2nd Season is Entertaining, but somewhat predictable
SPOILERS- Donnot read further if you haven't finished the series.
There's a lot of intertwining stories going on in part 2 of rich California life, where often we find ourselves more impressed with the massive homes these women live in then their problems. But problems they have, and if you think they were solved by season 1- there's a lot of gas left in the tank.
Rather then give an overall commentary on what happens, let's just stick to individual performances.
Nicole Kidman
She isn't quite the dynamite Emmy winning performance she was in season 1, but boy does she pack a wallop- especially in the final scenes involving courtroom confrontations that threaten to take her children away (to custody of loopy Meryl Streep, who I will get to later). Kidman has been accused of coming off "soft" and "whispery" in her mannerisms, but I believed her here. She's still grieving over the death of her abusive husband - and even more obscure, she's still somewhat in love with him. Real relationships are like this. Just because someone you love that abused you is gone, doesn't make the feelings go away. Her passive-aggressive sexual relationship with her late husband has now attributed to "questionable" behavior with strange men, her outbursts to her innocent (or not) children, and how she handles herself with her weird mother in law.
But notice that Kidman goes from whispery to confident in a blink of an eye, when she hires herself as her own attorney after the one she has turns out to be useless. She brings up the subject of rape, sexual abuse, and overall protective mothering to high ends. A second Emmy nomination definitely is deserved here. I guess the only thing I didn't care for were those annoying bangs (she needed a hair stylist badly!).
LAURA DERN
God bless her. She's the true comic relief in the series, and once she finds out her husband has fraudulently lost them all their assets (after boasting in a commercial about "My House" which is a hilarious moment), her bitch on wheels comes on full throttle. But I liked her WAY more this time then season 1, when she was just some wine glass holding "privileged" rich nag. Now she's got great one liners, powerful moments, and she cares about the girls in her ring. Her best moment might just be when she yells at her husband to get out of the car, only to drive back and pick him up again. (I admit: I knew the last episode would result with her holding a bat to his pitiful toy train collection). All the same, the second season of Big Little Lies is worth it's salt for the Dern scenes alone.
Reese Witherspoon
Ouch. I just didn't like her anymore. Season 1 had her come across as a motherly savage, but at least she didn't bow down with sappy cliche meltdowns like here. The worst moments of season 2 def are her and Kidman in the car crying buckets, and saying things like "you're a great Mom. Don't EVER let anyone tell you otherwise." This would be more believable if both had Long Islands at a bar down the road. Her issue: Her husband overhears her telling her daughter about the affair she had. Of course they get therapy. And the plot lines drag and drag for an obvious forgiveness from the guy who is way too good for her. I found Reese's apologizing to everyone also annoying, in particular Zoe Kravitz's character after a nightly meeting about "keeping their murder on the hush." She tells the poor girl "I know your mom's in a coma and all, but..." Oh it was bad. Of all the female characters, Witherspoon is the one you better watch out for on a Twitter page or you may just "offend" her. Reese is a strong actress, but the material she's given this time make her unlikable and boorish. Streep has a great analysis of her in the first episode.
ZOE KRAVITZ Like season 1, she's beautiful but not interesting enough for me to be involved in her story. Even though her mother's visit is a breath of fresh air, as the actress playing her is MUCH more intriguing to listen to. Kravitz, however, spends most of the season moping around and contemplating suicide and confession. She suffers a loss at the end, and tells her bland husband she doesn't love him anymore. Finally! I hated him too honey.
Shailene Woodley
The character the general public can most likely relate to since she doesn't live in a house the size of an airport with beach front property that would have the Kardashian's fighting over. But like the Witherspoon plot line, I found hers also to drag and add padding. We get it. You were raped by Kidman's husband and bore his child. She spends every episode whining about it. She also falls for a super geeky snob at her Aquarium job who is so rude to the waitress on their first date, I wanted her to say "check please." She's OK as an actress, but I didn't find her scenes that intriguing.