Big Little Lies HBO

[NYadgal]

Loved.  

[WithoutATrace]

Loved it too. Fantastic finale!

[uncageg]

4:00 am. Couldn't wait for on Demand!

Excellent finale. I had a question as I was posting this but the "Inside the episode" afterwards answered it.

 

[SmoothLover]

What a great ending! It did not disappoint!

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I just loved that scene where all the women who had these real problems with one another united to defend Celeste from nearly being beaten to death by her husband. That's an image that would last with me for a long time.

I think most people solved the mystery early on, but it's a mark of good storytelling that I kept coming back for more AND I loved the way the last episode played out. 

[henrikegerman]

SPOILERS:

So, why exactly did they conspire to lie about what actually happened?

To protect the kids?  Ziggy in particular?  ????

To keep to a simple story and avoid any possibility of prosecution?

And for anyone who's read the book, are the answers to this question clearer?

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I think it was to protect Bonnie from facing charges of manslaughter.

[henrikegerman]

^Thanks.  

Possible.  Although the cops' dialogue at the end suggests a deeper or at least more complicated bond and confidence between the women that motivates the lie, no?  A further reason for the secret?

My own take is that the fear of further investigation/prosecution isn't any real fear that Bonnie would be convicted.  Nor that Celeste and Perry's children can be shielded from Perry being an abuser (they already know and the lie doesn't promote the idea that he's not).  But that if there were further investigation based on the truth, that would mean that Perry being Ziggy's father would likely be revealed.  That's the reason the women bond together to help Jane avoid that.  But I'm wondering if the book sheds any additional light on this.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I think it's because the cops don't know what happened since they decided to come up with a story and stick to it. This is one situation where the audience knows more than the characters do so the female detective is thinking something much more untoward is going on (probably premeditated) whereas we saw what actually happened and how it's a lot more innocent than whatever it is the detective (or the whole town) is theorizing.

[SmoothLover]

I think it was just understood immediately among the women that the end justified the means. And in the process they were all taking control of their lives which was something that they were struggling with. It empowered them thus bonding them for life. I thought the miniseries had a very strong feminist viewpoint and in a way it was unsettling because even though there is more equality for women the men still have the upper hand. And I say this as a guy.

[uncageg]

My understanding is that there is mention of abuse in Bonnie's past in the book. I don't remember that being mentioned in the series and if it wasn't, I womder if they were afraid that we would piece things together quicker?

[uncageg]

Good article on the show and finale:

 

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/the-cathartic-finale-of-big-little-lies

[henrikegerman]

SmoothLover said: "I think it was just understood immediately among the women that the end justified the means. And in the process they were all taking control of their lives which was something that they were struggling with. It empowered them thus bonding them for life. I thought the miniseries had a very strong feminist viewpoint and in a way it was unsettling because even though there is more equality for women the men still have the upper hand. And I say this as a guy."

I agree, but the question is not why they took control of the situation while it was occurring, but why, precisely, they conspired to cover up what actually happened - why the lie?

 

"

 

[rosscoe(au)]

Just finished watching all seven hours on a flight to Australia, that really was something special. Kidman was superb along with the rest of the cast. That final was outstanding 

[henrikegerman]

Book-movie comparison SPOILER *****

 A friend just finished the novel and clued me in.  The end of the novel is very different.  Much clearer about the death itself and about the consideration of lying about the circumstances of the death question.  It's all much more fully explained and seems to make far more sense both politically and psychologically.  

In fact there really is ultimately no lie to the authorities about what directly led to Perry's death, and with that Bonnie takes ownership for her actions and lets the chips fall legally where they might.

And the relationships between the women are left much more complicated than in the tv movie.

(I don't nec. have a problem with the series taking a very diff. direction at the end, but I wish it would have been a far clearer explanation of what exactly was going on.... as is, it made little sense to me)
 

[Stage Door Sally]

My one main issue was not fleshing out Bonnie more fully. Could have skipped Laura Dern's office sex scene and just delved a bit into who Bonnie was.

[SmoothLover]

I think they lied to protect Bonnie. Pushing  him down the stairs might not have held up in court. I think they could have hinted about her past without making a big deal out of it. It always felt like she would play a part in the finale. 

[Mister Matt]

I ended up enjoying it, though I predicted 90% of the ending during episode 3 and it was really the final three episodes that made the whole thing worthwhile.  The story felt mostly like déjà vu, but it was the direction, performances, editing and cinematography that kept me watching, creating a palpable tension that was as times, almost overwhelming.  Kidman and Witherspoon are just about neck-and-neck, with Kidman edging out a bit for that last scene with the therapist.  If you've never taken either of them seriously as an actress before, it's impossible to ignore their dedication to craft in this.  Both women are perfection.  Dern is also very effective in the one deliciously campy role and kudos to the original author for the character's late redemption, giving her character enough dimension and self-awareness to rid her of the trappings of stereotype.  And a special nod to Shailene Woodley.  It was nice to see her in something where she wasn't so woefully miscast and broke free from the tween novel heroine mold she's been stuck in for a while (whether she was right for it or not).

[ErikJ972]

Looks like there might be a season 2.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/big-little-lies-author-liane-moriarty-season-2_us_58ee2f63e4b0ca64d91aebcf?mxb&