3 REASONS YOU SHOULD WATCH "LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE" (KERRY WASHINGTON IS ONE OF THEM)

Based on Celeste Ng's 2017 bestseller of the same name, Little Fires Everywhere is a miniseries developed by Liz Tigelaar that explores the intricate lives of two families from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Set during the late 1990s in a Cleveland (Ohio) suburb, the story revolves mainly around the two mothers, played by Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon, their secrets and their opposing beliefs. And eventually, like the title hints it, all hell breaks loose!

With the quality content and all the drama provided in this show, you can guess that I watched the 8 episodes in no time! There’s suspense, there’s action, there’s love and there’s even heart break. All delivered with such talent and generosity by the actors. Although I cannot say that I loved everything about the storyline, there’s a lot of great elements to unpack from it and I’ve summarized them into 3 reasons I enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere as a whole:

1. Kerry Washington in the multilayered role of Mia Warren

Of course I had to start with my girl Kerry Washington! Why? Well, we often complain about black people, and especially black women, being systematically given degrading and stereotypical roles on screen, and their characters lacking depth and substance. In this show, let me tell you that it is NOT the case. Kerry, as Mia Warren, is front and center, complex as hell and unapologetic about it all.

I do have to say, though, that I did not agree at all with some of Mia Warren’s decisions and toxic traits – she was a whole mess at times! However, I really appreciated the way her character was allowed to navigate womanhood, motherhood and blackness in her own individual and unique way. Especially since black women usually tend to be portrayed in a reductive and pejorative scope in regards to those themes, even in real life. Yes, I strongly disliked some of the things Mia was doing, but I also loved the fact that she was able to do them as part of her character development. And that’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked, because we’ve come a long way to get here!

2. The racial tensions throughout the series

You have on one side a rich white family from an integrated neighbourhood, and on the other, a mysterious black single mother and her daughter traveling from city to city. And from these contrasting family units emerge tensions around race between the black and the white characters, creating even a ripple effect amongst characters of the same race and those within the same family. It’s really interesting how they tackle topics like the white saviour complex, interracial dating and micro aggressions without even naming them. It’s all in the acting and tastefully done.

And Reese Witherspoon does an excellent job as Elena Richardson, Mia’s “rival” and seemingly perfect mother and neighbour. Her role is a good representation of how racism can be very subtle, camouflaged by “good intentions” and acts of kindness, all the while unbeknownst to the person perpetuating it. Which is one of the reasons why tension keeps building up between her and Mia, who has already seen it all, is on to her and doesn’t take the bait every time Elena tries to reel her in her net.

3. How motherhood is the glue that sticks this whole story together

“What a mother wouldn’t do for her children.” It really all comes down to this expression in Little Fires Everywhere. It’s sometimes impressive – other times scary – to see the lengths to which the women on the show go for what they feel is best for their kids. What I love is that we get to see them in their vulnerability and even their worst selves, which are states that a lot of mothers get shamed for being in. So we don’t often get to see, hear or talk about them honestly.

These situations are also good segues in the series to discussions about women’s sexual liberation, sexual orientation and the pro-choice/pro-life debate. They are recurring themes linked to motherhood and the fact that they’re displayed in grey tones, rather than in black and white, gives the viewers space to revisit and maybe reassess their opinions about them. Interestingly enough, at the end of it all, we are left wondering if everything they did was really for their kids, or actually for themselves, and if it was worth it. You’ll be the judge!

So if any of these reasons speaks to you, you can catch this 8-episode miniseries on Hulu or Amazon. And if you get nostalgic like I do, you’ll have a good time reminiscing 90’s music, clothes and hair styles while watching the show. Enjoy!

As I’m always looking to learn something new about the world and its people, I've also been on a journey to discover the world within my own self. Which is why I love sharing and exchanging opinions and knowledge with people. In a way, communication has always been part of my pursuit, whether it was by getting my bachelor's degree in Communications, hosting a radio show in Australia even though I barely spoke English back then, or even by recently getting a certification in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). I feel like I have so much to share with the world. And so much more to learn.