We're almost done with Game of Thrones, which means it is nearly time to fully commit to season 2 of Big Little Lies. Get ready to trade in fiery dragons for fiery moms, and wine in chalices for coffee in to-go cups. And in case you aren't completely on the edge of your seat to once again be reunited with the Monterey Five, or to meet Meryl Streep's new character, then Nicole Kidman might get you there with her one-sentence summary of the season.
During an exhaustive interview with Deadline (I say exhaustive because I am exhausted reading about all the fantastic projects Kidman is working on), the BLL star teased the season in a way that really speaks to me.
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"The second season’s not a latte; it’s a double espresso."
Let's just sit with that for a second First of all, yes, these women are, in fact, my source of caffeine and adrenaline. Reese Witherspoon's character, Madeline Martha Mackenzie, is literally a walking non-fat latte — full of energy with a little bit of froth. But, as Kidman warned, that was season one. Season two is espresso — double espresso. Come June 9, viewers are getting an intense rush of straight java. Shots, no chaser!
The metaphor for the show originally came from Jane Campion, a New Zealand screenwriter and filmmaker who worked with Kidman on Top of the Lake. "When you’re making a thing about mothers with kindergarteners, that sounds like a very small demographic type of series where you go, “Well, who’s going to be interested in that?”" Kidman told Deadline. "But I love putting topical issues with entertainment. And then Jane Campion said to us when she saw it, “It’s a latte, because it’s frothy on the top and bitter and strong underneath.” I was like, “I’m taking that, Jane.”
Espresso energy, combined with the fact that Kidman's performance as Celeste was so intense that it scared Streep, means that this season is about to make Daenerys' recent scouring of King's Landing (Emilia Clarke) look like child's play.