Reese and Nicole and Laura and Audrey and Elvis: Thread for BIG LITTLE LIES on HBO

i may be a total weirdo but if the entire show was just 7 hours straight of those therapy scenes i'd still be happy

did you ever watch In Treatment?

In Treatment was so fucking creepy and not in a good way.

my mom loved that show but i could never imagine watching it, i get enough out of my own therapy

yeah I only watched the first season and it was years ago...I had actually forgotten about the plot which I think you're referring to as creepy.
It's too bad though, as BLL shows, it's an interesting dramatic situation that so often rings totally false when I see it dramatized.

Dr Melfi obviously the prime example of how it should be done.

A friend I wouldn't expect to said he watched this, so I picked up a bootleg on the weekend. Of course the thing that caught my attention in the first episode was Babe Ruth. I'd never heard Babe Ruth in my life, but as the tiny image of the album cover flashed by on the daughter's cell phone, I did a double-take--"Is that actually what I think it is?" (I was familiar with the album cover)--and backed up. At which point I guessed correctly that that was also what I was hearing. Bizarre. A little far-fetched, maybe, but interesting.

Couple of episodes to go--fascinating, especially (what else) the music. I just read the second season will be directed by Andrea Arnold...excellent. And Meryl Streep will be added...not sure what to say there--could be good.

So, season 2...?

First ep was fine, pretty much in line with what came before. Streep bringin' some quality pass agg into the mix.

I enjoyed the first one a lot - cast were amazing - but I sort of file it with bloodline, stranger things, that recent one that was a bit like this and had a title almost as bad as big little lies: decent shows that really, intensely do not need a sequel. I sort of feel like if tv really is where it’s meant to be at we can be as sceptical of these things having second series as we would be of like phantom thread 2 or 2nd reformed

(sort of)

hard agree

killing eve kinda in this category for me too, can't believe how little i care about watching it after having loved S1

2nd reformed lol

Sequel title jokes are the lamest played-out shit and anyone who makes or enjoys them should be ashamed except when I do it: boogaloo’s gold

I don't mind the continuation of these types of shows if there's some intention informing the decision, either a long game arc planned out in advance or some specific idea of why there should be another season beyond 'because that's what's expected'. I think shows like this (ie those which are more focused on character/relationship development than on weaving some intricate, high-concept plot) can more easily get away with perpetuation sans some lofty notion of where things are heading. In this case, I'd personally be more concerned about their reach ultimately exceeding their grasp (see: the evolution of Big Love from small-scale character piece to showcase for bugfuck psycho cult shenanigans).

The show I was trying to think of was dead to me, which isn’t as bad a title as big little lies obv but still seems pretty determined to communicate “you can skip this”

They all work so well as self-contained stories and the follow-ups come so soon after that it doesn’t feel as if any thought has gone into whether they should continue it, never mind how they can. Getting back on topic the only interesting avenue for further exploration in BLL I can think of is Adam Scott being kind of a creep, felt like that might be going somewhere, but even there I think the suggestion was enough

I'm pretending the second season of Killing Eve doesn't exist, but I'm enjoying BLL season 2 so far. Streep vs. Witherspoon is fucking hilarious.

hard agree

killing eve kinda in this category for me too, can't believe how little i care about watching it after having loved S1

Re BLL on the other hand, bring it on. Unperson otm

I was dubious, mainly because the first season was based on a novel, and I wasn't sure how they'd extend this beyond the novel; of course HBO did exactly that with the Leftovers and it arguably improved upon itself season over season (at least in my opinion). But so far I think there's enough there to keep exploring. Not sure it would need to go beyond this one, but the aftermath of those events is worth looking at. Also Adam Scott's character shaping up to be one of the only non creeps on the show.

I was so goddamned mad at their little daughter!

Wow. Lotta explosions this week, and it's only episode 2.

Yeah, I have no problem with the way they're continuing the story, particularly since Kelley & co. clearly have no intention to softpedal the potential ramifications of what came before.

I have really liked it so far

Ugh this season is kind of Broadchurching and the dialogue isn’t just too on the nose, it’s *only* on the nose, even the nice therapist is behaving weirdly

Careful, now. 'Broadchuching' is quite a strong pejorative, to be used in only the most egregious instances of contempt for an audience.

