Big Little Lies: Season 2, Episode 5 “Kill Me” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

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The pattern of Big Little Lies continues as Mary Louise taunts people, Bonnie’s past is slowly revealed, Jane has intimacy issues, and Madeline struggles to recover her relationship.

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Network
HBO
Director(s)		Andrea Arnold
Writer(s)		David E. Kelley
Air Date		7/7/2019
Introduced This Episode
Martin	Martin Donovan

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Recap

New Day, A Few Additional Details: Bonnie, Elizabeth, Martin, Madeline, Ed

When it comes to Madeline and Bonnie, for the most part, we get incremental updates but nothing Earth-shaking. Take Ed knowing he was more so chosen to be a provider to Madeline’s kids than a lover. We got that. It seemed clear in season 1. Then with Bonnie, we’re informed Elizabeth was abusive, likely due to drugs, or lack of medication, and she feels her dad, Martin, didn’t protect her. Diffuse a situation, yes, stopped them from getting worst, “Keeping the peace” is even said but didn’t protect her.

But, to keep things from being too, “You couldn’t have entered this in the first season?” We get Elizabeth asking Bonnie to kill her.

For The Love Of The Children: Renata, Celeste, Mary Louise

As we’ve often seen, Renata is a bully, and her strong-arming is likely how she has become successful. So, with money enabling her, she sees being aggressive as the means to handle any and all situations to her advantage. Case in point, when it comes to Celeste’s issue with Mary Louise, she thinks she can push her to drop the custody suit. Thing is, Mary Louise knows how to get even under a stranger’s skin. So between bringing up how empty Renata’s house is, where they have tea, and poking at all the things she sacrificed seemingly for naught, she pushes Renata to flip out and realize she can’t play Mary Louise.

Trusting Yourself, And Someone Else, Is A Long Process: Bonnie, Celeste, Jane, Corey, Mary Louise

The custody battle is clearly going to be nasty, and it is beginning to appear to perhaps not even be about the boys but coercing Celeste and her friends to testify on the witness stand. At least that is what Celeste thinks. Which only pushes Bonnie further to want to confess since she doesn’t want everyone to go down for what she did. But, on the way to the precinct, she spots Corey. Which is a bit strange and leads to the need to question if there is more to the young man than it appears. An idea that seems horrible since Jane badly wants to be intimate with him but continues to struggle.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Why does Nathan so badly want to be friends with Ed? Is it just because Bonnie is friends with Ed or he wants to make a dad group like the wives have?

Review

Highlights

Mary Louise

Meryl Streep picking apart each character is the sole reason for this season. For it gives you everything you’d want. Her battles with Renata and Madeline are ridiculously comical. Then, her making Celeste come out of pocket is devious and genius in a way. Then with Jane, she shows this softer side, and it really pushes you to understand this is Perry’s mom for we’re seeing all the sides to him we got in season 1. All that is missing is her being violent but, considering how she cuts people with her words, maybe for her she likes violence that doesn’t leave a physical mark?

The Twins Coming To Ziggy’s Aid

While not a major moment, I must admit it was sweet for the twins to see something wrong happening to Ziggy and then coming to his rescue. Even beating up the kid who refused to back off just because he was bigger and apparently his parents say too much around him.

What This Trial Might Bring

In the long run, it seems Mary Louise wanted to get the truth and put it on record. So her forcing a custody battle is genius. But also, it makes you wonder if there are any secrets left that can be pushed out? Most of the women are in their 30s and 40s, and we’re reminded of how Celeste used to be an attorney. So what is the chance her past may come out the woodworks? Yes, she told Perry she basically didn’t have anyone but what if that was a lie? Hell, with Perry’s mom, and Bonnie’s parents showing up, imagine us meeting more parents before the season, hopefully series, ends in a few episodes.

On The Fence

Ed

Despite Ed being understandably mad, there is just something about the way he handles it, and interacts with Madeline that makes you wish he would just leave. I get he loves his daughter, seemingly wants things to work, but it seems like a lost cause at this point. One which is turning him into an ass and making him insufferable.

Bonnie

Being a Kravitz fan makes it so, while I love Bonnie, I feel like she is playing catch up. A lot of what we see, if the first season was longer, you could imagine a lot of this put in there. Mind you, it would remain one of the weakest stories on the show, but at least it wouldn’t be one of the weak justifications for a second season. Which, I know, is brought up nearly every episode but I can’t help it. Mary Louise is a good character, but she can’t be the sole thing which makes this season worth watching right?

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