishes on morning stars not coming true—we keep searching: “Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me.” But Madeline, the character who’s always been the “beacon,” as the principal puts it, has completely lost her way, has lost Ed, and even feels like she’s not a good friend (although Celeste’s pep talk was very sweet). How will you ever find the rainbow connection if you no longer even have the heart to look for it?
With the end of the world looming, it’s difficult to do so, so much so that little Amabella has an anxiety attack. As much as I adore Laura Dern getting the majority of the good lines on this show, Renata is in danger of turning into a caricature of a character, lashing out at everyone from the ER doctor to her daughter’s befuddled teacher. According to her husband Gordon, Renata’s defenses are also back up, as she also is not immune to the fatal events of Trivia Night. Her best moment this episode is not when she promises to buy a polar bear for every kid in the school or coins the phrase “puss fuck,” but when Gordon calls her out on being distant and says that even Amabella senses it. Her faltering “Did she say that?” is everything; Renata’s impressive bluster covers up a striking vulnerability. And, as revealed last week, she came from a humble background, and is terrified to wind up there again.
In fact, the more we find out about the pasts of these perfect-on-the-surface women—Madeline’s parent’s marriage, Celeste having no family to speak of—it helps explain so much about their current efforts to keep the facades as perfect as they are. The one-wrong-move syndrome could send them right back where they came from. It’s why, undoubtedly, as we see briefly in a Bonnie flashback at the beginning of the episode, the group’s immediate response to Perry’s fall was to cover it up and not say anything. It was a methodology that they were already experts at.
Weirdly, Bonnie, is the character faring much better this week, when last week she was shuffling along like the last-place zombie in a zombie marathon. A cathartic dip in the ocean and a flashback to her own traumatic childhood experience appears to have purged her of some anxiety, so much so that she can have a delightful coffee with Ed and a nice chat with Jane. Is it because she is embracing that past, helped along by her mothers’ presence, that enables her to have a few long-overdue moments of peace?
Bonnie’s improved condition indicates that when we face what’s been troubling us for so long, we’re going to get better. They’re primarily at odds, but Mary Louise and Celeste have denial in common: Mary Louise can’t accept who Perry really was, and Celeste can’t accept that she’s still hung up on him. Is it the end of their core relationship, or is it the end of the world? For Mary Louise, for Celeste, for Madeline, it doesn’t matter: It’s the same thing.
Stray observations
- This week’s BLL power rankings: 1) Renata (probably always) 2) Bonnie 3) Jane 4) Mary Louise 5) Celeste and Madeline (tied for last)
- “Adultery is one form of betrayal; indifference is another.”
- Adam Scott was pretty much wasted last season, so as painful as Ed’s dissolving marriage is with Madeline, at least he’s getting some good digs in in that scene with Reese Witherspoon: “Whatever I am or have been hasn’t netted the desired results, so why not mix it up?”
- Best mom outfit: The mom outfits are not really doing it for me this season, as Madeline has moved into floral-blouse realtor mode., and, as stated, Celeste is back in cardigan land. Renata is killing it as usual, though, so have to go with the leopard print/black leather jacket combo she wore to the assembly.
- Jane, isn’t it a little early to have your kid meet aquarium guy? Also, everyone keeps talking about what a pretty girl Jane is, but she would be 100% prettier with a different haircut.
- I will never understand HBO’s penchant for showing women at home just hanging around in high heels. Why in the world would anyone do this?
137 Comments
You can tell Renata’s losing it because she wanted to transfer her kid to Stanford when proper Monterey tradition is to say you want them transferred to Salinas Valley Memorial the moment you enter CHOMP (or in this case, fake CHOMP).
I couldn’t find what CHUMP means in this context, help?
Just guessing but Childrens Hospital Of Monterey Peninsula?
community hospital Of monterey peninsula.
-Renata running into Mary Louise at MMM’s work made me wonder if Mary Louise will try her shit in front of Renata. I spent a lot of the ep wanting to wring ML’s neck and Renata is a stressbomb even in better circumstances.-Agree on being surprised that Jane let the LI meet Ziggy so fast. And girl, that fish thing at the restaurant? Whyyyyyyyyy.-Nice to see Bonnie and Jane smiling during the beach scenes.-Holy meltdown MMM. that’ll be right up there with the Orphan Black election clone swap and Joyce Summers whacking Spike with an ax in “School Hard” for my favorite adults-at-school scenes.
