Big Little Lies (TV Series) You Get What You Need (2017) User Reviews

No other episode of a TV Show has ever given me the excitement that this episode did.

[vitjolashkurti · 10/10 · 24 July 2017]

I loved this episode. Oh god, where do I start? First of all, i was excited since the beginning of the episode because I knew that finally all the pieces would come together giving explanation to the two most important questions of the show: "Who died?" & "Who's the killer?" Secondly, even though this episode was probably predictable, I still really like it, because the show producers and writers stuck to their original idea and didn't change anything just to "please" the viewers. What made this finale amazing was also the MAGNIFICENT acting. My two favorite were Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman. Finally, the most amazing scene of this show is the one where all the women unite together to try and stop Perry, with Bonnie coming as a complete surprise to throw him off. I was thrilled the WHOLE time, and at times I felt like I couldn't breathe from the excitement. This episode was truly amazing, and I don't think a second season would be suitable for this show, because the 3 ending minutes were satisfying. I wish I could give this episode a higher score than 10, it truly deserves it.

Possibly one of the most satisfying finales to a show ever.

[eweidenfeld23 · 10/10 · 3 April 2017]

This episode of Big Little Lies was simply outstanding. Throughout the course of the show we were introduced to many themes and story lines that seemed as if they would not be able to be wrapped up by the end of the shows short 7-episode run. This episode proved that wrong, as everything came to a conclusion. The performances by the entirety of the cast were stellar, most noticeably Nicole Kidman. She shined this episode and her seasoned experience as an actress showed. All of the other girls were fantastic as well. There's not much to be written without the use of a spoiler, so to summarize; it is so rare that in a finale everyone's questions are answered without the episode being lazy or obviously made for crowd-pleasing. This show clearly had a plan from the beginning and stuck to it. Big Little Lies was a fantastic show with an ending that will earn it some well-deserved Emmy nominations.

Just wow

[joelferguson98 · 10/10 · 7 May 2019]

I never saw Max being the bully and I never saw Perry being the "somebody's dead". Although I can see why it lead to it being him. Unreal! Can't wait till season 2 in a months time. Although I feel for people who've waited 2 years for this. I binged this season in a day 😂

A satisfying conclusion to a powerful drama

[parthpant19 · 16 September 2017]

In one sitting..In one sitting I watched 'Big Little Lies'. Don't know if its the magnificent cast, or the surreal direction or the addictive screenplay but this series magnificently works. Also I am in love with the theme song that plays at the beginning.

So talking of the finale, it couldn't have been handled better- it was intense, emotionally powerful, empowering and more importantly satisfying. I was really impressed with the way they wrapped it all in a dramatic ending. I had guessed the mystery and whodunit scenario in the 3rd episode itself but still was thrilled to see my theory actually being true. The entire cast was brilliant- Witherspoon, Kidman, Woodley, Skarsgård, Dern, Scott and Kravitz. But overall this show has been governed by Witherspoon- her bitchy likable character was easily the best part.

BLL's mastery lies in the fact that it covers more issues than it promises and serves as an eye opener for sensitive issues and plight of women in it.

Overall a heavenly bliss to be a witness of a show this good...

What an outstanding miniseries.

[punch87 · 10/10 · 18 January 2019]

I hope that this current prestige TV season proves once and for all how much of a market and a blank canvas there is for female-fueled and -focused projects. Big Little Lies showed us all just how amazing and valuable a series like that can be.

Unforgettable Ending!

[gab-14712 · 10/10 · 7 December 2020]

Season 1 of Big Little Lies went out with a big bang. The ending is shocking, unforgettable, and exhilarating as we finally learn who got murdered and the reasons why it took place. While the basic premise is a whodunit murder investigation, the real story is about women empowerment in their everyday lives. How nothing is stronger than women bonding and friendship. After a heartfelt apology, Renata joins the circle. Her character wasn't exactly an evil woman after all; just a protective mother. This episode also shows why men can be so toxic. Of course, Alexander Skarsgard's Perry is a horrible person no matter which way you look at it. He beats Celeste and it is later revealed that he is the same person who raped poor Jane. He is the one who tried to beat all the women in this crazy ending, but it was ultimately Bonnie (whose abusive past was alluded to) who made the final, fatal push that ended Perry's life. The performances are phenomenal all around. Nicole Kidman continues to endear as a character to root for. Alexander Skarsgard must be praying his career can continue as I am not sure I can look at him in the same light again. But once again, great performance! In "You Get What You Need," Celeste continues to take beatings from Perry. Following the advice from her therapist, enough is enough. She decided to take the kids and move out, but Perry may be one step ahead of her. Madeleine suffers from her cheating days as she needs to tell Ed what happened as he grows more suspicious. Jane finally learns who is behind the attacks of Amabella...and it is not her son, Ziggy. There is this phrase, "Like father, like son." That should give you an idea who is the suspect. This is an amazing conclusion with an ending you will never forget. The terror in Jane's eyes as she finds the truth of her rapist is an image that sticks with you. I liked how Bonnie is given a more instrumental role here. Plus, she got some awesome vocal talent! Jean-Marc Vallee took a pulp book and turned it into a series that will empower women. Hollywood has rarely given opportunities to women, and this series opened the door to the future. One of the reasons why Reese Witherspoon took the role/producer commitment in the first place. Amazing cinematography and music! I am really looking forward to Season 2! My Grade: A+

