"Big Little Lies" Finale - The MVPs
Monday, April 3, 2017 at 8:17PM Previously: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6
by Nathaniel R
Is Big Little Lies the richest miniseries in recent memory? Its seventh hour was burdened with extravagant expectations and seemingly far too many character arcs, story suggestions, actual plot, and general areas of concern (domestic abuse, female friendship, infidelity, emotional crises, childhood bullying, responsible parenting) to cover in sixty minutes. An impossible task in terms of satisfying its rabid fanbase, surely. And yet here we are. Jean-Marc Vallée (who directed every episode), his crew, and his astonishing actresses, pulled it all together gorgeously and even completely (no second season is necessary, thank you; leave beautiful things alone).
Spoilers obviously follow in this wrap-up list...
Top Ten Top Twelve MVPs of Big Little Lies, Episode 7
"You Get What You Need"
12 "Don't don't... 🎶 "
Zöe Kravitz capped her career best performance as sultry incongruous Bonnie (somehow both believably chill and sneakily intense simultaneously whether you're talking social justice mentoring, firearm practice, or on the dancefloor) by performing Elvis Presley's "Don't" at the "Audrey & Elvis" themed school fundraiser. Madeline dismissed the performance for its viagra-like power but no one else need dismiss Bonnie. She began the slow simmer of dirge-like Elvis covers to underscore all the revelations.
If I get shot in the head tonight half of these moms are going to say, 'she couldn't bother herself to duck?! What? She couldn't get the nanny to stop the bullet. Trust me, these women. They're vicious...
I hate everybody right now.
11 This Speech
Big Little Lies writing team provided the actresses with plenty of juicy catfights and bitchtastic quotables but this one, was a perfect segueway for the episode's rug-pulling. The catfights were actually red herrings, these women are coming together in solidarity. The foreshadowing is right there at the end of this speech when uptight Renata realizes right after "I hate everybody" that she doesn't hate Jane at all... the initial target of all her wrath. "Isn't that funny?" she says to her husband and herself.
You're not perfect. Welcome to the club. We're all fucked up.
10 Self-forgiveness
Who knew this would emerge as a theme? And who knew Jane, who always seemed so possibly off-her-rocker with her evasions, would emerge as the truth-teller. None of the central trio are quite to forgiving themselves yet but they'll get there with a little help from their friends. (Funny how it's so easy to forgive people you love but not so easy to accept your own flaws, right?)
09 Ziggy Waving at Tom
This broke my heart. But in a happy way. Ziggy really wants a father and it's possible to fantasize that Tom will eventually play that role if these characters win happy endings. But there's no agenda in this moment of innocence. It's just a hey, I know and like you... wasn't expecting to see you at my own house moment.
-They're kids. They Bully. It's human nature. They grow out of it.
-Sometimes they don't.
08 The Celeste & Jane Exchange
We'll get to Another Kidman Masterpiece Performance in a second but this moment in the screenplay was as justifiably blunt as Celeste's own final acceptance of How Fucked Up Her Situation Has Become. Note how she stops looking so lost and disoriented at this exact moment but looks right at Jane with certainty born of experience: "Sometimes they don't"
07 The Phone Message
Jesus Christ. As scary as any horror movie climax, only without any jump cuts, music cues, or camera tricks. Just an actress freezing up at two words "property manager," realizing her secret is out.
06 "You're straight?!"
HAHA. Madeline was so sure... but Madeline is almost always too sure. [If you'll recall I was a charter member of the Tom Fan Club from the first episode.]
05 The (Darting) Eyes Have It
We've already sung the praises of the editing of Big Little Lies and the way it draws connections and amps up mood. The editors get another work-out here with two absolutely brilliant sequences. The first is Celeste's frantic scanning of the fundraising crowd, desperate for any familiar trusted face in a sea of Elvises & Audreys. The second, even more startling, begins not with eyes but with a mini body convulsion and hand grab, as Jane realizes that Celeste's husband (who she'd never met before this episode) was her rapist. As the camera jerks to and fro, the actresses eyes dance around in dischordant harmony. A-MA-ZING.
04 The Audrey and Elvis Costumes
We can surely thank the source material (note: I haven't read the book) but it was a stroke of tone-juggling genius to blanket the increasingly intense tragedy with an overlay of absurdist red carpet celebrity mimicry. Costume Designer Alix Friedberg has never been nominated for an Emmy. FYC: CORRECT THAT! Bonus points for the subtle but totally believable offscreen realization that the women have all coordinated their Audrey outfits so that everyone is doing a different character or iconic look from her filmography.
I wish I knew the answer to that. I can't really make sense of it.