And girl, that fish thing at the restaurant? On the one hand, no Monterey restaurant worth their salt wouldn’t know where their fish are being sourced, on the other, you work at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, dork. Go check the Seafood Watch you invented.
Further to your points, on the one hand I felt sorry for that server, and for Jane. But on the other hand, his points weren’t incorrect, and after that sweet hug-turned-into-silent-dancing with Jane, I think I might just be warming to him. (I still prefer coffee guy, though).
Nah. Aquarium Guy looks and acts like a psycho waiting for the climactic scene to be revealed. I was hoping for Bonnie to tell Jane, “Him?”, but then I remembered Bonnie has married Nathan, like, willingly.
My crazy theory is that Aquarium guy is an undercover cop.
Ha! My crazy theory is it’s that new school teacher who’s undercover. “Now kids, today we’re going to talk about secrets. It’s bad to keep secrets, so tell me EVERYTHING going on at home with your parents …”
That passed my mind too.
Or, hear me out, don’t order the fish.
I’m sure he’d have just as many questions about whether his dead cow was grass-fed.
But one pound of sausage takes 50 showers worth of water to make!
Ha! I can’t believe Seafood Watch was started by the aquarium. That’s too perfect.While I believe people like this exist – understandably, given the horror show that is industrial farming – it’s strange to me that someone like Aquarium Guy wouldn’t just stop eating fish/meat entirely if he’s that obsessively concerned about sustainability. Relatedly, I was pretty shocked that the 2nd grade teacher was openly preaching vegetarianism to the kids (at least that’s how I read it). As a veggie myself, cool lesson I guess, but there’s no way the Monterey parents would stand for it. They all seem to love meat as much as their SUVs.
Yes please to a Renata and Mary Louise showdown!
If I’d been on a date with a guy who grilled the waitperson about the provenance of the fish, I’d look around for the Portlandia film crew. And then I’d never go out with him again. That was obnoxious.“Your chicken’s name was Colin. Here are his papers…”
Adam Scott should always act against passionate petite blondes. His acting the past two episodes reminds me of End of the World/The Treaty/Smallest Park, if Parks and Recreation were darker.But Laura Dern is the MVP of Season 2.
Worth repeating: Nyah, nyah, nyah.Dern is definitely out shining Streep.
Two things: (1) if Madeline is that upset about never going to college, why doesn’t she just do it now? (2) it’s kind of a stretch but watching Mary Louise defend Perry so strongly to Jane made me flash back to last season when Jane was defending Ziggy against the accusation that he attacked Ammabelle. Like I said, it’s a weak correlation because Ziggy was actually innocent but it’s just the idea that, of course, every mother wants to believe the best of her kid and defend them against accusations.
Except Perry was no longer a kid, and Mary Louise isn’t as forthcoming as she demands everyone else be.
Yeah while she knows everyone else is hiding things I have a feeling she’s hiding a lot of stuff too.
I’m 60% sure Madeline ends the season by enrolling in college with her daughter.
Oh god I can only imagine how terrible that would be for Abby.
Then it would be like Wild, also with Reese and Laura. Full circle
Yeah, I feel like they’re missing a trick here. Of course every parent (well, maybe not EVERY parent) wants to think well of their kids, and it’s got to be agonizing hearing that your beloved son is a violent, abusive rapist. (Like, as a mother, my son growing up to be a rapist is LITERALLY the worst imaginable thing. I’d rather he be an axe murderer.) If we saw more of that internal struggle in Mary Louise, it’d be better. As it is, she’s just a Class A Villain.
Going back to college is very hard for parents, but particularly mothers. There are all kinds of barriers set-up to keep them from doing it. And, Madeline seems to provide some level of income to her family, so I imagine the lost worktime would be hard.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/01/what-college-is-like-as-a-single-mother/550592/
It’s not just about the degree anymore. She’s spent like 18 years comparing herself to everybody else in Monterey, identifying as a housewife in contrast to the generally more-educated working moms (like Renata). Now it’s about the self-image and feelings of inadequacy and regret she’s built up all these years.agree with other responder that it’ll end with MMM enrolling, but she has emotional work to do too.
Jane’s new boyfriend reminds me too much of Kirk Cameron…in his teen years. I know that the casting was about finding a nice guy look, but his young looks are very distracting. And anyway, no one is that nice, especially on this show. I call him doing something evil within the next two episodes.
I see it. And it’s funny you mention his young looks – the actor is actually 34!
My god…Big Love premiered 13 years ago!
So THAT is from where I recognized him. He was pretty creepy in Big Love too.
And after looking him up on IMDB, I recognize him from the Alienist too.
