Customer Reviews

Big Love: The Complete First Season

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have to admit that I didn't expect to like this HBO original series, but the intriguing cast of characters and the plotlines drew me in. "Big Love" is the story of Bill Hendrickson and his very extended family, including his three wives and seven children, who have to constantly be on the alert that they will somehow be "outed" by the community at large. This is important not only from a legal standpoint, but from a financial one, since Bill is part-owner with another polygamist in a budding chain of big-box home improvement stores, and thus preserving a stellar public image is important to the success of his business.

Bill grew up on a compound of fundamentalist Mormons that still practice the principle of polygamy, and he was thrown out of the compound and his family when he reached adolescence and became perceived as competition for the affection of young girls who were coming of age. At this point, betrayed by his family and his religion, he turned his back on the teachings of his youth until his first wife Barb became gravely ill.

Jeanne Tripplehorn portrays Barb, Bill's first wife and the sweetheart of his youth. You get the feeling that if he could, Bill would really like to ditch his other two wives and ride off into the sunset with Barb. Barb is a confident and educated woman who is very mindful of her own mortality due to having recovered from uterine cancer several years earlier. She is also very mindful of the fact that she must share Bill with her "sister wives" in order for Bill to abide by his conscience by "living the principle".

Bill's second wife Nicki, portrayed by Chloe Sevigny, is the daughter of compound Prophet Roman Grant. Nicki is very much her father's daughter, calculating her every move, and always playing everyone in the family in order to get her own way. Her many stunts include running up a 58K credit card debt, and when the debt is discovered by Bill, pretending that she slept in a homeless shelter for a night to play the part of discarded wife in order to garner Bill's sympathy. In fact, she had spent the night at a comfy hotel. However, she is also capable of fierce loyalty and courage, going out into the street one night to confront her mentally off-balance brother, Alby, when he shows up in a menacing mood at the Hendrickson household, and also defending Barb against her passive aggressive sister's cutting remarks.

Bill's third wife, Margene, is only 23 years old and is fighting feelings of being somewhat trapped since she already has two infant children and must spend most of her time alone since she cannot risk having anyone know the true nature of her arrangement with Bill. Nicki treats Margene like a personal assistant when she needs her, and like an errant child whenever Margene makes a mistake in judgement. Margene realizes her importance to the family, though, when she discovers Barb's youngest daughter feels guilty for submitting her own mother for mother of the year since she feels that Margene and Nicki are her mothers too and doesn't want them to feel left out.

The main thread winding through this first season, though, is Bill's antagonistic relationship with Prophet Roman Grant, played to perfection by the superb Harry Dean Stanton. Stanton's portrayal of Roman Grant is chilling, as he comes across as part Tony Soprano and part Elmer Gantry. Roman has made a loan to Bill in return for a share in his business. However, Roman is overstepping his bounds and trying to collect revenue on the second of Bill's stores as well as the first. The entire season is about Bill's naive attempts to shed himself of Roman's shadow. Bill can't seem to learn the lesson that when you play hardball with a crazy man, the crazy man returns fire with Napalm. In many ways their season-long struggle seems like a long running Warner Brothers cartoon with Bill's Wile E. Coyote versus Roman's Roadrunner. In the season finale, the Hendrickson family's polygamous lifestyle is revealed to the world in the most unlikely and embarassing of venues. The final scene shows Bill sitting in the backyard, staring at his three houses, and pondering what he may have lost.

Even the supporting roles are intriguing and performed with excellence. There are Bill's completely dysfunctional and bickering parents who would rather see each other dead than happy. Then there is Bill's brother Joey, a recovering addict and former football star, and Joey's wife, Wanda, who is devoted to Joey but has probably watched "Arsenic and Old Lace" one too many times. Finally, there are Bill and Barb's three children, who were not born into polygamy but are trying to find a way to have normal childhoods and also protect the family secret. I truly enjoyed this first season of "Big Love", and I can't wait to see where the second season takes matters.

As a big Bill Paxton fan, I was determined to watch "Big Love," and I would not say I was at all disappointed.

The series has been criticized by some for "glorifying" polygamy, but I think some of those critics have missed the point. The show actually takes a very even-handed look at what a polygamist family COULD be like: Paxton's family is far from perfect, but it seems to be held together by the sheer force of his character's love for all three of his wives. Whether or not you think it is practical, feasible, or even moral for one man to genuinely love three women, on this show that's what's going on.

This is balanced by some of the creepier, more cultish aspects of organized polygamy, personified by Harry Dean Stanton in a wonderfully understated villainous turn.

Where the show really shines for me is in the depiction of the extremely complicated relationship Bill's three wives have with each other. They see each other as sisters, as rivals, as friends, as enemies, as servants, as bosses . . . sometimes all within the same scene. These are very deep relationships, and all three of the actresses are very well suited to their roles.