"You Get What You Need" (#1.7)

[aaronredis · 10/10 · 21 April 2018]

AMAZING finale! AMAZING performances! Just breathtaking and really got my heart beating out of my chest. This season finale truly was spectacular. It was the moment that everyone was waiting for. I, like quite a few others, watched this whole season in one long, but enjoyable night. It was so worth it. This was the pay-off.

I mean, just, . . . no words. I absolutely was NOT expecting that. I'm so impressed! I am interested in seeing where season 2 will go, especially since this was initially a limited series.

Another thing here that I absolutely loved is women sticking together and women supporting women! We need more shows like this.

I hope that season 2 can uphold the first season's quality because I am just amazed. Bravo to all. My only worry is that . . . how are they going to follow this excellent season?!

Television is SO GOOD anymore, I tell ya! My list of favorites is getting quite long, but this one will always and forever have a special place in my heart and on my list of favorites.

I give "You Get What You Need" a 9.9/10.

Happiness delivered within 60 minutes

[lorenapop19 · 10/10 · 9 April 2017]

It was unexpected. I read about how amazing this new series will be, but I've never imagined all this excitement. It's more than what you could have possibly ask for. I really think it's one of the best series. Even if they will not make a second season, this remains so special, so pure. The final episode is like the essence of life. Maybe is just me, but it made me feel more. Thank you!

Pure Excitement!

[armaniboy · 10/10 · 3 April 2017]

Definitely the best episode of the show and maybe even the best finale ever!

It really wraps up the entire series into an hour of pure excitement, and everything makes sense now. Some reviewers already predicted its ending, but I think watching it actually play out is still a shock. My heart was racing the entire time!

Beyond the shadow of doubt, it was a great way to end an amazing show. I feel like I am fully indulged into the show now and understand the characters better. That makes me want another season, but I'm afraid they might ruin it, so it might be a better idea to let it end on a high note.

I'm going to miss these ladies for sure.

Chills

[raj-bhullar · 10/10 · 10 June 2022]

Wow I got chills and goosebumps when it was revealed that Perry was the rapist. Very few episodes of some shows have given me these crazy chills. I was craving for a satisfying conclusion and here it was delivered. The whole episode I was at the edge of my seat thinking what's gonna happen now, who is gonna get killed, how is it going to happen, who will do it? My mind was racing as this episode was unfolding. I had in my mind that something was going to happen between Perry and Celeste as there was tension in their scenes. I thought Perry was gonna kill Celeste. But the opposite happened. With a twist that Perry was the rapist Jane was looking for. Never saw that coming. It was a great twist. Never thought that Perry would be killed. It was shocking for me. And I got chills like I have never gotten before. For that reason alone this is a 10/10 episode as very few shows have made me feel like this. It was just special. I will forever remember this episode.

Well delivered satisfying ending

[EvaJK94 · 9/10 · 6 October 2017]

I'm going to write from the point of view of someone who had figured out pretty much everything (including the ending and the victim) since I finished episode 4. I don't want to brag about it I just want to point out that even though I had 90% of the story played out already in my head I still enjoyed the final episode as I did with all the previous ones. A good quality TV Series deserved this kind of ending and man was it a pleasurable one! I'm giving this a 9 out of perfect 10 only because I expected to watch a bit more of the "important drama scene" and listen to some actual dialogue in there but it still worked out well that way.

Season One

[zkonedog · 9/10 · 2 November 2019]

When I sat down to watch the first episode of "Big Little Lies", I honestly did not know whether or not it would appeal to me. As a 33-year old male, I wasn't sure if the story of middle-aged California coast Moms/housewives would spark my interest. It took all of about 15 minutes for that to be proven a complete fallacy, as BLL captured my interest in a visceral way like almost no other shows ever have.

