Big Love 8-13-07

Cafe Society
#1

Another very fine episode.

So, Heather has the hots for Sarah. Who knew? Albie’s wife is great-- she just steps in and pushed Adelene out of the way. And the twins with braces are all over Ben. Barb gets more and more disillusioned with the whole polygamy thing.

BTW, I don’t think Nikki knows that Albie is gay/bi or whatever he is. She would’ve used that threaten him. Looks like Wanda is about to have another crazy episode-- the way she was grabbing her collar at the party.

And… Lloyd Braun! Man, has he aged.

#2

Margene and Rhonda’s characters brought it this week, didn’t they? Finally, Bill considered the feelings of one of his wives, rather than just trying to placate them all the time, keep the peace. Too little too late though, I think.

I actually felt some sympathy for Rhonda. She has a fine singing voice, doesn’t she? The anger and sadness as she sang that song – damn.

The redhead woman from the HughesNet ads who was telling Sarah to leave her family – what’s her thing? I don’t trust her.

#3

She was trying to get Barb to renounce The Principle in an earlier episode. She grew up on another “compound” and escaped.

#4

I’m starting to enjoy this season. The conference plot line was quite good. It seems that the whole family is making compromises (in terms of what one would assume their morals would be) and not just Bill. The shiteth will hiteth the faneth in their marriage before too long. I’m terribly excited.

I have a bit of a thing for Tina Majorino (I feel like a pervert even typing that) so naturally I’m rooting for this same sex attraction plot line to play out.

#5

I’m not sure that Heather necessarily has a crush on Sarah, and if she does, she had barely articulated it to herself before this. I think the threat of having that rumor spread is what scared the crap out of Heather. Imagine how her parents would freak out and end that friendship again if they heard that. Rhonda is a narcissistic sociopath, yet somehow the Tuttles are scolding Sarah for lying? Argh.

Are Alby and his wife going to kill Roman?

Frank is sure going to fuck over Joey and Wanda if he takes Cathy away. I think Wanda is coming to depend on her help, and she’s pretty fragile. Damn, Frank is evil. I hope Lois takes him to the cleaners.

Bill really screwed over his wives this ep. Barb didn’t want to go to the convention, so he takes Margene and promises that he will let her be “out” as his wife. Then he chickens out, drags Barb there to be his beard with the other LDS couples, but outs the polygamy to score points with the vice-obsessed boys in the gambling industry. Barb is right-- she was sabotaged, though she never should have given in and showed up at the hotel. The look on her face when he told everyone Margene was his wife was painful. I can see why it mollified Margene, but he did torture her a bit before giving her what she wanted, and he only did it because it gained something for him. Overall, Bill was a dick yet again.

I think Ben will get over Bryn now that he realizes that Compound girls are going to be falling all over him… that’s why boys his age get run off the Compound like his dad did.

Nicki is an idiot for telling Alby about Weber Gaming. :smack: Bill’s in trouble now!

#6

There is no way that Heather actually has a crush on Sarah. There is zero evidence or precedent for it. It was a straight up fabrication by Rhonda.

#7

I think Heather reacted much more like it was true than like it was false and she was just afraid of having to deal with the rumor.

#8

Great episode, again.

Those cracks in the ice during the opening credits are starting to make more sense than they ever did. There is so much tension on every character from every single angle this season. I’m really loving it.

Business, marriage, the compound. I can’t believe Nicky let Weber Gaming slip. And the Dad wants Joey’s wife, or was that really some kind of ploy to avoid the divorce issues with the Mom?

The tension between Barb and Bill has been great. I really don’t know where they’re going with that, but her making him sleep in the other room was big. I think she’s going back to the monogamous days.

The acting, again, was terrific last night. I liked how Bill played it out with the gaming guys, and the poker game was pretty funny. . .drinking, smoking, dirty jokes.

(the game-play itself was terribly scripted. Rounds were out of order, and they were all making “string raises”, every raise)

#9

Back in the first season, Sarah went to a party with the “popular” girls and had too much to drink. Heather came to the rescue. That sequence ended with Sarah lying on the grass with her head in Heather’s lap with Heather stroking her hair…

Foreshadowing?

#10

Hi…

Great episode- so much to think about!

