'Big Little Lies' S02E05 Discussion Thread

Episode four thread.

I hope this episode is a bit longer that previous ones.

ugh another stupid Ed and Nathan scene

Celeste a former lawyer hires an idiot lawyer.

I still can't stand Ed!

YES, sit down with Mary Louise, Laura Dern, please! We're all waiting for that!

Ed should be killed off.

Africa ZImbabwe tea?!

watch the school contact CPS

So that's why Bonnie is such a passive person - because her drunk mom broke her when she was a kid.

The show should have stuck to the storyline in the book about Bonnie's father being an abuser. The abusive mom storyline doesn't work for the show.

lol Mary Louise poor shaming Renata

OMG, it's finally happening: the Laura Dern - Meryl Street showdown. Strap yourselves in!

*Streep

the scene of Ed and the little girl was pointless

Bonnie finally bites back.

Erm, did Nicole just slip into Australian accent HARD just then?

Nicole's Aussie accent is slipping out

Renata knows all about those perjury traps like an actual mob boss.

Nicole needs to take extra American dialect classes.

The Australian accent slipped out again.

ugh the Aspie surfer guy

Holy shit, this Bonnie momma drama just got way dark.

Someone explain what just happened? Was that “the other man” eyeing Ed getting fondled at the bar? And are we to now know that Shailene’s new boyfriend is an undercover cop? What did Bonnie’s mom say?

I figured the theatre guy's wife would turn psycho and seduce Ed.

What was that ending even?!

R26 I thought the same thing.

The show needs to hurry up to ML's back story.

[quote]And are we to now know that Shailene’s new boyfriend is an undercover cop?

Based on the previews I would say yes.

In the real world, are cops allowed to gather evidence / extract admissions in this manner?

Poor Renata with her single papasan chair.

Kinda upset this didn't make the cut, to be honest.

[quote]Someone explain what just happened? Was that “the other man” eyeing Ed getting fondled at the bar?

That part was confusing.

The ending was sort of calm before the storm. We saw Jane, Celeste, and the boys having fun not knowing that the shit will really hit the fan soon.

I think all of the women will end up in jail in the next episode.

Wasn't that other man Santiago Cabrera? Maybe they' just wanted to hit us over the head that Ed is doing this as payback. Because the second season is literal that way.

Reese is great in her scenes with Meryl, I wish they were longer.

Next episode is titled The Bad Mother. I guess Mary Louise's backstory is revealed.

I think Bonnie mercy kills her mother and goes right away to confess knowing she'll end up in prison where she can maybe secretly pay for Perry's death too.

I love James Tupper. I hope he smashes Psycho Ed.

This damn show. It's like passing a car wreck on the interstate and you can't not look.

Poor Jane will never have sex again now.

I figured the Aspie guy would fuck things up.

[quote]In the real world, are cops allowed to gather evidence / extract admissions in this manner?

I wonder about this too. The annoying detective seems like the type that would play dirty.

Hey, Nutfuck!!

R41 you quickly realise you’re watching a David E Kelley.

not hard to believe that laura dern is pushin 70

Laura is 52.

The music is impossibly self-consciously twee and hip. It’s unbearable.

Shailene's stupid fake giggle is annoying.

Madeleine's contrived new job was obviously just a way to get Reese a costlier wardrobe. Prada bag?

I'm finding it all a bit boring.

Mary Louse taking down Renata was good. Still not sure why Mary Louise is so driven to have those boys.

She wants the boys to vindicate her son, and take them away from the women who killed him. But having them on a weekend made her claims of endangerment seem less strong.

I’m glad the story finally seems to be going somewhere now. The first few episodes this season were ok but felt kind of pointless.

That ending was so... bizarrely edited. Is Ed gonna have a threesome with the theater director and his wife? The fuck was that scene?

This season is a dud.

R52 I think the bizarre ending will be explained right at the beginning of the next episode. My prediction is that the theater director's wife is mentally ill and has been following Ed around for awhile and the director knows about it and beats her to the bar that way he can call her out on following Ed around.

It’s time for Mary Louise to reveal her past trauma.

