Big Little Lies season 2 finale review: Is the lie finally over?
Let’s start things off, though, with the trial. Celeste did her best to use her legal skills against her mother-in-law, reminding Mary Louise of all of the times in which she was abused and mistreated at the hands of Perry. She won the people of the court over with rational thought but, to go along with that, she also won them over with some hard evidence — a video recording showing some of Perry at his worst. This was the sort of thing that would strike an immediate chord with the jury, and not be forgotten on the other side.
Even as we passed the midway point of the episode, though, there was still no resolution to the case. Celeste’s boys had a voice and this was an opportunity to have it be heard. Yet, in the end it was Mary Louise who went on the offensive once again — she admitted that she was horrified by what she saw from her son, but that Celeste was a disease upon her children. In her mind, Celeste could have done something more to protect and safeguard the sons. In her mind, Celeste is mentally ill. Neither one of them had any power here — the judge has the power. The judge is the one with the voice.
Luckily for Celeste, her voice dictated that the boys will stick with their mother.
Meanwhile, for Bonnie she tried to find a sense of catharsis with visiting her mom and saying that she loved her. Then, she had to mourn her. She knew that the moment was likely coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.
Madeline did everything that she can in order to make her marriage better, but that’s not something that has been clear for most of the season. Ed did say that he is open to renewing his vows with her as a way to reaffirm a commitment to each other. He wanted it to be small, and he wanted it to be about family. That was what mattered to him more than anything. In the closing minutes, the ceremony happened and the two had a moment that was all about love.
Oh, and did we mention that Renata learned out about an affair and completely destroyed a model train with a baseball bat? Her ending was horrific; meanwhile, Jane found an element of peace.
On matter the conclusion for each character, though, the finale ended with the Monterey Five going together to the police station. What were they there to do? Expose the lie. Maybe it doesn’t happen, but it doesn’t feel like there is any other explanation for what we saw.
CarterMatt Verdict
Was this finale? As a means of getting closure, we’d argue that it is. It may not have contained that big, earth-shattering event; instead, it was more about how the Monterey Five found themselves in a position where they wanted to tell the truth. It was about filling the emotional holes in their lives, save for this one. When the dust settled, they realized that this move was what was necessarily to make them feel whole. Regardless of who had the most weight in the decision, the fact that they were there together speaks volumes.
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What did you think about the Big Little Lies season 2 finale?
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This review was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.