03 Reese Witherspoon
Though the second half of the miniseries became the Nicole Kidman show, Reese owned the first half with her career best work. She continued the finely tuned characterization here with another incisive detailing of her new opennees with her teenage daughter, and her increasing self-awareness. Note how exhausted Madeline suddenly is in every scene. Self-awareness is hard work. Reese nails the abrupt world weariness. She's heartbreaking watching her husband sing while her guilt just crushes her.
02a Nicole Kidman
It's no secret that your host Nathaniel (c'est moi) and Team Experience (in general) lean toward the Kidmaniac spectrum of fandom. But wow this performance. We'll add it to her top ten of all time and if you've followed her career there are a lot more than ten fine performances vying for that honor. The best thing about her work in this final episode is surely that shot of anguished unconditional love for her son Max who she realizes has been damaged, she hopes not irreparably, by her abuse; he just doesn't have the physical bruises.
and by extension...
02b Social Media BIG Big Little Lies Frenzy
Much of the fun of TV in the modern era is that the water cooler is no longer confined to individual work places. The new water cooler is the internet. Some key tweets about this show...
BIG LITTLE LIES FINALE PREDICTION: an Emmy is too small an award for what Nicole Kidman will give us.
— Jesse Knight (@Superfluously) April 2, 2017
"Shh, it's starting." - Nicole Kidman watching BIG LITTLE LIES with all of her wigs
— Jordan Veilleux (@veilleuxwho) February 19, 2017
Is Big Little Lies made of crack?
— Kyle Stevens (@cinementalist) March 28, 2017
@rilaws I want it to go on for 12 seasons and each year Nicole, Reese, Laura, Shailene, and Zoë murder someone who really needs to be dead.
— Jeremy C. 🦊 (@JeremyCFox) April 3, 2017
I can't believe she was the murderer and she killed everyone's kids while they were at the gala WTF #BigLittleLies pic.twitter.com/NQJ4xQ8KFq
— Madame Trash Heap (@penisretrograde) April 3, 2017
exclusive footage of Jean-Marc Vallée conceptualizing the beach scene pic.twitter.com/xfp7uEoyZ8
— Kevin O'Keeffe (@kevinpokeeffe) April 3, 2017
Feeling oppressed by 90% of twittersphere try'n act like Nicole Kidman just started being a genius. Watch some movies fer chrissakes!
— Nathaniel Rogers (@nathanielr) April 3, 2017
That's just a TINY sampling. Twitter was positively obsessed with the show.
While it's been absolutely agonizing for this long term Nicole Kidman fan to realize that there are a ton of people who just don't watch good movies (UGH) and are thus ignorant of Kidman's actually hard-to-miss genius as a performer, and even more people who refuse to grant her her triumphs and instead demand that she remind them constantly of her talent (which they will forget again in 3...2...1...), I will try to just enjoy that, at least this month, people think Nicole Kidman is a miracle actress.
In the spirit of making peace with imperfection as the characters on Big Little Lies have to do, I'll try to stop saying "Duh!" and just say "Yup!" instead, okay?
But peace be damned if the Emmy goes to anyone besides Reese or herself!
01 That Silent Glorious Ending
A daring and masterful wrap-up. This is not an overstatement. One of the best high-wire 15 minutes television has ever produced. There is almost no dialogue for the entire final 15 minutes of a seven hour event and yet, we are given this exquisite and utterly complete dovetailing of multiple character journeys and a flip from cattiness to solidarity. The two halves of this final 15 minutes -- the murder and the beach playdate -- work whether you take it all as metaphor or literal gatherings or a combination thereof.
Sly bonus points that the final shot is viewed through binoculars; the series has always been at least partially about the way people watch and judge their neighbors, and play their designated roles when they're being watched, too.
That's all. Next stop the Emmys which we hope Big Little Lies will be showered with!
Reader Comments (42)
I read the book right after finding out (on this site) that Nicole and Reese got the rights. I was hoping that Nicole would have played Madeline, as a Kidmaniac I'm glad to be wrong
Simply wonderful. All the ladies were amazing, but Reese and especially Nicole were STELLAR.
NICOLE KIDMAN MUST WIN THE EMMY FOR THIS ROLE! God too amazing for words. Reese should totally be nominated too.
The final fight scene is also edited very beautifully. And the actual culprit is so surprising.
So sad that this series got to go now. I will miss BLL!
