I want to preface all of this by saying that I think this season of Big Love has been phenomenal. I wish that I hadn't gotten so out of touch with writing so that I could discuss how much has happened in this show since it returned from its strike extended layoff. There was Roman's trial, which spawned threads ranging from Bill's attempts to trust Albie to his growing separation from Nicki. The show had so many different stories going on that you don't feel bogged down in one storyline to heavily. It's diversity helps keep it interesting, which I love. That being said, too much is being squeezed in to every 50 minutes. There is clearly a lot that the writers want to accomplish this season, but they're rushing through things that could be drawn out. I'm not saying they should be season arcs, but some of these episodes could have easily been stretched to two without giving up any of the integrity of the plot.
This brings me to "For Better or for Worse." It was wonderful to see Anna accept Bill's proposal, but I shared her look of surprise when the decided to have the wedding the next day, and again when they all rushed off at its conclusion. For a show that harps on how sacred the bonds of marriage are, this was out of place. I understand the goal was to show Anna's reaction to such a non-traditional lifestyle, but it seemed contradictory to the message the shows tries to present in the first place.
From there, the episode centered on finding the harmony, not between the wives and Bill, but between the wives themselves. Anna represented something for each of the wives. For Barb and Margie, she was a friend. For Nicki, she was someone to take the pressure off her to deliver more children to the family. In the middle was Anna, who was fighting just as much as her new sister wives for independence in a family that calls for constant selflessness. Her outburst at Bill over her tips was fantastic: Bill always asks his wives to step up to play for the team, and they all seem to have lost elements of themselves as a result. In the end, the bickering and the homogenization of the family was too much for Anna, who asked a crushed Bill for a divorce. It's really a shame because I liked Anna and the direction her story could have gone. The show started with three wives already in place, and I would have loved to see the family adjust to a fourth. Unfortunately, it looks like we won't get that chance, at least not with Anna.
The rest of the show had the other plots shoved in. Nicki responded to the crush that her boss, the guy from Whose Line, had on her, which will be interesting in the coming episodes. I really like that they've set up an alternate story line with Ben and Sarah also. They often were forgotten, and now that they have their own gang with their own direction which is separate from that of their parents, they're far more interesting. By my calculations, Sarah better tell her parents about the pregnancy soon before they figure out she's preggers. Roman also appears to be slowly returning to power. Albie is scary and weird, but if Roman can get himself out of jail time, he'll get himself back into power on the Compound.
Like I said in my preface, I have greatly enjoyed this season, but this episode was great at showing why it's moving too fast. Everything in this episode took place in about three days. That's insanely fast for so much on a show that's not Lost. What sets Big Love apart from many shows is that it's a family drama with external drama on the periphery. Family drama in the real world doesn't get resolved that quickly. My suggestion? Take a big breath Big Love. Slow it down and you'll have a stellar season on your hands.
B
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