Big Little Lies: She Knows

July 1, 2019 7:34 PM - Season 2, Episode 4

Celeste accuses Mary Louise of overstepping boundaries with Jane; Renata endures a prying court hearing with Gordon; Jane opens up to Corey at Amabella's birthday party; Madeline continues to try to make things right with Ed.
posted by guiseroom (6 comments total)

Celeste slapping Mary Louise hard enough to send her glasses flying... wow.

Usually I buy most of the children's precociousness ... but "the door is hinged" ... that was a stretch.

Overall the rising tension in the episode was so great that I had to pause it a few times (which is great.)
posted by profreader at 8:28 AM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

Just binged the first four episodes on Sunday to catch up. I wasn't sure a second season of this would work, since the impending death was what held the first season together so tightly. But this is still very good, especially just for the fun of watching these great actresses go at it. Meryl is so amazing with the understated snideness. (How Jane hasn't filed a restraining order is beyond me.) Laura Dern as Renata is so fantastic - such a loathesome character and yet Dern really does make you "get" her as a person and have the tiniest twinge of empathy before her next zinger.
posted by dnash at 1:17 PM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

I want to strangle and crumble before Mary Louise. She is so much the amalgam of many mothers I grew up and around, that it's like every quilting circle, ladies lunch and committee meeting just broiling over and turning into that steady gaze of nastiness.

My absolute favourite factoid: Meryl Streep's name before acting? Mary Louise.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 12:14 AM on July 3, 2019 [8 favorites]

The acting is just as good as (and in some cases better than) last season, but the writing this season is abysmal. The whole “unhinged” bit was like something you’d see in a bad sitcom.
posted by sallybrown at 8:41 AM on July 4, 2019 [2 favorites]

Is this part of the book? because it kind of feels more loose than the previous season.
And some scenes are more comedic, like the door hinged. Nathan and ed interactions.
posted by metafus at 2:02 PM on July 8, 2019

Interesting that for the whole of season one, we knew essentially what was going to happen: there would be a murder at the trivia night and a whole chorus of other school parents would pop up to give their talking head insights. This season the chorus - and the predicted end point - are both gone. I much prefer it that way.
posted by rongorongo at 12:50 AM on December 12, 2021