Big Little Lies, the HBO drama’s ending no one expected

This TV-mini series, totaling seven episodes, follows the story of Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) when her and her young son, Ziggy, move to a wealthy seaside town in California. The lives of the two mothers she befriends are seemingly-perfect however as the season goes on, it becomes obvious that nothing is as it seems, especially when a murder strike

s the quiet town of Monterey. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies showcases award winning actors, including Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård, and Reese Witherspoon, tapping into her former role of the fabulous Elle Woods, to portray the ambitious and always fashionable Madeline Mackenzie.

At first, the TV show was a little off-putting, since the first twenty minutes dealt with the common issues weighing on PTO moms and the superficial drama therein. But once the show gets started, things quickly picked up. Domestic violence, adultery, small-town politics, bullying, rape, and, finally, murder. This series isn’t your classic Who-Dunnit? The entire series you’re trying to figure out who is the victim rather than the perpetrator.

The writing is some of the best I’ve ever seen, and that goes a long way for a mini series, considering every line delivered must tell something about the characters or the story. In a piece as short as this, there is no space for small-talk, and every word must have meaning. No room for error. Which is why it’s all the more impressive that this show manages to fit so much content into 7 episodes.

The acting, of course, is top-notch, given its star-studded cast. And, oddly enough, my favorite part of this entire series has to be its soundtrack. One of Madeline Mackenzie’s daughters has the greatest music taste I’ve ever heard (especially for a first grader) and I found myself adding songs to my Spotify playlist throughout the mini-series.

There’s several facets of this series that make me sad it was over so quickly, and the only thing that soothes my show-hole woes is to recommend this gorgeously-written series to others.

Big Little Lies is available on HBO on demand and HBO Go.