We finally know who died on 'Big Little Lies'

The title of the "Big Little Lies" finale is "You Get What You Need," which is a hint that the characters -- and maybe the audience -- won't get what they want. Like a lot of the HBO show, though, that was misdirection. Few endings are so satisfying: The main mysteries were solved and the big bad wolf was dead. The catharsis was complete, all set to a stellar soundtrack.

You could argue that the story tied up a little too neatly, but there's also a case to be made that loose threads remain. After all, Tori (Sarah Sokolovic) could still be stalking the ocean-front mansion that Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) shares with Ed (Adam Scott), who still may not know about his wife's affair (though he clearly has suspicions). Celeste (Nicole Kidman) still has a lot of therapy ahead of her and a lot to work through with at least one of her twin sons, who either inherited or learned his father's brutality.

But for the most part, the resolution is a best-case scenario, because not only is Celeste's terrifying husband Perry (Alexander Skarsgard) out of the picture -- and thanks to the show's most level-headed character -- but all of the women have set aside their petty differences and become friends. Nothing brings people together like a deadly secret.

The seven-episode run of the miniseries generated enough predictions to rival "Westworld" and "Game of Thrones," although even those who hadn't read Liane Moriarty's book probably figured out what was likely to happen. The big reveal was the most logical of the many theories, despite the red herrings: Just about all of the women on the show made an off-handed comment about being killed and all those close-ups of guns didn't amount to anything outside of a firing range.

So what did we learn?

- The identity of Ziggy's father

Was it extremely far-fetched that Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) and her son Ziggy (Iain Armitage) would settle in the exact town where her rapist lived? You bet. But stranger things have happened. Unless you were looking for it, you might not have noticed that Jane never met Perry before the series finale. But he was traveling all the time, and the one event during which they would have surely crossed paths -- during the debut of "Avenue Q" -- Perry was stuck at the hospital with a broken urethra.

Jane always said that if she ever heard her rapist's voice she would know, and she was right. Even though Perry was dressed as Elvis, Jane recognized the man who had terrorized her dreams and fathered her child. She had dreamed so many times of shooting him, but things didn't pan out exactly as she had imagined.

- Who was abusing Amabella

It was little Amabella (Ivy George) who set the plot in motion on the first day of school when she accused Ziggy of choking her, even though he swore it wasn't him. At first it wasn't clear whether Amabella was lying or Ziggy was, but once Jane took her son to a psychologist, it was a lot easier to believe him. He's a good-hearted boy, the therapist assured Jane. If anything, he was more likely to be bullied than the aggressor.

That left either queen bee Chloe (Darby Camp) as Amabella's tormentor or one of the twins, though the boys always seemed more likely. Their father was abusive, after all, and they probably witnessed some of his cruelty, even if Celeste was convinced she and her husband had hidden the fights from the kids. Like the identity of Ziggy's dad, the obvious choice was the right one. It was Max (Nicholas Crovetti) who had been mistreating Amabella. (Whether his brother Josh knew about it remains a mystery.)

When Ziggy told Jane the identity of the bully, she was hesitant to tell Celeste, but Madeline assured her it was the right thing to do. To Jane's credit, she admitted that Ziggy's father was a bad guy and so it was possible that her son was the one responsible, though she also said she believed her son was telling the truth. After watching a series where mothers are so protective of their kids, it seemed likely that Celeste might get defensive, but she didn't, which made the scene all the more tragic. Her son was acting like a monster, but she didn't doubt it for a second.

- The victim

The victim and the killer were the real wild cards and the interweaving plots kept us guessing. Would Madeline's current and former husbands finally murder each other? Would some innocent victim get caught in the crossfire between Jane and her rapist? Was the high-strung Renata (Laura Dern) going to finally self-destruct and go on a "Falling Down"-style homicidal spree? If so, Madeline would no doubt be her first kill.

But in the end it wasn't anyone innocent. It was the least sympathetic of the characters: Perry.

- The killer(s)

The murderer was the most unlikely of the bunch, outside of one of the kids. Bonnie, the free-spirited fitness instructor who preached peace and understanding, was the one to deliver the death blow by pushing Perry down a flight of stairs. There are clearly real-world applications for Piloxing.

So there you have it. The big questions answered. But there are also some smaller mysteries that are no less nagging. Such as:

- Which actress is going to win an Emmy?

It's a tough competition, but Nicole Kidman is probably the front-runner for a prize come awards season. Compared to Reese Witherspoon, Kidman's was the less showy part. But that's also what made her performance so stunning. She did more with a lot less.

- Is it really over?

Yes. Seven episodes -- that's all you get. On the plus side, Kidman and Witherspoon's production companies have optioned the rights to another Liane Moriarty book, "Truly Madly Guilty," but it's hard to know what shape that will take or who will star in it. The good news is that "Big Little Lies" was a hit for HBO, which means we might get more beautifully cinematic, female-driven dramas with A-list talent.