Big Love Series Wrap-up with guest blogger Nicole Zierlein

When Big Love ended last week I knew there was one person who would be equally disappointed in the finally and miss the show next season as much as I would, Nicole Zierlein. Nicole has an excellent blog of her own you should be following and before I even asked her to write something for ApeDonkey she was already working on it. Thanks again Nicole for contributing and the invitation is always open for more.

When Big Love premiered, I was pretty skeptical. How could I watch a show about a man and his three wives even if one of the wives was Chloe Sevigny? Polygamy was not interesting to me in the least, especially considering everything we had seen in the news regarding Warren Jeffs and his followers. The fact that the show was on HBO still didn’t convince me. The first season went by, and I didn’t watch one episode. It wasn’t until my friend told me over and over during season 2 that he could see me in Nicki that I finally decided to give it a chance. (By the time the show ended, this was really more of an insult than the compliment he intended.)

In my opinion, this show was a work of art. It was perfectly cast with Bill Paxton as the husband and Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin as the sister wives. Sure, some of the children weren’t perfect, but as far as the relevant characters go, the cast rocked. The acting in this show was so spot on that my favorite wife changed each season. I found myself identifying with the sister wives more than I ever thought I could. Although, in the end despite what my friend thinks, I am much more Barb than Nicki or Margene.

The show did exactly what Bill tried to do all along: convince us that polygamous unions can work. It showed the practical stuff like who does the shopping? How many moms do the kids have? To the most pressing: when do they have sex with Bill and what do the other wives think about that? Turns out that head wife Barb is really good at organizing things from finances to scheduling which wife slept with Bill on which night. Said schedule could be altered if a wife was trying for a baby.

Big Love took a couple who had been married for years before Bill decided he had a calling to plural marriage. My first question upon watching the show was: how did he convince Barb into doing this? You knew from season 1 that she wasn’t really convinced about the whole plural marriage thing. The more she talked about how much the family meant to her, the more you realized that she was never really on board. How did Bill convince her? Simple, he knew she loved him and would do anything for him. My heart broke for her, which would happen over and over throughout the series. Who can’t understand being manipulated like that?

I loved how the show allowed Barb to find herself more and more each season. And in finding herself, she realized that she didn’t need Bill. We saw Barb as mother extraordinaire, Mother of the Year (almost), return to school and as the person who truly was the heart of the family. She didn’t just run the houses, she made sure the wives were taken care of even when Bill wanted to ignore problems. This season Barb felt called to be a priesthood holder, a big NO in Bill’s religion. Barb stronger than ever, continued on the path and found a church where she could live her calling. Of course, for me the big letdown came when Barb who was about to get baptized in a different church didn’t follow through because her family wasn’t there. While I could understand the love and need she had for the family, it was just so disappointing to see her go back to someone who really treated her like dirt.

I think what I liked best about this show was how each wife evolved, except maybe Nicki who was  basically always a bitch. Her lines just got meaner and meaner. But since I’m kind of mean, I liked it and until this season, loved her character. Nicki Grant, the cold sister wife who came from the compound: you never knew until the third season if she was capable of love. Her marriage to Bill was part of a business arrangement between her father and Bill. Nicki was the child who grew up yearning for her parents’ love and never being good enough for them. Turns out, she was also placed in the Joy Books and became a teen bride. I suppose that would make any person as cold as ice. My absolute favorite Nicki scene was when she worked undercover in the DA’s office and started dating someone else. When she finally came clean about it, I watched the scene over and over. Second best storyline for Nicki was the family finding out she was on birth control. While she almost let someone else take the fall for her, she did finally come clean, but was not really apologetic about it. That is what was great about Nicki, she had no problem telling you what she thought regardless of your feelings. One last fave of Nicki was her giving it to the red headed kid that bullied her son. As the mother of a son who was bullied by a red head a few years ago, I could only applaud her actions.

