The Filming Locations of “Big Little Lies” Season 2 – “The End of the World”

Not much changes with the women of Monterey in the third episode of Big Little Lies’ second season, “The End of the World.”  Renata Klein (Laura Dern) is still on a tear, Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz) continues to “mope-a-dope” around, and Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) just refuses to let anything go.  And I’ve compiled a list of where it all happens!  Read on for the complete locations guide to “The End of the World.”  (Note – as was the case with my posts about the locales from episode 1 and episode 2, since I have already extensively detailed BLL’s inaugural season, I will not be covering flashbacks.  And places that appear in multiple episodes will be mentioned as such, so some crossover should be expected.)

1. Bonnie and Nathan’s House (636 Crater Camp Drive, Calabasas) – In “The End of the World,” Bonnie continues to make do with her mother Elizabeth Howard’s (Crystal Ryan) unwelcome visit to the secluded “Central Coast” home she shares with husband, Nathan (James Tupper).  In reality, the pad, which also appeared in Season 1, cannot be found in Monterey, but on a sleepy street in Calabasas.  Both the interior and exterior are featured fairly extensively on the show.

2. Bonnie’s Beach Walk (Carmel River State Beach, Carmelo Street and Scenic Road, Carmel) – A tormented Bonnie strolls along Carmel River State Beach – and straight into the water, fully clothed – while reminiscing about the childhood abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother.  The beach’s parking lot was also used in an establishing shot of the spot where the Monterey 5 discuss Perry Wright’s (Alexander Skarsgård) murder case in “What Have They Done?”

3. Bonnie’s Childhood Pool (Maple Hill Family YMCA, 1673 Maple Hill Road, Diamond Bar) – During her walk, Bonnie flashes back to a traumatic swimming experience from her youth.  The brief segment, in which a young Elizabeth (Khalilah Joi) dunks childhood Bonnie (Mykal-Michelle Harris) underwater, was shot at the Maple Hill Family YMCA in Diamond Bar.

4. Madeline and Celeste’s Beach Talk (Point Lobos State Reserve Parking, Cannery Point, Carmel) – I never thought I’d describe a parking lot as “gorgeous,” but that word perfectly encapsulates the oceanfront spot where Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) tells Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) about her father’s affair.  It is so arresting, in fact, that it was the number one spot I wanted to find upon first viewing the episode.  Filming of the scene took place in the parking area of Whaler’s Cove at Point Lobos State Reserve.  Madeline also apologizes to Celeste for not recognizing the signs of her abuse in the same parking lot later in the episode.

5. Monterey Bay Aquarium Skyway (886 Cannery Row, Monterey) – Mary Louise confronts Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) on a skyway connecting two buildings at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and asks her to submit her son, Ziggy (Iain Armitage), to a paternity test.  As a surprise to no one, Jane’s answer is a hard no.  I do not believe the footbridge used in the scene, which runs over Cannery Row, is publicly accessible in real life, so how Mary Louise gained access to it is one of the show’s many mysteries.

6. Otter Bay Elementary School (Kenter Canyon Elementary School, 645 North Kenter Avenue, Brentwood) – Kenter Canyon, the Brentwood site that stands in for the elementary school attended by the Monterey 5’s kids, is the real star of “The End of the World.”  It is there that all of the shenanigans from episode 3 take place.  Mr. Perkins (Mo McRae) teaches his second grade students that Charlotte’s Web is about sustainability in one of Kenter Canyon’s classrooms, sending little Amabella Klein (Ivy George) straight to the ER with an anxiety attack.

The school’s office is where Renata – the “f*cking Medusa of Monterey” – has an epic meltdown at Mr. Perkins and Principal Warren Nippal (P.J. Byrne), which you can watch here (warning, as is the case with most of Renata’s rants, this one is most definitely NSFW!).

And Madeline gives her heartbreaking Rainbow Connection speech in Kenter Canyon’s auditorium.

7. Cypress Community Hospital (Lanterman Developmental Center, 3530 Pomona Boulevard, Pomona) – The former Lanterman Developmental Center, which closed in 2014 and currently sits vacant, serves as the hospital where Amabella is taken post anxiety attack.  The sprawling 309-acre site also pops up several times in the episodes that follow.  (Big THANK YOU to my friend Owen for identifying this location!  )

8. Madeline and Ed’s House (30760 Broad Beach Road, Malibu) – The charming Cape Cod belonging to Madeline and her husband, Ed Mackenzie (Adam Scott), on the show is located in Malibu.  You can check out an in-depth post I wrote on the home, my favorite from the series, here.  (Bonus – it’s a vacation rental in real life!)  Both the interior and exterior of the sprawling pad are featured in “The End of the World,” as well as in pretty much every other episode of the series.

