You Get What You Need is the seventh episode of the first season of Big Little Lies
About
Celeste makes a bold move; Madeline deals with fallout from her past; Jane learns who's really been hurting Amabella. [1]
Plot Summary
The episode opens with Perry beating the crap out of Celeste. Perry tells the kids that he's going to take them to school and then goes back to comfort Celeste. Celeste flinches at his touch. Madeline and Chloe are heading to school. Ed mentions before they leave that Abigail hasn't launched her website. So maybe what Madeline said got to her. When Madeline leaves the house, she sees Joseph's wife sitting out in front of her house. Madeline confronts Joseph about this and they argue.
Celeste is at her therapist's office. The therapist can see that something is wrong but when she goes to comfort her Celeste asks not to be touched. The therapist asks if she's going to leave Perry. Celeste says that they have to go to a gala tonight but after she'll leave. Jane takes Ziggy's temperature because he feels sick. She asks if he's faking it so he doesn't have to go to school and if he's trying to avoid the other kids. Jane asks him if he knows who's hurting Amabella, Ziggy says he does but he can't tell her because he promised not to. Jane grabs a class picture and says that he doesn't have to say anything but he can point to who is hurting her. Ziggy points to one of the twins: Max.
Jane meets Madeline at the cafe and tells her what Ziggy said. Gordon shows up and tells Jane that if she ever goes near Renata again he'll get a restraining order. Jane tries to tell him what Ziggy said but he won't hear it. Tom the barista asks Gordon to leave and then he goes over to Jane and asks her out. Madeline picks up Chloe from school when Nathan shows up. He says that he went to a therapist and that everything Abigail is doing may be a cry for help.
Celeste is seen standing on her balcony, looking out at the ocean from her new apartment. She's busy getting the place ready for her kids for when she leaves Perry. She decorates the kids rooms, fills the refrigerator, and gets her bedroom set up. All the while she's flashing back to that morning when Perry beat her senseless. She breaks down crying. Suddenly, her phone rings. It's Jane.
Jane and Celeste meet by the beach. Jane tells her that it's been Max hurting Amabella all along. Celeste can't believe it at first, but then she thinks back to all the times that the kids might've heard Perry hurting her. She goes home and talks to Max. She tells him that she can help him but he needs to tell her the truth.
Madeline is sitting at her vanity talking to Abigail about what Joseph said. Abigail asks why she's trying to ruin her life. Madeline says that she's holding on to this idea of perfection and that sometimes something has to give. She says that she's been trying to find the courage to tell Ed about the affair. Abigail says that she's not going to do her project anymore, that it was just a publicity stunt.
Gordon and Renata have an argument about him confronting Jane and Madeline. Gordon says that they should just blow the party off but Renata says that they can't. Celeste is taking a shower when Perry comes up and asks for a kiss. Jane is dressed up as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's. Ziggy says that she looks very pretty when someone knocks on the door. Tom is there as he's her date for the gala.
The gala looks to be a success and is filled with Audrey Hepburn's and Elvis Presley's. Celeste walks down the stairs all dressed up and the twins tell her that she looks beautiful. Perry comes down and tells her that the property manager for her apartment called. He wanted to know when he could come and put in the fire alarms. Celeste can't believe that he found out and doesn't know what to say. She's also frightened as they walk to the car to head to the gala.
In the car, Perry asks if she planned on telling him. She says no. He says that he was planning on getting help but she says it was too late. They arrive at the gala, but Perry speeds past it. He won't let Celeste out of the car. He says that he'll talk to the teachers and that the kids have never seen him hurt her. She says they haven't seen it but they have heard it. Perry says he's trying to fight the demons in him and that she can't leave him alone.
Jane and Tom show up at the gala just as Bonnie's performing her song. She's a great singer and the whole gala is captivated by her voice. Perry is begging her to stay and Celeste keeps saying no. She says she should've left a long time ago. They get interrupted by some of the party guests and Celeste makes her escape out of the car. It's Ed's turn to perform but he's distracted by Joseph's wife, who keeps looking at Madeline. He goes up there and knocks his song out of the park. Nathan looks pissed and surprised. Madeline starts to cry and runs off, Joseph and Jane go after her.
Madeline admits to Jane that she had an affair. She says that she feels like a horrible person. Jane says welcome to the club, that no one is perfect. Celeste finally gets to the party, with Perry not far behind, and is desperately looking for her friends. Renata asks her what's wrong and Celeste pulls her aside. Perry searches the crowd for Celeste and watches as she talks to Renata, not knowing that she's talking to her about Max. Ed asks Nathan if he's seen Madeline and they get into a fight before Nathan goes onstage to perform.
Bonnie sees Celeste and Perry fighting from the sidelines. She watches as Celeste grabs someone's phone and calls the babysitter. She tells her to take the boys to the apartment. Renata apologizes to Jane for being so mean to her and Madeline apolgizes to Renata for protecting her friend. Perry shows up to where the four women are talking. He asks Celeste to leave with him and she says no. Jane suddenly recognizes him as the man who raped her.
The scene suddenly flashes to the end of the party and the victum is revealed to be Perry. It then shows Madeline, Jane, Renata, Bonnie, and Celeste talking to the police. The detective says that it wasn't an accident. That all five women were lying and that they don't know why they're lying because they could only be charged with community service. The main detective tells her to let it go.
The whole gang goes to Perry's funeral. The show ends with all five women sitting on the beach and watching as their children play in the sand. At the very end, they flashback to the murder scene. Perry is hitting Celeste, Renata, basically anyone he can get his hands on. Bonnie starts running towards them and pushes Perry down the stairs. The whole event brings everyone closer together, including Madeline and Bonnie.
Cast
Main
- Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie
- Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright
- Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman
- Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Wright
- Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie
- Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson
- James Tupper as Nathan Carlson
- Jeffrey Nordling as Gordon Klein
- Laura Dern as Renata Klein