Big Little Lies Returns in June for what will probably be its final season

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

HBO's BIG LITTLE LIES is returning in June 2019 for what will probably be its last season. Although the award winning show was originally helmed by David E. Kelley as a limited series, the overwhelming response from fans and critics alike paved the way to the re-joining of the creative team from the show to come back for a second season run. HBO is now reporting that their little sleeper hit is set to premiere in the summer.

Although the first season of the show covered all of Liane Moriarty's source material, writer/showrunner Kelley who wrote all of the seven episodes from season one will return to again write all of the episodes from season two. Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz and Laura Dern will reprise their roles as the "Monterey Five", and Meryl Streep will appear as a series regular, playing the mother of Celeste's abusive husband (Alexander Skarsgard) and snooping around town for clues about her boy's mysterious death. Skarsgard will also return to the show, although details about his character's appearance are still unknown.

Here's the official logline for season two:

"The subversive, darkly comedic drama BIG LITTLE LIES will explore the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting. Relationships will fray, loyalties will erode … the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom."

With pretty much everybody from the initial season returning for the second time around, the biggest real change to the show is its director. Whereas Jean-Marc Vallée (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, WILD) shot every episode in season one, he will only be returning to the show in the capacity of an executive producer. AMERICAN HONEY's Andrea Arnold will direct every episode of season two.

It's more than likely that the second season of BIG LITTLE LIES will be its last. On Friday at the Television Critics Association press tour, Kidman said that the cast and crew said "a big goodbye" after the first season, "but we became very close, and we had such a good time doing it, and the desire to spend more time together was a huge part of it." Showrunner Kelley added that "We like where our closure is at the end of season two, so that will probably be it". Witherspoon then teased her friend and coworker that "You sat there and said that last time, David", so the possibility of a continuation is truly up in the air, but only time will tell. This writer personally can't wait to see what the second season has in store.