Big Love season 2 ongoing thread (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

Boy, Bill is going to have to realize that he needs to put Nikki on heavy sedation, maybe a mix of heavy anti-depressants or something. Because he needs to shut that girl up and control her.

And Rhonda continues as one of the most evil characters on TV. Someone said "hey, she's too dumb to be evil, she doesn't think through her plots" I guess that's what I find so evil about her.. she just does evil things for the purpose of doing them, without any plan.. which makes her seem to be a far more realistic complete bitch then other "bitchy" characters on other shows.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

She's a force of nature — a completely instinctual being. Those eyes are so horribly empty. The shot in the bedroom, where Sarah tries to intimidate her and Rhonda positively towers over her and just stares her down just about says it all. Between her, Alby and Frank it's clear that the wolves have taken control. Sarah, Roman and Bill are throwbacks to a more civilized time.

Bill's more exposed than ever before, on virtually every front, and he doesn't even know it yet. My guess is that once he gets back on the 8-ball, Alby and Frank are going down — and down hard.

In the mean time, I think the Hendricksons are in for some tough times.

 

[Chris]

I wasn't really thinking about that as much as I was thinking about her confrontation with Alby and the theft, as well as her planned party. She did everything she could to confront and piss off the compound.. and she's back on her spending binge problems...

 

[Kevin Grey]

Yeah, I commented to my wife last night that this show has some really hateful villains. I'm thinking the end of the season is going to be a bit of a downer.

 

[Quentin]

Oh man! I love the way this show stacks it up against Bill with multiple threads.

And, the one threat that doesn't even seem like a threat yet - those guys with Weeber gaming. They don't want anybody squeeky clean because they want to hold stuff against you. They are gonna be tough for Bill - who likes to play the tough guy, but is deep-down too good.

I don't see Bill's snaking of Weeber as something not on the up and up. He just snaked the UEB. All's fair in love and war...and business. But, is Alby just going to drop his suspicions of Nikki?

 

[Jeff Pounds]

Yeah, but Bill has shown that when it comes to doing things "for the safety and security of his family" he's not above doing some pretty questionable things... from the beat-down he gave to Alby to his various business dealing/manipulations.

Bill's big advantage over the various antagonists is that he's smarter than them.

Alby and Frank and shady, greedy characters who only look out for their own interests. Bill has shown that he's smarter than them and can beat them at their own game if he has to.

Boy - this show just continues to get better and better...

 

[Chris]

This is all going to end very badly for Bill if he cannot do something to stop the train he's on.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I think what happened in this episode is that Bill finally woke up to what train he was on. His children don't respect him, his wife is on the verge of leaving him, his brother has disappeared, and his enemies are closing in.

Barb's mother's wedding was one of the most awkward scenes I have ever seen. Barb's sister proved once again to be one of the most detestible type of people there is — the type of person who wraps the pagentry of her faith around herself while utterly failing to live up to the central principles of which that faith is based. Ellen Burstyn and an excellent script took Barb's mother from being as equally unlikable as Barb's sister and taking her to a place that is at least as complex as Bill's mother.

The dark parts of the episode were not unexpected, but the funny parts were. The exchange between Bill and his niece was absolutely priceless, especially the look on his niece's face as he addressed the possibility of his brother's murder.

Alby is walking a fine line weaving himself into Horris Green's fold. Considering that everyone knows Green's wives shot down the Prophet, if he's exposed as being in collusion with them that entire house of cards will crumble.

The snakes were both incredibly dark in what they represented both metaphorically and literally — and hilariously absurd. When the snake launched out with a cha-cha rattle of its tail, it was hard to stifle a laugh.

Only once all the shit has hit the fan will Bill and his family be able to untangle themselves from it.

P.S. I think we can expect to see a lot more out of Philip Baker Hall's character.

 

[Jeff Pounds]

Good stuff, Adam. I agree.

One thing I took note of during the "On the next Big Love" preview - Roman is awake.

I wonder how he gets out his drug-induced state that Alby seemed content on continuing. That will be an interesting confrontation...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Can't imagine Alby and his wife having an infinite stash of the stuff keeping Roman in a sleepy state.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Alby's wife is either an LPN or an RN. Assuming she works for a medical office of some sort on the compound, it's not that out of reason.

