Big Little Lies - I Want to Know *

Concluding Big Little Lies this evening, I truly stand amazed at how the stars somehow aligned and the right people were able to corral these amazing talents into one series. Even if just a limited series, to be able to amass this kind of caliber of actress together is quite an achievement. I don’t think it was as successful as the first season—but look at the quality of it, so that was almost an impossible feat to begin with!—but it sure had some incredible acting and gave each actress (Kravitz was given a lot more meat on the bone than in the first season and Dern’s scene-stealing was phenomenal) plenty of time to further develop their characters from the previous season. It is hard not to cheer when Renata just goes berserk on her husband’s train set and “toy room” or outburst on Mary Louise for her parenting needling at the espresso café. There is a cute “renewing of vows” scene involving Maddy and Ed, after Ed decides they need to truly recommit to each other. The season seemed to head towards either a reconciliation or separation while Renata’s path towards divorce just appeared inevitable. Bonnie’s memories of a mother who carried her on her back on the beach and the withering comatose body certain to perish at any time during the present certainly seem to lead to her that police station to confess…but the tragedy of having a brief awakened mother just reinforced the heartbreak when another stroke does her in once and for all. Jane ending up with Corey, as he has went out of his way, bent over backwards, to prove he was there for her and willing to wait until she legitimately wanted a serious relationship—the previous episode had Jane confronting Corey about his being seen at the police station by Bonnie—I don’t think an viewer didn’t ultimately anticipate. Ziggy encouraging Jane to give him a chance was more or less the nudge she truly needed and Corey was never really a red flag. It wasn’t like he was ever aggressive or dangerous. And Jane really did deserve to be happy after so much anguish and uncertainty if she could somehow manage the trauma and embrace romance. I think most folks, also, figure Renata, as fierce as she is, will bounce back and make it despite her husband’s poor choices bankrupting them…her daughter’s welfare is certain to motivate Renata. Bonnie admitting to Nathan she didn’t love him right after her mom being carted away should also be no great shocker considering she would eventually go to the police station to free up no more lies. Quite an episode: and all of this besides the whopper of a court conclusion.