Big Love 5:08 "The Noose Tightens" (Open Spoilers)

Cafe Society
#1

“It was his first time too!” That’s kind of sad, and with Christian Campbell such an amazing waste. Still, I say go ahead and sign the parental consent; it’s not more “effed” than the home environments she’s been in.
So do you think Nikki killed Alby? If not, and she probably didn’t, do you think she’ll rat him out? The cool thing about a show circling the drain (both timewise and sometimes in quality of writing in this case) is that main characters can be killed off, so for once there was actually some tension wondering would he or wouldn’t he off Nikki.

Don’s a total fool if he doesn’t sell to Alby at 80 when it’s selling for 35 and dropping.

There’s no way any jury is ever going to convict Bill of rape if Margie swears under oath and convincingly to the truth: that she knew what she was doing, that she lied about her age, and that her mother had no problem with the union (i.e. parental consent- her mom’s dead so impossible to ask, but it can be proven she knew about it and did nothing).

And why doesn’t Bill just drop the bomb on Alby? Don’t threaten him, don’t blackmail him, don’t ask him to back off- he’s not going to because he’s crazy and obsessed and evil. Just drop the bomb: expose him as gay and as a molester and as anything else you have evidence of and get rid of him once and for all.

I think (not a spoiler because it’s a hunch and not something I’ve read) Adaleen is going to be the one to finally do the honors of plugging him. I half expected her to tonight and she probably would have if she’d known Nikky was in the closet. Speaking of, this would have been a good time for Nikky to use one of those pistols Bill gave out for stocking stuffers.

#2

The people on this show are so goddamn indecisive, it drives me insane. Yeah, Bill should have dropped the ball on Alby. He should have done it two seasons ago! He’s had so many opportunities to do it, and he still hasn’t done it.

No, Nikki didn’t kill Alby. Actually, maybe she did. Maybe she did and then in the next episode they’ll just casually mention that she did it - since apparently the idiot writers of this show love having things happen off-screen.

Verlan died as he lived - a pathetic, sniveling, scroungy scumbag with no spine who relished being dominated by another man. Can’t say I’m sorry to see that little shitbag bite the dust.

Don’s always been a total fool. He’s easily manipulated by Bill’s much stronger personality. A pathetic sad-sack without any spine. Are all LDS people so unbelievably spineless and un-assertive and indecisive? If not, this show is sure painting an unfair portrait of these folks because every single character is a complete wimp.

Alby reminded me of Robert Blake as the “Mystery Man” in Lost Highway during the last minute or so of this episode.

#3

I really miss Roman. He was corrupt and evil, but like most dictators who live to be old he kept order, and in his way he was no more morally corrupt than Bill.
What the hell is “Spiritual Marriage” as a crime?

#4

I thought it was pretty clear that Alby walked away, leaving Nikki in the tent to find her own way home.

I thought it was wasted to not show Barb’ questioning - to just come out and sum it up was anti-climatic.

In spite of the writing, both Ginnifer Godwin and Chloe Segvigny turned out excellent performances with what they had. I thought the scene between Nikki and Alby in the tent (bye bye Verlan) was great. I thought Margene being torn about what to do with Caralyn and possibly realizing that her ideal of “instant family” Hendricksons was not her only alternative at that age and she might have done things differently after all was well-done.

#5

No, of course not. Some of them are patronizing, condescending, controlling bullies. :wink:

#6

I thought this was one of the better episodes this season. Except, it seemed odd that none of the Hendricksons missed Nikki being gone for so long. And I would be very careful about taking anyone from The Compound into my house-- they could easily be a plant.

#7

I think when she’s gone they just enjoy the peace and say a little prayer of thanksgiving. I loved that in Nikki’s pitch to the Essiebelle Crick clone compound wife her boasts were that “I’m legally married and have nice stuff!”, her two favorite things about her current situation evidently. She didn’t mention loving her husband or her kids or anything like.

#8

Nikki is by far and away my favorite character. I love her “Juniper Creek Wisdom”, like in the last episode when she said they should burn the stores down and collect the insurance once they found out Alby held the lease. I can’t remember how many times I’ve cracked up at her approach to things. There is certain logic to it all that is, shall we say, “fresh”? She’s definitely got the best role on the show.

#9

I love her somewhat dated slang, such as when she asks Cara and Margene “Where exactly have you two good time gals been?” or referring to Barb’s wine as “hooch” in another episode.

