Big Love Series Finale

3208 Views 31 Replies 21 Participants Last post by TheMerk, Mar 27, 2011

Tracy

Discussion Starter · Mar 21, 2011

I guess they managed to tie up the loose end. We didn't get much in the way of details as to how things shook out...for example, what are the women living on? Will they begin dating or are they not allowed to remarry? Was Sarah back for her baby's baptism? Was that the event? Why did Margene cut all her hair off?

I'm not quite sure I followed what crime Bill had committed against Carl. Maybe none, but it was misplaced blame because the Goji issue is what caused the main friction between Carl and his wife. Interesting that Bill did get assassinated but it didn't really have to do with they whole polygamy thing and him being a Senator.

I did like that they used the "God Only Knows" song at the end.

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

BobB

· #2 · Mar 21, 2011

It was not the best series finale in history (Six Feet Under takes that prize, hands down), but it was reasonably satisfying, and at least this train wreck is over.

As to specifics: Bill had just pissed off the neighbor little by little for years, and the sod (meant as a goodwill gesture) was the last straw. Not totally believable, but it got the job done.

Yes, that was pretty clearly the baby's baptism, preformed by Barb, who now leads the church Bill founded (not totally believable either if you think too much about it, but I don't intend to).

As for Margene's hair, I think that was showing us both that time really had passed, and also that she's finally getting to express herself the way she's always wanted to - also, from the conversation it sounded like this is not the first but the second missionary trip she's taking (there was some comment about staying in better touch this time) and short hair would be a lot easier to deal with in a third world setting. Besides, it just looks cute on her.

The big question - what are they living on? Margene's a missionary, Nickie has no real-world skills other than secretarial, so Barb's making enough somehow to support three houses and umpteen kids? Hmm... can you say welfare?

See less See more

Cainebj

· #3 · Mar 21, 2011

I think the series finale was as big of a train wreck as the series had become.

what a way to womp womp off into the night.

Jesda

· #4 · Mar 21, 2011

I kind of want a Mini convertible now. That's all I got out of this stupid show.

knuckles

· #5 · Mar 21, 2011

I'm just glad it's over. The show originally had so much promise. I think the last great episode was the family trip. It went downhill from there.

tigercat74

· #6 · Mar 21, 2011

My guess is they are living off of life insurance. I would bet he had a very large policy because of his large family.

pjenkins

· #7 · Mar 21, 2011

tigercat74 said:
My guess is they are living off of life insurance. I would bet he had a very large policy because of his large family.

They had 480 people at the first big meeting and now barb is the head of the church, they prob rake it in after bill's death. I watched the last 30 minutes after not watching most of the season, don't feel like I missed much it appears

john4200

· #8 · Mar 22, 2011

pjenkins said:
They had 480 people at the first big meeting and now barb is the head of the church, they prob rake it in after bill's death. I watched the last 30 minutes after not watching most of the season, don't feel like I missed much it appears

They were mostly Juniper Creek people, though, so very poor.

Unless the Juniper Creek people, or Barb, could somehow get access to the millions of dollars that Roman and Alby had in the trust.

dbranco

· #9 · Mar 22, 2011

Here's Alan Sepinwall's review of the finale:

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/big-love-reviewing-the-series-finale

Steveknj

· #10 · Mar 22, 2011

Don't they still have a piece of the Casino? My guess is they are living off some combination of the Casino money and life insurance.

Steveknj

· #11 · Mar 22, 2011

And the NY Times review of the finale:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/a...euppance-for-the-man.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

aaronwt

· #12 · Mar 22, 2011

BobB said:
It was not the best series finale in history (Six Feet Under takes that prize, hands down), but it was reasonably satisfying, and at least this train wreck is over.

As to specifics: Bill had just pissed off the neighbor little by little for years, and the sod (meant as a goodwill gesture) was the last straw. Not totally believable, but it got the job done.

Yes, that was pretty clearly the baby's baptism, preformed by Barb, who now leads the church Bill founded (not totally believable either if you think too much about it, but I don't intend to).

As for Margene's hair, I think that was showing us both that time really had passed, and also that she's finally getting to express herself the way she's always wanted to - also, from the conversation it sounded like this is not the first but the second missionary trip she's taking (there was some comment about staying in better touch this time) and short hair would be a lot easier to deal with in a third world setting. Besides, it just looks cute on her.

The big question - what are they living on? Margene's a missionary, Nickie has no real-world skills other than secretarial, so Barb's making enough somehow to support three houses and umpteen kids? Hmm... can you say welfare?

Bill would have had a huge Life insurance policy with that large of a family.

And I also thought this was a second missionary trip for Margene based on what was said.

Talon

· #13 · Mar 22, 2011

There are some good favorable reviews out there. Not everyone hated it, including me.

Bananfish

· #14 · Mar 22, 2011

aaronwt said:
Bill would have had a huge Life insurance policy with that large of a family.

I think that's what Barb was getting at when she said "Your father made this possible" to Amanda Seyfried.

SeanC

· #15 · Mar 22, 2011

I remember really enjoying this show's first 3 seasons. Then last year when the whole Senate thing started that was a total eye roller for me, but I was already in 3 so I figured I'd tough it out till the end. I almost didn't make it, and I'm not sure I'm glad I did. This last season just felt like a total waste of time to me with pretty much none of the plots making any sense.