I’m canceling my free hbo trial tomorrow ..I get Bill Maher free on YouTube Q

I don't think Mary Louise is necessarily after custody of the boys. Remember when she met the black detective a couple episodes back? I think she's working with the detective to bring a trial so they have to testify. Mary Louise wants the truth of what happened to her son, this is her way of getting at it. She's not being annoying to the other women for annoyance sake. It's a premeditated strategy.

I hate Meryl's performance

The character is so strange because she feels like a plot device, which she ultimately is, sure, but it's like the character was perfectly designed by the writers to chip away at each and every insecurity these women hold. Every scene with her operates in the same way, as if she's rehearsed what she'll say to these women in her head. It's such a strange character. I'm hoping that we do eventually get to see her past, and I hope Meryl's given an opportunity to reveal at least one more layer to this character so that it all feels a little more three dimensional. I assume (hope) that'll happen in the couple following episodes. There are only two or three left right?

There are only 2 episodes left.

Except for a few moments this episode was pretty "eh". I wish they would do these in 2 hour installments. This episode was screaming for some deeper momentum, which we won't get (or will we?) until next week. Frustrating.

At least the amnesia cloud lifted from Renata and Celeste who finally remembered that they were lawyers. Not sure how much good it did. Oy.

I don't think Renata's a lawyer, is she?

R59 which makes sense if Mary Louise is working with the detective.

r63, I could easily be wrong. I am fairly sure one of the other characters are, but again, could well be wrong. Frankly, I have stopped caring. Celeste is acting like a little girl. Along with her rather half assed "tiger mom", she plays the "take care of me" card too often.

It all seem off this year.

There is only 1 episode left?!?

Wait there's 2 more episodes left

Omg!

[quote]Yelling at my assistant was hilarious because the wonderful actress playing her is my oldest friend, Bellina Logan. We’ve know each other since we were one! #BLL2

Awwwww.

You know, now that this season's wrapping up, I think Dern's easily had the best showing so far. Everyone else has been given uneven or lackluster material to work with, but not Dern.

I think Reese has been incredible. She has nailed every scene. And she is believable. Her best scenes are with Meryl. Dern has chewed a little too much scenery for me. But, honestly, they both have been really good.

Renata had no idea what was happening when Mary Louise came for her in her own home. It's like her brain couldn't quite process that this old lady would disparage HER in this way.

R46 is right. The music is annoying. And the kids’ social precocity feels staged and “writerly”, as when the one kid pops up with a rendering of a hinged door and unhinged mother.

But for all the warts and show-offy plot devices, the series is worth watching. The footage and set deign are handsome, and it is interesting to see some character-based writing and production. At least a story is being told. It’s like an antidote to reality TV, like unreal housewives of Monterrey. It’s a generally clever diversion.

Sooo....that was the BORING episode.

They've really left Nicole Kidman out to sea. Must be paying her a lot because even in her capable hands, Celeste seems unplayable.

I must be an odd duck because I haven't found season 2 boring or lackluster in any way and have enjoyed all of the episodes thus far. There's been some stellar performances here and I think they've continued the story in a fairly logical way given that they're not working off the source material any longer and this epilogue season didn't even need to happen.

[quote]I don't think Renata's a lawyer, is she?

I can't figure out what Renata does for a living. Have they actually said? Just that she's a "powerful business woman" - but it seems like these women lunch and bullshit all day rather than work.

Renata is a "powerful exec". That's it, we never got more than that. So I had to laugh when she was explaining the perjury trap when Celeste - an actual lawyer - was [italic]right there.[/italic]

David Kelly, the writer, is a lawyer. So he should know better.

Renata's Roland Mouret suit in motion made my screen all funny.

Who do we suppose considers herself the greatest star? Yes, I know, Meryl Streep. But you have to figure the other big names are thinking to themselves, "Just a second, she's had her day, but I'm Nicole Fucking Kidman/Laura Fucking Dern/Reese Fucking Witherspoon" etc.

Was just wondering this as I watched the little roundtable extra thing they did. Kidman seemed a little strained.