#10

OK, so Cara Lynn will be 16 in a few months and wanted Nikki’s permission to marry a much older man, yet Bill marrying Margene when she was 16 is now this whole big scandal? Margene clearly had her mother’s permission at the time, with her statement to the cop that she “go for it.” So since a person in Utah is allowed to marry at age 16 with a parent’s permission, how can Bill be charged for statutory rape? Especially because (from what I’ve read online) Margene was either 21 or 23 in the first season and several years have passed since then. Even if you start with her being 21, and take off the two years so she was 19 in season 1, she’s still gotta be at least 22-23 by now, so hasn’t the statue of limitations run out anyway? (As it is only for four years?) Any Utah lawyers here who can clarify?

This show pisses me off. I hate everyone in it, and they rewrite facts and ages whenever it suits them. I was really hoping that was the end of Nikki. I’d love the show to end with Barb & Margene leaving Bill, and him stuck running Juniper Creek with Nikki by his side, but that’s not gonna happen.

#11

The writing on the show is sloppy shit. It was tight and intriguing in the first few seasons. This last season, though, and the one before it as well, have been total shit in the writing department. Seriously, as I’ve said before, it might be the laziest writing I have ever seen on a serious TV drama, maybe even worse than Lost. It makes me cry to see the acting talent on that show so misused and underused by the goddamn, cursed, execrable writing staff.

#12

Also, the maximum sentence for statutory rape in Utah appears to be just 5 years, not the 20 Bill kept saying. The writing on this show really is crap.

#13

I would assume said permission had to be formalized in some way. Probably witnessed, at least, if not notarized.

#14

Yeah, you can’t just walk into the county clerk’s office and say “Oh, I’m underage, but my mom totally says it’s okay,” and get a marriage license. There are forms that have to be signed, and it seems like when it was an issue for one of my friends, they told her whoever signed for her had to come down and do it in person. Granted, Margie’s mom would probably have signed for her to marry Bill if he’d been free to legally marry her…but he wasn’t, and I just don’t know if you can legally give a minor permission to enter into a non-marital sexual relationship.

#15

I was thinking the same thing. Okay, so Margene’s mother didn’t sign anything, but certainly her permission was *implied *by her lying to Bill about Margie’s age & Mom’s discussion with her referenced above. If anything, I think in a trial there would be leniency probably resulting in probation.

…and as far as the 20 years that it’s stated Bill could be up for, it’s probably a whole host of charges, not just statutory rape. Wouldn’t there be contributing to the delinquency of a minor, rape, probably something about said relations resulting in childbirth, exposing her to polygamy, etc. It probably adds up to 20.

Hey, I’m trying to give the writers the benefit of the doubt.

#16

Good point, and one I completely missed. Margine and Bill are not married, have never been married, and so it doesn’t matter what her mother did or didn’t do.

#17

All valid points regarding the discrepancy in the age of consent issue. It is sloppy, and perhaps lazy, writing. That said, I still think this season is so much better than the past two, especially last year’s dismal season. I had to convince myself to make the effort to watch this season after last year’s dredge.

I still think my season one prediction that the family will end up back on the compound before all is said and done. Whether that will include Margene & Barb, is up for anybody’s guess. Alby is either already gone, or soon will be and Bill will take over as leader of Juniper Creek.

#18

I was thinking this same thing while watching this last episode, actually. Because of Bill’s entrepreneurial spirit, I could actually see him making it some sort of tourist attraction (think like Amish country) that’s pretty profitable for everybody. Then again, he might also go crazy compound psycho and lock everything down a la Alby.

I actually really liked this episode a lot. Definitely agree that Marg and Nikki’s acting carried the whole thing- spot on, very compelling. I’m still not sure what I think about the whole teacher thing- it’s gross and weird (his first time, too? :smack:), but I don’t know. . . Caralynne WAS raised in a culture of young marriage and really, she was forced to grow up pretty fast. She seems like a pretty mature kid, but. . . still.

#19

I wish they’d resolve (and by resolve I mean never included) the pyramid scheme juice plotline. It adds little to nothing while taking screentime from more interesting storylines.

I think Alby will kill himself, Bill will take over, Barb will leave and Bill will marry Alby’s wives.

#20

Doesn’t seem very gross or weird to me at all. It seems more like a very mature girl and a socially immature guy who complement each other and are very happy together. It’d be one thing if the teacher was a lech and just taking advantage of her for sex, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.