‘Big Little Lies’ Series Finale Ensures Emmy Heat

The Emmy Spotlight shines on the Big Little Lies series finale where Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon lock in their Emmy nominations.

HBO’s Big Little Lies series finale airs Sunday night at 9pm on HBO. No spoilers here, but the hour provides a largely satisfactory conclusion to what I consider to be a great mini-series. Those familiar with the novel will, I suspect, experience some turbulence over the ending. Saying much more would risk spoilers of course. Instead, join us on Monday’s Water Cooler Podcast for a deep dive into our reaction to the hour. One thing is certain: the series sticks the landing with confidently suspenseful direction and top-of-the-line performances. Some may find it slightly wobbly though.

It doesn’t take away from what has emerged as a top-notch limited series. Big Little Lies will most assuredly rate as one of the very best television shows of 2017.

Big Little Lies Season Finale – Episode 7 – “YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED”

Synopsis: After yet another fight, Celeste (Nicole Kidman) makes a bold move. Before the school’s long-awaited fall fundraiser, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) deals with fallout from her past, while Jane (Shailene Woodley) learns who’s really been hurting Amabella (Ivy George) at school.

Written by David E. Kelley; directed by Jean-Marc Vallée.

Emmy Spotlight

On those performances, Emmy will call on Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon in the contentious Limited Series Actress category. That’s a done deal as is the series itself. Jean-Marc Vallée’s steady hand over the series will merit him a nomination as well. David E. Kelley’s graceful evolution of the original source material deserves serious consideration too.

The rest gets a little tricky.

It all depends on how deeply the Television Academy falls. The buzz exists, in spades. Also, the huge, star-studded cast helps. Laura Dern should receive a nomination in the Supporting Category where she may be joined by Zoe Kravitz. Shailene Woodley felt like a shoe-in here too, but she chose to go Lead Actress. Not only will she compete against Witherspoon and Kidman, but she’ll also face Feud ladies Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. Despite giving an equally great performance, Woodley likely cannot match the star wattage filling the category. She looks to be left out at this point.

Big Little Lies effectively becomes a women’s powerhouse both in theme and performance. Yet, two men give memorable performances as well: Alexander Skarsgard and Adam Scott. Skarsgard has the role of the monster. However, as repelled as we are by his inexcusable actions, his performance conveys the angst, anger, and passion of the character. We understand why Celeste (Kidman) stays with him despite the abuse. Skarsgard provides color and shading rather than wallowing in the novel’s one-note villain.

Adam Scott almost had the more difficult job with making the nice guy Ed Mackenzie a compelling character. Through the series, he emits this poignant fear at not being able to keep up with firecracker Madeline (Witherspoon). In every scene, his face appears burned with the agony of “Why did she choose me?” It’s a wrenching performance that may be too quiet for Emmy to reward.

Also, can we please just give all the kids Emmys?