Oh well, I for one am glad it's over.

TAsunder

· #16 · Mar 22, 2011

Bananfish said:
I think that's what Barb was getting at when she said "Your father made this possible" to Amanda Seyfried.

I don't remember the specifics, but I thought that had to do with Bill asking her for a blessing at the end, thereby indirectly endorsing her priesthood.

I liked this show more the past two seasons than prior. I just like seeing more meat in the Juniper Creek plotline.

Throughout all seasons, I always felt like they did a much better job toeing the line between approval and disapproval for Bill and his wives than any other show; for example, Sopranos often meandered way too far into loving the lifestyle and the characters.

Another thing I enjoyed the past two seasons is seeing all of the parallels between real world compounds and Juniper Creek; welfare fraud, exit rights, governmental oversight of assets, etc.

john4200

· #17 · Mar 22, 2011

TAsunder said:
I don't remember the specifics, but I thought that had to do with Bill asking her for a blessing at the end, thereby indirectly endorsing her priesthood.

That's what I thought, also.

I thought it was interesting that the two reviews that people have referenced in this thread say nothing except to criticize Bill for being a tyrant to his family. Which he certainly was. Margene and Barb were clearly stifled by Bill. I'm not sure about Nici -- she was so damaged from Juniper Creek that I don't know what she would have become if she had more room to grow.

But while Bill was certainly bad for his family, none of the reviews mentioned what a good influence Bill had on hundreds of people who were oppressed in Juniper Creek. Bill was primarily responsible for the downfall of Roman and Alby, and the church Bill started, and apparently Barb continued, probably helped a lot of the Juniper Creek families to grow less oppressed.

It is a strange contrast. Personally, Bill was an oppressive influence on his family. But since Bill was less of an evil tyrant than most of the Juniper Creek patriarchs, Bill actually ended up improving things for a lot of families.

See less See more

aindik

· #18 · Mar 22, 2011

I guess we now know why they were concentrating on that married couple down the street who, until last night, we had no real reason to care about.

I liked the scene with Lois and Frank, though there was a bit of ret-conning Frank as a nice guy.

"Teeny is in the bathroom." IIRC, they had two actresses play that character. I guess they couldn't get either of them to come back.

I thought Cara Lynn was going to throw Nicki down the stairs. I thought Nicki was going to shoot Bill when he went into her house after his fight with Barb.

The scene with Barb & Nicki at the shelter was funny. "I know."

Didn't love the way they jobbed Bill out (killed by a random nut), but my wife hated it much more than I did. If Bill had to die, I guess this is better than Alby killing him.

Kudos to Tracy: Bill brought up your legal point in the interview with the national press. If the law allowed him to marry another wife, he could have legally married Margene with parental permission.

Odd that they paired up Ben & Heather after all. Apparently they shot a scene with them and Rhonda that got cut.

Post-finale Interview with the showrunners here:
http://www.tvline.com/2011/03/big-love-post-mortem-your-burning-series-finale-questions-answered/

See less See more

Steveknj

· #19 · Mar 22, 2011

aindik said:
I guess we now know why they were concentrating on that married couple down the street who, until last night, we had no real reason to care about.

I liked the scene with Lois and Frank, though there was a bit of ret-conning Frank as a nice guy.

"Teeny is in the bathroom." IIRC, they had two actresses play that character. I guess they couldn't get either of them to come back.

I thought Cara Lynn was going to throw Nicki down the stairs. I thought Nicki was going to shoot Bill when he went into her house after his fight with Barb.

The scene with Barb & Nicki at the shelter was funny. "I know."

Didn't love the way they jobbed Bill out (killed by a random nut), but my wife hated it much more than I did. If Bill had to die, I guess this is better than Alby killing him.

Kudos to Tracy: Bill brought up your legal point in the interview with the national press. If the law allowed him to marry another wife, he could have legally married Margene with parental permission.

Odd that they paired up Ben & Heather after all. Apparently they shot a scene with them and Rhonda that got cut.

Post-finale Interview with the showrunners here:
http://www.tvline.com/2011/03/big-love-post-mortem-your-burning-series-finale-questions-answered/

For all their craziness, I always got the feeling that Frank and Lois loved each other. They had been through all the wars together and there was genuine affection.

On the other posts about what Barb meant about Bill making it all possible, my feeling is that was about his blessing by Barb as he died, essentially giving HIS blessing for her to be a priest.

I think there should have been SOME closure with Rhonda. I think I would have liked it if she ended up arrested giving "favors" to a patron (maybe a state senator.....Gregroy Izen perhaps?) since she was manipulative and power hungry.

I'm unsure whether the relationship between Nicki and Cara Lynn had been repaired or not. Nicki seemed sincere, but Cara Lynn's face was vacant. I don't recall, was Cara Lynn in the final scene 11 months later?

aindik

· #20 · Mar 22, 2011

Steveknj said:
I don't recall, was Cara Lynn in the final scene 11 months later?

She was. She didn't have any lines. And she was dressed more modern than she had been in the rest of the series (as was Nicki) with a different hair style, which is why you might not have recognized her. I assume this was done on purpose.

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.