I think they're doing a fine job of continuing the narrative. And this might be the role Streep was born to play (inasmuch as her performances rarely elicit much interest for me while this show has me all OMG SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU LADY every time she's onscreen and talking).

It’s Broadchurching in the sense that it’s boringly re-litigating the first season’s narrative, when I’d rather watch the same set of characters in some Wacky New Adventure. And the dialogue... everyone’s lost their mystery and talks too much.

Streep is great but her WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU-ness is bending the other characters out of wack. Hard to believe Kidman or Woodley would be so sanguine about herder so long.

ok, 'm supposed to believe that a schoolteacher is teaching Scott's Marmion to seven-year-olds.

Also, the writers in this have never attended a therapy session because that's not how therapists do their job. They mostly don't say anything.

I’ve had very chatty therapists. But the bluntness is very offTM.

Streep's character is so fucking awful I hope this ends with them throwing her down the stairs

the scene with Dern and the principal this past week was *maybe* the best scene of either series.

Dern in the hospital was great, too. I appreciate that one of the greatest actresses alive is willing to play second fiddle on this show, but I'm definitely glad she's getting more to do this season.

ah, now this season makes sense

'Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Turmoil: Inside Andrea Arnold’s Loss of Creative Control

HBO and David E. Kelley took the show away from Arnold, as executive producer Jean-Mac Vallée tried to return it to his S1 style.

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/07/big-little-lies-season-2-andrea-arnold-lost-creative-control-jean-marc-vallee-1202156884/

loved the first season, but i quit after the 4th episode this time

dont' really feel like this season is as big a mess as some people think.

No, although the behind-the-scenes bullshit is bullshit, for sure.

I'll double down and say this is probably Streep's best role ever. I can't recall the last time I felt such visceral dislike for a character.

I'm enjoying this season and Laura Dern is absolutely killing it.

Of course. Every scene where her character unloads on her husband has been magical.

Would like to see all of the female executive producers on this show give Kelley & Vallee a metaphorical push down the stairs if there's gonna be a season 3.

She gets all the best scenes. Scene in the car this week was amazing! It was obvious hubby was fucking the hot young french nanny the second she appeared.

IMO the season has gotten better as it progressed; possibly Arnold was actually problematic or just not a good fit.

This season is also the first time I've realized that Zoe Kravitz has some actual chops (I think I'd only ever seen her in genre stuff before this show). Everybody's tearing it up (except for Shailene Woodley, who's been okay but generally continues to elicit a big ol' 'IDGI' from me).

I like her a lot but mainly from her work in the Spectacular Now and the Descendants and not this. She had a decent scene with Streep this week.

Every week I hope they toss Streep out a window or something but doesn't look like that's going to happen.

I can see Bonnie smothering her mother just to get caught and take the punishment.

Streep's character is one of those people who makes me all like HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU'VE BEHAVED LIKE THIS INTO YOUR DOTAGE WITHOUT PEOPLE BEATING THE EVERLOVING SHIT OUT OF YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS?!?

I'm liking Woodley this season. The scene where Jane confronts Mary Louise over coffee and the scene between Jane and Ziggy in his bedroom ("he salted you") both really got to me.

The acting from all 5 of them has been great

I love this show, and am enjoying this season as much as the first. I will be sad when it ends

Woodley is better this season than last, I'll grant you that.

i catch eps of this on occasion when my gf is watching, don't really love it tbh.

seeing in the credits a director credit for the excellent andrea arnold and created/produced by that hack david e kelley seemed v incongruous to me. not surprised there was some friction

streep is the most awful character ever in this tho, brava to meryl

I was enjoying this for a while but it's ending up feeling kind of unnecessary. They're dropping threads, too - I felt like they were setting up Ed to start something with Bonnie, and then it just...faded away. But Streep deserves her own Emmy category - Most Punchable.

I don't think they were intending on doing anything with Ed and Bonnie other than giving him a way to be passive aggressive towards Madeline and wind up Nathan at the same time.

Also for real Ed is like the Usain Bolt of passive aggression.