In Big Little Lies, the town of Monterey is owned by the women and mothers of the town – and that’s never more obvious than the shape of the Monterey Five.

With white picket fences and picturesque views hiding sinister secrets and deceit from wives and husbands alike, the characters of the show soon find their lives spiralling out of control as their hidden sides rise to the surface.

As the group’s stories intertwine in ways they never thought possible, the story, initially created by Liane Moriarty, extended beyond the initial novel to add even more complications for the tale.

Here’s what you need to know about the gang in Monterey.

Played by: Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde, Little Fires Everywhere)

Madeline prides herself on being a ‘does it all’ kind of mother. Fiercely protective of her girls, Abigail and Chloe, but frequently clashes with teen Abigail. Madeline keeps a cordial relationship with her ex-husband, Nathan, with whom she shares Abigail, while living in a stunning home with new husband, Ed.

However, Madeline isn’t entirely happy in her marriage, having a brief affair with Joseph Bachman, the theatre director at the local community theatre where she works. At the start of the series, she is eager to keep her husband from finding out.

Played by: Nicole Kidman (Nine Perfect Strangers, Babygirl)

Mother of twins, Josh and Max, Celeste has a close bond with Madeline. When we meet her in season one, she seems to have a perfect family with her husband, the successful businessman, Perry. However, behind closed doors she faces frequent abuse from her husband, and she’s constantly torn over whether to stay or leave.

In season two, she is faced with the presence of her mother-in-law, Mary, who moves into their home to help look after the twins.

Played by: Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars, Divergent)

Jane is the youngest of the group, and a single mother to son, Ziggy. Kind and timid, Jane tries not to take up too much space in a room. She also harbours a dark secret regarding who Ziggy’s father is and how he was conceived.

A newcomer to Monterey, she meets Madeline and is invited into the group. However, when Ziggy is accused of hurting one of Renata’s children, she faces some retaliation.

She later picks up work at the local aquarium.

Played by: Zoë Kravitz (The Batman, High Fidelity)

As the second wife to Nathan (Madeline’s ex), Bonnie is the proud mum to daughter, Skye. She keeps herself away from the women in town and prefers to be an introvert but has a happy marriage.

She’s also someone who is used to dealing with things alone, which later causes problems in her life as she pushes people away to hide how she’s feeling.

Played by: Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Marriage Story)

Renata Klein is a career-driven woman who never leaves the house without wearing designer clothing. She’s rich and she’s proud of it, and has no intention of leading a modest life, and wants nothing but the best for her daughter, Amabella.

Blunt almost to a fault, Renata can come off as abrasive when you first meet her and has a power-hold on the Monterey community. But she’s also a strong friend to have on your side.

Played by: Alexander Skarsgård (Infinity Pool, True Blood)

To the outside world, Perry is a successful and pleasant member of the Monterey community. While frequently away on business, he does attend events when he’s at home, and appears to dote on wife, Celeste. But behind closed doors, he’s a physically and mentally abusive husband, with other skeletons in his closet waiting to come out.

Played by: Adam Scott (Severance, Parks and Recreation)

As Madeline’s second husband, Ed is the father of Chloe, and the stepfather of Abigail. Even though Madeline and Abigail’s relationship can be contentious, the teen holds no ill-will towards her stepdad, who often just tries to keep things simple in his relationship.

He is one of the good guys, and although has been seen flirting, would not deeply consider stepping out on his wife.

Played by: James Tupper (The Hardy Boys, A Million Little Things)

As Madeline’s ex-husband and Bonnie’s current husband, Nathan is the father to Abigail and Skye and tries to do right by both of them.

Even though they’re no longer together, Nathan still lives in the same school district as Madeline, with Skye going to school with Ed and Madeline’s daughter, Chloe.

He loves Bonnie but gets frustrated when she shuts him out and pushes him away.

Played by: Jeffrey Nordling (24, So Help Me Todd)

Renata’s husband and father to Amabella. While he tries to live up to her expectations and rich lifestyle, he would much rather tend to his train set than attend a gala. He’s also a lot less put together than Renata and has some issues of his own that become particularly prominent during season two.

Played by: Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein, Freaky)

Abigail is the teenage daughter of Madeline, who is torn between living with her mother and her father. As she grows up, she feels pressure from Madeline to be perfect, forcing her mother to make a confession she didn’t want to make.

Played by: Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon)

Ziggy, like his mother is shy and introverted. When they move to Monterey, Jane hopes that it can be a new beginning for both of them and encourages Ziggy to come out of his shell. However, when Amabella is injured at school and blames Ziggy, he finds himself struggling even more with his school mates.

Played by: Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her, Only Murders in the Building)

After the events for season one, Mary moves to Monterey and makes herself at home in Celeste’s house. As Perry’s mother, she dotes on her grandkids but often gets in Celeste's way with erratic behaviour. She also doesn’t get on with Celeste’s friends.