I was surprised last week to notice in the credits that Kidman had a dialect coach for what is a pretty standard American accent. Her accent this episode was horrendous, almost as if the character was supposed to sound Australian. I've never seen her perform a standard American accent so badly.

Strange. It's like Kidman can't fake outrage and still perform with her fake American accent. But then you try to measure up to Meryl fucking Streep.

The real question is why does she still need a dialect coach after decades of living in L.A.? Does she not live her house at all to mingle with other people, or?

*leave

I was surprised to see she's using a dialect coach. If it had been some obscure accent that's notoriously difficult to get right then I'd understand it.

I was going to approach Nicole about her questionable accent, but ultimately thought better of it.

[quote]The real question is why does she still need a dialect coach after decades of living in L.A.? Does she not live her house at all to mingle with other people, or?

I was thinking the same thing. If she was someone like Margot Robbie or that young Australian actress who was on Santa Clarita Diet that I can understand needing a dialect coach. But, like you said she's been here for decades and has done American accents in other roles. Her Aussie accent slipped out too much in last night's episode.

r87 Indeed. It came across as lazy and, dare I say, unprofessional. Mary! me all you want but it's true. Did the director not have the balls to order another take?

*ovaries, sorry. I believe the episode was directed by a woman.

Aussie and Brit actors have had minor accent slips in movies or TV shows that aren't too noticeable. Kidman's accent slips weren't minor and very noticeable.

R80 I'll take Frances McDormand over any of them, including Mary Louise Streep. And you can bet Frances wouldn't be using crutches like fake teeth and fake hair if she was playing the grandmother.

Meryl Streep is acting as if she is in an entirely different show.

Her ratio of comedy-to-drama is off.

I think she thinks she is on Desperate Housewives.

I'll say one thing for that Midsommar movie: Florence Pugh does a FLAWLESS American dialect. And she really lives in it and expresses herself fully through it.

Don't know what Kidman's deal is.

R93 I'm guessing Kidman is going through the "I'm tired of doing American accents" phase. She's phoning it and the result is bad.

Florence, Jack Raynor, and Will Poulter all put on excellent American accents in Midsommar.

Adam Scott looked dumpy in spandex. He could’ve trained for this. It’s not like he has so many other things to do.

r95 Jack Reynor isn't American, wtf?! That bitch has never once slipped on Strange Angel.

I need you bitches to leave Adam Scott alone. He doesn't deserve your ire.

spam posted by ip address 173.234.158.82 removed.

R97 Jack's Irish as fuck.

I love Jack.

I want to see Ed get fucked by the swarthy community theater director. He needs to just accept he is a bottom.

Never 4get

Kidman’s accent wobbled badly when Celeste got pissed off at Mary Louise in the office-especially on the word “not” which she pronounced as “nawt.”

I'm surprised they didn't make Kidman come back and dub that.

Streep and her plot line is the only thing that makes this show interesting. If it was just the Monterey 5, they would be hiding but nothing would be urgent. Mary Louise is the only one truly on to them. My only criticism is that they don’t reveal any of her secrets but hopefully that’s coming.

Wow, McDormand would be cool as Mary Louise.

Which bitch is going to push Meryl down the stairs?

Come on. The Surfer guy has an agenda red flag has been flying at full mast since he was introduced. I thought he might be a relative and working with Mary Louise but any evidence uncovered by an undercover cop by way of romancing and fucking a potential suspect would be thrown out of court. Also, the actor is not good enough to pull off the gotcha.

The lack of a substantial age difference between her and Nicole would bother me.

*I was referring to McDormand as Mary Louise

Nicole is in her 50’s. I’ve noticed her face doesn’t move much so she has learned to act with her bangs.

Frances McDormand would have sorted these women out quick. That'd have been a thrilling bit of casting, but I think they wanted that demure, WASPy vibe with Streep.

I didn't think Nicole in the baseball cap was a good look.

[quote]Which bitch is going to push Meryl down the stairs?

It will probably be Madeline.

I dunno, R110, Frances played Christian Bale’s mother in the movie “Laurel Canyon” maybe 15 years ago. It worked even then.

