HBO's Big Love

There was an old fellow of Lyme
Who lived with three wives at one time.
When asked, 'Why the third?'
He replied, 'One’s absurd,
and bigamy, sir, is a crime.'

limerick by William Cosmo Monkhouse

Having one of those 'where did the time go' moments. i had been intending to add HBO's Big Love to the In A Lather roster, and the next thing i know, they're not only into their second season, it concludes with it's 24th episode on Sunday August 26th 2007. That in essence is the beauty of the show. It has such an easy flow to it, that before you realize it, the episode you're watching has concluded, and subsequently brought you nearer to the conclusion of the season. Aside from the excellent scripts, production, and direction, the cast's portrayal of the characters rings extremely true. It's seductive without being vulgar. Because they get that it really is about family. An unconventional one, but family none the less, and all that that encompasses. Love, compromise, loyalty, and sometimes just trying to deal with some relatives you wish you didn't have to---Harry Dean Stanton, Grace Zabriskie, and Bruce Dern are terrific.

When interviewed about playing polygamist Bill Henrickson, Bill Paxton has made it clear that he is enjoying it, [and it shows].


With his sexy boy next door manner, he is hard to resist. Which makes it all the more plausable that not only one but three women would say 'I do'. But the commitment these women make is not only to their husband, it is to each other. They refer to each other as "sister-wives". Again, the chemistry of the casting here is right on the mark. First wife
Barb [Jeanne Triplehorn] is like an older wiser sis you can go to for comfort and counsil. Second wife
Nicollette [Chloe Sevigny] is willful, but you can't help but like her just the same. Third wife
Margene [Ginnifer Goodwin] is a bundle of enthusiastic energy. You just can't help but smile when you think of her. This is not to say these characters are without flaws. In fact it is when their flaws come to the fore, that you feel closer to them, and root for them to persevere and triumph. The music choices the production makes are great---Bob Dylan, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, Elton John, to name but a few. The Beach Boys "God Only Knows" is the show's theme song. i must confess it took me a while to concede that that was in fact a better choice than the tune i would have lobbied for, Fleetwood Mac's Big Love. The Beach Boys' lyric is more in keeping with the core values of the show. Drama though it may be, the show does have a lot of humor and anyone who has ever taken the "for better or worse" vow can certainly relate to what could be seen as the satiric meaning to the "God Only Knows" lyric. Get familiar with all the characters, catch-up on the storylines, view video, and find a lot of fun things [i.e. which Henrickson wife are you most like] at the official HBO Big Love site.