Fandom is not ownership, and in this space, it’s worth honoring the legacy of Jean-Marc Vallée. Beyond “Big Little Lies,” Vallée helmed one of the most frightening and subversive crime thrillers around with “Sharp Objects,” adapted from the Gillian Flynn novel of the same name. “Wild,” “The Dallas Buyers Club,” and “The Young Victoria” all enjoyed strong showings at the Academy Awards. HBO has been trying to replicate Vallée’s inimitable style for years, with limited success. What he left behind, his body of work, is a marvelous legacy.
For “Big Little Lies” to continue, it would do so without Vallée’s involvement. To repeat Zoë Kravitz’s sentiments, there is no “Big Little Lies” without Vallée. It’s as much his show as it is the cast’s. Subtract a keystone creative force, and the entire enterprise risks falling apart. While the Season 2 ending might have frustrated some fans, it was truthfully the only way the show could have ended. “Big Little Lies” was about accountability as much as it was deceit, and in its final moments, accountability was within reach. There always exists a chance it will return — where there’s money to be made, there’s a way — though for now, it’s likely best to let the show bow out the way it, and Vallée, always intended.