[quote]Come on. The Surfer guy has an agenda red flag has been flying at full mast since he was introduced. I thought he might be a relative and working with Mary Louise but any evidence uncovered by an undercover cop by way of romancing and fucking a potential suspect would be thrown out of court. Also, the actor is not good enough to pull off the gotcha.

I figured something was up with the surfer when he used the Monterey 5 reference. If he's not a cop or working with ML, he was secretly around when the women had their meeting and overheard some shit. Of course, he's going to snitch them out to the cops.

I'm sure ML has already told the lady detective that Jane and Celeste said that Perry raped Jane. Also, Jane told the surfer guy about that too. I think the lady detective will think that the women killed Perry out of revenge for raping Jane.

Frances or Jessica would be interesting but not groundbreaking. Mary Louise is an original creation.

(Plus Jessica would demand sexy outfits despite her age).

Here’s FD playing a twisted mom in “Laurel Canyon,” 17 years ago. I could see her creating a Mary Louise of her own. I’m just not enjoying Meryl, I guess. And I can’t stop thinking, “It’s Meryl Streep, and she’s ACTING!”

Anybody else surprised there’s zero tension between Celeste and the Shailene Woodley character? Over the dead rapist/husband, I mean.

[quote]Anybody else surprised there’s zero tension between Celeste and the Shailene Woodley character? Over the dead rapist/husband, I mean.

I have wondered if tension will ever happen regarding Perry. Celeste seems to feel guilt over what Perry did to Jane and that's why she was giving money for Ziggy. But, Jane never seems to feel awkward around Celeste or the twins. The twins still think of Perry as a good guy, but he wasn't and Jane doesn't seem to react to that and it's odd how she doesn't think it's awkward for Ziggy.

There've been two scenes between Jane and Celeste so far that feel super awkward. The first being in the premiere when Jane asks Celeste if she hates her. Then last night when she asked Celeste how she could have enjoyed having sex with Perry despite the violence, to which Celeste says, "I know... it's fucked up." It's almost as if Jane wants Celeste to be angry with her... as if she wants to enflame the tension, but I don't know if that's intentional on the writer's part. It seems like they really don't know how to handle their interactions without addressing Perry.

It's a strange situation, but it does seem like Jane's got Celeste's back when it comes to Mary Louise.

Also, on the issue of Cory, in the preview for the next episode we hear his voice over saying, "Detective Quinlan... she said one of you will finally crack." I don't think he's an undercover cop, but I do think that he's been approached by the detective at some point and has asked him about his relationship with Jane, as well as her relationship with the other women. He's clearly confessing to one of the five there that he's at least been in dialogue with the detective.

I know the ending. It’s great. Streep nabbed $10 million for Prom.

I love what Meryl is doing here. Has she ever played such a sinister character? The banality of evil personifies Mary Louise. And she created her little monster. Perhaps the husband was an overbearing brute who resolved every conflict with violence. Especially within the family. And Mary Louise got off on it. Just like Celeste.

R112 I was thinking the same thing. I find it strange when she wear her glasses her comes through the temple stays. Is that because she is wearing a wig or hiding a facelift. She has definitely had a facelift.

^^ oops her hair comes through her temple stays.

Mary Louise isn't such a strange character. If you're familiar with women of a certain age in the outer northern suburbs of Chicago, you likely know a Mary Louise or five. Like a "bless her heart" back stabbing Southerner transported to the cold.

It looks like Nicole's lacefront was sliding down in the kayak scene.

There was a kayak scene?

Briefly at the end of the episode.

r127 Um, wow. I have zero recollection of that, and it's kinda scary.

Granted, I was live-posting the episode here so I might have missed it.

I FLIPPIN loved that ending. What a wallop!

R128: You were drunk, right?

r130 Omg, you're actually scaring me now. Was the sequence really that long? I just recall a quick montage, featuring a police station, a bar, and some other women pondering their life choices. No memory of any kayaks whatsoever.

You probably just looked away for a couple seconds. It's in the montage at the end.

[quote]You probably just looked away for a couple seconds.

r132 Yes, that has to be it. But man, those screenshots - joyous as they are - make me feel like I just woke up in a horror movie where the whole world is trying to gaslight me. Horrible feeling; would not recommend!