Anyone else see Heather talking to her mother at the very end- it looked like she was being fairly “actice” in that conversation (as opposed to just being scolded). I “hope” she is telling her parents what Rhonda threatened to do. She may or may not have those feeelings, but I think if Heather was the one to tell her parents, in the context of a made up thing that Rhonda was holding over her head, they may at least be inspired to watch Rhonda a little closer. It is too bad about Rhonda’s voice- way too interesting and nice of a voice to belong to that little bitch. She’s well on her way to diva-dom.

Stupid, Stupid Nikki. I’m really disappointed in her. If you are going to steal $60,000 and knew you had to sign in at the door, at least make a quick appearance at the meeting you are supposed to be at. I realize that Bill probably didn’t know she was there but she should have arranged things so she could have been there openly. Then she blabs out Weber Gaming to Alby. Just unbelievably dumb. Of course, if Bill had been open with her (and he could have afforded to I think with Nikki), she would have realized the importance of the secret.
The storyline with the conference was great- I like how Margene’s behavior “please can I” constrasted with Barb’s “you’ll have to beat me into it” attitudes. I think that episode was one of the best in showing how Barb is just getting more disenchanted with it but in the end, Bill will have plenty of other “options”. She will have to either leave or decide to accept all of it. I predict she will be leaving, with her kids, at the end of the season and next season will focus on Bill’s taking over the compound and Barb’s trying to get back into the LDS life with her kids.

Sarah with April Blessing- hope she doesn’t fall for it but I didn’t get the impression that April was entirely insincere or wrong. That is alot of Sarah’s motivation- she wants to be normal but her life is constantly complicated by her parent’s lifestyle.

#11

I assume it’s just revenge against Joey. Of course, having a young, new wife from the “Joy Book” never hurts! :wink:

I assumed she was beating Rhonda to the punch, and telling mom what Rhonda had threatened to do (and that it was a lie). Basically telling her mom (in LDS approved language, of course) that Rhonda is a lying, manipulative bitch.

#12

I did really like that April has no illusions about Rhonda.
Sarah: Rhond’s a liar.
April: Yes she is.

#13

I’m almost tired of saying how great this show is. So instead, I’ll just ask something I’ve been meaning to bring up for some time. What is it with the sound glitches every week during closing credits?

(Note that next week, the show is on Sunday night.)

#14

Oh I wanted to add that Nicki had the line of the night when she said to Ben: “Plural wives means plural mommies!”

#15

I agree that Heather’s reaction was the reaction of someone who’s afraid the accusation might be true…

Man, it’s hard to know who is the most despicable on this show… Rhonda (blackmailer), Alby (patricide), Bill’s Dad (wants to steal his own son’s wife)… they make Old Roman look like a saint.

#16

I dunno but it happens for all HBO series at my house.

#17

Heather - I’ve wondered about that for some time, but more in the context of Heather realizing maybe she thinks about Sara a bit too much and maybe in the “wrong” way and trying to cope with it.

Plural wives mean plural mommies - loved it. Ben’s getting all too ready to glom onto the advantages of plural wives without dealing with the responsibilities or what it really means.

Margene was so cute being happy and bouncy (but I kept thinking “shut UP” as she was babbling to the Weber guy) and I felt bad for her when Bill called in his “real wife”…and then Barb as she stood there with that frozen smile. True, she said she didn’t want to pretend anymore…but I think she knew what kind of guys these were and at least some idea of why Bill was doing it, since he didn’t call Margene over to introduce her to the LDS bar owners.

Nicki was unbelievably dumb…first the sign-in and then “Oh, well, we’ve got a GAMBLING company and it makes a TON!” I must say I like Alby’s Evil Wife…and yes, I think Roman will be dead very soon (morphine, Valium, and Vicodin? oh yeah…). I wondered if he was dying watching Rhonda sing (and wow, what an amazing voice. Anyone know if that’s really her singing?)

Hmmm…speaking of whether Teeny really had a fever…where IS Teeny?

Barb’s about ready to choke or explode on her (barely) suppressed anger and resentment. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.

#18

edited to delete nevermind…

#19

She’s moved into Chuck Cunningham’s bedroom. :smiley:

I believe the actress hit puberty and since her character is supposed to 8 she’s been shunted deep into the background this season…

#20

Well, that would explain it. I’m torn between “did they think we wouldn’t notice” and “at least they didn’t come up with something stupid to explain it.”

“Hon, where’s Teeny?”
“Oh, I saw something on the Internet and sent her off to be glamorized.”