The fact that I liked Margene so much was a huge surprise for me. She was the young hot wife who loved sex, (although she wasn’t the only wife that loved sex). She was so much more than something pretty to look at though. She had a huge heart and loved without boundaries. Her charm allowed her to make a fortune without any help from the family. Ginnifer Goodwin did such a good job in this role that it was believable first, that she considered herself a mother to Ben, the teenage son of Barb, and then later allowed Ben to comfort her when she couldn’t have Bill at her side. I thought the ending of the show with her going off to do missionary work was out of character, but really, it wasn’t. I mean, yes it was a bit much for her to leave her children, but she grew so much over the seasons that her leaving Utah to save the world actually made sense. She realized she had a life outside of the Henrickson’s family compound. I only wish Barb had found that life.

Big Love even showed us how you date in a plural marriage. I went back and forth on this storyline. It was interesting to watch Bill date a new woman, as well as the sister wives date her. Of course, Nicki hated her, and at that point we found out that Nicki had voted against adding Margene to the family. Maybe Nicki knew Margene wasn’t of age? I didn’t really like Anna, but once Barb decided she did, I changed my mind about her. When Anna left the family, I was kind of relieved for the storyline to end. This storyline did show us another example of Bill screwing over Barb: having sex with yet another person outside of their marriage. Thanks, Bill.

My favorite seasons were probably the first and third, with the fourth season being the worst. The first season introduced us to the family and showed us how they lived. We saw one daughter who didn’t agree with the lifestyle and looked for support outside the home. We saw how Barb’s family reacted to her lifestyle, they disowned her. I loved every scene with Ellen Burstyn as Barb’s mother. The fourth season was just too much: the run for Senate, the casino and trip to Mexico didn’t do much for me.

The thing I hated most about Big Love was the crazy characters. I know that Grace Zabriskie is an amazing actress, but almost every scene she was a part of drove me crazy. That is until this season, I actually liked the storyline with her having dementia and depending on Frank, the husband with whom she had a volatile relationship. (In fact, the last scene of him killing her was one of the few scenes I actually liked from the last episode.) But if I hated Grace Zabriskie, I hated Bill’s brother, Joey, more than any character on the show. I just couldn’t handle how stupid he was.

Dealing with those characters was worth it because the show provided us with Roman Grant, one of the best villains on television. I loved how devious he was and how his wife helped him nonstop. I was so sad when they killed him, and I couldn’t believe that Joey of all people did it. Roman was always one step ahead until the pillow.

Alby was another great character. You wanted to feel sorry for him as a gay man growing up in that environment. There was no way he could live out in the open, but even before the love of his life committed suicide, he was just an asshole. This season he was awesome, but the end for his character, getting shot in the shoulder by Bill, was lame. The great thing about Alby and Roman for that matter was that they could convince anyone to do their dirty work.

I watched an interview with the creators of the show, and they explained that they were ending this season because they didn’t feel they had enough material for another season. While I see their point, the way they ended things was a cop out. I actually didn’t mind Bill getting killed, my problem was how things ended for the interesting ones: the wives. There was no reason for Barb to stay. I could see Nicki (and Margene possibly) staying, but Barb grew so much, and while growth doesn’t have to mean a life alone, it should mean a life where you are respected and Bill clearly didn’t respect her.

Despite my disappointment with how the show ended, I am going to miss Big Love. I really became invested in the sister wives and cared about each of them. I found myself rooting for this marriage to work. I wanted them to live in the open and continue to show people it could be done. That it wasn’t all prairie skirts and long hair. I wanted Bill to wake up and stop alienating those around him.

Every year, there is talk about Grace Zabriskie getting an Emmy. Chloe was finally awarded last year, maybe it was a Golden Globe. This year has to be the year for Jeanne Tripplehorn. She was so damn good.

Big Love "Exorcism" Review

So, it's clear how the show is going to end now, right? Not exactly. A few items were cleaned up in this second to last episode but there are still heavy shoes yet to fall. The family is hanging together by tattered threads. The law is protecting them while waiting to knock on the door to take Bill away. And even with dementia Lois isn't as nutty as Crazy Rhonda.