If these lapses get worse, I might have to relinquish my OP duties. Luckily, there's just two more episodes to go...

This season’s director is hitting her stride. Some scenes in this episode, “Kill Me”, were so moving, particularly Kidman’s scenes with the twins who play her sons.

Meryl Streep’s character recalls every goody-good throat cutter you may have known. If you’ve ever been fucked by an angel, this character will draw that same visceral response. She’s so quietly menacing and infuriating when she’s seemingly “confounded” by others’ guarded and hostile reactions to her. It’s a really great piece of casting, and also brilliant styling (rodent-like teeth, librarian hair, vaguely Amish eyewear). She’s our generation’s Barnabus Collins.

[quote]This season’s director is hitting her stride.

I just realised it's the same director for the whole season - Andrea Arnold. Interesting.

I agree that Andrea Arnold is hitting her stride -- especially with ep 5. That said, I don't think she's as skilled a director as season 1's Jean-Marc Vallée

It’s time for a Mary Louse confessional about her other son who died in a car crash and exactly why her husband left her.

Plus, is she a SF Lesbian? We know nothing about her.

I must commend the OP for locating all those Laura Dern slack-jawed, white trash hillbilly GIFs with which to populate the forum. My brother would be on his fourth marriage by now.

Laura Dern is a hillbilly? I thought she was Hollywood royalty? Doesn't she have a famous father or something?

Famous father and mother.

Can't believe they're both still alive.

I loved when Laura Dern played Andrew Garfield's white trash mother in 99 Homes.

I remember when Laura first emerged on the scene in the 80s. Her press was all “daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd.” Finally, in her 50s, people don’t know who her parents even are.

I remember when Laura first emerged on the scene in the 80s. Her press was all “daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd.” Finally, in her 50s, people don’t know who her parents even are.

And sorry for double post. Tap tap!

I will never forget Laura Dern in Citizen Ruth.

She pulls her car up to her ex's and yells out the window: "SUCK THE SHIT OUT OF MY ASS!"

^^One of the greatest performances not nominated for an Oscar.

R149, Dern’s mouth looks a lot like Shailene Woodley’s.

Shailene Woodley is homely but oof Corey looks like a weirdo

I thought Woodley and Dern worked well playing mother and daughter in The Fault In Our Stars.

I just watched that movie last week. It took two days because I was claustrophobic watching the oxygen canula. Mary!

[quote]I thought Woodley and Dern worked well playing mother and daughter in The Fault In Our Stars.

Ooooh right they were in that together! So many BLL cast members have worked together before. And many with Alexander Payne (Dern, Witherspoon, and Woodley).

Dern was also fantastic headlining her own short-lived HBO show Enlightened which also deftly blended comedy and drama. Her performance was another fantastic high-wire act. If you enjoy her in Big Little Lies, you should definitely catch up on Enlightened on HBOGo/Now.

And, bonus, her own mother plays her mother in the show.

r155 That was my first contact with Laura Dern.

[quote]And, bonus, her own mother plays her mother in the show.

I had no idea!

Surely you saw Jurassic Park before watching Enlightened?

r157 That was actually my first proper gayling temper tantrum that I can recall - when my father wouldn't let me see Jurassic Park in the movie theatre because I was "too young" and so it might have "scared me". Such bullshit.

So I refused to watch the originals until around the time the reboot came out, after Enlightened. I did still partake in the dinosaur craze back then, though I wrongly ascribed it to The Flintstones, which was the first movie I ever saw in the theatre.

Woah, so this seems to be the final season and no more?

They said that at the end of season one, but I certainly hope so. I'm ultimately happy for this season, but dragging it on past its first season has already been somewhat questionable. Happy to hear that they end it with some closure though.

Yeah, I love this show but I don't want another season. Besides, doesn't Reese have that new show with Aniston on Apple TV?

And Kidman has just wrapped on a miniseries The Undoing for HBO where she plays a therapist in NYC.

Enlightened was a great show. That's when I realized how good and actress Laura Dern is.