I enjoyed this series a lot. I read a piece in Vulture with the director that helped me understand a lot of his directorial choices for the finale. Like dubbing the men singers with good singers so their real voices would not distract and sound comically terrible, or the use of silence during flashbacks, or how Bonnie was triggered because of battery in her past. This show is one of the better portrayals of trauma, and it accomplished this in a very artistic and original way. The use of music was stellar. And all of the women were fantastic, but I agree that Nicole slightly edged out her costars by the end. Great performance.
Oh man, this series was everything. Who would've thought that the words "property manager" could instill such dread?
My only quibbles:
-Bonnie's character could've used a bit more development; as it is, her final turn seemed to come out of nowhere.
-No real resolution of the Ed-Madeline marital issues, though his Elvis performance seemed to be his way of saying "I know, and I forgive you/still love you." Also, there seemed to be a vague suggestion all season of tension between him and his stepdaughter, which never really came to anything.
Still, overall, everything I could have wished for. Nicole was definitely the MVP of this episode, and probably the whole series - but really everyone was so good.
And those costumes, especially the Audrey ones, were to die for.
Kidman did an interview and said she wants to do a season 2.
Damn I'm going to miss the show. Top notch work from every corner.
Out of the cast Shailene was probably my favorite. Not as flashy as the rest but I was moved the most by her character.
A few minor quibbles: I wanted to wait until the end of the miniseries to decide about that framing device with the talking heads, but really it was a complete waste of time, pointless and continually irritating. And did they have to cast some truly obnoxious character actors for those segments as well? (The binoculars shot at the end similarly bugged me.) And Perry as Jane's rapist was the obvious solution from the beginning; I'm disappointed it turned out to be true.
Other than that, though, an outstanding seven hours of TV, amazing performances and production.
Now I'm excited for sharp objects. Jean marc vallee is a master!
Kidman category fraud your way into supporting. I'm really vying for either Sarandon after last night's episode of Feud or Oprah because you haters don't matter to me.
Oh man, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie is going to be a blood-bath this year. Let's not forget that Nicole and Reese will be going up against Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange this year, and whatever one may think about their performances, I think the fact that they're playing Bette Davis and Joan Crawford will be very difficult for the Television Academy to resist (of the two, I bet Susan Sarandon has the edge, but they do love their Jessica Lange). I also prefer Reese and Nicole in Big Little Lies (both utterly perfect), but when it comes to awards and our own disappointments with them, it's always best to see what they're up against before we go declaring that someone "better" win.
I also want to give a shout-out to Laura Dern. She's an actress that inspires a lot of empathy, which is why I feel her arch worked, seeing how we spend most of the series seeing Renata as the villain, and I ended up really connecting with her (she was just a mother whose looking out for her daughter got out of hand).
They really nailed the finale. And all the ladies coming together at the end was so goddamn cathartic in so many ways.
Nicole Kidman has always been a goddess. Pity that some people are just discovering this fact.
Big Little Lies is frankly a big, little miracle of a production. Kidman, the thoroughbred that she is, may have started out lagging behind Witherspoon (and Dern), but damn if she didn't make up the distance (and then some). Many of her scenes, particularly therapy-related, absolutely harkened back to her best work in Birth and Rabbit Hole. She and Witherspoon are unquestionably lead, but I'd love to see Woodley nominated alongside them. A truly powerhouse trio of acrreasing right there. RIP, BLL.
Some of the best television I've ever seen, truly. What an incredible ensemble performance.
After such an impressive beginning from Reese, (I was totally with everyone with the "her best work since Election!" raves) I did not expect Nicole to walk away the unquestionable MVP for me. I have never cared about an Emmy more ever.
I want to see Nicole and Dern with their Emmys. And honestly, I need to look her up (should I already know who she is? Do I already know?) but the actress who plays the therapist I hope somehow qualifies for Guest Actress, because she deserves something too. And then I want to see them all on stage when it wins best Limited Series or whatever.
Honestly, what a show. Everyone was great. I'm so happy I tuned in when it was on. (This is the first TV show I've watched week by week since like... 30 Rock).
I binged watched the whole thing last night, just in time for the finale so I chose the perfect day to do it. It was amazing, though I found the finale slightly lacking in something I couldn't put my finger on. Though the interview with Vallee in Variety helped me understand his intentions, which I respected. . I'll echo the sentiment that it becomes Kidman's glorious, heart stopping show by the half way mark, but Witherspoon gave the performance of a lifetime. One major thing I hated was that I knew straight away Perry was Jane's rapist. It would have been too wild a coincidence if he wasn't, though I was sure that it was going to be one of the women who would be killed. I also loved your hypothesis on Dern's speech (MVP 11). The greatest thing about this show, for me. is how these women come to help each other and even learn from each other. While it was satisfying on the basest level of screen bitchery to watch them fight, I didn't realize how much I relished in the women making up until Jane and Reneta confronted each other at the latter's house. That was a beautiful moment. And I was positive that it was going to be an adult hurting Annabelle if I'm honest, but now that arc with Max is just so perfect and thematically terrifying in context to Perry's storyline that I can;t imagine a better outcome. Also extra points for Alexander Skaarsgard's mesmerizing performance. Every actor owned their role no matter how small. SOmeone even mentioned Ziggy's baby-sitter last week? So perfect. But what Skaarsgard achieved was so perfect, especially as he complicates our relationship with him by being a pretty fun and terrific seeming parent to the twins. Nice touch.
