Big Love 1-25-09

[7thton]

Another great episode. I cannot believe what Margene said to the Native American guy! But, it looks like it worked. I can't believe that Bill actually went to Roman for the blessing...it seems so out of character for him to do so. Does anyone think he'll actually bring Rhonda to him? It is awfully convenient that the daughter (Sarah) now knows where she is. Also...Sarah is pregnant!? And is Anna going to join the family or what? The indoor picnic thing made it seem like she was coming around.

[analog4]

I have a feeling the repurcussions will be bad for Nicki once (and if) Bill finds out she was working only to help get his father (and put all of those other girls in danger). And when they find she's on birth control.

[5thcrewman]

It was a bummer to hear that two of Don's wives took off with each other and the kids. I could tell Don was having personal problems and we had seen the two wives make googly eyes (or was it sharing a 'knowing' look between each other?) at each other in the past.

[BobB]

This is an interesting season so far. We're seeing a lot more of the underpinnings of their belief in plural marriage - mainly the (believed) need to do this in order to have an extended family in the afterlife. Makes it more real, and also more creepy.

One thing I don't understand is Anna - these people are bonkers, doesn't she see that? Why she doesn't run screaming in the opposite direction (especially after that horrific fast food group date!) is beyond me. Plus, she seems much too fond of wine to just give it up, as they will expect her too (I don't mean as an alcoholic, just as someone who enjoys the sensual pleasure of it).

Watching this show is like watching a psychological train wreck in progress - but I'm hooked!

[aindik]

I loved the look on Barb's face in the final scene. She got the call from the doctor that all was well, and then immediately changed her mind about the fourth wife, with her face said "ok, so now what the heck are we doing here with this picnic business?" Great acting without words.

I expect an immediate change of heart from her on the fourth wife now that she knows she's OK.

Ana doesn't run because she seems to like the sisterhood of the wives, and she loves Bill.

How wealthy are we supposed to think Bill is? He seems to throw lots of money around in business, but his college fund for his daughter only includes the option of a state school. I'm wondering if his college fund for his son is larger (because he's a son).

I didn't get the scene where Sarah's co-worker said she "had a crush on Granny's boyfriend." I got the Granny reference (Rhonda is Nicki's "step mother," which makes her Sarah's "step-grandmother"), but where did this friend come up with Sarah having a crush on the guy (who is, after all, her uncle by blood - Bill's half brother)?

[dcehl]

yeah, I didn't get that "crush" thing either - I thought the chick making the comment was the one who had a crush on that dude.

I picked that up in Barb's facial expression as well.

I just dont know how this whole "mormon friendly casino" is going to go over - I mean, are there "baptist friendly liquor stores" or "hindu friendly chop-houses"? I just can't see how gambling/casino and LDS fit together.

[BobB]

I just dont know how this whole "mormon friendly casino" is going to go over - I mean, are there "baptist friendly liquor stores" or "hindu friendly chop-houses"? I just can't see how gambling/casino and LDS fit together.

Apparently gambling is not forbidden to LDS people, so an LDS-friendly casino with no alcohol and no risqué behavior (i.e., strippers etc) could in fact be a viable proposition. On the other hand, alcohol sales and sexy shows are high-profit items in most normal casinos, so the Indians would need to see a lot of LDS traffic to counterbalance the loss of those income streams.

[TiVo'Brien]

Is it my imagination, or does Barbara get a disproportionate amount of camera time? Every time I hope to see Margene, I get stuck looking at Barbara. :down:

[Ruth]

My gosh, poor Sarah. Can you imagine what the family will do when they find out she is pregnant? They freaked out about Ben being sexually active, and I can only imagine it would be worse for a girl.

I wonder if that's why she wants to leave Utah? I wonder what time of year it is in the storyline -- like is is late spring, so that if she went to Arizona State she might be able to conceal her pregnancy until she left?

I will say that the BF's (Scott?) sudden devotion to her didn't ring true to me. Not that long ago he wanted to see other people so he could get laid, and now he loves her and wants to follow her to Arizona? Also I wonder if she dumped him before she realized she was pregnant, or if that was why she did it (even though that doesn't make much sense, as he's probably the person in her life least likely to totally freak out about it)?

Nicki and the birth control pills also is very interesting. I was always given to understand that she was a true believer in the Principle -- and doesn't that include having tons of kids? Now I wonder if she's just simply brainwashed and has no idea what her beliefs are.

[aindik]

My gosh, poor Sarah. Can you imagine what the family will do when they find out she is pregnant? They freaked out about Ben being sexually active, and I can only imagine it would be worse for a girl.