Andrea Arnold is currently trending on Twitter. One of the tweets:

[quote]If you were wondering why s2 of big little lies has a billion editors credited, HBO took the project away from Andrea Arnold before she could even deliver a rough cut. Seems like a move to get credit for hiring a woman to direct - without actually letting her execute her vision

Full story at the link.

Interesting. I don't see all that much difference, though.

They basically hired someone who could approximate Vallée's directorial style as closely as possible (and on the cheap - hence a British woman), and then he'd align the footage with his vision even further during post. I love his work but that seems kinda excessive and self-aggrandizing and know-it-all to me. Just let the two seasons be slightly different from each other in direction and cinematography. After all, the women are in a completely different headspace after Perry's death, so the shift would make perfect sense.

Besides, it's such bad optics to rob a female director of her vision like that. Yikes.

Well, maybe she should be blamed for Kidman’s horrendous accent slippage in the last episode.

Perhaps Arnold is not that good with sensing accents but how did the script supervisor - or anyone else on the set - not say anything? Meryl, the queen of accents and her colleague, could have politely pointed it out if everyone else was too afraid to do so.

Yes, I also wondered why Meryl didn’t perhaps very gently let Kidman know how awful her accent was. And yes, it was also the script supervisor’s job, too. And, like, whoever else was at video village watching on the monitors. There’s usually a producer or two there.

I've been enjoying Season 2. But that's pretty sad that they took it away from her. Does this kind of thing happen often?

r170 Definitely not, especially not on such a large scale where a whole season is taken away from someone.

She's trending on Twitter again and people are [italic]pissed.[/italic]

That article was illuminating. Everything that feels off about season two now makes sense. The shorter episodes, the shorter scenes... the speed with which we're blazing through the story despite things not really picking up until now... the choppily edited ending of the last episode. I feel bad for Arnold.

I know it's only a TV show. BUT. I hate the Mary Louise character's use of passive-aggressive remarks to throw people off balance and dominate situations. I find myself trying to dream up retaliatory comments. Like, "You don't have a husband, do you?" "Your hair and glasses, you've worn them that way for a very long time, haven't you?"

Any suggestions?

"You were in Ricki and The Flash, right?"

"Your daughter was in Ricki and The Flash, right?"

Nicole's dialect coach Elizabeth Himelstein has long list of IMDB credits. I wonder if she is secretly embarrassed after the last episode of BLL. She has coached Nicole on previous movies and shows.

She’s also Nicole Kidmsn’s pal Naomi Watts’ dialect coach.

R177 Her IMDB credit page has some odd listings. She is listed as Mark Ruffalo's coach for The Normal Heart. It's been awhile since I've seen that movie and I don't remember Ruffalo doing some kind of accent for it.

I'm curious if there are some foreign born actors who don't use dialect coaches for American character roles.

The main thing I noticed is the writing not being as good as the first season.

I did not notice Nicole's accent. Is there a online clip?

r179 Here you go!

And yeah, the critics on Twitter have been pointing out that the Arnold drama still doesn't explain the shitty writing, i.e. that there's no actual story this season.

I really don't get it. Nicole has been living largely in America, doing American movies with American accents, for what, 30 years? You'd think it would be second nature, that her Aussie accent would be mostly gone.

Was she rattled by M, Miss Accent herself?

...not to mention married to American men.....Why would she even need a dialect coach at this point?

M probably thinking, "I don't need no stinkin dialect coach."

My ears were ringing, but I thought it best to let the viewers at home make the final judgement.

r180 Can we just point out the perfection that is Meryl's headshake at 00:44? You'd have to be superhuman to not let [italic]that[/italic] rattle you to your core.

On a related note, what was the last movie Kidman used her native accent in?

[quote]I really don't get it. Nicole has been living largely in America, doing American movies with American accents, for what, 30 years? You'd think it would be second nature, that her Aussie accent would be mostly gone.

Portia de Rossi said she mostly lost her Aussie accent after years of living in the US and playing Americans. Last year, I watched an interview with Yvonne Strahovski on the set of The Handmaid's Tale and for some odd reason she sounded mostly American in that interview. I don't know if it was because she was trying to come off the American accent mode.