it would be unfair to talk about Kidman and Witherspoon in one post. Their performances require long essays. Celeste is one of the most fascinating creatures in TV for probably the last decade. But everyone brought it. EVERYONE was perfect.
My favorite scenes:
Celeste coming home to Max to ask him if he was the bully. So much tenderness. It made me cry instantly.
The text from Tracy. I was terrified. Followed closely by the driving fast past the entrance of the party.
The knowing looks of Horror between the women as they realize perry is the rapist. Choices like that separate the good filmmakers from the great ones.
Everyone is going to benefit quite a bit from this show. All the actors but also Vallee who i m sure will bbe overwhelmed with work. What a great distraction for Trumplandia.
Roger, her name is Robin Weigart and she's great (last year's perf in TAKE ME TO THE RIVER for a recent example). Sadly, miniseries cannot qualify for guest performances since their runs are so short (she was in five episodes out of seven anyway, so, again, couldn't quality). If she's campaigned for anything at all it'll have to be supporting, but I imagine that's all Dern right now.
Kidman was just extraordinary. Even from the POV of somebody who has worshiped her for so long and through so many of the trials and tribulations that has been her career and her relationship with the public. It's nice seeing everybody, critics and audiences, firmly back in her camp. She deserves the Emmy, but how often do they go for those sort of performances? I can easily see them going for Reese (louder, blending drama and comedy) or Jessica Lange (louder, is also Jessica Lange), but I hope they set a precedent that can carry on through the Globes and SAG.
The entire final fifteen minutes... I've watched it multiple times already. Amazing how few words there are in it (except for, quite fittingly, the big little lie from Kidman in the interview). It's a masterful piece of television.
I really think this could get up to 8 Emmy nominations for acting : Kidman, Witherspoon, and Woodley in Lead Actress, Skarsgaard and Scott in Supporting Actor, and Kravitz, Dern, and Weigart in Supporting Actress.
I think it's to Vallée's and Kidman's credit that even going into this finale with most of its revelations worked out (Perry being the rapist, one of the twins being the bully, surely either Perry or Celeste was going to end up dead), I was tense through the whole hour. That first scene with us hearing Celeste's abuse through the vent in the room her kids are playing was brilliant and horrifying, and kept me into a state of nerves no silly plot twists could have earned.
I agree there should be no second season, but I'll miss this show so much. I seriously could watch Kidman and Reese and Dern have coffee and get into fights about their pre-schoolers forever. I wish instead of a Season 2, they'd just option another awesome female driven book and do amazing mini-series with amazing auteurs every year.
This series was seriously amazing. Every one was working at their highest quality output.
It even made me really like Shailene Woodley. I hope this show wins all the Emmys.
I'm afraid Reese and Nicole will split votes, and they'll go for a Feud lady (probably Susan, since Jessica already has two). Who knows, if Henrietta Lacks is a hit, maybe Oprah. Gonna be a bloodbath for sure. It seems wrong to not give Reese, Nicole, and Shailene each Emmys, though.
I felt like it would've been more realistic if Celeste died, but I knew they wouldn't fuck over the audience like that.
This needs to win Best Miniseries or TV Movie this year. Next year too. And the next. Because it will still be better than future nominees.
I was stunned at the way people were going gaga over Kidman on social media, but I suppose this is her first project that has gone viral in a sense. Being a film actor restricts you from getting this story of attention typically, since Twitter is a very much about reacting to TV.
Also a major comeback for David E. Kelly who seemed to have taken his chance very seriously. He tailored each part perfectly to each actor and this is why there was not on weak link.
Special shout out to Robin Weigert -- she deserves a supporting actress nom.
I was also shocked by Shailene Woodley, able to keep up with these giants. Now I see why she got so much awards attention years ago. There is something there. She has IT, even if I find her public persona annoying. Here, she disappeared.
