‘Big Little Lies’ Part Two Recap: Madeline Draws Battle Lines Between The Mothers

In Part One of Big Little Lies, we learn that a character has been found dead. When newcomer Jane (Shailene Woodley) comes onto the scene, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste (Nicole Kidman) open her with welcome arms, only for it to be announced later that Jane’s son Ziggy (Iain Armitage) may have attacked Amabelle (Ivy George), Renata’s (Laura Dern) daughter, at home.

‘Big Little Lies’ Part Two Recap: “Serious Mothering”

Jane talks with Ziggy about going back to school and being brave. He repeatedly asks her why they moved to Monterey and she won’t answer him, alluding to the fact that she’s hiding from something.

In the car on the way to school Celeste’s husband Perry (Alexander Skarsgård) apologizes for hitting her the night before and she suggests seeing a counselor to try and work out their differences. Her strong attitude alludes that she won’t tolerate being hit again, a woman of power. When her husband finds out that he missed orientation day, he begins to get violent again.

Jane watches her son from the parking lot to ensure he gets into school safely and doesn’t touch anybody inappropriately. At yoga, Madeline runs into her ex-husband Nathan (James Tupper) and his wife Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz), alluding to a build up of anger between the two.

Back at home, Celeste’s husband slaps her across the face again and then shoves her into a wall. He immediately apologizes and she stares at him with pure anger in her eyes. As he kisses her stomach, she shoves him away from him but he won’t loosen his grip on her. He then begins to rape her inside of their bedroom. After he finishes, she can’t hold her gaze and runs into the next room.

Madeline and Jane arrive at school together to pick up their children. They find out that Renata is throwing a birthday party for her daughter but didn’t invite Ziggy, drawing party lines between the moms.

Madeline and her husband Ed (Adam Scott) are out on the beach by their home, discussing how their relationship is at an un-ease because he thinks she is still in love with her ex-husband Nathan. He’s tired of her being unhappy with her life and not being able to count on her.

At home, Celeste asks the twins about Ziggy at school, if he really choked Renata’s daughter. The twins say that they don’t think he did, he’s too nice for that.

Madeline and Celeste get drinks to discuss her fight with Ed. Celeste suggests that Madeline had more passion for Nathan than Ed. Celeste doesn’t tell Madeline that her husband is beating her, alluding that they fight and then have sex. Renata runs into the two of them at dinner, inviting them to a fundraising event. Madeline insults Renata for not inviting Ziggy to which Renata responds “DO NOT FUCK WITH MY DAUGHTER’S BIRTHDAY” and Madeline calls her out in front of the entire restaurant. The war has gotten more involved.

Ed criticizes Madeline for making their daughter suffer because she has some sort of connection with Jane and Ziggy’s involvement with Renata.

Madeline finds out that Bonnie took her daughter, Abigail to Planned Parenthood. She storms her at school drop-off and gives her a piece of her mind. Celeste tells Madeline that she should let the whole situation go, Jane says that she holds grudges. This alludes to the mystery of the murder, making us wonder who did what to who even more.

Ed and Nathan meet to discuss the Planned Parenthood situation. Ed tells Nathan that he ruined Madeline’s life and is indecent to not realize it. Nathan then criticizes Ed for being a stay-at-home computer science geek. The two then have a weird threatening moment and then part ways. It’s clear that the two of them hate each other.

Madeline invites all of the children to Disney’s Frozen on Ice during the same time as Renata’s daughter’s birthday party. When Renata finds out, she becomes incredibly angry and screams into the sky.

Jane gets a call that Ziggy tried to kiss Amabelle, instigated by both Chloe and Skye (Chloe Coleman,) Nathan and Bonnie’s daughter. After a meeting between parents at the school, Jane breaks down. It seems her decision to move here wasn’t as warm a welcome as she expected. Her inability to know the truth about what her son is doing at school is messing with both her mental state and her ability to make friends in this new town.

When Celeste skype’s with her husband, he asks her to strip for him. As she’s performing a strip-tease for him, it’s revealed that she has noticeable bruises on her back. She immediately retracts and ends the skype call.

Ziggy tells his mom that he heard another mother call him a “little monster.” Jane gets extremely defensive and stabs a knife into a cutting board. This alludes a violent side to Jane, is this why she moved to Monterey in the first place?

Madeline finds out about Ed and Nathan’s interaction. She seems rather impressed by Ed’s actions, telling him how he’s the only one for her. Celeste skype’s her husband in a strip tease again, alluding that she may not be as strong as was once suggested.

Check out a preview for Part Three of the HBO limited series below: