Watch Little Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere is a heart-wrenching drama series that debuted in 2020 on the streaming platform Hulu. The series is based on a novel by Celeste Ng and is set in the 1990s. It is a story about motherhood, identity and racial and class tensions in society. The show stars Academy Award-winner Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Joshua Jackson, Isabel Gravitt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jade Pettyjohn, Lexi Underwood, and Gavin Lewis.

The story revolves around the Richardson family, who are a well-off family residing in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Led by matriarch Elena (Witherspoon), a rigid and rule-abiding journalist and her husband Bill (Jackson), a lawyer and businessman with casual interests in photography, the family is the picture of perfection. However, when a mysterious artist and single mother, Mia Warren (Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Underwood) move to the town and rent the Richardson’s rental property, they slowly uncover the family’s secrets, ignite tensions, and cause a chain reaction that leads to the titular ‘little fires everywhere.’

As the show unfolds, we learn that Mia is running away from her past and is determined to protect her daughter from it. She soon clashes with Elena, who had wanted to rent the property to an infertile couple rather than a struggling artist. The two women have different parenting styles and are divided by their worldviews. Mia prefers flexibility and creativity in raising her daughter, while Elena is all about control and following societal norms.

Adding to the mix is the story's underlying racial and class tensions in society. Mia and Pearl are black, whereas the Richardsons are white, and this dynamic plays out in the way Mia is perceived by the town. The show delves into how race and class can intersect and impact individuals’ life trajectory, especially Mia and Elena’s contrasting experiences with motherhood.

As the season progresses, the show takes an even darker turn and explores various social issues, including abortion, adoption, feminism, and identity. The towns' hidden secrets and individual morality are put to the test, and relationships are tested. There are a few moments that will shock viewers, and the season finale is a fitting conclusion to an intense and thought-provoking roller-coaster ride.

One standout performance in the series is by Kerry Washington, who brings incredibly raw and nuanced work as Mia. Mia's character is both guarded and emotionally exposed, and Washington keeps viewers guessing. Equally, Reese Witherspoon is fantastic as the uptight Elena, who is continuously looking for validation and is on a mission to impose her values on everyone else.

The young cast members are also impressive, especially Jade Pettyjohn as Lexie Richard's daughter, who navigates through a complicated and taboo relationship. Pearl, played by Underwood, is also exceptional, and her coming-of-age story is one of the highlights of the season.

Overall, Little Fires Everywhere is a must-watch series that explores timely themes of identity, race, class, family, and motherhood. The show's clever writing and striking performances by the casts help deliver an engaging and emotionally resonant storyline. It's a perfect balance of family drama and social commentary that will keep viewers hooked from start to finish.

Little Fires Everywhere is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (8 episodes). The series first aired on March 18, 2020.