For a basic overview, this show begins by showing the audience that a murder has taken place (though the exact circumstances or even the victim remain unknown). It then flashes back in time to tell the story of five women living in Monterey and how their lives intertwined to lead to that murderous night:

-Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is an extraordinary gossip--if a sincere one--who is having intimacy problems with husband Ed (Adam Scott) and trouble relating to teenaged daughter Abigail (Kathryn Newton) after a recent divorce. -Celeste (Nicole Kidman) is a former lawyer and current mother of two twin boys but married to a controlling, abusive husband in Perry (Alexander Skarsgard). -Renata Klein (Laura Dern) is the insecure, Type-A business woman whose daughter is being bullied at grade school. -Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) is new to town--still emotionally struggling with the after-effects of a rape--with son Ziggy (Iain Armitage), and he is accused of being the bully. -Bonnie Carlson (Zoe Kravitz) is a holistic free-spirit, married to Madeline's ex Nathan (James Tupper).

I don't know if I've ever seen a show in which the elements of plot, acting, and direction combine so perfectly. Whether watching Madeline's spunk, Celeste's heartbreak and struggle, or Jane's personal demons, to name a few moments, there is not a plot or theme here that is disinteresting or handled poorly. Every single character is a treatise unto him/hers self and could practically have a show built around them alone. Combine that with top-tier acting talent, and it's a dynamic recipe. Even the child actors are utterly spot-on and often steal the show from vets like Witherspoon and Kidman! Director Jean-Marc Vallee expertly merges all these things together in a unique visual style filled with quick cuts and powerful imagery.

About the only reason I can't give this season a full 10 stars is because it felt, towards the end, that a few plots were resolved in a manner not befitting the depth of the other material:

-For much of the show, Renata is an out-and-out villain with seemingly little hope of changing. One conversation with Jane, however, and suddenly she is in everyone's good graces. This happened far too easily/quickly for me to truly believe it. -Having Jane recognize Perry as her beach attacker (if that was the implication, which it certainly seemed like it was) seemed like "piling on" a bit. I don't think that extra impetus to hate Perry was needed, but perhaps it was simply done to provide some closure to Jane's previous experiences. I just wasn't a huge fan of how that played out.

Other than those threads, however, the first season of "Big Little Lies" is basically masterpiece quality. Even if--from the outside looking in--you might struggle to see what this show will offer you, I would highly suggest giving it a try anyway. It's overall quality and depth of material blows past any age/sex/genre boundaries.

Not a fulfilling ending

[akinloluakinyemid · 6/10 · 6 April 2019]

This is my first time writing an IMDb review. This is because I am very shocked that this episode got a 9.5 and I really cannot understand why. I want to give the episode a 6.5 but there is no option for that so I opt to round down in this scenario.

The show as a whole was quite beautiful and engaging. I really enjoyed it. But the problem this episode has is that it underperforms. Doesn't live up to the hype. Throughout the show we keep getting these interrogation shots to stir up the murder mystery and keep us second guessing to anticipate the eventual reveal of the murder and murderer. This keeps happening even though the events actually happening in the show stray far and wide from the murder like Reese spraining her ankle or Woodley and Lurna getting into physical confrontation but the quick interrogation shots make you feel this will all be tied in and explain at the end but this clearly doesn't happen as there is no relation between Skagaard assaulting Nicole and Reese refusing to let her daughter go for the birthday party earlier on. Yet we are led to believe it'll all make sense at the end. This show or episode will be soo much better if it didn't try so hard to be a murder mystery. Another thing that bugged me is that I thought the show was really going to test itself and be bold enough to reveal a murder that actually held weight. They weren't bold enough to kill any of the four starring women or make any of them an outright killer which is loosely implied through out the show, but they also kill the only person in the entire cast that was "expendable". The only villainous person no one is really expected to like. It felt like a cheap blow and also shows that the stakes aren't that high to the viewers going into the next season

The positives I got from the episode which allow it to be a six are; firstly Nicole Kidman is exceptional once again and really has the stand out performance in every episode for me. Skagaard and a couple of others also put up thrilling performances. The episode is paced really well and the shots and expressions were done superbly to get you in certain moods or pass across information like the predictable reveal that Skagaard was the person who raped Woodley. Overall good show but the finale wasn't up to par.

PS forgive me if I miss spelled any names

The Best

[luigir966 · 10/10 · 3 January 2021]

Is the best finale in a miniserie of HBO, Nicole Kidman Incredible

Ending Fulfilled

[jgarc-62549 · 9/10 · 31 May 2019]

I gave this a 9/10, because I would've liked to see more dialogue and visual of the incident/interrogation sequence, but other than that I was satisfied and found closure in the ending. Excited for season 2!

Stunnign

[Littleman95 · 10/10 · 14 November 2020]

This episode and this season gives me a lot of emotions. I love this one and I recommend it to everyone. Especially recommended for parents with children.

