Big Little Lies (season 2)

“Oh you left that out too” :disco:
 
I don't mean this in a dickish 'Am I the only person who's never watched Game of Thrones???' way, but did people actually think the first season was GOOD good?

I found it very watchable and well acted, but also 100% ludicrous. The awards and praise heaped on it kinda baffled me, aside from the fact that it was a bunch of movie stars deigning to do television.
 
I think it was (along with The People vs OJ: American Crime Story) THE best season of television in the last 5 years at least.

Enormous pressure for season 2 to be great.
 
I don't mean this in a dickish 'Am I the only person who's never watched Game of Thrones???' way, but did people actually think the first season was GOOD good?

I found it very watchable and well acted, but also 100% ludicrous. The awards and praise heaped on it kinda baffled me, aside from the fact that it was a bunch of movie stars deigning to do television.

It’s a very good soap, well acted with an A-List cast. Sure it’s ludicrous but that’s part of the fun.
 
It’s a very good soap, well acted with an A-List cast. Sure it’s ludicrous but that’s part of the fun.

Oh OK, I get it on that level. I got the impression that people took it seriously.

I still cackle at the memory of the 5 year old kid screaming "TELL ME WHO MY FATHER IS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" and the other 5 year old kid being really into PJ HARVEY DEEP CUTS :D
 
It was utterly ridiculous but yes it was just soap opera.

The season itself never elevated above “ok” to me until the finale, though, which was dynamite.
 
I don't mean this in a dickish 'Am I the only person who's never watched Game of Thrones???' way, but did people actually think the first season was GOOD good?
Yes it was. Sure it was 'soapy' but in a good way. Then again I feel I am turning into a Liane Moriarty 'STAN'.
 
Just watching the first episode now

Gagged at It’s my house and I live here :D
 
first episode was absolutely fabulous :disco: zero dip in quality it seems, can't wait for more of Renata prancing around her glass mansion while Meryl the smiling assassin peels away the layers of the Monterey Five's onion of lies
 
Thank God for Renata! She’s so out of control and she’s doing most of the heavy lifting in this otherwise, so far, rather unexciting season. Loved that short interaction between Meryl and Laura in the latest episode.
 
I was so worried that the second season wouldn't live up to the first, especially with the change of director, but really it's been pretty seamless for me so far! The script is still wonderful and the performances are to die for. Maybe Meryl is being a little extra, but it's fabulous to watch.
 
Also loving this.

Episode 2 was great.

Meryl literally chews through the set
 
I still find this show to be completely absurd, but I'm enjoying how much Meryl and (especially) Laura Dern are just fully leaning into it. :D
 
TBH I found episode 3 a bit aimless, it’s 7 episodes and it’s still puttering around.
 
I'm finding this season quite slow moving so far and can we stop with Nicole Kidman moping over Alexander Skarsgård already.

That said, every scene with Meryl is a treat.
 
A recent review described Nicole’s character as “drifting around the place like a haunted pencil”.

So perfect!
 
I'm finding this season quite slow moving so far and can we stop with Nicole Kidman moping over Alexander Skarsgård already.

That said, every scene with Meryl is a treat.

Absolutely living for her exchanges with Reece. I really hope she gets into it with Laura at some point too!
 
What a mess

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/07/b...creative-control-jean-marc-vallee-1202156884/

‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2 Turmoil: Inside Andrea Arnold’s Loss of Creative Control

According to a number of sources close to the production, there was a dramatic shift in late 2018 as the show was yanked away from Arnold, and creative control was handed over to executive producer and Season 1 director Jean-Marc Vallée. The goal was to unify the visual style of Season 1 and 2. In other words, after all the episodes had been shot, take Arnold’s work and make it look and feel like the familiar style Vallée brought to the hit first season, which won eight of the 16 Emmys it was nominated for in 2017, including Outstanding Limited Series.

According to sources close to the executive producers, it had always been the plan, although unbeknownst to Arnold, for Vallée to become re-involved in the show last fall. Kelley, whose TV career started in the 1980s writing network shows, is a strong believer that TV is different than movies: Shows have a unified style, rather than directorial voice. In working with Vallée during the first season, Kelley grew to trust and appreciate the distinct tone and visual style the director brought to his series, and entered the second season seeing it as the established look of the show.