Another fine aspect of the show is the depiction of how difficult it is for this family to keep the fact of their polygamy to themselves, lest they be looked upon as pariahs. It is a difficult task for them, and has great practical and moral implications within their lives, and the lives of their children.

Like most of HBO's original shows, this one works both as terrific entertainment, and as fundamentally sound art TV. Also like most of HBO's shows, this box set is probably a bit more expensive than it ought to be. But the episodes are terrific, and hopefully this will be merely the first season of a long run.

HBO has crafted another complex, well made show. "Big Love" with it's polygamy background hits DVD as a "hot button" concept show, and as such has achieved the requisite controversy that it was banking on. Well, I'm not particularly shocked and nor will I comment on any political/religious debate. I will review this show as a family drama, which is exactly what it is, albeit with a particularly large and extended family.

The show is extremely successful when dealing with the intricacies of raising three families in the modern world. I particularly enjoyed the details paid to the lifestyles in the home. The juggling, scheduling, jealousies, and secrets are all shown to good effect as the wives attend to the daily logistics of their situation. Home as politics--this is an interesting living arrangement, and one that hasn't been presented dramatically very often before. Throw in kids and in-laws and things can be very messy. But as the wives compete with each other in many regards, they support and love each other as well. The complexity of the relationships in "Big Love" stand as it's greatest achievement.

Some of the other storylines were a bit extravagant. The biggest plot driver involved the polygamist sect that our family had distanced itself from, and yet could not break free of. The power struggle played out here was entertaining, but not always as compelling as normal, everyday life. It was a bit overcooked....while a few lesser storylines were undercooked.

The actors are beyond reproach. Some veterans--Harry Dean Stanton, Mary Kay Place, Bruce Dern and Grace Zabriskie--are all used to good effect. Chloe Sevigny is a delight in perhaps the showiest role. The rest of the cast is solid. But I must make particular mention of Jeanne Tripplehorn. She's been around such a long time, but has never had a better role or performance. It is quiet and understated, but by Season's end--you've come to realize that she's the heart and soul of this family and this show.

I recommend this show as something different and adult. Dramatically, it's a bit inconsistent--but has so much talent behind it, it's definitely worth the time. It has the potential to be GREAT, so I'm looking for season 2. KGHarris, 9/06.

A number of great strengths of this series:

(1) My only wife loves it.

(2) A common premise with the Sopranos -- a family is trying to live a normal, suburban life while dealing with a huge secret that is anything but normal and suburban. Engaging.

(3) Yes, there is swearing. But the Mormon characters take the swearing seriously and even apologize for it.

(4) The Mormonism also gives an edge to issues like teen sex that, unfortunately, are no big deal in most of the broader society.

(5) Spicy but tasteful treatment of other sexual themes.

(6) Engaging stories about how the characters got where they are, and I love that this part is told slowly and without flashbacks.

(7) An overall tone that is not condescending to religion, and at times quite moving.

(8) Neat characters. Good writing.

HBO has made some quality shows, and Big Love is definitely one of them. The show's controversial premise, about a polygamist and his family, is enough to stir up one's interest, and I was hooked on the show from the first episode. The series centers around Bill Hendrickson [played brilliantly by Bill Paxton] a practising polygamist & successful businessman who juggles three wives, numerous children and his career whilst facing various challenges. The first season was very well-plotted: we see the 'harmonious' co-existence of the three families under three different roofs, but all within the same compound, the underlying & often hostilities between the three wives, and the turmoil faced by the children, especially the two eldest.Some have criticised the show as glorifying polygamy, but I feel that this isn't so as through each episode, we get to see how challenging it really is for Bill to balance his three families, and the resources it takes for him to keep them all fed, clothed & happy. The best part of this show for me, the quality that makes it addictive is the interaction between the three wives, how they 'share' their husband [having a weekly meeting to schedule time with him, even sex!], the strengths & flaws of all three of them etc. I can't wait for Season Two!