I had to go and check the retrospective special they ran earlier in the night to make sure I didn't miss part of tonight's episode. It felt like we were joining a regularly scheduled program already in progress by the way things started. Then again, I thought the entire episode jumped around and lacked any flow.

I'm starting to think they've decided to make Bill as despicable as possible so that when he goes off to prison, we don't feel as bad for him. Now, I don't think that's really what is going to happen but it was a thought I had tonight. I do however think he and Nicki should ride off into the sunset together and change their last names to the Despicables. What she did to Cara Lynn tonight, both trying to send her off to boarding school and the things she told her in her bedroom was beyond awful. I wasn't much of a Nicki fan to begin with but after today I wish Cara Lynn had thrown her into the fire. Nicki has been on a similar arc as Bill. With each episode the writers find a way to make you dislike them more. She's always been selfish and insecure but now that she's legally married to Bill she insufferably self important as well. Her calling Bill to tell on Barb for going to a new church was not only an awful technical transition but an unforgivable betrayal of trust between the sister wives.

There is nothing I want more from the finale than to see Barb get out of this oppressive environment she's found herself in. She was dead on with her criticism of Bill's uncompromising stance. His lack of willingness to see any one's point of view aside from his own has put their lives, their business and his marriage Barb in danger. His passive aggressive attack on Barb's loyalty and character at Juniper Creek should have been the final straw. I want Barb to find her calling and if Bill isn't willing to accept her then maybe he needs to take a look at his own issues. Maybe I'm alone here but I find Bill to be a very hypocritical man. He puts himself and his agenda above all else. I've never felt like he was following a pat God set before him but rather using God's Will as a tool to create his own path.

The end of the Alby saga was a disappointment. They could have had much greater drama and tension in those final scenes if they hadn't tried to cram so much into the episode. You knew Bill wasn't going to kill Alby and you never feared that Margene had been hit. It was just a very anticlimactic ending to a great rivalry.

There's not much to say about Margene this week. She cried a lot and actually seemed to digress as a character. Her giving up her Goji business seemed a bit abrupt and Pam's declaration that she and Carl were separated was odd. If there was anything to take from Margene tonight it would be the writers setting up the possibility of her leaving on a mission.

I see Ben is walking directly in his fathers footsteps by compounding stupid decisions with more stupid decisions. OK you slept with Crazy Rhonda. If you weren't dumber than a bag of bricks you would have kept Heather away from the house until Rhonda was gone. Then when she does find out about you two, your first instinct is to go to the "I can have you both" card? Wow, I take back all the things I said about you last week. Just stick to playing your corny songs on the piano with your little brothers. That's probably as complicated a task as you can handle.

So where are we going? I'm not sure. With Alby out of the picture, my excitement for the finale has been tempered. Obviously, Bill is going to be arrested at some point. He's going to have a big grand standing moment in the senate and ultimately it will all come crumbling down. I still think he ends up back on the compound with Nicki. Barb will seek out her calling as a priest holder and Margene will experience the world on a mission. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it. Partially because that's what I want to happen and partially because I just don't see another logical ending. I'm probably completely wrong. It'll probably end with Cara Lynn killing Margene. Bill and Barb remarrying and Nicki becoming a liberal rights lesbian. Who knows.

Random Notes:

• I found it extremely difficult to believe Barb would be with Nicki and Margene delivering food to Bill at the State House.
• I'm guessing Amanda Seyfried returns next week as Bill faces trial.
• I guess statutory rape is the in crime this year. Big Love and Californication both with their protagonists on trial for this crime.
• As much as I dislike Bill, I'm going to miss this show next year.

Big Love "The Noose Tightens" Review

If you haven't been watching Big Love this season, first I don't know why you're reading this review and secondly you need to fix that mistake. So much for the methodical pace the show had been taking towards it's end. This week the Henricksons faced complete and total disintegration of everything holding the family together. Every storyline we had been following for seven episodes reached their tipping points tonight.

