Stop what you’re doing. A full Little Fires Everywhere trailer was just released, and I will be watching this on repeat until March 18, when the series comes out on Hulu. If you’ve read the Celeste Ng novel the series is based on, you know we’re in for some serious drama with this show — and the trailer gives so many flashes of what’s to come.
As a quick reminder, the story takes place in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and — broadly speaking — is about the Richardson and Warren families’ relationship. Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) lives in a big, beautiful house with her lawyer husband and three blond children: Lexie, Trip, and Moody. Artist and single mom Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and her daughter Pearl rent a space from Elena; she and Pearl move every few months.
In the trailer, we see Elena and Mia meet, and the Richardsons’ incredulous reaction when they hear that Mia will start working in their home. “So you rented it to her on the spot just like that, and then you ask her to come work in our house?” Elena’s husband asks.
“It is a beautiful thing to know that your actions can affect another person’s life,” Witherspoon responds, in perfect Big Little Lies Madeline Mackenzie pitch. There are other hints of Witherspoon’s Madeline character throughout: “Maybe you should wear your hair down,” she tells her young daughter (it’s poorly received).
But amid the usual entertainment of the inner workings of an upper-middle-class family, there’s a dark undercurrent: “All mothers struggle,” Washington says in a voice-over. “Money hides it. But you can’t put a price on a mother’s love.”
“I called the person you listed as your previous landlord and strangely, he didn’t seem to know you,” Witherspoon tells Washington in a tense scene. “I know about your little secret,” she tells her later.
“Are you threatening me?” Washington asks. Witherspoon arches an eyebrow and walks out (goosebumps!).
Final note: I never realized until this trailer, but this series has serious Parasite vibes — the class tension, the relationships that form, and the eerie sense that there’s more than meets the eye. “She has completely infiltrated our lives. I need to figure out who this woman is,” Witherspoon seethes to her husband. Pearl Warren and Trip Richardson lock eyes and lean in. A photo of Witherspoon’s face burns on the wall. And, oh yeah, the entire Richardson house is burned down — with Elena inside.
Are you hooked yet?! Good. See you March 18 on Hulu.
Click here for more TV shows to enjoy with your (slightly older) kids.
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