Big Little Lies posts not-so-little ratings; still, no season 2 hopes

HBO today has made one thing very clear — Big Little Lies is more than just a little hit for them.

Even in spite of airing opposite The Walking Dead, the series starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman is averaging a pretty wonderful 7 million viewers a week at the moment across various platforms like HBO NOW and DVR recordings. This is one of their better freshman hits out there, and it’s built over time. You come in on the strength of the big names (which also include Shailene Woodley, Adam Scott, and Alexander Skarsgard), and you stay based on the strength of the story.

In the end, though, none of this necessary has a bearing on the show’s season 2 renewal odds, and HBO seems to be holding firm. The promo for the Big Little Lies finale made it clear that this was meant to be the final episode, and that sentiment hasn’t changed. According to TVLine, no one at the network has any plans right now to continue the show in some other shape or form.

To us, it’s pretty clear that the show would be renewed if we were talking a little bit more about a typical broadcast model here, given that this is the sort of critically-acclaimed show that HBO would love to keep around for a long time. Its writing and acting are superb, and there are so many potential viewers who haven’t even discovered it yet!

However, at the same time we do think that there is a certain sentiment out there that we have to get something more just because we want it, which typically is not even remotely the case. Even though we want more Big Little Lies shouldn’t mean that we get it. If seven episodes is the end of the story, then this show gets to live on for years to come as one of the best limited series of its kind. Let’s say it gets another seven episodes, and these episodes end up being a total disappointment. Then, it’s like the legacy of the original is somewhat tainted. A good comparison would be speaking about the original Matrix movie before and after the next two ended up coming out. These two movies ended up weighing down the franchise — they have their fans, but the original cannot be separated from them anywhere near as fondly.

If there is no clear plan for a Big Little Lies season 2, our hope is that Witherspoon sticks around at HBO and comes up with another idea that she’s equally excited about doing.

What do you think: Should we get more Big Little Lies, or are you content with the story that we have? Share in the comments below! (Photo: HBO.)