I wonder if that's why she wants to leave Utah? I wonder what time of year it is in the storyline -- like is is late spring, so that if she went to Arizona State she might be able to conceal her pregnancy until she left?

Could be "worse." She might be looking to leave Utah to go where it will be easier for her to have an abortion.


I will say that the BF's (Scott?) sudden devotion to her didn't ring true to me. Not that long ago he wanted to see other people so he could get laid, and now he loves her and wants to follow her to Arizona? Also I wonder if she dumped him before she realized she was pregnant, or if that was why she did it (even though that doesn't make much sense, as he's probably the person in her life least likely to totally freak out about it)?

Considering the kid is his, I'm not entirely sure you're right about that last part. Again, I think she dumped him because she's deciding whether she wants to have an abortion.


Nicki and the birth control pills also is very interesting. I was always given to understand that she was a true believer in the Principle -- and doesn't that include having tons of kids? Now I wonder if she's just simply brainwashed and has no idea what her beliefs are.

She went to her father for a fertility blessing knowing it was total B.S. Many times it has struck me in this series that certain characters know this is all hocus pocus (or, at least, that a bunch of it is). I think that applies to much of the Grant family, who seem to be in it for the cash and the prestige. Maybe Nicki is starting to realize what her father and her brother seem to have known all along.

[Ruth]

Considering the kid is his, I'm not entirely sure you're right about that last part. Again, I think she dumped him because she's deciding whether she wants to have an abortion.


Well sure, he'd be upset about her being pregnant to some degree, but at least he won't freak out about the fact that she was having sex at all and that makes her immoral and headed for hell, etc. And she probably is considering terminating the pregnancy, but of all the people she knows, I'm thinking the BF is the very most likely to be pro-choice or close to it. He's rejected religion, whereas everyone else Sarah knows is either LDS (it's not like Heather's going to be super supportive at the abortion clinic!) or a fundamentalist LDS sect of some sort. It just seems weird to me that she would reject the one person least likely to condemn her for whatever she chooses to do now.

I guess Margene might be another choice for "least likely to freak out," although they've never really shown Sarah and Margene having a close relationship.

[TAsunder]

I didn't get the scene where Sarah's co-worker said she "had a crush on Granny's boyfriend." I got the Granny reference (Rhonda is Nicki's "step mother," which makes her Sarah's "step-grandmother"), but where did this friend come up with Sarah having a crush on the guy (who is, after all, her uncle by blood - Bill's half brother)?

I don't remember that. I remember the guy having posters of rhonda all over the place, meaning he had a crush on sarah's "Grandma". And one of her coworkers had a crush on that guy.

[aindik]

I don't remember that. I remember the guy having posters of rhonda all over the place, meaning he had a crush on sarah's "Grandma". And one of her coworkers had a crush on that guy.

Sarah's co-worker (played by the actress who played Dylan on Desperate Housewives last season and is the daughter-from-the-future on How I Met Your Mother) turned directly to Sarah at the end of that scene and said "you've got a crush on Granny's boyfriend." I rewound it to watch it again because I didn't get it the first time. I didn't get it the second time either.

[aindik]

Well sure, he'd be upset about her being pregnant to some degree, but at least he won't freak out about the fact that she was having sex at all and that makes her immoral and headed for hell, etc.

I don't think she buys all the "headed for hell" stuff anymore, so I don't think it much matters to her why the people freak out, just whether they do.

Maybe she doesn't want him to influence her decision one way or the other, so she shuts him out of the process completely.

And she probably is considering terminating the pregnancy, but of all the people she knows, I'm thinking the BF is the very most likely to be pro-choice or close to it. He's rejected religion, whereas everyone else Sarah knows is either LDS (it's not like Heather's going to be super supportive at the abortion clinic!) or a fundamentalist LDS sect of some sort. It just seems weird to me that she would reject the one person least likely to condemn her for whatever she chooses to do now.

Maybe she doesn't want an abortion and doesn't want him to push her to get one. Or maybe she thinks he won't want her to get one (many, perhaps most people are pro-choice but anti-abortion in their own lives with their own unborn children).

I guess Margene might be another choice for "least likely to freak out," although they've never really shown Sarah and Margene having a close relationship.

Sarah seems to dislike polygamy completely, and I bet especially dislikes her father having married a woman (the former babysitter) who is not much older than she is (the actresses are 7 years apart and both are playing characters younger than the actresses are). Nicki and especially Margene are probably the last people she'll talk to.

OTOH, the storyline with Nicki and the birth control, and Sarah getting pregnant, are too coincidental to not end up having something to do with each other.

[brnscofrnld]

Nicki and the birth control pills also is very interesting. I was always given to understand that she was a true believer in the Principle -- and doesn't that include having tons of kids? Now I wonder if she's just simply brainwashed and has no idea what her beliefs are.

