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In our current oversaturated streaming era, it can be difficult to commit to a new show, let alone rewatch one, but HBO's two-season, star-studded crime thriller series rewards repeat screenings. From iconic classics like The Sopranos and The Wire to more recent hits like Mare of Easttown and Task, many of HBO's best original shows fall under the crime genre.
When Big Little Lies premiered on HBO in 2017, it was a total outlier. Not only was an ensemble of women at the forefront of a genre traditionally reserved for male protagonists, but these weren't just any actresses — Big Little Lies boasts an A-list main cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, and Laura Dern. Though stars of the silver screen appear on TV shows all the time today, particularly in limited series, this wasn't as commonplace in Big Little Lies' heyday, and the HBO show played a pivotal role in this dynamic shift.
Of course, stars alone aren't enough for a show to warrant masterpiece status — the plot has to be entertaining and engrossing, a feat Big Little Lies accomplishes in spades. Based on Liane Moriarty's bestselling novel of the same name, Big Little Lies centers on a group of affluent mothers in the idyllic oceanside town of Monterey, California, who are somehow connected to a murder.
The story is told in two timelines: one is the immediate aftermath of the murder, which took place at a school fundraiser, and the other begins on the first day of school for the mothers' first-grade children and centers on the fallout of a bullying incident. It's a thrill to watch the series slowly reveal how these violent acts connect, and even more layers are added to the story on a rewatch.
Big Little Lies Is Better On A Rewatch (Yes, Even Season 2)
Big Little Liesingeniously hooks its audience by withholding the identity of the murder victim until the end of season 1. Planting this massive curiosity seed ratchets up the tension tenfold — it's a big reason why The White Lotus is such a watercooler show, and why Big Little Lies season 1 became such an instant hit.
While the shock of the victim and killer reveals can only happen once, it's a fascinating experience as a viewer to go from being kept in the dark to having all the information. The events of the fundraiser timeline are largely told through police interviews with other parents who attended the event, and these characters function like a Greek chorus.
On a first watch, they know more than we do, but on a rewatch, we, the audience, are in the superior position because we know who the killer is, and they don't, which means we can spot clues we may have missed or red herrings that perhaps fooled us the first time. Also, having the answers allows the viewer to appreciate the performances of the interviewed parents even more, with Oscar nominee Hong Chau being a particular delight as Jackie, an especially judgmental mom.
In fact, the elimination of the Greek chorus is a major complaint levied against the more divisive Big Little Lies season 2. Though the show was initially planned as a limited series, Big Little Lies season 1 was so successful that HBO greenlit another season. Unfortunately, even with the addition of Hollywood heavyweight Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies' sophomore installment was by and large considered a disappointment, not just for the lack of Greek chorus but also for a core murder mystery.
Big Little Lies Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Critics' Score
Audience Score
Season 1 (2017)
93%
95%
Season 2 (2019)
85%
84%
However, now that it's been seven years since Big Little Lies season 2 ended, it's easier to temper expectations. We know that it's less of a crime thriller than its predecessor, so on a rewatch, the second season can be appreciated for its gripping domestic drama elements. Kidman, in particular, gives an incredibly layered performance as Celeste, who's dealing with the complicated situation of mourning her abusive husband while also helping cover up his murder. That performance is a lot easier to appreciate without the frustration of waiting for another body to drop.
The Upcoming Big Little Lies Season 3 Makes Now The Perfect Time To Rewatch
Rewatching Big Little Lies is a rewarding experience at any time, but the timing couldn't be better, as Big Little Lies season 3 is officially coming to HBO. After the diminished return of season 2, it was a major question whether the show would come back, and though it was never outright canceled, it seemed like Big Little Lies season 3 would never come to fruition.
However, the third installment was announced in 2025, with creator David E. Kelley returning alongside stars and executive producers Witherspoon and Kidman, while Mr. & Mrs. Smith's Francesca Sloane will serve as writer and fellow executive producer. The new season will adapt Moriarty's upcoming sequel novel, Big Little Truths (set for release on August 25, 2026), and is expected to start shooting in the fall.
Unlike Big Little Lies seasons 1 and 3, season 2 had no published source material, with Moriarty penning a novella solely for the show's writers to use as a creative springboard.
The novel and new Big Little Lies season will feature a 10-year time jump from when we last saw the characters, with the Monterey Five now the mothers of teenagers. If that's not exciting enough, the story will return to its Greek chorus format, as Big Little Truths centers on a shocking incident in which a severed finger is mailed to the high school principal. The teens will serve as the police interviewees, who will slowly reveal how everything is connected to Madeline's (Witherspoon) 50th birthday party. Thus, there has never been a better time to return to Monterey.
Release Date 2017 - 2026-00-00
Network HBO
Showrunner David E. Kelley
Directors Jean-Marc Vallee, Andrea Arnold
Writers T. Rafael Cimino