I've been pulling for Don to give Bill a big middle finger for a while now. He has lost nearly everything good in his life as a result of being loyal to his business partner. His wives have left, his time with his kids is limited and now his mental and physical health have been compromised because of the stress brought on by Bill's public life. Why would he continue to back this guy? Isn't this the same man that asked him to take the fall for Home Plus' insurance scandal? Admittedly, I didn't expect don to sell out to the guy who tried to kill him but hey when he's offering more than twice market value, maybe you forgive a little.

The financial well being of the Henricksons is a secondary concern at this point with both Bill and Barb facing charges of statutory rape and procuring. The DA plans to build their case around testimony from Margene. Bill and Barb would have been fine if Margene would have stuck to the plan and given the authorities nothing to build the case around but in true Margene fashion she cracked under the pressure and started blabbing like a five year old with a secret. I kind of had a feeling Barb was going to dragged into the investigation based on Margene's speech at the youth rally. What I'm not exactly thrilled about is how the other wives have turned on her and her role in all this. Nicki and Margene's assertion that bringing more wives into the fold was somehow Barb's doing seemed completely out of left field. Unless I'm forgetting key moments of Anna's courtship. Nice comeback on Barb's part throwing the secret resealing back at them. I'm still having trouble understanding why Barb is still hanging around though. Her marriage is broken. Her kids are all but grown and the other sister wives are throwing her under the bus. Where is her motivation for sticking by the family? Bill's genes suggest a willingness to cast out the wife who steps out of line. Nicki's insistence on getting her own lawyer was a bit puzzling. Even though she has gotten everything she has wanted lately she is still singing the poor mistreated outcast tune. I've turned on Nicki this season. Although I find her character infinitely more interesting, I find her far less likable. Her selfishness, rudeness and general ignorance though always there have just rubbed me the wrong way this season.

I've been pretty adamant in my apathy towards the Cara Lynn/Mr. Ivey storyline this season. I haven't seen the point of taking away screen time for what seems like a rehashed plot. We got a nice return on our suffering this week though. The first fireworks came when Margene found out about the relationship and Cara Lynn turned to Ben for help. Ben has been a general dud all season. I don't blame him. How is he supposed to recover from the Greenes in Mexico fiasco from last season. Anyway, I thought his confrontation with Nicki was his best scene of the entire series. His willingness to stand up to her finally revealed the maturity and spine long time fans had wondered if he'd ever have. Following Ben questioning Nicki's mothering ability we were treated to another terrifically explosive scene when Nicki took Cara Lynn to break things off with Mr. Ivey. You saw all the frustration and pain Nicki endured from being a child bride herself explode into a fit of rage at Greg. She couldn't change what had happened to her but she was damn well not going to let her daughter follow that same path, at least not right now. I still think Cara Lynn's story ends with her running off with Greg to be married. She's harboring ill will towards Nicki for the death of her father and her defiance is only growing more bold. Of course, if Nicki doesn't survive Alby this will all be moot.

Before we talk about Alby's actions tonight can we just address the elephant in the room? Aside from Solonius on Spartacus, Alby has by far the best haircut on television. His pompadour is outstanding. Now Roman's cowboy hat was more fitting with a compound prophet but Alby's do perfectly fits his Albyness. OK now that we've addressed that let's talk about what Alby's up to. I love his attempt to sink Bill through the back door. What better way to destroy Bill than from the inside? Bill should know by now that trying to get Alby to back down by threatening him only leads to Alby going to greater extremes. Bill threatening to expose Alby's "tendencies" and past transgressions was all the excuse Alby needed to call in a hit on Bill. Alby should be better at hiring his assassins though. Don't hire the guy who just botched offing Don to shoot Bill. Verlan may be a damn fine guy to watch undress but he's proven to be a failure at killing folks. Pretty bold of him to ask for a raise after failing his first attempt at being an assassin. Crazy Rhonda and their baby's got to eat though.

