All hail HBO, the network of all that is great. It really does bring a smile to my face, to know that one network at least, is dedicated to airing groundbreaking television. And Big Love is no mean feat. The major content of this show is religion and polygamy, a highly taboo subject for most networks to even hint at. Yet Big Love does it in such a way that it is handled not only with sensitivity, but with class.
I was introduced to this show when it was airing its third season, by a friend that has almost identical taste (save a large disagreement about the merit and legacy of The Wire). I find it a fascinating exploration into the lives where , for all intents and purposes, would be defined by their way of life by anybody who is not involved in it. But as we have continued to see, the four major characters; Bill, Barb, Nikki and Margene are far more complex than simply being polygamists.
The opening scene reveals that all three wives are still in Bill Hendrickson’s company, which is a relief to all of those who are fans of Chloe Sevigny’s portrayal of the more traditional Polygamist wife, and the only wife of the three that grew up on the compound and has been exposed to the lifestyle her entire life. Those who watched the third season saw that Nikki had more or less ‘stepped out’ on her marriage with her ex – boss, who she did have genuine feelings for, even if her predominant reason for working for him was to undo the case he was bringing forwards onto her father, Roman Grant. As we see the family and some friends present, Nikki asks for forgives of her family for her actions and ‘disseminations’, and it becomes apparent that her family is having trouble getting over what she has done in both aiding her father to walk free when the case fell down around him, and gaining the affections of her boss.
Amanda Seyfried’s Sarah, too, is still on the scene, however brief her appearance may have been. If you follow entertainment headlines at all, you will know that this is going to be her last season, as her career is really beginning to take off. Scott is also briefly mentioned in relation to their impending nuptials – which Barb thinks they should have done in their own church, and although you can sense some tension between the mother and daughter, it is clear to see that Barb has at least come to terms with Scott’s presence in her daughters life, and is finally letting her make her own decisions. Perhaps the writers are gearing up for Barb to have to say goodbye to Sarah?
Let’s face it. Alby has always been a little odd. And although the audience are aware that some people know he is more inclined towards men than he is women, its unknown how widely this knowledge is known. As he sits, looking through his binoculars at various different males that are in the park, he is approached someone, asking what it is he is doing. A fair enough question, I would have thought. Although he is claiming to be bird watching, looks are exchanged between Alby and this mystery man, one that suggests he is invited to follow this stranger for a ‘nature walk’ in the woods with him.
The FBI are still actively seeking Roman Grant for his past discretions. They barge in the house where Adaleen and the other wives claim no knowledge of where he is, although we later find this is untrue. As we saw Roman die in the finale of season three, at the hands of Bill’s brother Joey, as he is seeking retribution for the part Roman played in his almost-got-to-be-sealed-as-the-second-wife, Cathy. He was suffocated on his bed, and as the police are looking for a live Roman Grant, it begs the question – where’s the body? We do also see a reappearance by Nikki’s ex boss – with Bill accusing of him as making the Roman Grant case and the harassment of his daughter, for whom he did use to have feelings for, his personal vendetta. Which, you can’t really blame him for really. She did manipulate him, lie to him and bring his career case crashing down around his feet.
Another significant development in the season premeire, sees the UEB accounts have been placed in the hands of a court appointed trustee, as Roman Grant harbours a fugitive status, meaning that he is unable to see the assets of the UEB. But wait! Doesn’t that trustee look familiar? Oh wait, he is the man that Alby followed into the woods to have a rendezvous with! Now on opposing sides of the fight. As this plot unfolds, I only expect it to get more and more interesting.
