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SHOW:
Big Little Lies S2
WHERE TO WATCH
OUR RATING
5/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
In the aftermath of Perry's death, Celeste, Madeline, Jane, and Renata try to move on with their lives, while Bonnie considers turning herself in to the police. It is the first day of second grade for the children, and the five women reunite.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
I sometimes wonder how many secrets the ocean would know if it could read the minds of those sitting on its beaches hypnotised by its rhythmic waves. The back-and-forth motion of the salty water mimicking breathing – essential for human life.
In the second season of HBO's Big Little Lies the ocean would carry a heavy burden as its main cast is riddled by deep dark secrets including murder, infidelity, and self-hate.
Lead by a cast of remarkable female actors, the show makes a triumphant return as it welcomes Hollywood heavyweight Meryl Streep to its A-list crew.
Meryl, as Mary Louise - the mother of Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard), brings with her arrival a complex mix of intricate plot twists that make for thrilling viewing and nail-biting cliffhangers.
As each character deals with their own unique and complicated storyline, they are still all united by the secret they keep – one that Mary Louise is dangerously close to exposing.
Big Little Lies season 2 masterfully weaves together a collection of singular storylines that are strong enough to stand on their own, but together create moments that are so heavy that breathing seems almost impossible.
Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman), Jane (Shailene Woodley), Renata (Laura Dern), and Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz) are forever bound together by what happened at the school's trivia night. Although they share an overarching burden of guilt, each woman still carries her own unique struggle.
The secret to the success of Big Little Lies sits within the bond that its female protagonists share. Despite their battles to keep together their crumbling personal lives, the women are a united front. They stand up for each other, support each other, protect each other, and fight for one another. The show does not rely on its main cast to fight each other to secure thrilling viewing, but instead, it's their bond that keeps audiences captivated – a rarity for TV shows with an all-female lead cast.
Not everyone will probably agree, but I think Big Little Lies season 2 is one the best TV shows to be released so far this year. It is complex, layered, and rich in beautiful stories portrayed on screen by a phenomenal cast. It's like the ocean on a stormy day. It will suck you in, throw you around mercilessly, and then wash you out exhausted, yet strangely filled with a new-found respect for the power it possesses.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