Nicki's brashness and lack of tact got the best of her once more. After learning of Alby's plans to kill Bill she verbally assaults her brother with insults and threats. As we've already discussed, AlbyAlby loves his sister but not even she is immune to his wrath. Nicki kneeling before a five foot grave with a gun to her head is a testament to how fed up Alby is with her and the Henricksons. Fortunately for her, Nicki is the one person in the world Alby does truly love and makes Verlan pay for exposing his plan to kill Bill. Poor Verlan, it's all fun and games being Alby's boy toy until he tires of you and buries you in a shallow grave on the compound. The final image we are left with is Nicki standing on the Henrickson's back port dazed in a filthy prairie dress.

So where are we going in the final two episodes? I think the law closing in and an ultimate battle with Alby all point to Bill and Nicki returning to Juniper Creek with Bill taking his grandfather's former position as the compound's prophet. Even with Bill offering to resign his senate seat the DA is still moving forward with prosecuting him. Alby, I believe ends up dead at the hands of Nicki or Adaleen. There was a little clue in this episode when Alby tells Verlan that no crime committed on the compound has ever been convicted. I think the final unprosecuted crime is the murder of Alby and his glorious hair. I'm conflicted about Barb. I want her to get away from Bill but I'm now concerned that procuring charges may force her to an unfulfilled existence on the compound as well. I can't see Margene ending up with them though. She is completely different from the other wives. She has matured since becoming a part of the Henricksons and now sees there are things in life she can only have outside the family.

Random Notes:

• I found the occult thing bizarre but more than that it was resolved awfully quickly and without satisfaction.
• What is Grant Show's role in all of this? Is he just working as a LDS agent to break apart the Henricksons?
• I found the visit from the other Senator interesting towards the end of the episode telling Bill to continue fighting. 
• If you ever have a secret do not say anything around Heather. That girl is nothing but trouble.
• If Carl and Pam were swallowed by an earth quake, I wouldn't care and neither would you.
• I hope Nicki never "rescues" me from anything.

Big Love "Til Death Do Us Part" Review

I appreciate that HBO and Showtime have schedules that allow them to air programs a multitude of times. The also understand viewers in some sense set their own schedules these days with DVRs. However, for schmoes like me and Barry charged with reviewing these shows running a new episode head to head with the Oscars creates a scheduling pain in the ass. How's a guy supposed to go to a bitchin' Oscar party, get home after midnight and still find a way to watch these Sunday night shows? Enough of my problems though, what went down on Big Love?

It's difficult to say there was something admirable about Roman or Alby but at least we can say they knew what they were/are. Bill on the other hand is in complete denial. Either that or he's a complete moron who fell ass backwards into building a successful business. I'm finding it more difficult to tell with each passing episode. Bill has managed to completely alienate the two people who have stood by him through the years, Barb and Don. His refusal to compromise with the LDS or Alby has led to Home Plus teetering on the brink of failure. Costing not only himself and his family but his business partner Don as well. Don never asked for any of this but Bill has continued to force his business principles on his "friend" to the point that Don's own livelihood is in peril. All Don has ever wanted is his three wives and kids, a nice successful business and a life out of the spotlight. Thanks Bill you've ruined that dream.

The position he has place Barb in is even more precarious. She has already left Bill's church, granted him his "paper" divorce and leaving her exposed to Nicki's crazy whims. Now with the families financial security at risk Bill has the balls to ask Barb, Margene and Nicki to reseal themselves to one another. Don't think everything is OK just because Barb wants a little action. Sister wives have needs too. I keep wanting to say Bill's not the dumbest husband on Earth just the most selfish but the evidence points otherwise. But don't sleep on Bill's selfishness, it's a favorite in most match ups.

Would a smart guy have a discussion about marrying a 16 year old in front of Heather? Would a smart guy under public scrutiny let that same 16 year old he married start holding rallies on television? Would a smart guy who has enemies in the state house think this is a good time to file divorce papers? Would a smart guy choose now to go to war with Alby who is capable of doing literally anything? What I'm trying to say here is Bill Henrickson, idiot.

