"You Get What You Need" is the seventh and final episode of the first season of Big Little Lies. It is the seventh episode of the series overall. It was released on April 2, 2017 on HBO.[1]
Premise
After yet another fight, Celeste takes steps towards her independence. Before the school's long-awaited Fall Fundraiser, Madeline deals with fallout from her past, while Jane learns who's really been hurting Amabella at school.[2]
Synopsis
As Celeste lies on the ground with the wind knocked out of her, Perry hurries to intercept the twins before they see her. Madeline hustles Chloe out the door for school, while Ed notes that Abigail's project has yet to go live. Having dropped off her youngest, Madeline tells Joseph she thinks Tori is watching her -- even sitting outside her house in a car. He responds aggressively to Madeline's sense of "entitlement" and tells her to leave.
Still hurting from that morning's altercation, Celeste tells Dr. Reisman about the apartment; her plan is to leave after the gala, when Perry is away on business. Dr. Reisman urges Celeste to move sooner, reminding her there are children in the house. Insistent Perry would never hurt them, Celeste storms out.
Ziggy fakes sick to avoid going to school. When Jane asks why, he clearly states he isn't the one hurting Amabella, but doesn't want to talk about it. Looking for a loophole, Jane has him point to the bully in a class photo instead of saying it out loud. His finger lands on Max Wright.
At the Blue Blues Café, Gordon interrupts a conversation between Madeline and Jane to tell Jane to stay away from Renata. Tom politely, but firmly, kicks Gordon out. Tom confesses to Jane he's been trying to impress her for a while -- Jane, surprised and realizing she's been misinformed, asks, "You're straight?"
Setting up the new apartment, Celeste thinks back on the violent incident from the morning. She receives a call from Jane, who asks to meet up. Jane tells Celeste about Max's behavior. Celeste returns home to talk to her son.
As Madeline gets ready for the night, Abigail talks to her about Joseph and how she struggled with a constant need to be perfect. Looking at her mother, Abby says she's not going through with her project. Renata, also preparing for the gala, reminds Gordon how hostile the other mothers are about her being a working mom: "I hate everybody right now, except Jane … How funny is that?"
Dressed up to go, Perry hands Celeste her cellphone and calmly informs her she has a message from Tracy -- the property manager who wants to put new smoke detectors in her apartment. In the car, Perry insists he'll get help, but Celeste tells him its too late, and explains what's going on with Max. Their conversation is interrupted by Renata, knocking on the car window. Celeste uses the distraction as an opportunity to go into the party.
Tom and Jane arrive at the fundraiser together. Bonnie captivates the audience with her performance, leaving Ed nervous about following her. Up on stage he notices the tension between Madeline, Joseph and Tori, and directs his song, "The Wonder of You," at his wife. Tipsy and on the verge of tears, Madeline rushes out to a balcony, trailed by Jane. She confesses to her affair.
Perry enters the event looking for Celeste. Across the room his wife tells Renata about Max and Amabella. As Nathan sings, Bonnie watches Perry grab at Celeste, who pushes him off to call the nanny.
Down on the balcony, Renata apologizes to Jane. Madeline honestly commends her for being big enough to say sorry. Celeste arrives at the tail end of the conversation. Bonnie watches from above as Perry approaches the women. Celeste refuses to leave with Perry, and Jane locks in on him, recognizing Perry Wright as Saxon Banks. Reading her expression, Madeline and Celeste realize who Perry is. Perry makes an aggressive motion towards his wife.
Flashing lights surround the venue, as police and firemen have now responded to the scene. Perry lies below the balcony, dead.
Madeline, Renata, Jane, Bonnie and Celeste each give statements to the police -- Perry accidentally fell off the balcony. Detective Quinlan doesn't buy it but isn't sure why the women would lie. The group attends Perry's funeral.
The five women and their children spend the day at the beach, the real events of the gala still on their minds: Perry went after Celeste; Jane stood frozen as Madeline and Renata tried to pull him off. Bonnie, rushed down and reflexively, pushed him. With no railing to support him, Perry fell.
At the beach, the women look out at the ocean and their happy children. Detective Quinlan observes them from the dunes.[3]
Credits
Cast
Cast Notes
- Ron A. Brooks (Detective Collins) makes his only appearance and is billed as Co-Starring.
- Sarah Baker (Thea Cunningham), Sarah Burns (Gabrielle), Hong Chau (Jackie), Joseph Cross (Tom), and Virginia Kull (Emily Barnes) make their final appearances.
- Kathreen Khavari (Samantha) and David Monahan (Bernard) make their final appearances.
- Parker Croft (Brent), Stacie Greenwell (Lydia), Kimmy Shields (Kelly), and Tim True (Detective Walt Gibson) make their final appearances.
Gallery
Videos
Images
Soundtrack
Notes
- Stu, Jackie, Gabrielle, Thea Cunningham, Warren Nippal, Samantha, Madeline Mackenzie, Renata Klein, Jane Chapman, Bonnie Carlson, and Celeste Wright deliver testimonies in this episode.
- Madeline, Renata, Jane, and Bonnie's testimonies are inaudible.
- Jane tells Celeste that Max pushed Skye down the stairs. Later, it is Skye's mother, Bonnie, who pushes Max's father, Perry, down a flight of stairs to his demise.
Episode Guide
| Big Little Lies Episodes | |||||||||||
| Season 1 | "Somebody's Dead" · "Serious Mothering" · "Living the Dream" · "Push Comes to Shove" "Once Bitten" · "Burning Love" · "You Get What You Need" | ||||||||||
| Season 2 | "What Have They Done?" · "Tell-Tale Hearts" · "The End of the World" "She Knows" · "Kill Me" · "The Bad Mother" · "I Want to Know" | ||||||||||