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Big Little Lies: Here's What Happens to the Monterey Five in the Tense Season 2 Finale

Jul 26 2019 - 1:35pm

Big Little Lies [1] closed out its controversial second season not so much with a bang than with a whimper. Despite the promise of storylines about a potential drowning [2], revelations about the mysterious death of Perry's brother [3], and Ed cheating on Madeline [4], the HBO drama chose to tie things up neatly and quietly in the Sunday night finale, rather than giving audiences any shocks or thrills.

Although we would've loved a good twist here or there, at least the core group of women we've come to know and love — Renata (Laura Dern), Jane (Shailene Woodley), Celeste (Nicole Kidman [5]), Madeline (Reese Witherspoon [6]), and Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz) — make it out of the season alive, no matter how hard Mary Louise (Meryl Streep [7]) tried to tear them apart. Curious about everyone's fate in the season finale? Press play on the season two soundtrack [8] as you read up on what happened to the Monterey Five, ahead.

What Happens to Celeste?

The majority of Celeste Wright's story in season two revolves around the increasing animosity between her and her mother-in-law, Mary Louise. The latter is dead-set on finding out the truth about what happened to her son, Perry, who she doesn't believe tripped and fell to his death the night of the school fundraiser the year before. Mary Louise invades Celeste's space and creates plenty of tension for the grieving widow, and eventually files a suit against Celeste in an attempt to wrestle away custody of her young twins, Max and Josh.

The season two finale gives us closure on Celeste and Mary Louise's battle in court. Celeste, a former attorney, is granted permission by the judge to question her mother-in-law herself, and proceeds to rip apart Mary Louise's prejudices and judgments against her parenting style. One of the ways she does this is by bringing up the death of Perry's little brother, Raymond, who died decades earlier in a car crash while Mary Louise was driving. Celeste says Perry told her that his mother cruelly blamed Raymond's death on him for years.

Celeste also decides to play footage of Perry physically abusing her in court, which one of her boys recorded. Finally, people believe that Celeste was telling the truth about the abuse, and she's granted custody of her kids and the case is dismissed. Mary Louise, clearly shaken, is sent packing, hopefully never to be heard from again.

What Happens to Madeline?

Although Madeline's marriage to Ed isn't perfect, it seems they've finally reached a good, stable place in their relationship. At the beginning of the episode, Ed, still upset about his wife's affair, asks if they can have a vow renewal ceremony. In his eyes, it will cement their commitment to each other and remind them of the day they got married, which Ed says was full of joy and "so much promise." (Apparently we can assume he never got busy with Tori!)

Madeline agrees to his plans, and after briefly suggesting they throw a big party, she agrees with Ed's idea of having it be just the two of them and their daughters. They have Abigail officiate the ceremony by the sea as Chloe acts as a flower girl. They all wear flower crowns. It's pretty adorable.

What Happens to Bonnie?

Bonnie's finale arc is by far the most important. She once again spends the majority of the episode by her mother's hospital bed, which gives her time to think through her recent life choices. Not only does she resolve to tell the police about what really happened the night Perry died, but she also calmly and coolly informs her husband, Nathan, that she's never loved him and wants to split. Better late than never, I guess?

What Happens to Jane?

Jane's trauma at the hands of Perry Wright was a driving force in the first season, but her story took a backseat in the second go around. However, she's still seen sorting through her complex emotions regarding her rape throughout season two, which coincide with the introduction of a new love interest: Corey. Initially Jane is wary of his advances — not because she doesn't find him attractive, but because she knows she's not ready to open up or be physical with anyone yet.

By the season finale, Jane has reached a point where she feels safe and comfortable enough to be with Corey physically. We get to watch a sweet scene of the pair kissing at the aquarium, and later they have sex in her apartment for the first time. It's a huge step forward for Jane, and hopefully Corey proves to be the pillar of stability she and Ziggy need.

What Happens to Renata?

Oh, Renata. Not only does she have to deal with losing all of her money, but her husband, Gordon, has been cheating on her with the nanny. While she said that she'd stay with him earlier on in the season despite him plunging their family into bankruptcy, their relationship appears to be kaput in the season two finale after Renata visits him in his "toy room."

There, he tells her some news: he sold his expensive, elaborate miniature train set to a friend for over $400,000. The best part? He gets to keep it! The friend is just a collector, so even though he owns all the trains, he told Gordon to keep the set in mint condition in his home. Renata, still struggling to believe she's lost everything, rightfully freaks the f*ck out and takes a baseball bat to her cheating husband's room of collectibles.

We never see her mentioning a divorce explicitly, but it's safe to say that they're done for good since she screams at Gordon that she's "done with the bullsh*t." Good for you, Renata.

What Happens to the Monterey Five?

When Bonnie decides that she's going to confess, she texts the group to let them know of her plans. They all meet her at the police station and walk inside with Bonnie as a unit, standing tall. That's when the show cuts to black — we never find out what their confessions entail, what the police decide to charge them with (if anything), or if anyone's going to jail. All we know is that the women of the Monterey Five are on their way to having free and clear consciences, for once. Maybe that's good enough.


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