Big Love

"Big Love" begins as a gripping exploration of a family that attempts to walk the tightrope between polygamy and normalcy. Bill Paxton stars as Bill Henrickson, a straitlaced family man with three wives: Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Marge (Ginnifer Goodwin), and Nicolette (Chloe Sevigny).

Season 1 allows the audience to step inside the Henrickson homes (there are three, right next to one another). We see Bill struggle to please all three wives as he faces problems at work. We see Barb struggle to rise to her duty as "First Wife." We see Marge struggle to find her place in the family. We see Nikki struggle to cling to her conservative roots. At the same time, the show hints at doubts and serious questions concerning Sara and Ben, Barb's children. Season 1 works as a compelling dysfunctional family drama: 10/10 Season 2 doesn't flow quite as well. It picks up just as Season 1 ends, and it doesn't bring much new content to the table. Conflicts with Nikki's father, Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) escalate, which pushes the show out of the house and into Roman's compound. The compound scenes are repetitive and bland, as well as over-the-top. Season 2 gets a 6/10.

Season 3 is a huge step up from Season 2. The show returns more to its roots at the Henrickson household, and it introduces new conflicts of exposure, family ties, and possible expansion. 8/10.

On the whole, "Big Love" is a solid show with one very weak season. It would do best to abandon the compound scenes altogether. Still, each character and performer gets his/her due. Paxton is solid as the patriarch, Tripplehorn shines throughout as the questioning mother, Goodwin shines in Season 2 as she finally gains some responsibility, and Sevigny carries the show in its third season.

I don't want to spoil anything. This is one amazing show. There aren't many of any shows out there they are better done than this.

As a Mormon, I gotta say this show gets a lot of things right, at least cultural living in Utah County. While mainstream members do not practice polygamy, there are many similarities in belief and jargon here that are portrayed quite accurately. HBO clearly did their research. All in all, first-rate acting and writing and hardly a dull moment. Highly recommended for those who like to be challenged by their entertainment and perhaps even made a bit uncomfortable.

"The Sopranos", "Six feet under", and now "Big Love". Hbo offers us a totally new outlook of family, this time by describing the harsh quotidian of a successful polygamist. The family according to Hbo is always subject of greater afflictions than the regular family. In "The sopranos", the father's profession was the issue (the mafia), in "Six feet under", the father's profession was once again the issue (death itself), and in "Big love", the father chose to live against the rules of society, he chose to be a polygamist and that's a big problem because it takes a lots of responsibilities to have three houses, three wives and plenty of children. Somehow, in all these TV series, everything rotates around the problematic of being a father and in a larger sense HBO talks to us about MORALITY. The way of life of these men is really the main idea. "Big Love" is a really great and profound show. As always, HBO prefers the realistic treatment of his subject rather than the inner and comical sense of polygamy. The cast is unbelievable, and the score is great. In spite of the dramatic aspect of this show, I find it really entertaining. Anyway, if you like HBO's shows, you will love "Big Love".

It may be an indicator of my and my wife's "Age & Stage" - but we have become hooked on Big Love! In the UK we managed to catch Season 1 some years ago - may have been on E4 or some channel like that. We found it intriguing, odd, quirky, believable, fun. Most things from HBO are worth the watch and this delivered as a soap with an edge. But then it got discountinued. Boo Hoo.

Years passed and then we got Sky and were delighted to see it on Sky Atlantic. Joy! So we have now re-watched Season 1, added Season 2 and are now half way through Season 3.

The backdrop is a fictional fundamentalist Mormom sub-sect in Utah. In the centre is the interplay between Bill and his 3 wives who have a fully functioning polygamus family complete with children. The wives are distinctive and edgy, each very different one from the other. In Season 1 we see the chemistry of this set up. All the way through into Season 3 we see extensive development of this family and it's good stuff. Even has spicy bedroom scenes! Surrounding this central text is a dangerous power struggle within the sect which develops into a main "soap" theme.

All of the characters are damaged to a lesser or greater extent by their contact with the sect and in some cases with each other. The subject of polygamus marriage, forced marriage, under-age relations and the ramifications are never far away. Some characters are manipulative or can dip into manipulation as it suits them or their agendas, making trust difficult, even within the family unit. Others are downright twisted malevolent and dangerous. Because we get a feel for the characters, we sense not only the threats - but how they might react even though the situations are fairly well outside what would be considered to be "our normal frames of reference". Bill - the husband appears as the most normal of the lot of them, but even he has huge baggage. He is a very good TV creation for so many reasons.

Without trying to say too much more (impossible for a multi-seasoned soap in any event), and without trying to be too patronising - Big Love is probably for the viewer who is over 30, 40 even, who is in or has been in a long term relationship, possibly with children. There are strong insights into why people stay together, why people fight, about power influence and control - sexual and otherwise. Religion, surprisingly, is not a strong feature.

I commend Big Love - but it may not be for everyone; it's complex, deals with characters in situations that are on the verge of unbelievable. But it IS believable. The script writers and researchers have done clever work with this. It's worth following just to see how the subject is handled.

Well done HBO - we're hooked!