The end of Big Little Lies’ second season is near, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how the hit HBO show will tie all of its loose threads together. The series is known for its surprise reveals and cliffhangers, so it’s understandable why fans think there are major twists on the way as the finale approaches—and one theory involves Jane Chapman’s love interest, Corey.
According to Reddit user emmyeggo, Corey (Douglas Smith) might be more than just a guy Jane (played by Shailene Woodley) has been dating: He could be Perry’s (Alexander Skarsgård) brother. If you watched episode five of season two—spoilers ahead—then you remember that Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz) saw Corey leaving the police station, sparking speculation that he’s an undercover cop. On episode six, he denies being a detective, but emmyeggo thinks he’s still hiding that he and Perry are related.
Alexander Skarsgård as Perry on season one of Big Little Lies
HBOThe Reddit user writes that they’ve based their theory on a few different details, including the structure of Liane Moriarty’s previous books. Namely, that you can “expect the unexpected.” The episode seven description also says Celeste “questions Mary-Louise about a tragic event from Perry’s childhood.”
So far, there have been several mentions of Perry’s deceased brother—something emmyeggo believes could be part of a big twist. “It’s highly likely that there was some sort of trauma inflicted upon Perry, and it’s not too far-fetched to believe that Mary-Louise had a motive to fake her other son’s death. There could be a myriad of logical explanations for this (of which we know Celeste starts to ‘question,’)” emmyeggo writes.
“Also to keep in mind – the way that the ’Perry was Jane’s rapist’ plot twist was so effective is because Jane and Perry were never introduced to each other in present time, so the audience struggled to put the two and two together,” emmyeggo continues. “Though Corey and Mary-Louise have been a big part of Jane’s life this season, Corey and Mary-Louise have actually never been in the same scene together…” “Jane also has a flashback to her assault when dancing with Corey, which would make sense if they were brothers. Celeste also looks at Corey very strangely at Amabella’s party.”
Here’s the scene the user is referring to:
The Reddit user also points out that Mary-Louise mentioned that her husband remarried after the trauma, which could also open Perry up to having step siblings. Even if Corey turns out to have known Perry in some way, there’s still the question of what his motives could be in establishing a relationship with Jane.