He was creepy on Big Love! He’s a good-lookin dude but he has that just-off vibe about him; playing a super-religious guy really worked for him. Not sure about him on BLL yet.He was also credibly cast as an androgynous Bowie-knockoff singer on Vinyl. I think he was going to have a big plotline in season 2.
WOW, really? Damn.
Ok, Gwen, first of all, rating Madeline and Celeste as a tie for 5th is offensive on so many levels. 1st of all, Celeste is the only widow and therefore is always going through the most… and that’s even before Meryl Creepy enters the picture. Meanwhile, even the kvechy Madeline has a heart pouring it out before the other 2nd grade parents, AND finally admits that her own parents aren’t such a shining example on a hill. She’s still a leader in the plot department.Instead, can we talk about the fact that the beautiful bridge is like an hour south of where we’re talking about, and that there’s no way Renatta is successful in Silicon Valley having spent this much time in the Carmel – Monterey – Salinas area that she would practically have to laptop on her drives?
… and that’s even before Meryl Creepy enters the picture. Meryl Creepy? Dude, ‘Meryl Creep’ was right there!
Peril Streep?
Ha – ok that’s it – from now on in these comments I’m calling Mary Louise: Peril Creep!‘Creep’ cos she’s snooping in Celeste’s drawers and ambushing Jane, and ‘Peril’ cos, Celeste, you in danger girl! (Also Peril and Creep are just two words in the dictionary so there’s plausible deniability – being just that tiny bit further away from her actual name than both Meryl Creep and Peril Streep, I won’t be arrested by the Academy of Motion Picture for crimes against THE screen legend’s revered name!)(And … in my head Peril Creep named her son Peril Jr … Perry for short)
Oooo, how did I miss that one?!?!
Every time they show bixby bridge as if people are just casually driving over it going back and forth to their house it drives me crazy. This is like 25 miles south of there! And the shoulder is always full of tourists taking photos! The only time this shot makes sense is when Ed and Madeline are driving to the couples retreat, unless one of these ladies really lives in big sur. It’s fine in the credits, but they use it multiple times an episode. Get a different establishing shots there are tons of beautiful places in the area.
As much as I really love the first season i wish it ended there. This season feels like its grasping at straws to be about something and in the process it’s trivializing the impact of the initial work. There are some great moments of performance but the writing is just not there. Will finish it out just to see if it can course correct at all but at the moment I just cant pretend this is good.
True, there isn’t really a story, it’s just these fabulous women chewing the scenery. But it’s still pretty entertaining.
It’s definitely more of a cartoon now. Once you accept that, you can really start to enjoy these characters comically trying to destroy each other with hammers and anvils.Renata’s character has become downright silly, and yet I’m immensely happy whenever she opens her mouth to scream anything. Polar bears!
I have accepted the stupidity for sure it’s just not enough funny stupidity vs cringey stupidity just yet. It’s still trying to take itself seriously but I feel like that boat has left the dock but they maybe forgot to pull up the anchor. Perhaps HBO should stop making speculative follows up for novels? Also why did Bonnie’s mom just like totally disappear after making such a big deal about her being around? Here’s hoping Ziggy learning to surf is the hint to a coming surf off between him and Perry’s ghost to reveal the truth and save the town.
Bonnie’s mom is gone because Bonnie asked her to leave.
I agree completely. The whole premise of last season was completely unbelievable—too many coincidences and fateful meetups. This season, however, I am enjoying immensely having accepted the silliness of the characters and the oh-too-convenient plot.
We’re about one level away from BLL becoming Bravo’s Real Housewives of Monterey. Not that that’s a bad thing. RHONY could use some competition
I agree, although this season’s exceeding the expectations I had for it. I do worry about it getting a little too dark and prestige-y…the first season got dark of course but it always maintained a sharp sense of humor; this season Renata seems to be the only comic relief (the principal too, I guess). And Zoe Kravitz is being asked to bear more than her acting skills can handle. But on the whole they’ve found some interesting stories to tell and have done a good job amping up some conflicts dormant in season 1, so I’m on board. That said I’m certain the candle will be burned out by the end of the season, so I hope there’s no season 3.
Also, did anyone catch Celeste’s son say, “He was the best monster,” as he was watching the video of Perry, along with his brother and Mary Louise? Out of the mouths of babes…
“When I grow up, I wanna be a monster like Dad!”
So so wrong, but I laughed at this!
I haven’t read a single review that mentions Perry’s only way of playing with the kids is to pretend to be a monster. And he keeps yelling “I’M A MONSTER”.
