# Big Love 2.2: "The Writing on the Wall" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505 "2007-06-18T20:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/1 "2007-06-18T20:23:55Z")
Things look like they’ll get a little exciting tonight. From HBO’s cite (it’s just the preview, so it doesn’t really contain any spoilers): This week, Home Plus billboards have been defaced, leading Bill and Don to scramble for repairs and a rethinking of Bill’s public face on Home Plus. In the midst of crises, Bill and Barb forget Nicki’s anniversary, and Joey makes a decision that will have far-ranging implications. Note: This Sunday night at 7:45PM, HBO is doing a 15 minute backstory on Barb and Bill’s earlier life and how they got into polygamy. My DVR picked it up automatically to record, because I have “Big Love” set as a series recording, but it will be easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. It’s called “Big Love: In the Beginning”. I think the actual run time is only about 9 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/2 "2007-06-18T23:24:58Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Note: This Sunday night at 7:45PM, HBO is doing a 15 minute backstory on Barb and Bill’s earlier life and how they got into polygamy. My DVR picked it up automatically to record, because I have “Big Love” set as a series recording, but it will be easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. It’s called “Big Love: In the Beginning”. I think the actual run time is only about 9 minutes. [/QUOTE] HBO has it OnDemand, so I watched it last night, in the throes of missing The Sopranos on Sunday. Pretty interesting, and in 3 parts: 18 months ago, 3 years ago, and 5 years ago. Worth watching. I’m liking the show so far, and this season looks like it’ll be good. I’m going to make a go of it because really, there is nothing else whatsoever to watch. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/3 "2007-06-19T01:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] I’m liking the show so far, and this season looks like it’ll be good. I’m going to make a go of it because really, there is nothing else whatsoever to watch. [/QUOTE] True… There is _Rescue Me_, which I like. And _Age of Love_ (cougars vs kittens) is going to be must-see TV!! ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/4 "2007-06-19T05:07:28Z")
I think it was a mistake to personalize the billboards with Bill’s face. Can’t believe that was Margie’s first trip to the Compound. and on and on… This episode was 10 pounds of poop in a 5 pound bag ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/5 "2007-06-19T05:52:10Z")
I liked it. Plus, it appears that the actress who plays Margine has lost a few el-bees and is looking pretty hot. I loved the line they gave to Sarah-- something like: \*Good look finding your AWOL sister-wife. \* That just cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/6 "2007-06-19T12:45:00Z")
This was one of the best episodes of the series so far. Someone needs to beat Bill over the head with the concept of “low profile”. As he learned from the attorney general last week, his polygamy is a bit of an open secret for anyone who cares to look very hard. He and Barb want to have their cake and eat it too, living the life they’d be living if they hadn’t gone poly six years ago. I love the way Margene flew into action and looked totally competent once it hit the fan at the Compound. It’s as if she has dealt with crazy families, falling-down drunks, and visits from the police before. (What do we know about her family life before she joined up with Bill?) Oh, and the woman seen briefly singing with Nicky’s mother who looked like Emmylou Harris was, in fact, Emmylou Harris. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/7 "2007-06-19T12:59:13Z")
Great episode. Toward the end I wondered to myself, “Is _everyone_ on the compound batshit crazy?” Seriously, I think Nicki is the most sane person ever to come out of that place. I’m definitely liking Nicki more these days. Loved Bill’s anniversary present for her. It was also interesting to hear Nicki’s thoughts on marriage, and how she simply cannot imagine marriage being based on love or how to function in a non-plural marriage. It was also fun to see Nicki and Margene doing some bonding. I really hope Margene starts to come into her own this season. Last season her character came off as being pretty worthless. I wonder if Roman put Rhonda up to that phone call to Barb, or if she did it on her own. We all know Rhonda is batshit crazy, of course, but it could have been Roman’s way of rubbing it in and dropping a little hint about who called the First Lady’s office. I think Barb believes Wendy, so that takes one major person out of the search for who did it. Roman’s the next likely suspect. Well, I kind of rambled on there but those were my thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/8 "2007-06-19T15:35:02Z")
[QUOTE=DoctorJ] I love the way Margene flew into action and looked totally competent once it hit the fan at the Compound. It’s as if she has dealt with crazy families, falling-down drunks, and visits from the police before. (What do we know about her family life before she joined up with Bill?) [/QUOTE] My thoughts, too. We don’t know much about her life pre-marriage, but you get the idea that it wasn’t all squeaky clean. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/9 "2007-06-19T21:11:55Z")
[QUOTE=yellowval] Great episode. Toward the end I wondered to myself, “Is _everyone_ on the compound batshit crazy?” Seriously, I think Nicki is the most sane person ever to come out of that place. I’m definitely liking Nicki more these days. Loved Bill’s anniversary present for her. It was also interesting to hear Nicki’s thoughts on marriage, and how she simply cannot imagine marriage being based on love or how to function in a non-plural marriage. It was also fun to see Nicki and Margene doing some bonding. I really hope Margene starts to come into her own this season. Last season her character came off as being pretty worthless. [/QUOTE] That’s all very well and good, but her callous disregard for other people’s property pretty much trumps everything else for me. Spending $100 of Barb’s bank deposit was just the latest example. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/10 "2007-06-19T22:07:56Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Note: This Sunday night at 7:45PM, HBO is doing a 15 minute backstory on Barb and Bill’s earlier life and how they got into polygamy. [/QUOTE] Where can I find details of this backstory? I have HBO but didn’t know about it and wonder if they would replay a short like this. I’d love to know more about the history of the marriage(s), other than what I faintly remember them revealing in earlier episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/11 "2007-06-19T22:32:00Z")
