'Little Fires Everywhere' Finale begs for a Season 2 after Episode 8 leaves us with unanswered questions
Spoilers for 'Little Fires Everywhere' Episode 8
With everything boiling down to the Richardson kids lighting the titular 'Little Fires Everywhere', all over their mansion, the secret behind the opening scene of the Hulu show is finally out. Well, for readers of Celeste Ng's original book of the same name, this was never a spoiler. But as all of us waited with patience and bated breath, watching Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) and Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) light their own metaphorical little fires throughout the season, the finale still leaves a lot unanswered. This raises hope for the prospects for a second season, but will there be one? If yes, then what are the biggest answers it should offer right from the start? Let's look at what we have.
To start off, the chances of a second season look very dim right now. With the ongoing pandemic crisis, all production has been halted indefinitely, even if there is a second season sometime in the future, it most likely will not happen before 2021 or even the following year. The cast has expressed interest in returning though, with Gavin Lewis - who plays Moody Richardson, claiming: "We all hope that there's a continuation of this story," in an interview with Distractify. The problem, however, is co-exec producer Witherspoon and Washington's individual schedules, which are already packed with filming so far. While Witherspoon is going to be busy with the second season of Apple TV+'s 'The Morning Show' along with serving as exec producer on several more, Washington is occupied with the upcoming Ryan Murphy adaptation of the Broadway musical 'The Prom'.
Also, knowing how closely the show has followed the book so far, the finale was also pretty conclusive with several important characters leaving Shaker Heights in the end. It is, however, the vibrant fan response the show has been met with since the start that gives hope for a continuation because fans simply can't wait to know more about what lies ahead in their journey. And picking some of the core elements that remain unanswered after the finale, here are some questions that need to be addressed should there be a second season after all.
Is this the last of Elena and Mia's fire?
A lot went on to the little fires the little Richardsons lit all through their house and most of it has to do with the fiery tiff between their mother Elena and Mia. From digging dirt on Mia to poisoning her daughter against her, Elena left no stone unturned to make sure her friend Linda McCullough (Rosemarie DeWitt) could keep the baby she had picked up from a roadside dispensary. For Mia, it was about kindness, understanding, and compassion towards Elena's daughters in times they needed the most while lying to her own daughter Pearl Warren (Lexi Underwood) about her identity all these years. Sparks fly of all the wrong kinds when Mia decides to help Bebe Chow acquire custody of her child - the baby she had had to abandon a year ago because she couldn't give her the nurturing she needed. This sparked off a saga of deceit and vengeance with Elena's spite driving her own youngest Izzy Richardson (Megan Stott), along with Mia and Pearl away from the town, but will she settle without seeking her own revenge? As much as Elena would like to believe Mia stole Izzy, that wasn't the case. So as long as she doesn't discover the truth their fires are far from under control.
What happens to Bebe and Mei Ling?
At the end of the finale, we see Linda winning the custody battle over Bebe Chow's daughter Mei Ling/Mirabel. Later at night, as Linda goes to bed, she hears the baby monitor coo with soft crying, but her husband Mark McCullough convinces her to allow the baby to self-pacify. Within minutes of trying and failing to sleep peacefully, Linda decides to go check and sees the baby is gone. It's obvious, Bebe came and stole her own baby after losing all custody, but what now? She has to be on the run from the law because she broke their custody arrangement. And Linda's cries of anguish over losing her baby make it obvious that Bebe will be hunted, no matter how.
What happens to Izzy, and the other Richardson kids?
The finale shows Izzy go crazy and sprinkle gas all over her bedroom after realizing Mia has left town possibly because of Elena. This leads to a fight between Elena and Izzy, where Elena tells Izzy she never wanted her in the first place. Izzy storms out of the house with a backpack and right before the closing credits, we see her on a bus to somewhere, dreaming about Mia taking her with herself. We know Elena is like a frenzied mother looking for her child, but if there should be a second season, it should focus on how Izzy establishes herself after that point. Knowing that after her exit her siblings get into fights with their mother, and decide to light the house on fire, it's possible that the truth comes out at one point or another. Given how much Trip Richardson (Jordan Elsaass) adores Pearl, it's not wishful to think he will search her down no matter where she goes. And considering how outraged the kids are at their mother's spite towards their own sibling, it's not long before the other Richardson kids abandon the mansion either.
Whose house does Pearl end up in?
The finale ends with Pearl telling Mia she knows where she wants to go right after they leave Shaker. Mia drives Pearl to a powder blue snow-capped house with Christmas decorations all around and Pearl leaves her in the car with a letter, as she goes and presses the doorbell. Whose house is it though? We see Mia calling up Pearl'sbiological father, but not speaking over the phone. At the same time, the house Pearl arrives at looks extremely similar to Mia's original home growing up, where her parents still live. So did Pearl go to her biological parents' home or did she arrive at her grandparents, in the hopes of reconciliation? Only Season 2 can answer.
Does Lexie ever pay for what she did to Pearl?
This is probably the biggest karmic relief fans are craving for. Does Lexie Richardson (Jade Pettyjon) ever pay for her crimes against Pearl? From stealing her poem to get into Yale to using her name at the abortion clinic in case 'word gets out' - there's not a snide, demeaning gesture the ignorantly racist Lexie hasn't showered Pearl with. All the while using her kindness and support without so much as thanks - just the way Elena did with Mia when she hired her to be their housekeeper. Lexie is her mother's daughter and even though she complains about the 'pressure' she feels from her neurotic mother to feel perfect, getting dumped by a guy for being racist towards his culture isn't punishment enough for what she did. Let's just hope there is actually a second season so Lexie can get a taste of her own medicine.
'Little Fires Everywhere' is available for streaming on Hulu now.