Just as the Sopranos finished their final season, a little-hyped HBO show started airing and it's quickly become my favorite series on television. The premise of the show is simple: Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton) on the surface is an upper middle class owner of a Home-Depot-like store, and a family man. Except in his case, he has three families -- one with his first wife Barb, the second with Nicki, the daughter of the head of a polygamous compound that Bill escaped as a teen, and Margene, who used to be the family babysitter. The "families" live next to each other on a street and only family members and close friends know of the secret "polygamous compound" in a tree-lined street of Salt Lake City. It all started when Barb became sick with cancer, and somehow Barb's nurse, Nicki, turned into Bill's second wife.
The great thing about Big Love is that it could have been a typical drama with lots of racy sex and bickering wives, but instead it's a nuanced portrayal of a large, loving, complicated family. Particularly astonishing are the three wives, portrayed by Jeanne Trippelhorn (Barb), Chloe Sevigny (Nicki), and Ginnifer Goodwin (Margene). They are competitive and petty with each other at times, but all of them take the meaning "sister-wife" very seriously, and their love-hate relationship with each other is the most fascinating part of the show. For instance, Nicki runs up a huge credit card debt to the tune of 58,000. When Bill finds out, he is enraged, but Barb, his first wife, who could have taken advantage of the fight between Bill and Nicki, instead leaps to Nicki's defense like a den mother. The acting is amazing on all levels.
Besides the family drama, the show also emphasizes the parallel life of the much larger polygamous compound where Bill grew up. His hilariously dysfunctional family still lives there, and Nicki is the daughter of the compound's dictatorial leader, Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton). There is a rivalry between Roman and Bill, that at times is comical (Bill steals Roman's guitar) and deadly serious at others. Most of all, one senses that Bill is afraid of turning into another Roman.
I really can't explain much more about Big Love other than to praise it unreservedly.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this show when I began watching. I thought the idea was different, and I loved the tagline "Polygamy loves company." Who else would have a show on polygamy but HBO? After the first show, my mother couldn't make it through the episode (she needs something scandalous and racy to keep her attention, ie: Queer As Folk, The Sopranos, Nip/Tuck), but I loved it and wanted more. Some people just can't get past the fact that the show is about polygamy - however, it doesn't promote it.. it simply shows you what life could be like. The struggles of having three wives, three sets of kids, three houses, a well known business, and trying to uphold a public figure while hiding who you really are. It's extremely interesting and addictive.

If you're looking for something uber scandalous with lots of action and lots of drama packed in, you probably won't like 'Big Love.' You definitely need to pay attention while watching this, and soon you'll find yourself loving to hate Nikki, hating to love Margene, loving Barb, sympathizing with Bill, and wondering when the next new episode is coming on. It's a mellow drama - there's humor, sex, lies, betrayal - unlike other shows, it's not straight forward all the time. A lot of the time they're trying to give you history, so that you can understand and know more.

I say give it a chance. This ended up being one of my favorite shows of all time, and I can't wait for the new season to begin. I'm obsessed with this show, and if you give it a chance, you will be too. And to whoever compared this show to 'Desperate Housewives,' bite your tongue. If you're looking for the Nip/Tuck version of a polygamist family in Utah, get a camera and film it yourself. If you find this show boring, then you obviously have a short attention span because this show is far from it, and is one of the best (if not THE best) new shows out there.

I just watched the first season on DVD and was quite impressed. Not only do the cast members do an incredible job of playing these complex characters, but the whole situation is presented without an agenda, propaganda, or bias. Though many of us would find polygamy distasteful, it's obvious from the family dynamics that these three wives and one husband love each other and all the kids very much. I didn't realize before that the wives don't just marry the man; they marry each other as well. To try to maintain such a life in this day and age is fascinating to look at no matter how one feels about it. I've never seen anything quite like Big Love.

Knowing that five round, flat, DVDs, resplendent in their shiny like-new package await me when I come home from a grueling day at work make the hours tick by just a little faster. At 17:00 it's hit the road, race into the house, pull down the shades so my neighbors don't know I'm home and don't find reasons to knock on my door, and kick back with My Friends The Polygamists - Barb, the quintessential housewife whose missing screw is never seen but you know it must be there, Nicki from outer space, always maneuvering, never smiling, and cute-as-a-button 23 year-old Margene with her cheer leader on acid personality and their husband Bill, Mr. Alpha-Male. Throw in the aliens from the FDLS compound and you have a winning combination, a family drama not fit for the family, liberally spiced with all the love, warmth, and caring you'd expect in a typical suburban cult family. Bottom line: I love Big Love.

This is one of the most daring shows on television.

A polygamist family living their lives in secret in the middle of suburbia present us with an array of messed-up and complicated relationships. Add to that fact the prairie-garb wearing sect they are tied up with, and you have an excellent study of the bizarreness of modern America.

Sadly, the subtle hints at the problems with polygamy seem lost on many viewers. One should take into mind that the show's creators include Tom Hanks - an outspoken anti-Mormon, as well as ex-Mormon writers. This is not a show glorifying the practice of polygamy, and reviews I have read (sadly, usually by men) saying we should leave the polygamists be are disappointing and reek of antifeminism.

There are so many brilliant actors tied to this show, but one who rarely gets a mention but surely deserves it is young Daveigh Chase. Chase plays Rhonda, the child bride of polygamist sect leader Roman. Her sad life is the perfect summary of the show's underlying theme: just because women are brainwashed into believing this is the `true' lifestyle and the pathway to a grand afterlife, does not mean they are truly happy.

While some people do not enjoy looking for subtle hints woven into what is essentially a family drama, this is a show that definitely makes you think.