Just a quick nod to David E. Kelley and yet another great series from him, "Big Little Lies." It's remarkable how he takes themes and plot setups that could easily devolve into high-grade trash and makes real drama and social commentary bloom from them. And with considerable help from the formidable cast, which includes Laura Dern, Shailene Woodleigh, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman. Though I was initially prepared to hate the show, I was quickly drawn in by Witherspoon's rendition of a suburban mom as Tracy Flick All Grown Up. The tone starts out suggesting we are in for satirical comedy, but in the next four episodes darkens as we learn of the violence that lies in some of the characters pasts and present marriages. There are still plenty of comedic moments, but the show moves beyond just poking fun at helicopter parenting and the rigors of affluence. Great stuff.
