Next in the Queue: Big Little Lies Season 2 Review

That damn cliffhanger! This show can't be over, can it??

Dear Mr.David E Kelley,

You created a great show in "Big Little Lies" and now you're the cause of many restless nights. That's rude. But ballsy and I'll give you that.

Sincerely,
Blogger guy who won't start an online petition to reshoot your show

www.hindustantimes.com

Don't worry there will be NO SPOILERS in this review. Anyway...last night's ending to Big Little Lies season 2 was stressful to say the least due to that massive cliffhanger, but undeniably the best episode of the season. I wish the whole season was on that level, much like season 1 was. That being said I still really enjoyed season 2 and the tour de force of acting that these powerful women bring to TV.

I love this show simply for the mix of heavy drama and heavier pettiness. Watching the women of the Monterey 5 deal with both rich people problems and real people problems is damn entertaining. Going into each of the five; Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) was the most annoying part of this season as she was just the walking embodiment of depression and not only because of certain actions last season but her mommy problems (and I can't blame her, the woman was an oddball) and a certain revelation about her relationship.

Next up, Jane (Shailene Woodley) who is a sweetheart and a young single-mom trying her best to give her son a good life and find some semblance of happiness after a terrible sexual assault that haunts her everyday. She's the one you root for because of what she's going through and she doesn't make the money of the other four to become unrealistic, and I have a friend who has a history very similar to Jane's, so I have extra sympathy for anyone going through what she has to.

You could tell that they tried to get Reese Witherspoon that 2020 Emmy win with how much Madeline went through this season. And as much as I love Reese from "Wild" and "Walk the Line" (one of my all-time favorites), Madeline's problems this season were mostly self-inflicted, creating some disconnect with me personally. The real MVP of her storyline is her husband, Ed (Adam Scott), who is a real class-act throughout the season and makes many of the right decisions, putting him on Jack Pearson-level of TV husband/father status. I tip my cap to Ed.

rhetorical question?

The main target of the season 2 plot, Celeste, was...I want to say a letdown for the majority of the season. But I say that as a man who has never been through what she had in terms of an abusive relationship or a death of a significant other, so I won't judge her actions too much. No matter what the character did, Nicole Kidman came to PLAY in the last two episodes. Straight up stealing that Emmy nom from Reese next year. She was an unstoppable force in the finale and when needed most to go up against the immovable object known as the STREEP...

Monday's...

Speaking of the greatest actress of all time (and possibly actor in general), Meryl Streep. Look when they cast her last year everyone knew what we were in for and we got the full Streep Monster. Every episode she came up to any and all of the Monterey 5 and schooled them hard. Figuring out if she is the bad guy the whole season was a challenge, sure she's the antagonist, but the best villains are the ones who don't see themselves as villains. My only desire is they didn't flashback to her and her son's (Alexander Skarsgard) past quite enough.

Bringing me to the MVP of this season!

giphy.com

LAURA DERN LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Her performance was the start of Hurricane season 2019. In season 1, Renata Kline was the least utilized of the characters, since she started as a villain, but not this season. You could tell Laura was having so much fun and it was even more fun watching her. Her arc was a tragic one but it's overshadowed by how extreme Renata is. This woman doesn't go from 0-100, she starts at a 100 and goes to 'I hate you 3000.' I want more than anything for that gif above to be a poster on my wall; "I will not, not be rich" is a damn life motto if I've ever heard one.

Future look at the 2020 Emmy's

Lastly, I don't want to forget the kids since they're actually impressively good in this show; two violent twins, little girls as petty as their mom's, and Young Sheldon. Overall, season 2 was not on the level of the breakout of season 1 but still high-quality TV nonetheless. The plot was thin and some of the characters bogged down the show but you could tell they were having fun. My biggest complaint is wanting more and that's always the best complaint. Showrunner David E Kelley comes from network television so he was still writing for 42-minute episodes when HBO will give you over an hour, plus 7 episodes is a weird number. Most importantly, it took me so long to pick which gifs to use because there are so many, so I will be using them for months on end. Unfortunately these women are so busy, I can't imagine we get a season 3 until it magically pops up. So here's one last parting gift - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G450Xcsx1l8

Big Little Lies should be next in your queue if you haven't binged it already!!!

No.

-Ryan, TGYK