Something's not quite right

You know what I learned after watching the season two finale of Big Little Lies? People need to get over their shit. (spoilers ahead)

Now, I don’t want to downplay the abuse that Zoe Kravitz’s character, Bonnie, suffered from her mother. I don’t want to make light of it or make a joke.  From the flashbacks, it appeared that mom lost her temper often, and would reign it down on Bonnie while dad passively participated. This plot line was complicated for me. When we first meet Elizabeth Howard, Bonnie’s mom, she doesn’t appear to be the abusive type. We get a confusing and mysterious look at their relationship, with cryptic messages like, “What did you do this time?” The one thing coming through clear is that something has gone down between these two.

When we start to get the puzzle-piece flashbacks of the abuse, we can make sense, (maybe?) of why Bonnie had an even harder time witnessing Perry Wright abuse Celeste. Thus, causing the scuffle that causes the lie heard ‘round Oyster Bay about the “Monterey Five…”   

By going down this rabbit hole, it would also seem that all of the bad decisions Bonnie has made over the years can be attributed to what she went through at the hands of her (once) alcoholic, but now new-age, peace-seeking, yet emotionally pushy mother.  For me, it was hard to rectify the new Elizabeth, with the old in the flashbacks. At first, I was confused as to who it was on my screen.

While Bonnie sits alone contemplating killing her mother in that hospital room, (while the drama plays out in the courtroom with the rest of the cast), she seems to come to terms and a forgiveness of sorts, towards Elizabeth. It’s only at this point can Bonnie let go of her bad decisions- marrying a “safe” man, one she doesn’t love, probably all the things she did in the past that caused her mom to ask, “What did you do this time?”, and ultimately, at least so it seems, pushing Perry off the steps, judging by the ending as they trudge one by one into the police station. (Will we ever know what she whispered in her ear? Was that part of one of the “smothering” fantasies?)

The years of denial, anguish, and just pure unhappiness that Bonnie had to live through/fake it through- all because she had those unexorcised ghosts that kept cropping up. The past that affected her psyche so deeply, she couldn’t forgive it or forget it. Until she finally snapped- that night at the party.

If this doesn’t show you the importance of proper therapy and healing, I don’t know what will.

Get over your shit, or you could kill a man.

(By the way, not saying Perry didn’t deserve it- he was the worst kind of shit. Let’s just hope his sons that witnessed the violence get the help they need.)