I tweeted about how between this and Feud, Best Actress in a Mini Series at the Emmys is going to be stacked. The Emmy account liked the tweet. lol
...forgivance is not a word lol
Justin -- stop trying to make fetch happen!
Brittani -- i'm so curious how Feud measures up to this. Obviously BLL runs circles around Feud but Emmy tends to shower Murphy shows with nominations so who knows.
Bia -- OMG yes. Forgot about David E Kelly's involvement. This mean lots of Michelle Pfeiffer reaction shots on Emmy night. Wheeeee
I still think Sarandon can't be beat. And I don't like the performance very much. This is like Maggie Smith winning over Hendricks or Cranston over Hamm. It's the Emmys. Big always win.
Unless the Davis material dominates the final episodes, Lange's work (and scenes) in the last two episodes alone place her way ahead of Sarandon for awards consideration. That said, if the Emmy eligibility deadline were today and not May 31, Kidman would have that statue in the bag now. As it stands, fear Orpah.
I dunno about Oprah (for the win, at least). Miniseries tend to get the better odds over TV movies.
It might be just me but nothing about the trailer for Henrietta Lacks makes me want to watch it. I just don't think it will be a good movie and would be more than happy to be proven wrong.
I am not seeing Lange winning a third Emmy for a Ryan Murphy show. Her Joan Crawford does not even resemble Joan Crawford. A BLL woman will take the prize.
They should just put Reese and Nicole together... like The Coen Brothers. So they can share the awards. Or just completetly change the rules so every cast member wins something. I don´t know...I´m still overwhelmed. This was some heavy Six Feet Under shit....
This was a fantastic ending to a fantastic series. So sad to see it go but yes, it does not need a season 2.
The property manager moment, Perry driving past the party entrance, Renata saving the day! All such tense, beautifully filmed moments. Although I'd be happy with Reese winning I'd vote for Kidman.
Lylee - I agree about Bonnie. It's a shame she got short shrift as a) she figured so large in the finale and b) she's the only real significant person of color in the show.
Paul - the Greek chorus was irritating, but I think it was supposed to be irritating. And even if it tonally didn't always blend in, I honestly found it to be very realistic. I am constantly disappointed with people's lack of empathy and knee-jerk judgements that always veer toward the negative. This series wasn't just about the interior lives of women and they secrets they keep, but how they're perceived by others and what we project onto them.
What do we think of the men's Emmy chances? I thought Skarsgard was superb. I wonder if he'll run for lead or supporting.
@ DJ
It irritated me the wrong way, though. (I like irritation in art.) ;-)
I can't see any of the men going lead for this, not even Skarsgård. It feels like Scott had the most screen time of the husbands, followed by Skarsgård and Tupper (about the same) and then Nordling.
@Lylee I noticed the tension between Ed and his stepdaughter as well. It seemed too intentional for them not to explore, but oh well.
I think Nicole Kidman has the Emmy in the bag. If not her, then Reese Witherspoon, who is still very deserving. I really think Sarandon and Lange are too camp to win.
Regardless, I'm so going to miss this series and these actresses playing these wonderfully rich parts.
OK ladies!!!! The mini was a soap opera quite elevated. I could see any number of actresses playing the Kidman and Reece roles. That is how I judge a performance..Can anyone else be seen as well in the role?
Of course, Kidman wants a second season.. it is the first thing in years that has any quality to it or her performance. I liked one critic saying that he( she ) has never heard her above a whisper in her performances. I agree. A one note actress. I know this is not popular on this site but I have a right to my opinions, too. Also, a number of our friends tuned out to the series in Episode 2..
I thought the direction was great... the cinematography was fair. We live in Pebble Beach where this was filmed and the darkness of the shots was distracting. IMO
PS nathaniel
I have seen 80% of her movies ( fer sake ) and with the exception of about three, she is borring! Given her more than a fair shake.
Amazing job by Valee and team...so much richer and more complex than the book, which is rarely the case.
Nicole and Reese were just beyond. But all the actors were magnificent, including Adam Scott, whose performance is subtle and smart, and Alex Skarsgard, who found stuff with Nicole that was stupefying, in a relationship that could have been so cliche.
Has to be the TV event of the year?
K : I would have more respect for your opinions if you knew how to spell the word boring. K thanks!!
2MIchael R What I meant to type was borrring!
That is what I love about this site .... all the petttttty ladies here!
Oh I wanted to give a shout-out to the series' final comedic grace note:
When Renata is apologizing to Jane and Madeline says, "It takes a very big person to apologize like that. You're a very big person."
But the camera is looking DOWN at Madeline from Renata's perspective so it's, like, one of those hilarious height jokes. God I'm gonna miss this show.