‘Big Little Lies’ Season 2: Meryl Streep is on to these ladies

The action in HBO’s “Big Little Lies” Season 2 picks up nine months after the murder of Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard). Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect:

As in Season 1, it’s the first day of school — and the mothers are jockeying for position with their children’s teachers. Renata Klein (Laura Dern) gives her daughter’s new teacher his marching orders, stressing how her Amabella (Ivy George) was bullied last year.

The big addition to the cast is Meryl Streep. She plays the mother-in-law of Celeste (Nicole Kidman). Her character’s name is coincidentally Mary Louise, Streep’s given name. She’s come down from San Francisco to help Celeste with the twin boys. Streep hasn’t looked this dowdy since she played a psychoanalyst in “Prime” (2005), co-starring Uma Thurman.

Mary Louise takes an instant dislike to Madeline Martha McKenzie (Reese Witherspoon). “You’re short,” she says in a local cafe. Accustomed to constant praise, MMM doesn’t know quite how to take it. But Mary Louise, who knows she’s being rude, doesn’t try to cave, adding that short people are untrustworthy.

Celeste (Kidman) may give herself away to Mary Louise (Streep) if her nightmares get any louder. One by one, Mary Louise is putting the clues together. “Did you say ‘rape?,’” she asks after Celeste wakes up, all shook up. Celeste’s only refuge is the couch of her therapist, Dr. Amanda Reisman (Robin Weigert).

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Almost.

Jane, who has a nifty job at the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, seems somewhat estranged from the group, not even cashing checks issued to her son (Iain Armitage) from Perry’s estate. Bonnie, for her part, is consumed by guilt, having given Perry (Skarsgard) the final push down the staircase. She breaks away from the others, lingers guiltily in front of the swanky police station at Carmel By the Sea. She won’t let her husband, MMM’s ex Nathan (James Tupper), touch her.

Who will crack first? Will the police pursue the investigation with any vigor? Is it up to Mary Louise, the Jessica Fletcher of the piece, to solve the case?

Hope she doesn’t figure it all out while standing at the top of a staircase.

“Big Little Lies” Season 2 premieres June 9 on HBO.