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Big Little Lies, honestly, ends in an anti-climatic way. If only because the whole “Who killed who” reveal isn’t impactful nor the reveal of who has been bullying Amabella.
Episode Focus: The Death of a Tyrant (Perry, Madeline, Bonnie, Jane, and Celeste)
Let’s get to the point and then work our way back. Perry is the one who raped Jane and Bonnie is the one who kills Perry by pushing him down the stairs. Now, with that said, before that all goes down we watch Celeste, once again, get punched, later on, kicked, and we even learn that Perry found out about the apartment. But, despite his pleas for her to not leave him, Celeste has finally made up her mind to go. Making it so, as Madeline bawls her eyes out and confesses to Jane she cheated on Ed, who sings a sweet Elvis ballad for her, we watch as Renata apologizes to Jane about Ziggy not being Amabella’s bully, and for her husband threatening her. Then comes Perry, wanted to talk with his wife, convince her to stay and maintain his family, and then it happens.
We see the shock in Jane’s eyes, and Madeline and Celeste realize why. Perry too. Yet, when he strangely stops being private about his abuse and instead starts a handicap match, his target is Celeste. And being that Perry is rather fit, he handles all of those women at once. Yet then, out of nowhere, just because she saw him acting suspicious, Bonnie comes down the stairs and with seeing what was happening, she pushes him down the stairs. The stairs we’ve seen, all season, for a reason I can’t remember, with caution tape on them.
Leaving us with these women, Jane, Renata, Bonnie, Madeline, and Celeste, putting aside any and all differences and seemingly becoming a small community of mothers. A loving group whose children play together. But, in the distance, with no cop believing their shared lie, a detective watches and waits. For while there is no planned season 2, life will still go on.
Commentary
It all seems so rushed to me. I mean, there were theories, and people spoiling, Perry was the rapist and would die, but it feels like there was no build to it really. On top of that, it feels too much like a feel good moment, the abuser and rapist dies in the end. But rather than let it be Jane or Celeste, an almost completely out of nowhere Bonnie pushes him to his death. As if, just for the sake of finally making her significant, she had to do this one act.
But ultimately, what really disappointed me is that after hearing the testimony and thoughts of all these people who we barely hear the name of, Jane and everyone else’s testimony, we don’t hear it. It gets muted and instead we to watch Perry’s funeral with the obligatory sad faces. Something which is followed up by all the children frolicking on the beach with their mothers smiling and acting like they all didn’t just participate in murdering someone. Granted, a beast, a tyrant they killed, but those smiles are without a single care at all. Even for those who could lose so much if the truth was revealed.
Subplot 1: Who is Bullying Amabella? (Jane, Celeste, and Renata)
Max. One of Celeste’s twins Max has been bullying Amabella and unlike the whole death of Perry situation, likely because we’re dealing with kids, it isn’t broken down what he did or when he did it. Hell, we don’t even see him threaten Amabella with violence. Instead, it is just written off that he probably got it from his father and that’s it.
I’m serious. After all of Renata’s threats toward Ziggy, when she realizes it was Celeste’s child, we don’t see or hear her talk down or threaten Celeste. There is no confronting the child. She is just thankful to know who it is and despite the long-term bullying, which the kids were forced to keep secret by Amabella, and included Max pushing Skye down the stairs [note]Which is funny since her mommy pushed his daddy down the stairs[/note] nothing happens. In fact, Max gets to frolic freely and openly with Amabella and the rest of the kids as if nothing ever happened.
Commentary
I feel disappointed in so many ways with this show. I could try to accept the Perry situation, since he was a bastard. However, Renata’s crusade against Ziggy and Jane pretty much was the star attraction of the show. It pretty much set ever dramatic storyline in motion from Madeline’s play to Celeste’s marriage getting more violent since she was helping Madeline. So for both Perry’s reveal and death to flop and us seeing nothing, not even a slap on the wrist, when it comes to what Max caused, it is too frustrating.
Really making me feel, acknowledging probably most of these actresses have no wish to dedicate themselves to TV, that HBO got actresses who wanted to. Since 7 episodes just doesn’t seem like it was enough to really flesh out this story. For this finale, everything seems rushed. We had an excellent pace going in terms of Celeste leaving, finding out who was bullying Amabella, and even when it came to Madeline’s affair and dealing with Abigail, all was at a strong and steady pace. But then the finale hit and it was like someone called an Uber to zip us to the finish line. Thus killing all this excellent, surely accolade worthy build, career-redefining build, for some BS.
Big Little Lies Has Officially Been renewed for Season 2
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