In the streaming service race, Hulu has produced a number of stunning movies and television series. One of the platform's most successful projects is the critically acclaimed series The Handmaid's Tale, starring Elisabeth Moss. The series has received an impressive 75 Emmy nominations since its premiere in 2017, including its historic win as the first streaming series to take home the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. As impressive as The Handmaid's Tale is, it is not the only successful novel adapted series the platform offers.
In 2020, Hulu debuted Little Fires Everywhere on its platform. The eight-episode limited series went on to be nominated for 5 Emmy awards later that year. Adapted from Celeste Ng's novel of the same name, Little Fires Everywhere dazzled viewers with its three-ring story and the stunning performances from established and rising talent.
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The series brings Ng's characters to life, using a well-rounded cast of upcoming and well-known talent. Stacked with names like Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, Joshua Jackson, Huang Lu, and Rosemarie DeWitt, Little Fires Everywhere may seem that it has no room for anyone else to shine. The Hulu series defies that idea, boosting an incredible cast of up-and-coming faces including Lexi Underwood, Megan Stott, Jade Pettyjohn, Jordan Elsass, and Gavin Lewis. The balance of talent involved in Little Fires Everywhere is largely responsible for the adaptation's success. Everyone involved gives a stellar, emotionally raw performance that is terrific to see, no matter how many times it's rewatched.
Set in the relatively small but progressive town of Shaker, Ohio in the late 90s, Little Fires Everywhere challenges the town praised for its tolerance of the evolving world. Shaker consists of odd regulations residents must integrate into their day-to-day lives, catching newcomers off guard. In its three-ring plot, the Hulu series offers diverse perspectives on its complex themes of race, class, and identity.
The first tier of Little Fires Everywhere involves the Richardson family, who are well respected in Shaker. Living in a breathtaking house (which is seen in flames at the start of the series), ambitious journalist Elena (Witherspoon) enjoys showing off her picture-perfect family to the residents of Shaker. Behind closed doors, as much as Elena tries to maintain the perfect image, it's evident that the Richardsons have a number of issues that they must work through. Married to a talented lawyer in Bill (Jackson), Elena holds noticeable resentment for the success he experiences in his career. Together, Bill and Elena have four children: Lexie (Pettyjohn), Trip (Elsass), Moody (Lewis), and Izzy (Stott). Elena has a clear devotion to her children but her relationship with Izzy is incredibly tense. Often dressed in grunge clothing and openly disagreeing with her mother and compliant siblings, Izzy struggles with feeling accepted in the confining town of Shaker.
Izzy does find solace once the Warrens arrive in Shaker. From the moment the Warrens are seen on screen for the first time, they are noticeably different from the Richardsons. Nomadic artist Mia (Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Underwood), travel around in their car in search of Mia's next art project. Agreeing to rent a space from the Richardsons, it isn't long before Mia and Pearl find themselves caught up in the Shaker lifestyle. Strapped for cash with the pauses between her art, Mia is forced to work a few jobs to keep up with the bills. As Mia continues to work on her Shaker-inspired art and plans for her and Pearl's next stop, Pearl begins to assimilate into the Richardson household. No longer feeling like an outcast, Pearl's excitement to be in Shaker causes tension between her and Mia.
Coming from two entirely different backgrounds, Elena and Mia find themselves with budding tensions of their own. From the first moment they cross paths, Elena and Mia are pitted against one another. After noticing a parked car that she believes is housing a homeless person, Elena calls the police, unknowingly forcing Mia and Pearl to leave where they are parked and move elsewhere. Elena realizes her error after officially meeting the Warrens, and offers to rent to them. Mia notices Elena's pity, which continues to anger her throughout the limited series. As Pearl begins to admire Elena's lifestyle and writing job and Izzy takes to Mia's creativity and free-spirited nature, Elena and Mia find a wedge-driven further between them. The women come to a stand on completely different sides in Little Fires Everywhere's third tier.
While working with Bebe Chow (Lu), Mia learns that not long ago, Bebe had a baby that she gave up while suffering from undiagnosed postpartum depression. As an undocumented Chinese immigrant, Bebe couldn't get an official diagnosis or go through the proper channels to find her daughter. Elena's long-term friend Linda McCullough (DeWitt) and her husband have recently begun the adoption process of young Mirabelle. Through Elena's intel, Mia informs Bebe that her daughter is in Shaker with the McCulloughs, leading to a nasty custody battle. The fight for Mirabelle causes tension amongst Mia and Pearl and slowly tears the Richardson family apart, all while adding to the standoff between Mia and Elena.
In the span of eight episodes, Little Fires Everywhere manages to surprise everyone, including fans of Ng's novel. The series' mystery of who or what is responsible for burning down the Richardson home, has a different ending than Ng's book. Despite offering viewers a different ending than the novel, the conclusion that the series draws is able to satisfy the mystery at hand, while leaving a number of other questions unanswered. Many hope to see the series return to Hulu for a second season, but nothing definitive has been announced.
Little Fires Everywhere is now streaming on Hulu.
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