“A perfect life is a perfect lie.”
The tale of three mothers of first graders whose apparently perfect lives unravel to the point of murder.
Where to Watch
Streaming, rent and purchase options
Episodes
1. Somebody's Dead
A suspicious death at an elementary school fund-raiser exposes rivalries simmering beneath the superficial comity among some of the parents.
2. Serious Mothering
Madeline feels slighted by Renata and gets bad news about her community-theater production. Ziggy asks Jane why they moved to Monterey. Celeste tells Perry they should seek counseling. Nathan and Ed have a tense meeting about their wives.
3. Living the Dream
Hoping to get under Renata's skin, Madeline organizes a trip to compete with Amabella's birthday party. After another argument, Celeste succumbs to Perry's charms before their first session with a therapist, Dr. Amanda Reisman. Madeline gets called for a meeting with Abigail's guidance counselor. Principal Nippal announces the theme for the Fall Gala Fundraiser; later, Jane seeks Madeline's help with Ziggy's family tree project, and opens up about her past.
4. Push Comes to Shove
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 Ziggy's teacher, Ms. Barnes, who suggests Ziggy 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.
5. Once Bitten
Madeline receives encouraging news about the play from her director, Joseph Bachman, but is left concerned by his newly icy demeanor. Principal Nippal and Ms. Barnes share their conclusions about Ziggy and Amabella with Jane. Celeste has a solo session with Dr. Reisman, who tries to get to the bottom of her relationship with Perry.
6. Burning Love
Madeline worries about the can of worms she’s opened for Jane. Jane confronts Renata. Bonnie tells Nathan about a secret project Abigail has been working on. Meanwhile, Ed and Madeline have a frank conversation about the lack of passion in their marriage.
7. You Get What You Need
Celeste takes steps towards independence; Madeline deals with fallout from her past.
Cast & Crew
Nicole Kidman
Celeste Wright
Reese Witherspoon
Madeline Mackenzie
Shailene Woodley
Jane Chapman
Laura Dern
Renata Klein
Alexander Skarsgård
Perry Wright
Adam Scott
Ed Mackenzie
James Tupper
Nathan Carlson
Zoë Kravitz
Bonnie Carlson
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Wright
Iain Armitage
Ziggy Chapman
Jeffrey Nordling
Gordon Klein
Kathryn Newton
Abigail Carlson
Chloe Coleman
Skye Carlson
Douglas Smith
Corey Brockfield
Cameron Crovetti
Josh Wright
Darby Camp
Chloe Mackenzie
Nicholas Crovetti
Max Wright
Ivy George
Amabella Klein
Santiago Cabrera
Joseph Bachman
Larry Sullivan
Oren Berg
Story & Production Details
Reviews & Thoughts
**A BIG mystery surrounding LITTLE kids and their LIES.** SEASON 01: I neither read the book nor I knew the story. So this was a surprise mini-series. As far I've heard, this one was the finest adaptation. The best ever cast and the episodes were well split with each one had a great opening and the ending. The suspense kept me alive till the final episode, final scene. Meanwhile, I made some guesses, but most of them did not happen. In my opinion, it should have been a feature film duology. Then it would have been considered one of the best film series, as well as mystery film. And the Oscars, Golden Globes would have poured in. Now it got record 14 Emmy nods and I'm waiting for the result. Well, it all started as a normal drama about the mothers whose children are in the same school, same class. The real story kick starts when a boy who recently moved into the town with his single mother was accused of bullying a classmate girl. So the mothers gang splits up on that issue, but it seems not much affecting the children, particularly those are involved in the it. As the story progresses and episodes to come, lots of mysteries revealed about those mothers and their personal life, as well as the recent past secrets. But how it all comes to end truck with a sudden and powerful twist. All the big screen stars foraying into the small screen were the big advantage. That's why I said it should have been a big screen film. Each one had scope for their roles. It was well balanced characters, that makes hard to predict any one direction where the story could head. From the director of 'Dallas Buyers Club' and many awesome flicks. I hope it returns for the second season, which has a very slim chance. From the locations to the musics, I loved it. A perfect mystery-drama. Everyone should see this, even if those are not into the television series. I almost gave it out of out. _9.5/10_
