Big Little Lies

[scarlet]

Hmmm, I don't see Madeline in that way at all. A lot of her identity seems to be tied up in her kids and I think she feels motherly towards Jane (Shailene) and that's why she's drawn to her--not to use her as a pawn. She was deeply affected by her revelations about Ziggy's conception in the last episode--don't think she faked that.

[groovethang]

I haven't read the book so this is just speculation based on last night's episode but thinking Perry is Ziggy's dad. He seems to be turned in by violence so it would fit. Also thinking that one of the twins choked Amabella, not Ziggy.

[laurenj]

Reese's Madeline is quite the piece of work. She reminds of a Republican who will make up their. Ind about something and never be swayed. In this case, Madeline thinks Shailene is good and Laura Dern is bad (sorry, can't remember the character names). But you just know that in different circumstances, she would be just as Mama Bear if Shailene somehow crossed her.

It's not really about true friendship and character and integrity; it seems more about who Madeline decides is on her side. I haven't read the book yet, so maybe I'll eat my words.

Mar 7, 2017 15:08:36 GMT -4 scarlet said:

Hmmm, I don't see Madeline in that way at all. A lot of her identity seems to be tied up in her kids and I think she feels motherly towards Jane (Shailene) and that's why she's drawn to her--not to use her as a pawn. She was deeply affected by her revelations about Ziggy's conception in the last episode--don't think she faked that.

If I hadn't read the book, I would have seen Madeline the same way that Mugsy does. I'm enjoying Reese's portrayal of the character, it's fun to watch, but it doesn't completely match my memory of the character in the book. The TV version seems a lot more abrasive, but when I think through the whole storyline, the TV portrayal makes more sense than my impression of the character of the book.

How long does this run? It feels like they're closing in on the big stuff fairly quickly, so I'm guessing this is a short miniseries?

[prisma]

As much as I was not interested in this show at all based on the previews (which never suggested the murder mystery angle...it just seemed like rich white ladies grousing about their lives), I am really enjoying it. I think Reese and Laura Dern are knocking it out of the park with their acting. Nicole does a really good job as well but something about her accent is really distracting to me—it's very stilted, and I've never been bothered by her accents before. A couple of times the Aussie has slipped out.

I just looked on imdb and it looks like there are seven episodes in the season. I'm wondering at what point we find out who was murdered?

I'm terrible about looking up spoilers and I'm now having to fight to keep from searching out what goes/went down.

[laurenj]

Mar 8, 2017 12:18:53 GMT -4 prisma said:

As much as I was not interested in this show at all based on the previews (which never suggested the murder mystery angle...it just seemed like rich white ladies grousing about their lives), I am really enjoying it. I think Reese and Laura Dern are knocking it out of the park with their acting. Nicole does a really good job as well but something about her accent is really distracting to me—it's very stilted, and I've never been bothered by her accents before. A couple of times the Aussie has slipped out.

I just looked on imdb and it looks like there are seven episodes in the season. I'm wondering at what point we find out who was murdered?

I'm terrible about looking up spoilers and I'm now having to fight to keep from searching out what goes/went down.

In the book, you don't find out who was murdered until the very end, so I'm assuming that will be in the final episode here as well.

[prisma]

Mar 8, 2017 13:01:55 GMT -4 laurenj said:

Mar 8, 2017 12:18:53 GMT -4 prisma said:

As much as I was not interested in this show at all based on the previews (which never suggested the murder mystery angle...it just seemed like rich white ladies grousing about their lives), I am really enjoying it. I think Reese and Laura Dern are knocking it out of the park with their acting. Nicole does a really good job as well but something about her accent is really distracting to me—it's very stilted, and I've never been bothered by her accents before. A couple of times the Aussie has slipped out.

I just looked on imdb and it looks like there are seven episodes in the season. I'm wondering at what point we find out who was murdered?

I'm terrible about looking up spoilers and I'm now having to fight to keep from searching out what goes/went down.

In the book, you don't find out who was murdered until the very end, so I'm assuming that will be in the final episode here as well.

Ok...now I'm dying to look it up. I am so weak when it comes to spoilers.

[kostgard]

Mar 7, 2017 15:08:36 GMT -4 scarlet said:

Hmmm, I don't see Madeline in that way at all. A lot of her identity seems to be tied up in her kids and I think she feels motherly towards Jane (Shailene) and that's why she's drawn to her--not to use her as a pawn. She was deeply affected by her revelations about Ziggy's conception in the last episode--don't think she faked that.

That's how I see her too. I think she has genuine maternal affection for both Jane and Ziggy. I feel like maybe there's something not so great in her past that made her feel especially empathetic towards Jane, and I think her affection for her is genuine.

Maddy is probably that friend who is exhausting to be around, but if you are ever in a jam, she will be right there to help dig you out.

I think her battle with Renata is the two of them seeing in the other the thing they feel like is missing from their lives. Renata is a career woman with a job that takes a lot of her time and she probably has mommy guilt about that. Maddy is a stay at home mom who probably chafes a bit at the fact that she never focused her immense drive into a career, because she could be top CEO like Renata if she had done that. They are two sides of the same coin, and they see their own shortcomings and faults when they look at each other so they constantly pick at each other. Maddy going to war over a frickin' child's birthday party was less about Ziggy and more about sticking it to Renata.

I think Perry is Ziggy's father too. The kid is a blue-eyed blond like him (I think he specifically has none of this mother's coloring for a reason), he travels a lot so we know that he disappears from home for days or weeks at a time so he could go to a hotel with another lady and it isn't like Celeste is at home wondering where he is, and we've already seen how he's violent/aggressive. For me, it's just a question of when Jane and/or Celeste finds out. Will it be at the Trivia Night murder? Or will Jane put the pieces together sooner from the Facebook postings Celeste is always working on?

[Ginger]

Having not read the book, my guess based on last week's episode was that Perry is Jane's rapist, but I think it might be a red herring...

One thing I don't fully understand about Madeline and Jane's relationship is that it seems very one-sided. Madeline adopted Jane as a pet project and continues giving and giving, while Jane mostly sits there quietly and doesn't seem to keep up her end friendship-wise. It seems a little unrealistic that Madeline would continue to stay interested in her.

[laurenj]

That's how I see her too. I think she has genuine maternal affection for both Jane and Ziggy. I feel like maybe there's something not so great in her past that made her feel especially empathetic towards Jane, and I think her affection for her is genuine.

Maddy is probably that friend who is exhausting to be around, but if you are ever in a jam, she will be right there to help dig you out.

Maddy's ex-husband (now Bonnie's husband) left her when her older daughter was young, so she relates to Jane's single mother status, which seems particularly difficult in that very competitive environment.

And yes, she is definitely that friend who wears you out with their daily, usually petty drama, but who will be there for you. Again, in the book, it seemed like that second quality was the more dominant trait than the exhausting trait, but I'm finding the show version very entertaining. The yoga scene in last week's show cracked me up.

I can't decide whether I wish I hadn't read the book first so I would be more curious and anticipating the ending or if, like prisma, I would be too impatient to find out.

I'm typically the sort of person who discovers the hot new tv shows years after they've been on, so binge watching has basically destroyed my patience for regular broadcasting. I guess that answers that.

[Ginger]

Mar 8, 2017 15:25:12 GMT -4 laurenj said:

I'm typically the sort of person who discovers the hot new tv shows years after they've been on, so binge watching has basically destroyed my patience for regular broadcasting. I guess that answers that.

This is me. Every week I watch this show and wish that I'd waited and been able to knock the whole series out in a day.