Big Little Lies Season 3 Must Do These 2 Things To Fix Season 2’s Mistakes

Despite its stellar cast with great chemistry, Big Little Lies has two major problems that need to be solved in season 3. The success of its first season led HBO to renew it for a second outing, which wasn’t as well-received as the first. Four years after season 2 ended, Nicole Kidman confirmed there’s a new Big Little Lies season coming, but whether it will be the hit that season 1 was remains to be seen.

Big Little Lies was a joint project between Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, who starred in both seasons and acted as executive producers. They acquired the rights to Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name in 2014, releasing the series as a limited series in 2017 with a star-studded cast, telling the story of five women who get caught in a murder investigation. Next to Kidman and Witherspoon, the main cast included Shailene Woodley, Adam Scott, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz, with Meryl Streep joining the cast in season 2. Details about season 3 are still scarce, but two potential changes could help Big Little Lies get back the success it once had.

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Big Little Lies Season 3 Needs A New Main Ensemble

Despite how much chemistry the current cast has

One of the reasons why Big Little Lies worked in the first place was because of its talented ensemble, but that doesn’t mean it can’t improve the formula. While the cast was magnificent in season 1, as it had the book to work with, season 2 didn’t reach the same critical acclaim, since Moriarty’s book ended with the season 1 finale. With no source material to adapt, season 3 needs to switch the narrative to a new ensemble that could start fresh, with new storylines and plots, but it doesn’t necessarily need to become a spin-off entirely to have a new main ensemble.

Instead, it could create a new story in Monterey, California, and keep the main characters, known as the Monterey Five, as recurring or guest stars. A new season with a brand-new ensemble could shift the story into new directions, without changing its tone or themes and risking the chance of taking the current characters in uncharacteristic plots. Aside from the murder investigation and the suspense leading to the big reveal in season 2, part of Big Little Lies‘ success was showing well-rounded characters and empowering, supportive women, and season 3 could take it from there.

Big Little Lies Season 3 Needs A Big Time Jump From When Season 2 Ended

The last season premiered in 2019

Big Little Lies season 3 needs a big time jump from when season 2 ended, which premiered in 2019. Since it’s been four years since then, and it might take a while to get all the cast on the same schedule, the only way to do it is to acknowledge how much time has passed. Since the Big Little Lies season 2 ending wrapped almost everything up for the Monterey Five, the series could pivot to its child characters and show what happened to them after a few years. The easiest route for Big Little Lies to succeed with season 3 is to pick up after the Monterey Five have done time for their crime and are ready to move on, giving the spotlight to new characters.