‘Big Little Lies’ New Queen Bee Is Adam Scott

Anyone who is is watching Big Little Lies already knows Laura Dern’s Renata Klein is queen and Meryl Streep’s Mary Louise is evil unparalleled. But between all that it’s getting a little lost in the shuffle that Adam Scott‘s Ed Mackenzie is hands down the bitchiest part of Big Little Lies Season 2.
That’s a compliment, by the way, and an impressive one. From its very first episode Big Little Lies has been a series that thrives on pettiness and backhanded compliments. This is a show that can track an entire character’s emotional arc through her bangs and her friends’ refusal to admit they’re terrible. Sure, there’s murder and fraud in Monterey, but the drama this show really cares about is personal, well-crafted, and devastating.
And while Mary Louise has been screaming, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) is imploding, and Renata has been cursing like it’s her job, who has stepped up to become this show’s most cutting queen bee? Adam Scott’s Ed.
Ed’s savageness started early and with a known enemy, Madeline’s ex-, Nathan (James Tupper). All of last season Ed and Nathan tried to out macho each other, a battle that seemed to suit the jockish Nathan. But at the very start of Season 2 Ed changed their game. When Nathan approached his ex-wife’s husband about talking to his current wife, Ed didn’t threaten Nathan or even stand up from his seat at the coffee shop. His borderline condescending tone was enough to tell Nathan that what he’s asking was stupid. He’s a stupid, inconsiderate man who needs to listen to his wife. A handful of perfectly executed eyebrow raises were enough to send Nathan into a rage spiral.
“Something tells me that if you’re seeking out the husband of your ex-wife to, like, lead the communication charge with your new one…?” Ed says, intentionally trailing the end of his sentence to make Nathan realize how dumb he is. Not only does Nathan bang on the table like a child in response, he also calls Ed a “snide fuck.” Do you know what a “snide fuck” is? Of course you don’t because that’s the type of insult someone throws out when they’ve been so thoroughly owned they can’t think of coherent burns.

But what proves Ed’s mastery of fighting isn’t this one verbal throw down. It’s the fact that Nathan comes back to be destroyed by him AGAIN. In the very next episode Nathan finds Ed in his same coffee shop. Though he left their last encounter yelling the words “snide fuck,” Nathan admits that he took Ed’s advice and it is helping his relationship with Bonnie (Zöe Kravitz). But does Ed care? Not really.
After Nathan reveals that he’s started trying to run with his wife, Ed gives him another half sarcastic congratulations, causing Nathan to storm away again. Anyone can be mean, but it takes a special kind of savage to give good advice is such a cutting way people actually come back for more abuse. So far it’s Ed 2, Nathan 0.
Yet not even Nathan has anything on Ed’s feud with his wife Madeline. Coming into Season 2, no one was pettier or bitchier than Madeline. She used a child’s birthday party to make a stand, for god’s sake. She’s sweet to her friends, but she’s vicious in a fight.
However, this season has seen Madeline back down after Ed learns she cheated on him for months. In “The End of the World” the married fighters run into each other at Ed’s favorite arena, his coffee shop. Around Bonnie he’s jovial and relaxed. But the second Madeline approaches his walls go back up, leading to this exchange:

Madeline: How long are you going to punish me?

Ed: For as long as I need or want, I guess.

Madeline: Wow, that was just cold and mean when just few seconds ago you were so warm and friendly with Bonnie.

Ed: Yes, I guess that would be a twofer wouldn’t it? Piss off both you and Nathan at the same time. It’s a good idea.
That’s so scathing, Madeline should go see a paramedic.

We always knew that Adam Scott had the potential for bitchiness. Park and Recreation‘s Ben Wyatt was basically a walking sarcastic remark in a skinny tie. Also on projects like Step Bothers and The Good Place Scott has proven he’s capable of going full evil.
Yet despite all of his sass, Ben was never cruel, and Step Brothers’ Derek and The Good Place‘s Trevor were always too cartoonishly evil to feel real. This season of Big Little Lies is the first time Adam Scott has proven he can channel his lovable sweetness and sense of compassion into something cold, brutal, and absolutely delicious to watch.
New episodes of Big Little Lies premiere on HBO Sundays at 9/8c.

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