Grade: 5/5
Genre: Drama
Seasons: 1
Ages: 18+
A winner from start to finish! Based on the 2017 best seller “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng, this captivating drama is set in the 90s in the small town of Shaker Heights, Ohio where the schism between two families from polar opposites of the class spectrum takes center stage. Starring the talented Kerry Washington who does a phenomenal job in portraying the character of Mia Warren, a struggling single mother leading a nomadic life who eventually moves into a somewhat affluent neighborhood of Shaker Heights. A wealthy local resident, Elena Richardson (played by Resse Witherspoon), decides to help out the mother-daughter by renting them her apartment at an affordable cost. Elena is the atypical suburban wife and leads a picture perfect life – married to Bill (Joshua Jackson from “The Affair”) and mother of four. Pearl, daughter of Mia, befriends the Richardson family and is immediately awestruck by their opulent style of living. At the same time Izzy, the rebellious youngest daughter of Elena, makes an unforeseen connection with Mia through their common love of art and what they perceive as societal injustice. The two worlds intertwine but the friendship between Mia and Elena rapidly deteriorates into resentment and animosity as the class divide was a gulf too wide to reckon with. Tantalizing secrets are revealed at appropriate times during the series and one particular incident involving child custody rocks the small town and threatens to tear the families apart. Music from the 90s makes a comeback (80s is generally the most popular goto thematic background of most shows) but after listening to the songs, confirmed to me that 90’s music was forgettable for the most part! The show is fast paced and breakout performances by Lexi Underwood (Mia’s daughter Pearl) and Megan Scott (Elena’s youngest Izzy) make it a must watch!