This show should be renamed “Big Little Bad Decisions”. This show is giving 7 year olds WAY too much information that they have no way of processing without being traumatized. I predict Ziggy and one of the twins are going to go at it before the season ends. There are ways to teach young children about recycling, water & electricity usage, etc. without bombarding them with the doomsday scenario. And Jane should not have told Ziggy about being raped. Why she just didn’t tell Ziggy from the get go that his dad died. You can’t explain a bar pick up to a little kid. Renata needs to calm the fuck down. She knows who was bullying Amabella, and now she should understand why. It’s like last season didn’t happen.
No wonder Amabella had a panic attack, her family is a fucking nightmare . Why are Ed & Madeline seeing the therapist together? I would think they would have separate sessions where she finds out where each is coming from, and then bring them together.
I’m guessing it was a couples session. The question is why are they both seeing Celeste’s therapist, as she’s a close friend? I’ll excuse it because I love more Robin Weigert.
> And Jane should not have told Ziggy about being raped.
We don’t really know if she did. Yes, she started explaining something about assault, but that could have been anything, like telling Ziggy that his dad hurt her or hit her, without going into more details.
I thought she told Celeste that Ziggy brought it up and she told him the truth, that she wouldn’t lie any more, and had Celeste told the boys that Perry was Ziggy’s father.
I don’t think Mary Louise’s desperation has anything to do with denying who Perry was in the recent present. She’s desperate to deny who he was in the distant past. She isn’t new crazy. She’s been crazy a long, long time.
YES! Just how did that brother die, anyway?
I swear the BLL hairstylists have some sort of rule where one character per season is required to have Hair Troubles. First it was Ed and the rodent on his face, now it’s Jane and her TERF bangs, what will happen next???
First it was Ed and the rodent on his face …that was The Good Place Ed, this season is The Bad Place Ed who’s making it his mission to torture Madeline and Nathan for all eternity – and I’m so here for it!
I just binge-watched the first season and was tempted to put together a slide show of all the reaction shots of Ed thinking to himself, “what just happened?” or “huh?” or “what’s going on?” At this point I think it could be paired with a Season 2 slide show of Ed staring at people with a look that says, “I know what’s going on, and even if I don’t I don’t care, and in any case you can all go fuck yourselves.”
Weirdly, Bonnie, is the character faring much better this week, when last week she was shuffling along like the last-place zombie in a zombie marathon.Lol! Well, she may not win the marathon but I’m sure she’d get a ribbon or something for “cutest while shuffling” …
I do think she’s the cutest, but those arm tattoos might be the ugliest celebrity tattoos ever. They look like self-harm marks. One is just a plain cross like from tic-tac-toe. She legit paid a tattoo artist for that? I hope the story is that she does them herself (hopefully not for self-harming).
but those arm tattoos might be the ugliest celebrity tattoos ever.Yeah, her tattoos are – not great – but, ahem, sorry to ‘salt’ your eyes with this …
He should have just gotten the word “MISTAKE” tattooed on his back in big sans-serif letters.
It would be better if it were a tattoo that just said: “TATTOO”
I don’t have any tattoos but I would consider getting that one. Maybe under a little anchor.
Oh heeeeelll no I would never get that.
These are tacky, but at least you can see how you’d need to pay a professional to do this.
Some of my own rambling, random observations: – Oh Jane! “I don’t think there was a gentler, more tender boy than Perry”. KEEP ZIGGY AWAY FROM HER!!! Next thing she’ll declare you unfit too and take Ziggy and Celeste’s boys away and raise them together to be “fine young men”. – When the episode started with Madeline talking I thought “Is … is she talking to Celeste’s therapist? Oh shit she is! … Oh shit Ed is there too!!”. Ed was sitting there with an indignant look on his face – legs crossed. You so know if it had been Nathan in his place, he’d be man-spreading so much, Bonnie would almost be falling off that couch!- Maybe Madeline should go to law school. I noticed she was wearing pink while talking about university with the therapist.- It’s been said by many, but I have to reiterate that I just LOVE this therapist. None of that sitting in silence, passively nodding and note-taking that annoys me about many therapists (real or fictional). She doesn’t let patients get away with crap, and I love that she says “If you could guess?” to prompt whenever a patient isn’t initially responsive to her answer. -Also, that child psychiatrist talking to Amabella cracked me up! – I agree they may venture close to caricature, but I DON’T CARE! Renata in panicked Mama-Amabella mode is my jam! (Renata in any mode, really) – That teacher should be fired, or at the very least cautioned. First of all, unless I’m misremembering my childhood reading, Charlotte’s web is NOT about ‘sustainability’! And secondly, how did he not realise Amabella was missing from his class? Isn’t it his responsibility to know exactly where and how his students are? What if she wasn’t breathing in that cupboard, he wouldn’t have known anything was amiss if he hadn’t heard a thud and seen her two feet sticking out like the witch when the house fell on her. (Odd that I thought of the scene in the Wizard of Oz when I saw that – then Madeline’s daughter mentioned that movie later) – Renata’s husband said “When I first met you, Penetrating you was like piercing a cement wall”. Urgh, Phrasing! I cringed and thought, did he HAVE to say it quite like that!! – I JUST LOVED THE ED AND BONNIE SMILEY-CHATTY SCENE!!! With Madeline looking on. I laughed! (Was so happy Ed didn’t rush to her side after that assembly speech.) Bonnie looks radiant. I guess her mom reckons her “stuff” is working …
(Excuse the overly-long comment – I’m just really enjoying this show and watching these characters and chatting about it. I’m happy with this just being a soap – with award-winning actors and production – about these families in Monterey. I understand why they feel the need to keep tying the story back to how Perry died, but for me that’s the least interesting going on this season. And it feels kinda tedious when they keep working it into all storylines- so now Renata has trivia-night-tension too? as everyone has rightly said that case should be over)
The opening is mostly the same as last season, but this year I can’t help but notice how mightily soapy all that imagery is. A woman’s hand pointing a gun. A man and a woman sensually embracing. All those waves. It’s like a series of romance novel covers.
Speaking of covers, that header image looks like it could be an album cover. Despite the fact she’s wearing a dowdy sweater. Maybe an album with songs about being cold at the beach. With a cover of Joni Mitchell’s River thrown in …
As noted elsewhere, Zoë Kravitz looks the best with her arms covered, so I’m all in favor of dowdy sweaters (I wouldn’t say “and nothing else”, but I might have thought it).And she does have a musical career, doesn’t she? (I mean, how could she not?).
The therapist is my hero. She has the body language of someone saying, “You’re paying me to judge you, and that’s precisely what I’m gonna do, and my judgment is gonna be merciless.”
I honestly thought that scene was going to be a dream sequence. She was going after Madeline hard so I figured this must be a dream she’s having but nope.
That actress is incredible. She was in Jessica Jones (as Jeri Hogarth’s wife) AND before that, she was in Deadwood as Calamity Jane!!!
Yeah, she does that “Biblical judgment is coming and there’s no place for you to hide here” thing, while also using some ASMR voice.
That bit about Charlotte’s Web and sustainability was brilliant–eerily it’s not too far from how a lot of literature is taught in schools these days, nor from the default political readings you’ll find on pop-culture websites. I loved to student who thought it was about ‘branding’–actually not a bad answer, although it nicely pointed out how insular this community is (as did the ‘sustainability’ reading, tho that is an indefensible gloss of the text).Renata may be going a bit over-the-top, but I think it’s a necessary and helpful counterpoint to the other wives this season, who are a bit too weepy. Renata still brings that first-season fire.
The little girl with the branding comment was Chloe. I miss last season’s Chloe being preposterously savvy for a 6-year-old (she reminded me of the daughter from Better Off Ted). I’m fairly disinterested in the twins and Amabella, and even Ziggy is not the most compelling kid.
And Renata and Madeline bumping into Meryl at the office ‘what the fuck was that’ hahaha The shrink was great too! Kerri Kenney was the shrink on IASIP when The Gang went to a shrink to see who was right about the dishes, too.
OMG! That Sunny episode is one of my favorites!
Of course Gordon had to “penetrate” Renata. It’s all about agression or indolence with him. And Ed gets put on the spot by Nathan because he’s not one of the cavemen everyone else is married to. He and Bonnie were probably cracking up about just how predictable Maddy and Nathan are most of the time.
Ed-Bonnie is the only shippable couple! (Unless Ed will end up being revealed as a bad guy like someone thinks.)
