Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere is not a show about perfect people, as much as Elena Richardson would like her and her family to be perfect. The series is filled with layered and complex characters who believe they are doing the right thing even when they aren't. The differences between Mia and Elena are emphasized nearly every episode from background to lifestyle to motherhood. Part of the series asks what makes a good mother.
Mia and Elena each believe themselves to be a good mother to their children, yet their children's perspectives give those claims an exciting resistance. Mia and Elena have done things that have had negative impacts on their children, and in Elena's case, her husband. However, their actions go beyond motherhood as the series delves into various angles of who Elena and Mia are as people. While each believes they are doing the right thing, Elena and Mia have each had moments of being the worst.
Elena: Leaving To See Jamie (Twice)
Before Elena married Bill, she had been in a relationship with Jamie. While Elena wanted the two to remain together, Jamie's desire to travel opposed Elena's wish to return home to Shaker Heights, Ohio. Their disagreement leads to a break-up. After giving birth to her and Bill's children, Elena is losing career advancement opportunities at work, exhausted at home, and is spiraling.
Deciding to visit Jamie, things go a little too far before Elena returns home. Years later, Elena reunites with Jamie, although the reunion is not nearly as pleasant for either of them. Elena's motivations are problematic behind the visit, but it also seems that she wishes to impress him. Later on, it is revealed that Bill has been aware of both visits.
Mia: Lying About A Miscarriage
After Mia's brother Warren, ed away, and her family outcasted her, Mia decided to keep the baby. Leaving a note apologizing and stating she had a miscarriage, Mia left and traveled the country with Pearl, naming her Pearl Warren in her brother's honor. The series never made out the original parents to be problematic in any way, and Mia's actions constitute various types of inappropriate.
This was not to say that Mia was a good or bad mother to Pearl, but her decision had gone against her deal. In dreams, Mia still sees the father on the train, which may be her conscience, but that is not delved into.
Elena: Forcing Perfection On Lexie
Since Elena could not have the perfect life she envisioned for herself, she pushed those values onto Lexie. Lexie, with the good grades, and that could do no wrong, would grow up to become successful. Elena needed that. It didn't help that Izzy was the opposite of Lexie, and Izzy's personality traits drove Elena crazy.
However, what Elena could not see was that Lexie was a faulted human and that she was not perfect. Lexie did things wrong, and Elena had trouble accepting that Lexie could be anything less than what she needed her eldest daughter to be.
Mia: Giving Bebe Her Car Keys
After discovering that Elena's friends were planning to adopt Bebe's daughter, Mia was determined to help Bebe get custody of Mirabelle. However, things go wrong very fast. Between Elena trying to pay Bebe off to step away and Mia's involvement in paying for Bebe's lawyer, things escalated quickly.
Yet, it was Mia's fault where it all began. Mia had given Bebe her car keys, aware of where Bebe may go, even if Mia didn't know what Bebe would do. Mia's decision was the catalyst for the custody battle between the two families.
Elena: Looking Into Mia's Background
Elena just doesn't know when to quit. While Elena caught Mia in a lie about her previous residences, it should have stopped there, if it was going to go that far. Yet, Elena insisted that she needed to know everything about Mia's life, even though it was none of her business.
Elena went to Jamie for help, and after learning the truth about Pearl, insisted that Bill use the information against Mia in court. When Bill doesn't go through with it, Elena is angry with Bill with his decision not to hurt Mia on the stand.
Mia: The Photograph
A photograph that cost enough to pay for Bebe's lawyer had been sitting in Mia's possession for Pearl's entire life. As Mia and Pearl had been living, traveling everywhere, and sometimes sleeping in their car, Pearl always assumed they never had the money for anything better.
Yet, one dreadful truth was enough for Pearl to learn that had Mia sold the photograph, maybe they could have settled down somewhere, allowing Pearl to make some real friends and have a stable home. Even though the significance of the photograph is later revealed, that does not take away the hurt Pearl must have felt from knowing how much the picture was worth.
Elena: Telling Pearl The Truth
There is no line that Elena is not willing to cross. While Pearl not knowing the truth may fall in Mia's court, it was not Elena's responsibility to expose such an emotional secret. Elena only knew part of the story and could never understand the emotional repercussions behind Mia's actions.
Yet, Elena decided it was well within her right to tell Pearl a truth that would shatter several things she believed about her life thus far. While Mia does answer more of Pearl's questions after Elena's involvement, that can not be given as a positive to Elena.
Mia: Constant Travel
One of Pearl's most constant points throughout the show is that she and Mia never had one place to call home. They always had enough to survive and live on, but never enough for stability.
That way of living cost Pearl the chance to feel like she truly belonged anywhere or had any friends, which was one of the reasons why she was so excited to take the apartment from the Richardsons. Mia always claimed that it needed to be that way, but as viewers would learn later, she was lying.
Elena: Everything With Izzy
Elena did a lot of messed up stuff throughout the show, but her relationship with Izzy is beyond nearly everything else. Elena treats Izzy like a disappointment even when she tries to bond with her. Elena wants to mold Izzy and has trouble accepting her for who she is.
Elena is desperate for Izzy to be more like her while Izzy desperately tries to show Elena that is not going to happen. As things get worse between them, Elena cuts Izzy out of every copy of the Christmas family photo, all of which Izzy finds in the trash. Later on, Elena tells Izzy that she had never wanted her, prompting Izzy to leave.
Mia: Lied To Pearl
Mia's most significant mistake is the way she lies or withholds information from Pearl. Pearl has been asking for information about her father for years or anything about Mia's past. Yet, Pearl does not receive much for her attempts.
Mia's actions, or lack thereof, eventually prove themselves to be the wrong choice when Pearl learns the truth, or part of it, from Elena. Although Elena blurting information to Pearl about her background was not Mia's fault, Mia should have been upfront and truthful about it from the beginning.