9. Renata and Gordon’s House (27326 Winding Way, Malibu) – “Dr. Peep” (Kerri Kenney) – a children’s therapist who dresses as Little Bo Peep – meets with Amabella at the palatial home she shares with her parents to discuss her anxiety over climate change.  Like Madeline’s, this residence can be found in Malibu.  While the actual interior of the dwelling is utilized in the segment, as well as in countless other scenes from both Season 1 and 2, I believe Gordon’s (Jeffrey Nordling) mancave was just a set.

10. Jane and Corey’s Date (The Stage, 546 South San Fernando Boulevard, Burbank) – It is at Burbank’s gorgeous The Stage California Fusion Restaurant and Café that Corey Brockfield (Douglas Smith) finally takes Jane on a date – and teaches her all about land-based vs. net-pen raised seafood.  The rather awkward rendezvous was shot in the eatery’s idyllic main courtyard.  Though easily one of L.A.’s prettiest spots, oddly very little of it can be seen in the episode.  But don’t worry – I took plenty of pics when I stalked it earlier this year.

11. Jane and Corey’s Non-Kiss (600 Block of Lighthouse Avenue, Monterey) – Following dinner, Jane and Corey’s date continues – a good 300 miles away from where it started – with a walk along Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey.  It is in front of the Cat’s Meow clothing store (601 Lighthouse Avenue) that Corey unsuccessfully attempts to kiss Jane, causing her to caution him that she’s “gotta idle in neutral for a little bit.”

12. Celeste’s House (40 Yankee Point Drive, Carmel) – Celeste’s gorgeous cliffside estate, featured in both Seasons 1 and 2, is actually located on the Central Coast – in Carmel, to be exact.  The home’s real living room and back patio appear in “The End of the World,” though the twins'”‘”‘ room, I believe, was just a studio-built set.

13. Jane’s New Apartment (Ocean Harbor, 125 Surf Way, Monterey) – Mary Louise creeps on Jane and Ziggy in the parking lot of their new apartment complex, Ocean Harbor.  Though the interior of their place is shown in previous episodes, “The End of the World” gives us our first look at the exterior.  The parking lot is also where Jane and Corey share an impromptu slow dance at the end of the episode.

14. Blissful Drip Café (Lovers Point Park, 631 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove) – Mary Louise tells Jane that she wants to be in Ziggy’s life – and then shoots herself in the foot by calling Perry, her son/Jane’s rapist, “gentle” and “tender” –  at Blissful Drip Café, one of the gang’s regular Season 2 hangouts.  Sadly, the bohemian-style eatery is not real, but was a set constructed for the Big Little Lies shoot in Monterey’s Lovers Point Park.  Not much of the space is shown in “The End of the World,” but other episodes from the season afford us a better look at it.  You can check out a post I wrote about the fictional coffee shop here.

15. Café Descanso (Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge) – Madeline happens upon Ed having coffee with Bonnie at Café Descanso, the ladies’ other Season 2 hangout.  Unlike Blissful Drip, this spot is a real place, located on the grounds of Descanso Gardens.  Situated outside of the entrance gates, admittance tickets are not required to dine there.

16. Madeline’s Real Estate Office (Deasy Penner Podley, 30 North Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre) – Renata heads to Madeline’s “Monterey” real estate office to vent about Principal Nippal and winds up having an awkward encounter with Mary Louise.  Filming of the scene took place at the Sierra Madre outpost of Deasy Penner Podley, which also made a cameo in “What Have They Done?”  You can check out a post I dedicated to the site here.

17. Ziggy’s Surf Lesson (Del Monte Beach, 653 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey) – Corey gives Ziggy a surf lesson while Jane and Bonnie watch at Monterey'”‘”‘s scenic Del Monte Beach.  This is the same spot where Jane runs into Corey in “What Have They Done?”

Be sure to check back Monday for a round-up of sites from episode 4, “She Knows.”

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