This structure explicitly ties the story to post-#MeToo reckonings, presenting misogyny and inherited toxic masculinity as foundational forces that shape the women's experiences and force their collective denial and survivor guilt. The feminist framing treats these elements as the show's core premise rather than incidental background, turning personal stories into vehicles for broader ideological messaging on male violence and female solidarity. The all-female core cast, including Kidman as Celeste, Witherspoon as Madeline, Woodley as Jane, Dern as Renata, and Kravitz as Bonnie, reinforces the thematic focus by driving every major plotline around women's hidden realities and Mary Louise's interrogation of her son's actions.

Season 2 adds superficial racial diversity through the expanded Bonnie storyline with her mother Elizabeth, yet this remains skin-deep without meaningful integration into the central conflicts. Such additions function as forced inclusions that dilute narrative cohesion without advancing the entertainment value, contributing to the moderate-to-high woke score by prioritizing thematic signaling over organic storytelling.