There is a lot of conflict in this episode. We see Lois being reunited with Frank after her foiled attempt at killing him. This leads to Frank wanting to seek retribution, and later in the episode we see him coming back to seek it. Although, it inevitably fails, and Lois instead proposes a business venture. Another conflict which was seen throughout, was that between Bill and his partners (Gerry and his son Tommy). By association they are getting harassed by the FBI on the whereabouts of Roman Grant, and it’s even been suggested that they may be laundering money through their tribal accounts. The partners also have problems dealing with Barb, who is somewhat of a control freak and have a beef over the all important questions of salmon vs crab legs. Bill sees this situation for what it is, and realises that he needs Margene’s help in the matter, as Gerry has always taken a liking to her. And this in turn, leads us to the third bubbling up conflict. Although it has not come to a head, it has been made clear that Margene’s own business venture, her jewellery line, is beginning to suffer due to all the time that is being devoted to the casino. I believe that this will be explored further in the coming weeks, as Margene will have to make a choice between her dreams, or her husbands.
The main reveal of the episode, however, is learning what exactly has become of Roman Grant. Nikki sees her mum on the pretence of delivering a new generator. However, Adaleen demands to make her daughter a BLT before her departure, and as Nikki looks for the bacon in the walk in freezer, she instead discovers the frozen corpse of her father. Adaleen explains to Nikki that she didn’t know how to tell her what had happened, but you would have to believe that it would be easier to hear about it before seeing the frozen body.... Anyhow, Nikki is upset, and tells her brother, Alby, that Roman Grant is in fact dead. Rather than being sad, he and his main wife are overjoyed, as he was their main obstacle in taking over Juniper Creek.
They drive the body to Bill’s newest business venture, the casino, perhaps as payback for the heated conversation at the meeting of the trustee. However, there has never been any love lost between the two. This is inevitably going to cause more conflict between Bill and Gerry, as Gerry’s son Tommy had heard that the body had been dumped there, but Bill insisted that it was merely a hoax. Both he and Nikki drive back the body to Adaleen’s house, although the reasoning behind this is not fully explained, and it sounds as though a plan is being hatched as Bill seeked clarification that Nikki remembered what to say to her mother. On this car ride, Nikki breaks down, because we do know that Nikki did love her father, despite all the going ons and trouble that he had caused for Bill in the past. Despite who he was, he was still her father – and the audience got to see the emotion she felt upon losing him, endearing her to us .. and hopefully to Bill. The final dialogue exchanged in the episode however, is Gerry and Tommy confronting Bill about Roman Grant’s hat that had been found on the property, revealing that they now know that he was lying when he dismissed their information as merely a hoax, all the while giving him a look of ominous distrust.
FURTHER THOUGHTS
- Barb’s parenting has changed dramatically. Her youngest wasn’t even in the entire show, although she was referenced as being away (and ultimately being replaced by a new actor to her previous). She is still having trouble accepting Scott into Sarah’s life, and she gave Ben’s news of his paying gig an air of indifference. I guess she did use the band to save the casino’s opening night though
- What is going to happen with Cara-Lynn? Although she seemed to be enjoying her time with Nikki, and especially relishing the fact that she gets to go to school, a grade above what she should be due to her test results, does she really want to stay? She did tell her dad she doesn’t really like it there, and will return to Kansas with him when he decides its time to go. So who is she playing?
- The Alby/Dale story arc is hopefully going to develop into some deliciously juicy viewing, as Alby is going to battle it out for his place of top dog on the compound.
- We do see Bill trying to reach his brother Joey, who we knows is responsible for Roman Grant’s death. The brothers are caught up in a rift, but at this stage, no one suspects murder – so we wonder how long it will be before questions are asked.
- A congratulations to Chloe Sevigny for winning a Golden Globe for best supporting actress for her wonderful portrayal of Nikki! I’ve long loved Nikki, and Sevingy deserves kudos for bringing both her flaws and her more endearing qualities to life.
- Just as a sidenote, I hope to see more of Lois this season as well. I believe she steals every scene she’s in.
QUOTES
“We thought you were the sunny face of polygamy.” Tommy
“Mormons don’t eat salmon, we like crabs legs!” Barb
“I was wrong in attempting to hasten your demise” Lois
“Heaven forbid we should upset Bill” Nikki
“God will surely punish thee that block my path to glory” Alby
“I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to kill you” Frank
“Tonight we share a new beginning. Tonight a ghost that has haunted us all through these years has passed, and we are truly free” Bill
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