You’re sitting on the couch, the haunting theme song "Cold Little Heart" starts playing, and you’re immediately transported back to the foggy, expensive shores of Monterey. It’s been years since we first met the Monterey Five. Honestly, the drama felt so real that it’s easy to lose track of time. If you’re wondering how many seasons of Big Little Lies exist right now, the answer is straightforward: there are two. Just two. But as anyone who follows HBO knows, that number is a lot more complicated than it looks on paper.
The show was never supposed to be a long-runner. It was a "limited series." One and done. Based on Liane Moriarty’s massive bestseller, the first season covered the entire book. It had a beginning, a middle, and a very dead body at the end. But the ratings were huge. The Emmys started piling up. When you have Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Meryl Streep in the same frame, you don't just walk away because a book ended.
The Story So Far: Two Seasons of Secrets
Season 1 dropped in 2017 and basically changed how we look at "prestige TV." It was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who brought this specific, jagged editing style that made the show feel like a fever dream. We watched Celeste, Madeline, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie navigate school auctions and domestic abuse, all leading up to that fatal night at the trivia fundraiser. It was perfect. It felt complete.
Then came 2019. Season 2 happened because the demand was simply too loud to ignore. HBO brought in the legendary Meryl Streep to play Mary Louise Wright, a mother-in-law from hell who was looking for "the truth" about her son Perry. While the first season was about a murder mystery, the second was about the aftermath of a lie. It was messier. It was darker. And it left us with a massive cliffhanger: the five women walking into a police station together.
Since then? Silence. Mostly.
Why We’re Still Asking About Season 3
If there are only two seasons, why is everyone still talking about it in 2026? Because the cast won't let it go. And neither will we. For a long time, the consensus was that a third season was impossible. The tragic passing of director Jean-Marc Vallée in 2021 seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. He was the visual soul of the show. Without him, many felt the "vibe" would be lost forever.
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But Hollywood loves a comeback. Nicole Kidman recently dropped a bombshell during a Q&A at a golf event, mentioning that they are indeed "working on" a third season. Reese Witherspoon has hinted at it too. Even Casey Bloys, the boss over at HBO, hasn't shut the door.
The Hurdles for More Episodes
It isn't just about the story. It's about the schedules. Think about the cast list:
- Nicole Kidman (Always filming three movies at once)
- Reese Witherspoon (Running a media empire)
- Zoe Kravitz (She's literally Catwoman)
- Shailene Woodley (Doing indie projects and big dramas)
- Laura Dern (A literal icon who stays busy)
Getting these five women in the same room for four months is a logistical nightmare that would make a military general sweat. Then you have the creative side. Liane Moriarty actually wrote a novella to help bridge the gap for Season 2, but for a Season 3, they are basically working from scratch.
What a Potential Third Season Would Even Be About
If you look at the end of the second season, the Monterey Five are at the police station. Are they confessing? Probably. But a confession doesn't mean the story is over. It means the legal drama begins.
Imagine a trial. Imagine the media circus in Monterey. We’ve seen these women protect each other, but how do they hold up under oath? There’s also the kids. The "little" part of Big Little Lies is growing up. Ziggy, Chloe, and the twins are teenagers now. Their dynamic, knowing their parents' secrets, is a goldmine for drama.
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Honestly, the show works best when it focuses on the internal fractures of these friendships. We don't need another murder. We need to see if the bond holds when the stakes aren't just social, but criminal.
The "Limited Series" Identity Crisis
There is a bit of a debate among TV purists about whether the show should have ever gone past the first season. Some argue that the mystery of Season 1 was so tightly wound that everything after feels like a "bonus track" that doesn't quite fit the album.
Others say that as long as the acting is this good, who cares?
When you look at how many seasons of Big Little Lies were originally planned (one), it’s a miracle we got a second. If a third arrives, it will likely be marketed as a "legacy" return or a "new chapter" rather than just another standard season of television.
Tracking the Numbers: A Quick Breakdown
- Season 1: 7 Episodes (Based on the book)
- Season 2: 7 Episodes (Original material)
- The Wait: 7+ years since the last episode aired.
That gap is significant. It’s longer than the gap between some movie sequels. But in the streaming era, time doesn't mean what it used to. Shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Sherlock go on hiatus for years and come back like they never left.
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Your Move: What to Watch While Waiting
Since you've already binged the 14 episodes that currently exist, you’re probably looking for that same hit of adrenaline and coastal aesthetic. If you love the vibe of Big Little Lies, check out The Undoing on HBO (also Nicole Kidman) or Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu, also Kidman, also Moriarty).
If you want the "rich people behaving badly" fix, The White Lotus is the gold standard, though it's much more of a satire than a drama.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you’re desperate for more Monterey:
- Read the Book: If you haven't read Liane Moriarty’s original novel, do it. It’s set in Australia instead of California, and the ending for Bonnie is significantly different. It gives you a whole new perspective on the characters.
- Watch the "Big Little Lies" Season 2 Extras: HBO Max (or Max, whatever they’re calling it this week) has behind-the-scenes features that explain how they integrated Meryl Streep into the cast.
- Follow the Cast on Instagram: This sounds silly, but Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are the primary producers. They are the ones who will break the news of Season 3 first.
- Re-watch Season 1 with an eye for "The Lie": Knowing how it ends makes the first few episodes feel totally different. Watch Shailene Woodley’s Jane specifically; her trauma is the engine of the whole show.
Right now, you’ve got two seasons to enjoy. They are dense, beautiful, and incredibly well-acted. Whether a third season ever makes it out of development hell is still a coin toss, but the legacy of the first 14 episodes is already set in stone.