Pop Culturing: 'Little Fires Everywhere,' with Reese Witherspoon & Kerry Washington, has too Much on Its Mind

It's impossible to talk about "Little Fires Everywhere," the new Hulu drama launching on March 18 and starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, without bringing up "Big Little Lies." The HBO series exploded in 2017 when it brought together Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Zoe Kratiz, and Shailene Woodley with writer David E. Kelley ("Ally McBeal," "Boston Legal") and filmmaker Jean-Marc Vall�e ("Dallas Buyers Club," "Wild") to adapt Liane Moriarty's popular book. Looking back on the show, which aired its unexpected second season last year (which included Meryl Streep in her first major TV role), it's clear how "Big Little Lies" really shook the TV landscape. It was an unprecedented team of talent both in front of and behind the camera, sparking a sea change of sorts in the industry and resulting in a number of high-profile series with big stars and interesting creatives.

Things have almost come full circle now with "Little Fires Everywhere," which is based on a 2017 novel by Celeste Ng that Witherspoon discovered (before its publication) and chose for her popular book club series. (After going on to become a bestseller, Witherspoon brought the book to Washington, who signed onto the project.) Since founding her production company in 2017, Hello Sunshine, Witherspoon has gone on to produce a number of notable pop culture works, including films like "Wild," and "Gone Girl" as well as other TV series like Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show," and the network's crime thriller starring Octavia Spencer "Truth Be Told." At this point Witherspoon's brand is like a cottage industry of sorts and "Little Fires Everywhere" fits snuggly into her output.

Set in the late 90s, the new limited series follows two families living in the affluent Shaker Heights, Ohio: the Richardsons, a white upper-class family, and the Warrens, a mother and daughter who are black and looking for a place to live. Richardson matriarch Elena (Witherspoon, playing more grounded version of her "Big Little Lies" character), rents a home she owns to Mia Warren (Washington), an aloof and enigmatic artist, and her teen daughter, Pearl (Lexi Underwood). "Little Fires Everywhere" chronicles the two families clashing as Pearl befriends Elena's children and Mia herself takes up a job as "house manager" for that family, which Elena offers when she sees the young mother working at a local Chinese restaurant.

"Little Fires Everywhere" is, at times, brutally honest when it comes to a number of hot button issues, like class, race, feminism and more. There also seems to be a meta context to Witherspoon's role as Elena, who is a well-meaning white woman but is often bumping up against Mia while trying to befriend her. The Oscar winner's last two TV roles (Madeline Martha Mackenzie in "Big Little Lies" and Bradley Jackson in "The Morning Show") are similar characters to Elena; privileged white women who could lean conservative. The three characters are also extremely ambitious and determined; Madeline would do anything for her friends in need, Bradley is willing to risk her career for the truth and Elena offers her home and money to those lest fortunate. Unlike the other two series, "Little Fires Everywhere" tackles race and racism head on and its best parts are when it underscores microaggressions. Elena, along with her four children, are constantly seen being well-attentional but unaware that their actions are rooted in passive racism. Elena offering Mia the "house manager" position – or as Mia calls it, a maid – or Elena's oldest daughter Lexie (Jade Pettyjohn), a mini version of her mother, stealing a story that happened to Pearl for her ivy league college essay.

What's even better is Washington's performance, which drives "Little Fires Everywhere." It's a completely controlled performance where she plays Mia as tired and a bit hostile; she has a way of speaking that makes even the most passive phrase sound threatening. It's a committed role that shows Washington's range but it is unfortunately hampered by the show's conventionality. Above all else, "Little Fires Everywhere" is a soap opera and is staged as one. There are long, dramatic pauses. There is intense lighting – dark backgrounds with Witherspoon and Washington's glowing faces. After altercations, characters pause to show that they are emoting. It's moments like these that snap you out of being fully engaged with the show and its serious issues, reminding you that you are watching a slightly elevated version of "This is Us" that, at its best, is a take down on whiteness. The show also stretches itself to understand motherhood in ways we've seen before, but that theme also becomes a prominent part of the show and has deep impacts with both Mia and Elena make bonds with each other's daughters.

"Little Fires Everywhere" also takes a few episodes to really get going. It's not until the third episode where the drama shifts and the show introduces Bebe Chow (Huang Lu), a young woman working with Mia at the Chinese restaurant. Her backstory is unthinkably tragic and envelopes the lives of both Mia and Elena. Thankfully, Hulu will debut the show with the first three episodes, which is feels like the right way to roll it out. "Little Fires Everywhere" has the pedigree but never quite burns hot enough.

This story is part of our special report: "Pop Culturing". Want to read more? Here's the full list.