Speaking of Alby, no one rallies the compound troops like our man. No cell phones, no TVs, no computers, I couldn't live under his regime but he does no how to lock it down. His smarmy responses to Bill when he raised the rent on Home Plus was pure gold. Still, Alby just can't resist the smooth skin of a dirty Mormon boy and Verlan seems to be just fine with that. I'm pretty sure Verlan is going to be earning his position as Alby's pet in more way than one. I don't know exactly what he's going to do for Alby but I'm pretty sure sex, guns and Bill are involved.

There are a few story lines that have become white noise to me Cara Lynn and her teacher, Lois and Margene's pyramid scheme. I'm finding it tough to see the bigger picture of the Cara Lynn saga. Is there a dramatic payoff here? To me, I feel like Amanda Seyfried left the show and they felt like they had to fill a teen girl transitioning into womanhood void. The only problem being no one noticed the void. This final season should be about the sister wives. This storyline offers nothing in the way of character revelation or redemption for the Henricksons. At this point, it is nothing more than a waste of screen time. If we're lucky the two of them will run away together and elope never to be heard from again.

As far as Lois is concerned we know she is bat shit crazy. I'm almost certain Lois believes she is Sarah Palmer at this point. She tried to kill Frank and herself this week and I thought "yeah that's nice way to put a pin in Lois and Frank they ride off into the sunset victims of their own insanities." Alas, Barb came in too soon and my dream was squashed. Lois is going to end up in a home but the way her idiot son is committing self sabotage I don't know who's going to pay for it.

Margene's pyramid scheme was funny at first. She's naive and gullible. So it was natural for her to get involved in a scheme like this. Now, it's just kind of an irritant. Bill's already fighting a two front war if Goji gets involved Bill's house of cards crumbles.

Where is this all going with only three episodes left? Obviously, they are going to pursue statutory rape charges against Bill for marrying Margene when she was only 16. Is Barb going to be implicated as an accomplice based on Margene's speech about how Barb was the one who brought her into the family? The farther this progresses with the state house, the law and LDS all after Bill and a war with Alby on the horizon, I feel like end all ends with Bill and Nicki together as the heads of Juniper Creek.  I think viewers get solace in Barb's escape from the situation and forming her own church. Margene is the wild card but I think she ends up in the secular world finally leading the kind of life she never new was available to her.

A few other thoughts:

• Jeanne Tripplehorn has been outstanding all season.
• Cloe Sevigny was incredible last night. She was utterly convincing as a woman in her 30's finally getting a chance to live out her girlhood fantasies of a wedding and marriage.
• The secret sealing ceremony was almost as despicable as asking Barb for a divorce.
• I liked Carl better when he was cleaning the pool at Jerry Seinfeld's health club.
• I'm thinking Utah divorce laws might not be as easy as Big Love makes them out to be.
• 2 more episodes until Amanda Seyfried and Aaron Paul return. That's a good thing.
• I'm over Crazy Rhonda.
• I just realized this weekend that Heather is the little girl from Water World also starring Jeanne Tripplehorn.
• If I ever have another wedding I'm definitely wearing a white suit like Bill's. Except I'm also going to wear Raylan Givens cowboy hat.

Big Love "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." Review

"Are you and Renee Clayton being lesbians together?" Nancy Davis Dutton

I have no reason for starting this review with that quote except that it made me laugh out loud. The real stars of this week's episode "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." were Jeanne Tripplehorn and the disintegrating relationships in the Henrickson house hold. Seriously, if Tripplehorn isn't nominated for an Emmy for her performance this season it will be a terrible oversight. She and the writing for her character have been outstanding this season.

Poor Barb can't win for losing. When she's squarely in the Henrickson polygamy camp her mother and sister won't have anything to do with her. Now that things are falling apart they are coming after her because she has formed a relationship with a "radical" free thinker like Renee Clayton. I can't think of a worse place to be than in a room with Nicki and Bill on one side and Nancy on the other. I love what Barb is doing. I think long time fans of the show have been dying for her to finally tell Bill what he can do with half the bullshit he puts her through. And very smart of Barb not to trust Nicki with her financial welfare. Barb has always been written as the most level headed, intelligent character on the show. Those attributes are a big reason fans are so happy to see her making her own way.

Was there a less surprising turn than Nicki getting drunk on power. She's gonna make sure everyone knows it's her time and she's now BWOC (Big Wife on Compound). She isn't going to let poor Margene do anything, ever. Especially if it involves a scandalous song like "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I don't think she liked the reworked divorce agreement and pre-nup too much. I did thoroughly enjoy her "right now I want to punch you in the face." I'm a big proponent of telling people you want to punch them in the face so that was right in my wheelhouse.

That Ben is quite the chip off the ol' block isn't he? He's turned out to be quite the little know it all prick. Can't we just trade him in for half a season of Amanda Seyfried? I'm about as disinterested in Ben as Barb and Bill were in his "How to Problem Solve a Marriage" literature. Good decision going after Crazy Rhonda, that doesn't have the potential to blow up in your face. At least we know he gets his poor decision making honest. By the way, what kind of crazy strip clubs are they running in Utah? I've been to my share of those places but I've never seen one that lets the strippers sing their own songs. I'm kind of intrigued now.

I can't decide if the Lois and Frank scenes were the sweetest, saddest or scariest shit I've ever seen. I kept waiting for Lois to chop his head off or for Frank to strangle her deranged ass. There's got to be a murder suicide on the horizon for these two.

How little do I care about the Cara Lynn and her teacher stuff? I didn't even realize the two of them had kissed last week. It's the final five episodes of the final season. I don't need new characters and their story lines taking away from the great stuff going on inside the Henrickson household or from great established characters like Alby.

Speaking of Alby, he has got to have the most finely tuned gaydar on the planet. He never misses. I would not want to be Verlain and having to pay Alby back for a poorly executed job with "favors." The scene with Bill, Don and Alby didn't measure up and really seemed forced and out of place.

So where are we headed. Judging from the previews, things really start to heat up with Alby. Just as I predicted it appears Bill is making a power play with Juniper Creek. Things can get ugly in a hurry with Alby and his gang of Hummer jockeys. I want to see Barb continue her journey of self realization. Bill can either get on board or be stuck dealing with Nicki all by himself. Margene must have been a big Melrose Place fan because she's got it bad for Grant Show and you know he naive ass is going to find herself putting everything in jeopardy again chasing her lusts.

Big Love "The Special Relationship" Review

Power plays and relationships dominated tonight's episode.

I don't practice the principle so maybe I just don't understand but asking one of your wives for a divorce so you can legally marry one of your other wives seems a bit insulting. Especially in a system where sister wives are constantly jockeying for position. Yet that's exactly what Bill did. Kudos to you Bill. You might want to rethink those pistols you bought the wives for Christmas.

Of course this is exactly the opening Nikki needed to make her power play to move up the sister wife hierarchy. Nikki used Barb's reluctance to submit to Bill's wishes as an excuse to accuse her of putting herself above the family. Barb even admitted she feels as though her relationship with Bill is special and with good reason. As she explained, they were a married couple for more than a decade before Bill decided to return to the principle and bring Nikki into their marriage. I think Barb has always seen Nikki as an intruder and Margy as an annoyance.

Barb gave Nikki all the ammo she needed to build a wedge between her and Bill when she confided in Nikki her desire to be one of the families priests. She has struggled all season with her calling even though she has been rebutted at every turn by people like her mother, Nikki and now Bill. My favorite part of the exchange between Barb and Nikki is when Nikki called her a "modern and libber." Nikki forcing Barb to confess this desire to Bill in the middle of a Senate session seemed very childish and right in line with Nikki's character.

