Big Little Lies

Hey.

Can I get a water, please? Thank you.

Hi. Is Abby all right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All in all, it's great.

- Thank you. - It's been just a pretty smooth six days?

- Yeah? - So, other than our little...

What?

Well, our little dust-up.

- Oh, you mean my dust-up. - No, I didn't say that.

Well, you didn't have to say that.

I was wrong to question your decision to cancel the SAT tutor, I guess?

I didn't think you were wrong.

Because who cares if Abigail doesn't get her scores up

or if she goes to a college that requires more than a pulse.

Okay.

Do you see what you're doing here?

I came here actually to propose that you and me and Bonnie and Ed have dinner together.

You wanted to propose that?

Yeah, you know, to discuss the transitional parenting paradigm of Abigail.

Make sure there aren't any glaring chasms. Like, you know, like this whole tutor thing.

To discuss the transitional parenting paradigms?

To make sure we don't have any glaring chasms?

Who talks like that, Nathan? Why don't you just say this is Bonnie's idea?

Yeah, okay, yeah. It's Bonnie's idea.

Personally, I think the idea of us all getting along is ridiculous.

But, you know, that's one of the things that really defines being a husband

is your willingness to go along with your wife's fucked-up ideas.

- Give me a break. - Like, by way of example,

when I was with you, you remember?

I paid $9,000 to ground the house

against electromagnetic fields so that we all didn't get brain cancer.

Or the time when we went camping?

I said, "Yeah, yeah, fucking mosquitos bite the shit out of me." Doesn't matter.

As long as our skin doesn't come in touch with DEET.

What is your point, Nathan?

My point is, I did a lot of fucked-up things in our marriage,

a lot of hoops I jumped through for you,

and now I'm doing those same things for Bonnie.

Personally, I'd rather shove an electric eel up my ass

and have it gnaw through my intestines

than sit down with you and fucking psycho Ed. But you know what, I'll do it.

"Cause that's the kind of fucking fucked-up fuckshit father I am.

How about that?

(OVER PHONE) The man is losing his mind.

Can you believe it?

So, did you schedule the dinner?

Yes! I mean, a couples dinner?

He would've never done that when we were together. Never.

But for Bonnie, he's Mr. Fucking Sacrifice.

Why don't you bottle up some of that anger and put it to good use?

What do you mean?

Mmm. I think I can use you and Joseph at the meeting with the mayor tomorrow.

Joseph can speak to the content of the show and we could use your passion.

I cannot possibly thank you enough for this, Celeste.

- I haven't done anything yet. - Thank you.

- I'm actually having fun. - Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Anyway, you want to meet at Blue-Blues in the morning? After drop-off?

- I'll brief you. - Okay. Night, honey.

Mmm-hmm. Night-night.

A briefing?

The mayor is trying to shut down this production of Avenue Q

at the community theater because it's not appropriate.

So...

I told Madeline I'd help her out.

Helping her out how?

Legal help?

Yeah.

- Are you practicing law again? - Not practicing law, just going to a meeting.

Because the town of Monterey can't afford to hire an attorney.

The town of Monterey is the one that's trying to shut the production down.

Okay.

How come we didn't have a conversation about this?

If you were here long enough to have a conversation...

After the talk shifts from the kids,

you're off packing your bag for another business trip.

You gonna hit me now?

Do you want me to hit you, Celeste?

Here we go again.

Sometimes I wonder.

Ed?

Ed?

No, no, no, no, no.

Okay, honey, you're gonna wake up Chloe.

Okay, Ed.

That's great.

Let's wrap it up.

The neighbors actually heard them practicing for the talent show.

They came to Trivia Night with their game faces on.

We're talking about viciously competitive people.

- You really are a nutjob, you know that? - Yeah, but I'm your nutjob.

- That's true, as opposed to... - What?

That meeting with Nathan, honey? He wants us all to have dinner.

You, me, Bonnie, Nathan,

all getting together, exchanging niceties

and, what, group-talking our parenting skills?

Well, could be a good idea.

Are you kidding me? It's fucking Bonnie.

She probably just wants to show off and serve us organic quinoa

with her kale she raised in her sustainable vertical garden.

Probably while she was meditating.

So help me God, if she so much as teaches me how to peel a potato,

I'm gonna go for her fucking throat.

That might not be a good idea.

Oh, what about Suspicious Minds?

Pocketful of Rainbows.

Oh, no. Honey, you've got to go to bed. You never sleep. (CHUCKLES)

You need to pick a song no one else will sing.

- Well, it's not even listed, honey. - Exactly.

Ed.

Kind of nice.

We're gonna stay up all night.

And not go to school tomorrow

- Am I dreaming right now? Yeah!

Sweetie.

You were sleepwalking, baby.

(WHISPERS) What happened between you and my dad?

You can tell me.

You guys met one night and then... That was it. He was gone?

Yeah.

You don't have to look for him for me, if that's what you're doing.

I'm okay, Mom.

We'll be fine.

Scoot over.

I love you.

- I love you more. - Isaid it first.

- I mean it more. -(CHUCKLES)

I love you more than all of those stars combined.

I love you more than infinity times infinity.

I'm concerned.

- About? - Your stress level.

I'm fine.

Well, you couldn't get pregnant.

When you were working, the doctors all agreed that it had to do with...

- I'm not trying to get pregnant. - No, I'm just saying.

- The anxiety. - Yeah, I know my history.

I'm not trying to get pregnant.

I'm just trying to help out a friend. What's the big problem? Hmm?

Why is it such a big deal for you?

No, it's not.

I'm just looking out for you, Sparkles.

If you go to pieces again, who's gonna put you back together?

Madeline?

I'm the one who's always there for you.

- Always will be. -(SIGHS)

It's just difficult when you try to control me.

Yeah, well, the idea of you resuming your career...

I'm not trying to resume my career.

I want to have another baby.

- A daughter. - What?

It's too late. You know I can't.

It's not too late.

- Hey. -(EXHALES)

- What are you... - Hey.

Can you imagine?

Having a little girl of our own?

Being your husband...

Max and Josh's dad...

Sometimes I wish we had 10 kids.

- Well, that was sounding romantic. -(CHUCKLES)

Let's have that little girl tonight.

Come on, I've got a busy day.

Come on. What are you doing?

I got to get up early.

Yeah?

Yeah, you're probably right.

Yeah, you're right. Let's just call it a night, then.

You think you're so irresistible, don't you? Huh?

I love you so much.

Yes. Ed likes to dress up in costumes.

Presley? (CHUCKLES)

I think he has a fetish or something.

One night, I came home and he had a full vampire costume on.

With fangs and everything, and an accent and...

I think he thought it was sexy and it would spice up our sex life.

It didn't?

Well, I mean, it was funny.

I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know why I'm talking about sex so much.

Tom, when you get a chance, honey,

can I get something puffy with chocolate on it?

- You got it. - Thank you.

Why don't you mean to talk about sex?

- No reason. -'Cause I was raped?

Well...

I mean, I'm trying to be sensitive, honey.

I don't always know the right thing to say.

- But I certainly don't judge you. - I know.

It's actually really weird.

Ever since I told you about Ziggy's dad,

it's like this thing that's been happening to my body.

Like it's wanting to wake up again or something.

I always knew that my reaction to that night had been too big.

I pretended like it meant nothing, so, of course, it came to mean everything.

But it's like I had to say those stupid words that he said to me out loud to you

for them to lose their power.

Like keeping them a secret helped them retain their power.