That teacher should be fired, or at the very least cautioned. First of
all, unless I’m misremembering my childhood reading, Charlotte’s web is
NOT about ‘sustainability’! And secondly, how did he not realise
Amabella was missing from his class? Isn’t it his responsibility to know
exactly where and how his students are? What if she wasn’t breathing in
that cupboard, he wouldn’t have known anything was amiss if he hadn’t
heard a thud and seen her two feet sticking out like the witch when the
house fell on her. (Odd that I thought of the scene in the Wizard of Oz
when I saw that – then Madeline’s daughter mentioned that movie later)
Based on the evidence we’ve seen from season 1 to now, I’ve come to the conclusion that all the teachers should be fired. In fact, Otter Bay is just a terrible school in general. They pretty much handle everything in the worst possible way.
So, Ziggy is the reincarnation of Perry’s late brother?Also, lol at “You ruined my perfect son’s perfect marriage by tempting him into raping you. And it wasn’t even rape, you just misread his vigorous way of making love that my daughter-in-law irresponsibly taught him.”
That just … AAARGH!! I kept wondering, why is Jane even engaging her? I mean, Mary Louise ambushed her, twice! The first time when Jane is at work, I thought she would just brush past her, instead she listens to ML’s crap, and eventually goes back the way she came
I know, I kept screaming ‘walk away’ at the screen. It’s a little bit annoying that the women keep willingly engaging with her–they don’t seem to realize what she’s up to, which strains believability a bit…
And when Mary Louise said she should be in Ziggy’s life because she’s his grandmother, Stupid Jane was like, moved by the thought! Sure, the mother of the man who raped Ziggy’s mother, what a wonderful way to always remind him he’s going to kill and mount women in elaborate tableaux when he grows up.
Jane should have bitch slapped her and walked away. If anyone gave me that kind of third degree over their shit stain of a son I would not give them the time of day.
The shot of Madeline on-stage staring at Ed and the place is suddenly empty was a sublime moment.
I appreciate and agree with the high heels thing. I never wear them anywhere and I can’t begin to imagine wearing them at home … although the house my parents and I moved into in the 1990s had been occupied by the same widow for at least fifty years, and the kitchen linoleum was a sea of pock marks from her high heels. So go figure.
I’ve really been loving Adam Scott this season. The close up of him quickly wiping a tear away while Madeline is speaking to the therapist was so subtle, yet heartbreaking.
Agreed. Another example: Adam Scott allows his hand to tremble, subtle but visible I believe, when he learns about MMM fidelity. His tiny gestures to communicate Ed’s pain and,fragile state are poignant acting choices.
Am I the only one who cannot enjoy watching Nicole Kidman in anything? I understand and acknowledge my constitutional duty to acknowledge her greatness as an actor, but her face is so weirdly frozen and unnatural and her voice has that weird fully-Americanized Australian lilt, it takes me out of any scene she’s acting in and I just think KidmanKidmanKidmanKidmanKidman. I can’t see her as any character other than herself.
I like her as an actor, but last season having her and Alexander Skarsgard together as an “American” couple realllllly stretched the imagination. I don’t know why the show didn’t just have them be an extraordinarily wealthy Swedish-Australian couple that lived in Monterrey because Perry was in the tech industry, that wouldn’t have been terribly odd.
I thought the same thing, ESPECIALLY when NK’s accent slipped a ton in the best scene(s) I’ve ever seen her in last season. It would be completely believable that she’s an Aussie expat living in California…just let the accent fly!
This is the only movie/show that I’ve ever enjoyed her in. Somehow the weird soft-spoken breathy delivery she has works for Celeste. I think her acting here is brilliant. But yeah, not a fan in general.
I know it’s not cool to critique appearances, but Kidman’s face looks uncanny-valley smooth this season, especially in outdoor shots.
I hate to be so shallow, but she had work done, or . . . lost weight? Idk, but she looks so different to me this season that it’s distracting! I don’t care what she wants to look like–more power to her. But when it’s noticeable between seasons, it’s just hard to ignore. And I agree that her face is frozen. It makes me kind of sad.
I will never understand HBO’s penchant for showing women at home just hanging around in high heels. Why in the world would anyone do this?I don’t understand why anyone would hang around at home in their bra, either. That shit goes off the second I’m in the door.Maybe I’m remembering incorrectly (I read the book years ago), but wasn’t Bonnie raised in an abusive household? I thought that was the reason she recognized Perry’s behavior and reacted so strongly. But I didn’t really get that sense from the scene with her and her parents last week.As funny as Renata always is, I agree with you, Gwen. She’s getting to be ridiculous. And I don’t really buy the principal being quite so mouthy with the moms, at least not to their faces. Last season, he was much more restrained. (Then again, last season his school fundraiser ended in murder, so.)I love Adam Scott and can’t totally divorce him from Ben Wyatt, and seeing him so bitter and upset is really hurting my heart.