I watched the first two seasons the past few weeks and if you go back to late last season you will see that they revealed that she was taking Birth Control then as well. I believe it was before Margie revealed that she was pregnant.

Sarah's co-worker (played by the actress who played Dylan on Desperate Housewives last season and is the daughter-from-the-future on How I Met Your Mother) turned directly to Sarah at the end of that scene and said "you've got a crush on Granny's boyfriend." I rewound it to watch it again because I didn't get it the first time. I didn't get it the second time either.

I caught a few weird glances at the "Uncle" while he and Benny were talking to the girls at "Debs". My GF picked that out and said something about her having a crush on her uncle. Remember, that kid is Bill's Father's son from a different wife.

As for next week, there was so much going on in the preview that it was hard to really see what was going to happen. All i know is that it looked good.

[speedcouch]

Also I wonder if she dumped him before she realized she was pregnant, or if that was why she did it (even though that doesn't make much sense, as he's probably the person in her life least likely to totally freak out about it)?

I figure that's WHY she dumped him, so she can get to Arizona and have the baby without him knowing about it. It was pretty clear she was lying when she said she didn't love him. Obviously NO abortions for Morman girls...Even if she doesn't believe in polygomy, she's at least LDS and abortion would be a true mortal sin I'm sure.

I thought Bill going to Roman for a blessing was SO ridiculously out of character.

Cheryl

[barbeedoll]

I figure that's WHY she dumped him, so she can get to Arizona and have the baby without him knowing about it. It was pretty clear she was lying when she said she didn't love him. Obviously NO abortions for Morman girls...Even if she doesn't believe in polygomy, she's at least LDS and abortion would be a true mortal sin I'm sure.

I thought Bill going to Roman for a blessing was SO ridiculously out of character.

Cheryl

I think Nicki, who is working with her Mother to get information to free Roman, her Dad, did this as a ploy. I think she convinced Bill to go to the prison to talk to Roman under the guise of getting her father's blessing so she could conceive (knowing full well she was on birth control pills).

That was the only way Roman could get Bill face to face for a conversation. He then could force Bill to locate the witness against him, Rhonda, by saying he would out Bill's family in court. If he couldn't get Bill to see him in person, Roman couldn't have pulled this manuever. And without Nicki insisting, Bill would never have gone to see Roman.

Barbeedoll

[xuxa]

Apparently gambling is not forbidden to LDS people, so an LDS-friendly casino with no alcohol and no risqué behavior (i.e., strippers etc) could in fact be a viable proposition. On the other hand, alcohol sales and sexy shows are high-profit items in most normal casinos, so the Indians would need to see a lot of LDS traffic to counterbalance the loss of those income streams.

Alcohol and and shows are loss leaders to bring people to the casino to gamble, i.e. most casinos give alcohol away. The main revenue stream is from gambling. Bill's casino doesn't need alcohol and shows b/c of the niche market.

[Bananfish]

Sarah's co-worker (played by the actress who played Dylan on Desperate Housewives last season and is the daughter-from-the-future on How I Met Your Mother) turned directly to Sarah at the end of that scene and said "you've got a crush on Granny's boyfriend." I rewound it to watch it again because I didn't get it the first time. I didn't get it the second time either.


There's a scene before that where "Granny's boyfriend" (Frank, I think his name is) goes to the restaurant where Sarah and her two friends work. Sarah and Frank continually steal furtive glances at each other, especially when Donna mockingly says to Frank "we even have sex if we want ... you do know what sex, is, right?" and Frank, knowing he's being mocked, deftly and sarcastically responds with "yeah, we have farm animals on the compound, so I get the idea." There's a shot where Donna sees Sarah and Frank making googly-eyes at each other at that time. For someone like Donna, who is clearly a handful o' trouble, that's all she would need to tease Sarah about him.

P.S. I looked up Donna on IMDB.com - the actress's name is Lyndsy Fonseca, she just turned 22 years old, and you'll get a major fight from me if you claim there's anyone hotter in all of televisiondom.

[Anubys]

there was enough there for a whole season worth of stories...I do recall Nikki taking the pills last year; but wasn't she caught taking them as well or am I imagining that?

one thing that seemed strange was the doctor examining Nikki was male...I can't imagine Nikki going to a male doctor...

I, too, did not get the whole "crush" comment...

[Ruth]

one thing that seemed strange was the doctor examining Nikki was male...I can't imagine Nikki going to a male doctor...


She had such a patriarchal upbringing though. I think a lot of women have a sort of default comfort with a male doctor b/c it's a "man's job." I was surprized not to see a female nurse in the room though. I think she would have wanted that.