Big Little Lies - Tell-Tale Hearts

What a mess for Madeline. Her corralling the other ladies in her crew to lie when it would have been better just to tell the truth about Perry’s monstrous abuse of Celeste has just turned all of their lives upside down. Perry is no longer with them, but he might as well be. He’s almost in every conversation, on the thoughts and even dreams. Jane couldn’t shield her son from the truth, and Celeste couldn’t convince Mary Louise that her son was a rapist responsible for a child out of it. Perry’s abuse on Celeste spread to one of their sons while the other son must often defend himself. Mary Louise finally lays her cards on the table, confronting Celeste with all the details not shared with the police during the time of Perry’s death. Bonnie continues to hike and jog but the truth still follows her no matter how far she tries to run or wishes to avoid it. If Bonnie just could have told the truth, her aloofness and distance (Nathan, in a moment of desperation, calls her mom which just makes matters worse) would not separate her so from her husband and even the daughter that knows something’s wrong and yet is kept in the dark. Elizabeth (Crystal Fox), Bonnie’s mother, isn’t one to mince words, openly chiding Nathan regarding his oblivious nature and naïveté. She realizes Bonnie has not been the same since Perry’s death, popping off at Nathan for not coming to that conclusion sooner.

This is only the second episode and nearly every scene is explosive. Madeline and her daughter are talking when the adultery with the theater director comes up, Ed hearing it. Ed also questions Madeline about Perry being the father of Jane’s child and never being told about it. Nathan confronts Ed again (Why? Can’t Nathan just leave Ed alone?) about all the drama, including Bonnie. Ed wants nothing to do with Nathan and their tension continues to remain quite visceral. Nathan just wants to punch Ed because Ed is just not interested in humoring him. At least by episode’s end, Bonnie hugs Nathan and assures him that he just needs to be patient, despite not knowing what the hell’s going on. Elizabeth’s abrasiveness and lack of filter just polarizes Bonnie, with her request to her mom to just leave. Ed just fed up with Madeline’s secrets and lies leaves him to proclaim their marriage over! It just snowballs. Bonnie telling Madeline that that lie is consuming her, Ed considering leaving her, Mary Louise’s rivalry with her, the secret regarding Perry’s being the father of Jane’s son caused by Madeline’s daughter overhearing her talking about it on the phone; this is not the best episode for Madeline, that is for sure!

But even worse than Madeline’s situation is Renata’s! Her husband is arrested and charged for not adhering to the rules of the S.E.C. All of their assets are frozen except their child’s trust! Renata, not even able to bask in the glory of being on the cover of Women in Power, discovers when the FBI handcuff her husband in public and upon visiting him at jail that they will be completely broke, losing everything due to his criminality! That scene when Renata freaks out on her husband in the car, dumping him off the side of the road, returning to pick him up after cooling off almost immediately after her furious raging is a Dern dandy. Her banging on the glass, raging at her husband, proclaiming she will “not not be rich”, cracked me up. You go from having it all to having nothing: Renata coming to terms with that will be quite something to see.

Celeste and Jane tied together by Perry, with Mary Louise realizing she has another grandson—despite the cause being rape—adds a wrinkle to the drama that only complicates everything even further. Mary Louise and Madeline exchanging unpleasantries certainly has become a favorite part of the second season for me! Truthfully, Jane and Celeste keeping Perry’s actions a secret just wasn’t feasible long term. Celeste wrecking because of Ambien and lack of sleep, still thinking about Perry, later convinced by her therapist to imagine Madeline being beat by Perry in her place; the goal of convincing Celeste that holding on to what was good sometimes works, other times doesn’t. And with Mary Louise just refusing to accept her son had his faults (Celeste tells her about the abuse, the sex, their “sickness”) and willing to bring everything out into the open…the lies could soon be fully elaborated to the police. What then? * * * * / * * * *