Big Little Lies: Living the Dream

March 6, 2017 8:45 AM - Season 1, Episode 3

In an effort to get under Renata's skin, Madeline organizes a trip to compete with Amabella's birthday party; Celeste falls for Perry's charms before their first session with the therapist; Principal Nippal announces the Fall Gala Fundraiser theme.
posted by lunasol (7 comments total)

That therapy scene was wonderful. So interesting watching the 3 actors and how the conversation panned out.
posted by dog food sugar at 1:31 PM on March 6, 2017 [5 favorites]

Theory time!

Celeste's husband is the one who raped Jane. He kills her once he recognizes her at the fundraiser. Or Jane tells Celeste what happens and Celeste kills Jane.

Also, Celeste's boys are the ones hurting Renata's daughter.

I'll be excited to read this book once the series finishes.
posted by LizBoBiz at 5:43 AM on March 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

The therapy scene especially was wonderful work by all the actors involved. Well written too.

I still get distracted by the houses these people live in. I want to know whose they are in real life.
posted by thenormshow at 7:28 AM on March 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Mod note: One comment deleted; please be careful about spoilers or book information.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:10 AM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

Celeste's husband is the one who raped Jane. He kills her once he recognizes her at the fundraiser. Or Jane tells Celeste what happens and Celeste kills Jane.

Also, Celeste's boys are the ones hurting Renata's daughter.

I was just saying this to my husband! I think especially the second bit -- the boys are picking up the behavior from their father. And yeah, I think it was totally Perry who raped Jane. We were going back and forth on it, bc we didn't think the flashback looked like Perry, but we're taking it as Jane's memory being imperfect.
posted by gaspode at 9:59 AM on March 16, 2017

I thought Perry too, but that seems way too obvious. I think Celeste and Perry's relationship is a red herring. I think Ed raped Jane (but I can't remember if they have met in the present in the show; I don't think so). Maybe the twins hurt Amabelle, but Perry didn't rape Jane.

Ed is capable of threatening people, enough to unsettle Nathan. Much as I love Adam Scott, he does give me a creepy vibe in this show. Maybe it's the beard.
posted by tracicle at 1:15 AM on March 17, 2017

The therapy scene really struck me as well. Because it starts with Celeste seeming willing to not mention the violence at all - she flat out denies it at first, as if their fighting is only words. The physical part of it only starts to come out when Perry starts talking. And while it makes sense that she would be scared to mention it, it would be more cartoonishly villain like for Perry to also deny it or blow it off like "oh, it's nothing." And then when - at least as I understood the scene - it seems to wind up in a place where they're both concerned about the violence but actually kind of enjoying the resulting sex, I almost wonder if the therapist should maybe give them a handbook for consensual BDSM, because, hey,you can have the crazy sex without the scary rapey violent parts?

Man, Renata with that birthday party. Like, I get that birthday parties are fun for kids, but OMG the excess of money spent on that party, and the drama resulting from it... it's a first grader's birthday. It's really not that big a deal. It struck me as WAY more about Renata's need to show off her wealth and success to the other adults. The kids were just pawns.
posted by dnash at 9:14 AM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]