Bill rebuked the idea outright as an affront to their entire belief system. Barb however is an educated woman. We are reminded of that through her interaction with the other Senate interns. As an educated woman Barb sees the injustice in a religious or any other system that places men above women. It was wonderful to see the anger growing in Barb throughout the episode as she faced roadblock after roadblock from family members. This desire for the role of priest holder and Bill's blockade against it led us to the climactic final scene. With Bill and Barb sitting on the bench where Bill had proposed more than twenty years before facing an impasse in their marriage, Barb turns to Bill and says "we have to get divorced." She didn't say that in the "so you can adopt Cara Lynn" way but in a way that says "our paths are diverging."

We already know Bill's not a great husband but he also continues to be a pretty bad politician. He struck a deal with Senator Dwyer to get funding for his Safety Net program but has to cease his publicity campaign for the principle. No one would expect Bill to see the LDS behind this deal he's struck. I mean Bill rarely sees beyond his nose and is often concocts the most short sighted big picture plans. Anyway, when Bill is called to a meeting with LDS members he's completely blindsided by the fact the LDS holds a lot of sway in the state legislature. Why would they? It's not like they're in Utah or something. Regardless, the LDS want Bill to stop using the term Mormon to describe himself or they will be forced to get the anti-polygamy bill back on the docket. Our self righteous hero will not be pushed around and basically tells the LDS "you wanna throw, then let's throw." Or something like that.

On a happier note, Alby is back at it and saying outstanding things like "you are now an Albyite." Then consumating the deal with a tall glass of milk. If you can't see how truly splendid Alby is then you were probably watching the Grammys last night. Alby wants Bill to suffer and sending Verlan to kill Don was just his first move.

So where does this leave the Henricksons and the good people of Utah. I think we're going to see Barb strike out on her own for at least a few episodes. Barb's search for her spiritual calling is one of the more interesting story lines for me. I do hope Rhonda and Verlan hang around longer just so we get more of Rhonda's crazy. Dinner time with Rhonda should be it's own show. Nikki will move in to the top spot but in true Nikki fashion she will alienate everyone including Cara Lynn. Bill going to battle with the LDS could drive him out of the public eye and towards a private battle with Alby for control of Juniper Creek. 

What do you think?

Big Love "The Oath" Review - 2/6/11

If tonight is any indication, we're in for a crazy jam packed final six episodes as Big Love rides off into the Spirit World.

Big Love had been on a slow build towards Bill's swearing in ceremony. Tonight's episode reached the apex of that build with a climatic showdown between the three sister wives that has been five seasons in the making. Barbara finally came clean that Nicky's introduction into her life is what really changed her marriage to Bill. This revelation came as Nicky was accusing Margene of causing the chasm in their lives. It was the perfect scene to kick off the beginning of the end of Big Love. All the cards were laid on the table and the wives all began to understand how they have effected one another. And the only possible way a coming to Jesus argument like this could end is with Bill in the Hospital after being run over by Margene.

Where do the wives go from here? The stand by their man of course. If Bill has one special talent, it's his ability to create enemies. So far this season he's found a way to piss off the leaders of the various compounds, his business partner, all his wives, his constituency, the president of the state senate and now he's bribing the Attorney General. Way to go Bill you're quite the polititian. At least you're sworn in now. However long that lasts.

On the loony front, welcome home Rhonda. Oh how we've missed you and your crazy ways. I see you're still adept at threatening and alienating people. Unfortunately, the guy you're trying to threaten is one Alby Grant a nut job above your station. He likes the looks of your hubby though. I wasn't sure if he was making sex eyes at Verlan or if he just saw a pawn to use against Bill.

We did find out that Lois's crazy isn't her fault though. Apparently Frank sexed the crazy into her years ago and it's now coming to roost. I've always had a tough time with scene's involving Lois because I can't separate Grace Zabriskie and the character of Sarah Palmer. Every time she's on screen I get an uneasy feeling Killer Bob is just around the corner. If you don't know what I'm talking about you need to pick up the Twin Peaks DVDs and come back when you're done.

Six episodes. A ton of story lines. A vengeful Alby Grant. It should be fun.