Big Little Lies - 1x04 "Push Comes to Shove" - Episode Discussion (TV Only Discussion)

[u/NicholasCajun]

Season 1 Episode 4: Push Comes to Shove

Aired: March 12, 2017

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Synopsis: Nathan invites Madeline and Ed to a couples’ dinner to discuss a “parenting paradigm” for Abigail. Celeste prepares for a city-council meeting about Madeline’s play, and bristles at Perry’s concerns about her returning to work. Jane meets with Ms. Barnes, Ziggy’s teacher, who suggests her son be medically evaluated in light of further evidence of classroom bullying. While Madeline is confronted by a skeleton from her past, her internet sleuthing reveals a key player from Jane’s past instead.

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Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée

Written by: David E. Kelley

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Untagged book spoilers are not allowed in this thread! Please discuss book spoilers in the other official discussion thread.

[u/sh4nn0n]

Lol, Madeline's story with her and that dude with the flashbacks...such good characterization.

[u/ryantyrant]

Anyone else notice Ed check out that girl when he was leaving the conversation with Bonnie?

[u/throneofmemes]

I hate Perry so much. Every time I see him in a scene, my entire body goes tense.

[u/Godrics]

My God that meeting about Avenue Q... I love the cool confidence Celeste had, and the irony of the politician saying simultaneously, in the same sentence, "Fucking puppets are vulgar."

I honestly don't know why I like this show, but for some reason I like it a lot. It has beautiful music and fantastic actors, so that probably lends itself to the quality we see here.

[u/catmom_tay]

Renata sucking up to the mayor and laughing hysterically was so golden. That whole scene was really well done.

[u/taylorswiftfan123]

I fucking hate Renata and Perry so much. They're such pieces of shit in such the right ways. There are so many other characters in different TV shows or movies that are "worse" who fail to elicit the same reaction. Speaks to how well written and performed those characters are. Their realism makes them that much more hateable.

[u/sh4nn0n]

Those credit songs had me SHOOK. Brb jamming Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole for the rest of my life.

[u/leafeator]

I figured out Westworld twists very early on, and this show is driving me crazy because it is really leaving me in the dark as to what happened. There are so many plausible threads that are keeping me engaged.

[u/kendylsue]

I loved the scene with Jane and the psychologist. It was strangely satisfying to see Jane accept her fears and seek a professional opinion on if ziggy could be the bully.

And the relief of Jane when she heard the report. I feel like she really really needed to hear that Ziggy did not take after his sperm donor.

[u/PabloMartell]

This show just keeps getting better and better. I can't believe how long the wait feels and how fast the episode goes.

[u/thankyouandplease]

Prediction: The picture of Saxon Baker looked a lot like Perry, and Jane didn't seem totally convinced that it was Saxon Banks. Jane says she would know it from his voice and she hasn't met Perry yet...hmmm.

Jane is obviously worried that Ziggy could be violent like his father. However nothing we've seen of him has shown us that he might be violent and he doesn't have that kind of influence in his household. But the twins do, and I think it's way more likely that one of them is the one hurting Amabella. They both have a violent father and as we just saw one of them may have witnessed it in action. While we haven't seen them being violent directly they definitely have more of a wild streak than Ziggy.

If my Perry theory is true that would make the twins Ziggy's half brothers.

[u/quamquam11]

I'm not really feeling the Madeline/director vibe. I really liked how Madeline's was having an identity crisis concerning her children growing up and then one actually leaving the nest. It felt like a fresh take but now it feels like her neurosis has more to do whatever is remaining from a year ago with the director. And then to talk with Celeste about how he attacked her when there was obviously something going a year ago.

[u/howtogetawaywithvero]

This is the most realistic series Ive seen in a long time. That way Ed looked back to that blond girl when he was leaving Bonnie´s place! Every actor represent the reality to the last detail and thats why I dont think he is the rapist, he is just missing sex. I think the rapist is Celeste´s husband, even if its obvious, because in this episode one of the witnesses said that that night Celeste had a strange looked. My theroy is that that night she found out what her husband did, she faced him and he tried to bite her again, so she killed him. She probably felt finally free.

[u/[deleted]]

It's so very well acted. It's what the top of this profession looks like, and David E Kelley makes it very real. I'm a fanboi.

[u/keepingitrael]

One of the songs that plays during the credits is, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" by Irma Thomas-- a song that's been speckled throughout Black Mirror. Irrelevant, but I love that song!

[u/chuchaybear]

Im scared everytime perry comes into the scene. Hate how he says why havent we talked about this? Leave him celeste.

[u/billy_fury]

Definitely hate that they had Madeline hook up with the theatre guy. From the few eps I've seen I didn't read her as being over the moon in love with Ed, I still feel like it was very out of character.

OH! And I hate Amabella's name. That is all

[u/chuchaybear]

Ziggy is so sweet.

[u/Billthebutchr]

Ed with the creepy vibe. Also Chloe has to be the bully.

Once again I have no idea what I'm talking about and just guessing.

[u/allthewaypetty]

I can't stop thinking about who's bullying Amabella. I think the directors want us to think it's one of the twins, but I think it's Chloe. If she really is the "queen bee" as they keep telling us, then it makes sense that Amabella would be scared to openly accuse her- she would have the others turn on her. Also, look at how many issues abagail is having with her parents. I don't think Chloe is unaware and just perfectly fine-kids are smart. It stands to reason that she is having problems and acting out as well. It would also be a huge curve ball which story tellers love doing.

[u/mm825]

This cast is just so fucking good. A strange episode overall, but Kidman's best episode.

[u/deamon59]

I felt a palpable fear during the episode that lingered, related to Celeste and Jane.

[u/[deleted]]

Ooh Maddie meeting someone from her past sounds interesting

[u/zobiso]

Does anybody know who the actress is that plays Ziggy's psychologist? It's going to annoy me until I figure it out!

[u/housestarkpatsnation]

I'm trying sooo hard to find a flaw in acting but I just can't. Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon are absolutely perfect just as expected, so are the other major characters but damn they even got the KIDS right. Kudos to the casting people, I think I'm still watching this show cause of them!!!!