Margene continues to be emotional powerhouse in Season 2 of HBO's Big Love - played with sweet, innocent, but somehow savvy perfection by Ginnifer Goodwin.
Bill continues to pursue the Serbian waitress Ana (played well by Branka Katic). Margene, as we saw last week, knows about this. But far from being jealous, she's happy, even thrilled, that Bill might be thinking about a fourth wife. She's almost starting to fall in love with the waitress, too, as a sister-wife. Margene loves Bill so much that his attraction for the waitress imbues her not with jealousy but almost love for Bill's almost love interest. It's really an amazing dynamic - one which I don't recall ever seeing in a story - and it makes perfect sense, really, given the nature of Bill's family.
But Bill finds he doesn't really love Ana - it's lust, he says at the end, not the "Spirit" moving him. Margene is at first hurt by this - Bill's realization will deprive her of the sister-wife she was beginning to love. But, in the end, she begins to realize how even more special her and Bill's relationship is - not just just lust. Bill tells her this, and we can see in Margene/Ginnifer's eyes that she's just beginning to appreciate the depth of this.
I was getting to like Ana, too - but the ending of the relationship we saw last night was really more revealing and satisfying.
Otherwise, the rest of the episode was firing on all cylinders - Rhonda continuing on her warpath, Bill almost getting branded in that computer-game acquisition deal ... and branded not in the marketing sense.
This season has a pace somewhat different from last year, and I like it.
Next week - Bruce Dern returns!
See also reviews of other episodes: Big Love Resumes ... 2: Oh, Happy Day, and Not ... 3: Sons and Mothers ... 4. Help Me, Rhonda ... 5. The Waitress and More... 6. Just Lust ... 7. Margene's Mama ... 8. Polygamy and Misgivings ... 9. Swing Vote Margene ... 10. Polygamy as the Ultimate Cool/Bad ... 11. Family in Crisis ... ... 12. Polygamy and Great Performances Confirmed
3 comments:
I was wondering where they were taking the 'Ana' story, and wasn't sure they could pull it off. Well, due to the incredible writing this year, they more than pulled it off and made it extremely enjoyable to watch. I agree with the satisfying comment. This season is a complete success so far, and I like the new twist they put on the end of this one. Bill in the middle of the gaming fight.
I really enjoy your blog btw. Thanks.
Hey, my pleasure, John B - good to have you as a reader and commentator!
Big Love is incredible this season. This particular episode was the best ever.
I'm not much of a romantic but breaking up with Ana just tugged at my heart strings. I'm hoping very much that we haven't seen the end of her.
Bill's kidnapping by the guys in the van was very intense. I consider that to be on the intensity level of the Sopranos episode where they were trying to dispose of that Russian guy in the New Jersey Pine Barrens -- that was the best Sopranos episode ever. In both cases, I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.
And not only did Bill get kidnapped, it happened to him when he was supposed to be waiting for the heartbroken Ana outside the restaurant. It was a double whammy. Prior to the kidnapping, it seemed that Ana and Bill still had a chance. Afterward, Bill seemed completely disinterested.
Meanwhile, there is so much other incredible stuff going on. Their writers, directors and actors are the best. I'm simply amazed of the quantity and level of complexities in the stories and that they are able to convey it so well through TV.
George
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