Ep 5. Kill Me Now

In the fifth episode of season 2 of Big Little Lies, titled "Kill Me Now," tensions continue to mount in the coastal town of Monterey, California. The episode focuses primarily on the aftermath of the explosive events at the end of the previous episode, in which Celeste (played by Nicole Kidman) revealed to her mother-in-law, Mary Louise (Meryl Streep), that her late son, Perry (Alexander Skarsgard), was an abusive husband who had physically and emotionally abused her for years.

As the episode opens, Celeste is struggling to keep her composure in the face of Mary Louise's ongoing attempts to gain custody of her twin sons, Josh and Max. Meanwhile, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is grappling with her feelings for her ex-husband, Ed (Adam Scott), and the growing attraction she feels for her theater director, Joseph (Santiago Cabrera).

Elsewhere in Monterey, Renata (Laura Dern) is dealing with the fallout from her husband's financial misdeeds, which have left them both bankrupt and facing the possibility of losing everything they own. As she tries to salvage the situation and keep her daughter, Amabella (Ivy George), in their prestigious private school, Renata finds herself making some questionable choices that could have serious consequences.

Throughout the episode, tensions continue to mount as the various characters deal with the fallout from their past actions and struggle to move forward with their lives. As the title suggests, the theme of mortality looms large over the proceedings, as each of the characters contemplates the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.

As always, the acting in "Kill Me Now" is superb, with each of the main cast members delivering powerful performances that bring their characters to life in all their flawed, complicated glory. The writing continues to be top-notch as well, with sharp, witty dialogue and well-drawn character arcs that keep the audience invested in the story.

Overall, "Kill Me Now" is another strong episode in what is shaping up to be another excellent season of Big Little Lies. With only a few episodes left to go, it remains to be seen how all the various storylines will resolve themselves, but one thing is certain: it's going to be one hell of a ride.