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FinaleWatch: 'Big Love'
The second season of HBO's Big Love came to an end on Sunday (Aug. 26) night and I'd be lying if I said the episode tied things up the way I might have expected.
[If you haven't seen the Big Love finale, go sing with your sister-wives until you've caught up.]
To my mind, the second season was charging toward some sort of major fragmentation. All year long, Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton) had been going out of his way to tear his family apart under the guise of providing for all of their futures. He sacrificed their morals by getting a toehold in the world of underground gambling. He threatened their domesticity by flirting with the possibility of adding a fourth sister-wife. And, most damningly, he risked their safety in his attempts to bring down Roman Grant even if it meant hopping into bed with some even-less-savory polygamists. Along the way, he lost any control over his oldest kids, as Ben (Douglas Smith) went from guilt-ridden sex addict to twin-dating priesthood holder and Sarah (the remarkable Amanda Seyfried) went from doting daughter to wanton rebel.
He kept pushing his devoted first wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) further and further away, forcing her to recognize that the man she was married to might not be the man she originally married.
So I'd have probably guessed at the finale would have seen Barb taking steps to tear the family apart or to attempt to extricate herself from the situation. Instead, each of Bill's wives made their individual power plays and Barb's was the one that, at least on the surface, appears to have been the most successful.
Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) tried to take control by telling whiny across-the-street neighbor Pam that she'd serve as surrogate for her baby. Then she made a second stab at bringing pie-toting waitress Ana (Branka Katic) into the family.
Nicki (Chloe Sevigny), who's been responsible for several of this season's biggest messes, made her play by standing up to both Margene ("You're the youngest and the shiniest and the newest and arguably somewhat attractive. You don't get to have those things and share equal power with us. No, no, no, no, no. That's the way it works, Margene.") and, more importantly, to her ailing father.
But Barb had the most game of all in the trickiest way of all. Sensing that everything was spiraling beyond her reach, she turned her back on her mother last week. And this week she opted to re-embrace The Principle, outing the family to Pam (thus cutting off Margene's move), using that move as leverage for getting Bill to put her on the board of Weber Gaming. The major wrinkle is that we don't know what happened between Bill and Ana in the cupboard or if that moment of apparent intimacy will have ripples next year.
With undertones of Macbeth, Big Love left little doubt that in all cases, the women are the power behind the throne. It wasn't a surprise to learn that Mary Kay Place's Adaleen was responsible for Roman's coup 30 years earlier, nor was it shocking to discover that Lois (Grace Zabriskie, whose work this season has 
been Emmy worthy) was behind all of Wanda's (Melora Walters) serial poisoning. And we already knew that Alby's (Matt Ross) own power grab was fueled by one of his wives [Whatever happened to Alby's repressed homosexuality anyway?].
No show on TV has a wider assortment of multi-dimensional female characters than Big Love and even if Sunday's finale was short on fireworks, it didn't lack for complexity.
Other quick thoughts on the finale:
Enough of me. What'd you think of the finale? And what'd you think of the second season in general?
i love big love but thought this episodes pace was very frenzy-like right up to the last 5min where it just fizzled out. maybe they left it like that cause they weren't sure they would be back for another season.
tim | Aug 27, 2007 7:59:07 AM | #I love Big Love, have since I finally warmed up to it in season 1. Never thought I could watch a show about polygamy. LOL. But the writing is so phenomenal and some of the characters so humorous, who could resist?
I, too, wondered what happened to Rhonda in this episode. Weird. Thought she'd be part of some mess as well. I loved the surprise reveal that Lois was behind all of Wanda's poisonings (except Albee, she claims) ;) I felt like smacking Niki when she called her brother to "neener neener" that Bill was bringing Roman back to the compound. Good going, Nik, now you've thrown your father in jail along with your mother and Joey. Nice move. She is so immature, more so sometimes than Margene.
What did happen in the pantry? :)
Absolutely have to agree, it was racing along, very exciting, surprises, confrontations, and then it just completely dropped the ball at the end. Especially for a season ender. Any word, will it be back for Season 3.
I am hooked on it though. Great acting, and Barb, wow, never saw that coming!
Jeanne Tripplehorn has provided some of the best acting-without-dialogue that I've ever seen on television. Screw Glenn Close and the regular contenders - Jeanne's got my vote for Best Actress Drama in 2008.
BigLoveBigFan | Aug 27, 2007 10:34:26 AM | #I have really enjoyed Big Love. I was surprised how it ended last night. I sure hope it continues for another season. When will we know?
Wauneta | Aug 27, 2007 10:42:59 AM | #Yes, a third season is confirmed. Filming begins in November.
kcg | Aug 27, 2007 10:55:06 AM | #A certain pointy eared alien once said in a movie that "nature abhors a vacuum."
Lacking a Sopranos or Wire Big Love has been my refuge for drama. I've only started to see this show since the final two episodes of the first season (on repeats) and throughout the entire second.
I can now admit that I'm totally smitten by this show and can't wait for the next season.
BigLoveMan | Aug 27, 2007 1:49:33 PM | #Did I see Arby kissing Nicki in her house? What's this? Incest too?
BigLoveOnlyWife | Aug 27, 2007 7:07:56 PM | #I bet there will be another baby soon in the family from that pantry seen.
Joan | Sep 2, 2007 12:25:00 PM | #My immediate feeling with the way the finale happened, and no next episode AT ALL, was that LDS fundamentalists must have launched a lawsuit against the network to shut it down...
Eric | May 14, 2008 9:27:18 AM | #yes i think your right, i think wozza jones the nig, will get at least 7-8 yrs.
harry archer | Oct 20, 2008 2:10:07 PM | #big love to all
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