In its premiere episode, Little Fires Everywhere has a cheeky reference to Legally Blonde. A mini-series consisting of eight episodes, with three already available on Hulu, Little Fires Everywhere is based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 novel of the same name. The series stars Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon as two very different women who are brought together through their children. Frequently compared to Big Little Lies, another show adapted from a bestselling book with a leading performance by Witherspoon, Little Fires Everywhere features a cast including Joshua Jackson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lexi Underwood, Megan Stott, and Jesse Williams.
Directed by Lynn Shelton, the first episode, "The Spark," begins with a desolate Elena Richardson (Witherspoon). Elena’s lavish home has been set on fire with her inside, and all signs point to Izzy, Elena’s youngest daughter, as a likely culprit given that the teenager has a fraught relationship with her mother. Little Fires Everywhere then flashes back four months earlier to August 1997, and the episode chronicles the arrival of Mia Warren to Shaker Heights, Ohio. Portrayed by Washington, Mia is an artist who never stays in one place for more than a few months at a time. Opposites in every way, Mia and Elena wouldn’t have a lot to say to each other except their children seem to get along, and Mia reluctantly decides to remain in Shaker Heights for the sake of her teenage daughter, renting an apartment which belongs to the Richardsons.
By the end of “The Spark,” viewers are treated to several instances of the unintentional racism, which the Richardsons display toward the Warrens. There’s also a cliffhanger, teasing the real reason why Mia might always be on the move. But despite diving right into serious themes of race, class, and parenting, the adaptation is still a lot of fun - including a quick reference to one of Witherspoon's star-making roles, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
In one scene, as Elena complains to her husband Bill (Jackson) about how their daughter Izzy should have chosen a better nickname, she says, “Isabelle. I warned you when we named her. She could have called herself anything: Belle, Bella, Elle; Ella is cute.”
Witherspoon’s delivery perks up as she arrives at the suggestion of "Elle," which is, of course, the name of the iconic lawyer that Witherspoon portrayed in the Legally Blonde movies. In another scene, as Izzy is getting a haircut, Elena suggests a look similar to Rachel from Friends. Witherspoon famously guest-starred on the NBC sitcom and currently shares the lead with Jennifer Aniston on The Morning Show.
Little Fires Everywhere has so far embraced the nostalgia for the 1990s. The series' soundtrack is filled with songs of the decade, and the Richardson teens are frequently seen watching shows like Ricki Lake and MTV’s The Real World. Given this tendency, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dawson’s Creek in the background of future episode, and there might even be a comment about how Pacey, Joshua Jackson's character, looks just like a younger version of Bill.