I first started watching Big Little Lies at the constant urging of one of my best friends from home. She was the one who introduced me to Game of Thrones (best show ever), so I don't take her advice lightly. At first glance, the show seems to be a murder mystery set in picturesque Monterrey, but as the viewer watched they realize that it is so much more. I was struck by the truly all-star cast for the show, possibly one of the most there ever has been on television.

I really never thought that I would see Parks and Rec's Adam Scott be married to Elle Woods, but the world is full of surprises. The actors, including Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, and Alexander Skarsgård, are all from different genres of movies and television shows, but the show brings them together beautifully. The biggest thing about Big Little Lies and the reason I now recommend it so ardently to anyone that will listen is that it delves into relatively new territory for women on television.

In an era where countless people tune in every week to watch The Real Housewives and The Bachelor, it has become mainstream to see women tear each other down on television. Those shows often portray women as catty, selfish, and conceited. In the beginning of Big Little Lies, set in the wealthy town of Monterrey, young mom Jane Chapman is ostracized from the rest of the mothers based on her age and socioeconomic status. Her son Ziggy is accused of hurting another child on the first day of school and from then on its a race for most of the town to get her and her son booted out of town. We have seen this story before and we know just how mean wealthy suburban women can be.

However, the story doesn't play into the stereotype of portraying one-dimensional women. Jane quickly finds that she has Madeline Mackenzie and Celeste Wright on her side, two of the town's most well-off and involved women. Instead of these women tearing each other down, they prop each other out and help each other navigate the twisted social scene of Monterrey. The core of the show is women supporting other women and that is something I think is extremely powerful in this day and age. Not to mention that the show creates complex and dynamic roles for women over the age of 35 or *gasp* even 40. Big Little Lies is a show that I think everyone and their mother should watch.