R182 Well to be fair Kidman's Aussie BFF Naomi Watts has used the same dialect coach for many of her projects. I think Naomi mostly nails the American accent. There are some foreign born actors that probably need more dialect coaching. I remember that sitcom Rebel Wilson had where she played an American. Her American accent was painful.

[quote]On a related note, what was the last movie Kidman used her native accent in?

She played an Aussie in her Oscar nominated role in Lion, didn't she?

Kidman is also married to another Aussie.

r186 Thanks, I'll check it out! I love it way more than her American accent. I like what it does to her voice.

Well I hope with DL in such a tizzy over this HBO will spare no expense and go back and overdub those scenes. We don't want anything that might compromise Golden Globes and Emmys!

Meryl kept her mouth shut because she know that faux pas would eliminate Kidman from the Emmy consideration.

I don't see Kidman getting nominated for the 2020 Emmys. Maybe the Golden Globes will throw her a bone.

R187 I totally forgot Keith Urban is Australian. I guess I just associate him so much with the American country music scene. Maybe they speak heavy Oz together and that has rekindled Nicole’s accent.

Mel Gibson’s Aussie accent is pretty much gone.

It'll be interesting to see how it fares in a year. It won't be a part of next week's nominations for eligibility reasons.

First, will it stay in the minds of voters for a year? I guess it depends on how well they stick the landing and how long we'll be talking about it thereafter. The first season was sort of a sleeper, water cooler hit, with resonant themes of domestic abuse. It had elements of camp and pulp, but was elevated by the writing, performances, and direction. I don't think this season's as iconic, nor has it captured the same lightning, despite Meryl's stunt casting.

Second, will this recent behind the scenes revelation work against the show? The first season was lauded in every capacity from high profile to below the line categories. Will Andrea Arnold receive a nomination knowing what we know now? Will voters feel reluctant to nominate Jean Marc Vallee, who still remains an exec producer on the show? Do any of the episodes this season deserve writing nods? I don't know. We're not finished with the season yet, but it's almost fully pulp at this point without any thematic weight behind it.

That said, I fully expect Laura Dern to be nominated, you know they'll go after Meryl. The Emmys are pretty liberal when it comes to their nominations, so perhaps none of my concerns will matter and it'll still be nominated across the board simply because it's a popular show. God knows they did the same with Game of Thrones for its weaker seasons.

Which show is BLL's main competition for the next year's Emmys?

I imagine the dialect coach is a BFF who is part of Kidman's (lesbian?) entourage a movie or show has to hire in order to keep the star happy.

I don't think we know yet, do we? I guess the only other notable drama series that's been airing so far is Euphoria, but I question whether it'll hit with the Academy. It definitely deserves technical nominations for their last episode with the carnival, and I hope they push the actress playing Jules. Other than that we'll need to see what other drama series will debut or return for another season in the following year.

r195, would The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, be eligible?

The Act is eligible for this season's (next week's) nominations. Many are expecting Patricia Arquette to be nominated for both that and Escape from Dannemora.

I think Murphy's Ratched might make a splash.

r198 I believe The Act qualifies for this year's nominations.

R195, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Crown.

The Handmaid's Tale is a slump this season. But, I think Moss and Dowd will manage to get nominations next year.

Will Ratched be a miniseries or will it be ongoing?

R201 forgot about The Crown. That'll have tons of heat with the brand new cast, especially newly minted Olivia Colman.

r203 Ratched has been ordered for a two-season, 18-episode run. We'll have to wait and see if there's demand for more than that after the second season.

R203 I think Ratched is supposed to be ongoing series.

R204, R205 thanks!

R194 Given that Andrea Arnold leaked the info regarding BLL herself to the media she pretty much handicapped the shows chances at next years Emmys. Arnold also labeled herself as unemployable. She went against HBO, David E. Kelly, Vallé, Witherspoon and Kidman. I understand the pride issue but the fact remains her contract did not stipulate that she had creative control. She should have been a good solider. Now she looks disloyal and unappreciative to HBO and some of the most powerful people in Hollywood. Bye bye Andrea, your career is over.

[quote]She should have been a good solider.

