It is a wrap for the cast of ‘Big Little Lies’, but as the sun sets on season two’s finale it begs the question: is a third season on the horizon?
The long anticipated season two finale of HBO’s award winning hit limited television series ‘Big Little Lies’ (based on Liane Moriarty’s novel by the same name) recently reached its dramatic climax on Sky Atlantic, while making its US debut prior to that. With this season under the helm of a new director, Andrea Arnold, and with many questions left unanswered at the end of the penultimate episode it seemed dubious as to how the show would match the success of its first season and deliver a fitting finale that would satisfy its viewers. Yet the culmination of season two, in much the same vein as season one, delivered on all accounts and definitely did not disappoint, drawing in the series’ biggest audience (1.98 million viewers), exceeding the figure set by season one’s finale. With a stellar ensemble cast led by the show’s executive producers, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, and with compelling storylines that focus on real issues that are very relevant in today’s current Me Too era, ‘Big Little Lies’ is nothing short of entertainment at its very best, showcasing some of the top roles for women on television to date.
Season two of ‘Big Little Lies’ picks up from where season one left off, with the Monterey Five continuing to guard their secret and lie about what really happened the night of the school’s talent contest when Celeste Wright’s (Kidman) abusive husband, Perry (Alexander Skarsgård), fell to his death. It also delves deeper into their five characters’ storylines, exploring how Celeste struggles to come to terms with her grief and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, as well as trying to deal with being a single mother, while Madeleine’s (Witherspoon) and Renata’s (Laura Dern) marriages are put to the test and Jane (Shailene Woodley) slowly begins to come to terms with the true identity of her rapist, revealed at the end of season one, and opening herself up to the possibility of dating again. Notably, Zoë Kravitz’s character Bonnie is given a bigger story arc this season, as she wrestles with her guilt over what she has done and whether to come clean, all the while being haunted by memories from her childhood.
As for Hollywood Royalty herself, who makes the already impressive lineup read like a who’s who in Hollywood, three time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep joins the cast this season in the role of Mary-Louise (which incidentally is Streep’s real name), the mother of Perry, who comes to stay with Celeste to help her while she is still grieving the loss of her husband. In as much as her animosity towards Madeline yields much of the standout comedic moments of season two, particularly when taking aim at Witherspoon’s diminutive figure, it is Mary-Louise’s quest for the truth of what happened to her son which provides much of the high drama, with her growing conflict with Celeste regarding who should have custody of Celeste’s twin boys, providing arguably some of the best dramatic moments. Both actresses deliver outstanding performances as seen in last night’s final episode, when things finally come to a head between Celeste and Mary-Louise, as they face off in a dramatic courtroom showdown, where it is anyone’s guess as to who will win.
In an HBO candid roundtable with the female stars of this world-wide TV phenomenon, each shared how this new season is about these five women who at the end of season one are drawn into somewhat of an unlikely friendship from the lie they have told and how it is interesting to explore that a lie that took ten minutes for these women to make, takes seven hours to unfold. We see how in the same way that the lie is the one thing that binds these very diverse women together, it is also the one thing that ultimately risks tearing them apart as they struggle to hold onto it and to deal with the repercussions of the dark turn of events that took place that ominous night.
A mixture of high drama and dark comedy, set in the stunning locale of Monterey, California and with a killer soundtrack, including the opening theme ‘Cold Little Heart’ (by Michael Kiwanuka), ‘the Wonder of Me’ (Villagers), ‘Harvest Moon’ (Neil Young) and the fabulous single ‘Have you ever seen the rain?’ (Willie Nelson, featuring Paula Nelson), one wonders if the show will be able to repeat its awards success that it enjoyed last year when it picked up a multitude of awards for its stars Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård and Laura Dern, as well as the hit television drama itself, but that is a question that will have to remain to be seen come 2020, as sadly season two premiered a week after the cut off date for shows to be accepted for this year’s Emmy nominations. However, already much buzz is circulating that Dern is the standout star of this season and will be sure to pick up an award for putting in a hilarious performance of Renata battling rage issues, as she faces losing her millions thanks to her husband being up on fraud charges. Yet Kidman and Streep also surely deserve a nomination for their performances as two conflicting women - one a grieving mother and one a grieving widow who is also now a single mother, none more so than for their very moving courtroom drama in the final two episodes, as the show continues to shine a very important light on domestic abuse. And then there is Kravitz who as aforementioned plays a much more pivotal role this season and who could also be in with a chance of picking up a nomination next year.
While it is clear that the friendship between its leading ladies continues to run strong, since the departure of ‘Big Little Lies’ from our screens, the show has been plagued by rumours of disharmony behind the scenes concerning female director Andrea Arnold. Yet both Witherspoon and Kidman as well as HBO’s Programming President, Casey Bloys, have been quick to deny the rumours that creative control was taken away from Arnold and to praise her talent. So what about a season three you ask? Despite the show’s heads continuing to refute the idea that there will be a third season, the closing shot of the five women filing into the police station in the ultimate episode, suggests otherwise. As much as the fans have not yet tired of the hit show, it would appear neither has its stars, with Kidman recently saying on Good Morning America, “I will go on the record and say I would love that!” We would too Nicole, but only time will tell if our wish is granted. However, if the last time is anything to go by, then fans of the show can remain hopeful that we have not yet seen the last of the Monterey Five.