When HBO and the show’s executive producers were unwilling to wait for Vallée, who had committed to “Sharp Objects,” to shoot season 2, the creative team behind the show collectively decided to hire Arnold, whose work they believed that Vallée and his Season 1 team could easily shape into the show’s distinctive style in post-production. Vallée, who advocated for Arnold, told IndieWire last May that he saw their directorial styles as being cut from the same cloth.

After the initial Meryl glare this felt aimless and no wonder it’s lacking.
 
I have to say, I'm not finding it lacking in any way. I'm absolutely loving it. Yes, a lot of scenes are too short, but otherwise I think it's funny, tense, gripping. I'm dying to see how it turns out.

The article above is pretty scant on detail. I'm not saying it's untrue, but it's a pretty ropey piece of journalism. I'm also in favour of keeping the show in the same style as season 1. I don't want a wildly different take each season.
 
Well if they wanted to keep the same style then they shouldn’t have hired a director with a strong point of view.

Like yesterday's episode was so choppy and all over the place. The court scenes were from a different show all together and then quick cuts to Renata, Madeline and Bony. So much plot was dumped and we have one episode left.
 
Contrary to what the critics seem to be saying (:D) I am properly LOVING series 2 :disco:
It's really one step away from being Sunset Beach with a budget and acting talent :D

Admittedly I'm only up to the disco party episode, but WHAT AN EPISODE :D
- Laura Dern apparently being poor, but showing no signs WHATSOEVER of being, spouting lines left right and centre then throwing a ridiculous children's party that in real life would have cost about a million dollars :D
- Nicole Kidman being off her nut in every single scene going
- Meryl Streep absolutely iconic as the most lovable on-screen villain I've seen since Annie Douglas Richards (although FAR less glam :disco:)
- Zoe Kravitz getting some semblance of something to do, but still realistically there to prevent the show from being accused of whitewash casting.
- Reece Witherspoon just being Reece Witherspoon but doing it v well.
- I don't care about the other one with a fringe BORE OFF

I'm also now properly obsessed with the Michael Kiwaniuka theme (& investigating parent album) which are words I thought I would never type. It also reminded me of incredible Donna Summer deep-cut Lucky which I'd lost down the back of the sofa, but am SO HAPPY to have back in my life :disco:

10/10
 
The disco party was tremendous and I am looking forward to Mary Louise ON THE STAND this week.

That Michael Kiwanuka album is indeed great. See also him getting his groove on here:

 
I’m officially finished after the Renata double bill of screaming at Mary Louise in Starbucks and the baseball bat scene.

GAY RIGHTS.

These were both AMAZING MOMENTS :disco: (if ENTIRELY out of keeping with the rest of the show :D )

Nicole (+ pink suit) in court vs Meryl was obviously INCREDIBLE TV, it's such a shame everything else around it was so uninteresting by comparison.

- Zoe Kravitz suddenly having loads to do in the last 2 episodes was just WEIRD, considering she'd basically been a BIT PART up until then. Her character didn't have enough flesh on it's bones to really make you care.
- Was boring fringe woman even in the finale :D
- Why Reece Witherspoon persisted with her (actually really good character of a) husband I DON'T KNOW. She obviously should have got back with her ex/Zoe K's husband who she has about 10,000% more chemistry with. But she looked nice in her re-wedding?

Anyway, overall I still REALLY enjoyed the season, despite what the critics say.
Would obviously love a season 3, but perhaps in a really decent amount of time (5-10 years) when enough time has passed to really have a reason to go back.

Character rate:
1. RENATA
2. Mary Louise
3. Nicole Kidman
4. Reece Witherspoon's husband
5. Reece Witherspoon
6. Bitchy male headteacher
7. Zoe Kravitz

8. Boring fringe woman.
 
Celeste DESTROYING Mary Louise in court and winning custody in 15 minutes and Renata with her baseball bat were both worth the entire second season alone.
 
so i'm super drunk and a little high and i was like what should i watch while i eat a pizza (as bread) and a main (as a main) that i won't remember a second of tomorrow and it was immediately this.

it's super stupid.
 
Is this ever going to be on British TV anytime soon? I caved in and bought it on iTunes. Planning on bingewatching it today.
 

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