Meryl Streep: Evil Grandma in ‘Big Little Lies’

Let’s talk about that courtroom scene in “Bad Mother,” Episode 6 of “Big Little Lies” (7-14-2019) and who the real bad mother is. Mary Louise has brought a petition against her daughter-in-law, Celeste, for custody of her twin grandchildren, Josh and Max. Mary Louise’s attorney offered a shared custody arrangement as an alternative to going to court. Celeste’s attorney thought that was a good idea as opposed to leaving it up to the judge. But Celeste flatly refused and began to feel that her attorney wasn’t completely on her side. Mary Louise’s attorney interrogated Celeste on the stand, showing her pictures of men she had been indulging in one-night stands with since the death of her husband. Celeste already knew that her mother-in-law had been snooping around the house when she was staying there, taking inventory of her medications. Now she realized that Mary Louise also put a private detective on her trail.

Meryl Streep as Mary Louise

So now we are really hating on Mary Louise. She could have just stayed with Celeste and helped take care of her and the kids. But we don’t think that Mary Louise really gives a damn about Celeste. She just wants those boys. She is deluding herself if she thinks she is doing this for them.

Let us not forget that Mary Louise is the person who raised the abusive monster, Perry. She refuses to acknowledge that Perry was a violent abuser. Mary Louise has learned that she has another grandchild, Ziggy, the son of Jane Chapman who was raped by Perry. But Mary Louise has chosen to believe that somehow, some way, it’s either Jane’s fault that it happened or Jane is lying. The most despicable thing about Mary Louise is her willingness to pump her grandchildren for information that she can use against their mothers.

Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright

At the end of the hearing, the judge came in and announced that she was ready to make her ruling on the custody petition but by that time, Celeste came to her senses and realized that she had to do what her lawyer wasn’t: fight tooth and nail for her boys. She stood up and announced that she wanted to call a witness. “I don’t think a character witness would carry much weight,” the judge replied. Celeste told the judge that she wasn’t calling a character witness. “You’ve been asked to decide where my boys would be better off,” she said, “That puts in question the petitioner’s fitness as well. I was examined. She should be too..”

Mary Louise’s attorney interjected that “there has been no suggestion that my client’s parental capacity is up for review.” Celeste said that she was making the suggestion: “I was fair game. So is she.” Celeste, who is an attorney and member of the bar, also requested the court’s permission to question Mary Louise herself. The judge made it clear that she didn’t think that was in Celeste’s best interest but allowed it. Now, we don’t know what is going to happen but here’s what we would like to see happen:

No. 1, if at all possible, Celeste should get a hold of Perry’s father on the phone and find out what happened when Perry’s brother, Raymond, died. Mary Louise told Celeste previously that her husband blamed her and left her after Raymond’s death, adding “I deserved the blame– to be left.” Get his side of the story. Then make Mary Louise tell her side on the stand. People don’t suddenly become possessive and violent to the extreme that Perry was and Mary Louise is either hiding something or she is crazy. We think it’s both, really. Look at the way she thinks everyone else is lying– the hallmark behavior of a liar. She can’t admit that she screwed up with Perry because that would make her a double failure as a mother.

Yet we believe that Mary Louise wants another bite at the apple with her grandchildren. Somehow, in her twisted world, she thinks she can make up for her past failures by turning her grandchildren against their mother and making them think she’s the only one they need.

If Celeste handles the situation right, she will destroy Mary Louise on the stand. If not, Mary Louise will be going after Ziggy next.