Five reasons why you should watch Big Little Lies ASAP

Big Little Lies has undeniably been one of the most successful series released this year. For those of you who are a little hesitant to watch it, or may not know much about it, here are a few reasons why you should give it a go.

It’s official. Big Little Lies is coming back for a second season with main leads Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. Until a release date is announced, there is plenty of time for those who you who haven’t seen it yet to catch up on it. Let us give you just the little push you need to get started with Big Little Lies. Here are our best five reasons to catch up with the HBO series.

It’s a show about women

The whole show focuses on three protagonists, Celeste (Nicole Kidman), Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) and Jane (Shailene Woodley); three friends with apparently quiet lives but daunting secrets. The story is about them and seen through their eyes. Three strong personalities, three independent women shown dealing with personal issues and juggling with their lives as mothers, wives and members of the Monterey community.

Even secondary characters like Renata Klein or Bonnie Carlson are compelling in their own distinct ways and wind up catching the audience’s interest.

Men are present too obviously, but as multi-layered and prominent into the storyline as they can be, they all gravitate around one of the major female figures of the show.

Big Little Lies is undoubtedly a story about women, written for women and told by women who, although they are not superheroes or accomplish great things, are bold and brave nonetheless and immediately captivate the audience.

Laura Dern, upon her Outstanding Supporting Actress win, said: “I feel very proud to be part of reflecting fierce women and mothers, finding their voice.”

There is mystery

Big Little Lies is and remains a story about a murder. The show opens with a crime scene and drops the most important question for the rest of the season: who was killed, and by whom?

The series cleverly alternates between interrogation scenes at the Monterey police station and flash-backs that lay the setting and slowly walk us through to the final and climactic revelation as the story unfolds. The audience grows attached to the characters over the episodes and soon anticipates and dreads the moment the victim and their killer get uncovered.

The plot is a long, intricate investigation in which the viewer can play the role of the detective as they try to solve the case along with the two police agents in charge of the case. Clues are scarcely sprinkled but as several subplots unfold, it soon becomes difficult, if not impossible, to figure out where the story is headed.

It’s a show about relationships

Putting aside the murder mystery, Big Little Lies treats of relationship issues and the many shapes or forms they can take. Whether it is domestic abuse, infidelity, marriage strained by routine, parent-teenager antagonism, personal trauma etc, the show dwells on those more or less daunting issues often kept hidden behind the apparent happy walls of domesticity.

The show gives us to see the lives of upper-class families where appearances and hypocrisy are a thin veil to keep all their darkest secrets and imperfections cloaked. Big Little Lies, as the title reveals upfront, is about piercing through that social veil allowing us to see the hidden truth as it is, often blatant, if not downright ugly.

A brilliant cast

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What makes Big Little Lies one of the most successful shows this year is its strong cast. Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon both shine as domestic violence victim and struggling mother of two and wife, Celeste and Madeline.

Shailene Woodley gives a very strong and touching performance as a single mother haunted by the traumatic event from her past. Alexander Skarsgård delivers an incisive portrayal of a seemingly ideal family father who becomes a ghastly figure in the household. The supporting cast is solid and flawless and even got Laura Dern an Emmy win for outstanding supporting actress.

It’s a critically acclaimed show

Directed by renowned Wild and Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallée, Big Little Lies was voted one of the best new shows of 2017 by Variety, is certified 92% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and swiped nothing less than 16 Emmy nominations, counting Outstanding Lead Actress (Nicole Kidman), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Alexander Alexander Skarsgård) and Supporting Actress (Laura Dern), Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Limited Series wins.

And it’s not over yet. The show has just landed 6 Golden Globe nominations (making it the most nominated show of any television network) and they include Best Television Limited Series and Best Performances for Kidman, Witherspoon, Skarsgård, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley. Keep an eye on the results — they should be promising.

Next: Review: The Big Little Lies finale was a masterful piece of storytelling

Obviously, you have time to make up your mind and decide whether to catch up on Big Little Lies, but trust us on this: you won’t be disappointed.

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