Breaking The Story (Big Little Lies — The Central Character)

I just watched season one of Big Little Lies, and I really loved it. It’s darkly funny, uniquely premised, and extraordinarily well-written. For those that haven’t seen it, the show follows various rich, PTA-centric mothers as they jockey for power in their ritzy California town.

Just typing that out, I recognize how potentially boring the show could sound. Where are the stakes? What’s the point? Why should I care what rich moms are up to?

And these are similar concerns to what I had at first, but the show puts those fears to rest with a genius decision that firmly establishes the story in genuine character drama. And how is this accomplished?

Through Madeline Mackenzie.

So… who’s Madeline Mackenzie?

Madeline is, on the surface, a helicopter mom. When we’re first introduced to her, she wants to control every aspect of her and her children’s lives and lacks empathy for anyone who isn’t in fervent support of her “perfect mother” identity. This character sounds interesting, but also sounds awful and therefore impossible to care about for multiple episodes. So how do the writers make her more engaging and less villainous? You challenge their sense of self .

And here’s where Big Little Lies really shines- every single person in the story exists in relation to the identity of Madeline. Here’s my rough (and possibly incorrect) breakdown…

A Character List:

Jane Chapman: She’s a foil of sorts to Madeline. While Madeline wants to control the school, Jane just wants control of her personal life. Jane actively voices that she doesn’t care for all the parent-centric drama- all she cares about is her son’s safety. Despite these differences, she continually supports Madeline, as Madeline is one of the few who are willing to actually speak to Jane. She represents a form of motherhood which Madeline may admire, but ultimately fears taking on for herself. Like Madeline, she constantly worries that she’s failing as a mother, but unlike Madeline, she’s willing to admit when these worries appear.

Celeste Wright: Another foil to Madeline, and like Jane, she’s also searching for control of her personal life. Namely, she wants to take back control from her abusive husband. Like Madeline, she hides the cracks in her marriage. No one truly knows the depths of Celeste’s abusive marriage, similar to how only a select few are aware of Madeline’s affair. Through the series, both characters are forced to come to terms with the hard truths surrounding their marriages- truths which could ruin their families and, ultimately, their sense of identity.

Renata Klein: I love this character, mostly because, on the outset, she’s just a more efficient version of Madeline. She’s bolder, more determined, and seems to be the only one able to match Madeline’s ferocity. This makes her a wonderful antagonist and thereby makes every scene between her and Madeline a wonderful battle. What’s especially interesting is how her struggle is the same as Madeline’s- both characters just want respect and power.

Bonnie Carlson: Another great character who serves as an antagonist to Madeline, but in an entirely different form, is Bonnie. Bonnie is the opposite of a control freak. She allows the world to happen to her, and recognizes herself as someone who can only react to the actions of others. This is why it’s so hilarious that Madeline fervently hates her- Bonnie is everything Madeline isn’t. Compound this with the fact that Bonnie is now married to Madeline’s ex-husband, and you have one of the best character conflicts I’ve seen on TV.

It’s worth noting that the two people Madeline despises the most happen to be the two people who are entire opposites on the thematic spectrum (Renata and Bonnie). This not only makes for a variety of intriguing conflicts, but also serves as a testament to Madeline’s wonderfully complex psychology. She’s someone who hates those who control too much, and similarly hates those who refuse control. It begs the question… who does she really want to be?

So… What Does This All Mean?

This show is a profound example of the tool I like to think of as the Central Character. This is a character who can be the protagonist, but in shows where multiple characters undergo an arc, it helps to have a character who is, more or less, the face of your show. In Grey’s Anatomy, that’s Meredith Grey. In Game of Thrones, that’s The Stark Family. In Big Little Lies, that’s Madeline.

The central character doesn’t necessarily appear in every scene. Most scenes may not even be related to them. But every character in the show, somehow, will be connected to them. Either their actions spur consequence for the central character, or the central character’s actions spur consequences for them. No matter what, the central character is involved.

This is the first step which most shows seem to follow. But what Big Little Lies does is make the central character connected beyond mere plot coincidence. Rather, Madeline is connected through theme.

We have her nemesis, Reneta, who is just like Madeline but almost more fierce in her want for control. We have another kind of nemesis in Bonnie, who doesn’t care at all about controlling the world around her. We have Jane, a mother who enters town and is barely able to control her own life. We have Celeste who, like Madeline, is battling for control over her family. And altogether, each of these characters are trying to control their narrative.

Suddenly we have a cast of characters all designed around our central character. She loves control? Okay, what does she do when she’s faced with someone who loves control even more than she does? What does she do when faced with someone who doesn’t care about control? What does she do when her friend loses control of her personal life? What does she do when she loses control of her family?

Every single plot point is built around challenging who Madeline believes herself to be. Because of this, it makes every scene, with or without Madeline, ridiculously engaging. Every character is fighting for the same thing Madeline is fighting for, which means thematic conflict has to happen. This allows for a wonderfully succinct analysis into the story’s core question, that being…

How does one control their narrative?

Through Madeline and the beautifully layered characters which surround her, this question is explored in ways that are exciting, engaging, and never stagnate. A dialogue emerges from their intersecting arcs- a dialogue which rings profound, despite their otherwise extraordinary setting.