More interesting in the moments than it is in the heavily trailed mystery (SPOILERS)

[bob the moo · 13 August 2017]

This miniseries (which may now get a second series) is an interesting beast, but it is a little inconsistent in what it is doing. At first I enjoyed the pilot for its broadly bitchy clichés, all of which confirm my inherent bias towards the sort of people who can afford to live this lifestyle – the focus on petty drama, social politics, appearance and the such, all of it extended onto their children and staff. The presence of a murder of someone by someone adds to that rather soapy drama feel that it has at first, and the showroom homes and lives is on top of that too, giving it a sort of glossy sheen that suggests everything is best enjoyed on the superficial level.

Into the next few episodes and this impression wears away, because it is not just about social battles and one-upmanship, but rather there is plenty below the surface that each character is dealing with. Secrets, shames, regrets, and longings ; none of this is earth-shattering stuff, but this was the point I think – was that it wasn't "rich people having rich people fights" but rather the 'people' in the characters comes out. As it does this, the reminders that there is a murder to come doesn't really add much. It serves to keep a focal point on the horizon, and to tell us of the gossipy community and why those in it would want to keep secrets. The downside of this is that the final episode is a bit too hyped up, and also a bit too tidy in its resolution – however the good thing is that by this point the show has grown to be more interesting than this mystery.

The characters, their interactions, their individual struggles, and their root causes, all made for more interesting viewing. Yes it is stylized, polished, and set in a world of such resources that I cannot connect to that aspect of it, but it is the characters that make it work. The writing and its delivery in particular give one plenty to engage with. The starry cast look good on paper, but more importantly they do deliver; even some of the cast who I sometimes can take or leave won me over (Kidman, for example, was excellent). The supporting cast aren't always as good or as fleshed out, but the four female leads are great in their different ways, and get more engaging as their characters reveal complexity beyond what we see in the first episode.

While aspects of the show don't wholly work (one of them being the 'central' mystery), there is a lot to like as the show goes beyond its superficial starting point, and before it reaches its too-tidy resolution. Those looking for that sort of network drama gloss will enjoy it for that, but there is a darker core to this that offers more, satisfies in the drama, and makes for a more truthful story that the setting and lifestyles suggest.

Never Inflict Violence On Yourself. We Are All You.

[hamidullahgenc · 9/10 · 23 June 2017]

I start by saying that a cast this talented and experienced, it would be waste to have a bad script to play. Yes, the story says of the lives of the rich / high class families in a coastal city called Monterey in a slowly developing structure that reveals the wit, the envy, the competition, the self-centeredness, the love and the violence of everyday life.

Okay, not in all countries are these on the same levels. (Some countries do not have time to have cheated on wives, or concentrate their energy on little games between upstanding members of the society; as they are living in war, constantly looking behind their shoulders not to die with their children pressed on their chests. No, ladies and gentlemen; not all are this free... (Not funny.)

Now, I need to present my congratulations to Ms. Nicole Kidman, Mr. Alexander Skarsgård and Ms. Shailene Woodley for playing so well. But the one outperforms them all is Ms. Reese Witherspoon. She is just in it real well. Okay, we cannot fully see Ms. Madeline Martha Mackenzie's inner demons concerning her relationship with Mr. Joseph Bachman and how she managed to suppress the voice of her guilty conscience all this time while being seemingly normal. (Well; "normally edgy.")

The idea behind the book as well as the show can differ from one to another. But to me, it would not necessitate depicting all the violence and sex in manifest ways. Not because the true power of cinema / television is laid there, but also it might do more harm and damage than good. The kids, the teenagers, the young persons or even adults who watch this (secretly or openly) will / could mirror the bad and the ugly in their lives. (In my culture, the bad and the ugly would not necessarily be revealed as long as it is not a public matter or indicate a personal violation of rights.

Last, but not the least; the ending is understandable to the point that the main characters found themselves in a critical situation and made a tough response, therefore pulled through the horror / evil by "self defense." But after that, they are depicted like the perfect group of people, living happily more than ever. If this means what it seems, I do not agree with the screen writers. But if it means they are back in their deceitful / fragile shells, I am more than okay with it. (Somehow I feel like it is the first.) At the end, they could have given insight to how they handled it and even found peace.

Nevertheless, I say they did a pretty good job with the series. But even (the idea of) perfection needs flaws.

Here is a Verse of my culture: "If ye do good openly or keep it secret, or pardon an evil, surely Allah is All-pardoning, All-powerful." --The Gracious Koran: the 149th Verse in the 4th Chapter (called The Women).

Monterey Mischief

[safenoe · 8/10 · 16 December 2020]

I'm only now catching up with Big Little Lies, and finally get to see the series 1 finale. If I saw this in 2017, I would have had said "series finale" because the cast was adament that there would be no series 2.

In this season 1 finale, Madeline's reference to Glenn Close raised a chuckle! For the current generation, that was a reference to Glenn Close's career defining role in Fatal Attraction, a 1987 film about the foundations of marriage.

Elvis played a major role in this episode, well his songs actually.