Is that all we will get from the Monterey Five? The Big Little Lies season 2 finale felt more like a season finale than a series finale. Is there hope for Big Little Lies season 3?
‘Big Little Lies’ season 2 finale reaction
I’m not gonna lie, Big Little Lies did not provide the ultimate closure that I was hoping for. Something about the promise of what season 2 was supposed to be left me unable to be completely satisfied with the series as a whole.
And I think a big part of that is the unsettling nature of Andrea Arnold’s ousting and the heavy editing that was done after she was no longer in creative control. If you want to read up on the behind-the-scenes drama, here’s a good place to get a basic understanding.
It more than explains the scattered feeling of the beginning of the season that I mistakenly chocked up to a creative decision. As the season goes on, that scattered feeling never really crystalized into anything more meaningful. If the episodes had started to feel smoother, or even more disparate, it wouldn’t have felt as much like a second season that was spliced together by a total of 15 different editors. Yikes.
Now let’s get to the awesome work done by a fantastic group of actresses.
No matter how unhappy I am with the editing and overall impression left by Big Little Lies season 2, I will always be impressed by the performances of the cast they have assembled. Whether it’s the desperate, recovering, and grieving widow played by Nicole Kidman, or the suspicious, in-denial, yet loving mother-in-law mother played by Meryl Streep, no actor or character was disappointing.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I loved watching Laura Dern lose her mind every week as Renata Klein, especially when she was treating her husband exactly as every woman would dream of treating her white-collar-crime-committing, nanny-banging husband. I loved watching Shailene Woodley heal and fall in love with a cooky, endearing guy after all the horrors that Jane Chapman survived. I loved watching Zoe Kravitz craft a delicate balance with her portrayal of Bonnie as she struggled with her responsibility involving Perry’s death, and ultimately come to terms with her own truths. I loved watching Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline claw her way out of the expressway-to-divorce and ultimately get a second chance to spend the rest of her life loving Ed.
Do I think these women will take their happily (ish) ever afters and never screw them up? Of course not. Madeline will probably never cheat on Ed again, but she will definitely find other ways to challenge his love for her. It’s what she does. And Bonnie isn’t going to have the easiest road, but at least the guilt will begin to subside as she accepts punishment for her part.
Celeste has a LOT of healing to do, so things are bound to be hard for her. Jane is just getting past a life-altering truth popping up at the worst possible time, so she’s surely going to have a setback or two along the way to happiness. And (not so) poor Renata Klein. That woman will fight tooth and nail for her daughter, so I’m certain that she will find her way back from this bankruptcy hiccup eventually, it will just take longer. She’ll probably be divorced before she sees the last of the lashes from the aftermath of Gordon’s screw ups.
But that’s why we all love the women of Big Little Lies. They are FAR from perfect, but watching them try to navigate motherhood while also handling marriages and companies and activism and careers is what makes their stories compelling.
Will we be getting ‘Big Little Lies’ season 3?
It’s not looking good. In this article from E! Online, we hear from three different sources on the matter.
HBO president Casey Bloys basically says that they would love to do another season, but it’s probably not happening. Nicole Kidman would love to do a Big Little Lies season 3, but not without everyone involved returning. Lastly, BLL creator/writer David E. Kelley said, “We wrote season two as if this were the end.” Although isn’t that what everyone behind the show said at the end of season one?
So, while season 3 lingers out there in limbo until we get a firm yes or no from the show’s stars and showrunner, we can all just consider the possibilities of a season 3.
Which would undoubtedly include seeing how the Monterey Five handle the aftermath of going to the police (How would their respective families react to learning about the lie?). Watching as Madeline tries too desperately not to screw up her marriage the second time. Being there as Jane continues to take baby steps back toward having a healthy and rewarding relationship. And what this would mean for Mary Louise, who suspected all along that her son was murdered.
And not to mention the kids. Third grade would undoubtedly bring new struggles as they start to leave the innocence of childhood behind and begin the steep climb through their pre-teen years.