Big Love for Big Love

I didn't watch the first episode of Big Love during its premiere season. Frankly, the subject of polygamy didn't interest me all that much and I was already glued to my seat for the Sopranos, sticking around the TV for another hour wasn't my idea of a good time. Then a young friend asked me if I had seen this "hilarious" new HBO Series Big Love and that piqued my curiosity since comedy is always nice to view before bedtime. Yes, the first couple of episodes I watched were very humorous. The trials and tribulations of a man who has three wives provides a good deal of fuel in the amusement department. Just his jumping from one bed or house to another was quite comical and besides clearly the acting of the four main characters was superb.

Humor swiftly gave way to some bizarre drama between the main character, Bill Henrickson, and the head of Juniper Creek,the nearby FLDS compound, the prophet Roman Grant. Played by Bill Paxton and Harry Dean Stanton respectively, one couldn't help but be riveted to the TV screen. The good guy and the "villain" both were equally captivating. Mary Kay Place, playing Adaleen Grant, one of Roman's many wives is brilliant. Add Bruce Dern and Grace Zabriskie, Bill's wackier than most parents, the three beautiful wives of Bill, Barbara (Jean Triplehorn), Nicky (Chloe Sevigney) and Margene (
Ginnifer Goodwin) and this is about as good a cast as anything seen on television. So I was hooked. Sunday night after Sunday night. I thought with the demise of the Sopranos I would fail to return for the second season of Big Love, I couldn't have been more wrong.