Welcome to New Little Lies, a weekly recap chat about Big Little Lies we’re hosting on TheAtZShow. Each week Fernando and I will break down the latest happenings on HBO’s starry hit show by diving headfirst into the drama in Monterey. Spoilerphobes proceed with caution. We will be going into spoilers for all of Big Little Lies Season One, the first two episodes of Season Two, as well as speculating about the future of the show.

Zach Shevich: The truth refused to stay hidden on this week’s Big Little Lies. The Monterey Five share so many secrets with so many people that it’s hard to keep them straight. “What are we people who keep secrets from each other now?” Ed (Adam Scott) asks Madeline (Reese Witherspoon). Poor Ed. He’s too pure for this world. 

It was the kids who caused major drama this episode. Madeline’s daughter Chloe has overheard that Perry is Ziggy’s father. Not only that, but she told Ziggy months ago. It forces some difficult conversations between the moms and their children, particularly for Jane (Shailene Woodley), who has to explain that she was assaulted, and not salted, to Ziggy.

When Jane tells Celeste (Nicole Kidman) that Ziggy knows the truth, Celeste says that it wasn’t part of their, “agreement.” This brings to mind the checks from Perry’s estate that Jane hasn’t been cashing, as yet again Jane is not on the same page as Celeste. She tells Celeste, “I know that you have to protect your boys but I have to protect mine.” Will their commitments as mothers ultimately come between Monterey Five? Will the kids continue to spill secrets?

It was a tough week for Ed. After finding out that even his daughter in 2nd grade is more in the know than he is, he happens to walk in on Abigail (Kathryn Newton) talking about Madeline’s affair with the theater director. Did Ed have the toughest week on Big Little Lies? Was in Madeline, whose infidelity finally caught up to her? Or was it someone else?

Fernando Andrade: As you mentioned Zach, this episode was spicy. Things definitely are starting to heat up in every household for multiple reasons. Now who had the toughest week that is hard to say, but Ed is up there. I have to say Adam Scott gave an incredibly real performance this week. From the small exchange with Nathan to that big argument with Madeline he was a highlight.

But, someone else who seemed to have a rough week was Renata (Laura Dern). Things star off great actually, she tells her husband Gordon she's going to be on the cover of a magazine and she's as happy as can be. Out of nowhere though, the FBI show up and arrest Gordon. This leads Renata to visit him in jail and he explains he bet all their money, committed fraud on multiple levels and they are practically poor. Let's just say Renata did not take that well. "I'm not gonna not be rich!" and "I will not not be rich!" Are her exact words to him.

In regards to Celeste and Jane, that's a tough call. One of the last shots we see them coming together with their kids sort of embracing what happened. It seems the five can only trust each other. Their kids stirred the pot a lot this episode, their relationships with their husbands are being tested, and Mary Louise definitely seems to be connecting the dots more and more.

She finds out about Ziggy and Jane and has a conversation with Celeste pretty much rejecting the idea Perry would rape or hurt anyone. She asks Celeste why she never went to the police if that happened and that she is going to the police herself to fill the gaps. Zach, during the episode we see and hear about Detective Quinlan, do you think her and Mary Louise are going to be best friends this season?

ZS: It seems as if Detective Quinlan and Mary Louise are the only ones suspicious of the Monterey Five. That’s as good a reason as any on this show to have those two team up. Mary Louise sure seems like she’s at least collecting evidence to make Celeste seem like a bad mother. There’s the exchange where Celeste says Madeline once her saved Max from drowning, which Mary Louise flips asking Celeste, “where were you?” And then immediately after, Celeste pushes Max down. 

When Max curses at Celeste, her response is, “No! You will not be like him!” referring to the boys’ violent, dead father Perry (Alexander Skarsgård). His presence continues to linger through this show, invading Celeste’s thoughts. It’s a complicated situation for Celeste, who is still sorting out her feeling for Perry in therapy and has the tough job of explaining to her sons why they suddenly have a new brother. It won’t get any easier with Mary Louise watching her, and keeping track of her every move. “You left that out,” Mary Louise says listing off things Celeste hadn’t mentioned to the police after Perry’s death, including her plans to leave him and knowledge of Jane’s rape. 

It turns out that Mary Louise isn’t the only mother arriving in Monterey set to shake things up. Bonnie’s mother arrives, after getting a call from a worried Nathan, and proceeds to rip into Nathan as an inattentive husband who somehow doesn’t realize Bonnie’s been acting differently since the trivia night. She guesses Bonnie might have PTSD, but she thinks it might be worse. Fernando what role do you think Bonnie’s mother might play on future episodes or do you think we’ve seen the last of her?

FA: While Id love to see more of Bonnie's mother as she brought a new interesting dynamic to the field, I feel this is the last we will see of her. She did hint at things relating to Bonnie's past putting a bone, feather, and Crystal next to their bed at night like so sort of ritual or blessing. She also said she has visions of someone drowning, possibly Bonnie from all the guilt she has built up.

Adding to what you said about Celeste, we also see her go back to her therapist this episode. She says she still loves Perry and finds it hard to let go. But, in what was an extremely visceral scene the therapist asks her to put Madeline in her place when Perry was beating her in the closet from season one. Nicole Kidman gave a great performance this episode as always.

Overall this episode was fantastic. It kept me interested and asking questions the entire time. My MVPs are Adam Scott, Laura Dern for that incredible highway scene, and Bonnie's mother. Definitely interested to see how both Madeline and Renata are going to bounce back from what happened to them this episode, how the kids dynamic is going to play out, and where else Mary Louise is going to poke around.