In the way no one else before her had to be a good soldier, right? I'm sorry, but what they did to her was fucking inexcusable in 2019. You simply don't hire a director for a full season - especially not on a prestige project like this one - and then edit the show around her, as if she were the smelliest, least talented turd in town. She's a creative but your "soldier" comment paints her as someone who's just a manual labourer who shouts "action" and "cut" and that's it.

Pretty sure her career isn't going anywhere. This shit is going to splash back on every producer on this show who didn't say anything and Reese should be grateful she's jumping ship to Apple.

This gave me a chuckle.

R193, Mel Gibson is actually an American, he grew up in Mt Kisco, NY until the age of 16 or so.

R209 Great necklace acting!

Andrea Arnold got screwed like everybody else in Hollywood and the rest of the world. That's what she is basically sharing: "Hey, guess what! I got screwed over!". And the audience / outsiders are shocked - SHOCKED! - that this is still happening in Hollywood in 2019.

Yes, it sucks hard when you get screwed over, but that is why you tread very carefully, read your contracts very carefully and face, or be mentally prepared of, the consequences of your signing / not signing action.

Meryl must be pissed that this Andrea Arnold business will overshadow her and her acting on the show and all the press will be interested in is what the cast thinks of what happened with Mrs. Arnold. G(lenn Close) must be close to passing out from all the laughing.

R209 --- OMG. Hilarious. The necklace on the chin (which made me roll my eyes so much in the series) was the perfect touch.

Handmaid's Tale and The Crown are not not in the limited category....

R215, how can BLL still be considered limited if there are multiple seasons? I thought limited meant one only, like Sharp Objects.

R216 It's called dumb Emmy rules.

Nah, I think Big Little Lies will have to submit in drama series next season. Shows like Fargo, American Horror Story, and American Crime Story can submit for miniseries because each season is a completely different story.

Andrea Arnold is too good for this shit anyway. I fucking love Red Road and she even made Danny Dyer look sweet and charming in Wasp.

R218 is right. In fact, I believe HBO didn't announce there would be a second season of BLL until after that year's Emmy noms had come out, enraging the other eligible limited series producers because they knew they'd lose out on most categories to BLL.

Hahah, yeah, the company line was that the story had been told. I remember reading an interview with Jean-Marc Vallee saying it was over. Once HBO saw the fervor for the show they probably green lit that second season as fast as possible. Soon thereafter Reese Witherspoon announced the possibility of a season season, and then suddenly Meryl Streep was cast, and then this image appeared online.

I feel bad for Andrea but Reese and Nicole were also in on it. Streep has done no interviews for the show except those group interviews. I hope at some point she talks about her inspiration for Mary Louise.

I feel bad for Andrea but Reese and Nicole were also in on it. Streep has done no interviews for the show except those group interviews. I hope at some point she talks about her inspiration for Mary Louise.

This is the inspiration for Mary Louise?

Pauline Kael wasn't wrong about Meryl Streep. She's like a creature from the moon trying to pass as a Movie Star.

Except Streep has been a successful movie star for 40 years. I think the Pauline as inspiration is hysterical.

Join us for the next episode!

Dear God, this thread is dull as dishwater. What's with all the boring Emmy talk? ZZZZZZZZZZ TBH, the episode itself was even more dull than this thread.

Anyway, regarding S02E05:

I hope a big truck comes along to drive whiney loser Ed off a cliff while he's riding his bicycle. Then Maddy can get back with the hot director.

I've about had it with Zoe Kravits' mopey Eeyore routine. She only has one expression.....a half lidded squint. And her slow motion movements drag down every scene she'e in.

I agree that the abusive mother storyline doesn't work. Bonnie's mom just needs to have another stroke so they can kill her off.

Dern slayed in that blue suit. She looks damn good for 52.

Mary Louise could teach a master class in passive aggression. She knows how to push all the right buttons.

Jane needs the cafe guy from season 1 to come back and rescue her from aspie boy.

In what world does a mother risk losing her kids to her MIL simply because the old bat 'thinks' she is "not well"? This show is becoming an absurd cartoon.

Big Little Lies season finale is this Sunday. Only 7 episodes.