Yeah, I just find it hard to believe she’d go off so strongly on a doctor who was trying to help her kid. And not realize how much stress she was adding to the situation?
I guess covering up a (completely justifiable and somewhat accidental) murder is really getting to all of them now.Though maybe all of Renata’s outloud bitchiness is worth it for the image of a child shrink dressed up as Little Bo Peep.
Even better, that was Kerri Kenney of The State fame.
Deputy Trudy Wiegel from Reno 911!
I thought she seemed familiar! I was stuck on the lisp.
Yeah, I was stunned when she actually MOCKED the doctor in a grade school bully tone…I thought, you’re crossing into Donald Trump-level childishness. Shut the F up.
My theory is that she has BPD.
I think she was wrong for doing it, but I can understand where it comes from. She and her family are going through a crisis and some stranger giving advice like that could definitely cause her (or any of us in that situation) to go off on them. “Oh, like you know better, huh?” type of reaction and then spiraling from there. I’m not saying it’s right, but I can definitely buy it, especially from Renata.
I know. I just want to give him a hug and a calzone.
As a retired teacher who worked in wealthy area elementary schools, I found the school scenes believable. Not all moms are like Renata, but there are always a handful that are exactly like her. And although I haven’t seen a principal cuss, I have seen them stand up to parents in a very angry manner. They can get away with it because the rest of the school community recognizes that crazed parents can only be dealt with by the same behavior they exhibit.
Good lord, I am so sorry on behalf of all parents (the majority of whom I hope are NOT like Renata). Yikes!
yeah, as funny as their scenes are, the principal would be run out of that school at gunpoint if he talked to these conceited, arrogant, ignorant moms that way.
I’m right there with you on Adam Scott- Ben Wyatt being the ideal fictional spouse makes it hard to watch him here. My awful left field theory is that at some point he made a creepy move on Abigail and that’s why she moved out. And Abigail feels so bad about spilling her mom’s secret she’s going to try to lure Ed to stay.
I don’t like how they are doing Bonnie just in the background while the other women are going around talking about their problems but Bonnie is literally mopping around and trying to reach out, and literally everyone cares about each other except for poor Bonnie. On top of that, someone just tell Reese’s character that she just doesnt find her husband hot or desirable and let him go. Cause that storyline is a bore. It’s so predictable that Meryl is going to try to take the kids due to all the evidence that the big time lawyer is literally arming Mary Louise with , Celeste is going to be found under suspicion of murder and the black lady will save the day again by sacrificing herself and coming forward yet again. Just give me a spin off where Renata becomes not not rich and has to go live with her sister Claudia in the LA suburbs, played by Julianne Moore who is not not not rich.
I feel as if last night’s also set us up for the inevitable introduction of Madeline’s mom who I assume will be portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer. Also, I hear you about the high heels and also need to know WHY THE HELL DOES ABIGAIL LAY ON HER BED WHILE STILL WEARING SNEAKERS?
I didn’t notice the sneakers, but Renata’s husband sitting with legs crossed and the sole of his black boot on their expensive-looking couch while they were waiting for the Bo Peep therapist made me all twitchy.
Hmmm…is all this shoes-at-home nonsense deliberate? Is this some sort of metaphor for monied ennui and misery?
More importantly, your screen name is perfection.
Has anyone else noticed that in the opening credits, as the women walk towards the camera, there is a distinct separation between Jane + Bonnie and the other women? It would have been so easy to reshoot that to have them evenly spaces, I have to winder if it’s foreshadowing something?
Bangs aren’t for everyone. Looking at you, Jane.
That hair is truly unfortunate.
This week’s episodes, with Madeline’s “Rainbow Connection” on BLL and Polly’s “double rainbow” on Claws, cemented my belief that these shows are Bizarro versions of each other. The Monterey 5 = the Palmetto 5.Celeste = DesnaMadeline = JenniferRenata = PollyBonnie = Quiet AnnJane = Virginia
Is it wrong that angry Renata turns me on? Also when is the therapist going to win an Emmy already? Like geez
This season has justified itself to me twice already. The first was Jane telling Ziggy about his parentage (not often seen on TV, maybe not appropriate at his age, but something some single moms have to eventually tell some kids nonetheless); and this week with Celeste being unable to forget or escape or help missing her abuser. That happens too, as bad as it is, in our twisted psyches. All it took for me was seeing Nicole in Aquaman this year to realize just what a created character Celeste is, as alluring as she is perplexing. The blurry sleep-drive through her medication last week was so very Celeste, and she’d probably be a great lawyer if she could ever bring herself into focus about anything.
