Hulu's hit show Little Fires Everywhere had a dynamic cast of characters. These characters had their ups and downs and fans enjoyed watching the drama that ensued as they tried to navigate their complex relationships with one another.
Some characters became fast fan-favorites, leaving the audience rooting for them every step of the way. Others were despised and fans hoped they would be taken down. But no character on Little Fires Everywhere was perfect. Even the best characters have their flaws. So let's check out the worst aspect of each main character.
Brian: Hypocritical
Brian's character seemed to be all over the place. One second, he would be delivering some hard truths, and the next second, he was abandoning his morals for his own selfish gain.
This is made even worse by Brian's harsh judgment of other characters. He is quick to stand up to Pearl, scolding her for allowing Lexie to use her. And yet, Brian does the same thing, allowing Lexie's mistreatment of him with little pushback. This hypocritical nature ensured that fans never knew which Brian they were going to get in any given scene.
Linda: No Theory Of Mind
Linda is generally portrayed as a comionate and loving individual to those with whom she is close. She remains deeply loyal and empathetic, doing her best to protect those she loves. However, this comion does not extend to those whose ideas don't fit Linda's world view.
Her lack of ability to see things from the perspectives of others, otherwise known as theory of mind, causes her to sometimes come off as cold and cruel. Such is the case when she ignores the pain that Bebe is feeling. Had Linda stopped to consider Bebe's feelings, she likely would have been able to come up with a compromise about May Ling's custody.
Bebe: Impulsive
Bebe is under a lot of stress. She struggles to herself and is forced to give up her daughter May Ling in an effort to save her life. This haunts Bebe and is a great source of trauma for her. While her pain is understandable, Bebe's impulsiveness does more to harm her case than good. After finding out her daughter is residing with the McCulloughs, Bebe breaks into their house during a party and begins hysterically screaming about her baby being stolen.
This is used against her in her court trial as one example of Bebe's lack of ability to be a parent. Bebe displays her impulsiveness on several other occasions -- stealing money from her job, leaving May Ling at the fire station, and stealing May Ling -- and none of these plans work out well for her.
Trip: Womanizer
Trip is a character that doesn't get much development. One of the only things fans learn about Trip is that he is a womanizer. He sleeps around with women and makes it very clear that he doesn't respect them.
Trip even advises Moody to ignore and mistreat Pearl, claiming that this will pique Pearl's interest in him. This kind of rhetoric is disgusting and fans did not like the relationship that developed between Trip and Pearl.
Moody: Believes He Is Entitled To Pearl
At first, Moody seemed to be a sweet and sensitive young man. He formed a friendship with Pearl which seemed genuine and the two seemed to have an authentic relationship. These two had chemistry and it looked like the show was building towards a love connection.
Instead, Pearl began dating Moody's brother, Trip. Moody's reaction to this was a bit frightening. He became withdrawn and unpleasant. He seemed to be operating under the assumption that he deserved Pearl, treating her like a prize to be won rather than a person. This was an upsetting development for Moody's character, and his sister Izzy even called him out on this, mentioning how messed up his thought process was.
Izzy: Cares Too Much What Others Think
Izzy is a delightful character, adored by all. Many fans would hesitate to even pinpoint something wrong with this highly sympathetic character. But Izzy's biggest downfall is her giant heart. She desperately wants to be accepted by others and cares a great deal about what those around her think of her.
Despite years of mistreatment, Izzy is still devastated by her mother's rejection of her. Izzy also cares about impressing her former best friend and lover April, even though April has been bullying her relentlessly. When Izzy feels rejected by her family and Mia, she runs away, unable to deal with the pain caused by those she loves. While Izzy never hides who she is, fans would have loved to see her be strong enough to push out the negative comments she receives.
Lexie: Self-Centered
Lexie is willing to do anything to thrive. She seems to believe the whole world revolves around her. Though Lexie is incredibly privileged, she often states that she is being treated unfairly or harshly judged unreasonably.
Lexie uses Pearl, stealing her paper, and writing her name down in the abortion clinic. When confronted with how wrong both of these actions are, Lexie refuses to accept responsibility, acting as though these actions are no big deal. Luckily, there seems to be some hope for Lexie as there is a definite switch in this character during the final episode of Little Fires Everywhere. Hopefully, this character will learn to value others besides herself.
Pearl: Willing To Abandon Identity
Pearl longs for a life she never knew. She is fascinated with the lives of the Richardsons and is desperate to be accepted by them. This causes Pearl to abandon her identity.
The Pearl fans meet at the beginning of Little Fires Everywhere is very different than the Pearl seen at the end of the show. She distances herself from her culture and from her mother. She is willing to allow Lexie's mistreatment of her as long as she gets something in return. Even her physical appearance greatly changes, conforming to fit in with those around her.
Elena: Racist
Elena is a terrifying racist. Part of what makes Elena so frightening is that she believes herself to be an ally in the fight against racism. And yet, Elena proves time and time again just how ignorant she is.
Some examples include serving fortune cookies at May Ling's birthday party, offering Mia a job as a maid, calling the cops when she sees Mia and Lexie sleeping in the car, and constantly bringing up affirmative action and her family's history of fighting for racial equality when surrounded by Black individuals. Her constant microaggressions had fans screaming at the screen.
Mia: Secretive
Due to Mia's past, it is difficult for her to open up and share her feelings. She hides much of her past from her daughter Pearl, leading to a strained relationship between them.
Mia also doesn't seem to have a way to cope with her frustrations and negative feelings. Because she hides everything and holds it in, she is unable to appropriately express herself except through her art. Speaking of her art, Mia also keeps that secret, hiding her projects from her daughter Pearl. If Mia were more open and honest, she would have more success in building relationships with those around her.