Ever since Big Little Lies came to an end at the beginning of April, fans have both called for a second season of what was meant to be a limited series and debated why HBO should let the show end where it originally planned. Today, we finally know what the network has decided to do with BLL, and the decision will surely be met with a mix of opinions. According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO officially announced this morning it would give Big Little Lies a second season.
Though it aired at the very beginning of the year, Big Little Lies has managed to maintain its spot as my favorite show of 2017, and since finishing those seven episodes for the very first time, I have felt strongly that the show should not have a second season. Though there were questions about what would happen to the women next, the final scene that showed all five mothers on the beach with their kids felt so deeply satisfying, and I did not feel like we needed to know more. A story like this could exist on its own and be revisited for a strong yet slightly different impact time after time without having to reveal any more about the characters. However, today, upon finding out one major change to the show's production for season 2, I knew I would tune in.
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THR Reported that Big Little Lies will have Andrea Arnold at its helm. The woman behind American Honey, which many consider the indie standout of 2016, will be directing every episode of BLL’s second season. Arnold will also serve as an executive producer alongside Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, who will be returning as Madeline and Celeste. While season 1’s director Jean-Marc Vallée did an excellent job, it did seem a shame that there was not a woman overseeing the telling of these women’s stories. Now, that flaw is gone.
Season 2 will change to an excellent female director, however, the writing will still be done by David E. Kelley, who adapted Liane Moriarty's book for the show’s first season. According to THR, Kelley has already written the scripts for all seven episodes of Big Little Lie’s new season, and HBO says his new scripts tackle complicated subject matter like "the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting."
Despite my concerns about tarnishing the incredible first season of Big Little Lies by following it with a mediocre season 2, Arnold joining the team does a lot to convince me it's a good idea. Plus, Witherspoon said she's excited about the opportunity to take the characters's stories further with help from Arnold, whose "unique storytelling style" she calls "a welcome addition to the filmmaking team." With Witherspoon's stamp of approval and Arnold's involvement, I'm definitely down to watch Big Little Lies season 2, and that's a statement I never thought I would write.