According to [HBO.com](http://HBO.com), it’s being replayed on Sunday at 7:45pm on HBO East. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/12 "2007-06-19T22:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=xanthous] Where can I find details of this backstory? I have HBO but didn’t know about it and wonder if they would replay a short like this. I’d love to know more about the history of the marriage(s), other than what I faintly remember them revealing in earlier episodes. [/QUOTE] It hasn’t played yet. This Sunday mean this coming Sunday-- June 24. I think you can view it on HBO’s web site any time, per **Rubystreak** ’s post above. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/13 "2007-06-20T11:03:03Z")
I really liked the episode overall. Favorite moment: (paraphrased) “Did she really poison your brother?” “I think so” “Why?” “You met him” One thing that really bugged me: First they go out of their way, for no obvious reason, to show that Bill has calller ID on his cell phone. Why did it matter that his mom was calling from the laundromat? Then, he totally falls for the call from the UEB office which is recorded, when he should have been suspicious of where his brother was calling from. That was jarring. Also, was the implication of the discussion between Barb and Nickie that it was Nickie who was having Wendy followed? Does Nickie have that much influence? And why WAS the woman running into the hole in the ground? It was nice to see Tina Majorino again (the red haired friend). ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/14 "2007-06-20T13:34:31Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] Also, was the implication of the discussion between Barb and Nickie that it was Nickie who was having Wendy followed? Does Nickie have that much influence? [/QUOTE] Well, technically Nicki _did_ have Wendy followed. I don’t remember the wording exactly and I don’t think she flat-out ordered it, but she told her mother during the last episode that she suspected that Wendy was the one who turned Barb in. Nicki wanted something done about it and told her mother that. From last week’s summary on [hbo.com](http://hbo.com): Back at the homes, a visit from Adaleen gives Nicki a chance to seek advice, but her mother prefers to swap gossip about Alby’s poisoning. Nicki interrupts her, insisting her marriage is “dangling by a wire.” She goes on to demonize Wendy and says she wishes she could “teach her a lesson.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/15 "2007-06-20T17:51:34Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] One thing that really bugged me: First they go out of their way, for no obvious reason, to show that Bill has calller ID on his cell phone. Why did it matter that his mom was calling from the laundromat? Then, he totally falls for the call from the UEB office which is recorded, when he should have been suspicious of where his brother was calling from. That was jarring. [/QUOTE] Yes, I noticed that, too. I assumed that they were smart enough to block the caller ID and that Joey made up some story about having to call from a private location. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/16 "2007-06-20T18:23:31Z")
One of the lawyers told Bill that “your lifestyle is illegal”. Are they actually doing anything illegal if his only legal marriage is to Barb? It’s going to be hard for them to keep hiding this as the younger children grow up and start school. Are the kids going to have to let everyone assume they’re illegitimate? They can’t name their father? Margene intercepted one of the little kids before he could run to his father. Was that only because they were at the store, or does he not acknowledge them in public anywhere? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/17 "2007-06-20T19:20:01Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] One of the lawyers told Bill that “your lifestyle is illegal”. Are they actually doing anything illegal if his only legal marriage is to Barb? [/QUOTE] My understanding is that in Utah, cohabitation is illegal. And cohabitation is broadly defined, as the statute was aimed specifically at polygamists. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/18 "2007-06-20T19:25:50Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] One of the lawyers told Bill that “your lifestyle is illegal”. Are they actually doing anything illegal if his only legal marriage is to Barb? [/quote] In Utah, there are laws against the “poygamist lifestyle”, but I’m not sure such laws exist elsewhere. According to [this site:](http://www.absalom.com/mormon/polygamy/utah-law.htm) > [@](#): > > 76-7-101. Bigamy – Defense – Testimony. > (1) A person is guilty of bigamy when, knowing he has a husband or wife or knowing the other person has a husband or wife, he purports to marry another person or cohabits with another person. Emphasis added. You can get around it by not marrying any of your wives officially, but if you marry one then technically you are doing something illegal. But like the lawyer said… as long as they don’t commit welfare fraud or anything like that, then the DA isn’t going to go after tham. > [@EoA](#): > > Margene intercepted one of the little kids before he could run to his father. Was that only because they were at the store, or does he not acknowledge them in public anywhere? The latter. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/19 "2007-06-20T23:38:52Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] I liked it. Plus, it appears that the actress who plays Margine has lost a few el-bees and is looking pretty hot… [/QUOTE] That’s a little odd since Margine is supposed to be pregnant. :dubious: [QUOTE=MaxTheVool] …And why WAS the woman running into the hole in the ground?.. [/QUOTE] It was a raid drill. They’ve clearly been raided by the state police before. They can’t all hope into a private plane at a moments notice like Roman. And where did this whole “Grant Family Singers” idea come from? It looks like not only is Roman tying to market his polygyny, but putting his teenage bride on the cover! :eek: It’s cool (& creepy) how whenever they show the compound all the manuel labour is being done by women. The men only ever seem to do office work. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-love-2-2-the-writing-on-the-wall/408505/20 "2007-06-21T15:44:40Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Yes, I noticed that, too. I assumed that they were smart enough to block the caller ID and that Joey made up some story about having to call from a private location. [/QUOTE] He talked to Lois on his cel phone, which has caller ID. (Although where I’m at anyway, it just IDs the people the phone knows, but I guess maybe some phones do really ID.) When he talked to Joey it was on his office phone, which may or may not have ID.