“Little Fires Everywhere,” an eight-episode miniseries on Hulu, has captivated the world’s attention. Defying social boundaries, the show portrays aspects of race, class, women’s rights, parenting and so much more.
Hulu released the first three episodes on March 18, finishing up with the season finale on April 22.
The series immediately opens with the sounds of police sirens and fire trucks and a view of a home completely on fire. It zooms in on Reese Witherspoon, who stars as Elaine Richardson, clutching her nightgown and crying as she watches the house burn to the ground.
Richardson is a mother of four, a lawyer’s wife and a journalist at the Shaker Heights local newspaper. The show also stars Kerry Washington as Mia Warren, an artist and photographer who is always on the move with her daughter Pearl, played by actress Lexi Underwood.
The series is based off of 2017 New York Times bestselling novel “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng. Ng is also the bestselling author of “Everything I Never Told You.”
The story is set in Shaker Heights in the 1990s, an idyllic, progressive and structured suburb in Cleveland, Ohio. This town is a real place and was founded in 1912 as a “planned community, envisioned to be a suburban retreat from the industrialism of nearby Cleveland.”
In the show, Richardson manages a family rental home in her wealthy Shaker Heights neighborhood. This is exactly where the nomadic Warrens find their newest home. In Mia’s eyes, it is a temporary spot to ignite inspiration for her next art piece, a depiction of how she truly views the town.
The second episode, entitled “Seeds and All,” begins the story of Elaine’s and Mia’s extremely rocky relationship. They are polar opposites and seem to disagree on absolutely everything, especially when it comes to parenting their children.
Pearl has a natural attraction to Elaine’s mothering style, and Izzy, Elaine’s youngest daughter, has a love for Mia’s outlook on life and her art. This is a trait that Elaine lacks, and this plot-line emphasizes that confusion around one’s identity as a mother.
The show is a whirlwind of events that entices viewers to want to see more as the plot takes turns the audience could never predict unless, of course, you read the book.
Some viewers are left feeling angry at every single character in the series due to the climatic events that are unleashed throughout the season. Other viewers use this as a sign to note the superb acting and character and story development that lead to this anger. It is rare for a show to invoke such strong feelings amongst its viewers.
The last episode, “Find a Way,” definitely puts the explosive events to rest. Yet, it also ends full of possibility that a second season could develop off of how the first season ended.
Ng shared a unique story with her book, and it led to a riveting and very popular series. There are no official plans for a season two of “Little Fires Everywhere,” but no one on the staff is opposed to extending the plot-line.