I rewatched the first season, and realized I had forgotten about this bit: when Madeline and Ed had a fight after the theatre opening night, Ed sits outside smoking. Madeline comes outside and wants to apologize and starts, “I have made a terrible mistake…” – and he puts his hand on hers and says “Don’t say anything else.”
So I get him being upset at her cheating, but he’s being a hypocrite about her not telling him earlier.
Is there no other psychologist in Monterey that Madeline and Ed have to go to Celeste’s? Not that I’m complaining about seeing more of her – if I ever need a therapist, I would hope she’d be as tough and real with me as she is with Celeste, Madeline and Ed.The child psychologist dressed as Bo-Peep with the fake teeth giving Amabella a quick assessment had me rolling. I loved how fast she switched from “let’s have tea and cookies next time!” to ‘You two are stressing her the fuck out. Stop it.” That was beautiful to watch.
Very glad to read your observation. The huddle Celeste and Madeline have to review M’s session illustrates friends should not share a therapist. I speak as a patient whose best friend in school happened to see the same university health care therapist. Jealousy and second guessing inevitably rises and distracts or muddies both women’s work w Reisman. I wish the show at least acknowledged this jeopardizing choice. At least, have Reisman speak ground rules. For drama sake, sure, break them, but what we saw disappointed me,Btw: Did you laugh at the reveal that Madeline was in couple’s therapy , not in one-on-one. I laughed, then realized that Reismans scenes were never a place for laughs, and the Madeline and Ed session intruduced a comic tone where in S1, Reisman couch was always a sacred truth spaceChappened is too strong, but I did feel that Reismsn therapy time was sullied or less special, now that MMM personality injects “irrverance” and cues out internal laugh tracks to be at the ready.
After three episodes, I am at about 80% that a second season should not have happened.
Yep. I’m the same. AV Club, Vulture, and a lot of other outlets are reviewing this season really positively so far, and I’m at a loss. Am I watching a different show? So far, season two lacks focus, both in the narrative and the direction (especially the direction. The snippets of Vallee’s footage from S1 are jarring when juxtaposed with Arnold’s. ) Several characters (here’s looking at you, Renata and Nathan) have devolved into outright caricature rather than the sly, cutting commentary we saw in S1. The pacing is all over the place. But more than anything, I’m often finding that I’m asking myself “So?” multiple times throughout each episode. I feel like episode 3 was particularly bad with regard to trodding ground we’d already covered before. I feel like we’re spinning our wheels with several different plot threads. Celeste has basically had the same conversation with her therapist in all three episodes, hasn’t she? I think it’s fairly clear at this point that Mary Louise is going to make a play for custody of the twins. But honestly, her shtick is getting real old, too. I have a hunch I’m going to finish this season and then forget it ever happened. The first season is nicely self-contained, and they probably should have left it at that. This second season hasn’t done very much yet to justify why it needed to be made, in my opinion.
Also, everyone keeps talking about what a pretty girl Jane is, but she would be 100% prettier with a different haircut.in true Big Little Lies fashion.
AFA Jane having Ziggy meet ‘Big Love’ Guy (hereafter BLG), I thought she explained why that happened like it did, something about Ziggy wanting to surf, and BLG was a surfer, and I guess he hounded her until she gave in.That doesn’t excuse it, so you’re still correct. She needs to be Ziggy’s Mom, not his friend, which seems to be a line that is blurred in their relationship.
I like “isn’t it crazy that HBO shows women sitting around in high heels, who does that?” paired w/ focusing on the outfits they wear and the haircuts that would make them look prettier. That’s a fairly ironic concern that kind of exemplifies why people still give a shit about things like looking ready to hit the town for a night out while making tacos for the family, because someone somewhere might worry they don’t look purty enough in their 50,000$ wardrobe one episode to retain viewers.
Gwen, i don’t think anyone is watching this show for the fashion and hairstyles, but you do you.
The show is good and all but can they please go back into post-production and turn the volume up on all of Dr. Reisman’s scenes? I basically have to watch this show with the remote in my hand the entire time just so I can double the volume to hear her whispering.
may i suggest using closed-captioning? i need to watch most newer shows with the CC on because everyone mumbles these days.
Someone on Twitter was like, “Some of these Big Little Lies characters have strong anti-vaxx energy. Season three should be about a measles outbreak.”
So do we think Perry was responsible for his brother’s death or Mary Louise was?