Your Entertainment Corner

<i>Big Little Lies</i> – “Somebody’s Dead” and “Serious Mothering” Advance Review. All is Not as it Seems.

  • By

  • February 10, 2017

  • 9 mins to read

Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2

Air Date: Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on HBO

Rating: ★★★★★

 

HBO invited the media to screen the first two episodes of its new limited series Big Little Lies at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia PA. While I knew ahead of time the series revolves around a murder mystery, I was surprised to find out it is by no means your typical whodunit. Specifically, neither the victim nor any of the suspects are revealed, nor do you see the crime committed. I immediately thought of Showtime’s The Affair and Lifetime’s Devious Maids as both shows begin in a similar manner. That said, Big Little Lies is nothing like those shows.

L-R Jane, Madeline, and Celeste get to know each other while their kids are in school.

Big Little Lies takes place in the serene seaside setting of picturesque Monterey, CA. The story is a tale of the beautiful women who reside there—mothers and wives—their husbands, and adorable children. The landscapes are gorgeous, especially the views from the homes of Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and long-time best friend Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman). I’d give anything to be able to wake up and fall asleep to the exquisite ocean front backdrop both women enjoy. Be forewarned, though; all is not as it seems.

School is back in session after summer break and what seems like a routine morning of Madeline driving her two children to school turns into something quite unexpected. It leads to an immediate connection between Madeline and Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), who is also driving her son Ziggy (Iain Armitage) to the same school. Jane, not a member of the rich and elite, is new to the area and quite happy to make a new friend so quickly. As all the parents and kids catch up on their summers at school, Madeline introduces Jane to Celeste; thus, the newest clique in town is formed. An incident at the school later in the day leads to an event that pits mother against mother and introduces us to another Monterey resident, Renata Klein (Laura Dern), and her daughter Amabella (Ivy George).

Madeline (C) introduces Renatta (L) to Jane (R) at school while Amabella looks on.

Both episodes follow the lives of Madeline, Celeste, and Jane through their own eyes, and paint a picture of a town rife with rumor and innuendo, secrets, and duplicity. There’s also quite a lot of fun, gossip, and juicy conversation. In “Somebody’s Dead,” the audience is treated to flashbacks, which is how we learn one of the characters was murdered. While we are led to believe it is one of the major players, it’s anyone’s guess. Those flashbacks, as well as the ones in “Serious Mothering,” take us through the police press conference that announces the murder, and eventually the interrogations of several minor players.

Madeline is a master manipulator, both in her personal, public, and part-time professional life. She’s not one to back down from a fight, and often instigates them herself to get what she wants. It seems many people have good reason to dislike her, especially Renatta. It is her daughter Amabella who accuses Jane’s son Ziggy of unwanted behavior, a scene that made me cringe. Just as Jane came to Madeline’s rescue in the beginning of “Somebody’s Dead,” now it’s Madeline’s turn to help Jane and Ziggy.

Ah, the picture of a loving couple. But are Perry (L) and Celeste (R) truly happy?

Celeste, statuesque and stunning, has two personas—a calm, peaceful one she shows to her friends, and a dark side seen only by her most gorgeous husband, Perry (Alexander Skarsgård). He has some demons of his own, prompting Celeste to suggest counseling. Celeste is quite the enigma, though; while she detests what happens with Perry, it also appears she enjoys it. It’s impossible to tell who wears the pants in this relationship, which is what makes it so damn interesting!

Jane absolutely dotes on her son, but seems to be hiding some secrets of her own. She says she wants to provide a “better life” for Ziggy, which makes me wonder how bad her previous one was. Where is she from and why did she leave? I can’t wait to find out Jane’s back story. I’m picturing something sinister but as we all know, sometimes your imagination is worse than the truth.

Woodley brings a freshness to Jane that is exciting to watch, and Kidman is expert at being prim and proper, then surprisingly, sexy and seductive. While horrified by some of Kidman and Skarsgård’s scenes, I soon learned things are not as they appear.

L-R Abigail, Chloe, Ed, and Madeline during a typical dinner at their house.

By all measures, Witherspoon turns in one of her best performances ever. She is at once a fierce woman willing to do anything to protect her children, and then a contemplative woman who is desperate to be happy. Does she truly love her husband Ed (Adam Scott) or does her heart still belong to Nathan (James Tupper), her ex-husband? There’s quite the interesting dynamic there, especially when it comes to Nathan’s new wife Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz), a young yoga instructor. There’s a bit of jealousy between the two women caused by the relationship Bonnie has with Madeline and Nathan’s teenage daughter Abigail (Kathryn Newton). Sometimes, it’s very difficult for a mother to accept a step-mother in her daughter’s life, especially when there’s an age difference between them.

The opening credits are beautiful, with shots of ocean waves crashing to shore with naked bodies and other enticing scenes superimposed over them. The dialogue in Big Little Lies is sharp and witty. One of my favorite lines comes from the principal (P.J. Byrne) of Otter Bay Elementary School as he is being interviewed by the police. “Actually, in my graduate thesis, I coined the term ‘helicopter parent.’ But these gems—they’re fucking kamikazes!”

All of the youngsters in Big Little Lies are just adorable but Darby Camp, who plays Madeline and Ed’s daughter Chloe, steals every scene she is in. For a first-grader, Chloe acts more like an adult than the child she is, and Camp pulls it off beautifully. Her facial expressions alone are worth the price of the ticket, so to speak. I’m not quite sure what to make of Celeste and Perry’s twin sons Max and Josh (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti). While their antics remind me of the expression, “boys will be boys,” I get the feeling one of them is responsible for the school incident involving Amabella. Time will tell.

While there are a few scenes that drag a bit, the majority of the two episodes are riveting as we watch the lives of these women unveil in all their salacious deliciousness. What appears to be a happy marriage may be anything but. How some people present themselves is the exact opposite of who they really are, and I’m not just talking about the women. There’s a scene between Nathan and Ed that is captivating to watch as it shows us each man’s character flaws and what they’re made of. One of the biggest questions I was left with when the screening was over is, is what these people accept as their daily lives real or is it what they wish them to be? This, and more, hopefully will be revealed by the end of the seven-episode season.

Big Little Lies is based on the number one best seller of the same name by Liane Moriarty, and is written entirely by David E. Kelly. All seven episodes are directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who does a terrific job. The series premieres Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 9:00 pm ET/PT, only on HBO. The show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO on Demand and affiliate portals.

Check out Big Little Lies on its official webpage.

Like Big Little Lies on Facebook.

Follow the series on Twitter.

Photos courtesy of Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/ © 2017 Home Box Office. All Rights Reserved.

 

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!