The biggest question I'm wondering is why she hasn't finished Roman off. Give him a big enough dose of the right painkillers and he would either stroke out or stop breathing.

 

[Quentin]

Exactly, Adam...I thought they would kill him right away. But, clearly Alby doesn't have the cajones or the foresight to do it. His mistake.

I can't believe I'm saying this...but, I think I actually like Roman and want him to live! He's a nut, but he's far more shrewd and less maniacal than Alby or the Green's.

Bill had best play this very smart...and, he should involve his wives as well as listen to them. He'd also be wise to look inside at his faith and share his findings with the family.

And...Nikki bears watching closely. She is a dangerous time bomb.

 

[Jeff Pounds]

I know what you mean.

It seems that they're in the situation of better to have an enemy you know, rather than one you don't know.

Bill had his problems with Roman, but I think he knew at the end of the day that Roman wouldn't ever physically harm his family... Alby... on the other hand...

 

[Garrett Adams]

I agree about Roman, who while not a paragon of virtue, is still a cut above Alby, as well as Bruce Dern's Frank Harlow. Early on I thought Harlow was just a semi-nasty cantankerous old coot, but of late he's turned into a full fledged turd.

Oh yea, let's not forget Alby's wife, she is a real piece of work.

 

[Marty M]

I'm surpised no one has commented about last night's show yet. The ending is setting up quite a confrontation between Bill and Alby.

 

[Chris]

Whoa! I missed it, I was so used to this show running on Monday..

 

[Marty M]

I just checked the TV Guide listings and it will be shown tonight at the same time as night. I won't give anything away until more people have had a chance to see the season finale.

 

[Quentin]

A great finale to a great season. This show has come really far.

Lois continues to crack me up. She's gonna end up on the bad end of the Drano draught if she's not careful.

Bill screwed up...first, holding Roman too long; then, underestimating Alby and not realizing he should never have told Nikki his plans.

A shocker that Alby made the smart move. He's extremely dangerous - insane AND smart...AND his wife is Lady Macbeth.

It was great to see Barb move forward. She's finally rebounded from her 'outing' last season.

Can't wait until next season!

 

[Chris]

I don't think he underestimated Alby. I think Alby was handed a silver platter by Nikki.

Barb's spiel to Bill about Vendetta struck a chord with Bill, he acted on it, he laid out his vengence to Roman, and offered him terms to have it forgotten and move on.

But Nikki is the one who had the vengant pride. She couldn't let go of the need for one upmanship. She needed to show Alby that she was the one with power, not him. And that little bit of joy she took from that sabotaged Bill's plan.

Alby will stay in power. Assisted by Bill's father.

Bill's fight over Weber gaming will continue. A jailed Roman still means he will be visible to the followers, in some ways, his words will potentially carry more weight with them, like a martyr to his flock.

I'm interested to see how it all plays out.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

One thing this episode showed was that, despite the wide-eyed optimism of Margie, Nikki is the truly naive wive of the three. She has no experience with the world. In Margie's assertion of her own will, Barb finally was able to find hers. Nikki, meanwhile, desperately tries to assert the positions of those around her as her own. She's been a pawn for so long she doesn't know how to be anything else.

One thing this episode got me thinking about are the children of this family. All of Nikki and Margie's kids were pretty much doomed from the start — but what about Sarah, Ben, and Teeny? Sarah threw away her carefully guarded virginity as one final act of rebellion against the religions that had caused her so much confusion and pain. Ben embraces his father's beliefs because he can't bear to question them. His comment about his future children being born into polygamy and thus free of unhappiness hints at his own subconcious turmoil. And what about Teeny? She's got pedophiles stalking into the kitchen where she's making a sandwich. As she twirls around the stage at the end to pop standards with the other girls, it's in celebration of a faith that has brought every one around her so much pain. And, free of the media filtering present on the compound, won't she be headed to the same heartbreak that Sarah's experiencing now?

So much good and bad in this episode. And a season finale that truly finalizes things.