The first episode of Reese’s new HBO limited TV series Big Little Lies aired last night, and it lived up to our expectations!! The show was a smart mix of drama, romance, comedy and thriller and I really liked the pace of the episode and the complexity of the characters. Reese was on fire as the tour-de-force of Madeline; she started the episode with a whirlwind of one-liners and strong opinions, however, softened as the episode went on and showed us many layers to her character. I’m really excited to see more of Madeline, and the show in general. HD screencaptures from the episode have been added to the Gallery for your enjoyment, and don’t hesitate to leave a comment here or send us a tweet with your thoughts on the show – we’d love to hear from you!

Further down this post are a clip from the episode, and a behind the scenes look at the episode with commentary by Reese.

Series premiere. In the affluent beachfront community of Monterey, CA, a fundraiser for the local elementary school has gone horribly wrong–someone is dead, and school moms Madeline Mackenzie, Celeste Wright, Jane Chapman and Renata Klein may have had something to do with it. Though the victim and perpetrator remain a mystery, it’s clear that the battle lines leading to this fateful night were drawn at first-grade orientation a few weeks earlier, when Renata’s daughter Amabella accuses Ziggy, son of new arrival and single mom Jane, of hurting her during class. Madeline, who recently befriended Jane and who has a pre-existing beef with Renata, sticks up for the mother and her little boy. Later, Madeline bristles when her teen daughter Abigail opines that her mom is still infatuated with her ex, Nathan, and his new wife Bonnie–a feeling shared by Madeline’s husband Ed. Meanwhile, after Madeline’s best friend Celeste fills in her husband Perry about the kerfuffle at school, the couple end up in an unexpectedly volatile argument.

• Episode Screencaptures > 1×01: ‘Somebody’s Dead’ x625

Big Little Lies: Inside the Episode #1

Big Little Lies: First Day of School