The Reel Review
Season two of the award-winning HBO crime mystery series, about a group of upper-class moms in Monterey, California, picks up in the weeks following Bonnie’s dramatic killing of Perry (Alexander Skarsgård) in the finale of season one. When Perry’s mother (Meryl Streep) comes to visit, the “Monterey Five,” as they are now known around town, must scramble to maintain their cover-up.
Show creator David E. Kelley (L.A. Law, Ally McBeal) has done it again – weaving a still-compelling story about privileged white women juggling a killing with their first world problems. It is dramatic and darkly comical. As the sanctimonious, passive-aggressive granny seeking the truth behind her son’s death, Streep is amazing, immediately lending even more gravitas to the already stellar cast, as she channels the angst of a grieving mother unaware that her beloved son was also a rapist and sadistic abuser.
The female leads are great fun to watch, with characters ranging from the realistic (Nicole Kidman), to the haughty (Reese Witherspoon) and even ridiculous (Laura Dern). A memorable, moody score and stunning visuals of one of the most beautiful coastlines in the U.S. are the cherries on top of an already delicious, drama-filled cake. Bring on the next wave of Emmys and Golden Globes – at least one will be going to Streep.
REEL FACTS
• Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman became such good friends during the filming of the first season, that Witherspoon bought the house next to Kidman’s in her hometown of Nashville.
• Nicole Kidman was once engaged to Lenny Kravitz, father of co-star Zoë Kravitz
• Laura Dern has played the mother of two series co-stars in two films – Shailene Woodley in 2014’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Reese Witherspoon in 2014’s Wild
Video & Photo
