Bad Guys Gone Good: Our Favorite TV Villains Who Turned Over a New Leaf

Photo: HBO

Renata Klein – Big Little Lies

It’s a slippery slope to talk about Renata being a “villain.” If you look at her behavior closely, all you will see is a successful, assertive woman, protecting her child from a perceived threat. With a little distance from the finale, we call all agree that Renata wasn’t the biggest threat on that show.

However, over the course of the season, writers pitted Renata against the other women. They used their children as vehicles to enact revenge on the other ladies, and it was all pretty gross. Yes, Renata was the most menacing threat, but you have to admit, their behavior was all a little shady. They fought like catty teenagers, never once stopping to try and insinuate any kind of adult behavior into the situation. A fight even broke out between Renata and Jane, bringing the tension between them to a screech climax.

When Jane apologized, Renata’s character came full circle with a little empathy and understanding from her. The sheer act of Jane’s apology, and admittance that she wasn’t sure, was enough to melt Renata’s icy demeanor. Watching those two characters connect, mother to mother, was the moment we all stopped hating Renata and started seeing for the human she actually was.